Season Z, Episodes V-X: Playtime?

Season: Z

Episode: X

Playtime? (Part 3)

(By: Flame Runner)

“I’m bored!” sighed Scootaloo wearily as she sat on the floor of Zecora’s hut.

Apple Bloom was scrawling circles with her hoof on the dirt floor and Sweetie Belle yawned. Zecora was still busy mixing something in her cauldron, every now and then sticking her own hoof into the mixture and taste testing it.

“Have some patience and soon you will see your friends returning, and then you may leave,” said the zebra kindly.

A loud roar echoed through the entire Everfree Forest as the black clouds overhead began to expand and stretch to the outer edges of an unsuspecting Ponyville. The three Crusaders leaped to their feet.

“What was that?” squealed Sweetie Belle.

“Hmm…” Zecora mused as she walked over to a window.

The zebra’s eyes grew wide with fright and she began to work double time on her concoction.

“Zecora, what’s goin’ on?” pleaded Apple Bloom as the other two fillies rushed over to the now vacant window to look outside.

“I fear for the safety of your family and friends, the Siphon has grown stronger and it may be you alone that her magic can cleanse.”

“My sister’s in trouble?” gasped Sweetie Belle.

“Zecora, we’ve got to do somethin’!” shouted Apple Bloom

Zecora tossed one final ingredient into her bubbling cauldron and then placed her hoof into the mixture and tasted the red liquid. She grimaced, but grimaced happily, and grabbed three empty vials from her shelf which she filled to the brim with the red substance.

“Take these potions and do not delay for they can break Phillis’ magic straight away. For magic of earth wields Phillis the blue and these potions are made of a natural brew. For nature and earth are but one and the same and this potion will her great power tame.”

Zecora handed each of the fillies a vial full of the potion.

“Now go, find your sisters and follow their trail. Your diligence alone can hope to prevail.”

“So what, we just pour this on Phillis or something?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It doesn’t matter! Come on! We’ve got to save Ponyville!” Scootaloo cried as she charged out the front door.

The other two Crusaders followed closely behind. Zecora waved them farewell and then began to fill up more empty vials with the potent liquid. However, as she did so, she kept looking up at one specific jar with a red glowing dot in it.

(Insert Theme Music Here)

* * * * * * * * *

“I’ve got’cha now Lyra!” shouted Applejack.

The orange mare dove forward and tackled Lyra Heartstrings to the grassy earth below.

“Tag! You’re it!” stated Applejack as she jumped up and ran away.

Her eyes had already become less colorful and more murky. She let loose a powerful fit of laughter as a glassy eyed Lyra also laughed and chased Applejack through the maze. As the two ran around and around, through the various passageways and dead-ends, they happened to come to the center. A large square opening welcomed the two mares gladly. In the center of this opening stood a single grass sculpture, a sculpture of a unicorn giggling while performing her magic. The laughing mares paid no head to this lone statue but chased merrily around and around until Lyra finally planted a hoof on her orange counter-part and the chase began anew through the purple hedges.

“Come here!” chuckled a new voice off in the distance.

Lyra and Applejack stopped for only a moment as a small glowing stone whizzed through the hedge maze, followed closely by a maniacally laughing Rarity. The purple pebble came to rest on Lyra’s back and Rarity dove at the sea foam green pony. Lyra giggled and jumped away. The stone plopped to the ground and Applejack trotted over and picked it up.

“G-Give me t-that!” demanded Rarity between fits of giggles, her eyes were fading fast.

“New game!” declared Applejack joyfully. “Monkey in the middle!”

Applejack tossed the stone high over Rarity’s head to Lyra. The white unicorn leaped into the sky but couldn’t reach it. Lyra caught the pebble with ease and then tossed it back. After a few tosses, Rarity managed to grab the stone out of the air. She laughed at her good fortune and then stopped, a dreary look crossed her face and then she began to laugh once again.

“Now Applejack is the Monkey in the middle!” the prissy unicorn said gleefully.

The two swapped places and Rarity tossed her precious stone over Applejack’s head to Lyra. The dark clouds seemed to grow thicker and darker with each bout of cackling laughter from the three mares. A blue essence giggled with delight from inside the dark storm clouds.

* * * * * * * * *

A small group of fillies surged across the ever darkening paths of the Everfree Forest.

“Why exactly are we goin’ back to the meadow?” Apple Bloom asked as they ran.

“Because that’s where we first met Phillis!” Scootaloo replied.

The foliage became thinner and thinner as the fillies came ever closer to their destination. A bout of loud laughter flitted through the air.

“Hold on sis! We’re coming!” screamed Sweetie Belle.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders somehow managed to pick up their pace as they neared the edges of Phillis’ meadow. Suddenly Scootaloo, who was in the lead, came to a halt so quickly that first Apple Bloom and then Sweetie Belle slammed into their friend and bowled each other over.

“Oof!” squealed Sweetie Belle.

“Why’d we stop?” Apple Bloom groaned as she picked herself up off of her orange friend.

“Look,” was all Scootaloo could breathe out as she pointed toward what once was an open meadow.

Now, a tall purple hedge maze loomed over the heads of the three young fillies. A round of ecstatic laughter echoed from inside the bizarre maze.

“Our sisters are in THERE?!” Sweetie Belle panicked.

All three Crusaders gulped, but bravely stepped into the twisted maze.

“A-Applejack!”

“R-Rarity!”

“L-Lyra!”

They shakily called out the names of their friends and family. More unsettling laughter glided through the dark sky. It seemed to be coming from everywhere in the unnatural maze. A puff of blue flashed before the faces of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and there appeared inside the flash, Phillis.

“Welcome back!” greeted the Siphon cheerily.

“There she is!” cried Apple Bloom.

“Get her!” shouted Scootaloo.

The three dove at Phillis, but whizzed though the floating creature, leaving only a small trail of blue smoke behind them.

“Hee hee! That tickles!”

“Quick the potion!” declared Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom uncorked her bottle and flung some of the red liquid at Phillis. The Siphon zipped to the side, dodging the attack. But the potion landed on one of the purple hedges which began to smoke and dissolve into a blue mist which soon evaporated.

“Hey! That’s not very nice! All I wanted to do was play!”

“Yeah? Well we don’t have time to play! We’re on a mission and we’ve got a responsibility to get our friends back,” Scootaloo shot back.

“But what fun is responsibility?” Phillis began to float around the little fillies and mess with their hair as she spoke. The Crusaders would try to brush her off, but found their efforts to be futile as the Siphon would only poof away to appear by a different one. “Your friends are having so much fun here. Why don’t you join them? Why not give up your responsibility? Isn’t it more fun to just play? It’s only for a little while. It’ll only be a few minutes. Come on. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“…Yeah…it does sound nice…” Apple Bloom slurred as her eyes started to lose their color and a loopy smile cracked onto her face.

But the young farm pony shook her head and the color in her eyes returned.

“No! No! We can’t stay and play! We have to find our sisters and leave! Now git!”

Apple Bloom flung more of her vial’s contents at Phillis. This time a few drops managed to splash against the Siphon’s skin. Phillis released a blood curdling scream as she began to smoke and sizzle.

“You’ll regret that!” roared the small creature as she vanished in another puff of smoke.

Instantly the walls of the maze began to grow taller and taller until they passed through the dark cloud layer above. The odd blue flowers on the hedges also began to change. They seemed to shimmer and giggle and whisper. When the Crusaders looked at the blue petals, the flower would appear to be different objects. To Scootaloo one looked like her favorite scooter. To Apple Bloom another looked like a rubber ball. To Sweetie Belle another still appeared to be Equestria’s greatest coloring book.

Each of the Cutie Mark Crusader’s eyes lost focus as they were drawn toward the fun playthings. The fillies began to chuckle to themselves as they slowly neared their hearts’ playful desires. More laughter echoed through the skies from unseen mares, who themselves were playing deep within the purple maze. Sweetie Belle heard the unnatural cackle of her beloved sister even through the Siphon’s trickery.

“NO!!!” screamed the young unicorn.

Sweetie closed her eyes and turned from the mirage. She uncorked her own vial and flung some of the potent liquid at the blue flower. It shriveled and dissolved into a sickly blue smog. She then flung more at the other blue flowers.

“Gah!” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shouted as the shook their heads clear of Phillis’ mind trap. The color in their eyes came back instantly.

“Thanks Sweetie Belle,” gasped Scootaloo.

“Y-Yeah, n-no problem.”

The sound of joyful laughter coming from deep within the dark and dangerous maze sent chills down the backs of the three fillies.

“Ya’ know what? I’ve had enough of this!” declared Apple Bloom.

The orange filly furrowed her brows and charged at the purple hedges. She slid between the branches and disappeared beneath the unnatural leaves. But a few seconds later she came out grunting against the press of living branches which flung her to the ground by her friends.

“Um…what exactly was that?” Scootaloo asked.

“I thought it would be easier to jus’ slip through the maze and get to my sis.”

“Slip through the maze, huh?” the pegasus put her hoof to her chin as she thought. “I’ve got it!”

She uncorked her own bottle and tossed a few drops of its contents onto the purple foliage. The branches and leaves melted creating a small opening filled with blue haze.

“Come on!” Scootaloo waved for her friends to follow her through the hole.

The three charged through and found themselves on the other side of the hedges. Behind them, the plant wall was regrowing itself and filling the opening.

“Great idea Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle said with a beaming smile. “Now we can go anywhere in this maze easily!”

The white unicorn flicked a few drops of her own vial on the hedges and another opening sizzled open before the fillies. The three friends charged through, deeper and deeper into the maze. They constantly bombarded the hedges as they plowed through Phillis’ trap. Behind them many small openings were slowly regrowing themselves, but the fillies didn’t care. Each open passage brought them ever closer to the bizarre laughter of their families and friends.

In no time, the three had made it to the last wall separating themselves from the voices of the laughing mares. Apple Bloom dipped a few drops of the red potion on the final hedge and they moved through the opening to arrive in the square shaped center of the purple maze. Playing the same “Monkey in the middle” game, like no time had passed whatsoever, were the three mares. Both Applejack’s and Rarity’s eyes were now just as glassy as those of Lyra.

“Rarity!”

“Applejack!”

“Lyra!”

Shouted the fillies happily as each dashed over to a different one. Each mare stopped playing at the same time.

“Hi girls,” they all said in unison. “Would you like to play with us?”

“Quick! The potions!” shouted Scootaloo.

The Crusaders pulled out their vials, but didn’t get the chance to use them.

“Ooo!” said the mares as they snatched the vials out of the fillies’ outstretched hooves. “Monkey in the middle!” each of the mares said at the same time.

“Wait! Don’t throw ‘em!” screamed Apple Bloom.

But it was too late. They threw the potions through the air, over the outstretched hooves of the Crusaders. The vials spun through the sky and what remained of the potent liquid was emptied as it spiraled out.

“NO!!!” Sweetie Belle screamed as the red drops fell harmlessly to the ground.

But some of the liquid landed on the unicorn statue. The statue began to sizzle as blue smoke filled the sky. The statue began to cough and shudder until the entire leafy texture turned into the skin of a purple unicorn. Twilight Sparkle fell to the ground with a grunt as the last of the mist dissolved overhead.

“Twilight!?” yelled Scootaloo.

The purple librarian picked herself up and with a groan rubbed her head.

“Ohhh…what? Where?” she mumbled.

“Welcome Twililght,” the three mares said creepily. “Would you like to play a game?”

Each of the mares stepped together toward the unicorn. Their faces were beaming with disturbingly happy grins. The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly ran to Twilight’s side and helped the purple unicorn to her feet. The cheerful looking ponies stepped ever closer. The Crusaders stepped backward with Twilight Sparkle until they bumped into the wall of the hedge maze.

“Come play with us…”

“Twilight do somethin’!” urged Apple Bloom.

Twilight grunted and her horn lit up. A magical barrier soon surrounded the fillies and Twilight, while leaving the others outside. But the other mares didn’t seem to notice and walked straight into the shield.

“Play! Play!” the muffled pleas echoed even through the barrier.

“Girls, what’s going on?” Twilight asked the fillies.

“Our sisters are bein’ mind-controlled!” Apple Bloom replied.

“Mind controlled? By who?”

At that very moment Phillis decided to make her entrance as she poofed directly inside the barrier with a blue flash.

“Hi ya’!”

The Crusaders screamed and jumped away from the Siphon, but Twilight stood her ground. With furrowed brow she faced the blue menace.

“You!” Twilight huffed as she pawed angrily at the ground.

“Me!” giggled Phillis.

“You must be behind all this!”

“I can’t help it if your friends like to play. It IS a lot of fun you know. Why don’t you just relax Miss grumpy? Besides we never finished our game from before.”

“That does it!” roared Twilight.

Refocusing her power onto the Siphon, Twilight gripped the creature in a magical embrace. Phillis easily slipped away, just like before, but this time Twilight was ready for it. As soon as Phillis slipped out, Twilight sent a powerful jolt of purple magic at the Siphon. It struck home and sent the blue creature spiraling out of control. But instead of being upset, Phillis began to laugh.

“Hee hee! That was fun! Do it again!”

“Grrrr…” growled Twilight as she prepared to launch another attack at the pest.

But all of the unicorn’s efforts on Phillis meant that her shield was becoming weaker and fading fast. Soon, the smiling mares would be upon the young fillies and Twilight. The purple unicorn shot another bolt at Phillis, who dodged the attempt easily.

“Twilight! Don’t play with her! That only makes her stronger!” Apple Bloom warned.

“I’m…not playing…I’m…attacking!” Twilight grunted out between shots.

Twilight’s eyes were already beginning to fog and gloss over.

“Then stop attacking it!” Scootaloo pleaded.

The shield was almost totally faded. Twilight didn’t respond for a few seconds. Then, she slowly moved her head to speak to the young pegasus.

“But I’m not attacking…I’m just playing.”

Twilight started to chuckle with each bolt she fired. The shield totally disintegrated while Phillis laughed and laughed. The playful mares started to close in on the three fillies.

“Play. Play. Play.”

“Aahhh!!!” panicked Sweetie Belle.

The Crusaders were now totally pushed against the leafy walls of the hedge maze and the magical branches made sure the young ponies couldn’t slip through. The three cowered in fear as their older siblings and friends moved in on them, smiling all the while. Then, they stopped moving while Phillis teleported down before the three.

“Don’t worry,” she said calmly. “This isn’t game over. The game is just starting.”

Then Phillis laughed as the mares, now including a glassy eyed Twilight, stepped in on the fillies. Just as all hope seemed lost, an explosion echoed from behind all those gathered in the maze. The mares, Phillis, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders all turned their heads to see what had happened. A large cloud of red mist now hung lightly in the dark skies of the Everfree.

Another explosion ripped through the air and yet another, each one leaving a cloud of red smoke. Along with the red smoke came another bizarre sight, blue fog also rose from the ground of the Everfree. With only a few more explosions it soon became apparent what the blue vapor was, the maze was disintegrating.

“WHAT?!” shrieked Phillis.

Suddenly the walls in front of the Crusaders dissolved in a burst of red and Zecora, the zebra, stepped out from the mixed red and blue haze.

“Zecora!” shouted all three fillies with glee.

The young ponies zipped over to the side of the zebra, who was laden with a saddlebag full of red potions. All around, the blue and red steam was dispersing. After the colorful fumes lifted, very little of the maze remained standing.

“A fine welcome to you, Phillis the blue. I suggest you leave now if you know what’s good for you.”

“You!” shouted Phillis angrily.

The Siphon floated right up to Zecora’s face.

“You’re that annoying zebra from earlier! You wouldn’t play, so I locked you in your house.”

Zecora brushed the Siphon off with a flip of her hoof. Phillis growled.

“Girls, take some potions for you to use. Give them to your friends and end the Siphon’s ruse.”

The fillies did as told and each snagged a vial from Zecora’s saddlebag.

“Get them!” Phillis yelled and she pointed toward the zebra and fillies.

The mares started to bounce forward with happy smiles on their faces.

“Play! Play! Play!”

But the four stood resolute and confident with their arsenal of potions. Apple Bloom jumped on Applejack’s back and uncorked her vial. The young filly then slung the potent liquid into her sister’s open mouth as the older sibling yelled, “Play!”

Sweetie Belle ran up to her sister and did the only thing she could think to do.

“Sorry sis,” Sweetie apologized as she pulled on Rarity’s swirled purple mane.

“Pl- Oh! My hair!” Rarity, even in her present state, began to fix her mane as Sweetie Belle flung the remedy into the white mare’s mouth.

Scootaloo slid over to Twilight and easily managed to get the unicorn to take a swig of the red liquid.

“Yuck! Eww! Ick!” the mares coughed and yelled. Their eyes cleared up as they shook their heads and tried to brush the nasty potion off their tongues. The black clouds above the Everfree began to waver and contract. Soon the black cover had shrunk away from Ponyville and now barely managed to cover the Forest itself. The fillies all looked up at the shrinking clouds and grinned victoriously.

“Fine! You win!” Phillis shouted from above the ponies. “Just leave!”

Then Phillis, herself, disappeared in a cloud of blue. The cured mares were finally starting to come back to their senses.

“Ugh…I jus’ had the worst dream,” Applejack mumbled.

Soon the orange farm pony found Apple Bloom hugging her passionately.

“It’s good to have ya’ back sis!”

Sweetie Belle was doing something very similar with Rarity. Scootaloo glanced over at Twilight and Twilight glanced awkwardly back at Scootaloo. Scootaloo gave the librarian a shoulder bump.

“Uh…glad to have you back.”

“Yep,” replied Twilight.

“Wait, where’s Lyra?” asked Rarity.

“Lyra?” Scootaloo repeated and her eyes went wide.

The entire group looked around frantically, but the musical unicorn was no where to be seen.

“We’ve got to find her!” Sweetie Belle said.

“With this statement I agree, but I will find her and you must flee,” Zecora placed a comforting hoof on the little unicorn.

“I’m with Zecora,” Twilight stated with a nod of her head. “You three need to get out of here. I’ll help Zecora look for Lyra. Applejack? Rarity? Can you get these three to safety?”

“Consider it done,” Rarity replied.

“Aww...” whined the Crusaders.

Still, the group set off while Zecora and Twilight headed further into the woods in search the elusive Lyra Heartstrings.

“Sis,” Applejack said with a smile as the group walked back. “Ya’ did good. Thanks.”

“No problem!” Apple Bloom replied. “You’re my sister and I have a responsibility to look after ya’, you know?”

Applejack laughed. The group passed quickly through the Everfree and soon in the distance could be seen a dot of bright light announcing the Forest’s edge.

“There it is!” Scootaloo shouted excitedly. “Last one to Ponyville is a chicken!”

The fillies took off toward the light, leaving the two mares a short distance behind. But then, a loud noise came from behind the Crusaders. They ground to a halt and turned around to see what had happened. A thick clump of purple trees cut the fillies off from Applejack and Rarity. More noise echoed all around and within no time the three were surrounded by a circle of the purple trees.

“Phillis!” Sweetie Belle cried in horror.

A shadowy figure slipped through the tree line and the Crusaders screamed.

“Shh…It’s ok girls,” came a familiar voice. It was Lyra! And she sounded normal.

“L-Lyra? Is that you?” Scootaloo called out.

The sea foam green mare stepped forward. She was smiling.

“Hi girls,” Lyra said, but the mare’s mouth never moved.

Lyra moved even closer. Her actions were clunky and strained but something looked even more disconcerting about the unicorn. Her eyes were just as glassy as ever but now her skin looked like a shiny plastic. She never stopped smiling and her mouth never moved, almost as if it had been painted on.

“Let’s play a game,” Lyra’s voice said without the unicorn moving her mouth.

Then Phillis chose to make herself known. The Siphon appeared behind Lyra, but she was no longer the small, innocent looking creature they had first met. Now the blue creature was massive and with gigantic hands reached down to grab Lyra Heartstrings. Phillis moved Lyra forward, just like one would move a plastic toy. The fillies looked to their hooves, but they no longer held any potions. It was just them, Lyra, and the Siphon.

“Games are fun, right?” the noise sounded like Lyra, but it was Phillis’ mouth that moved. “Why don’t you want to play?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were totally horrified. Their mouths hung open and Sweetie Belle began to whimper at the sight of Lyra and the Siphon. But Scootaloo managed to swallow her fear and replied even as she moved backward.

“Uh…w-well…games a-are fun and all…b-but…um…” Scootaloo stopped talking when she bumped into the ring of magical trees.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” Lyra’s plastic movements brought her ever closer to the trio even as her voice came from Phillis. “I know why you came in here in the first place. You didn’t want to do your homework. You wanted to be heroes. You wanted to just get away. You keep talking about your responsibility to your family, but you don’t really mean it. All you really want to do is play.”

“T-That’s not true!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

Lyra stopped moving and then dropped to the ground like a rag doll and Phillis shrank back down to her previous size and teleported right up to the young unicorn.

“Oh, isn’t it?” Phillis said.

The Siphon then floated over to Scootaloo.

“You. You want to perform stunts on that scooter of yours. You could care less about homework.”

The Siphon’s hands began to glow brightly as the trees surrounding the Crusaders morphed into a ring of half-pipes and a beautiful, brand new scooter appeared before Scootaloo.

“Why don’t you take it for a spin or two? Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Scootaloo glanced around her new surroundings and looked over at the amazing scooter. Her eyes started to glass over as she began to reach out for it, but then pulled her hoof back. Phillis didn’t seem to notice as she had already moved on to Apple Bloom.

“And you. You don’t like school work either. You pretend to have fun doing your chores, but they’re still a bore aren’t they? You’d much rather be doing something more creative wouldn’t you?”

Phillis’ hands glowed again and the ground below became a giant white canvas. A myriad of paints and brushes fell all around the young farmer. Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide at the amazing sight, but she quickly closed her eyes and turned away. Soon Phillis moved on and spoke with Sweetie Belle.

“And what could a young unicorn want to do? Certainly not boring chores or homework. No, you would rather make music with your sister and friends wouldn’t you?”

Phillis’ hands glowed once more and instruments of all variety began to grow, plant-like, from the earth. Sweetie Belle looked all around at the incredible sight. Half-pipes, paints, and musical instruments littered the floor. It was all too much for the young filly. Her friends were already succumbing to the allure of play. Scootaloo kept reaching back out for the scooter and pulling her hoof back. Apple Bloom had a bucket of paint in her hooves and was trying not to throw it all over the ground, and thereby let the Siphon win. Sweetie Belle herself soon began to glance longingly at a piano grown just for her enjoyment. But before Phillis’ trap could take effect, the young unicorn noticed something bizarre; Lyra was beginning to twitch and her coat was starting to regain its normal appearance. Sweetie Belle noticed what the mare was looking at, a harp. Then the filly got an idea.

“STOP!!!” roared the little unicorn.

Her friends instantly froze and their temptations were dropped. Even Phillis was startled by the sudden outburst. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sweetie Belle trotted over to the harp and began to pluck on the strings. Majestic notes filled the air with each twang of the strings.

“Phillis,” stated the unicorn filly, “you’re right. There are many times I don’t want to do my work. There are times I would rather play than to accept my responsibility to my school, my friends, and my family.”

The notes sang into the air and Lyra’s head and eyes began to twitch with each pluck on the harp. Her skin was clearing up as were her eyes.

“But Phillis, there’s something you’re forgetting,” continued Sweetie Belle. “Just because I don’t like responsibility doesn’t mean I don’t do it. Take Lyra for instance.”

All heads turned to the twitching mare. Phillis’ eyes went wide as the Siphon realized what was happening.

“Lyra had a responsibility to play music at the Taste of Fall, but I’m sure that she didn’t always want to practice. So you drew her in here, where she wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes then went wide as she figured out what was going on. The earth pony then moved over to a piano and began to pound out one note at a time as she too began to speak.

“Yeah! Responsibility is never all that fun and I would much rather be playin’ any day, but that doesn’t change the fact that I still need to get my work done. If Applejack and I didn’t do our chores on the farm then there wouldn’t be any food at the Taste of Fall.”

Lyra’s skin had now changed back to its original color and her eyes were almost totally normal again. The musical mare was also now standing of her own accord. Scootaloo finally got in on the act and marched right up to a large cello.

“They’re right Phillis! We don’t always like our work but it’s our work that makes all the good things we have possible. In fact without Lyra’s music, Twilight’s organizing, Rarity’s decorating, Applejack’s baking, and the work of many others there would be no Taste of Fall! It sounds odd, but I guess that sometimes responsibility can actually lead to fun.”

“You tell her Scootaloo!” the fillies looked around to find Lyra standing, in her right mind, and with a friendly grin on her face. “Phillis, playing is a lot of fun but when ponies neglect their responsibilities in order to play they only end up hurting themselves and others in the long run. Now I need to do something I should have been doing all along.”

Lyra walked over to Sweetie Belle. The filly moved out of the way as Lyra stood at the harp and began to pour forth a beautiful melody into the skies.

“NO! NO! NOOO!!!” screeched the Siphon, but it was too late.

Phillis’ power instantly began to dissolve. The clouds above shrunk and the half-pipes, scooter, canvas, and art supplies all disappeared. Even the instruments slowly sunk back into the earth, making the music stop. The Siphon’s reign was at an end.

“No! It’s not over yet! You haven’t seen the last of-AHH!!!!”

Phillis shrieked as a red liquid came pouring down on top of her. All eyes turned toward a zebra dumping the potent potion over the Siphon. Phillis sizzled and dissolved into a mist of blue steam until all that remained of the creature was a tiny blue dot of light. Zecora scooped up the little dot in the now empty vial and corked the top.

“Oh creature of such great playful power, who would have thought that glass would make you cower?”

“Lyra!” Twilight shouted in shock.

“Hi Twilight! Hi Applejack! Hi Rarity!” Lyra waved toward the others.

“You ok, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“Thanks to these three I am.” Lyra motioned toward the fillies.

“Good work girls,” Rarity congratulated. “But how about we get out of this dreadful forest?”

They all exited the Everfree Forest and finally made it to the light of sunshine at the edge of Ponyville, but Zecora headed back to her house with the powerless Siphon trapped in the glass vial.

* * * * * * * * *

The Taste of Fall was almost over. It had been a huge success. All around ponies laughed and spoke with each other. Some played games while others were still busy stuffing food into their mouths. Cheerful music glided through the skies while three certain fillies were busy chatting it up with a young dragon.

“Whoa! That’s some story!” Spike said. “You think the Princess wants to know about it?”

“I don’t see why not,” Scootaloo replied. “So what did we learn?”

Spike pulled out some paper and a quill from seemingly nowhere while Pinkie Pie winked at him and nodded her head approvingly.

“We learned that even though responsibility isn’t always fun, it’s still something that needs to be done,” Sweetie Belle stated.

“Yeah. You’ll never regret getting’ your job done but you jus’ might regret playin’ instead.”

“And in the end responsibility can actually lead to way more fun, especially if you’re doing your work with friends,” Scootaloo wrapped up.

“Aannddd…got it!” Spike said happily.

The dragon sucked in air to send the message away, but Scootaloo stopped him.

“Wait! Can I see that?” she pointed at the parchment.

Spike shrugged and handed the paper and quill to the pegasus.

“PS: You can thank us for saving Ponyville later.”

Then she handed the scroll back to Spike, who breathed out a pale green flame and sent the message off.

“And now we’ve got a job to do,” Scootaloo told her friends.

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MONSTER HUNTERS! YAY!”

The three charged back off toward the Everfree Forest. Rarity and Applejack turned their heads toward the loud scream and their eyes went wide.

“Girls? Girls!!!” Rarity shouted.

The two mares chased after the rambunctious trio.

* * * * * * * * *

In the Everfree Forest, in a hollow and twisted tree, Zecora placed the vial with the tiny blue dot on her shelf directly beside the jar containing a floating red dot. The zebra nodded her head grimly and then began to mix up yet another brew in her cauldron. A familiar smoke rose from her house in the ever surprising Everfree Forest.