Dawn of a New World

Chapters

2 - The Calm Before the Storm
3 - The Prophecy
5 - To a Land Far Away
6 - Beyond the Fiery Path
7 - Under the Sea, Into the Sky
8 - The Mark of the Loyal
9 - City of Chaos
10 - The Frozen Waste
11 - And So We Must Part
Fluttershy 1 - The Truth
Sweetie Belle 1 - Aftermath
Apple Bloom 1 - Onward
Twilight 1 - Brother
Sweetie Belle 2 - Walk of Fame
Fluttershy 3 - Survive
Apple Bloom 2 - A House Divided
Sweetie Belle 3 - A Lovely Song
Berry Bunches 1 - Waiting
Fluttershy 4 - Broken
Twilight 2 - Dark Clouds
Apple Bloom 3 - Family
Fluttershy 5 - Hope
Bonus - Metal Slug
1 - Day Zero
4 - And So We Set Forth!
Fluttershy 2 - A Long Way to Go

2 - The Calm Before the Storm

One Day Earlier...

Fluttershy woke with a shock. After shaking her head, she realized something was stabbing into her side. She rose in a panic, but realized it was just Angel holding a carrot. He was poking her to get the butter pony to wake up.

"Oh, Angel, I'm terribly sorry I slept in! It was just a hectic night the day before...with Twilight blowing up and growing wings!" She quietly said. The way she said it made the whole thing sound like a dream. Am I sure I was not dreaming? No, I saw it happen! It was right in Twilight's library. Just last night! Angel was not moved, instead walking away. Fluttershy went downstairs and started her day by feeding the animals. "Here you go, you must all be very hungry!" She said as the rabbits and birds chowed down on a morning salad. She herself prepared her own breakfast of vegetables and fruits. It was fairly chilly outside and the wind was slightly breezy. "We have a big day ahead of us!" Fluttershy said as she looked outside, ready for her best friend's coronation.

********

It was a bright afternoon. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, and everypony was as content as they could be. As Twilight Sparkle would put it - Life in Equestria shimmers. Fluttershy had fun walking alongside her friend as she sang about the big achievement in her life. Princess Celestia even gave Twilight a flight spell so she could temporarily fly. The new princess looked so happy in the air that Fluttershy couldn't help but cry tears of joy.

Soon after Twilight's coronation, Pinkie Pie held a huge party in the palace ballroom. There was much laughter, music, and fun times to be had during the party. Even Discord, the recently reformed Draconequus, was there to partake in the merry gathering (and to provide a little "fun" too).

"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Discord yelled as the blue pegasus stood with her Wonderbolt teammates. The blue pony turned to see an apple pie fly right into her face. Discord and the Wonderbolts laughed as Rainbow Dash wiped it off, revealing a look of scorn.

"Applejack, don't sell Discord your pies!" She screamed at the orange mare. Applejack only laughed; she was able to sell many pies during the celebration.

As with all things, it soon came to an end. The ponies went their own way, and the mane six, except for Rainbow Dash and Twilight, took a train back to ponyville. Rainbow had asked Twilight to a race, which the purple princess happily declined.

"You have to learn to use your wings eventually!"

Twilight tried flapping her wings and managed to hover for a bit, but she fell flat on her face. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but laugh. "...Well, eventually might be a while from now." Twilight said as he wings stood straight up. "I can't get these wings to...gah! This is nothing like the books described!" She tried tucking them back, but they just popped back out.

"Relax, egghead!" Rainbow Dash said, laughing. "Flying isn't something you can just read about to understand. You gotta be born with it!" Twilight gave her a look, causing the blue pony to take that back. "Or...with some practice and guidance! Let's get outside; I'll show you some basics."

The wind was blowing nicely, which Rainbow Dash took as a good sign. She spent a good hour teaching Twilight the basics of hovering in the air. Before long, Twilight was flying slowly across the grass. It was very slow, but Rainbow Dash nodded in respect.

"I think I've got the hang of this!" Twilight said as she managed to float up a little higher. "I think I can take you up on that race now!"

Rainbow Dash laughed. "I don't want to humiliate you that badly on your first night of flight!"

"Oh, so you don't want to take up the challenge?"

"You got me," Rainbow Dash laughed. "I guess I'll go easy on you this time...Now, I know you just got a hang of it and can't fly that well..." Rainbow dash said before being blown away by Twilight's take-off. "You know, the flight books did have some useful information!" Twilight replied. "...Egghead, it's on!" Was all Rainbow could say in retaliation as she took off.

Rainbow Dash soon found out that although Twilight had some knowledge, she wasn't very fast. The blue pegasus soon began to leave the princess behind in a rainbow trail. Before she got too far, however, she became enveloped in Twilight's aura, and soon froze in place as the purple princess zoomed past.

"Hey, no fair!" Rainbow said as the magical hold dissolved. Rainbow Dash sonic rainboomed into the lead. She laughed as she zoomed through the air, only to see Twilight use her magic again to teleport right in front of Rainbow Dash. "You gotta be kidding me!" Rainbow Dash yelled as the two flew back to Ponyville.

"I guess I'll have to teach you how to fly faster so you don't have to use magic to cheat-I mean win." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. Both ponies laughed as they landed. "How's first thing tomorrow morning?" Twilight asked as they stopped near the library.

"Of course!" Rainbow replied in her confident tone, before flying home. Twilight herself walked into her house and went upstairs. She took a moment to stare at the magical spellbook that helped complete her destiny before drifting to sleep.

*********

For everypony else who took the train, they all parted ways at the station. Fluttershy immediately went off towards her cottage after saying goodbye to her best friends. Reaching her cozy home, Fluttershy went up to her room and went right to bed. She was so tired that she didn't realize that she had left the front door open. The pegasus looked to a nearby table and stared at the picture frame that sat on it. Smiling, Fluttershy drifted off to sleep.

*********

Rarity walked into her house and went upstairs. The place was silent, which was a good sign for Rarity. She passed Sweetie Belle's room and found the filly asleep in her bed. She gave a small smile as she closed the door quietly. Sweetie Belle was dropped off by her parents as they went on a business trip in Fillydelphia. Rarity had a whole day planned out for just the two of them the next day. After going on an adventure with Applejack, Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo that one time, Rarity vowed to spend as much time with her sister as possible. She went through her bedtime ritual before seeing Sweetie Belle appear at the door.

"My, Sweetie Belle, what on earth are you doing up at this time?" The white unicorn said calmly as Sweetie Belle trotted over to the bed.

"I couldn't sleep..." Sweetie Belle slowly said. "I had a bad dream..."

"Oh, darling!" Rarity started. "I can assure you that nothing bad will happen to you as long as you're with me. I Pinkie Promise!" She said as she did the motions and placed a hoof on her closed eye.

Sweetie Belle gave a small smile and turned around to go back to bed. Rarity had a weak feeling in her stomach, but she brushed it off and went to bed. It better not rain tomorrow, that would be the worst possible thing!

*********

Applejack returned to her farm and found Big Macintosh tending to one last apple tree.

"Big brother!" Applejack shouted as she approached her fence. "Whatcha doin' up at a time like this? Ah think you'd best be gettin' to bed."

Big Mac turned to her, then back to the apple tree and said "...Eeyup." As he bucked the last tree. The red apples dropped right into the surrounding baskets. He piled them up into a wagon, pulling it back towards the barn. Big Mac looked even stronger now, Applejack noticed. We'll get a good fast harvest this year, Ah'm sure of it!

The siblings walked inside to find Granny Smith asleep on her rocker again. Applejack laughed as she brought her granny up to bed. She lay her grandmother lightly on her bed and tucked her in. She shifted a little before snoring. Applejack couldn't help but smile. "Good night, Granny Smith." She said quietly as she closed the door.

"It's been a long day..." Applejack said in a tired voice as she passed Apple Bloom's room. She was still up, huddled over a table.

"Apple Bloom, why are you still up?" Applejack asked. The filly turned around. The look on her face suggested that Apple Bloom was not tired at all.

"Tomorrow, Scootaloo and Ah are gonna go play baseball in the park!" She said, bouncing up and down. Applejack had never been happier to see her sister so happy. It was a nice feeling.

"Well, you'd best be savin' your energy for that. Get to bed, sugarcube." She said as she tucked her sister in.

"Good night, big sis!" Apple Bloom said. "I'll see ya tomorrow, bright and early!"

********

Pinkie pranced into sugarcube corner just as the Cakes were closing up shop. It was a busy day, by the looks of the kitchen and the flour all over Mrs. Cake.

"Oh Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake said as the pinky pony entered. "How did the party go? I trust our cakes were well received?"

"It was fantastic, Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly. "...But I'm a little tired now. Golly, that party was so fun that even I'm partied out!" She said as she stumbled up the stairs.Pinkie passed the baby cakes' room quietly, taking a quick look inside. Both Pound and Pumpkin Cake were sleeping soundly in their beds. Pinkie went into her own room and passed out as well.
The party pony had a bright smile on her face as she dozed off.

*********

Rainbow Dash flew up to her house and went inside. She passed a Wonderbolts poster and jumped right into bed, checking the time. "11:59," Rainbow Dash sighed before she began to snore. "This. Is. Awesome."

Just then, Rainbow heard a loud crack, followed by the sound of an explosion. Her entire house began to shake violently, and the pegasus fell onto the floor. She immediately jumped into the air and looked around. "What's going on?" She blurted as she went to the window. A complete look of horror was on her face as she saw the sea of red right in front of her.

**********

Sugarcube corner began to shake violently as well, causing Pinkie Pie to wake right up. Are there buffalo running through the streets? Not giving it much thought, she fell back asleep. A loud explosion made the pony jump right out of bed and run out onto the rooftop of Sugarcube Corner. The smile on her face deteriorated completely as her tail began to twitch violently. Pinkie Pie saw a giant meteor...no, lots of giant meteors! They rained from the sky like snow in a blizzard. She saw one pass right through Rainbow Dash's house, completely destroying the structure. "Oh no!" Pinkie Pie yelled. Soon after, the sky grew hot as fire poured out of the sky as well.

Pinkie's thought process immediately changed from a silly charging herd to one of actual concern. She screamed and ran back into the house. Her first thought was to protect the baby cakes. Pinkie ran through the hallways, bumping into the furniture and walls as the entire house shook. She finally reached the babies' room to find them crying, with pound cake flying around in circles. Pinkie grabbed him and Pumpkin cake and huddled under a nearby desk.

"Shh...it's gonna be okay!" Pinkie said, trying to hold back some tears. She looked out from under the desk for a second to have a sack of flour hit her right in the face. It wasn't enough to cheer the babies up this time.

"Pinkie!?" the pink pony could hear the cakes entering the room. Noticing Pinkie Pie with her children, Mrs. Cake ran right to the desk. "We've got to get out of here! If we can get far enough, we might be able to steer clear of these firestorms..." Mrs. Cake's voice was as shaky as the house. Tears smeared her face, but she kept a very strong look.

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie Pie said in a tired voice as she handed the twins to their parents. The three of them quickly ran outside. Pinkie followed right behind the Cake family as her tail began to twitch violently again. Ponies were running in all directions, and soon enough, a mob of them enveloped the cakes, running off as a group in one direction. Pinkie Pie tried to chase after them, but her tail twitched once more. She looked up and saw a meteor falling right towards her!

With a loud crash, the meteor tore the ground apart right in front of the scared pony. The meteor stopped right in front of Pinkie Pie's face. With a sigh, Pinkie Pie turned to find the pony mob, but they were gone, with no other option, Pinkie Pie instinctively ran back to Sugarcube Corner. She pulled out a cupcake and began to eat it as a tear formed in her eye. The cupcake tasted sour.

*********

Applejack woke from her dream of another Apple Family Reunion to find that she was on the floor. The heat was unbearable and the entire building was shaking. She rushed out the door to Apple Bloom's room. She wasn't inside.

Panicking, she ran to Big Macintosh's room. "Big Mac!" Applejack called into the room. He woke up and looked around, noticing the hot air as well. "Something's up...let's get outside!" Applejack yelled and ran out of the room before her brother could respond.

Granny Smith was already out there. She hugged Applejack as the orange mare came outside. "It's the ponypocalypse!" She said in a squeaky voice.

"Ah'm sure there's a good reason for...." Applejack started to calm her grandmother down, but stopped short when she looked into the sky. All she could see was a sea of fire and meteors crashing down into the earth. Applejack was too shocked to notice that one meteor was falling right into the Apple Family Barn. As soon as the rock made contact with the barn, the sound of splintering wood and an explosion of sound shot through the air. The shockwave knocked her back into Big Mac.

"This...this can't be true...It just can't be..." Applejack muttered to herself as Big Mac gave her a nudge and pointed to the barn. It was on fire, although still standing. However, that wasn't what Big Mac was pointing to; Apple Bloom was at one of the windows! She was waving her hooves and had a look of pure terror on her face.

"What is she doing up there! Hold on, Ah'll get ya!!!" Applejack was about to charge after her sister, but Big Mac held her back. The red stallion only looked deep into his sisters eyes before running off. He busted the doors to the barn wide open as a blast of flames nearly singed his face. Darkness covered him as he made his way into the barn. Applejack felt helpless; she wanted to go and help, but she knew Big Mac could do it. Don't worry, Apple Bloom! Big Mac's got ya!

"Big Mac..." Applejack said to herself. Granny Smith was silent as she wrapped a hoof around the scared mare.

A red figure appeared at the window Apple Bloom stood in. He made it! Applejack thought with joy before looking to the sky again. That joy disappeared as she saw another meteor coming right down on the farm.

*********

"Big Mac!" Apple Bloom said with tears in her eyes. "Are we gonna be fine?" She noticed the meteor coming right for the barn. It looked like a train, chugging its way right into the earth. Apple Bloom started to run from the window, but the rest of the barn was in flames. She and her brother were trapped.

Big Mac hesitated for a moment, and with a tear in his eye, simply said "Eeyup." The next thing Apple Bloom knew, Big Mac had her in his mouth as he tossed her right out of the window. Just as he did so, the meteor hit the barn. As Apple Bloom fell, the little filly looked up at her brother for a second. She saw him smile as the barn light up in an explosion. The roof collapsed and a large cloud of smoke rained down on the filly. Apple Bloom was hit with a heat wave, which knocked her senseless as she hit the ground.

*********

Rarity woke up to the sounds of screaming. "Oh, what is going on!?" She yelled before feeling the intense heat in the room. She looked out her window to see nothing but fire. The unicorn's immediate reaction was to go find her sister. Rarity threw open the door to her sister's room to find the filly huddling in a corner, crying.

"Sweetie Belle!"

Before she could take a step, a meteor hit carousel boutique. The impact actually destroyed Sweetie Belle's room, causing the ponies to fall. Rarity hit the ground with a thud as wood dropped on her head. Shaking it off, she looked to find her sister laying a few feet in front of her. "Sweetie Belle! Are you okay!?"

"I'm...fine..." Sweetie Belle said weakly. "What's going on? I'm scared!" was all Sweetie Belle could say as both struggled to get up. The heat was intense. Carousel Boutique still stood, but an entire wall was knocked down. Rarity jumped through it, then turned to let her sister safely escape. Ponies were galloping in every direction as meteors and fire rained down on the poor town. Some unicorns tried protecting themselves with magic, but the force of the meteors were too great. Rarity saw a stallion put up a magical shield, but the meteor crashed right through it, crushing the poor pony underneath.

"What do we do, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle's voice was too squeaky to be understood.

"We run, Sweetie! Run!" Rarity yelled. The two ran off towards a group of ponies. They all looked scared and unsure of what to do, but they kept running. The group began to get larger, and soon Rarity lost sight of her sister.

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle screamed through the crowd, and eventually disappeared. The group began to split into two groups: One thought it would be best to head towards City Hall, while the other wanted to head in a different direction, towards the Apple Farm. Rarity was able to free herself from the group and ran back to the last place she saw her sister.

"Sweetie Belle!" She called out, but was only met with distant screams and falling meteors. Rarity wanted to run and find her sister, but she feared the meteors would crush her. The unicorn decided to return to Carousel Boutique.Tears were in her eyes as she ran, against the fire and the falling rocks.

"Sweetie Belle, please forgive me!"

*********

It didn't take long for Twilight to realize what was going on. Twilight was awake when the meteors began falling. The princess encased her tree in a magic field while searching her library to figure out what was going on.

The princess looked at one book, then another, and another after that. "Come on...come on! There must be something!" She yelled. "Raining fire...meteor shower...Nothing!" She yelled in frustration as she closed a book and tossed it aside. "Spike! Come help me!"

Spike ran into the room as quickly as he could and immediately began looking through books as well. He came across one book: "Supernaturals," he said as he opened it. However, a meteor broke through her shield and hit the library before he could read from it. The meteor crashed through the tree and burned through much of the wood before creating a large hole right in the center of the library. Twilight's Daring Do collection was immediately burned up, as well as one other book...Twilight looked in shock as she got up after the impact.

"Starswirl the Bearded's last spell!" She yelled as she saw the book catch fire. The last thing she read in the book, the spell she wrote, began to burn up. Twilight ran and held the book in her hooves, turning right to the very last page.

"From all of us together, together we are friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is...."

Unable to handle the heat, the princess dropped the book. As the chaos ensued outside, Twilight took a quick look at the object that made its home at the bottom of her tree. It was a meteor, Twilight could not doubt that. There didn't seem to be anything special about it...until Twilight tried to use her magic on it. The princess did her best to lift the rock up, but was not able to do so. As soon as her magic made contact with the meteor, it sent back a shockwave that knocked the purple pony backwards and to the ground.

"It...it is repelling my magic!" Twilight said in a low voice. She had no idea what this strange force was, but she had a feeling that the Princess knew...or, what if she didn't? Twilight took a closer look at the meteor. She saw strange, arcane symbols etched all over the rock. They were glowing a faint purple. There is something magical about these meteors...

All she could do was look to Spike, take him in her hooves, and huddle under a desk.

*********

As each pony told her story, Fluttershy just felt worse and worse after each one. Rainbow Dash explained that she flew out of her house as fast as she could before the meteor hit. Everypony fell silent after Applejack told of what happened to her brother, and Sweetie Belle hugged her sister after Rarity finished her story.

"...Other than that, I'm not entirely sure what caused the meteor shower. It is supposed to be a natural event, but..." Twilight said. "There was nothing in my books about anything of this magnitude." The others fell silent again as the train chugged along.

"The meteors are doing something to our magic; I can feel it." Twilight tried casting a spell, but wasn't able to. "It's best....not to think about it until we reach the Princesses." Twilight added quickly.

Fluttershy looked at Applejack hold her sister. Apple Bloom looked depressed, much different than the happy pony she had sleep over that one night. "It's...it's my fault Big Mac...is..." She sobbed.

Applejack quickly responded, "No, it's not, sugarcube. It's nopony's fault. Ah know Big Mac would have done anythin' to protect you...I would have done the same...but he stopped me." Applejack couldn't handle it anymore. She began sobbing right along with her sister. "...And Granny Smith...her poor heart simply couldn't handle what happened..."

"And the Cakes..." Pinkie Pie said. She sounded much more depressed than ever. "They all ran off after the sky fell. I was gonna follow them, but my pinkie sense..."

Just outside the window, the group could see Canterlot in the distance. It was a mess: buildings were destroyed, the castle itself was torn up, and the sky was still as gray as ever. Eventually the ponies made it safely to their destination. As the train slowed to a halt, the group all gathered themselves. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were given the outfits Rarity had made earlier, and they were all ready to go and find out what in Equestria was going on.

3 - The Prophecy

The rain did not let up as the ponies entered the ruins of Canterlot. As they all wandered through the once-regal streets, they noticed that it was much like ponyville - empty. Rarity felt uneasy as she was reminded of the ponies she had acquainted herself with. Twilight thought about her parents and brother...were they okay?

Fluttershy was thinking about the animals she had encountered here during the Gala...she stopped after asking herself if they were okay. When the yellow pegasus and her friends approached the castle, they all stopped.

"Remember the Gala?" Rarity spoke up. "We were right here, on this path...now look at it!" She said, noting the cracks and discoloring of the tiles. All were trying to hold back tears. There were no songs that could be sung about this; no song can be depressing enough.

The doors to the castle were blown down, and much of the castle itself was destroyed. Everypony fell silent as they entered one by one. Twilight led her group into the main room, remembering everything that had just transpired the other day. The castle looked like nothing more than a shadow now.

"P...Princess?" Twilight called out into the empty room. Her voice bounced off of the walls, echoing through the air.

After a few moments of silence, a voice shouted back "Twilight Sparkle?" Fluttershy knew that to be Celestia's voice. Oh, she's not harmed! Fluttershy thought, before realizing that the princess was a goddess, after all.

The group then ran up the stairs and into the Princess's chambers. Both Princess Celestia and Luna were in the throne room, looking very worn out and tired. Celestia, whose mane was always flowing, stood still and fell to her sides. Fluttershy had never seen the princess in a state like this. Twilight ran up and gave both of them a hug.

"I'm so glad you're all okay." Princess Celestia said.

"Princess," Twilight said after backing up. "What's going on? Why is..." The princess raised a hoof, which stopped Twilight mid-sentence.

"Follow me, girls." She simply stated as she turned and walked towards the room where the elements were kept. The hallway was long and dreary. Stained glass windows each depicted a major event, from the battle with Nightmare Moon, to the defeat of King Sombra in the Crystal Empire. Each achievement stood etched on the windows. Fluttershy wondered if there would be a window for this, but quickly dismissed the idea. After placing her horn in the hole on the far end of the hall, the door unlocked. A great light came from behind it.

The room was empty. Twilight and her friends were shocked, but Celestia showed no emotion. She simply walked in and touched her hoof on the back wall. A white light outlined the wall, and a glowing door formed. Princess Luna then used her magic, creating a black light that covered the secret door. A loud sound came from the back of the wall as the door opened. Celestia motioned for everypony to enter.

This new room was very large and white. A lonely statue stood in the middle of the room. Fluttershy looked at it and noticed that it was a statue of Star Swirl, the Bearded. She had seen his picture in one of Twilight's spellbooks, back before the world ended.

"Please, gather around." Celestia said to the others. Engraved on the base of the statue were symbols Fluttershy couldn't make out.

"As you may know," the Princess began. "This is Star Swirl the Bearded, father of the amniomorphic spell..."

"Excuse me, Princess..." Twilight interjected. "...But, what is that writing? I've never seen it in any of Star Swirl's works, but I did see it on one of those meteors..."

"It is the ancient language of the Sleipnir, an ancient race of pony-like beings that existed long before us. We call them the Sleipnir because of their last King." Princess Luna replied. "Thou hast not seen such a language because no record of it exists...except here." She said as she pointed to the statue.

Celestia continued. "The language was lost long ago. Ever since becoming Princess, we've tried deciphering the words. We actually found this statue deep within a mountain to the north of the Crystal Empire. We moved it here after Canterlot was built. It took me many years to unlock the secret, and I fear it might have been too late...What it tells is something called the End of Days Prophecy."

"It basically says that the world will end in a blaze of fire...a new world will be reborn from its ashes to face torment, chaos, and suffering...and an ancient race will return to cleanse the land. Nopony will know when, and nopony will know how." The mares all fell silent after hearing these last few words.

"Ancient race?" Applejack was the first to speak up. It sounded a little too far-fetched to actually be true. This isn't true, right? Fluttershy couldn't help but think to herself. It was just a meteor shower...nothing to do with these ancient ponies.

Celestia spoke again. "Before there were pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns, there were giant magical beings we call Sleipnir. Along with the Draconequus, both fought to rule over the land that would become known as Equestria."

Luna continued. "The first ponies came together to fight against both the Sleipnir and the Draconequus. Through their efforts, both were defeated. Before this happened, King Sleipnir used the last bit of his magic to write a prophecy foretelling the end of the pony world...Star Swirl found out about this and tried to use his magic to change the prophecy. Alas, it was too powerful for even him to do. He spent the rest of his life trying to alter a pony's destiny, leading to the spell that you ended up finishing, Twilight."

"Is that exactly what it says?" Applejack asked.

"It is a rough translation, yes." Celestia responded.

"Okay, well then let's just get the elements of harmony and fix this all!" Rainbow Dash interjected. The other mares began to nod in agreement, but Celestia and Luna looked at each other. Celestia led the others out of the hidden room and back into the main hall.

The look the princesses had on their faces suggested something was wrong. "The elements...well, they disappeared during the meteor shower. The meteors contained some kind of magical force that nullifies magic, and made the elements disappear. We weren't able to use our magic to protect anypony...we did managed to take in some refugees, however." Celestia said grimly. Twilight remembered the meteor she tried to use her magic on. The glowing symbols were etched into her own memory as well.

"I'm supposing we're going to have to search for the elements, correct?" Rarity spoke up. Luna gave an uneasy smile.

"You will have to. Celestia and I are no longer connected to the elements, so we cannot sense where they are. We hope you will be able to find them instead. It will be a tough journey." That last sentence made Fluttershy feel as if the elements were scattered across the world, not just Equestria.

Outside, the acid rain continued to pour. Smaller buildings began to dissolve, and the streets began to erode. Celestia and Luna led the ponies into another large room. Inside, hundreds of ponies sat huddled together. They all looked hurt and tired, making Fluttershy feel sad. Some managed to survive, at least.

The group split up to see the other survivors. Rarity began searching for her parents, but came up short. She looked to Sweetie Belle, who began to cry. Twilight had no luck either...she searched the entire room, but her parents were nowhere to be found.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing through the crowd, doing her best to stay positive and keep everypony happy. She came across a filly who was crying. Pinkie stooped low to face the little pony.

"Hi! What's your name?" She said in a happy voice.

"...My...my name is Sunshine Grove..." The filly responded.

"My name is Pinkie Pie! Here, have a cupcake!" Was all the pink pony said as she pulled a cupcake out of nowhere. The filly's face began to glow with happiness as she took the cupcake.

"T-thank you!" she said happily as she ran back to her parents. "Mommy! Daddy! Look what that nice pony gave me!"

Pinkie gave a small smile as she continued on. The next family she saw was...the Cakes! Pinkie let out a big gasp before meeting them.

"You're all okay!" Pinkie yelled as she jumped up and down. Mrs. Cake responded. "I'm happy to see you're okay too, Pinkie!"

Twilight returned to Princess Celestia. "...Where is Shining Armor? And Cadence?"

Celestia gave a small smile. "They both left for the Crystal Empire just after your coronation ended...I hope they're okay over there. We will keep close contact with them to make sure. Now, Twilight, are you aware of what you all need to do?"

Twilight nodded her head. "Don't worry, Princess. We'll find the elements and fix everything!" The others began to gather around the purple princess.

"It is a big task; bigger than anything I've ever asked from you before." Celestia warned. Her eyes were pale and tired. "One more thing," The princess added. "You must try to keep your magic use to a minimum, if you can use any at all. Like I said, the meteors possess some sort of magic nullifying aura, so our magic has been greatly weakened. If you use too much of it, you may pass out."

"How is that possible?" Twilight asked, not reading about anything like it in her books. She couldn't think of having to go without magic for a long period of time...or never again.

Celestia approached the princess. "Do not worry, my little pony. I still believe you will all be able to find the elements! The elements are beyond the limits of magic; they are connected to each of you."

"Now, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said as she turned to her sister. "I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here where it's safe."

Sweetie Belle faced her sister. "No!" she shouted in defiance. "Mom and dad are...gone! You're all I have now, and I'm not going to lose you! We need each other!" She said as she began to cry. Rarity simply smiled and hugged Sweetie Belle as they both cried.

"D'ya feel the same way, Apple Bloom?" Applejack said to her own sister. "Of course! Ah...Ah can't lose you too...It's mah fault Big Mac is..." she said as she began to cry.

"Sugarcube, it's not your fault!" Applejack said as she comforted the filly. "Big Mac...he knew." She said as she thought about what happened. It woulda been me if he hadn't stopped me...Ah would have done the same exact thing in his spot... She began to cry.

Rainbow Dash turned to Scootaloo, trying to hold back tears. "There's no way I'm letting you stay here! You gotta stay strong!" Scootaloo smiled in response and went to hug her idol.

During this time, Fluttershy held her head low. Oh I hope Angel is okay...

"Now, girls..." Twilight spoke up. The others all gathered around the purple princess.

"The journey we have ahead of us will be difficult, so we won't leave until we're absolutely prepared for whatever comes our way. We won't be able to use too much magic, so we have to make do with what he can."

"And, what do you have?" A voice came out of nowhere. The entire room fell silent as a figure appeared in the middle of the room. It seemed familiar...Discord!

Fluttershy was the first to notice. "Oh, Discord!" She said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Discord moved around the room, not paying attention to his first and only friend. He had a smile on his face, one that seemed like he was plotting something very mischevious. He floated right over to Princess Celestia.

"Discord..." Celestia began. Before she could finish, Discord snapped his fingers and a cotton candy cloud appeared over Celestia's head. Chocolate milk began to pour out, drenching the princess. Everypony stood shocked as Discord gave a small scoff.

"What's the meaning of this!?" The princess said in outrage.

"Well, once I heard the magic words, or rather, lack of..." Discord began. "I realized something: nopony can stop my chaos now!" After another snap of his fingers, more clouds appeared. Pinkie Pie was the only one happy about this as she began getting her fill of a cloud. The other ponies were running around screaming.

"Discord....Discord!" Fluttershy spoke up. "What are you doing? I thought you were through with this behavior! And...have you seen what's been happening!?" The pegasus began to stare at Discord angrily.

"...Have YOU seen what's been happening?" Discord merely responded. "I've known that this would happen for thousands of years. I've known about what is to come after the day of fire...I'm merely trying to bring some...fun back into the world."

"This isn't funny!" Rainbow Dash said. "I KNEW you had something to do with all of this!" She said as she began to charge for Discord. He teleported at the last second, making Rainbow crash right into a wall.

"If you're referring to the rain outside and the meteors, you're completely wrong." Discord stated. "Honestly, I find the rain a nuisance. I've been trying to get rid of them in favor of my signature clouds." He said as he grabbed one of the cotton candy clouds.

"Also," The Draconequus continued. "You're only partially right about the Elements of Harmony, my dear Celestia. Yes, they were reacting with those meteors, but I was the one who scattered them. If not, well, let's just say it wouldn't have been as fun." He laughed, to the shock of the princess. "If you want them back, you had better get started!"

"Oh, and Fluttershy...our mutual friend...'Angel'...is still around...one could say he's ever so 'free' right now." And with that, Discord snapped his fingers once more and disappeared. Fluttershy had tears in her eyes as she pieced it together: Angel was in the Everfree Forest!

"This has to be the next part of the prophecy!" Twilight said out loud. "...'a world will be reborn from its ashes to face torment, chaos, and suffering'...this has to be referring to Discord! If we were to stop him...then maybe we'd stop the last part of the prophecy!" The others nodded in agreement.

"Ah can't argue with ya there..." Applejack said. She looked to her sister, then to the others. "Well, what are we waitin' for?"

"Twilight," Celestia said. "...Remember what I said about magic. I can tell you now that Discord might not be the only enemy out there. Who knows what else thought the same thing after this happened?"

"Oh...Twilight..." Fluttershy said solemnly. The purple mare knew exactly what Fluttershy was going to ask.

"Of course we're going to find Angel." She said. "Remember what I said? We're not leaving until we're absolutely ready!"

The journey back to Ponyville went the same way. Rainbow and Spike kept the train moving while the others sat silently inside.

*********

The train slowly stopped at the Ponyville station. The sound of the brakes pierced the gloomy silence. The acid rain, fortunately, began to let up, although it still had a presence. Immediately after leaving the train, the ponies began to make their way towards the Everfree Forest.

"Wait!"

The ponies all stopped and turned to the source of the voice.

It was Rarity. "Well we can't all go in there, right? There's no way I'm letting Sweetie Belle enter that forest in this state! I elect myself to stay behind with the fillies."

"How generous of you!" Twilight said in response. The white unicorn gave a small smile before looking to the fillies, who unwillingly agreed.

"I'll stay behind too!" Spike immediately said. He had a small smile on his face and chuckled as he ran to stand next to Rarity.

"...How generous of you." Twilight said again, albeit in a less enthusiastic tone.

"Do be careful in there, darlings!" Rarity finally said before going out of earshot.

The remaining five ponies wandered into the darkness of the Everfree Forest. Usually, it was always a scary place, but the recent apocalypse made things even worse. Many of the trees were burnt or eroded. There was no clear path through the woods as trees were knocked over. There was an overall blue tone emanating through the air. The wind howled silently as the ponies progressed further into the forest.

"Angel!" Rainbow Dash called out into the darkness. "You there?"

Faint howls and roars could be heard in the distance. Fluttershy bowed her head and gave out a small squeak.

"Okay...maybe Angel left the forest!" She said in a light voice.

"Aww, don't be scared!" Rainbow Dash said. "There's no time for that, especially with what's happened recently. You gotta be strong!"

With that, a loud roar came right behind the mares. Fluttershy immediately hopped into a nearby bush as the others turned to face the source. It was a Manticore! And not a baby one this time...it was a fully grown, adult Manticore!

"Ah think we should...run!" Applejack yelled as the 4 mares dashed deeper into the forest. Fluttershy, in the heat of things, was left behind.

"Girls...wait!" She started to scream out, before ducking again. The Manticore's attention was now on the yellow pegasus!

Fluttershy cleared her throat: "Ahem...it's okay....it's okay" she said quietly as the Manticore approached her menacingly. It responded by letting out a huge roar.

"Ahhh!!" Fluttershy yelled as she flew up in the air. The Manticore used its wings to follow her.

Fluttershy did her best to fly as fast as she could. She didn't know where she was going, but the Manticore followed closely wherever she went. Under logs, over bushes, and around trees she went, but she couldn't chake the beast off of her trail. Every second, it seemed to get even angrier as it let out roar upon roar.

The pegasus passed by another tree. One of the branches brushed up against the pony's yellow hide and cut her. Fluttershy squealed and lost her balance, smacking right into another tree. The Manticore, too fast to have slown down at this point, managed to crash into a collection of trees a few feet beyond.

The impact really hurt the scared pony. Fluttershy's body ached as she stumbled to her hooves. The cut she received from the branch was nothing compared to the cut she received from hitting the tree. Both hurt very much. Panicked, Fluttershy limped away from the crash site, leaving the unconscious Manticore alone.

At this point, the acid rain began to pick up again and a chilly wind blew through the forest. Fluttershy managed to reach a small clearing within the forest. In the center of this clearing was a lone tree. The base was hollowed out. The pegasus scurried into the tree in order to rest. The outfit Rarity made her was torn a little in multiple spots. The cuts she received were fairly deep, and the poor pony began bleeding.

With tears in her eyes, Fluttershy couldn't do anything except sit there and hope someone would find her.

"Oh...I hope the Manticore doesn't find me here..." She said quietly as she fell asleep.

*********

Fluttershy woke with a shock. She looked around for a while to realize where she was, and stood up. The sudden pain from her cuts forced her to fall back down, but she was awake. Looking around to see what had happened, she found a pleasant sight: Angel! The bunny had found Fluttershy resting in the cave and placed a few leaves on her injuries.

"Oh, Angel!" Fluttershy said softly, yet happily. "I'm so glad you're okay!" The bunny simply smiled and gave his owner a hug.

"At least now I have someone to talk to...Oh, I hope the girls are okay as well." She said to the silent bunny. Angel proceeded to run behind Fluttershy and pick up a few vegetables he had found. He gave some of it to Fluttershy.

"Thank you, Angel!" She said quietly as she began to eat. "I am pretty hungry as it is..."

Fluttershy spent another hour sitting and waiting for the weather to clear. She didn't know how long she was sleeping, but it felt like days.

"I wish I could just wake up from this dream..." Fluttershy said to herself.

The rain soon cleared up as the pegasus's wounds were healed enough for her to move around. She exited the small tree and looked around. It was dark, meaning that at least five hours had passed since they entered the Everfree Forest.

"Let's try to get out of here, Angel." She said to her companion. The bunny nodded in agreement as they started to make their way to the exit....or, what they thought was the exit. Fluttershy wandered the forest searching for a way out. The various sounds of tree branches breaking and leaves falling frightened the pony, but Angel remained strong.

"I don't know how you can be so confident at a time like this..." Fluttershy said. "...But, that means I have to be too..."

After a few minutes of wandering around, Fluttershy was hit by a fast-moving object. It was Rainbow Dash!

"Oh, Rainbow Dash!" The yellow pony said excitedly. "You're okay!"

"We've been looking everywhere for you, Fluttershy!" Rainbow dash said. "Twilight and the others returned to the station while I continued searching for you. Are you okay?" The blue pegasus noticed the cuts Fluttershy had sustained.

"I'm okay now, thanks to Angel." Fluttershy said as she looked at her bunny companion.

"Oh, so you found him! Let's get outta here!" Was all Rainbow said as the two ponies made their way out of the forest.

As the ponies made their way out, a loud roar came once again. Turning around, Fluttershy saw the same Manticore that had almost killed her earlier! She screamed as it flew right over her head, just barely missing her with its sharp claw. Fluttershy stumbled a little and tripped over a pile of rocks. She tried to get up, but her back hoof was caught!

Rainbow noticed this and tried to pull her out. The Manticore began to double back and fly in again, even madder than ever.

Both ponies flinched as the Manticore came in for the kill, when suddenly a white object hit the Manticore right in the face. It was Angel, who threw himself to the giant beast. It caught the Manticore off guard as it veered into a few trees. However, it got right back up and looked right at the small bunny.

Angel turned towards Fluttershy one last time as he gave her a salute and a small smile, then turned to run off into the woods.

"Angel!" Was all Fluttershy could say as the Manticore chased the doomed rabbit. Rainbow Dash had freed the yellow pegasus's hoof, and Fluttershy began to chase after her pet rabbit. Rainbow Dash held her back.

"No!" The blue pegasus said. "I'll go after him. You keep going!"

"But...But!" Fluttershy squeaked before bowing her head and turning to leave the forest.

"Angel...thank you..."

*********

At the train station, Twilight looked into the distance with a woried expression.

"Oh, I feel so bad that we left Fluttershy alone in there!" The purple pony said.

"You want us ta go in there now?" Applejack asked. She was eager to go search for her dear friend.

Before anyone could respond, Fluttershy returned.

"Darling, you're okay!" Rarity yelled. "...And...you ripped your outfit! ...Don't worry, I'll have that sewn up in a second!"

The ponies all gathered around Fluttershy and gave her a big hug.

"Did you find Angel? And where's Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie Pie asked her friend.

Fluttershy's happy expression turned to sadness as the others realized what happened.

"Well...Rainbow Dash went to..."

With that, the blue pegasus in question emerged on the horizon. She slowed to a halt, out of breath and without Angel.

She finally spoke up. "Angel put up a pretty good fight with that Manticore...but, by the time I got to them...I'm sorry, Fluttershy. The Manticore chased after me, but I out flew him of course!"

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy said. "Angel saved our lives...that's all that matters..."

The ponies all stood in silence for a minute. Even Spike was distraught over the loss of such a brave bunny.

"In any case," Twilight said. "We had best be searching for the elements."

"Just one thing..." Applejack said in response. "How are we gonna find them if they're all scattered?"

Author's Note

I'm starting to play with the idea of the history of this universe, so I'll be focusing on a lot of original content in that regard to handle the backstory.

5 - To a Land Far Away

The morning sun crept over the dull landscape, shining light onto the buildings that once meant something to the world. The light shone on the streets and was absorbed into the gray cracks. Instead of looking vibrant in the sunlight, the ruins of Las Pegasus looked ugly, lost, and forgotten.

One by one, the ponies woke up. Applejack was the first one to awaken. She quietly stepped outside to stretch, then went on to make a breakfast out of the apples she had found the day before. Rainbow Dash was up soon after.

"Rainbow, could you fly and get us some water?" Applejack asked the blue pegasus. "I'm on it!" Rainbow responded before speeding off.

"It's a good thing that rain stopped." Applejack said to herself as Twilight woke up. "Morning, sugarcube!" The orange pony said quietly as Twilight exited the train.

"...Ah suppose this wasn't how you were planning on spending your first days as a princess...."

Twilight smiled. "It's okay, Applejack. The important thing is that we are together and safe...especially Pinkie Pie." She said as she looked back into the train. Pinkie's leg was still very much hurt, but she at least felt better.

"There are a few things I have to find..." The princess said. "Some paper, a pencil, medicine for Pinkie Pie..."

"Paper?" The farmer asked.

"Yeah. I have to let Princess Celestia know we're okay and that we found the first Element."

Applejack nodded and went back to making breakfast. "Fritters will be waitin' when you get back, Twilight!"

Twilight smiled, then took off to find her supplies. Before long, Rainbow Dash returned with a barrel of water.

"I found this near a café." She said, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"What's wrong, sugarcube?"

"While I was in the store...I saw a few ponies. They were survivors, looking for something to eat, I thought...I went up to them to say hi, but they looked at me funny...Like they were going to attack. They didn't respond. I took a step closer and they started yelling at me to get away. So I did...weirdos. Don't they know that teamwork is the only way to get through this mess? I wouldn't head back into town unless you really need to."

Applejack was confused at this. "Ah wonder why they'd do that?" Rainbow Dash shrugged. The other ponies were awake at this time. Applejack finished making her fritters. "Well ain't this the weirdest way to make fritters..." AJ said as she served them to the waiting ponies. They were piping hot, but each pony enjoyed every bit of them. Applejack had never looked more proud for her work. "Every little contribution helps."

Fluttershy woke up feeling a lot better and happily greeted everypony who was awake. Pinkie Pie felt much better this morning as well, to the delight of the rest. The fillies were the last ones to wake up, along with Spike. Even though the rains stopped, Spike kept his fedora on. It looked really good on him, even though it was meant to protect his hide.

After finishing breakfast, the Cutie Mark Crusaders decided to play around in the field next to the train station. Twilight came back with her supplies and took the last fritter. Soon after eating, she began to write her letter:

Dear Princess Celestia,

How is everything at Canterlot? The girls and I found the first Element already! It's the Element of Generosity. Apparently they will uncover themselves when its carrier portrays the quality. Pinkie Pie was badly injured yesterday, and Rarity was generous enough to use the last of her nice fabric to help bandage the wound. Pinkie is feeling much better today! It's going to be hard to find the other elements though because they are far away, but I believe that as long as we stay together, there's nothing we can't accomplish!

Your faithful student...or, fellow princess I should say,
Twilight Sparkle

"Spike, here you go." The princess said to her dragon companion as he took the letter and sent it on its journey. The letter disappeared and went on its way.

"At least we can still send messages." Spike said, which made Twilight wonder what exactly the force is behind Spike's letter-sending process.

"Okay...so what do we do about the other elements?" Rarity asked the group. "How can we locate all of them if it took Twilight so much energy to find this one...and since the train doesn't work, how will we get there?"

Twilight responded. "I was thinking we spend another day here to prepare. By tomorrow, I should have enough energy to locate another one, and we'll head off that way. If we can find a carriage, we can take turns pulling it."

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other uneasily. "Twilight," The farmer spoke up. "There might be a problem with that plan."

"If you think I'm not going to pull my weight, you're quite mistaken dear!" Rarity snapped. Applejack rolled her eyes.

"No, it's not that!" Applejack retorted.

"Then, what's wrong?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash spoke up this time. "There are some crazy ponies in town. I found them while I was finding water. They all looked at me funny and didn't really want me around. I don't think it's safe to stay here...we should keep moving, wherever we have to go next."

"Oh, I'm sure they're just scared and confused. Their homes were all destroyed, after all." Twilight said, trying to be reasonable in this situation.

"Ah think it's best to not risk it." Applejack said. "We need to keep the young'uns safe...it's best if we keep movin'..."

Twilight nodded before remembering Pinkie Pie. The blood soaked through the bandage Rarity had made, but it was holding together really well.

"But, Pinkie can barely walk. How can we carry her?"

Pinkie Pie herself answered that by bouncing into the conversation. "See? My leg's all healed now!" She said as she bounced around. "I mean, it's still hurting a little, but I can move it and I feel fine thanks to that medicine!"

Twilight smiled before turning back to Applejack. "Okay. But, we'll need some supplies before heading out. The train doesn't work anymore, so we have to walk. And we still need to locate the second element..."

Everypony thought of what to do next, when a certain timid pegasus spoke up. "Um, excuse me...."

The others looked at Fluttershy. Being put on the spot so quickly made the pegasus jump back. She soon regained herself and spoke up. "I...think that maybe...what we said earlier might work...about...using one element to locate another?"

Twilight stood for a second before turning to Rarity. "We might as well try it. Go ahead, Rarity."

Rarity gave a puzzled look. "What exactly do I do? These elements didn't really come with an instruction manual..."

"Just try to concentrate. Try to feel for the other elements."

The white unicorn closed her eyes and thought hard. A few seconds passed....and nothing happened.

Twilight thought for a moment, then mustered up her magic. She zapped Rarity's element quickly, and a bright light shone. The unicorn could see everything. She saw the entire world, with six lights scattered all over. She found a purple light in a location that seemed to be Las Pegasus, leaving Rarity to believe that these lights were the elements. She found two more in equestria, although far from where they were. The closest one seemed to be south of where she was right now. With that, the lights went away and Rarity collapsed.

"Did that do anything, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"I...I saw them! All of them!" Rarity said. "There were six lights. I could only make out one of them as being the Element of Generosity. The closest one is south of here...pretty far south."

"Are there any in Equestria?" Twilight asked.

"I saw two of them, but they're on the other side of Equestria. Besides, we should save them for last since we're going to end up back in Equestria anyway."

"It's settled then!" Twilight said. "We're heading south of here!"

"Wait!" Rainbow said. "Why don't we split up? If we all search for an element, we'll find them much faster!"

"That won't work." Twilight responded. "For one, Rarity couldn't tell which Elements were where. What if you went to go find one and it wasn't yours? Besides, if something happens...like what happened with Pinkie Pie, we won't all be around! We have to stick together!"

Rainbow Dash frowned. "I guess you're right...still, I think it would be easier."

"I'm going to go back into town to get some last supplies, then we'll set out." Twilight said.

"But, those ponies..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"I'm going to go with you then!" Rainbow Dash said before starting for the city. It wasn't an offer as the pegasus looked ready to move. Twilight sighed and followed her friend.

"Stay here and wait for us!"

"Be careful, sugarcube!" Applejack called.

*********

The Las Pegasus café was where the two went. It was right in the center of the city. Everypony who was anypony ate there when they had a chance. Now, it was nothing more than a couple of walls connected to each other. Twilight almost passed it by accident, not noticing the restaurant.

"There has to be something left in here." Twilight said as she entered the ghost of a building. Rainbow Dash followed closely behind, wary of those crazy ponies she had encountered earlier.

The inside was decimated. Chairs were thrown all over the place, dirt and clutter covered all corners of the building, and a crater sat in the middle of the room containing a meteor. Twilight went into the kitchen and found what she was looking for: fruits and vegetables. She scooped some up and placed it into her saddlebag. After instructing Rainbow to do the same, they were ready to depart.

"Over here! I saw them run in here!"

The two ponies froze. There was somepony outside...no, a group of ponies outside. And they knew that Twilight and Rainbow were inside. The blue pegasus rose to go fight, but Twilight held her down. She shook her head quickly and pointed to one of the counters.

A few seconds later, the front doors to the building were bucked down by a rather large stallion. He was followed by two others: one unicorn mare and another stallion. The three had a glazed look in their eyes, as if they had just commit a murder and were looking for another victim. Twilight and Rainbow Dash ducked behind the counter.

"Metal Slug, you sure you saw them come in here?" The unicorn asked.

"I'm sure of it, Prickle Pine! Get off my case!"

"I'm just sayin'...you sure they have something valuable?"

"I'm sure! The one had wings and a horn. Only ones I've known with those are princesses!"

"Then, maybe they know where we can get some food or-"

"No, it means they have something valuable we can steal...or, we could even ransom them off to the other princesses! Don't you see? Celestia and Luna have no power here anymore, it's up to us to make it on our own!"

"Spread out, guys." The third pony spoke up. The others began to slowly move through the main room.

"You sure we gonna go through with this?"

"Would you listen to yourself?" Metal Slug snapped at his companions. "The world ended...you think we're gonna get caught? No way! We can do what we want because we were chosen to survive. That's what the master told us! The one with the hood!"

"Because hoods make you a master..."

"Yes, now be quiet! They probably heard us already!

Twilight was thinking of a way to get out when she remembered the giant hole in the ceiling. She gestured to it and Rainbow Dash immediately knew what to do. Just as Metal Slug trotted behind the counter, the two mares took off as quickly as they could.

"There they--" Metal Slug could barely finish his statement before the rainbow-colored shockwave blew him right into the kitchen.

"They're getting away!! After them!" The three ran outside and saw the direction the mares were heading, and galloped in that direction.

*********

Rainbow Dash and Twilight returned to the others rather quickly. They were both out of breath as the others welcomed them.

"Did you two have another race?" Applejack asked jokingly, but got worried when she saw the expressions on the ponies' faces.

Twilight eventually caught her breath. "We need to get out of here, quickly!" The mares all looked behind as they saw Rainbow Dash's trail in the sky. "Rainbow, you're going to lead them right to us! Be careful!"

Nopony questioned it. In an instant, they all took off and went south. Even Pinkie Pie was able to keep up with the others as she bounced quickly along. Rainbow Dash was forced to run in order to stop the rainbow trail she would leave behind. Fluttershy was the one who had trouble going as fast. Even while flying, she was passed by each of the fillies.

"What are we runnin' from?" Applejack asked as she turned her head towards the purple princess. Just then, the three heard a group of ponies shouting from behind:

"There's more of them! Don't let em get away!"

Upon hearing this, Applejack scooped up her sister onto her back and ran like her life depended on it...and it did. Spike jumped onto Twilight's back while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were able to keep up the pace. Even Fluttershy tried to fly faster in order to catch up.

"Fluttershy, hurry up!" Rainbow Dash yelled to her friend. The yellow pony used all of her energy to go faster.

The group soon reached a river. The current was very fast and the wind blew very harshly. Rainbow and Twilight flew over while Applejack, Pinkie, and even Rarity jumped over. Rainbow and Twilight rushed back to carry the fillies and spike over as well. Fluttershy was still very behind while this was happening. "Fluttershy, you're almost there, darling!" Rarity yelled as she saw her friend make every effort to reach the stream.

She was about to cross when she was hit by something magical...it stunned her wings and she fell to the earth...more specifically right into the river. As the current was so fast, the poor pegasus immediately began rushing down the stream. Rainbow Dash immediately began to fly after her endangered friend, but a second magical shot hit the pegasus and she fell to the ground.

"Good shot, Prickle Pine!"

It was Metal Slug and his goons. The use of magic took its toll on Prickle Pine, however, as she started to feel dizzy. Twilight rushed over to her friend while gazing at the three foul ponies on the other side of the river.

Metal Slug spoke up. "Dusty Cloud, follow the river to catch our prize." Dusty nodded and began to ran in the direction of the current. Twilight tried to use her magic to stop him, but it wasn't powerful enough. Apparently, the magic she used to help Rarity locate the next element required a lot of magic.

"What do you want!?" Applejack yelled across the river. The three ponies laughed.

"It's a pony eat pony world now!" Metal Slug shouted back. "We do what we can to survive! Soon, we'll have your friend...If you want her back, you have to give us everything you have!"

"Can't you just search for things yourselves?" Rainbow Dash asked Metal Slug. "Boy, you seem like a dumb pony!"

The insults didn't faze Metal Slug. "Let's get going, Prickle Pine! And if you even think of trying to sneak up on us, don't think that we're alone!" He said as he gave a laugh and ran in the direction of Dusty Cloud.

A few minutes passed before Rainbow could stand again. "Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked her idol. Rainbow nodded with a smile.

"Now then...we have to go help Fluttershy!" Twilight called out. "There's no way she can handle those ponies on her own..."

*********

Fluttershy washed up on a sandy shore. She had been passed out for the duration of her trip down the river, and was lucky that she didn't drown during it. Her eyes fluttered open as she realized where she was, and weakly stood up. The cuts that had just healed from her time in the Everfree Forest were open again, and some new ones formed. The poor pegasus was bleeding. She sobbed a little as she tried to move away from the river. It was getting dark now, and she was all alone. The only sound came from the roaring waters in the river. There weren't even any animals around to hear her sorrow.

She cried as she limped in a direction. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew that it was best not to stay put. It didn't take long for a certain pony reached her.

"There you are..." Dusty Cloud said as he approached the pegasus with a smug look. The pegasus didn't say anything and just cried.

"Oh, it's okay... I won't hurt you... At least not now." He said, the smug look burning right through Fluttershy's soul.

"Please..."

"Please what? Stop? Who's gonna stop me? You? You gotta be joking!" Dusty Cloud said as Fluttershy backed up right into the side of a rock. It made contact with one of her cuts and she gave out a loud scream. The stallion put a hoof over her mouth to cover her screams.

"You know what we do with ponies we find nowadays? We mug them and usually kill them. We're a whole group, you see. The three of us used to be just like you: weak and helpless. We were taken in by a group of survivor ponies who believe they they survived for a reason: that they were chosen to rule this land. Anypony who isn't as strong as us are...well, eliminated."

Fluttershy didn't really pay attention to what the pony was saying. He realized this, then forcefully threw the pegasus to the ground. She hit her head on a rock, but it wasn't hard enough to knock her out.

Crying, the pegasus desperately looked for something she could do to get out of this mess when she noticed the rock. In one fell swoop, she picked the rock up and moved it as fast as she could towards Dusty Cloud...

...But Dusty Cloud moved his hoof to catch the rock.

"Thought you could pull a fast one on me, did ya?" He said menacingly. "This is why ponies like you don't belong in a world like this. If you were a true survivor, you'd have been able to do it!" Dusty Cloud was about to use the rock to smash Fluttershy's timid face in when he heard Prickle Pine from behind.

"Dusty! Good, you got her!"

He dropped the rock and got off of the crying pegasus. She didn't know what was going on and was shaking too much to understand anything that was being said.

"...Dusty, were you just gonna..."

"No, she was going to use it on me first! She's a weakling...she doesn't even deserve to see our master!"

"Please..."

"That's not for you to decide!"

"Please, I..."

"What...so I can't have any fun?"

"Well...you can't kill her...but you can rough her up if you want before we take her over to the master."

"No, please don't..."

Dusty Cloud didn't respond. He turned right back around and immediately used his hooves to buck the sprawled pony right in the gut. Fluttershy choked and flinched. The stallion proceeded to use his hooves to smack the pegasus right in the back of the head. It wasn't fatal, but the blow knocked Fluttershy right out.

*********

Fluttershy...

Fluttershy woke up, but didn't open her eyes. She thought of many places that she could be: in a dungeon, about to be killed, maybe even already...

Fluttershy...

She started sobbing. The pain she endured all came back to her at once. Tears started pouring out of her shut eyes.

Fluttershy!

The pegasus opened her eyes. Her gaze met the greatest sight she could have ever asked for: Rainbow Dash! Twilight was there too! As was Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, the three fillies, and Spike!

She softly spoke. "...where...am I?"

Twilight responded. "We're in a safe location now...just try to get some rest. We'll tell you what happened when you're feeling better.

The yellow pegasus smiled softly as she drifted back to sleep.

*********

The next morning, Fluttershy slowly woke up. At her bedside, the others were all sleeping. They had all wanted to be there just in case Fluttershy needed anything. The pony got up and was able to get a good idea of where she was. It was a large tent, with a few beds inside. There was one entrance at the opposite of Fluttershy's bed. She quietly exited the tent to find out where she was.

The first thing she saw was....a zebra! The zebra looked at Fluttershy with a kind smile before turning around. There were more zebras...Fluttershy was in Zebrawe, the land where Zecora came from! Located a day's flight south from Las Pegasus, Fluttershy realized she was carried right into the zebra lands. If they kept moving south, they would end up in Saddle Arabia. The surrounding desert was calm and looked relatively unharmed from the meteor shower. At least, the surrounding tents did not. It actually seemed like they were recently set up.

"Ah, you're awake." Twilight's voice could be heard from inside the tent.

Fluttershy turned around. "Oh, how did we ever get here...I was just..." Fluttershy, for the most part, was okay. She had a lot of cuts and scratches from her run-in with the three ponies. Her face was bruised, but nothing was disfigured. Her pink hair was unkempt, and her wings were a little ruffled.

"We ran after you as soon as we could." Twilight explained. "By the time we caught up to the ponies, you were knocked out and they were about to take you away. I used a little bit of my magic to knock the one pony off of you, and Rainbow tackled the unicorn...Pinkie Pie was the first to help pick you up and carry you away from there. We just kept moving south before we ran into the zebras. It's safe to say we're not in Equestria anymore."

The story made Fluttershy feel depressed once again. "I'm sorry, Twilight."

The princess was confused. "Why, Fluttershy?"

"Well...It's just that this was the second time that I've been in trouble. I'm just a burden on you all..." The pegasus said quietly as she kicked the dirt lightly.

"No, Fluttershy! You're not a burden! We're all glad to have you with us, and to know that you're safe!" Twilight reassured her friend. It didn't ease her emotions, but Fluttershy decided to think about what Twilight said.

The others woke up soon enough. After a very unusual breakfast of foreign-tasting food, the group was ready to search for the next element. The ponies all moved towards the largest tent in the settlement. It was very ornate, with purple banners carrying a symbol of a sun. Inside sat a humble-looking zebra, decorated in jewels and gems. He had a caring look on his face, and smiled as he saw his guests enter his space.

"Ah, it's good to see you are all okay. Welcome, my guests, to the great Zebrawe!" He said as he got up and walked towards his guests.

"It's rather strange to see outsiders at this time of the week. Tell me, what is it you seek?"

"We're here to locate an Element of Harmony." Twilight said as she bowed her head. The zebra returned the favor.

"Hmm, while I do not doubt that your mission is true, why should I help you?" The leader said in a respectful tone. "We have seen many dangerous people cross through here. Who's to say it isn't you we should fear?"

Twilight thought for a moment before she came up with an idea. "Do you know a zebra named Zecora?"

The zebra leader's eyes began to glisten. "Zecora? That's my sister! I apologize for breaking rhyme, but now's not the time!" He said as he made his way to a blue box in the corner. He opened it and pulled a photo out. The photo had three zebras, two foals and their mother. With a tear, he placed it back in the box.

"Zecora left us to explore the world. And what a small world it is! ...However, I am sorry; I do not know the location of this element. You, however, are free to stay in Zebrawe as long as you need while you look for it." At this, Twilight smiled.

"Thank you kindly, Mr..."

"...Ziljo is my name. I am the chief of our tribe. We are a nomadic people who travel throughout Zebrawe. Our people luckily weren't affected by the disasters of the north, however the capital of Zebrawe is in ruins. Tell me, is my sister okay?"

Rainbow Dash responded. "I'm not sure...when we were in the Everfree Forest, we were chased by a Manticore before we ended up at Zecora's house. She wasn't home..."

Ziljo frowned a little. "I see...Well, I do hope she is fine. Zebrawe is large and dangerous as of late, but I hope you find what you are looking for. I am sorry I couldn't be of more help to you....Actually, there might be one thing I can tell you."

"Oh? What's that?" Pinkie Pie asked, jumping around the tent.

"Watch out for sand worms." Ziljo said quietly. "They hate noise, so if you encounter one, just make noise to protect yourselves. Good luck!"

"Thank you, Ziljo." Twilight said. The ponies bowed to the zebra leader before exiting the tent. "Well, where to begin?"

"I suppose I could try to use my own element again.." Rarity replied before concentrating once again. This time, however, the element began to glow faintly. Rarity turned in one direction, making the element grow brighter.

"It must be like a metal detector! Except it's an element detector!" Pinkie Pie blurted. Rarity found the direction where the element had its brightest glow, and headed off in that direction.

"Hey!" Apple Bloom yelled. "Maybe we can get our cutie marks in finding the elements!" The other two fillies smiled and agreed. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Element Detectives! Yay!"

It was another day before the ponies decided to head out. The zebras were getting ready to move again as well. Fluttershy's strength returned by the next morning, so she was in somewhat good condition to search the vast, hot desert. How fun, she thought as the girls departed.

*********

The blistering sun left its harsh light all throughout the great desert. There was nothing but sand and rocks for miles. The group's only guide was Rarity's Element of Generosity, which pointed them in the right direction.

"Um, excuse me..." Fluttershy peeped to Twilight. "How did you save me, exactly? How did we get down here?"

Twilight responded. "After scaring off the two ponies, the third one came by. He was much harder to face than the others. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie helped carry you off while Applejack and I kept him at bay. He ended up chasing us right into this desert...He ended up getting lost and turned back around."

Applejack added to the story. "However, we were lost as well...in the desert without any idea where we were goin'. The fillies here nearly passed out from dehydration."

"I was able to fly up and get a few clouds together to make it rain." Rainbow Dash said, hovering over the yellow pegasus.

"Yeah, it was pretty refreshing!" Pinkie Pie blurted.

"But anyway, just as I was about to die of exhaustion, we found those zebras. They were in the middle of moving to a new location." Rarity said, moving a hoof to cover her face from the sun.

Twilight finished the story. "They took us in and tended to you. You were in pretty bad shape, but I'm glad you're okay!"

Fluttershy smiled. "You all really do care about me!" The others smiled in response. It was a smile that assured Fluttershy that no matter how bad things would get, she would always have her friends to help her through it. I have to remember this.

"Applejack..." Apple Bloom called out to her sister. "...Are we there yet? We've been walking for hours!"

"Ah'm sorry, sugarcube, I have no idea. Hey, Rarity!"

"Darling I don't think we're there yet. Oh, this way, darlings!" Rarity cooed as she changed direction. The others followed sheepishly.

Scootaloo called out as well. "Is there a way we can turn off the sun or something?"

Rainbow Dash heard this and came up with an idea. "Be right back!" She exclaimed as she flew into the sky. Within a few minutes, she came back with a bunch of clouds captured from various areas of the sky. She spun them and molded them into one giant cloud...a cloud that provided a lot of shade! She laid on top of the cloud as she guided it wherever it needed to go. "Rarity, just tell me which direction we're going and I'll keep this cloud over top!"

"That's some smart thinkin', Rainbow!" Applejack yelled to her friend. Rainbow raised her arm slightly before putting it back down. The shade was very refreshing as the ponies all began to calm down.

"What about you, Rainbow?" Fluttershy said to the blue pegasus. "Won't you get tired of the heat?"

"Nah...This is a great time to get my tan in!" The pony yelled from on top of the cloud.

A few more minutes of walking passed before Rarity's gem began to shine very brightly. "I think we're here, girls!"

Everyone huddled around the white unicorn to see where they were. They were...in a pile of sand. And rocks. It didn't seem like anything was there at all.

"Well, how do we know which of them elements it is?" Applejack asked. The others shrugged.

"Quick, everyone do what you're good at!" Twilight yelled quickly.

The ponies broke down to try to do what their elements represented. Applejack tried talking about the day in a truthful way, Pinkie Pie began laughing, Fluttershy started talking to the fillies, and Rainbow kept the cloud over them all while trying to keep a straight face.

"Ha! You guys are being silly!" She yelled as she began laughing herself.

Just then, the ground started to shake. "Did that do something??" Pinkie Pie asked as she began shaking with the ground. In the middle of the girls, the sand started shifting. Twilight looked closer to see what it was, before she got up quickly and backed up. The other girls did the same.

Rainbow, who was on top of the cloud and couldn't see or feel what was happening below, peered over for a second to see if the girls were still making fools of themselves. She instead saw them running away.

"Aww come on! It was just a joke, guys!" She said while trying to shrug off the laughter. Right then, a great sound came from under the cloud and struck it with great force. Rainbow felt this and was pushed a few feet into the sky before using her wings to hover above. She turned around to see it was a sand worm! And a pretty big one as well. The worm moved its body in Rainbow's direction in an attempt to slam her to the ground. She zoomed away at the last second.

The sand worm gave out a great roar before slithering back into the ground, leaving a gaping hole where it was. Fluttershy and Twlight joined Rainbow in the air as the others ran around trying to figure out where the worm was going.

"Remember what Ziljo said, girls!" Twilight called to the ponies below. Pinkie halted in mid air as an idea formed. She waited closely for where the worm would emerge. Meanwhile, Rarity and Applejack were pushing the fillies and spike away from the area.

Soon enough, the great sand worm emerged yet again. As it did so, Pinkie Pie began laughing as hard as she could. "Pinkie! This isn't time for laughter!" Twilight called down again. However, she did not expect what she saw. The worm began trembling and making a noise as if it were in pain. Pinkie Pie continued laughing.

"It's working!" Twilight said as she flew down to join her pink friend. The purple princess began laughing as well, making the worm shake violently and retreating into the ground. Rainbow noticed this and joined them. "Aww, I wanted to kick some worm butt, but this will do." She sighed as she joined in the laughter.

With three ponies laughing, the worm couldn't take it anymore. It emerged one last time, only to jump right into the air and land in another part of the desert, away from the girls, and took off like its life depended on it. The others began cheering and returned to the three laughing ponies. They were still laughing, but this time it was at the silly sight they had just seen.

"Mr. Big Bad Worm couldn't handle a few laughs!" Rainbow said smugly as she stopped. Twilight soon stopped laughing as well. However, the party pony was still going at it. She was laughing very uncontrollably now, yet in a way that was undoubtedly Pinkie Pie-style.

The ground started shaking again. This got the pink pony to finally stop as they all quivered and backed away. "Is there another one coming!?" Fluttershy cooed as she jumped into the air and gave a squeak.

Right then, a bright blue light emerged from one of the holes that the sand worm left. Pinkie Pie looked at it for a second before realizing what it was. She jumped right into it.

"No! Pinkie!" Rarity called out before the pony made contact with the light. When she did, the entire area flashed and knocked everypony down.

When Fluttershy came to, she saw Pinkie Pie standing there...with the Element of Laughter! She had found it!

"Oh Pinkie Pie, you did it!" She squealed as she gave her friend a hug. The element hung proudly around Pinkie's neck, its blue gem glistening in the bright sun.

Twilight soon came to her senses. "Well, that's two of the six down. Let's get out of this desert before another sand worm gets us!"

"But where do we go next?" Applejack asked her friends. Twilight thought about it and instructed the two ponies to use their elements to located the closest piece.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie joined hooves as their necklaces began to glow. The glowing soon stopped, and the two looked at each other uneasily.

"What's wrong? Did you find the next one?" Twilight asked.

"We most certainly did...." Rarity replied slowly.

"Well? Where is it?" Applejack asked.

Rarity sighed before giving her answer.

6 - Beyond the Fiery Path

"Dragons."

"Dragons?"

Rarity nodded as she looked to Spike, who gulped at the sound. His last encounter with his people was not particularly pleasant...and in a world like this, it might be even less pleasant. "Are...are you sure?" Spike asked to confirm.

"I'm sure of it. Now, I don't exactly know where, but the image was stronger this time...it must be because we have two pieces of the Elements of Harmony." Rarity sighed.

"Interesting..." Twilight said to herself. That's something I should write to the princess.

Even Fluttershy was timid when she knew where the next piece would be. "Can't we go somewhere else first?" She peeped.

"I'm afraid not, darling." Rarity replied, placing a hoof on the pegasus's shoulder.

"In any rate," Rainbow Dash said. "We have to cross this desert to get there. Who knows how far away we are from the edge?"

"Which only means one thing," Applejack spouted. "We hav'ta get movin' now!"

The others nodded and proceeded to head east. The desert was just as unforgiving as it was before the Element of Laughter was found. Only this time, there were no clouds in sight for Rainbow Dash to make shade out of. The sun beamed down onto the earth and each pony was slowed by the intense heat. Their only solace was the night sky, which surprisingly did come after days of grey sky.

"I guess Celestia and Luna returned to raising the sun and moon..." Twilight said to the others. "And thankfully they are, too. Do you want to call it a night?"

Applejack and Rarity looked at their sisters, who were stumbling along behind the mares.

"I think it would be best." They both agreed.

*********

A camp was promptly set up. The cool night air breezed through the desert, calling for a fire to be made. Applejack was able to get stray pieces of wood together and start a fire, which the others quickly gathered around. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were leaning against their sisters, while Scootaloo did the same with Rainbow Dash.

"Are you sure you can handle a journey like this, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked her sister.

"Can you?" Was the response she got.

The unicorn paused for a moment before answering. "For the group, I must!" She said in a dramatic tone. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Okay, how about I tell a joke?" Spike got up and addressed his audience. The others listened intently at what the dragon was going to say.

"Well...what do you get when--" Spike stopped and began to cough. "Spike, you okay?" Applejack asked as the dragon fell over and coughed again. Out came a letter, which was shot right into the fire.

"Oh, no! The letter!" Twilight screamed as she threw herself onto the small fire. She managed to get the letter and destroy the campfire in the process. "Twilight!" Applejack shouted. "You know how long it took me ta' get that fire started?"

Twilight ignored her and opened the letter.

Princess Twilight Sparkle,

I am glad to hear about your success so far, and hope to hear more about it. The situation here in Equestria has not gotten better since you left...Discord has made the entirety of Equestria his playground, and my sister and I are not able to stop him due to the change in magic fields. We have looked into it by studying these meteors more closely. We have confirmed that whatever power they contain is only temporary, and our magic will come back soon...until then, be careful about using it.

Good luck on the rest of your journey, and always look out for each other,

Princess Celestia

"So...how's the princess!?" Pinkie Pie blurted as she hopped up and down next to the princess.

"Equestria's in pretty bad shape...we have to get the Elements as fast as we can!" Was all Twilight said. Her only thought was on Discord and how he broke his reformation. As soon as the world ends, he takes advantage of it.

"And knowing the dragons...they probably took the element and put it with their stash." Rainbow added. "This one will be a lot harder to get than the others."

A horn blew in the distance. The ponies' ears twitched as they heard the dissonant sound. It was coming from the north, meaning it wasn't the group of zebras they had encountered. Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash, and the two of them flew up and over to the sound.

It was easier to fly in the cool air than it was in the harsh sunlight. The two made it to the source of the noise within a few minutes to find a group of zebras charging through the desert. "More zebras?" Twilight asked before starting to fly towards them. As she did, she felt something sharp fly right by her muzzle, giving her a small cut. It was a spear! Twilight flew up to avoid a second one. The horn sounded again, this time much more dissonant than before. The two ponies turned right around and flew away.

"We can't lead them towards the others!" Rainbow Dash said before veering left. She wanted to get those zebras away from the others. Twilight nodded and followed.

The zebras were extremely fast. Even though they couldn't fly, they were able to keep up with the two fliers. The horn sounded a third time, and this time the sound pierced the eardrums of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Dash began to fly even faster, to the point where she was about to do a sonic rainboom. "I have an idea!" She said before dropping to the ground, still flying.

The zebras kept their pursuit as Rainbow positioned herself right in front of the group. She dodged another spear before she did a sonic rainboom. A great booming sound emerged and a great rainbow appeared. The shockwave knocked all of the zebras back a great distance, leaving Rainbow and Twilight alone in the dark night.

"Great thinking!" Twilight said as she approached her friend. "Let's get back to the others and get moving before they come back!"

*********

"Ah wonder what's goin' on in Equestria right now..." Apple Bloom said to her sister with a worried face. "...Babs! D'ya think she's okay!?"

Applejack placed a hoof around her sister. "Ah'm sure of it! Don't worry about it...once we get these elements everythin'll go back to normal."

"You sure?"

Those words hung around Applejack's ears. She wasn't sure at all, but she didn't want to fill her sister with any more worry than she already had.

Before she could respond, Twilight and Rainbow Dash returned. "Quickly, everypony! We have to keep moving!" Twilight panted.

"Darling, but we just settled down!" Rarity sighed, already trying to get some sleep. "Can't we move again in a few hours?"

"There's no time for that!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she picked up the sleeping pony and dropped her on her hooves. Rarity gave out a yelp before shaking herself and giving Rainbow a glare. Twilight beckoned for the others to follow her as they all disappeared into the night.

Fluttershy was in the back of the pack, yet again, as the ponies and spike traveled east towards the land of the dragons. She remembered what happened last time she fell behind and promptly picked her pace up, eventually beginning to fly alongside the others. A horn could be heard in the distance.

"That noise again..." She said in a scared tone.

"If we keep moving, they won't catch up!" Twilight said, although she didn't say it confidently.

Everypony was tired and confused, but they kept moving. Even Pinkie's bandaged leg began to buckle as she bounced along. They only knew that they couldn't stop moving. Twilight knew that those zebras were bad news and would attack them all. The princess looked up at the moon and was shocked at what she saw.

There were three zebras...flying above her...above the group! They looked down at her and immediately dropped. Two zebras tackled the two flying ponies while the third gave out a loud roar that shocked the others. Soon after, more zebras appeared. The six ponies, three fillies, and spike were surrounded by dozens of the weird flying zebras. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hid behind their sisters as Rainbow Dash and Applejack stared menacingly at the threat.

"Who...what are you!?" Twilight shouted. The zebras laughed in response, and a puff of smoke engulfed each one. When the smoke dissipated, the group was surrounded by...themselves! Immediately, the ponies knew who they were dealing with.

"Changelings!" Rainbow shouted as the monsters cackled again and changed to their true forms. These changelings were very similar to the ones that had attacked Canterlot before, except they had a hungrier look in their eyes. The changelings pounced on the group without warning.

Applejack felt a slight rumble in the sand as she prepared to buck a charging changeling and knocked it right in the jaw. Rainbow had similar success, while the others ducked and covered. A large fight busted out between the pony group and the changelings. Each one gave out a screeching roar that pierced the eardrums of anypony near.

As evil as they seemed, they weren't any much stronger than the last time the mane six fought them. However, Twilight's lack of magic really handicapped her this time. The princess resorted to bucking as well in order to defend the fillies. Even Scootaloo managed to buck one in the face, to Rainbow Dash's approval.

After a while, the ponies corralled the changelings into one group. The monsters, although beat, did not seem to have any injuries. They smiled as they transformed into very large creatures...they each had eight legs and empty eyes. Their manes were black and their coat gray. For cutie marks, each had a weird symbol. This caught the ponies by surprise as the weird creatures began to attack.

Applejack felt the rumbling come back and immediately knew what it meant. "Back up, everypony!" She yelled. The others agreed and backed up as a giant sand worm emerged from right underneath the spot the changelings stood, engulfing them all. The worm towered over the ponies for a few moments before retreating back into the cold sand. The ponies took no time to comprehend what happened and continued fleeing.

The ponies reached a fairly large rock that sat on top of the sand like a cake on a plate. Everypony jumped on in order to stay away from any potential sand worms. They'd have to be mad to plow right through a rock.

"Rarity..." Sweetie Belle stuttered. "...Did those zebras...get eaten?"

"They weren't zebras...but yes." Rarity replied uneasily. She looked to Twilight, who was just as uncomfortable.

"No, not the changelings...the zebras..." Sweetie Belle said. Rarity thought about it: what if those vile creatures killed the zebras and took their appearance?

"Changelings...they must have been the same changelings that attacked Canterlot. Why are they down here?" She asked. Nopony was able to answer, and she didn't expect them to. They were all exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. Twilight frowned.

"Let's call it a night. We'll keep moving in the morning."

*********

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, feeling refreshed. That was probably the best sleep the pegasus has gotten ever since this all started. She raised her head to see that the others were still sleeping. It was still pretty early, and because of how tired everypony was, they wouldn't be up for a while. In good spirit, Fluttershy decided to prepare a meal for her friends.

Checking the saddlebags, Fluttershy found that there was only enough for two ponies. Feeling disappointed, she decided to wander off and find some food. Fluttershy placed a saddlebag on her back. Before she jumped off the rock, however, she thought to herself:

Oh, but what if something else happens to me again?

"No, Fluttershy...you can do this!" The yellow pony said to herself. With that, she hopped off of the rock.

Moving east, Fluttershy quickly found a small river. On the other side of the river, a landscape of red rocks could be seen in the distance. The group was close to the edge of the desert and almost into dragon territory. Fluttershy gave a small gulp and flew quietly over the river. A small forest loomed over the river bank, which Fluttershy promptly went into.

The forest was just as damaged as the rest of the world was: trees were burned and broken, and there was little wildlife left. Fluttershy did manage to find a few squirrels running around. Clearing her throat, she decided to speak to them:

"Um, excuse me, squirrels..." She piped. "Could you please help me out? I am in need of some food...would you be able to find me some?"

The squirrels looked at each other, then ran off into the forest. Okay...maybe I can still communicate with them. The pegasus thought to herself. Before long, the squirrels came back, each with a few berries.

"Oh, thank you!" She said cheerfully as the squirrels placed the berries in the saddlebag. The animals then beckoned Fluttershy to follow them, and they led her to the source of the berries. In a small clearing, several bushes containing colorful berries cluttered the area. Fluttershy happily picked some up and placed them into her saddlebag.

"Thank you again, squirrels!" She said as she waved to the two animals. They waved back and wandered off into the forest.

When Fluttershy returned to the rock, the others were already awake.

"Fluttershy! We were worried about you!" Twliight called as the pegasus flew up onto the rock.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Twilight...I just went to find some food." Fluttershy said quietly as she placed the saddlebag gently on the rock. Twilight couldn't help but smile. "It's okay." She said.

After a quick meal, everypony was ready to get moving. Rainbow, Twilight, and Fluttershy all helped the fillies off of the rock, while Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie jumped off themselves. Pinkie's leg at this point was almost completely healed, however a scar remained that reminded them all of the dangers of this world now. "You can have your fabric back, Rarity!" Pinkie said as she held the blood-stained fabric to the unicorn's face.

"...Right...Pinkie, perhaps it's best if you keep it, darling. As a gift from me!" Rarity said behind a fake smile. Pinkie Pie nodded and tied it back around her leg.

Reaching the river in front of the forest, the ponies prepared to cross. Applejack managed to jump over with Apple Bloom on her back while Rarity did the same for Sweetie Belle. After Pinkie Pie and Spike crossed, Rainbow Dash looked to Scootaloo.

"You ready to cross?"

"Actually, I'd like to try to fly over..." Scootaloo said. Rainbow Dash grinned at this. "Great! Let's see what you got! And don't worry about falling, we're all here to help you!"

The orange filly prepared to fly. She fluttered her tiny wings with confidence, and lunged. She did her best to flap her wings. Scootaloo felt great - the wind in her face gave her adrenaline and made her wings go even faster. The pegasus was able to cross the river with ease!

When she landed, everypony applauded. "Great job, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both said to the blushing filly.

"Nice work, kid." Rainbow Dash assured. "You'll be a fast flier in no time!"

*********

In the daylight, the forest looked much less intimidating. The ponies all entered the forest slowly.

"Once we get through here, we should be in the dragon lands." Twilight said to the others. The forest itself was rather small, and the group took less than an hour to navigate it. Rarity did her best not to get her hooves dirty as she traversed through the broken trees and burnt wood.

"What forest is this again?" Applejack asked as they trotted through.

"It's not in Equestria, so I'm not really sure." Twilight responded.

"And you're sure it's this way?" Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity, who held her head up.

"You mean to question me?" Rarity said back.

"Girls!" Twilight prevented a potential fight. "There's no time for squabbling now!"

Surprisingly, nothing unusual happened during the adventure through the woods. The ponies all made it to the other side without so much as dust on their hooves. What they saw was a remarkable sight:

Red rock. Red Rock, smoke, and the distant, yet scary roars of dragons. Twilight had been to the dragon lands before, but she had never seen this side of it. Even Spike stood in awe...in fact, everypony did....well, except for Fluttershy, who was busy cowering behind the fillies.

The way the light bounced off of the red rock created a red presence in the sky. The ground looked golden, as if the land were in perpetual twilight. For something known as the "badlands", it was actually a very beautiful scene. Fluttershy looked up for a second after the others expressed their amazement, gasping at the scenery herself.

Pinkie was the first to break the silence: "Let's get going!!!" She said as she bounced along. The others followed suit quickly. The land did not look like it had been touched by the apocalypse at all, save for a few craters scattered around the red rock. Even then, the craters blended in with the scenery so well that it looked natural for the holes to be there.

Of course, what this meant for the group was that the dragons were most likely surviving and well off, meaning that the element would be rather difficult to find.

The group came up to a divide: a wall of rocks divided the path into two distinct routes. Here, the gang came to a halt.

"Okay..." Twilight started. "We might need to split up here. We have to make sure both sides are checked."

"How are we gonna divide it up?" Rainbow asked. "I call right!"

"I don't think it matters who goes where." Rarity responded, glaring at the blue pegasus. Soon enough, all of the ponies began bickering about which side was better.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy stood behind the others, trying to get their attention. "Excuse me..." She said quietly to no avail.

"I say take half and half."

"Excuse me..."

"But what if it's a dead end?"

"Um...excuse me..."

"It doesn't matter! I'll just fly over if that's the case!"

"Excuse me..."

"What about the rest of us, dear?"

"EXCUSE ME!!!!!"

The others stopped when they heard the timid pegasus yell to the heavens.

"What's going on, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy simply pointed up. The others looked as well, and immediately gasped in shock. The ponies' argument caused a rock slide to build up. The group backed up as far as they could to get away from the falling earth.

BOOM. The rocks came crashing down, dividing the ponies between the two paths. A large cloud of smoke came up and engulfed the surrounding area.Twilight, Spike, Pinkie, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash were on one side, while Applejack, Apple Bloom, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle were on the other.

"Are you all okay?" Twilight yelled to the other side before flying up to check. She was relieved to see nopony was hurt.

"Do you want us to help bring you girls over?" The princess asked.

"We might as well split up!" Applejack replied. "We can get more explorin' done that way. If these paths cross again, we'll meet there. And you can fly over to see where we are, just in case."

Twilight nodded and returned to her group. "Be careful, girls!" She called back.

The five ponies looked down the only way out. It was a fairly large canyon, filled with rocks and other debris. The air was still, and the skies looked just as gloomy as ever. Fluttershy gulped as she followed her friends down the path. In the distance, dragon roars pierced the silence. Every roar was met with a small yelp from the pegasus.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. They're not anywhere near us." Applejack reassured the frightened pegasus. "We need ta' keep moving, though."

The twilight settled over the land even more as the ponies kept going. Twilight had flown over once to check on the group and to tell them to stop for the night. Darkness crept over the land as a camp was set up.

Food. No food. Applejack was surprised to see that their food supply had run out.

"Ah guess we have to go hungry fer now..." She calmly said.

"Can't we go find some food?" Rarity stammered. "I do not know how much longer I...I mean our sisters can go without food!" She said as she grabbed Sweetie Belle. "I'm fine, Rarity!" the filly responded as she tried to push the white unicorn away.

Applejack was not moved. "Ah'm sorry, Rarity, but we have nothing right now...and do you see where we are?" She said as she looked to the cliffs that surrounded the group on two sides. "It's best if we get some sleep for now, then get away from these rocks in the morning."

"...Dumb rocks..." Rarity said to herself as she closed her eyes.

Before long, the ponies were all asleep...except for Fluttershy. The dragon roars did not die during the night, leaving the pegasus jumpy and scared throughout the entire night.

It's okay... she said to herself as another roar made her jump a little. Morning soon approached as Fluttershy finally had a chance to get some rest...however, she was woken up soon after by Applejack.

"Ah'm sorry to wake ya, but we need to get going." The orange pony said to her friend.

After a few hours of walking (and a lack of eating, to Rarity's disgust), the group finally made it into another forest. Rarity noted that it looked similar to the forest they had been in when trying to find Spike. She laughed as she reminisced about the good old days, before it all ended.

Fluttershy walked past a bush before stopping and taking a closer look at it. "Berries!" She said as the other gathered around. Rarity was the first to get a mouth-full of berries, before realizing how uncivil she was being. With a slight laugh, she stepped aside.

The fillies received berries first, followed by everypony else. After their meal, Applejack spoke up.

"Shouldn't the others be here too by now? Fluttershy, could you be a dear and fly up to see where the other path leads?"

Fluttershy nodded and gently floated above the trees. Looking towards the direction they had come from, she saw the other path change direction. It led right up to a mountain...a mountain with lots of smoke coming off the top of it...a volcano! After a few moments of staring at the smoke, there was a loud boom as lava blew right out of the top of the volcano. It slid down the sides of the rock for several minutes. The heatwave from the blast blew right by the pegasus.

The pegasus immediately squeaked and dropped to the ground. "V-v....volcano!" She stammered. Applejack gave a confident grin and rallied the others up.

"Let's get moving!"

Fluttershy's pink mane fell in front of her face as she trotted along with the other ponies. The other group was heading right to a volcano...an erupting volcano! As scared as she was, Fluttershy did not want her friends to get hurt...she did not want anypony else to get hurt. The pegasus's face still hurt from her last encounter, and a tear was shed.

Another dragon's roar could be heard again...except this time, it was much closer than the others! The ground began to rumble as a large shadow moved over the ponies. In the sky, a red dragon flew overhead. It was flying in the opposite direction of the volcano.

"This can't be good..." Applejack said as she continued along. The forest eventually emptied out into a vast valley. Patches of grass covered the entire valley as a light breeze blew. As peaceful as it was, the sight was far from beautiful. All of the ponies gasped in horror as they found the dragons.

Or rather...what used to be dragons. The valley was cluttered in dragon carcasses, both big and small. The area was covered in craters, suggesting that they were very affected by the meteor shower as well. Everypony was silent. To the east was a small cave. Another roar came from that direction; it sounded like the dragon was in pain. "Let's go check on it!" Applejack told the others.

"Wait, darling!" Rarity snapped back before turning to the fillies. "Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom should stay behind. I'll keep them safe."

Applejack nodded and looked at Fluttershy. "I guess it's you and me, then!" The pegasus squeaked at this as she reluctantly followed her friend to the cave.

The cave was very small; no adult dragon would have even thought of trying to enter. "Well, we know it can't be too big..." Applejack said with an uneasy chuckle. Inside, the cave was dark and dreary. The walls looked like obsidian, meaning that the cave was probably a result of an earlier eruption. The roars grew louder as the two ponies ventured inside.

They didn't move far to find the source of the noise: a medium-sized green dragon lay with its treasure. Its tail and right wing were caught under a cave-in and couldn't move. The expression on its face was one of fear. As the ponies entered the room, the dragon began to tense up.

"Stay away from my treasure!" The dragon roared, to the surprise of the pegasus.

Applejack stepped up. "We're not here for yer treasure." She said. "We're here to help you out!"

"Lies!" The dragon spat green flames and thrashed around. "Stay away from my treasure!"

Applejack frowned, before giving an angry expression. "A lot may have changed in the past few days, but Ah know one thing that remains the same: I would NEVER tell a lie!" She looked the dragon straight in the face as it began to calm down. Fluttershy nervously hid behind her truthful friend.

"Now, if you'll just let us help you...you can be free to do whatever you want with yer treasure." Applejack gave the dragon a smile and curtsied politely. The green flames died down as the dragon finally understood.

"...Okay." It said lightly. Applejack nodded. "Okay. Fluttershy, Ah'll need yer help with this."

"Really? I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to lift the rocks..."

"Don't worry, sugarcube! Ah don't need you to do any liftin'...go get Rarity and tell her to come here!"

Fluttershy nodded and ran out of the cave again. She found the unicorn at the same spot she was left at earlier.

"Rarity...Applejack needs your help!" The pegasus said while out of breath.

"Now what could I possibly do for a dragon?" Rarity responded. Behind her, the fillies looked at each other and soon shouted:

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS DRAGON TAMERS YEAH!!!" The fillies then ran off towards the cave, followed by Rarity. "Darlings, do be careful!" Fluttershy decided to fly back in order to save her breath.

Within a few minutes, everypony was inside the cave. As soon as Rarity entered, her eyes spotted the pile of treasure. Her eyes lit up as she noticed rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds...and her mouth watered when she saw multiple objects made of pure gold.

"Rarity!"

Applejack's voice snapped the unicorn back to reality as she turned towards her friend.

"Ah need you to use some of your magic to help lift these rocks." Rarity was confused for a second before noticing the dragon's predicament. "Right away!" She said confidently.

Rarity's horn lit up as a magical aura formed around one of the rocks. It was extremely heavy, which was expected. However, Rarity noticed that her magical ability was very limited, due to the change in magical field that Twilight had talked about.

However, she was able to lift it enough for Applejack to buck it across the room. As her grip on the rock broke, Rarity fell down, extremely tired from that small bit of magic use.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this, darling..." Rarity said while fanning herself. Applejack agreed before stopping to think of what to do next.

Just then, Sweetie Belle stepped up next to her sister. "Can I try? I know my magic isn't that good yet, but you need all the help you can get!"

"Sweetie Belle, I don't know if-"

Before Rarity could finish, the filly's horn lit up as an aura formed around the rock on top of the dragon's wing. Applejack quickly bucked it as Sweetie Belle released it from her magical grip.

"Good job, Sweetie Belle!" Everypony said. Sweetie Belle smiled as she began to fire up her horn again. She was tired as well, but she did not want to disappoint anypony - especially her sister.

The dragon was free enough to assist in moving the rocks. "Allow me to help." The dragon said with a sly smile as it picked up another rock. Rarity and Sweetie Belle alternated using their magic as Applejack, and eventually Apple Bloom, bucked the rocks right off. Before long, the dragon was free.

"You were right." The dragon started as it moved in between the ponies and its treasure. "I apologize for not believing you...Applejack, was it? In return for saving me...I'll give you one piece of my treasure." The orange pony nodded and curtsied again.

"Ah told you - no matter what, Ah'll never lie to anypony!"

With that, a great light emerged from the middle of the dragon's treasure. It was an orange light and felt warm. The element of honesty emerged from the treasure pile and placed itself right around Applejack's neck.

"If you don't mind, Ah'll take this one." The farmer chuckled.

"My name is Durango, by the way." The dragon said. Durango bowed to the ponies as they all proceeded to exit the cave.
"I was trapped in this cave for a few days now. There was some commotion outside, and before I could go see what the problem was, the cave collapsed on me!"

Upon exiting the cave, Durango took his first look at the destruction. His ears dropped as he gave a slight frown. In the light, the ponies could see the dragon in greater detail. He had green scales with black stripes running vertically along his arms and back. The ends of these lines ended in swirls. The dragon's eyes were what stood out. Among the bright green and black, two cold pools of blue rounded out the dragon's appearance. Whenever Fluttershy would look into his eyes, she would always feel that they were popping out at her. . . that those eyes had lives of their own.

"Ah'm sorry..." Applejack said to the brooding dragon. Meanwhile, the volcano in the distance continued to erupt. "It's been years since that volcano last erupted." The dragon quietly said. This prompted the girls to remember their original objective.

"We have to find the others!" Rarity exclaimed, turning towards the red mountain.

"I'll fly you over there." Durango said confidently as he stretched his arms out. The wingless ponies jumped on; Durango was big enough to be able to carry four of the five easily. Flutershy flew right alongside the green dragon, trying her best to keep up.

More roars could be heard, and these were ones of war. "Sounds like your friends found the other dragons..." Durango said as he glided along. The stiff air slapped the ponies in the face. The volcano died down for a bit as Durango and Fluttershy reached their destination.

There were about a dozen dragons, all large, surrounding smaller figures. Upon getting closer, Fluttershy could see that it was her friends: Twilight and Spike, Rainbow and Scootaloo, and Pinkie Pie. They all looked intimidated by the dragons, and the dragons looked like they were ready to have dinner.

"Hey, it's Durango!" One of the dragons shouted as the green dragon flew over. "And he brought more food!"

Durango immediately dropped to where the other ponies were, dropped his load, and turned to face the closest dragon. He snarled as a puff of green smoke left his nostrils.

"Leave them alone."

The dragons looked at each other for a second and started laughing. "Go figure! The coward Durango ends up befriending a bunch of...ponies!"

"You didn't help me when I was trapped in that cave!" Durango snapped back. "You didn't even know I was there! I couldn't have done anything to help out the others! It's not my fault they're all dead!"

The dragons quieted down for a second. One of the larger dragons stepped forward.

"In this world, only the strongest survive. If you were strong, you wouldn't have had a problem with that cave."

"I guess we have to eat you as well!" Another dragon snarled. Durango was filled with rage.

Meanwhile, the ponies were all huddled together. Spike was standing right behind Durango, immediately moved by the courage of this green beast.

Durango did his best to try to come up with an idea. He knew these dragons wouldn't give up and would have their prize...

prize...

"Wait." Durango said. "Why don't we make a game out of this?"

"What kind of game?" One of the dragons echoed back.

"Since you're so invested in this idea of survival of the fittest, why don't we do just that? Meaning the strongest dragon here can have the ponies all to himself." Some of the dragons murmured in agreement. The large dragon stepped closer to Durango.

"Are you trying to tell me that we fight to the death for these ponies? That only the strongest can have them?"

Durango gave a sly smile. "Yes." He said before breathing green fire right into the face of the other dragon. A split second later, Durango clawed upwards into the dragon's face. He fell quickly.

There was silence. The dragon was dead at Durango's feet. All of the dragons, as well as the ponies, were shocked. Before long, the other dragons began to fight each other. Flames blew in all directions and tails swiped through the air. The ponies used this distraction to get away from the center of this fight. Durango was busy fighting dragons himself. Soon enough he had time to reach the ponies.

"How did you know that would work?" Rainbow Dash asked him. "I could have taken a few of them on myself!" She continued proudly.

Durango rolled his livid eyes. "Dragons are greedy. And too strong for you to handle." he simply replied before fending off another dragon.

"But, doesn't it bother you that these dragons are killing themselves?" Rarity asked quickly.

"If you haven't noticed, the dragons you saw dead out there were killed by other dragons! When crisis comes, dragons will do anything to protect themselves and their treasure. This is a good time to have you all escape though!" The dragon hissed. The ponies took the hint.

"Thank you!" Twilight said as the ponies and spike all ran away from the volcano. Applejack was running along when a claw came right towards her. It grabbed the element around her neck and snapped it right off.

"Hey!" Applejack yelled. The dragon was about to reach for Applejack again when he was tackled by another dragon. The element flew in the air. A third dragon swooped down and reached for the ponies. He came up holding Fluttershy and caught the element in his mouth. He flew over the volcano where he was hit by a fourth. The two dragons, the element, and Fluttershy all fell into the volcano.

"Oh no!" Applejack exclaimed. "Fluttershy!!" Rainbow Dash immediately flew into the air towards the volcano immediately after. "Girls, let's keep moving!" Twilight ordered the others as they continued to run for safety.

It all happened so fast. Fluttershy didn't even register that she was in the volcano until a drop of lava singed part of her mane. She gave a yelp before floating above the pool of liquid heat. The dragons were entangled and couldn't separate in time; they plummeted into the lava. Fluttershy gave another yell as she thought the two dragons were dead. Instead, they both emerged, fighting as if they were both in a pool. The element was stuck on a ledge close to the lava. Fluttershy began to make her way to it when the dragons began to speak:

"Wait, where did the pony go?"

"Don't tell me you dropped her in the lava! You idiot!"

The dragons began looking around the lava for any signs of burnt pony. Fluttershy hid behind a rock sitting on a ledge as she looked on. When one dragon had his back turned, the other took it as a moment to strike. With one fell swoop, a dragon fell, his throat slit by sharp claws. He sank into the lava, which bubbled around the dead dragon.

"Fluttershy!"

Rainbow Dash's voice could be heard above. The remaining dragon noticed this and flew up to meet the pegasus. Rainbow took this as a sign to flee, and she did. The dragon opened his mouth and closed it right in the spot where Rainbow floated; he chased her away.

Alone in the volcano now, Fluttershy attempted to make her way down to the element. The pool of lava bubbled violently as it nearly caught the pony multiple times. She managed to make her way to the bottom and grab the element. Sweat poured down the pegasus's face as she baked in the extreme heat. Just as she was about to fly up, a claw shot up out of the lava. Fluttershy squeaked and backed up against the rock wall.

Apparently, the dragon did not die from its wound, although it was hurt very badly. Fluttershy was scared out of her wits as the dragon fully emerged from the volcano.

"...There you are..." He said gruffly, green blood pouring out of his neck. The poor pony was huddled, caught between a dragon and a hard place. She could hear the dragon open its mouth as his face drew closer to the frightened pegasus. Through pure instinct, Fluttershy turned and bucked the dragon right in the side of the face. She actually hit him right where his neck wound was. The dragon roared again as he fell to the ground. Fluttershy opened her eyes and turned around to see the dragon gasping for air. His wound was more open now and the blood was everywhere, including Fluttershy's hind legs. In a panic, Fluttershy flew up once again. The lava was bubbling much more violently at this point, and the pegasus thought it would erupt yet again. She did her best to try to fly to the top, and she made it just as the volcano erupted. The lava caught her left wing and the intense pain made the pegasus drop from the sky. As she fell, Fluttershy cried and knew her life would be over now...

"You don't deserve to live in this world, Fluttershy..." She said to herself with a sob.

Right then, a green flash crossed her eyes and she was picked right up. It was Durango, who flew the pony quickly away from the erupting volcano. In the distance, Rainbow Dash was still being chased by the other dragon. The lava rained right onto the dragon's wing and slowed his flight. Rainbow, in response, did a sonic rainboom to escape. The force knocked the dragon back as he fell into the hot rain.

The lava engulfed the dragon land; the eruption was much bigger than the previous ones and was much more deadly. Dragons have a high tolerance for heat due to their scales...however, many of them had cuts and scrapes. Lava seeps into these crevices and reach the vulnerable skin of the dragons. Many fell to the lava sea. Durango passed by the cave containing his treasure as he saw waves of lava smack into it.

"I'm...sorry about your treasure..." Fluttershy said to the dragon. He smiled.

"I don't think I'll be needing it."

*********

After passing over another mountain, Durango and Fluttershy caught up with the other ponies. They had escaped before the volcano erupted and were a safe distance away from the resulting flood. Rainbow Dash was with them as well.

"Fluttershy!" They all said as the green dragon landed and placed Fluttershy calmly on the ground. Her wing was badly burnt, but it was still functional.

"Oh, we're so glad you're okay!" Twilight said as she gave the pegasus a hug.

Fluttershy, however, did not feel happy at all. "I...I keep getting myself in danger..." Fluttershy said with a sob. "I'm keeping all of you behind." As she said this, the color in her mane and hide began to become dull. "I didn't deserve to be rescued..."

"That's nonsense, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "No matter WHAT happens, we're in this together. ALL of us!" The others nodded in agreement. This didn't help Fluttershy feel any better.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Fluttershy said before showing the recovered element to Applejack. "See, sugarcube! Ya did something real nice! Thank you!" She said as she placed the element around her neck once again.

"Now, where next?" Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head before she took a look to see where they were. They were all on a beach. The ocean waves calmly brushed up against the soft sand. It looked like a very peaceful sight.

"There was one element far to the east of Equestria..." Twilight said. "Perhaps we go there next?"

"East..." Rainbow Dash said. "...The griffon lands! It's got to be there!"

"That's where we go next!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "How do we get there?"

Not even Twilight could answer that one. "It is too far to fly over the ocean, even if we have Durango help us..."

"Hello?"

A strange voice came out of nowhere. The ponies were all in shock as they tried to see where this voice originated. Looking to the ocean, Twilight saw a strange figure emerge from the blue waves.

"Do you need help crossing the ocean?"

Author's Note

I combined this chapter and the chapter "In the Belly of the Dragon" to keep the adventures in the dragon lands together.

7 - Under the Sea, Into the Sky

Fluttershy had read about Sea Ponies once while she was in Twilight's library. She merely glanced over the chapter, not paying particular attention to the information. Fluttershy, for the most part, had been indifferent to the existence of sea ponies. This all changed when she saw the figure emerge from the ocean.

"Hello there! My name's--"

"OH MY! A SEA PONY!!!" Fluttershy squealed and immediately flew towards the sea pony. She was pink with a blue mane. Her fins were small and she had a very big grin on her face. Fluttershy gave the pony a great hug.

"I never thought I'd see a sea pony in my life!!!"

The others laughed as Fluttershy realized that she was crushing the sea pony's lungs. She let go and blushed as the sea pony regained her breath.

"....Ri-Right then...my name is Tidal Wave! I was busy swimming around when I heard somepony talking. I had to just come up to see who it was! I can help you all cross the ocean if you want me to!" Tidal Wave was very peppy and energetic; Pinkie Pie would have a lot of fun with this new pony.

"That's very nice of you." Twilight responded. "I am Twilight Sparkle. We come from Equestria and are in search of the Elements of Harmony." Each pony took her turn to introduce herself, and finally Tidal Wave spoke again.

"Right. So if you'll all follow me please!"

"Wait!" Rarity boomed. "I just can't get my mane wet...especially in sea water!"

Tidal Wave laughed. "Of course, silly! Sea Ponies have the special ability of creating large air bubbles. You'll travel underwater through one!"

With that, Tidal Wave began to blow a bubble. The bubble slowly engulfed Rarity as she became entrapped in the clear structure. Each pony, as well as Spike and Durango, were encased in separate bubbles.

"Follow me!"

*********

Fluttershy was normally scared of being in new places - especially at the bottom of the ocean - but something was very different about it, which Fluttershy loved. The water was so calm and peaceful. The underwater plants slowly waved back and forth in such a peaceful way. Schools of fish and other sea creatures swam by the bubbles The yellow pegasus was in complete awe.

Tidal Wave and Pinkie Pie were at the front of the party.

"...So that's when I threw a party for my friend Sea Sponge!"

"You love throwing parties too!?!?!? I LOVE parties!!!"

"We definitely need to throw one giant party together!"

"Oh yes! That's just the thing to get my friends back in good spirits! We've had such a long journey so far and..."

Rarity was amazed at how colorful it was underwater. "I must design a dress based on this theme...yes if I make a waved skirt...Oh and the colors!"

Meanwhile, Applejack was still trying to get used to moving around in the bubble. "One hoof in front of the...Dag nab it!" She exclaimed as she flipped upside-down. Rainbow Dash laughed right beside her. "...How's it feel to be trapped in a bubble, sugarcube?" Applejack snidely replied. Rainbow frowned and looked down. "It's fine...it's not like I can't....handle...I need to fly!!!" She panicked as Applejack laughed.

The cutie mark crusaders trotted along right next to each other. "Hey, what about scuba-diving cutie marks?" Scootaloo said to her friends.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS SCUBA DIVERS YAY!" They shouted in unison. Their bubbles began vibrating due to the sound, so the three fillies all stopped and crouched at the same time. "Let's try not to drown, girls..." Sweetie Belle said to the group.

Twilight, unsurprisingly, was writing a letter to Princess Celestia. "There's so much about underwater that I need to tell you..." She said as she jotted her words down.

Durango and Fluttershy were in the back of the pack. Durango was very careful not to pop his bubble with his sharp claws. Fluttershy wasn't one to start conversation, but she did her best to try to talk to her savior.

"So..." Fluttershy began in a soft voice. "...You know, I can't thank you enough for saving me...even if I don't deserve it."

Durango turned towards his new friend. "I didn't deserve to be saved, but you helped anyway. I was a greedy dragon...well, so are all dragons, but still...I can start a new life now, thanks to you and your friends. I had to return the favor."

Fluttershy blushed.

"...And you should think about doing the same. Starting a new life, I mean."

"Oh?" Fluttershy peeped. She looked a little intimidated by the dragon.

"I didn't mean that there's anything bad about you...it's just...Confidence is the key. You are a very courageous pony, and if you were more confident in yourself...there would be nothing you can't do!"

"Do you really mean that?"

Durango nodded. "I've seen many dragons that were like you at one point...Who knew that just a little confidence could change them so drastically." He said before remembering the dragons that had fallen near his home.

Fluttershy gave a small smile. She felt much better now; she knew she could accomplish anything, especially with her friends by her side.

"...And we're here! Welcome to the Sea Pony Kingdom of Tritona!"

Over a small mound lay a vast kingdom. The buildings were all very ornate and glistened in the depths of the ocean. Rarity cooed as she saw how each building was bedazzled in fine jewelry and an undersea theme. The entire kingdom was covered in a magical dome. It looked like very powerful magic.

"Beautiful..." The ponies gasped in awe at the marvelous sight. The one thing about the kingdom, Twilight noticed, was that it seemed to be unharmed by the meteor shower.

"We know about what happened days ago..." Tidal Wave said. "The ponies who live above the sea must be so devastated by what happened...but we are safe here! You are welcome to stay as long as you want! We will go meet our king now."

The kingdom was even more beautiful up close. The streets were lined in diamonds and seaweed was scattered all along the sides. Hundreds of sea ponies swam along to do their daily chores. They were all happy, healthy, and safe.

In fact, Twilight felt very different down here. It felt as if he had much more strength than before. "I wonder..." She said to herself as she began to power her horn up. Alas, a pinkish aura formed. Twilight was able to use her magic to its fullest extent!

"Look! My magic works again!" She happily cheered.

"See?" Tidal Wave said in response. "You are much better off down here. I implore you to stay!" Her expression looked very sincere, as if she was trying her best to keep happy in such times.

Soon, the group entered the main castle. It was located in the very center of Tritona. The steps were made of pure marble and the building glistened as blue and yellow light bounced off its fine architecture.

Inside was even more regal. The walls had pictures of sea ponies on them, all in a formal pose. Lights hung from the ceiling as rainbows bounced off of the ornaments it held. A giant door led into the throne room.

The King of Tritona was a rather large sea pony. His scales were a bluish green and he looked rather happy. A great white beard drooped from his chin and he wore a golden crown containing blue and green gems. Rarity could not hold herself back. She approached the king.

"Allow me to introduce myself, your majesty...I am Rarity, and I simply adore your kingdom!" The unicorn bowed in the most elegant of ways.

The king spoke in a deep, yet jolly voice. "Welcome to Tritona! I am King Typhoon VII."

The other ponies approached and bowed as well. Durango stood behind the ponies, unsure if he would be accepted. The king noticed the green dragon.

"I see you have...dragons...with you." Typhoon said.

"They are with us; they mean no harm." Twilight hastily responded. Typhoon looked skeptical, but nodded.

"I apologize. It's just that dragons have not necessarily been...the closest of friends with my ponies. We normally do not interfere with the above world."

"Which is why you should really think about staying here!" Tidal Wave offered with a smile.

"Thank you...we appreciate the offer, but we have to help save our home. We cannot stay for long."

"At least allow us to give you respite for the night!" The King asked of his guests. "The outside world is far too dangerous. Perhaps we can convince you to stay...if not, you will be free to go in the morning."

Twilight looked to the girls. "What do you think?" She asked.

Rarity immediately responded with a loud "YES!", to the chagrin of the other girls. However, they agreed.

"We do need to rest for a bit, sugarcube." Applejack said to her friend. "The fillies are dead tired...and Ah think we'll be safe down here...King Typhoon?" Applejack turned towards the king.

"Yes, my dear?" He asked.

"Are there any...ya know...monsters lurkin' down in these parts?"

Typhoon laughed. "Our dome protects us from anything that tries to invade. In fact, we easily defended ourselves against a changeling invasion a while back...looked pretty convincing as a bunch of sea ponies."

"...I guess we can stay for the night." Twilight gave in. She wanted her friends to all be happy, safe, and fed.

"It is settled, then!" Typhoon boomed. "Your rooms will be right that way. Allow our maids to set them up for you. Dinner will be served in this hall in three hours. Feel free to explore the kingdom until then!"

*********

Fluttershy found herself wandering the streets of Tritona with Pinkie and Tidal Wave. Both were collaborating on a gigantic party to be thrown later that night. They were with Spike and Durango for a short while, but the two of them ran off together in order to "acquire" some gems.

"Ooh, what about streamers!"

"Streamers!? I love streamers!"

"There's a shop over here that sells some! Let's go!"

Both bounced off, away from Fluttershy. "Uh, girls?" The pegasus asked when she noticed she was left alone. A sea pony swam past her, leaving Fluttershy to squeak and hit the edge of her bubble. She continued walking through the kingdom. Fluttershy was amazed at how peaceful it was down here...it was almost as if the problems above were nonexistent. That thought lingered in her mind as she remembered everypony she knew that was still up there, struggling to survive..

No, I won't stay here knowing others are in danger! She thought to herself before rushing back to the castle. She had it: The sea ponies here were very nice, and she was glad they were safe, but there are others out there who need help...help that the Elements can bring. She zoomed past Rarity, who was busy buying materials to sew an extravagant dress for her and her friends.

"...Do you take bits here?"

"Yes, ma'am...but regarding your current situation, dear, I'll let you go with everything on the house!"

Rarity screamed in delight. "Thank you, darling! I must design a dress for you in return! I will get right to work on it!"

The sea ponies cluttered the streets of Tritona. They all had places to go and ponies to see. Every pony that Fluttershy passed would give her a forced smile along with a couple of 'hello's and 'good morning's...it was very awkward indeed.

Fluttershy came across a couple of young sea ponies playing a game of sea ball. They were in a small open area with two baskets on two ends of a long court. The object of the game is to get a ball in the basket. Due to underwater pressure, it was not so easy.

"Hello, young ones." She said in a very gentle tone. "This looks like an interesting game you're playing.

The larger of the two sea ponies spoke up. "We play everyday down here. Want to try?"

"Oh, I'm not much of a sports person, but maybe I can learn to play above the water one day."

The ponies looked at each other for a second before turning back to the pegasus. "...My mom told me not to go up there. It's a bad place." One said while the other nodded.

Fluttershy had a confused look on her face. "What do they mean by that? I mean..." I know why they mean that, but how can we fix it if nopony wants to help?

"...Um, we have to go now." The smaller sea pony said.

"We just got-OUCH!" The smaller of the sea ponies hit the other before he could finish his sentence. "Yeah, it's getting late. See you around!" They sped off without another word, leaving Fluttershy with the small ball. She picked it up and threw it weakly towards the basket. It gently floated down, barely missing the goal.

*********

Upon returning to the castle, Fluttershy found the area where the ponies would be staying. It was in a large air pocket, meaning that the ponies wouldn't have to stay in their bubbles while they slept. Rainbow Dash was the first one she saw, who was zooming around the giant room as fast as she could. Scootaloo was in the room as well, trying to keep herself aloft as she flew in a smaller, slower circle underneath.

"You'll get it, kid! Oh, Fluttershy?" Rainbow said as she noticed her pegasus friend. "Back already? I thought you'd go looking for the sea creatures or something."

"Rainbow Dash, I..." Fluttershy started before trailing off.

"What's that? I can't hear you."

"I just wanted...."

"What?"

"I'm not sure if....we should..."

"Spit it out, Flutters!"

"I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE!" Fluttershy yelled in response before immediately bowing down. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn't mean to..."

Rainbow laughed. "It's okay. I understand; this isn't exactly my comfort zone. I belong in the sky! Besides, we're only staying here for the night in order to rest up and continue searching for the elements!"

"I guess so...as long as we do leave...I didn't mean to bother you, Rainbow Dash."

"It's okay, Fluttershy! I'm completely cool with it! See you at dinner?"

"See you at dinner."

*********

If Canterlot cuisine was considered fancy dining, the food served in Tritona's throne room was beyond fancy. Scores of butlers arrived to place food on the elongated table. They did so at the exact same time, all with the same expressions on their faces. King Typhoon sat at one end of the table as each of the mane 6, fillies, Spike, Durango, and Tidal Wave all sat in fancy seats. The food itself looked like average underwater plant life: coral, sea cucumbers, sea weed. However, the food was seasoned with something that made it taste very divine. Applejack wasn't very much into fancy dining, but even she was pleased with the food brought out to her. Spike was stuffed on gems he found during his tour of the kingdom, but he managed to set some room aside for dinner as well.

After a few minutes of eating, King Typhoon spoke up. "...So, how did you like my kingdom?"

"It was wonderful!" Twilight responded. "I found one of your libraries...it contained so many books. I was really surprised that they were able to last underwater!"

"Ah found yer food market to be very helpful!" Applejack touted.

"We're going to have the best party ever tonight!" Pinkie Pie chipped in.

"Your fashion sense in this place is very divine! Girls, I'll need your help with my dresses tonight! We shall depart in style!"

"About that..." King Typhoon started. "I would very much appreciate it if you girls would stay here. My people were very enlightened by your arrival, and would love if you could teach them the ways of the surface dwellers. Besides, the world above is...going through a rough time right now. I doubt it would be suitable for innocent ponies such as yourselves.

Fluttershy unexpectedly responded. "I'm sorry, but we can't stay past tomorrow morning. We have a duty to perform, and I don't think we can let anypony above down."

"Darling, what if we bring everypony above down here?" Rarity asked back. Fluttershy was not moved.

"I think Fluttershy is right." Twilight spoke up. "As nice as it is down here...and as safe as it is, we don't belong here. Our place is up there on the surface. And right now, it's in trouble. Only we can save it, and that's what we must do! Won't you help us?" The princess turned towards the sea pony king.

"...Beyond seeing you through to the other side of the ocean, there is nothing else we can do. I want my ponies to be safe and sheltered from the outside world. If you won't join us, then that's your choice."

Dinner went silently afterwards, besides random conversations coming from the fillies. Immediately after, Pinkie Pie and Tidal Wave's party was thrown. Sea ponies from all over the kingdom showed up. It was undoubtedly the biggest party Pinkie Pie had ever thrown. Rarity had been working on her dresses during the party as she asked each of her friends to help model.

Her work was soon finished as Rarity showed off six astonishing dresses. Each one was a representation of each of the mane 6, with an underwater theme. They were so lavish and elegant, even Applejack was impressed. The fillies each received similar dresses, and Spike received another fedora. Durango was given a little cape.

"I'm not sure if this is your thing, but here you go, darling!"

Durango humbly accepted it.

The party was full of dancing, laughter, and cake. Even King Typhoon was enjoying himself. Hundreds of Sea Ponies showed up, surprising even Pinkie Pie as the hall filled up very quickly.

"Best. Party. Ever!" She exclaimed as she began bouncing around.

Fluttershy found herself in one corner of the hall, eating a very tasty seaweed cake.

"Fluttershy?" Twilight's voice emerged from the sea of ponies. She looked tired as she approached.

"You okay?"

The yellow pony nodded. "I'm fine, thanks for asking, Twilight."

A school of sea ponies passed by the two. "Tritona is so amazing!" One said. "I never want to leave!" Another said. "What about you?" The school stopped right in front of Fluttershy. Each had a huge grin as they crowded the pegasus. Fluttershy whimpered. "I...I actually don't like it here."

The crowd grew silent. The entire hall was literally quiet as Fluttershy was put on the spot.

"You...don't like it here?" One sea pony asked. Others began whispering and murmuring all over the room, making Fluttershy feel uncomfortable. Some gave looks of disgust, while others whispered.

"Maybe she should just leave."

Rainbow Dash flew in soon after. "Hey! Stop crowding my friend! She gets nervous when pests swarm her!" The party returned to life a few seconds later, although sea ponies would glance at Fluttershy whenever possible.

The blue pegasus turned to Fluttershy. "Be careful," She warned. "These weirdos don't know how cool it is above water. The open skies, the clouds, the grass...Being bottled up down here isn't good."

I just want to fly away from here, away from all of the problems...

Soon enough, the party came to a close as night crept up through the bottom of the ocean. The ponies returned to their air pocket and prepared for their journey.

"Are you sure we can't stay longer?" Rarity asked the others.

"We hafta' keep movin'." Applejack replied. "Don't you want to help Equestria?"

"Why, of course I do! But...It's so nice down here! Why couldn't I have been born a sea pony!?" Rarity whined.

Over by the corner of the room, Fluttershy looked out a window. The ocean was just as calm at night as it was during the day, except there was something much more...lonely about it. The sea ponies lived in this extravagant kingdom, protected by the dome...but, they are still alone. Alone not only because they cannot leave the ocean, but also because they refuse to make contact with the outside world. Sure, they'll happily accept anypony who stops to visit, but they'd rather not take on the problems of the outside world.

Alone...

*********

The next morning, the ponies were treated to a splendid breakfast. Not much talking happened during the event, and the king was too busy to attend. Each pony was given a saddlebag and some supplies for the journey. Rarity's dresses were neatly folded into each respective saddlebag. Durango was given a giant knapsack to store even more supplies.

When it finally came time to depart, King Typhoon had returned from his royal business. "Tidal Wave and I will see you off to the edge of the ocean. There, you'll end up on a beach in the land of the Griffons. From there, I'm sure you can find where you need to go."

Fluttershy and the others soon departed the brilliant kingdom. King Typhoon brought a few of his guards with him for precaution. She took one last look at the place. It looked as lonely as ever - the lights emitting from the kingdom soon faded away into the vast darkness that surrounded it. The journey out of the kingdom was just as peaceful as the journey into it. Schools of fish swam above the ponies' heads.

The journey was long; they were, after all, crossing the entire ocean. Rainbow pointed this out when she stopped to address the king. "This is taking forever! Isn't there a faster way to get there?"

The king smiled as he stopped as well. They were in a small valley surrounded by underwater mountains. In the center was a small geyser. Small bubbles came up from the geyser and floated up into a small white current above. The geyser itself was angled such that it did not point straight up.

"Now, watch closely! Tidal Wave, would you care to be first?"

"Sure thing!" the sea pony chirped as she jumped right into the geyser. Fluttershy squeaked as the sea pony disappeared.

"Oh my!"

"Wait for it..." The king said to himself. Sure enough, the geyser spit the sea pony right out. Like a bullet, Tidal Wave flew right into the stream, which proceeded to shoot her even faster through the current. The ponies were all impressed.

"You have to be moving fast enough into the current in order for it to take you as fast as you want to go." The king said.

Rainbow Dash looked at the stream and simply said, "That. Was. Awesome! I want to try!" The pegasus immediately plunged into the geyser. The sea pony bubbles were strong enough to withstand the force of the geyser, so Rainbow didn't have to worry about not being able to breathe. The geyser shot the pony into the air and she flew right through the current. Rainbow took a moment to position herself so she could "fly" through the current. "This is the coolest thing ever! Maybe I can do an underwater sonic rainboom!" She yelled.

The ponies each took a turn to enter the current. The fillies had a lot of fun with it, as did Pinkie Pie. Rarity was scared at first, but she in turn loved it as well. Durango had trouble fitting in the geyser, but he made it as well.

Fluttershy was the remaining pony. King Typhoon looked at her. "Are you ready to go too?"

The pegasus nodded. "Will you be coming right after?" She asked.

"We'll be right behind you." He reassured.

Fluttershy gulped before looking down into the geyser. It seemed to peaceful with the bubbles coming out of it. She closed her eyes and walked right in.

The inside of the geyser was dark. Fluttershy couldn't see a thing. After a few seconds, she felt the pressure begin to build up. Before she knew it, she was shot out of the geyser. Fluttershy screamed as she entered the current, then soon began to start laughing. She had never done anything so...fun before! "Woooo!" She said in a loud, yet still quiet voice as she zoomed through the ocean.

Fluttershy saw the whole ocean in a new light. As she zoomed by, she saw the many colorful plants and ocean life. They swam alongside the current as well as inside. Even though she was in a bubble, she felt that she was one with the ocean at that point.

Eventually the current emptied out into another small valley. Something that looked like a mountain stood on the far end. Fluttershy met the others who had already traveled through the current.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash said to each other. The yellow pony blushed as she regained herself. The others laughed.

King Typhoon and his guards eventually made it through the current. "I take it you enjoyed your ride?" He asked the ponies.

"Now, just travel up the mountain there and you'll reach the griffon land. I cannot help you any further from here. Good luck, my little ponies!" He said before turning to the dragons. "...And dragons!" The king chuckled.

Pinkie Pie and Tidal wave both cried as they knew they may never see each other again. "It's been fun!" Pinkie Pie said with a snivel. Tears began to fill the bubble up, but Tidal Wave blew another bubble to fix this.

"Now, let's get going." Twilight said calmly to her group. They had enough supplies to last them for a while, so they were not worried about anything at all.

The journey up the mountain was not hard. The only problem was that the bubbles were very slippery and it took a while for the ponies to get used to walking uphill with them. At a certain point, it was impossible for them to continue with the bubbles.

"I guess we have to pop these." Rainbow Dash said to the group. She was the first to pop her bubble after holding her breath. From there, she quickly swam to the surface. Durango did the same.

Twilight stayed behind to make sure the others all got up safely, especially the fillies and spike. Rarity and Applejack helped their sisters while Twilight assisted Scootaloo. Fluttershy made her way up afterwards.

Upon reaching the surface, Fluttershy felt very different. It was probably because of the time they had spent underwater. The pegasus made her way to the shore. The others were there now: Rainbow was busy racing Durango in the sky, relieved to finally be free. The fillies had begun working on a sandcastle. It looked similar to Tritona.

When the group had all rejoined again, Twilight spoke up. "So, where are these griffons?" She asked.

Rainbow Dash pointed up. The ponies had realized where they were. The beach was a small one, yes, but beyond it were large mountains and cliffs. They pierced the sky with their height. The other ponies looked on in awe.

"I've only been here once before with Gilda," Rainbow Dash said. "But, I think I remember where her village is."

"Pardon," Applejack spoke up. "But how are us non-fliers gonna get up there?"

Without a word, Durango picked up Rarity and Applejack. The fillies and spike jumped on the backs of the winged ponies. They all followed Rainbow Dash as they flew into the sky.

8 - The Mark of the Loyal

These mountains were the highest Fluttershy had ever seen before...higher than anypony had ever seen. Except Rainbow Dash, of course. She led the ponies all the way to the top of a mountain and what they saw was both beautiful and terrifying.

The Griffon Kingdom, intuitively called Griffonia, was located high in the mountains, carved right into the sides of the rock. There were dozens of mountains, all carved with countless homes, shops, and other structures. They surrounded an even bigger mountain; this was where the castle was located. As majestic as it all looked, there was definitely damage done. The meteor shower destroyed many parts of the mountains. Other peaks collapsed. The castle spires were destroyed and the building itself looked like it would crumble at any moment.

Rainbow Dash was shocked at what she saw. "This place used to look much more awesome..." A hint of disappointment was in her voice. Fluttershy calmed her.

"It's ok." The pegasus said. "I'm sure the griffons survived. They can fly, after all."

Rainbow thought for a moment. "Gilda!" She said as she darted off towards one of the peaks. The others followed closely behind.

Fluttershy approached a peak that was severely damaged by the meteor shower. Being closer to the peak increased its beauty. There was so much detail put into the design of the buildings and the overall layout of the peak. Even though it was destroyed, it still looked marvelous. Rainbow Dash was located near the top of the peak, in a moderate-sized house. As the group traveled up the mountain, they found the griffons - both dead and alive. Some were scavenging for any goods, while others tried to fish their loved ones out of the rubble. Even though the shower happened days ago, there were still a few trapped under the ruins.

Fluttershy entered the house Rainbow had pinpointed. It was fairly unharmed, although an entire wall was knocked down. The interior was well decorated. Pictures of Gilda and her family hung on the walls. It didn't seem as if anyone were inside. Rainbow Dash looked sad as Fluttershy comforted her.

"I'm sure Gilda is still alive." the yellow pegasus said. Rainbow nodded.

"Besides, she might be in the castle-"

Before Fluttershy could finish her sentence, Rainbow Dash flew right out the door and towards the castle. "Don't wait up for me!" She yelled back as she zoomed to the large mountain.

"Not like Ah can follow you..." Applejack muttered to herself as she jumped out of Durango's clutch. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang decided to explore the rest of the peak. It was silent except for the short breaths of everyone in the room.

The cutie mark crusaders decided to break away from the rest of the group. "Now, girls," Apple Bloom started. "Maybe we can get our cutie marks in mountain climbing!"

"I'm not too sure about that..." Sweetie Belle responded.

"Aww, what are you scared of?" Scootaloo chirped in. The three proceeded to leave Gilda's house. Fluttershy noticed this and quietly made her way to the fillies.

"Now, girls," Fluttershy started as they wandered off. "It's much too dangerous to be going off on your own."

"...Come with us, then!" Apple Bloom exclaimed happily. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

Fluttershy turned back to Applejack, who also noticed what the fillies were up to. "Ah guess it's okay..." Applejack said calmly. "Just don't get int'a any trouble, you hear me?"

"Ah hear ya..." Apple Bloom said with a sigh, but quickly turned to her friends. "Let's get goin'!"

There really wasn't much to see on this particular peak; it was a collection of small houses separated by small paths carved into the mountain. The rock was grey with a small hint of blue, and the sun shone brightly in the sky. Fluttershy looked across the way to a neighboring peak. It was much more ruined than the one she was on now. The four ponies passed a few griffons before reaching the bottom of the path. They gave weird looks to the ponies. They don't want us here, Fluttershy decided. She just wanted to go home and hide under her bed, but she wasn't able to do that now. Not anymore.

Fluttershy felt like she was right on the edge of the world. A straight path cut across the face of the mountain, acting as a ledge for the entire side. Below was the natural forming mountain, which disappeared into the clouds below. After taking a small look over the edge, Fluttershy peeped and retreated to the other side of the path. The fillies looked down in amazement.

"Hey, Scootaloo," Apple Bloom chuckled. "Think ya can fly down there?"

Scootaloo blushed. "Hey, that's not funny!" All three fillies laughed. As they did, part of the path began to collapse, causing Apple Bloom to slip right off the edge of the mountain. In a panic, she grabbed Scootaloo's hoof as she fell, bringing her orange friend down with her.

Both Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle gasped as the two fillies crashed down into the clouds. Fluttershy wanted to find Twilight or Durango, but she didn't want to waste any time. The griffons weren't around either, leaving her to be the one to swoop down and save them. The yellow pegasus did her best to fly down as fast as she could.

Fluttershy managed to fly very fast as she began to catch up with the girls. Both were crying and flailing their hooves wildly as they dropped like flies.

"I'm coming, girls!!!" Fluttershy yelled as she picked up her speed. What she saw next was even more of a shock than seeing the two fillies fall right off the mountainside.

Scootaloo, in a desperate attempt to save both herself and Apple Bloom, made her way to her yellow friend and held Apple Bloom in her hooves. Scootaloo fluttered her wings as fast as she could...and their descent began to slow down! Fluttershy actually managed to fly right past the two fillies as Scootaloo slowly flew upwards, carrying her friend in tow. Apple Bloom stopped crying at this point and was speechless. She looked up to her friend with big eyes and a bigger smile. Scootaloo smiled back. There was a small alcove on the side of the mountain that Scootaloo approached; she was getting rather tired of carrying a filly the same size as herself. They both dropped as Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a big hug. Both were crying once again.

Fluttershy made her way back up to the alcove and found the fillies. "Oh, I'm so glad you're both okay!" Fluttershy said as she held the fillies in her wings.

"Thank you, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom said with tears. "You saved our lives!"

Scootaloo could only say one thing back behind her tears. "I guess I could fly down here, couldn't I?"

With that, a great light appeared before the three ponies. However, this one was not the same as the light from the Elements...this one came right from Scootaloo! Her flank was bathed in a bright light as a marking appeared - her cutie mark!

When the light faded, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom could see the mark clearly. It looked very similar to Rainbow Dash's, except the cloud was replaced with a large, orange wing, and the lightning bolt was as purple as Scootaloo's mane. The fillies stared in awe as Fluttershy had a smile on her face.

Scootaloo couldn't help but jump in the air. "I got my cutie mark! Wait till Rainbow Dash sees!" Scootaloo yelled excitedly. She began to hover in the air a little before attempting to fly right off the alcove. She did.

"And I can fly too! How awesome is this!?"

"Oh, very much so...but, let's get back to the others first, okay?" Fluttershy said as she picked Apple Bloom up and proceeded to fly up. Scootaloo happily followed.

Sweetie Belle, in the meantime, ran back to find Twilight and the others to tell what had happened. Applejack was the first one down to the edge. By the time she got there, the three ponies had returned - safe and sound. Applejack gave her sister a great hug. After a moment, she turned to Fluttershy.

"Thank you so much, Fluttershy!"

"It wasn't me..." Fluttershy said with a smile before turning to Scootaloo. The others noticed Scootaloo's new cutie mark.

"I really like your cutie mark!!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as Scootaloo landed right in the center of the ponies. Durango looked on, not knowing much about the cutie marks. Having decided that there were enough antics for one day, both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom collapsed and went right to sleep.

Rainbow Dash returned as night crept over the peaks. Twilight was up when the pegasus returned.

"How did it go?" The princess asked. "Did you find Gilda?"

"Yeah! Gilda's fine...most of the griffons are taking refuge in the castle. However, there might be a small problem..." Rainbow dash trailed off as Twilight had a puzzled look on her face.

"Problem?"

"The griffons, as a result of this incident, are basically keeping to themselves from now on. They won't allow any outsiders...well, except me since I've been here when I was younger. I told them about you all, and they want you to leave now."

"We can't just leave!" Twilight shouted, however quieted down so to not wake the girls. "We need to find the element of harmony here! I know it has to be here somewhere."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "They said...if you aren't gone by tomorrow morning, they will come here and...kill you all."

"Kill!? Don't you think that's a little extreme?"

"They don't want to take any chances with the outside. In fact, they see this as the perfect time to take over Equestria..."

"Oh, we can't have this now! Discord brought his chaos back, and now the griffons want to attack Equestria? ...You...You're not going to side with them, are you?"

It was silent for a few minutes, which was broken by the sound of a groggy Scootaloo.

"..Wha...Rainbow Dash? Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo immediately perked up and began to jump to her mentor. "Look what I have!" She said as she pointed her flank right to the pegasus.

The mood changed immediately as Rainbow Dash picked up Scootaloo. "I knew you could do it! It looks cool! How did you get it?"

Scootaloo flew right out of Rainbow Dash's clutches and began to circle the blue pegasus. She told the story of what had happened earlier before landing on the ground. Rainbow listened intently. Soon after, the little filly grew tired and wandered off back to bed. The group decided to use Gilda's house as a place of respite. Once Scootaloo left, Rainbow turned back to Twilight.

"So...what's going to happen now?" Twilight asked her friend, unsure where Rainbow's loyalties lied. The blue pegasus stared at the ground beneath her hooves.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash spoke. "I think I'm going to stay with the griffons." Twilight couldn't help but scoff.

"That's it? You're going to stay with the griffons instead of help out Equestria? No, no...you're going to help the griffons invade Equestria??"

Rainbow Dash didn't respond for a moment. "...Well, if I refuse, then they'll make me an enemy too...I can't be loyal to both Equestria and the griffons. Trust me, if I could, I definitely would..."

Twilight grew angry at the apparent betrayal of her friend. "That's it, I'm going to talk to these griffons first thing in the morning!"

"They'll kill you right on the spot!" Rainbow Dash retorted.

"Then, you're coming with me."

That night was a very awkward night for the ponies. They had decided to sleep in Gilda's house. It was a small two-bedroom house carved into a mountain, but the featherbeds were decent enough. Seeing as there weren't enough for everypony, some had to share, while the rest slept on the floor. Fluttershy decided to sleep on the roof, near Durango. Even though the ponies protested (Rarity even offered the bed she claimed in order to share with Fluttershy), the yellow pegasus was adamant about it.

Upon reaching the roof, she slowly crept up to Durango. He had saved her life, but Fluttershy was still a little wary about her new friend.

"What makes you want to be up here?" Durango asked, his eyes still closed.

That made Fluttershy jump. "I just want to see the moonlight, is all." She said with a weak smile. Durango didn't see it. After the pegasus got into a comfortable position, she tried to sleep. However, thoughts just sped through her mind. The griffons, Equestria, Discord, the dragon sleeping right next to her.

"I won't bite, you know. I've been with you long enough to tell how you're feeling." He said with a cold hiss.

"I'm sorry..." Fluttershy squeaked. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, after all.

"Don't be. Never be." Durango said. "In this world, you have to take charge. Break out of your shell and take matters into your own...um, hooves."

"What if I can't?"

"Then, you die." The bluntness of it made Fluttershy whimper, but she knew it was true.

*********

The following morning, Twilight and Rainbow Dash woke up and proceeded to fly to the griffon castle. They accidentally woke Fluttershy up and immediately decided to take her with them. Durango woke up as well, but Twilight didn't want to risk a dragon/griffon conflict.

"If things look like they'll get bad, take the girls and fly away." Twilight said to the green dragon. He nodded and went back to sleep.

The three winged ponies flew to the great mountain in the center of the griffon's homeland. Upon getting closer, Fluttershy could see how beautiful it really was. The castle was carved into the mountain like the rest of the buildings, but it was much more ornate. Even among the ruined towers and walls, it managed to glow with a regal essence about it. The entrance was located right on the edge of the carved out portion of the mountain; those who wanted to visit had to be able to fly right in. The entryway was blocked by a great wooden door, which was currently closed. Twilight was the first of the three to approach the door.

The princess began pounding on the wooden gate as she yelled. "Open this door! I want to speak to your leader!"

It was silent. Twilight continued pounding as Rainbow Dash pried her friend off the door.

"Let me handle this...It's me, Rainbow Dash! I'm back!"

The gate immediately flew open as two griffon guards stood on the other side. They were both decorated in heavy armor and had serious countenances. Immediately after seeing Twilight and Fluttershy, they primed their claws and looked ready to pounce.

"Relax!" Rainbow quickly shouted. "They're with me! They want to work out a deal with the griffons!" The guards did not let up, but a voice behind them quickly calmed them down.

"Hey, it's okay! Relax!"

The guards retreated to either side of the entrance as the ponies landed. They were greeted by a familiar face - Gilda. Rainbow approached the griffon and gave her a hoof bump. As the ponies walked into the castle, the guards shot them nasty looks.

The castle was extremely large and as ornate as Canterlot was. The damage done was apparent as Fluttershy walked past a torn wall. The main stairwell was large and extended up multiple floors. The stairs were made of gold and paintings hung on the walls. The room was cluttered with guards, all staring at the ponies walking through. Even Gilda had a look on her face that seemed as if she didn't want the other ponies there either.

The griffon throne room was very interesting. The throne looked more like a nest, and it sat on top of a stone griffon statue. Even more guards were perched in the room, their talons all out in anticipation. Fluttershy looked uneasily at them as Rainbow approached the griffon king.

One griffon stood underneath the griffon king. He was clad in golden, jeweled armor. As the ponies approached, the griffon spoke.

"You are approaching king Griff XXVI, king of Griffonia, commander of -"

"Oh, Peyton, Skip the formalities!" The king said in a harsh tone. "Why are your pony friends in my castle?" He looked as if he were ready to devour his guests.

Twilight flew up to the king. "We're here to save Equestria! There is an element of harmony here, and we're NOT leaving until we find it!"

The griffon laughed. "The only saving your Equestria needs is from your joke of a princess...Celestia...and her sister. We will save you the trouble, my dear pony."

And an ancient race will cleanse these lands.

The princess glared at the king. He simply laughed again.

"For far too long your princess has ruled over that land. Now that this catastrophe has befallen us, Equestria is ripe for the picking! We shall finally claim it for the griffons!"

Twilight landed as the griffon flew into the air. He circled quickly around the ponies before landing right in Twilight Sparkle's face.

"And if you think you can stop me...why don't you use your magic to do so?"

Twilight glared even harder at the griffon king. Rainbow Dash stayed silent. Everypony, even the griffon king, knew that the magic field was disrupted, making Twilight's magical knowledge practically useless. Every second, another griffon would begin snickering as the Princess stared on.

Twilight merely smirked. "How can you take over an entire land when your own is destroyed! That's not very smart...is it?"

In one swift swing, the griffon king slashed at the purple princess. Before it could connect, however, Rainbow Dash zoomed in to catch the claw. Twilight flinched as the griffon king backed up.

"I won't let you hurt my friend!" Rainbow Dash said in a strong tone. She let go of the king as he laughed.

"It's cute to see you protecting your friend...Rainbow Dash, since we know you well around here, I will give you a choice. Stay with us and help claim Equestria for the griffons...or leave and die. We will not hesitate to kill you if, and when, we catch you. Now...what say you?"

Both the king and Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash, who felt very torn at this point. She wanted to stay with her pony friends and help save equestria, but it was true that the magic of Equestria was weak. She was friends with Gilda and her griffons, and knew of how much of a threat they could be if she were opposing them.

Rainbow bowed her head, and turned towards the king. He gave a hearty laugh as he spoke. "You made the right choice, Rainbow Dash-"

"Hold on a minute, bub!" Rainbow blurted out before raising her head. She had a furious look in her eyes.

"What makes you think I'd ever abandon my friends? My princesses? No chance! I'll stick by them and get this job done! After we take care of the problem in Equestria, we'll be waiting for you to show up on our doorstep...and don't think we'll go easy on you!"

Before the king had time to retaliate, a bright light emerged from the griffon statue. It was a red light, which bathed everypony in it in a warm sensation. Out from it came another Element of Harmony. It was the Element of Loyalty. Rainbow Dash happily accepted it as she rejoined Twilight and Fluttershy.

The king did not know, nor did he care, about that light. He merely raised his talons. "Dinner's ready." He said coldly.

With that, the girls all flew out of the room. The griffons were in close pursuit as the ponies flew through the corridors, looking for the way out. Twilight and Fluttershy were behind Rainbow Dash, who knew the layout of the castle. They dodged griffons who lunged from the sides until they reached the gate. The guards had closed the gate in anticipation of the ponies. Rainbow flew ahead of her friends in an attempt to bust the gate open using a sonic rainboom. She did.

The shockwave from the rainboom caused the guards to hit the side walls as Twilight and Fluttershy flew through. Fluttershy was having trouble keeping up, but Twilight was able to get her going.

The first place the three flew to was Gilda's house. By the time they got there, the others were already waiting to go. Rainbow nodded to Durango, who immediately grabbed Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and the fillies. Scootaloo did her best to fly as Twilight grabbed Spike with a small amount of magic. It hurt her, but she quickly recovered as it was a simple levitation spell.
"Head west! We need to get away from these griffons!"

Behind them, the griffons all charged. They were no match for Durango, who quickly zoomed away. The others didn't have as much luck. As fast as Scootaloo was, she quickly fell behind. Rainbow looked back and saw her about to be grabbed by a griffon. In a quick turnaround, Rainbow Dash zoomed in and grabbed the orange filly.

The sky soon changed as an unnatural darkness appeared. Thick, gray clouds formed above all. This, however, didn't faze neither the ponies nor the griffons as the pursuit kept on. The darkness made it very hard for Fluttershy to see, but they were in an open sky, which meant that there would be nothing for her to run into except her friends.

An unnatural roar suddenly pierced the sky as it began to rain. It was acid rain, no doubt, but it wasn't as strong as what the girls had experienced before in Equestria - it hurt, but it wasn't damaging. The greenish rain actually made it much harder for Fluttershy to see where she was going. Thunder and lightning boomed throughout the clouds as Twilight yelled for them all to go lower. The griffons did not let up their pursuit; one actually managed to slash at Twilight's back hoof. She screamed and fell slightly, but she kept her pace up.

The roars grew louder. The rain fell faster. The darkness engulfed them all.

Roars...

Rain...

Darkness...

Fluttershy had fallen behind the others at this point; she flew right in between her friends and the griffons. The clouds above began to swirl as something that looked like a vortex opened up in the thick clouds. Gilda had caught up to the yellow pegasus at this point and grabbed her hind hoof tightly. Fluttershy squealed as the talons sunk in deep.

Roars...

The roars grew their loudest at this point as a dark figure emerged from the cloud. Fluttershy saw it and immediately panicked. It was heading right towards her! Whatever it was, it was very enormous as it flew straight down. She did her best to try to see straight in front of her...to try to beat the figure. Gilda, meanwhile, managed to sink her other talon on the hind hoof. Fluttershy ignored the urge to scream this time as she focused on flying as fast as she could.

Darkness...

It flew down. Fluttershy flew across. The two would no doubt meet. The figure began to open it's mouth - or, what Fluttershy imagined would be its mouth - and continued falling. The pegasus passed right underneath the figure and looked up. Time seemed to stop as she saw giant teeth and a great, black abyss.

This is it... She thought to herself.

I'm done now...I never knew my death would be like this...

Just then, Durango's voice popped in her head:

You are a very courageous pony, and if you were more confident in yourself...there would be nothing you can't do!

With that, Fluttershy immediately changed her expression, and boomed right out from under the figure.

It barely missed Fluttershy, instead grabing Gilda within its grasp. The griffon let out a blood curdling scream as she was engulfed by the figure. Because her talons were connected to the pegasus, Fluttershy was dragged down as well. They were a good distance up, leaving Fluttershy enough time to break free, right?

*********

Fluttershy was crying and panicking even more at this point. She was falling quickly as the talons simply thrashed about inside her. It was dark, and the rain and the thunder made it impossible for the others to notice that Fluttershy had fallen behind. She turned to see if she could catch a better glimpse of the figure that ate Gilda. She gasped and immediately changed gears.

The yellow pony pounded on the arms of her griffon enemy. One talon came free, but the other wouldn't budge. She did her best to keep pounding as the figure made a move. It simply tightened its grip on the griffon, cutting the arm right off. With that, Fluttershy flew upward as the figure immediately turned around and began to chase the other griffons, who, at this point, were scrambled and divided between chasing the ponies and running away. Fluttershy hovered for a moment before looking down at her hoof. Covered in blood, Gilda's arm hung from the bloody hoof. Fluttershy did her best to remove the thing and toss it away. She was in great pain, but she managed to turn around and fly towards her friends.

The figure came up and ate a good dozen of the griffons, who at this point were all fleeing the scene. Fluttershy and the ponies didn't care; they kept flying.

The rain did not clear up, but the cloud soon began to go away as Fluttershy kept flying. The acid rain didn't harm her much, but when it made contact with the open wounds she suffered, the pain was excruciating. Tears mixed with the rain as she simply couldn't handle the pain anymore. She saw a small cave etched into a nearby mountain and crashed right into it. She landed right next to a moderately-sized rock.

The rain continued pouring.

Fluttershy looked into her drenched saddlebag to see if there was anything left. A lot of the material had flown out while she was grabbed by the figure. She found a white cloth that could be used as a bandage. The pegasus applied it quickly. Blood stained the cloth, but the pain was eased a little.

The only sound in the cave was of Fluttershy's cries. It was a small cave, with the room she was in being the only room in the cave. She hobbled over to the entrance of the cave in an attempt to see her friends, or anypony for that matter. The vortex cloud was gone at this point, and the darkness let up as well...leaving only the rain.

Rain...

It was cold; Fluttershy shivered as she tried her best to look in the distance.

Cold...

Another roar came from the cave behind her. It wasn't the same as the figure's, but it made Fluttershy jump all the same. Turning, she found a manticore.

Immediately, Fluttershy began talking to it. "It's okay...I'm a friend!" The manticore approached the pegasus and came to a halt. It had a blank expression in its eyes.

Fluttershy continued comforting the manticore. "Don't be afraid..." She was actually talking to herself at that point, but it seemed to sooth the beast, which let out a paw for Fluttershy to grab. Its fur was warm, which made the pegasus feel much better.

Warm...

However, the manticore grabbed the pegasus and brought her right to its face. It proceeded to give out a deadly roar as it tried to eat the suddenly frightened pony. In an act of retaliation, Fluttershy swatted her hoof right at the manticore. It dropped her right on her bad hoof, leaving the pegasus to scream in pain.

The manticore dropped on all fours and began to bite at the pegasus again. It got one good bite on Fluttershy's front hoof. The combined pain left Fluttershy to act through pure instinct.

She punched the manticore right in the face, catching its right eye at the center of the blow. It let go of the other hoof and backed up. Fluttershy, in a pure act of rage, picked up the rock and hit the manticore right across the face with it before the manticore could respond. The manticore went down immediately, dead on impact. That didn't stop Fluttershy at all. She continued pounding the rock right into the Manticore before dropping it. The face of the manticore was no longer recognizable as a pool of blood and other things took its place. In her act of rage, she killed it! The pegasus had a grim smile on her face before she proceeded to the next part of her instinctual plan.

She bit into the manticore and pulled its fur right off of the skin. It tore off easily. Fluttershy wrapped it around herself and felt extremely warm at that point. The blood from her hoof was mixed with the blood from the manticore, all of which covered her body and face at this point. Without any energy left, she fell right asleep.

Warm...

*********

Fluttershy!

The pegasus's ears pricked up.

Fluttershy!!

She stirred around as she heard her name called. It sounded like Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy!!!

Fluttershy's eyes popped open. She stared right into the hide of the manticore she had slain....then she remembered that she had slain a manticore.

The pegasus popped her head out of the makeshift blanket and stared at the entrance of the cave. Rainbow Dash had flown by, but doubled back as she saw something move in the cave. She landed on the edge and looked on in horror.

Fluttershy had a look in her eyes; one that Rainbow Dash had never seen from the calm pegasus before. The yellow pony slowly emerged from the fur, covered in blood still.

"Fluttershy! We've been looking for you!...Are you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked. Fluttershy didn't respond. Behind her, the manticore lay still, slowly decomposing.

Rainbow Dash approached the pegasus slowly as Fluttershy backed away. Her expression turned from grim to scared as she realized what she had done. Soon, the pegasus broke down in tears.

"I...I killed him!" Fluttershy cried as Rainbow Dash comforted her. "He tried to kill me...and I had to! I had to, Rainbow Dash! I didn't mean it!"

"It's okay...you were just scared. So much has happened to you since this all happened." Rainbow Dash said to the crying pony.

"It's not okay...I'm a murderer!"

"We have to do what we can to stay alive sometimes...especially now." Rainbow said back. "As long as we stay loyal to each other, we can get through this...That dark figure last night was definitely out for blood. You could have been killed. But, you're okay now. You really are!"

Fluttershy stopped crying to wipe blood and tears away from her face.

"I don't want to die..."

"...Me neither, Fluttershy. Me neither..."

Author's Note

I just threw together something to represent Scootaloo's cutie mark. I'll do the same for the other CMC members most likely. Image sources are Rainbow Dash's cutie mark and the pic of a wing, both from google, all I did was edit them together. I'm no artist, so it's probably not as creative as I can make it.

Also, we get a glimpse of something that will be much more prominent later in the story...both the dark figure, as well as Fluttershy's new attitude. I will say right now that Fluttershy will NOT turn out to be a crazy pony killer or anything like that, but these events do start to weigh heavily on her mental state.

9 - City of Chaos

It was bright outside. The rains of the night before disappeared as a bright sun shone on the land. Upon looking outside, a bloodied Fluttershy had to adjust to the sudden brightness. The mountain cave she was in sat next to a lonely shore...most likely connected to the same body of water as the shore she had emerged from the day prior.

Rainbow Dash stood next to the red-yellow pony. "We're a long way north of the shore we emerged from...remember that?" She did her best to try to sooth Fluttershy as she did not look stable at all.

"Where..." Fluttershy began to stutter.

"The others? They're all safe." Rainbow Dash replied calmly. "They're waiting at the shore for you! They're all worried."

Fluttershy began to spread her wings. She still felt weak from the night before, but she was able to fly. Rainbow followed closely behind; this was probably the slowest she had flown in ages, but she had to help her friend.

Fluttershy hovered down to the shore, where she was met by all of her friends. As soon as they saw Fluttershy, they crowded her with worried expressions.

"Fluttershy, darling! ...Is that?" Rarity spoke first, noting the blood immediately.

"Are ya hurt, sugarcube?"

"I'm okay...just a few scratches." Fluttershy said coldly, waving her front and hind hooves, each hurting from a different attack.

Rarity pulled more cloth out of her saddlebag. She tried using her magic to levitate it, but quickly fell short, eventually using her mouth to wrap Fluttershy's hooves.

"There you go...it may still hurt, but it should stop bleeding soon...oh Fluttershy!" Rarity said as she gave her friend a hug. The other ponies joined in, not caring that the blood was mixing in their manes. Fluttershy felt loved.

Twilight broke the hug first. "Now, we need to find the last two pieces..."

Without further word, the element carriers grouped together. "If we could use one to find the others..." Rarity said.

"...We can combine them to find the rest!" Pinkie Pie blurted. Applejack laughed.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and concentrated. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie did the same as the elements began to glow. Each pony had one goal on her mind: to find the locations of the final two elements. Soon enough, a map of the world appeared in their minds. There were four lights all in one area - the place they were right now. There were two outlying lights...both in Equestria!

One light was on the east coast of Equestria - Manehatten. The other was farther north - The Crystal Empire!

With that, the map disappeared and the lights faded. The four ponies opened their eyes and stared at each other with smiles.

"Manehatten." Applejack said first, to the joy of her sister.

"And the Crystal Empire." Rarity continued.

Twilight smiled. "It's settled then! We're returning to Equestria!"

"How are we going to get there?" Fluttershy said quietly. The tone of her voice practically broke the mood.

Durango chipped in. "I'll try my best to fly the non-fliers over. After last night's incident, I feel like I can clear the ocean in no time at all!" This was met by a cheer from the fillies, but to Rarity's dismay.

"As long as I don't get sick, darling..." She sighed before chuckling.

"We will try it." Twilight said to the rest. "Did we lose too much of our supplies during that chase?" The ponies looked to their saddlebags and found that not much was lost - a good sign.

"Let's get going!" Was all Rainbow Dash could say. Durango picked up the non-fliers as Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash flew off first. Twilight gathered spike, leaving Fluttershy behind on the shore. Twilight looked back.

"You coming, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy knew to get going, but something was on her mind: the manticore she slaughtered and used for warmth. She was the element of kindness! Her talent was talking to animals! How could she have failed at both?

She put that behind her. Now, it was time to return to Equestria. Fluttershy jumped into the air and hovered right up to Twilight. Both continued to follow the rest.

The journey over the ocean was a rather boring one, actually. The ponies had random conversation with each other (there wasn't really any news to be told, though) and Pinkie Pie would try to get everypony laughing, as usual. When Scootaloo would grow tired, she would rest on either Rainbow Dash or Durango.

While the skies were clear, a grayish light glistened over the ocean. It seemed like hours since they had left the griffon coast. Fluttershy could feel her wings begin to tremble.

"Fluttershy," Durango began. Dragons had much more stamina and could fly long distances like this. "Do you need to rest?"

Fluttershy nodded and gently landed on the back of the green dragon. He glided over the ocean without a sound. Rarity, meanwhile, was trying to adjust herself in Durango's clutch.

Day turned to night as the ponies and Durango continued flying over the ocean. Fluttershy looked down into the abyss, looking for any signs of the sea pony kingdom of Tritona. She had no luck.

"Fluttershy..." Applejack called out from Durango's clutch. "Are ya okay, sugarcube? You haven't said much since..."

"I'm fine." Fluttershy replied quickly. Applejack lowered her head before asking another question.

"If ya want to talk about it, Ah'm sure we'll all be willing to listen."

Fluttershy said nothing. Instead, she tried remembering life before the end of the world. When all she had to do was take care of her animals...when everything was happier. She then looked up at the moon. It was a bright blue.

"Rainbow Dash?" The yellow pegasus called out calmly.

Rainbow flew over to Durango to see Fluttershy. "What do you need?"

"It's just...um..."

Rainbow Dash had a puzzled look on her face.

"When that thing...grabbed me...it actually didn't grab me, but Gilda." She said in a whisper.

The blue pegasus was silent for a moment. "It's okay." She said, remembering the ordeal at the griffon castle.

Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "Say, were you able to catch a glance at whatever that was?"

Fluttershy tensed up. "It was....it...." She stammered.

"It's okay if you don't-"

"SLEIPNIR!" Fluttershy shouted. This caught the attention of everypony else.

"What is that?" Durango asked, not knowing about the prophecy.

Twilight, meanwhile, was speechless. "They're back already? Are we too late?"

"Ah'm sure if we stop discord's chaos, it will drive those things away." Applejack offered.

"Well, we have to get back quickly!" Rarity chipped in. The others nodded.

"The chaos will bring back the ancient beings...if we stop the chaos, we stop the beings! Maybe we can use magic to fight back, just like the first ponies did." Twilight added.

"But, the magic field..."

"It's just a disturbance. I'm sure it will clear eventually."

"How long would that take?"

Twilight thought deeply. She could feel her magic being a little stronger than before, meaning that the field was clearing. Slowly, but surely it was.

"Don't worry, girls. I think everything will be okay."

Hours passed as the group flew over the ocean. If a pony were to get tired of flying, she would land and rest on Durango. He himself grew weary as time went on, but he managed to soar a far distance in one sitting.

Before they knew it, land appeared. It seemed small at first, but Rainbow Dash could make out the tip of a tower...a building from Manehatten. It was in the dead of night and the others (except Durango, of course) were sleeping. As they got closer, Rainbow's smile faded away as she saw the destruction that lay before her.

Manehatten was one of the largest cities in all of Equestria. The streets were always packed with ponies with places to go. The bulidings loomed over the city, watching its citizens closely. The Statue of Harmony sat in the bay, a wonder to all who pass by it. Now, the city was a ghost of what it once was.

Some buildings remained, but many were knocked over and destroyed. The lights that would always be on at night were gone, and the city looked the darkest it has ever been. Rainbow Dash and Durango landed on the island surrounding the Statue of Harmony.

"I say we get some rest." Durango said to Rainbow Dash, his bright blue eyes piercing the darkness. Rainbow nodded as Durango lay the sleeping ponies carefully on the grass. Too tired to speak further, both collapsed.

*********

Fluttershy had a dream about the manticore. She replayed the event over and over in her mind, each more gruesome than the last. Afterwards, she found herself in a small cave. She was alone except for a pile of rags on the opposite corner of the room. Looking around for a moment, Fluttershy began to take a step.

The rags shuffled, scaring Fluttershy out of her wits. She huddled in the opposite corner and stared. The rags began to rise, with blue-green eyes emerging. A pony emerged, covered in blood. It looked just like...

Fluttershy stared at the image of herself from across the room. It had a blank expression, but it never broke eye contact with the scared pegasus.

"...Hello?" Fluttershy managed to whisper.

Silence.

Fluttershy noticed a door to her right, she slowly crept to the door as the apparition eyes followed, never breaking contact. The pegasus turned for a moment to open the door when she heard a noise from behind. Turning, she saw her bloodied doppelganger right in front of her. She screamed as the red pony raised a rock.

*********

"Fluttershy!"

She woke up. Her little heart was beating ever so fast, and she blinked rapidly.

Twilight was the one who woke her. She had a warm smile on her face and offered a hoof. Fluttershy jumped up and hugged her friend.

Breakfast consisted of fruits and vegetables. Durango, used to eating meat and gems, had to make do with this for now. The fillies were all ecstatic about being in Manehatten.

"Ah wonder if Babs is okay!" Apple Bloom shouted to the others, then turned to her sister. "Can we look for her?"

Applejack nodded. "Ah don't have a problem with it. Since there are only two elements we need to find - Twilight's and Fluttershy's, we can spend some of the time looking for other things as well."

"Like a boutique!" Rarity chirped, clutching leftover fabric from her saddlebag.

"Or a cake shop!" Pinkie Pie added, jumping around.

"We can't really split up, though." Twilight said. "Even if there are only two left, it may take all of us together to find the one here...after all, you don't know how dangerous Equestria is now...Discord's had his fun for a while now."

"How about two groups?" Rainbow Dash offered. "Half of us go with Twilight, the other half with Fluttershy."

"Sounds good!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

Applejack spoke up. "Wait! Mah family might still be around here. Ah'll take the fillies and try to find Babs...and my Aunt and Uncle Orange."

Twilight nodded. "Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and I will go together. Durango, Spike, and Rainbow Dash can go with Fluttershy....now, Fluttershy, will you be okay?"

Fluttershy lied. "I will."

Twilight nodded. "We will meet back here before sunset. Good luck, everypony!"

The group split up. Applejack, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo went off to find Babs and the Oranges. Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie went to explore the southern half of Manehatten. Fluttershy, Durango, Spike, and Rainbow Dash took the north. The plan seemed simple enough.

Fluttershy flew alongside Durango and Rainbow Dash while she carried Spike across the water and into Manehatten. Durango carried Applejack and the fillies before parting ways with them.

"Be careful, now!" Applejack called out to her friends before disappearing behind a ruined building.

Looking around, Fluttershy found a street sign saying Broadneigh. She looked to the others before trotting north.

For the most part, things were silent. Any ponies who survived the meteors were long gone by now...in fact, Rainbow Dash was weary of anypony else, in case other tribe-like ponies came running through again. The street was covered in craters and other clutter. Rooftops met concrete as the group traveled over and under debris in search of an element.

The entire time, Rainbow Dash also kept a close eye on Fluttershy. She noticed her friend's mane still carried drops of blood and was disheveled, while her coat was lightly stained with the same substance. Her eyes, while containing the naivete of her former self, also looked empty and alone.

After a few minutes of traveling, they made it to Stable Park and took note of the view. Rainbow Dash had only seen Stable Park a few times before. It was a large, beautiful park filled with trees and other small animals. Ponies would trot through all day to bask in its beauty. Now, the trees were gray and rotten while craters littered the once fresh grass.

...And to top it off, cotton candy clouds filled with chocolate milk sat above the shadow of a park.

Durango flew up to one cloud and managed to eat it whole before dropping down. Another one appeared right in its place. Sighing, Durango turned to the others. "I don't think eating them will solve this."

Rainbow Dash stepped up to the plate. In a flash she zoomed around the park, corralling the pink clouds into one corner of the sky. Durango used this moment to belch a green fire onto the pink mass. It went away in seconds. The sky was clear after this, although no one knew for how long. With that, they walked into the park.

Spike stood next to Durango. Ever since the green dragon joined their group, Spike didn't say much to him. His past experience with his own kind had made him hesitant to do so.

Durango was actually the first one to speak. "Your friends...they're good ponies." He said quietly.

"Yeah, I don't know what I would do without them." Spike said back. The awkwardness could be seen by a blind pony.

"What will you do, if something happens to them?" Durango asked.

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"No...but look at where we are...you're...a little dragon still. If something comes along, are you going to expect them to protect you? Or should you be the one returning the favor?"

These words hit Spike hard. He didn't think of it that way before...in the past, the girls would always help Spike out with small problems. Now, a big problem is emerging and Spike feels he should give back. He looked up to Durango's vivid eyes and nodded.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was wandering the park. She tried looking for any animals that she could help out - the others found their elements by doing what they represented: Rarity was generous enough to bandage Pinkie's wound with a very elegant fabric, Pinkie Pie laughed at the sand worms to save her friends, Applejack asserted her honesty to Durango in order to save him, and Rainbow Dash kept loyal to her friends even if it meant her life. Fluttershy didn't know what to do to find hers...all of her recent attempts with animals have not been positive; she killed the last animal she tried talking to.

"Fluttershy?"

Rainbow Dash's voice broke Fluttershy's focus. She turned quickly to see the blue pegasus hovering above with a concerned look on her face.

"Any luck?"

"No." Fluttershy said coldly. The color in her mane and fur began to fade slightly.

"I don't think I'll ever find my element."

"You have to try, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said with a smile. Deep inside, she was scared of what Fluttershy was becoming...everything that happened to her..."I'm sure there's a way to-"

"No!" Fluttershy snapped back. "My element is kindness...and I have no kindness left! I KILLED the last animal I interacted with! Ever since the world ended I've been attacked, hurt, and beaten, and you girls are always pulling me along saying everything will be okay! Well, you know what? IT WON'T BE OKAY! We can NEVER go back to normal! ...Rainbow Dash, you don't know what it's like for me! I felt worthless ever since we started this journey, yet everyone is telling me I'm not and that I need to keep positive! But the truth is that I AM worthless! This world doesn't have a need for kindness, because it died along with most of the ponies!"

"Fluttershy, you don't know what you're saying!" Rainbow yelled back. Durango and Spike stood behind the two in silence.

"Remember when I told you I didn't want to die? Well...I changed my mind. I think dying would be the best thing for me...for all of us. You all won't be burdened by me anymore, and I won't have to worry about anything anymore!" The yellow pegasus burst into tears as Rainbow Dash comforted her.

"None of us are going to die." Rainbow Dash said quietly. "We will find your element, and Twilight's...and we will stop Discord and restore Equestria to what it was! There's no way we can't lose!"

"Besides...no matter what happens to you, we will never leave your side. Stay strong, because we will always stay strong right alongside you."

Fluttershy closed her eyes. A vision of her bloodied self appeared, causing the yellow pony to shriek. Upon opening them, Fluttershy saw her doppelganger standing right behind Rainbow Dash, with a rock in one hoof. Fluttershy jumped out of Rainbow's hooves.

"Fluttershy?"

The pegasus flew off, away from the puzzled Rainbow Dash and the equally confused dragons. Rainbow Dash groaned and was about to chase after her friend, but Durango stopped her.

"Let Fluttershy have some alone time..." The dragon spoke.

The pegasus groaned again. "Fine!" She spat as she lay on the grass. "If she doesn't want me to help, then I won't help!" She said as a cotton candy cloud floated by. She took it and kicked the thing away.

Fluttershy cried as she flew past the ruined buildings and destruction. Nothing else mattered anymore - she did not like this new world and did not want to be a part of it any longer. She eventually landed on the roof of a building. It was fairly unscathed amidst the destruction of the buildings and craters around her.

The pegasus's cries were convulsing at this point as she seriously contemplated ending it all right there and then. She looked off the edge of the building to the ground. If she held her wings back and fell...

Suddenly, her life flashed before her eyes. She remembered living in Cloudsdale, falling from the sky and earning her cutie mark, meeting Twilight and her other friends, and all of the adventures she had been in. It felt very beautiful, making Fluttershy love the life she lived.

Then, she saw the end of the world, the death of her pet Angel, and everything she had been through. The ponies that chased her down, Gilda, the sand worms, the dark figure in the sky...she knew that her life from before would never come back. She decided to do it.

The sound of a screaming filly reached her ears as she motioned to jump. It caused her to stumble off the ledge and hover in the air as a result. She looked around for the source of the screams. Immediately, the nurturing and caring side of Fluttershy flew down gently to get a better view. The shrieks led Fluttershy to a ruined building a few blocks down. It was an apartment building, about four floors high. The floors collapsed on each other, leaving a giant pile of rubble at the bottom.

Submerged in that rubble was a pink and purple filly. Her head and left hoof were the only things free as the stone crushed the rest of her body. Fluttershy soon found the pony and immediately began trying to help her.

"Are you okay? How long have you been trapped in here?"

The filly cried. "A few days now...I've been calling out every day, but nopony answers. Can you please get me out?"

"I will. What is you name? I am Fluttershy"

"Berry Bunches."

Fluttershy smiled. "I will get you out, Berry. Don't you worry!"

The yellow pegasus lifted one rock off of the rubble and threw it a good two feet away. The second rock didn't budge. When Fluttershy tried moving it, Berry Bunches screamed again.

"Ow!! That hurts!"

"I'm sorry!" Fluttershy squeaked. Tears poured out of Berry Bunches's tiny eyes. Her mane was a light pink with her coat a dark purple. The filly's eyes were pink and round.

Fluttershy was beginning to panic. Should I get Rainbow Dash? she thought to herself. Oh, what's the use? I am too weak to move these stones...I should have ended it while I had the chance...

The filly broke her concentration. "You know..." she started. "I was just about to give up. I just wanted to go to sleep and stay asleep forever. I didn't think I would ever get out of here...but, you showed up! You gave me hope, and I know you can help me get out! Please don't give up either! You never know what could happen!"

Those words got to Fluttershy. A sudden fire emerged in her eyes as she went back to work on the rocks. She pushed some off, bucked others, and eventually got the Filly's other front hoof out. Soon enough, the filly could wiggle herself out of the rubble. She was free! Upon emerging, Fluttershy realized Berry Bunches was a pegasus....or, rather, half a pegasus. Her right wing flapped fine, but the left was damaged badly from the rubble...so badly that Berry couldn't move it at all. She realized this and started to sob.

Fluttershy comforted the crying pegasus. "It's okay..." she said, and this time she could actually feel meaning behind her words. The filly soon stopped and looked up at her savior. "Thank you. Thank you! You saved me!"

Fluttershy said one thing in response: "You saved me too."

With that, a bright pink light emerged from the rubble. Fluttershy knew what this was and gently removed her grip from the filly. Walking to the light, Fluttershy peered inside.

It had a warm feeling and made the pegasus think of flowers and a sunny meadow. Butterflies flew all around, and the birds chirped in harmony. Everything felt right.

When the light faded, Fluttersy saw the element of kindness around her neck. It sparkled in the light as Berry Bunches gasped in amazement.

"Wow! How pretty!" The filly said. Fluttershy smiled as she turned to the Berry Bunches.

"Let's get away from here."

The two ponies began to walk south, away from the rubble. Berry Bunches had a little difficulty walking because of how long she spent trapped under the rubble, but she eventually made her way. Her bad wing started to fall down. If they were bigger, the wing would have dragged along the ground.

Fluttershy spoke up. "Do you know where your parents are?"

The little filly looked down. "I live with my dad. When this all happened, he wasn't home. I hid under a table, but the ceiling..."

"I could help you find him if you want." Fluttershy offered.

Berry Bunches frowned. "No!" She quickly replied. "My dad...Will you take care of me now instead?"

Fluttershy had tears in her eyes. "Why do you say that?"

Berry looked right into Fluttershy's eyes. "My dad is a bad pony...I used to live with my mom too, but my dad would always hit her. She ran away and left me with him. He...he..." The pony started sobbing.

The brash, animal-killing Fluttershy was completely gone by now and replaced with the kind, gentle Fluttershy. She knew that she cannot give up on this poor filly, with only one wing and no family to protect her.

The two walked along and talked about anything that came to mind. Berry Bunches did not have her cutie mark, but she liked playing sports and cooking. She was one of the smartest in her class and she even helped out her classmates when they had trouble. She was a shy filly, much like Fluttershy, and didn't have many friends.

Fluttershy saw much of herself in the filly...well, beyond the sports part. She knew that she couldn't leave the filly alone. The yellow pegasus didn't even remember what brought her to that ledge in the first place...

Suddenly, a boom echoed in the air. Fluttershy and Berry Bunches both ducked down and covered their heads. A bright, red light shot into the clouds. Fluttershy saw it and immediately knew it to be Twilight's magic. Afterwards, she saw two figures in the sky heading toward the light, one big and one small. The small one left a rainbow trail behind it - Rainbow Dash and Durango!

Something must be happening! Fluttershy thought to herself. "Berry Bunches, we have to go." she eventually said to the scared filly. Berry nodded.

*********

Applejack led the fillies through a ruined building before entering a familiar area. "This looks like where Aunt and Uncle Orange lived." she said out loud, not expecting a reply. The Cutie Mark Crusaders followed Applejack closely.

The building in question was not harmed by the meteors at all besides looking rather discolored. Applejack quickly entered, followed by each of the fillies. Knowing where to go, AJ entered the apartment occupied by the Oranges. Nopony was inside.

Even though the outside was unharmed, inside was a disaster. Everything was thrown around and shattered. Beyond that, nopony was inside. Applejack frowned before turning to her sister.

"Anything?"

Applejack shook her head. Apple Bloom frowned before walking to the stairway leading to the exit. As she took her first step, the stairs creaked loudly and buckled under her hoof. Apple Bloom paid no attention to this as she continued along. Scootaloo, however, was wary and proceeded to fly down the stairs.

Sweetie Belle didn't pay attention and walked down the stairs. They creaked loudly and eventually broke apart, sending a screaming filly to fall straight down. Applejack heard this and made her way to the stairwell. Apple Bloom had gotten off safely as this happened, but Sweetie Belle was trapped under a pile of wood and metal.

"Sweetie Belle!" Applejack called out. She could hear a muffled voice respond. The muffled voice then began to sound panicked and scared. Applejack thought of a good way to head down the stairs.

Quickly, Applejack jumped down and landed on the part of the stairs that did not get destroyed. She then used her mouth to pick up bits and pieces of wood and metal. Sweetie Belle was freed soon enough.

"Are you okay, sugarcube?" Applejack asked the filly.

Sweetie Belle wasn't harmed too much; she had a few scrapes at most. "I'll be fine...thank you."

As the four walked outside, Applejack noted a bright pink light in the distance. She wondered what it was for a moment before realizing that it was probably Fluttershy.

"Ah guess she found her element." Applejack said. "Come on, let's see if we can find Babs and get outta here."

*********

Upon reaching the southern district of Manehatten, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity immediately found themselves staring face to face with none other than Discord.

"I see you've managed to find most of them already...how boring." He said.

Twilight shot him a look. "I don't know what your plan is, but we will stop you!"

Discord laughed. "That's what I'm afraid of." He replied in a cryptic tone.

"You see...There's a reason I'm doing all this, you know."

"Yeah, because you can!" Twilight said, cutting him off.

"You would never understand...none of you ponies would! But, it doesn't matter. The only thing that does is that your magic is gone and I can do what I want."

Twilight's horn fired up. "Try me." It took a lot of her energy to just keep the magic ready, but she was in no mood for logic right now - she wanted to stop Discord, and she would do her best to do so.

Rarity stepped up. "Twilight, remember what Princess-"

"I know what she said!" Twilight yelled back. Discord laughed and snapped his fingers. A cloud of smoke emerged around him. When it cleared, a rather large bulls-eye appeared on Discord's chest.

"Strike me! I'd love to see how this turns out!"

Twilight Sparkle did her best to aim a good magical shot at Discord, however, the spell backfired and launched the princess backwards. Landing made the magical beam shoot upwards into the sky. This drained Twilight's power and she collapsed to the ground. Discord laughed.

"I must say, that was rather interesting!" He chuckled before teleporting to the fallen pony. He began to pet her as Rarity approached the draconequus.

"Would you like to try using your magic too?" Discord said without looking up. Rarity did nothing except glare at him.

Soon, Rainbow Dash, Durango, and Spike appeared in the sky. Discord knew this as his time to leave.

Rainbow tried tackling Discord again, but he teleported, leaving the pegasus to crash into the street. Discord reappeared behind the group.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay for long, but it is time for us to go. Yes, I do mean you all as well. Word on the street is that there's a group of ponies forming, and they're not exactly the most cheerful group out there. If I were you, I'd get going. Quickly."

And with that, Discord teleported once again, leaving the ponies and Durango surrounding an unconscious Twilight.

"What did he mean by that?" Durango asked the others.

Pinkie Pie responded. "Maybe they're coming to have a party!"

"I don't think so, Pinkie dear." Rarity responded, looking rather worried at what could happen. "We need to get out! You heard him!"

"No way!" Rainbow Dash said, finally getting up from the small crater she made. "I don't trust Discord at all! Either way, Applejack and Fluttershy aren't with us. We can't leave them behind! I can take on these ponies if I have to anyway!"

A commotion could be heard from the west. The ponies all turned to see another group of ponies walking the streets. There were only a few at first, but more and more appeared. They looked ragged and scared, but they were led by menacing stallions. They all had a red bandanna wrapped around their necks. Without thinking, Durango scooped up Twilight and led the group inside a nearby building. The ponies walked past.

"The beam came from over here! You sure it was magic?"

"It definitely was. I don't know who they think they are, but magic doesn't belong in this new world. Magic is what brought this about in the first place! Why do you think the end of the world ended the magic?"

"But-"

"But nothing! Do you have the 'fireworks' ready?"

"I have Bolt's group on it. The bridge, the biggest buildings, and the streets are all ready. Why are we doing this again?"

"Because I like watching this go boom. We are here to cleanse the trash of the old Equestria. It is our duty."

The group walked past and soon their voices faded away. Rainbow Dash looked to the others. "I'll go find Fluttershy and Applejack."

Durango nodded and spoke up. "I'll get Rarity and Pinkie Pie out safely. We will meet north of here?"

"Yes."

*********

Fluttershy emerged with Berry Bunches from the ruins of a house. She continued running to the source of that light when she ran into a pony. Both fell to the ground. Fluttershy immediately hovered up and apologized.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

"Ah'm fine...wait, Fluttershy?"

It was Applejack! The other fillies were not far behind her, and they all gathered around Fluttershy. Berry Bunches stood off behind the group, looking shy.

Fluttershy popped her head up. "Oh, there's somepony I'd like you to meet!" She said before turning to the filly she rescued. Berry Bunches used her good wing to cover her face. Suddenly she turned from the active filly Fluttershy rescued to a very shy and quiet one.

"This is Berry Bunches."

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all gathered around the filly, all carrying smiles.

"Ah'm Apple Bloom! And this is Sweetie Belle, and over there is Scootaloo!"

Berry Bunches moved her wing. "Nice to meet you..."

"You don't have a cutie mark! How would you like to become one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Apple Bloom then said, noticing Berry's blank flank.

Applejack noticed the injured wing and made her way over to the filly. "You poor thing, your wing is...Ah've got something that can bandage that up." She said as she removed a cloth from her saddlebag. Carefully, she wrapped the injured wing. Berry Bunches felt a little better.

"Thank you." She said lightly. "And...I would like to join your group, if that's okay with you."

"Of course it is! You can be one of us now!" Apple Bloom said as the others cheered.

Fluttershy couldn't help but smile.

"How did ya find her?" Applejack asked the pegasus.

"She was trapped in rubble, and I helped her out. I got the element of kindness after I did." Fluttershy said happily. "Did you find Babs? Or the Oranges?"

Applejack bowed her head. "None of them..." She said as to not let the fillies hear.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Fluttershy responded.

"Berry Bunches?"

It was the voice of a stallion. He appeared from around a corner and saw the mares and the fillies. He spotted Berry Bunches. He had a purple coat just like her, but his mane was more orange and he had no wings. It was her father. He had a bottle in his mouth and a knife on a sheath around his neck.

He staggered around, tossing the bottle to the side. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Let's go."

Berry Bunches cowered behind Fluttershy.

The stallion's voice became more stern. "Berry Bunches, do as I tell you!" He barked.

Applejack stepped forward. "Ah'm sure there's a way to-"

The stallion swung his hoof right across Applejack's face. She fell down hard on the street. The fillies and Fluttershy gasped. Apple Bloom immediately stepped up.

"Hey! Why did you do that to my sister!?"

The stallion ignored her, instead pushing Fluttershy aside and grabbing the scared Berry Bunches in his mouth. He gripped the back of her mane and lifted her right off of the ground, stumbling as he did so. Berry tried using her wings to fly away, but they didn't work. Fluttershy followed him from behind.

"Um, excuse me...I-"

The stallion bucked. Fluttershy fell back. Applejack got back up at this point. "Get back inside that building." She ordered her sister and her friends. They did so.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going!? Ah ain't through with you yet!"

The stallion stopped and dropped Berry Bunches right on the ground. "Don't move!" He barked at his daughter, and she sat. He turned to the orange pony with a glare in his eye.

Fluttershy was the one who continued, flying over Applejack and looking right into the face of the stallion. "Where were you when your daughter was trapped in your house? Huh!?" The pegasus gave her trademark stare at the stallion.

"Who told you to do anything to my daughter? I would have been there soon enough!" The stallion said, stumbling once again. "Besides, we're going with a group of ponies. We don't need you, unless you want to join them." That last part didn't sound sincere at all - more like he wanted to get rid of Fluttershy.

The pegasus thought of the group of ponies they encountered in Las Pegasus and immediately cowered.

"Don't worry...we'll take good care of little Berry Bunches." He shouted, stumbling once again. Applejack tried approaching the stallion, but he turned to pick up his daughter. She was gone.

"Berry! Where are you!? Oh, when I find you..." He shouted in a fit of rage. He turned to Fluttershy. "What did you do to her!?" He pulled out his knife and stumbled.

Fluttershy didn't know where the filly went. "I...I"

"What!!!!"

Right then, the stallion fell, dropping the knife. A small rock dropped to the street as well. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it knocked him down easily. Fluttershy turned and saw that Berry Bunches was the one who threw it. She had a scared look in her eyes as the stallion turned to her.

"Berry?" He said weakly. Berry ran to him and picked the knife up.

"You made mom go away...you left me behind..."

"Berry, I-" The stallion slurred.

Berry raised the knife, but her hoof was held in place by Fluttershy, who was hovering above the two. "Please don't do this." She said quietly, trying to calm the filly down. Applejack went back to keep the other fillies from witnessing what was happening. A cotton candy cloud drifted into the area, drenching a small portion of the street in chocolate rain.

The filly lowered the knife, but the stallion tackled her. He tried to wrestle the knife out of the filly's grip. The sudden force knocked Fluttershy back. Before she could get up, she heard Berry Bunches scream.

The stallion had fallen on the blade. It stabbed him right through his heart. He fell to his side, leaving his daughter crying and covered in her father's blood. Fluttershy gasped and flew to comfort the filly.

"I had to...I had to..." The filly repeated to herself.

"It's okay." Fluttershy tried to calm the shaking girl. As she did, she heard gruff voices from behind.

"Blitzberry, you find yer daughter? I heard screamin..." A group of ponies entered the scene. There lay Blitzberry, dead in his own pool of blood. Surrounded by a filly and a mare. Both looked scared to death. Fluttershy was able to get a better look at these ponies: they were stallions, each wearing a bandana and carrying either a bottle or a knife. None of them looked friendly. There were about five or six of them, all staring at the two.

"Look here, Bolt." A gray stallion said. "These two here killed that new recruit."

"It was an accident!" The filly yelled. The stallions laughed.

The pony known as Bolt spoke up. "Think yer all that, killin' and stuff...ah think we found some new playthings." He scoffed and laughed. The ponies all drew their knives. In an act of pure instinct, Fluttershy scooped up Berry Bunches and flew back to Applejack.

The orange pony was busy comforting the fillies when she saw Fluttershy fly by. They all knew something was up and didn't hesitate for a second; they ran after Fluttershy. The group of ponies screamed and shouted from behind, which scared the fillies into running even faster. Scootaloo began to fly as well.

They ran down a wide street. The five ponies were chasing them, throwing the bottles when they could. One barely missed Applejack's head. The glass shattered up into the faces of the running ponies, but only Apple Bloom was hurt by a shard. She screamed, but kept on running.

"Yew can't keep runnin' forever!" Bolt yelled to the running ponies. He managed to catch up to Sweetie Belle and was about to tackle the poor filly when a blur crashed right into him, leaving a rainbow trail behind.

Fluttershy looked back at the commotion and saw Rainbow Dash! She tackled Bolt right through the window of a shop before coming back out and tackling another pony. She was too fast for them. After doing this, she doubled back and flew after Fluttershy and the others.

The ponies soon reached a bridge on the western side of Manehatten. It was littered with carriages, wagons, and other junk. The bridge was surprisingly intact as the ponies all crossed it. Applejack looked back; they were not being chased anymore. As they reached the middle of the bridge, Applejack looked once again. She saw the ponies there, just standing on the side of the bridge they had run from.

"Bolt, should I?"

"Stop asking me if we should and do it!"

A button was pressed. A boom could be heard.

CRACK

The bottom of the bridge blew up and the structure buckled. Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash were fine, but the running ponies tripped and fell.

"Keep running!" Applejack yelled to the scared fillies. She picked Apple Bloom up in her mouth as Rainbow Dash scooped Sweetie Belle up. The blue pegasus followed closely behind Applejack.

Behind them, the bridge fell into the river below them. It fell by chunks; the sound of tearing metal pierced the air. The side supports for the bridge snapped and flung all over the place. One almost hit Fluttershy, but she ducked at the last minute.

A part of the bridge fell right under Applejack's hooves. In one motion, Applejack flung her sister into the air. Rainbow Dash came up from behind and grabbed the filly through instinct. Apple Bloom looked back to her falling sister and screamed. Applejack just had a smile on her face.

Big Mac woulda' done the same...Family.

Applejack disappeared into the river below. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and the fillies all made it across the bridge in one piece. The last of the bridge collapsed into the river, leaving a sea of metal and stone.

"Applejack!!!!" Apple Bloom called out to her sister before sobbing. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo hugged her and cried soft tears as well. Fluttershy and Berry cried as well.

Even Rainbow Dash had a tear. "You can't leave me like this..." She said under her breath as she closed her eyes.

"It's mah fault...just like with Big Mac..." Apple Bloom said quietly as she drooped her head. The explosions that came soon after did not startle the filly.

The Manehatten skyline lit up in an explosive display before crashing down. Most of the city was destroyed. Fluttershy could see the members of that pony group in the river to the south, safe from the destruction.

"Where are the others?" Fluttershy asked Rainbow Dash.

"Up north...Come on, we have to keep going. I don't trust those ponies over there." Rainbow noticed the group as well. She tried to pick up Apple Bloom, who pushed her away. The filly ran to the edge where the bridge stood and cried.

"Apple Bloom."

"Why? Why did she do that???" Was all the filly said. Rainbow Dash picked her up and made her way north. The others followed.

Fluttershy cried. She didn't think she'd ever see her friends die. She wanted to look back, but she didn't. She wouldn't.

10 - The Frozen Waste

"Find anything?"

"Nope...you sure we got 'em?"

"Nopony could have survived that! We blew a whole bridge up!"

Bolt and his stallions trotted along the river, soon passing where the bridge once stood. The pieces of metal and stone drifted south, away from the destruction. Bolt looked mad - he wanted to find the bodies of these ponies.

"You know what they told us about finding others! We need them to be alive!"

"There's nothing here!"

Bolt turned around. Frustrated, he walked away from the river. "I guess there are others..." He said to himself.

"Wait! I found somepony! She's still alive!"

The stallion turned back to the river. Two others were pulling an orange mare out of the river. She was badly hurt, but alive. Bolt smiled.

"Take her."

*********

Apple Bloom was silent as they walked north along the river. The last she spoke was when she wanted to go into the river and find her sister herself. They all wanted to, but it was definitely too dangerous - especially since those stallions were right there as well.

"But...how can the elements work if Applejack is..." Fluttershy peeped. Rainbow Dash didn't answer. Apple Bloom had a blank expression on her face.

The group soon reached its destination: a small train station north of Manehatten. There was one small train that seemed to be in working condition - perfect to get to the Crystal Empire easily. Fluttershy saw the others standing next to the train.

Twilight was the one who greeted them. She had finally woken up after that burst of magic and felt fine again. "You girls are okay! ...Wait, where's Applejack?"

Everypony was silent. Soon, almost everypony began to break into tears - from Twilight's short snivels to Pinkie Pie's full on wailing.

"Applejack is strong! I know she didn't...She knows where we're going, and that's all that matters!" Rainbow Dash finally shouted. She then turned to Apple Bloom. "Don't worry, kid. Your sister is fine! I'll...I'll go look for her!"

"Wait, Rainbow-"

The blue pegasus bolted off, leaving behind a rainbow trail. She went south in order to find her friend. She knew Applejack was still alive.

Rarity noticed the new filly among the group. "Who is this young dear?" She said as she approached Berry Bunches, who cowered behind Fluttershy.

"This is Berry Bunches." Fluttershy said. "I rescued her."

"She's one of us now!" Sweetie Belle squeaked happily.

Rarity lowered her head, noticing the injured wing. "You must have been through a lot. Are you hungry? Pinkie Pie here made some cupcakes! ...Somehow, but that's not the point." She laughed as she escorted the filly.

Twilight spoke up again. "The train here is working fine, and we have enough coal to get to the Crystal Empire and even back to Canterlot. Should we wait for Rainbow Dash to return before departing?"

Durango spoke up. "No." He said. "Rainbow and Applejack will be fine on their own...I believe AJ is okay too. It's easier for two ponies to travel than for all of us. We need to get going."

Twilight agreed, although she frowned. She turned back south before boarding the train. Durango jumped on top and rested.

Inside, Rarity gave Berry Bunches a cupcake, which the filly took humbly. Twilight and Pinkie were inspecting the train, while the other fillies and Fluttershy quietly sat down. Spike was the last one to board the train; as he did so, he began to cough. The others looked to him.

After giving a big cough, Spike spit out a letter. Twilight immediately took it, knowing that it is from the princess. She read it aloud:

Princess Twilight Sparkle,

I wish to say that things are getting better here, but I cannot. Soon after your last letter, things have gotten much worse. Discord's chaos has affected all of Equestria, and a group of renegade ponies has risen.

When you left, I traveled to the Crystal Empire to check on the state of things there. They are probably the most stable place in all of Equestria right now. I urge you to get there as fast as you can, before it is too late. I wish I could explain more about what has happened, but your brother can inform you once you get there.

The Elements of Harmony will prevail above all. Remember that.

Princess Celestia

It was not good news. The others were all silent as Twilight finished reading the letter and placed it down gently. Pinkie Pie even had a hint of defeat about her.

Fluttershy looked to Berry Bunches. She was silently eating a cupcake, but the look in her eyes was one of fear. Fluttershy had to protect this filly - she must never be scared. The yellow pegasus spoke up.

"I know things may look bad now, but we will succeed! There has never been a problem that we couldn't solve!" Fluttershy knew that what happened was bigger than anything they had encountered before, but she didn't want anypony to feel sad. Not anymore.

"You're right." Twilight said. "It may be a big challenge, but if we are together, we can win! Let's get going!"

"Are you sure about leaving Rainbow Dash? And..." Rarity began to say, but she trailed off.

"Yes." Apple Bloom spoke. The others were surprised at the filly's sudden interjection.

Twilight frowned. "...Okay. Spike, help me with the coal."

The purple dragon followed Twilight into the front car while everypony else took their seats. Durango clutched the top of the train as it pushed out of the station towards the north.

The train ride was nothing exciting except for one portion of the track that was hit by a meteor. Durango saw it from a mile away and managed to lift the train slightly as it reached the break point. He carried it a few feet onto the other side of the tracks, and the train held strong. The ponies flew around a little, but it wasn't too bad. Pinkie Pie tried cheering everypony up with a song.

Don't be scared! Don't you cry!

Be silly and laugh like Pinkie Pie!

After all that's said, after all that's done,

If you are happy then you'll have won!

We've been through lots from then to now,

But we can still smile, I'll show you how!

...It didn't catch on. Berry Bunches smiled and laughed, but Apple Bloom kept quiet. The others were more annoyed than relieved. Pinkie Pie soon stopped and sat down as well.

"Aww, you should have all been laughing by now!" Pinkie Pie said. "Or else...the party cannon will mean nothing!"

Right then, a loud explosion came right from under Pinkie's seat. Out poured confetti and other things that she usually tucks into her party cannon. After the mess settled on the train floor, the other ponies stared...and began to laugh.

Even Apple Bloom found that funny. Pinkie Pie smiled, knowing her job was done.

"Wait...where did that cannon come from?" Berry Bunches asked out loud.

"Just...Pinkie Pie." Twilight said with a chuckle.

It was dark when the train arrived in the north. The snow was heavy and nopony could see very far. In fact, the snow was so bad that the train began to freeze right to the tracks. The metal twisted and turned as it stopped to a halt, a good distance away from the city.

Durango had never been up this far north before and wasn't prepared for the cold. He began to shiver. "Is the Crystal Empire really in a place like this?"

The others looked to each other. "You'll see." Twilight said as they exited the car. It was indeed very cold; none of the ponies were prepared for this. The fillies huddled together for warmth as they made their way north along the tracks.

A fierce blizzard swept the land. The older ponies and Durango were able to move along fine, but the fillies and Spike had much trouble. At one point, Sweetie Belle collapsed to the cries of the others. Durango immediately snatched her up and held her close to his warm body. Every once in a while, Durango would also let out a fierce breath of fire, warming up the ponies. As they went along, he had to spread these breaths out as he began to grow cold.

Berry Bunches's injured wing was on Fluttershy's mind. Berry trekked along beside the yellow pony, slowly but surely. Her mane and face were covered in frost, and her wing looked like it would become infected.

Fluttershy moved so that her body was up against the injured wing, providing some warmth. "Are you okay?" She asked the purple filly. Berry nodded.

"I'm...a little hungry." She whimpered.

Meanwhile, at the front of the group, Rarity spoke up. "Do you think Discord's been up here too?"

Pinkie Pie stopped, stared at the snow-covered ground, and scooped some into her mouth.

"Ice cream!" She yelled as she ate more.

"I guess that means yes..." Rarity said as she picked her front hoof off of the ice cream-covered ground. "Quite."

The fillies had smiles on their faces and went right for the ice cream. It wasn't healthy, but it filled them up all the same. The blizzard did let up a little bit, but it was still freezing cold. Durango's breaths were cold as well at this point.

"We're almost there...I can feel it." Twilight Sparkle said to her group. They looked ragged. Twilight frowned as she turned again.

Soon enough, the ponies did make it to the outskirts of the crystal empire. By then, Durango was carrying all of the fillies and Rarity on his back. The fierce cold gave way for sunshine and a warm air. The place looked unharmed. The crystal buildings glistened in the light as the large tower at the center of the empire stood strong.

Everypony was excited upon entering the empire. Twilight stood there, thinking. "Hmm...I wonder..." She said as she fired up her horn. It worked! Twilight teleported a few feet and screamed with delight. "Magic works here! It really works! Oh, there's so much we have to do!"

Following the tracks, the group made it right to the train station. It was empty, but beyond the tracks were all of the crystal ponies in their glory. There was no doubt that they had heard of what happened to the rest of the world, as Twilight could see the looks on their faces - not as happy as usual.

The fillies were all ecstatic about the crystal empire. "We can finally explore the place!" Sweetie Belle shouted to her friends. Apple Bloom smiled, but she remained silent.

Durango quickly fell behind the others. "Maybe it would be better if I stayed behind." He called out. Fluttershy looked to him, then to the crystal ponies. A few had noticed him and had uneasy looks.

"I'll stay with you." She said calmly.

"Okay then," Twilight started. "Rarity and I will go meet Princess Cadence and my brother...Pinkie Pie, can you keep watch on the girls!"

"Just like watching the baby Cakes!" Pinkie shouted. "Come on, girls! Let's go explore!"

The fillies followed Pinkie Pie in a line as Rarity, Twilight, and Spike went off to find Princess Cadence. Fluttershy stayed behind with the dragon. His blue eyes shimmered just like the crystal ponies.

"Durango..." Fluttershy peeped, as if to ask a question.

"Yes?" He said back.

"Have you...ever killed anypony before?" The pegasus didn't know why she asked the question, but she did.

"Yes." He was very blunt about it. Fluttershy turned to him.

"Did you...enjoy it?"

"What are you getting at?" His eyes stared right into Fluttershy's soul.

Even though Durango was a friend, Fluttershy couldn't help but cower. "It's just..."

"Dragons kill, steal, and fly. That is all we do." He said. "Such is our nature. We do it to survive."

"Survival."

"Yes. Killing for survival is natural. I have never killed a being for fun, I can tell you that. And I don't plan to."

"But...don't you ever feel something after killing? Like...you'd want to do it again and again?" Fluttershy was bringing up her own feelings, those she had forgotten about since she saved Berry Bunches. They were flooding back in now. Durango looked at her.

"What happened that night? The night that figure emerged in the sky?"

"I...I killed a Manticore. And I loved it." The pegasus's expression was blank. "But...I..."

"Survival." Was what the dragon said. "Think of it as that and you will be fine. You are not capable of being a murderer. You deserve to survive. We all do."

Fluttershy nodded, still unsure.

*********

"Twily!!" Shining Armor yelled as he saw his sister enter the palace. They gave each other a hug. Princess Cadence stood behind him with a sad look on her face.

"I'm glad you're both okay." Twilight said to her brother and sister-in-law. "So tell me, how is the Crystal Empire doing?"

Shining Armor led Twilight and Rarity into a large room filled with guards. "Ever since the meteors fell and magic was lost, Canterlot fell apart. Most of Equestria fell with it as well. Up here, the magic field was not disrupted for long, and soon our magic was normal again." The white stallion used his magic to move a bunch of papers around that lay on a table.

"We are the only safe place left."

Twilight stared at the papers. One was a map of Equestria, covered in X's and drawn lines.

"What is going on? What happened to Canterlot? I received a letter from Princess Celestia...they can't be hurt, are they?"

"Discord is traveling all of Equestria, spreading his chaos around. I've heard rumors of a group of rouge ponies destroying and burning all they cross, adding more to their ranks."

Twilight thought of Applejack and what happened in Manehatten.

"And through all this chaos...the changelings came forward and attacked Canterlot. With a lack of magic, Celestia and Luna were unable to keep them back. Don't worry, they are unharmed, but Queen Chrysalis has her eyes set for...us."

Cadence added. "She will march with an army up here. If she can take the Crystal Empire, the last remnants of Equestria, she will be in charge, and all will be lost."

There was much to think about. How did Celestia and Luna fall to the changelings? Did she write that letter to warn us?

"But we have magic!" Twilight said to her brother and the princess. They nodded.

"That is why we do not have much to fear." Shining Armor said. "However...There's no telling if Discord will pull for one side or the other. Or, he could condemn us both."

Twilight then remembered her main objective. "If we can find the last Element, we can stop Discord and you can defeat the changelings!" She exclaimed.

"But, Applejack..." Rarity pitched in. She had a frown on her face. Twilight lowered her head.

Shining Armor didn't realize what had happened at first, but he soon realized. "...I'm sorry. I still believe we can defeat Chrysalis, even with Discord's distractions. We'll deal with him later."

Princess Cadence stepped forward. "I will create a magical shield to keep the changelings away as long as I can."

"Twilight..." Shining Armor placed a hoof on his sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry that things have to be this way. You were all so happy not too long ago. Princess Celestia told us about what you had to go through...You look like you've traveled long." The white unicorn looked tired; they all did.

"I still don't understand why Chrysalis would attack us up here...I mean, with our magic..."

"We are the only thing that can stand against her new kingdom. She's in control of Canterlot and most of Equestria. If they were to bring us down, there'd be nopony to challenge her." Shining Armor explained.

There might be somepony, Twilight thought to herself. All she could see was the giant figure from the clouds.No, I won't let them win. The elements will prevail.

...Applejack...

*********

Rainbow Dash arrived at the bridge...rather, what remained of the bridge. Lots of the smaller pieces had floated south, soiling the once beautiful water. When she got there she saw one stallion with a red bandana. There were no others nearby. This was when she decided to strike.

In one swoop, she tackled the unsuspecting pony and held him down.

"Where's my friend!?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Rainbow Dash smiled, then hoisted the pony into the air. He was only an earth pony, so he was useless in the air. Rainbow Dash flew up high with the now screaming stallion.

"Let me ask again...WHERE. IS. MY. FRIEND!?"

"You mean the orange mare? Please, don't kill me! I'm just a new recruit! Just joined yesterday!"

"Well, you better get talking, bub!" Rainbow Dash dropped a few feet, making the stallion scream again. He seemed to be a few years older than Apple Bloom and the fillies. He was green with an orange mane. His cutie mark was a baseball.

"They took her away! And they told me to keep watch for a few hours, just in case anypony else showed up!"

"Who are these ponies!?"

"They call themselves the Chosen." The stallion whimpered. "They believe they were the chosen survivors, to rebuild Equestria. They follow what they call the pony gods; our leader claims to have spoken right to them! Anypony who believes can be a brother or sister as well...If you believe, you can be a sister!"

Rainbow Dash dropped another few feet before returning to the ground. She didn't understand what this Chosen group was all about.

"That just sounds dumb!"

"Oh, but I've talked to the gods as well..." The pony started saying. "I prayed to them yesterday, when I joined. I didn't believe at first, just like you, but they spoke to me! I heard it! They told me I will help rebuild Equestria!"

Rainbow Dash made a face. Clearly, this pony was crazy, just like the rest of their group. All she wanted was to find Applejack.

"What does this have to do with my friend?"

"Oh, well the gods say that in order for us to rebuild, we must cleanse the land of...non-believers. Sacrifice."

The pegasus's heart dropped.

The green pony continued. "When she wakes, she will be offered to join us...if she refuses, then she will be cleansed." He started laughing.

This is messed up, Rainbow Dash thought.

"Where is she!?"

"Like I'm going to tell you! Go ahead and do what you want to me, I'm not telling!"

Rainbow Dash groaned until she heard the sound of a radio:

"Green Greens, you there? Hurry up and get over here! We're in a small cave west of Manehatten."

The pony known as Green Greens looked at Rainbow Dash and laughed, moving the radio behind him. Rainbow grabbed the radio and smashed it before flying off to find her friend.

*********

Durango finally decided to walk among the crystal ponies. Fluttershy flew right above him to make sure everything would be okay. The ponies were very hesitant about him at first, but his eyes calmed them down. Durango was very cautious as well, but Fluttershy was able to get him to be more confident.

"See, I think they're starting to like you!" Fluttershy said to the green dragon. They both made their way to the crystal palace when they saw Twilight and Rarity exiting.

"Oh, Twilight." Fluttershy called. "What's going to happen now?"

Twilight had a sad expression on her face. "The changelings are...coming here."

A magical beam could be heard as the sky turned pink. A magical force field enveloped the city. Fluttershy squeaked when it happened, but soon realized what it was.

"I think we should find your element." Fluttershy said to the princess. Twilight nodded.

"I don't know how, though..." Twilight said before taking a deep breath. "The element of Magic...do I just need to cast some spells?" She asked herself before levitating her dragon companion. Spike started yelling at the purple pony. Twilight teleported around a few times before a weird look in her eyes emerged. She looked frustrated.

"There has to be a way!" Twilight looked back and forth as she ran around in circles.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy yelled, snapping Twilight out of her trance.

The princess raised a hoof and took a deep breath. "I apologize." She said calmly.

"HI THERE!!"

Pinkie Pie's voice broke Twilight's calm demeanor. She bounced into the area, followed by the fillies. Berry Bunches looked the happiest she'd ever been since Fluttershy found her.

"Pinkie, now's not the time!" Rarity said to the bouncing pony. "Those dreadful changelings are coming. Oh, I hope I don't have to fight them again."

"Changelings?" Berry Bunches asked the group.

"They are evil little creatures that can change their appearance into anypony!" Pinkie pie said, gesturing as she did so. This caused Berry to cower in fear.

"Maybe it would be better if the fillies went into the palace." Twilight said. Everypony nodded.

Fluttershy spoke up. "I'll take them; I'm not so good at 'fighting' anyway." She smiled as she made her way to the palace.

Really, I'm scared at what I would do... She said under her breath. As bad as those changelings were, she didn't even want to think about what would happen if she decided to snap on them. Not when Berry had to be protected, as well as the other fillies.

The high walls of the palace never ceased to amaze Fluttershy, but the fillies were even more excited.

"We finally get to enter the Crystal Palace!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as the four fillies trotted inside. It was all lavish and beautiful, like always. More of the crystal ponies were inside than before, due to the events happening outside.

"Do you want to see the balcony?" Fluttershy asked the fillies.

It was a unanimous "Yes!", sans Apple Bloom, but her eyes glistened at the thought of seeing the princess's balcony. The four made their way upstairs to the balcony. It was a very beautiful sight - one could see all of the Crystal Empire from there. The pinkish shield surrounding the kingdom dampened the mood as it made Fluttershy think of what will happen.

*********

A cave. A dark, disgusting cave. This was what Rainbow Dash saw as she flew in to rescue her friend. It was located away from any paths or roads, deep in a forest. It was by chance that RD actually found the cave; she heard some ponies talking and followed them in secret.

When she reached a giant chamber, Rainbow Dash ducked behind a crate. There were candles lit all over the place and red stained the walls in archaic writing.In the center of the room was Applejack, tied to a table and surrounded by hooded ponies with knives. They were all chanting, as if possessed by some demon.

Rainbow Dash didn't have time for this craziness and thought of a plan of action when the main pony spoke up.

"As you know, our gods command the sacrifice of a fair mare in order to give them power. They say we are the chosen ones - the ones who will cleanse this land and make it a better place for all." He took the knife and jammed in onto the table. Applejack was awake at this point, squirming around.

"Let me outta here!" She wasn't scared at all - she seemed quite angry in fact.

The ponies began changing. "Sacrifice. Sacrifice. Sacrifice!" The main pony picked the knife up once again and was ready to do his work, to appease these gods.

This was when Rainbow Dash flew into action. She zoomed by and grabbed the knife. The ponies were all confused at first, but then saw Rainbow Dash hovering in the air.

"That pony is disturbing our ritual! The gods will want her head!" Some ponies started flying up to Rainbow Dash, holding knifes. The blue pegasus smiled and flew to the other side of the room. Most of the ponies smacked right into the cave wall and dropped like flies. Rainbow Dash then doubled back and tackled the main pony before using the knife to free Applejack from the ropes. The other ponies stood silent.

For a bunch of fanatics, they aren't that aggressive, Rainbow Dash thought to herself before motioning to the exit. Some of the ponies snapped out of their trance and tried following the two, but Applejack would buck them right in the face.

Leaving the cave was the annoying part. AJ couldn't see in the dark, but Rainbow had a good idea of where to go. Before they knew it, they were outside. The dark trees loomed overhead. Applejack had an idea.

She approached one of the trees and gave it a great buck. It snapped and fell right onto the entrance of the cave, breaking and blocking the ponies trapped inside.

"While they try escapin', let's go! Where are the others?"

Rainbow Dash pointed north. "Crystal Empire."

"Ah don't suppose you can fly us there, right?"

*********

A dark cloud appeared over the Crystal Empire. It was distant at first, but it crept closer and closer to the magical shield. Fluttershy thought it was the Sleipnir again, but those thoughts were discarded when she saw the wings. The horns. The green eyes.

The Changelings.

The creatures spent no time waiting and began pounding right into the shield, just like they had done at Canterlot before Princess Cadence's wedding. Fluttershy wished for those times again, because at least the world wasn't so...

"Fluttershy?"

It was Princess Cadence. She appeared from behind the pegasus and the fillies. She had a solemn look on her face as her horn lit up, supplying more energy to the shield.

"Hello, Princess." Fluttershy bowed.

"Please rise." She said in a happy tone. She stumbled a little, obviously being drained of her energy from the shield. "I wanted to know how you were doing..." The princess noticed Fluttershy's appearance: She was no longer the cute and shy pony she was...well, she was, but her hair was discolored and mussed. Dirt covered her fur, and the cuts from her previous encounters were still there. Cadence frowned as she approached the pegasus.

"Oh, I am okay." Fluttershy said, trying to bring her old tone back. "I'm more worried about the fillies here."

Each one was disheveled in her own way. Apple Bloom lay silent, Scootaloo quiet, Sweetie Belle tired, and Berry Bunches hurt. Cadence approached the purple filly and looked at her wing.

"I am sorry for your injury...maybe I can fix it?" Cadence said sweetly.

Well, she is a princess...I'm sure she could, Fluttershy thought. Berry's eyes lit up as she smiled at the princess.

"Oh, I would like that very much!"

Cadence smiled before her horn twitched. The spell was definitely taking its toll on her. The thuds on the surrounding shield were so loud that they echoed into the palace. Fluttershy did not want to keep watching the changelings trying to bust in.

On the outskirts of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor made his way to Twilight's location. Hundreds of royal guards stood on the perimeter, ready to attack. Of course, since the changelings could fly, there were other guards farther into the city as well. They were all waiting for the moment to strike.

"Cadence's shield will only last for as long as we need to prepare for battle." Shining Armor said. "They won't catch us off guard this time, unlike in Canterlot."

"Where is their leader? Queen Chrysalis?" Twilight asked her brother. He shrugged.

"As soon as she shows her face, I will charge.

"But when they enter, they will be able to change their appearance...It will be hard to fight them if they could look like any of us!" Rarity whined. She was in no mood to fight.

"Don't worry," Twilight replied. "If our magic really does work here, then I doubt there will be much of a problem."

THUD.

CRACK.

The shield soon gave way as it shattered into thousands of pieces. It all crumbled and turned to dust around the Crystal Empire. The swarm charged right into battle. Royal pegasus guards flew up to meet them. On the ground, a wave of changelings entered, bringing Twilight right into the heat of the battle. They had changed their appearances to look like members of the royal guard.

"Don't kill until you're sure you're fighting a changeling!" Shining Armor called out to his ponies before charging into the fray.

A fight broke out reminiscent of the fight against the changelings in Canterlot. Changelings flew in every direction, disguised as anypony they wanted to be. Twilight fought off a few ponies that looked exactly like her.

Rarity wasn't a fighter, and she didn't plan on changing that anytime soon, but the unicorn used her magic to lift and toss the changelings. She managed to accidentally pick up the actual Twilight, to her dismay.

Pinkie Pie had her party cannon and shot the changelings down, one by one. Nopony knew where it came from, nor did they question the pink pony.

The three ponies could easily tell that there were at least twice as many changelings here than there were in Canterlot. They swarmed the skies, the ground, and everywhere in between. The sea of black pushed ever so strongly into the city. Before long, Twilight was shooting magical spells right in the city streets. The crystal ponies had retreated into the palace, leaving the streets deserted and open.

Durango, meanwhile, was in the air, swatting the creatures. A stream of green pierced the black sea as it rained changelings. He did his best to fight the changelings, but several of them turned into fierce dragons fully equipped with claws and sharp teeth. They dug and tore at the green dragon, eventually tearing his right wing. Durango fell to the ground.

The swarm of beasts was too much for the ponies to handle. While weak, there were too many for the ponies to effectively keep back. Shining Armor and Twilight retreated into the center of the city, already filled with casualties and fighting bodies. The crystal heart spun in its place in the middle of the destruction; Twilight and her brother stood right next to the peaceful crystal.

"I don't know what we can do..." Shining Armor said in a low voice. Twilight was busy shooting a beam at a changeling, but she could tell that her brother's voice was...unusual. Even for a battle. The princess looked to the unicorn.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Twilight."

Shining Armor gave a great buck and hit the crystal heart. It shot right out of its spot and slid across the ground. It cracked a few times and the luster of the crystal was gone. In fact, the rest of the palace began to lose its luster as well. Twilight stood in horror as her brother soon dawned a menacing grin on his face.

"Why did you do that???" Twilight yelled at her brother. He only laughed.

Soon, his voice changed. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did you need that?" It sounded very familiar...Chrysalis!

Shining Armor's image changed right in front of Twilight, leaving behind the Queen of the changelings herself. She laughed as she towered over the princess. Twilight prepared to use magic before Chrysalis zapped the purple princess with a freezing spell.

"What did you do to my brother!?"

Chrysalis laughed. "It's so easy to infiltrate the place you ponies call sanctuary...first Canterlot, and now here. First that Cadence, and now Shining Armor. Don't worry, he's perfectly safe...for now."

The surrounding scene was no better. Changelings began to effectively push back the soldiers. Anypony who didn't die was hurt badly. The streets were littered with bodies, both changeling and pony. What was even worse was that the changelings soon began feasting on the dead. Any pony who had fallen were all ripe food to be taken. It was a very gruesome sight.

Two changelings grabbed Twilight. "Bring her inside." Chrysalis commanded.

Inside, Fluttershy and the fillies watched as the Crystal Empire fell apart and invaded by the changelings. When Cadence's magic wore off, she collapsed. The ponies did their best to move the princess into the throne room and onto the throne.

"We must close the door, girls!" Fluttershy said to the fillies. They did so and moved a giant blue table to hold the door closed. It wouldn't do much in the long run, but it was all they could do.

It was silent for what seemed like forever before Apple Bloom spoke for the first time in a while. "Fluttershy, you have to go find help!"

"Oh, I don't know what use I would be...I don't even know if I can escape here fast enough." Fluttershy quickly replied.

Scootaloo spoke up. "You need to find Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy! You can escape through that window there and make your way into the snow!"

"I won't leave you girls alone."

"We'll be okay." Berry Bunches said in a calm voice.

"I'll protect them any way I can," Princess Cadence managed to wake up and stand once again. She looked tired, but the fillies all went to her side.

Fluttershy nodded before leaping out of the window. She looked back to see the girls reinforcing the door. She zoomed down to the street and ducked behind a cart. She saw the bodies of changelings and ponies all over the place. The beasts were gliding along the streets, terrorizing the scared crystal ponies. Others were...preparing for a meal. Fluttershy did remember Chrysalis talking about how she needed to feed her changelings...The pegasus didn't want to think of it anymore.

The yellow pony stealthily made her way to the edge of the green grass of the Crystal Empire. The changelings were busy in the actual town, so she was able to escape pretty easily. The blizzard was as fierce as ever, causing the pegasus to grow extremely cold.

It was a few minutes before Fluttershy came across a mound of ice cream snow. In front of it looked like a crater, as if something crashed right into the spot. As Fluttershy got closer, she saw it move. A green and black scale popped through the snow, and she knew what it was.

Durango lifted his head at the sound of somepony walking in the snow, and saw Fluttershy. As the pegasus approached, he gave her a sad look and shook the snow off.

Fluttershy gasped in shock as she saw his wings torn and various cut and bite marks on his body. His eyes, which always seemed to be as livid as he was, were dimming.

"I got beat by fake dragons...I guess I failed...I'm sorry." He managed to let out a weak breath. Fluttershy placed a hoof on the dragon.

"It's ironic...Dragons are supposed to be the toughest creatures...I guess I'm no dragon."

Fluttershy began crying. "You can't die here, Durango! We need you!" She cried into his scales. Durango placed a claw on the pony.

"Don't worry." The dragon said softly. "You have to be strong...for everypony. You can do anything, Fluttershy. I believe in you." The dragon fell silent. His eyes grew dull, and he ceased movement.

Fluttershy cried even more. She looked deep into the pale, empty eyes of the dragon that once saved her life. A chill went up and down her spine as she backed away. Snow slowly covered the dragon once more - his final resting place.

"Thank you." Fluttershy said to her friend. She thought she saw something in the sky that looked like a blue stream of light - Durango's soul, traveling into the cosmos and away from the destruction of the world that used to be.

The pegasus closed her eyes and cried. She didn't know how to find help - Rainbow Dash was gone and could be anywhere. How can I find her? Fluttershy thought to herself before feeling the metal around her neck.

The Element!

Fluttershy closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel some light...something in the air - 5 somethings in the air, actually. She could feel Rarity, who was currently being taken with Twilight and Pinkie Pie into the castle. She felt Twilight's Element, which was also somewhere in the Crystal Empire.

Then, she felt Rainbow Dash. She used all of her power to try to communicate with the pegasus.

Rainbow Dash! We need you!! I need you!!!

Soon, Fluttershy really felt Rainbow Dash as the blue pegasus crashed right into her. Rainbow was laughing as she helped Fluttershy to stand back up.

"I heard you! How did you do that?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered above Fluttershy.

"The element." Fluttershy said as she looked at the gem around her neck. "I guess Celestia was right when she said these are our only hope." The pegasus then remembered: "Did you find Applejack??"

Rainbow nodded as she looked south. Standing right there was the orange mare herself. She looked very rugged and tired, but she was safe. Fluttershy flew and gave the earth pony a big hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Fluttershy yelled as she let go.

Applejack smiled. "Ah have Rainbow to thank fer that. Ah still can't believe you could fly this far while carrying me!"

The three laughed before Rainbow Dash noticed the mound of snow. She got near it and saw the green. Backing away, the laughter died as well.

"Is that..."

Fluttershy nodded. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack bowed their heads.

"We can't let his death be in vain!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "I'm going to take care of this Chrysalis myself!"

"It's much too dangerous!" Fluttershy squeaked, remembering the ponies littered all over the palace and city.

"There has to be somethin' we can use to -" Applejack started saying, before all three looked at the gems around their necks.

"We have to get Twilight to find her's!" Rainbow Dash said. "Where are they now!"

*********

Sneaking into the city was harder than trying to leave, especially now that there were three ponies trying to enter. The changelings were moving bodies into the center of the city - some bodies were those of recently killed crystal ponies. The sight was absolutely revolting, fueling the anger of the three ponies even more.

The city began to change as the three made it to the palace. Without the crystal heart, it grew bleak and snow started falling - although not as strong as the blizzard.

It didn't take long to find where the missing ponies were. "You can hear Rarity's complaining from miles away." Rainbow chuckled before standing outside the door to one of the large rooms.

Rainbow Dash busted in and found what she was looking for. It was a fairly large room. There were a dozen changelings surrounding Queen Chrysalis, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. The mares were being held by changelings as Chrysalis stood over them.

"...And that will be the story of how Equestria fell. A pair of princesses who thought they could keep peace in their land, only to fall apart. Us changelings taking over their stronghold, then spreading out to the Crystal Empire. We already have your Canterlot Castle; once this place falls, we will be in the position of power!" Chrysalis was remarking as Rainbow kicked the door in. Everypony turned their heads.

The blue pegasus was angry now. Behind her came in Applejack, which lit up the eyes of the ponies in captivity.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Chrysalis barked. "Get her!"

The changelings flew to the pegasus, but she moved out of the way. Applejack bucked one right in the face, knocking it across the room. Fluttershy slowly followed her friends into the room.

In the confusion, Twilight used her magic to teleport herself and the others right to the entrance. The six of them were all together for the first time since deciding to split up in Manehatten.

Chrysalis laughed. "I don't see what good this will do. You're too little, too late! My babies have probably eaten everypony in the entire kingdom by now! Equestria will be mine!"

Twilight stood her ground. "That's where you're wrong. You see, I've learned a lot from everything that's happened ever since the world ended...It doesn't matter what you've been through, or what hardships are thrown your way. As long as you have your friends to support you through the tough times, then there will be a clear resolution in the end! You will never take Equestria as long as we are together! Our friendship has been put through so much, that there is nothing that can stand in our way!"

The room began to glow in a pink light. A moment passed before it faded, leaving the Element of Magic resting right on Twilight's head. Finally, all of the elements were together once more.

Twilight looked to her friends.

Pinkie Pie - who never failed to keep us happy and smiling even in our darkest times.

Rarity - who has helped us out several times along the road, offering her generosity to make the best of what's happened.

Applejack - who's honesty keeps us focused and together even during the toughest struggles.

Rainbow Dash - who will stay loyal to her friends no matter how bad things have gotten.

Fluttershy - who has dealt with so much since the beginning...providing all of us with a sense of hope that we CAN survive.

The six elements began to glow fiercely. Twilight used her magic to teleport everypony in the room outside, right in the center of the city. Each element swelled with power and connected to one another.

Fluttershy felt extremely proud at that moment. All thoughts of her being a cold killer went away as she was filled with a feeling of kindness.

It was too much for Chrysalis to bear. She began burning up as she was hit with the elements at full force. The changelings all around her disintegrated and vanished into thin air. Others were knocked far into the air before vaporizing.

In an act of desperation, Chrysalis flew into the air and away from the Crystal Empire. "You fools! I'll be back..." Her voice trailed away as the elements reached their full potential. The crystal heart returned to its original state and hovered back into its rightful place. The city shined once again as it was bathed in a very warm light.

Soon, it faded away, leaving the ponies to stand together in a great group hug. They looked around to see the surviving ponies all cheering - the Crystal Empire was saved....

...However, it didn't return the ponies who were lost.

*********

The fillies soon left the castle with Princess Cadence to meet Twilight and the others. Upon seeing Applejack, Apple Bloom immediately lit up and ran to hug her sister.

"Ah missed you!!!" Apple Bloom cried.

"Ah'm sorry...Ah won't ever leave ya again." Applejack said solemnly before hugging her sister even tighter.

Berry Bunches ran to Fluttershy. "You were amazing, Fluttershy!" She exclaimed as she hugged the yellow pony. Fluttershy blushed.

Cadence approached Twilight. "I cannot thank you enough, Twilight...all of you. The Crystal Empire really owes you." She bowed.

"The elements really can fix this all..." Twilight said, looking at each of the girls. "Now, there's only one thing left to do."

"And what would that be?"

Discord appeared right above the ponies. He had a bag of popcorn in one hand and a soda in the other.

"I was pretty impressed at the show...too bad it ended early." He said before floating down. Rainbow Dash tried tackling him once again and failed.

Twilight got the girls ready. "Your chaos ends now, Discord!" She said to the laughing draconequus.

He laughed even more. "Oh, you don't think our little showdown will happen here, will it?" He said before snapping his fingers. He disappeared.

Twilight groaned in frustration. "Canterlot. He must be there!" She said before looking to the others. "We have no time to waste! Will you be okay here, Cadence? ...Wait, where is my brother!?" Twilight remembered that Chrysalis took the form of her brother...somehow, she managed to get the better of him. He was somewhere, she could feel it.

Cadence closed her eyes. "I will take care of that. Please, you must defeat Discord and put an end to this chaos! After that, we can focus on rebuilding Equestria." She said calmly. Everypony nodded.

As they got ready to depart, Berry Bunches turned to Fluttershy. "I'm sorry, but I think I should stay here." She said quietly to the pegasus. Fluttershy nodded.

"I would like that very much...it is much safer here now...Princess Cadence will take care of you."

The other fillies looked to Twilight. "We can still go, right?" They all asked.

"I'm not sure." Rarity responded. "It might be pretty dangerous."

"But, we have to go!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "We have to make sure you defeat Discord!"

Twilight smiled. "It's okay...I feel that with the elements, nothing can stop us!"

Spike emerged from behind the ponies. "I'm definitely going too!"

Twilight laughed. "We'll need all the help we can get!"

Princess Cadence addressed the ponies. "Please be careful. I know you can do it; All of Equestria is counting on you."

This is it, Fluttershy thought to herself.

"This is what it's all been leading up to. The final showdown!" Rainbow Dash yelled. The others all smiled and stood ready to depart.

Ready for the final fight...

11 - And So We Must Part

Durango.

The ponies and spike all gathered around the once-livid dragon. Twilight managed to use her magic to clean the snow off of him for everypony to pay their respects.

Pinkie Pie was in tears as she saw the dragon laying there. Everypony else was too, but Pinkie's tears flooded the place in icicle-shaped tears.

"Durango..." Twilight started. She bowed her head. "You have been a great help to us. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you...thank you."

They made a quick grave with a headstone carved from a rock. On it read:

Here Lies Durango

Friendships never die, they are only prolonged until later.

And so we part, but we will meet again one day.

RIP

Fluttershy was the one who came up with the words. The others agreed that they were fitting as Twilight etched them in with magic.

"Come on, let's get going." Twilight said to the others. Fluttershy and Spike were the last two to leave the grave. The pegasus looked to the dragon. He had a blank expression on his face.

"I will help them now, don't you worry." Spike said softly to the grave before turning to meet the others.

The train they had used to get to the Crystal Empire was right where they left it. It was a frozen spectacle, but Twilight was able to use her magic to thaw the machine and get it started. The ponies piled in quietly and quickly.

The train ride was quiet, much like the ride up...however, even Pinkie Pie refrained from talking out of respect for Durango and the other ponies who had lost their lives. Rainbow Dash paced back and forth along the train car.

"Discord will pay for this!" Rainbow Dash finally yelled out.

"But, Rainbow, Discord didn't send the changelings up..." Applejack tried to reply. Rainbow Dash wouldn't hear it.

"I don't care who it was! Discord's been terrorizing the place with his chaos...he could have helped everypony after the disaster! I thought we reformed him!?"

The ponies were silent.

"There has to be a logical explanation for it..." Twilight said to herself. She wasn't too convinced that Discord actually broke his reformation and resorted to his old ways, but...

"Fluttershy, what do you think? You were the one who was the most dedicated to reforming him." Twilight said to the yellow pony.

Fluttershy didn't know what to think. She truly did believe that Discord had changed, but she wasn't so sure anymore. He only made things worse after the world ended. There had to be a reason, right?

Fluttershy was more worried about Berry Bunches. All she wants is for the filly to be safe, and the Crystal Empire is the best place for her.

"I...I don't know." She sighed.

Rainbow Dash punched the wall. "Well, I do! The next time I see him, I'm gonna tackle the guy right to the ground!"

"Because that worked out so well the others times you did it, dear." Rarity replied with a laugh. The others joined in, including Rainbow Dash. When there is no sign of happiness, it's the little things that matter the most.

"Once we're done with this, I want to take a long nap." Rainbow Dash shrugged as she sat down. "Maybe I'll go check out cloudsdale and see how things are - Cloudsdale!" She sprang back up and flew to the window.

"Can we make a quick stop? I have to see how things are there!"

Twilight thought for a second before replying. "I don't see why not. It'll have to be quick, though."

Cloudsdale...

Nopony knew what had happened to the home of the pegasi ever since the world ended. They would all soon find out.

The train ran in the direction of Cloudsdale. The general location of the floating city was on the way to Canterlot anyway, so it would make sense to stop and see what was happening. As they approached, each of the ponies stood in shock at what they saw.

...Rather, what they didn't see.

Cloudsdale was not in the sky. The floating city was no longer floating. During the meteor shower, Cloudsdale fell to the ground. Many of the buildings were destroyed. If it wasn't by the actual meteors crashing into them, it was definitely the fall to the ground. What remained was a clutter of destroyed buildings and warped metal. There was no more Cloudsdale.

The weather factory was in a horrible condition. The walls were torn and it did not look operational at all. This made sense because the sky was as clear as it could be. The only abnormal weather that the ponies encountered was either made by Discord or the figures that emerged in the sky.

The train screeched to a halt in front of the ruins. The ponies were speechless as they exited to get a better view. Rainbow flew off to the weather factory as the others stayed near the train.

"I can't believe this happened..." Twilight said as she moved a piece of metal out of the way. There were no signs of ponies - the pegasi most likely flew off as soon as they saw the meteors strike.

Fluttershy didn't know what to think. The place she came from was gone. Just like that. There was no going back. Where were the other pegasi? After a while, she went off to find Rainbow Dash.

The weather factory was a disaster. The bottom level was all destroyed as the resources for making rainbows and clouds were all depleted. Upon entering the main chamber, Fluttershy saw the remains of the ingredients for a rainbow splattered all over the place. Rainbow Dash was on the far end, staring at one of the machines.

"Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy said solemnly as she approached the pegasus.

"It's gone."

"I know-"

"Our home. This was where we grew up, Fluttershy! It's....gone." Rainbow didn't sound sad - she actually sounded very angry. The blue pegasus turned around, revealing an expression of anger on her face.

"Discord didn't-"

"Well, Discord could fix it if he wanted to!" Rainbow snapped back, interjecting right in Fluttershy's statement. "Instead, what does he do? He throws some cotton candy clouds around and sits back as we all suffer!"

Fluttershy fell silent, not knowing what to say.

Rainbow Dash scoffed. "I can't wait to see him again. I'll make him pay."

As the two left the rainbow factory, it began to rain once again. Chocolate rain, to be exact. Rainbow Dash groaned and flew up to one of the clouds. She gave one a great buck, sending it flying across the sky.

The yellow pony returned to the others, who were salvaging what they could from the ruined houses. Pinkie Pie managed to find a trumpet, which she began playing loudly as she bounced off in one direction.

Applejack and Apple Bloom were always together ever since they reunited. The sisters didn't ever want to part again.

"Things will get better, right?" Apple Bloom asked her sister.

"Ah'm sure of it." AJ replied with a nod, smiling as she did. "The elements can't possibly fail. Not when we need them so desperately."

"Maybe we can use them now?" Rarity offered. "If we can restore Cloudsdale, we'll know for sure."

"It might be worth a shot." Twilight said, joining the others. She had been testing her magic out ever since she got off the train, making sure that the magical field really did wear off. It did.

"Girls!" Twilight called, looking for both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie soon showed up under a pile of rubble, blasting away at her trumpet. Rainbow came along not too long after.

"We're going to try to use our elements." Twilight stated. "Maybe we can fix Cloudsdale."

The six got into a small circle, causing the elements to glow. Each mare closed her eyes, letting the power of the elements course through their veins. Fluttershy could feel something happening, not unlike when the elements were used in previous situations. She could see Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Chrysalis; the girls' triumphs over each one. She felt as close to what she once was now more than ever before. There were sounds going through the air that Fluttershy could not comprehend. As she held her eyes shut, she could feel something warm wrap around her body.

Fluttershy opened her eyes to find herself in a white room. It seemed to go on forever. The other girls were there with her - each wielder of the elements. At first, everything looked normal, but each pony soon began to glow with the color of her element. First Rarity, followed by Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, and Applejack right after. Twilight was the last one to glow, as her crown turned a bright pink. Fluttershy gasped for a moment, hearing her voice echo in the giant room. When the pony moved, it felt like she was underwater, however she could breathe normally. Her motions looked delayed, as if time were slowed down.

Cloudsdale...Think of Cloudsdale, Twilight's voice echoed in the white room. The room soon grew cold as Fluttershy began to shiver.

What is going on? This never happened when we used the elements before!

Before long, an image of Cloudsdale appeared in the center of the ponies. A beam shot out of each pony, including Fluttershy. Each one hit the image of Cloudsdale, and the room was bathed in a bright light.

In an instant, Fluttershy found herself back on the ground, right where she first closed her eyes. She looked around in a panic and saw an amazing sight.

Cloudsdale was back in the air! Exactly like it looked in that white room...

White room...

"Girls," Fluttershy said, breaking the trance of the other girls staring at what they had done. She was interrupted by a squealing Rainbow Dash, who flew right up to the resurrected city.

"We did it!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she blew on the trumpet once again.

"Twilight..." Fluttershy said as she approached the purple pony. "Did you see what happened when we..."

"Yes! I guess it did work," Twilight said, looking up at the city. "I knew the elements could solve this problem! We can fix everything, Fluttershy!" The sound of her voice sounded really optimistic, which Fluttershy knew she should be feeling...but that room.

What was it?

She put those thoughts aside as she flew up gently to meet Rainbow Dash. She could hear Rarity complaining from below about how she can't go see what she helped fix, but Fluttershy kept going. The city was just as she remembered it: the buildings were all supported by the clouds, and the weather factory could be seen in pristine condition off in the distance.

Returning to the rainbow factory, Fluttershy could see the effects of their work. White room or not, the job was done. There was nopony to make the clouds or the rainbows, but it didn't matter now. What did was the fact that there may be a way out of this.

A way out... Fluttershy thought to herself as she found Rainbow Dash trying to make a few clouds.

"Twilight's magic's back, I can finally feel the soft clouds underneath me...once we get rid of Discord, everything will go back to normal!" The blue pegasus exclaimed as she made a cloud. It was a large one that would eventually break off into a few smaller ones. It floated away, puffing along like a train.

"Maybe you're right." Fluttershy said softly so that Rainbow Dash couldn't hear. She very much wanted to return to her old life, but even if she did, Angel is gone...many ponies she knew were gone. It wouldn't be the same.

"Is she right?" A familiar voice echoed throughout the factory. The two turned to see Discord laying on one of his cotton candy clouds.

"Discord!!" Rainbow Dash yelled before flying straight into the draconequus. Once again, he teleported out of the way.

"Oh I thought you would have caught on by now, My dear Dashie." Discord said as he reappeared right next to Fluttershy, who squeaked when he spoke.

"Enough with the games!" Rainbow was in no mood for games. She got right back up and faced Discord, who simply laughed.

"You know, I was going to let you in on a secret, but I guess I'll save it for later." He said before teleporting once again. This time, he appeared right next to the cloud machine. He touched it with his finger, and it began shooting out cotton candy clouds. Rainbow flew over to try and stop it, but there was nothing she could do.

Discord laughed. "You make me laugh, Rainbow Dash."

Fluttershy approached the draconequus. "What secret were you talking about?" She asked with her head facing down.

Discord lifted Fluttershy's face up. "Riddle me this: What is the opposite of chaos? If you can learn to see what's truly around you, then maybe you can understand." With that, Discord disappeared, leaving Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy alone with the cotton candy clouds. They flew out into the sky, bound to wreak havoc on any remaining ponies in Equestria.

"Discord's just crazy." Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Let's finish this once and for all."

*********

It didn't take much longer for the train to reach Canterlot. It looked to be in the same shape as it was when the girls left. There was a gloomy look about it that made Fluttershy feel uncomfortable, but she put it aside.

"We're actually going to do this?" She asked in her worried tone.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Don't you back out on us now, Fluttershy!" She was ready for war by the look of her face.

"I won't."

The train stopped at the station, steaming and hissing as it screeched to a halt. Everypony could feel their hearts sink as they departed the train. To their surprise, they were met by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna right at the train station.

"We knew thou were coming," Luna spoke up.

"You have all of the elements?" Celestia continued. Fluttershy could see how worn her face was.

The six stood tall and presented their elements. Celestia and Luna simply nodded.

"Where's Discord!?" Rainbow Dash bursted. "I'm ready to teach him a lesson!"

Celestia and Luna looked at each other. "I'm afraid we already took care of him." Princess Celestia stated bluntly. The ponies all looked shocked.

Luna continued. "Once the magic field was cleared, we were able to use our magic to repel him from our castle. Only now do we need the elements to truly restore order."

"But..." Fluttershy said. She was as confused as the other ponies. Did we really go through all of this to have Discord defeated? Is that it?

What is the opposite of chaos? Discord's voice lingered in Fluttershy's head. She knew the answer was harmony, but what did he mean by it?

If you can learn to see what's truly around you...

Princess Celestia turned to the girls once again. "Now, while you were gone, I looked into the history of the Elements of Harmony...I may have found something that could increase their power even more. We need all of the power we can if we want to restore harmony. If you could show them to me again, I will try the spell."

The look in her eyes was sincere, but...there was something off.

"No!" Fluttershy shouted, disrupting the mood.

Twilight looked to her friend. "What's wrong, Fluttershy?"

The pegasus panted. "That's...not...it's Discord!"

The other ponies looked at Fluttershy with a confused look. Rainbow Dash spoke up. "I'm pretty sure that's not Discord...are you okay?"

Fluttershy began to feel dizzy. Her vision began to blur up and the room began to spin. The ponies all mixed together in her mind before everything went dark. She tried moving, but found that she couldn't. Time stood still.

Discord's voice echoed through the chaos. It was faint at first, but it soon grew louder.

I can see it didn't take long to fool you, Fluttershy. Well played.

Fluttershy's eyes snapped open. She was lying on the floor of the throne room. The princesses were gone, but the other ponies were all unconscious around her. She slowly got up. Discord was sitting on the throne, eating his cotton candy. He had a smile on his face, as if watching his favorite game.

"I do say," Discord began. "I knew you would break first, but I did not expect you to snap out of it so quickly. I'll give you points for success."

The pegasus was confused. Fluttershy ran over to each of her friends. "Twilight? Applejack? Rarity?" She tried waking them up, but nopony stirred.

"Oh, you don't think it would be that easy, would it?" Discord scoffed.

"What...what did you do to us?" Fluttershy asked the Draconequus. She realized then that she was having a dream...how much of it was a dream?

"I know what you're probably thinking, and no, your entire adventure was not all inside your head." Discord said in a bored tone. "As you walked into the castle, I was there. I asked to play yet another game with you all, which you refused. Since I don't need your consent, I put you all to sleep and gave each of you a situation - and no, it doesn't have to do with your element. That would be to easy." Discord teleported right behind Fluttershy, who squeaked as he did.

"Why?" Was all the pegasus could say.

"Truly, I'm buying some time." Discord said. His expression changed sharply; he no longer looked happy, but sad.

"I know you'd be the only pony to listen to me in a time like this." The Discord she remembered came rushing back - the Discord she helped make good.

Fluttershy didn't know what to think. Should she trust him? The one who took this land in its time of need and turned it into his own chaotic playground? Or, was there a reason for it? Fluttershy had a feeling in her gut that there was a reason. She looked to her friends for some kind of clue. Each one was still sleeping, fighting against her dreams. She looked to Rainbow Dash, who was kicking the sky.

No, she thought. I have to be strong. For all of them. It's my turn to be strong!

"Now you listen to me!" Fluttershy snapped. "My friends and I have been through so much, and you do nothing but sit back and laugh as the world goes down in chaos!"

"You were supposed to help us! All you did was make things even worse! Well, I'm through with it!" The rage in Fluttershy's eyes brought visions of her bloodied self back. Discord looked genuinely shocked.

Discord sighed. "Listen, Fluttershy...I-"

The Draconequus was hit with a bolt of magic. Twilight Sparkle had snapped out of her dream and managed to get a good freezing spell on Discord. He was frozen in place as Twilight used her magic once again to wake the other ponies up.

Rainbow Dash got up and charged for the Draconequus, finally tackling him to the ground. She was about to punch him when Twilight zapped Rainbow with her magic, levitating the pegasus in the air.

"Rainbow Dash, that's enough." Twilight said as she looked to Fluttershy. "Are you ready to end this?"

What is the opposite of chaos?

The pegasus nodded as the elements all began to glow. A bright light passed through each pony's element. When Fluttershy was hit, the room began to spin. Soon, the white room returned. It felt cold again, but even more so than before. She still didn't know what this room was or why it was appearing now. All she saw was Discord standing in the middle of the six. He began to glow white as the elements glistened and beamed. Each pony began to light up, changing the color of the room as they did. Looking up, Fluttershy saw a faint figure in the distance. Various sounds could be heard, both distant and near. The white room turned black before she could make out what the figure was. The throne room faded back into view as she collapsed on the floor.

The result was plain and clear: Discord stood in the middle of the room. And he did not move: the Draconequus was stone once again. He stood in a similar position to what he looked like the first time the girls used the elements, although his face was very different.

"We won?" Rainbow Dash asked out loud before bursting into laughter. "Yes!"

Fluttershy walked to the statue as the others began to cheer. The look on his face was fear: not fear for being turned to stone, but fear that he failed someone.

"We did it!" Rainbow Dash cheered as she flew around the room with Scootaloo. Pinkie Pie was dancing around, while Rarity hugged her sister. Applejack tilted her hat.

"We're not done yet." Princess Celestia's voice echoed in the room. The princess appeared alongside Luna right in front of the girls.

"Your efforts are commendable yet again." Celestia began. "We cannot thank you enough for stopping Discord. But, there is more to be done. We need to restore Equestria to what it once was."

Each of the six smiled and nodded. "This victory will be one to be remembered for a long time." Luna continued.

The next few hours was filled with magic and laughter. The princess all used their magic to restore parts of the castle, while the elements were used to restore most of Canterlot itself. The surviving ponies contributed all they could, and Canterlot looked much like its old self in no time.

The clouds began to turn gray as a large celebration began. Pinkie Pie had been saving her partying for this very moment as she threw what she called a "The World is Saved Party". It took place outside on Canterlot grounds, in view of the stars above. There were fireworks, music, dancing, and lots and lots of cake.

Fluttershy found herself laughing and smiling as the other ponies all looked like their old selves again. The yellow pegasus herself still looked very rough, but she felt relieved as it was over. However, Discord's voice still echoed in her mind.

What is the opposite of chaos?

If you can learn to see what's truly around you...

"Hey, Fluttershy!"

Pinkie Pie emerged out of nowhere with a plate of cake in one hoof. "It's time to celebrate, silly!" She said as she offered Fluttershy some cake. Fluttershy took it humbly.

The festivities continued for hours, until it began to rain. It was not acid rain, but it was inconvenient all the same. It started out slowly at first, but it soon began to pick up.

"I think we should move the party inside," Rarity said as she hid under an umbrella.

Rainbow Dash jumped up. "I'm a weather pegasus! No clouds are gonna ruin a party like this! I'll take care of these, don't you worry." The blue pegasus zoomed up into the sky to take care of the clouds.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy began to feel cold. It wasn't the kind of cold she would feel during the winter time, but the feeling she had in that cave. The cave with the Manticore. The night that...

The wind began to pick up as well when Rainbow Dash reached the clouds. She kicked a few of them, seeing the clouds disperse and disappear. "I've still got it." She said to herself as she moved to another cloud.

Fluttershy could feel her heart beat in her chest. She felt very nervous, as if something were about to happen. She made her way to Twilight, who was busy talking to the Princesses.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy said quietly. Time seemed to slow down for the yellow pegasus.

"What is it, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked as she took a bite of cake. The icy wind sent chills down Fluttershy's spine.

A bolt of lightning shot out of the sky before Fluttershy could respond. She saw the lightning, but what she heard was a roar. The sudden sound made the pegasus squeak.

"Did you hear that?"

"That was just the lightning." Twilight assured Fluttershy. The music was still playing in the background as the ponies were all dancing and having a good time. The unicorns were all using their magic to hold umbrellas over their heads, while Rarity had a gown made that featured a built-in umbrella holder. "Relax, Fluttershy! Everything's okay." The purple princess said as Fluttershy walked away. There was something wrong, she knew it.

Maybe Applejack will understand me...

Applejack was busy with her sister near a fountain. They were watching as the drops of water fell from the sky and into the collection of water at the base of the fountain. Applejack had a hoof around her sister as each were nestled right against each other.

"...D'ya think Big Mac is watchin' us now?" Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack hesitated for a moment. "Of course. So is Granny Smith. It's all over now, so the best we can do is continue with our lives." Applejack said.

Fluttershy approached them. "Um, Applejack..."

"What is it, Fluttershy?" Applejack said in her usual tone. She was in a good mood, just like the rest of the ponies.

"Do you think that...um, do you have the feeling that something's wrong?" Fluttershy said so quietly that the orange mare couldn't hear.

"What was that? You want to play ping pong?" Applejack asked. The rain began to pick up.

"No, no..." Fluttershy tried raising her voice.

"Go home? We're havin' a party right now, sugarcube!"

Fluttershy bowed her head and walked away.

Above, Rainbow Dash was fighting the clouds. Some of them would not budge as the rain grew harsher and harsher. "Come on, you dumb clouds!" The pegasus said as she tried zooming through a big one.

BOOM

Multiple lightning bolts emerged from the largest storm cloud. Rainbow Dash had to use a sonic rainboom to safely escape the bolts, much to the amazement and cheer from the ponies below.

"Tryin' to give me a hard day, are ya?" Rainbow Dash yelled at the cloud. More bolts came.

BOOM

Fluttershy grew even more fearful after each bolt. They all shook the ground violently, flashing in the sky with each one, each larger than the last.

"Oh, this is some weather, isn't it?" One of the ponies said out loud. Fluttershy looked to see that it was Lyra. She would have remarked how it was so good to see that Lyra survived, but another lightning bolt struck, making Fluttershy jump in the air. She looked up to see where Rainbow Dash was. Some other pegasi flew up to help at this point, although they were not able to get anything done.

The princesses realized the weather problem by now and flew up to assist. Celestia and Luna both used magic to try and zap the clouds. It was working for a while. With each strike, Fluttershy could only hear the roars grow louder and louder. By then, it seemed like it was all in her head.

Rainbow Dash came across a rather large cloud. She gave it a kick but found it to be very solid. Confused, Rainbow tried kicking again. "This is a tough one." She said to herself, believing the cloud to be packed with rainwater. She flew back and forth, trying to find a weak spot in the cloud, but came up short.

She finally made it to one side of the cloud and saw something peculiar: an indentation in the cloud. It seemed different from the rest of it, so Rainbow Dash tried to give that area a buck.

"Okay, tough guy." She said as she winded up and bucked the indentation.

BOOM

The area began to move slightly. Rainbow Dash laughed as she prepared to buck again, but stopped short. The area slowly began to part as something emerged right underneath it. It was round and dark, but a different shade than the gray cloud. Upon getting closer, Rainbow Dash found it to be...an eye.

"What the..." Rainbow Dash said as the entire cloud began to move, sending a rather large shockwave that pushed the pegasi back and down. The eye began to circle around and around, soon creating a vortex within the giant cloud. Rainbow Dash immediately knew what this was and began to fly away. She zoomed straight down, looking at the ground. In her view was Fluttershy, who also knew what was going on.

"Fluttershy."

A giant figure emerged out of the cloud and descended right onto Rainbow Dash. She gave a sonic rainboom, but that did not help. The figure opened up and engulfed the blue pegasus whole. Laughter turned to screams as the figure doubled back and ate another pegasus right out of the sky.

"Rainbow Dash!!!!!" Fluttershy yelled as she began to fly up. She was stopped short by Twilight, who had tears in her eyes.

Celestia and Luna were fighting the figure now, shooting magical beams at it. It seemed to be effective.

"Luna, take the other side!" Celestia shouted to her sister. They surrounded the figure on either side and began to use magic to control it. Soon enough, the figure froze in place to the cheers of the ponies. Celestia had a smile on her face as she gave another order to her sister. Fluttershy couldn't hear what she said, but Luna began moving around the figure.

BOOM

Two more vortexes opened up in the sky as two more figures descended onto the Earth. Celestia shot a magical beam at one, but the figure ate it like a piece of spaghetti. Luna was not able to get a shot at the third figure before it descended right onto her, crashing right into the castle. The ponies at this point were frantic and running around, trying to leave the castle. More vortexes opened up, revealing figures of many shapes and sizes.

A bright light appeared in the sky as Fluttershy could finally see these figures clearly. They looked like ponies, but they all had eight legs instead of only four. They had long, gray manes that were unkempt and rustled. Their eyes were red among the gray-white hide. They had cutie marks, except Fluttershy wouldn't consider them cute. Each one looked like some sort of archaic writing, similar to the writing from the statue in Canterlot Castle. Each mark looked like it was engraved into the flank of the...Sleipnir; Fluttershy remembered their names. The Sleipnir have returned.

"Luna!!!" Celestia shouted as she shot more beams at the figures. The Sleipnir that she had frozen began to break free of its spell as a giant hoof swung up and hit the princess. Twilight wanted to fly up and help the princess, but she heard Celestia's voice pierce the frenzy.

"Twilight! Get everypony to safety! Now!"

"Fluttershy, we have to go!" Twilight said to her friend. Fluttershy was motionless, watching the massacre occuring in the sky. Many of the smaller Sleipnir had reached the ground and were terrorizing the ponies. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were hiding under a table as Applejack bucked as many as she could. Anypony who used magic were immediate targets of the beasts.

Up in the sky, Celestia grew tired. She recovered from being hit but found herself face to face with the Sleipnir that struck her.

"Why? How is this possible?"

With one last burst of magic, Celestia tried attacking the figure once again, but it opened its mouth and swallowed the princess whole. Twilight screamed as Fluttershy broke her trance.

"We need to get out of here!"

The Sleipnir began to glow various colors as the ponies all began disappearing. A purple fog would appear around the Sleipnir, and then around a pony. Twilight stared at Fluttershy as she became enveloped in the fog, and disappeared.

"Twilight!!!" Fluttershy screamed, in complete tears. She looked to the left and right, seeing each of her friends disappear. Before she knew it, she was all alone. With the Sleipnir.

What is the opposite of chaos?

Discord emerged right behind Fluttershy and grabbed her. Fluttershy was in tears and her words were incomprehensible.

Discord simply stroked her mane and said, "Shh...No tears." Before teleporting away with the pegasus.

Author's Note

The real story has only begun.

Fluttershy 1 - The Truth

Twilight...

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie...

Rain....Rainbow Dash...

Fluttershy opened her eyes. She was in a forest. The trees hung high over the pony. An odd light covered the area; it wasn't day, nor was it night. Twilight.

The pegasus screamed as she sprang to her hooves. It was silent, except for the light rustling of the green leaves. She thought she was alone.

"What happened?" She said quietly as she tried to remember the events of before...the Sleipnir, her friends.

Discord.

Fluttershy took a few steps forward, trying to take note of where she is. The trees all looked as if they were mocking the pegasus, as if they laughed at her every step. The leaves rustled a few times, causing the pony to jump.

"Is...is somepony there?" She whimpered as she looked up into the sky. The trees all rustled and faint noises could be heard. Fluttershy had thoughts of those bad stallions she saw in Las Pegasus, or the ones in Manehatten...

"Please..." She cried as she heard a branch break.

"Up already, Fluttershy?" Discord's voice tore through the silence as he appeared right in front of the pony. She screamed and cowered.

"Hey, you have to be quiet! They might find us here." Discord said as he revealed an apple and took a bite. The draconequus offered it to Fluttershy, but she refused. It was just her and Discord, alone in the woods. She didn't know what to make of it, but she soon remembered what happened.

"What...what did you do!?" Fluttershy asked. She thought the elements worked, and he was stone. Immediately, Fluttershy turned to attempt an escape.

Discord snapped his fingers as a cage appeared around Fluttershy. She was sobbing as the draconequus shrunk down in size to fit into the cage as well.

"I have to tell you something." Discord said. "...And I need to make sure you will actually listen to me, so here we are. Understand?"

Fluttershy slowly nodded her head.

"Good!" Discord exclaimed as he made a small couch appear in the cage. "Where to begin?"

"Where are my friends!?" Fluttershy interjected.

"Heck if I know." Discord yawned. "Could be anywhere in Equestria right now, I'm guessing. That's what the Sleipnir can do."

Discord paused for a moment before continuing. "...That's why I was trying to stop them."

"Stop them?" Fluttershy was confused. How could chaos stop those beasts?

"Why, do you take me for a sadistic savage who thought it would be fun to kick chaos into the eyes of downed ponies? There's a reason for it. I knew none of you would understand...I mean, it was hard enough for you to convince your friends that I was good now, but that chaos is the only tool to save you all? That would be too much!"

Fluttershy's head was spinning. "How did you break free from the elements?"

"Simple. Once Rainbow Dash....um, departed us, her connection to the elements was severed. The elements have lost their power."

The Elements Have Lost Their Power.

"No, this can't be true!" Fluttershy looked down to the element hung around her neck. She did her best to try and focus on something...anything.

...Nothing.

How was this possible? Fluttershy thought - she believed that the elements could overcome anything...

"Anyway," Discord continued. "Yes, it was up to me to keep you all safe from the Sleipnir...I did tell you - What is the opposite of Chaos?"

"Harmony." Fluttershy said softly as a tear flowed down her cheek. "I don't understand..."

"Do I really need to teach you your history?" Discord laughed.

"But...this wasn't...I never..."

"Because you ponies never looked back that far." Discord cut her off. "Long before Equestria was formed, this land was ruled by the Sleipnir. They were...beings of order. They held the power to make dreams a reality, to create what doesn't exist, to create a perfect existence."

"However, they would always fight with the Draconequus for control over the land, who liked to take that order and turn it into complete chaos. We have the power to alter reality into our dreams, to destroy order, and most importantly to have fun."

"The Sleipnir, believe it or not, were much friendlier than they are now. They developed something called the '6 Keys to Order' - now known as the Elements of Harmony. They kept the power of the Sleipnir, which was to restore order."

Fluttershy blinked at this. "You mean...the Elements were made by those...things?"

Discord nodded. "Well they certainly weren't made by ponies! And they didn't just appear out of nowhere for anypony to find! The Sleipnir used those things to keep us draconequus in line, and gave them significant power over us. The 'Yin Yang' type of relationship we had was tipped greatly in their favor....naturally, they grew power-hungry. The lawful and orderly Sleipnir gave way for crazed monsters. So there you have it; your precious elements were once used for not-so-good purposes. Honestly, I'm surprised you ponies weren't negatively affected by using them."

"Well, you ponies soon appeared and were enslaved by the Sleipnir. You were considered 'less than perfect' and went against what they believed was 'order'. This went on for quite a while, with the elements used to keep you all in line and up to their expectations."

"Eventually, the ponies grew tired of their 'overlords' and rebelled. The draconequus helped out as much as they could. The ponies took control of the Elements and weakened the Sleipnir's power."

"However, the king of the Sleipnir, before he was sealed away by the Elements, used the last of his power to make one more dream a reality...the 'prophecy' that the princesses incorrectly translated for you. It wasn't that the chaos would bring the Sleipnir back in order to cleanse the world, but that the chaos would prevent the Sleipnir from coming back. What is the opposite of chaos?"

"Wait..." Fluttershy interrupted Discord's story. "Where were they this whole time? Why did it have to happen now?"

"Since the elements contained the power of the Sleipnir, as they were used, they grew in power...which then helped restore a little of the Sleipnir's power as well. The first ponies found this out and hid them away, never to be used again. Your valiant princesses had to dig them up and use them once more...basically, the Sleipnir had enough power in recent time to break free from the spell. I would say the meteor shower was the dream one of them made into a reality. Your pony magic wouldn't work because Sleipnir magic trumps it. If you had every unicorn in the world use the most powerful spell they knew, you'd probably only be able to get a hundred before the rest would tear you to pieces."

"You knew all of this..." Fluttershy began. "...And you never told anypony?"

"Honestly, I don't think there was anything that could have been done about it." Discord said coldly. As much as Fluttershy wanted to refute it, she kind of agreed. She saw what they were capable of...

"Well, what now?" Fluttershy asked. She honestly felt like a scared filly; her friends are not with her anymore. She is on her own. With Discord.

"Just try not to die." Was all the draconequus said. "We try living and not getting killed by the Sleipnir. Should be easy since they are attracted to magic. As long as you're with me, you should be fine; chaos repels them, obviously."

"Can't you fix it then? Drive them away?"

"Now you know I'm not that powerful...but maybe...Aha! I know what we can do." The draconequus snapped his fingers, and the cage disappeared. Discord reappeared in his normal size and floated up into a tree. Fluttershy followed him. As she touched a branch, she could feel how lifeless it was.

Discord continued. "We could visit my people."

Fluttershy gasped. "There are more of you?"

The draconequus laughed. "You thought I was the only one left? Ever since the Sleipnir were sealed away, the draconequus began dying out. When they ran away to hide, I decided to stay in Equestria and...well, you know the story."

"Do you think they can stop the Sleipnir?"

"You're full of questions...honestly, I don't think so. But, might as well try. It'll be a fun little adventure."

"Did someone say adventure!?"

Pinkie Pie's voice literally came out of nowhere, making Fluttershy jump and fall out of the tree. Pinkie Pie appeared next to the pegasus and smiled.

"Pinkie PIe!" Fluttershy gasped as she jumped up to hug her friend. "I'm glad you're okay!"

"Why wouldn't I be, silly?" The pink pony said in response. "After you, Twilight, and Rarity vanished, Applejack and I decided it would be best to split up and find you. Oh, Spike and Sweetie Belle vanished too. Everypony else is with Applejack. I decided to take a stroll through the woods and head east while Applejack went south. I've been bouncing along for a while and soon enough, I found you! So, here we are!"

"Only pinkie pie." Fluttershy said as she laughed. Discord floated down from the tree as the two broke their embrace.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Where exactly are we going?" Fluttershy asked.

"North, far north." Discord replied. "Unfortunately, I can't teleport you that far, so we're walking it."

Fluttershy grimaced at this. Another long adventure.... She thought as she began to walk.

Author's Note

Chapters from now on will focus on separate ponies or groups of ponies, which may occur simultaneously to each other.

Sweetie Belle 1 - Aftermath

Sweetie Belle.

The filly opened her eyes. She took a small breath, wondering if she was alive or not. Her tail felt wet, and she heard the sound of flowing water. After thinking for a moment, she realized her tail was in a river.

"What...?" She sighed as she struggled to get up. The filly blinked a few times, trying to remember what happened.

Rarity.

Rainbow Dash.

Everypony.

Sweetie Belle screamed as she remembered the events of the previous night. Frantic, she looked around. "Rarity!?" She called out. "Where are you!?"

There was no response. Sweetie Belle was alone. Alone just like that night the meteors hit. She didn't know what to make of any of this, but she knew she could get nothing done by staying where she was. She decided to explore.

After taking one step, Sweetie Belle's stomach growled as an incredible feeling of hunger overwhelmed her. "Oh...I need something to eat..." She groaned, looking around once more.

The river was unfamiliar to her. It was surrounded by trees, different than the ones in the Everfree forest. No, she knew she was somewhere else. Sweetie Belle wandered along the river for a few minutes before coming to a pear tree. It loomed above the river, with only one fruit remaining on the tree. It hovered over the river, out of the filly's reach.

Sweetie Belle's stomach growled once more, prompting the filly to resort to the only resource she had: magic.

Our magic can work again, right? She asked herself. I may not know much, but that doesn't matter now.

Her horn lit up in a green tint as the same color surrounded the pear. Sweetie Belle squeaked in delight as she lifted the pear gently off of the tree. It floated down like a feather before Sweetie Belle had a sudden urge to cough. Upon doing so, her grip on the pear loosened and it fell into the river.

"No!" She screamed as she tried using her magic again to retrieve the pear. She missed the first beam but landed the second, gripping the pear and bringing it right to her. She squeaked once more as she took a bite. It tasted so good.

The filly heard a roar in the distance, similar to the creatures she saw the night before...in fact, Sweetie Belle couldn't tell what time it was now as the land was enveloped in a grim twilight. She looked to the horizon between the trees, seeing the sun poke up halfway, mostly obscured by trees.

A bead of sweat formed on Sweetie Belle's brow as the roar grew louder...as if it were right next to her.

"Rarity, is that you?" The filly asked innocently, hoping that it was some joke played by her sister. She hoped that everything that happened was only a joke, a bad dream that she'd wake up from soon enough.

"This isn't funny, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle panted as she began to run away, into the forest. She turned at every tree she ran into. Some trees she felt she had already passed, making the lost filly dazed and confused.

Before she knew it, the roar caught up to her. It was a Sleipnir - a smaller one, but a Sleipnir nontheless.

"The Sleeper!!!!" Sweetie Belle incorrectly screamed as she turned to escape. She heard a boom and found herself running into the Sleipnir again. It roared once before motioning to bite the poor filly when a rock came hurdling out of nowhere to hit the beast right on the head. It was enough for Sweetie Belle to break free and run away.

"Sweetie Belle!" A familiar voice sounded.

"...Rarity!? Rarity!!" Sweetie Belle was overjoyed to see her sister again as she ran to the unicorn. Rarity looked very disheveled: her mane was unkempt, her fur dirty, and bags formed under her eyes. Still, Sweetie Belle was glad to see her.

"Don't you dare hurt my sister!" Rarity shouted as the Sleipnir regained its focus. "Now, Spike!"

The purple dragon emerged from behind a tree and threw more rocks at the Sleipnir. "Take that!" He yelled as the Sleipnir was hit by a barrage of rocks. Being too small to pose much of a threat, it ran away soon after. When it was all clear, Rarity hugged her sister.

"I'm so glad you're okay! Oh, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cried as they embraced. Spike approached the two and joined the hug.

"How did you find me?" Sweetie Belle asked after a moment of silence.

"Last night, those things teleported the three of us at the same time. I ended up with Spike, so I figured you wouldn't be too far away...oh, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Sweetie Belle broke the hug and stood her ground. "I am glad to see you're okay, sister!"

The filly's head drooped soon after. "Did Rainbow Dash really..."

Rarity's eyes filled with tears. "Everything will be okay." She lied.

But, Sweetie Belle knew the truth. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Rarity focused her attention on Spike. After all that had happened, she never noticed how much the dragon changed. He grew a few inches taller and his scales were darker. His teeth grew long and sharp, but he still maintained his cute appearance.

"Thank you, Spike." Rarity smiled. Spike smiled back.

"I have to do what I can to protect you. All of you..." Spike said, thinking about Rainbow Dash. Rarity gave him a hug. The two embraced like they never have before. Time seemed to have stood still as Spike cherished the moment.

As with all great things, it came to an end when Spike's hunger kicked in. "I don't suppose you have food, do you?" Spike laughed.

It was a good reprieve after what happened. The three returned to the river, where Sweetie Belle found another pear tree filled with fruit. She started up her horn when Rarity stopped her.

"Wait!" She snapped. "Remember what happened? Whatever those things are, they are attracted to magic. It's best if we do it 'safely'..." She said as she looked to Spike. He quickly got the memo and climbed up the tree, pulling three succulent pears out. It wasn't a full course meal, but it would have to do.

As Sweetie Belle ate, she couldn't help but notice her sister. At first glance, Rarity seemed calm and cool over what happened, but she could tell that Rarity felt different. Sweetie Belle had a feeling that Rarity was slowly going mad, as her posture and mane demonstrated. Rarity would never let her mane get that dirty, no matter what happened.

"Rarity.." Sweetie Belle started.

"Yes, dear?"

The filly paused for a moment. "Will we see the others again?"

Rarity looked to the purple gem hanging around her neck, then smiled. Sweetie Belle hugged her sister once again and buried her face into the unicorn's fur, closing her eyes as she did. "I believe so." was what Sweetie Belle heard, but she felt her sister tremble as she said it, followed by the drop of a single tear.

The group decided to get some rest right there, although Sweetie Belle wasn't able to get much sleep. All on her mind was Rarity.

Before long, Rarity shook Sweetie Belle awake. "It's time to get moving. We can't stay here for long." She said as she made her way towards the sun.

"Do you know what direction we're going?" Sweetie Belle asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Honestly, I have no idea where we are..." Rarity said. "Spike, any ideas?"

The dragon shook his head. As he did, he began to cough. "Spike, are you okay!?" Rarity gasped as the dragon belched out green flames, revealing a letter.

"What?" Rarity asked as she grabbed it. "Is this from...no, that's impossible!" She opened the letter and read it out loud:

To my faithful companion, Spike, and whoever is with him,

This is Princess Twilight Sparkle. If you're reading this, then my letter spell worked perfectly. I am currently in the Crystal Empire. Everything is okay here, so no need to worry about me. All I know is that you must do your best to never use magic, no matter what the circumstance. The Sleipnir are attracted to it, so for your safety, please keep the casting to a minimum.

My advice would be to come up north to the Crystal Empire if you can. Try to tell anypony you see to do so, but not to go in large groups. From what I experienced after waking up here, the Sleipnir are very good hunters...

Please, girls, if you read this...don't give up hope. If you can, try to send a letter back to me. Please, it may be the only thing to keep me from losing hope myself...

Princess Twilight Sparkle

Rarity stopped for a moment, letting the words sink in.

Crystal Empire, Sweetie Belle thought as Rarity handed Spike the letter.

"We have to go north..." Rarity calmly said, looking to the others.

"But, how can we get there? What if it's too far? We don't even know where we are!" Sweetie Belle stammered. She wanted to go back and see her new friend Berry Bunches, but...

Rarity replied. "We'll find out soon enough. For now, we just keep walking."

It took a while, but the three soon made it to the edge of the forest. Nothing much happened besides Spike finding a few gems buried in the ground. He ate them before Rarity could check their worth. Making it to the edge, Sweetie Belle could see a city in the distance.

The skyline wasn't destroyed, so she knew it wasn't Manehatten. The buildings still looked gloomy and worn, even from a distance.

"Where do you think this-"

Rarity cut off her sister and pointed north. Sweetie Belle turned her head and gasped. In the distance, she saw something she had seen before. Something she never wanted to see again.

The Applewood Sign.

Apple Bloom 1 - Onward

"Applejack?"

The little filly approached her big sister. Earlier that morning, the sisters found themselves in Ghastly Gorge, just south of Ponyville. Neither knew how they got there, but the two have been heading south ever since.

"Yes, sugarcube?"

"Where are we headin'?"

Applejack frowned slightly. "Apple Loosa. It's the closest place Ah know of to here, so it would be a good start."

"What if there's nothin' left, sis?"

"We can't tell for sure until we reach it, now can we?"

"I guess so." Apple Bloom took a look around. Currently, they were just heading out of the gorge. Rock and salt gave way for sand and stone. The air was dry and still. The sky was a sea of orange and gray clouds as the sun lay sleeping on the horizon. The Equestria Apple Bloom knew was long gone.

"Where did the others go?"

Applejack kept walking. "Ah'm not sure...But I do know that they're all okay..." Except Rainbow Dash. The pony looked to the gem hanging around her neck. It was as lifeless as..."No." Applejack said out loud.

"It's okay..." Apple Bloom tried comforting her sister. Everypony we know is dying. "Everything will be okay."

"HELP!!!"

A loud scream could be heard from the south. Applejack's ears perked up as she galloped off to the origin. "Hurry up, Apple Bloom!" She called as the filly followed behind.

"Are ya sure we should be headin' to-"

"HELP!!!"

Apple Bloom recognized the voice this time. Scootaloo. The filly picked up her pace, eventually catching up with her sister. Applejack looked very tired and her mane was very unkempt. The knot she usually wore on her mane and tail were gone, leaving the two free to flow as she galloped on. Her hat was dusty and torn, but she kept it on. No, nothin' like this will keep her down! Apple Bloom thought as she followed behind.

Scootaloo was in the air being chased by three figures. Apple Bloom thought at first that they were those "Sleeper" beings from the night before, but as she got closer they looked to be changelings. "Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom called out, causing the pegasus to turn her head. She swooped down, leaving the changelings to take time to change direction. They came down like thunder, hitting the ground with a thud. Sand flew up right into Apple Bloom's eyes and mouth, causing her to cough for a bit.

When it settled, Apple Bloom saw three changelings. They all looked devilish, grinning as if they had won a prize. Applejack stood in front of her sister. "Ah won't let you take them!" She yelled. "Mah life was saved by someone who didn't deserve to die...Ah will not let her sacrifice be in vain!" The pony proceeded to jump onto the nearest changeling, who did not expect the sudden brawl. "Now!" She called to her sister.

Apple Bloom took this time to get Scootaloo and make a run for it. "Ah won't leave you, sis!" She called back before getting too far from the battle. Applejack looked fine taking three changelings at once, but Apple Bloom was still worried. Ah already thought I lost you once...don't let me think that ever again.

Applejack bucked one of the changelings right into the other two, leaving them all dazed and on the ground. She took this time to run. "Let's get going!" She yelled as the three ran away before the changelings could get up.

It took a while before the three reached Apple Loosa. Because they didn't pass it on the way down previously, they hadn't seen the destruction that took place. The town was a mess; there were craters all over the place, the buildings were either knocked down or deserted, and nopony was around. It was a ghost town. Applejack trotted through as the fillies followed closely behind.

"Braeburn..." Apple Bloom said quietly as she remembered her family. Are they all okay? Ah know Babs... Scootaloo floated up and tapped Apple Bloom. "Hey, thanks for saving me back there." The fillies smiled as Applejack came to a halt.

"What's wrong, Applejack?" Scootaloo asked as she landed next to her friend.

Applejack looked around the empty town. It was quiet, and Apple Bloom didn't notice anything out of place, besides the fact that this town used to be full of life. After a moment, she found what she was looking for and took off, motioning for the fillies to follow her. She headed for one of the buildings an jumped right through the window. Apple Bloom did the same as Scootaloo flew in.

The building was a bar-like area. There were canisters of apple cider stocked up right against the wall. Tables were knocked over and the wood all looked rotted. Applejack was nowhere to be found.

"Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked before being grabbed. Her sister was hiding under the bar and grabbed the fillies right down to join her.

"Don't make a sound." was all the mare said.

Sure enough, a commotion was heard outside. The flutter of wings followed by growls could be heard outside. Apple Bloom recognized the noises to be changelings. The filly huddled against her sister when she heard them enter the bar. They knocked over tables and floated around the place, growling and hissing as they did. Apple Bloom held her eyes shut as she waited. What if they find us!?

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack whispered, causing the filly to open her eyes. Applejack found a trapdoor and beckoned to her sister to follow. The three entered the door just as the changelings peered under the bar. The trapdoor blended in with the rest of the floor, causing them to gloss right over it.

Apple Bloom found herself in a cider cellar. It was pretty dark, with only a few candles hanging from the greenish walls. There were barrels of cider stacked as a path led to the back of the room. Applejack kept moving. "This must lead somewhere else. Come on, girls." Apple Bloom couldn't do anything else except look at her friend and continue on. However, after taking a few steps, Apple Bloom stopped.

"Applejack?"

The mare looked back. "What's wrong?"

"Can we...have some cider first?" The filly asked. She was getting thirsty, and they haven't had anything to eat or drink since the night before.

Applejack smiled and went to the nearest barrel. She opened the thing, revealing a full barrel of cider. She found three mugs and dunked them in, filling each to the brim with warm cider.

"Ah suppose we can have a little break." Applejack said as she handed the fillies the mugs.

The next hour was filled with Scootaloo telling stories of what happened to her after the night before. "...And then, I woke up somewhere in the desert!" She said as she floated around the room. "It did look familiar, so I tried going to find those zebras we ran into earlier..."

Applejack then spoke up. "That's it!" she interrupted. "We can go find the zebras again! They seemed friendly enough last time...surely they'll help us out!"

Apple Bloom smiled. "Yeah!" She rather enjoyed the zebras, even though they didn't spend too much time with them. Even Scootaloo was excited as she forgot all about her story.

After the excitement died down, Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "Why are the changelings down here? Weren't they in the Crystal Empire before?"

"Ah'm not sure, sugarcube." Applejack replied as she went for another helping of cider. "All Ah know is that Ah have to protect you lot. Besides, there's much worse out there than those changelings." Those Sleepers, Apple Bloom thought to herself.

Applejack hesitated. "...Rainbow Dash would have been strong for all of us. We have to do the same. When I find that 'Sleeper' that done ate Rainbow Dash, Ah'll buck him right in his eyes!" Applejack jumped right onto another barrel and held her cider mug up in the air. The fillies clapped and cheered on.

"But first," Applejack continued. "Ah think we should get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us...possibly much longer than before."

Apple Bloom found a nice place to rest in the corner, next to a barrel of cider. She was actually able to get full on the beverage and felt exhausted. As she tried to sleep, images of all of her friends danced in her head.

Ah hope the others are okay...

The yellow filly didn't dream that night. She woke up easily and sad. Scootaloo was sitting right across from her, while Applejack stood in a corner.

"Sleep well?" Scootaloo asked the waking filly.

Apple Bloom shook her head.

"It's okay...my dream was the same again." Scootaloo looked down. "I was in a forest, with nopony around. I kept running, but I would always pass the same tree...Luna wasn't around to make my dream any better."

"Ah went up to check on things a while ago. It's silent, so we can get out and get moving."

The back of the cider cellar led to another door. As Applejack opened it, an orange light from outside poured into the dark room. As Apple Bloom poked her head out, she saw that the sky looked exactly the same as it did before. She wondered if she actually did get some rest. It seemed as if time stood still since the death of the princesses.

The door led the ponies behind the bar, in a small alley in between buildings. Applejack quickly beckoned the fillies to follow her.

"While we have the chance!"

*********

"Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, how would you girls like to go beyond the zebra lands?" Applejack asked the fillies.

"Well, what's down there?" Apple Bloom asked back.

"Ah don't know...maybe we'll find paradise." Applejack said as she looked at the sleeping sun. "Doesn't the sun look peaceful, sleeping on the horizon?" Apple Bloom looked at the sun. Looks more like a dead sun to me...

"What about the others?" Scootaloo asked as she floated along. The orange filly had gotten very used to her wings by now. If Rainbow Dash could see her now...

Applejack paused for a moment. "Right now, Equestria is not safe. Ah honestly don't know how safe the rest of the world is neither...but Ah do know that the others will be okay. We are the elements of harmony, after all. Ah need to keep you lot safe right now. That's what matters most. Don't worry...everything...will be just fine."

As the three continued walking, into the harsh desert, Apple Bloom couldn't help but wonder if Applejack had just lied.

Twilight 1 - Brother

No magic.

Twilight Sparkle found herself in the snowy tundra, near the Crystal Empire. She woke up under a blanket of snow and immediately shook it off. Freezing, the princess motioned to use a heat spell, but Princess Celestia's words echoed in her head.

No magic. The Sleipnir are attracted to magic.

Twilight lowered her head and made her way for the Crystal Empire. Luckily, she could see the lush green lands from where she woke, so her journey wouldn't be that bad. A few steps made her realize how much snow had fallen since she was last in the north; it went all the way up to her flank, burying all of her hooves in the white powder. Twilight groaned before pushing her way through.

The snow crunched beneath Twilight's hooves. Falling on all sides as a chilly wind slapped the princess in the face. A flake graced her right wing, which twitched at the cool touch. It took her a few more steps to remember that she did have wings and could fly to her destination. The princess maneuvered to spread her wings and fly, but the joints froze up as she tried. The pain shot through her body like a jolt of electricity. It was too cold to fly.

Rainbow Dash wouldn't have had a problem, she thought to herself as she continued on hoof. Before long, she reached the site where Durango had been buried. The tomb stone was covered in snow, lost to all who would pass by. Who would pass by?

Twilight stopped at the stone for a moment and brushed as much snow off as she could with a hoof. The snow slid away easily, but not without sending more chills through the mare. She only managed to reveal one line:

"And so we must part,"

It was too cold for Twilight to even think about everything that had happened. It was done, and that was all. After a moment, she did remember her crown. Was it still on my head?

Twilight placed a hoof above her snow-covered head. She felt the cool touch of metal resting on her head. With a sigh of relief, she continued on. "I don't know what use it will be, though." She said out loud. As she walked away, the snow began to cover Durango's tombstone again to be lost to the world.

She made it to the outskirts of the empire when she was halted. A pony guard stood watch on top of a tall tower. "Halt! In the name of Princess Cadence, who goes there!?"He called down to Twilight.

"Twilight....Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Twilight yelled back. It was snowing, which clouded the skies with a dull grayness. She waited for a few minutes as the guard disappeared. Growing frustrated, Twilight decided to pace back and forth in order to stay warm. After what seemed like forever, the guard returned.

"You may enter." He called. Twilight trotted past the tower and onto the green grass that was the Crystal Empire. You could have let me wait on this side... she thought to herself as she trekked to the castle.

The Crystal Empire looked the same as it did when she left. Any traces of the changeling battle were gone, and the empire looked like its old self...well, most of it did, at least. There were royal guards posted around every corner and on most rooftops. Twilight passed a giant arena where the Equestria Games were supposed to be held. It was the only run-down area in the entire empire. How long has it been since the end? A few weeks?

Twilight extended her wings as she reached the central square, which was filled with dozens of ponies. Her blood warmed up, giving her wings feeling once again. It hurt, but soon felt great afterwards. One guard stood on a platform in the center of the crowd.

"...Anypony who is able-bodied can enlist today! We need as many as we can to serve the Crystal Empire, and all of Equestria! We will take it back from those monsters and we will restore harmony!"

That was our job...and we failed. How can they do it? Twilight began to doubt everything the princesses had told her about the elements of harmony. It was true that they did work every time they were used, but she just couldn't understand why they failed to work this last time. And now Rainbow Dash is...and we're all scattered. If we're not together, who knows what'll happen?

The crowd gasped in awe as Princess Cadence flew down from the high balcony. She extended her wings as everypony bowed. She blinked a few times before noticing Twilight among the crowd.

"Twilight!" Cadence cried as she beckoned the purple princess to come to the platform. Twilight flew up, landing gracefully. The crowd cheered.

"Princess Twilight! Princess Cadence!"

"Our only hope!"

Twilight frowned slightly upon hearing how supportive the crowd was, but she focused her attention on Cadence.

"It's good to see you are all right! We heard about what happened in Canterlot and...well, we are trying to do all we can to protect ourselves." Cadence looked tired, just like the last time Twilight was here. "We have reason to believe that the Crystal Empire is the only true safe haven for ponies in Equestria."

"Do you think they will come up here and attack?" Twilight asked. Cadence smiled.

"We can talk of that later. Come now, you look very tired. Perhaps a good rest will get you ready?"

The castle was as large as ever. Twilight felt weird being here without any of her friends. She decided to write a letter to Spike that night, if he were...No, he's still alive. They all are. I know it. Upon reaching the grand hall, Twilight saw a familiar face. In the center, the filly known as Berry Bunches was playing with one of the guards. When Twilight approached, Berry immediately recognized her.

"Twilight!" She cried as she ran into the princess's arms. "Where's Fluttershy?"

The princess began to cry. "I'm not sure right now, but I know she's okay. She will be here soon, I promise you that. How's your wing?"

Berry Bunches stepped back and tried moving her injured wing, to no avail. She began to frown, but smiled again as she spoke. "I learned how to sing! Want to hear?"

Twlight nodded. Berry smiled and began humming a tune that Twilight was unfamiliar with. Perhaps a song would be best to relax...

Wait...Something's wrong.

Twilight looked around the room for Princess Cadence, who finally walked in. She approached in a hurry as Berry followed behind.

"Where...is my brother? Where is Shining Armor!?"

There was no response for a long time. Cadence halted as soon as she heard the words. After hesitating, the princess turned around.

"After you left, I tried my best to search for my dear Shining Armor...but, I couldn't find him! I even checked up top where you found the crystal heart, but there was nothing..."

Twilight thought about it long and hard before knowing where her brother was. She handed her crown to Cadence before storming out the doors she had just entered. Twilight stretched her wings out and flew up high, to the very top of the tower where the crystal heart had been hidden by King Sombra. It feels like years since that happened.

Upon reaching the top, Twilight saw that Cadence was right: her brother was not at the top of the tower. It was empty...However, when she looked closer, Twilight could feel some sort of magic coming from the tower. The aura felt familiar, like something she saw in her studies...an illusion spell. This must be why he wasn't found. She approached the "empty" room and charged up her magic, sending a great beam right into the room. The illusion spell fell quickly, revealing what she was looking for: her brother! Even though the spell did a good job of concealing, it was as weak as could be. Shining armor lay on the cold floor in the center of the tower. He was bound by rusty chains on all of his hooves. There was a metal ring on his horn, as well as a muzzle to cover his mouth. He didn't look injured, but rather dehydrated and hungry. When she landed, he stirred. Twilight began to burst into tears.

"Shining Armor!? Are you okay? Here, let me..." Twilight tried yanking the chains off, but when she did, Shining Armor began to scream in pain. If he wasn't awake before, he certainly was now. The rust of the chains dug into his hooves and traces of blood emerged underneath the metal.

"Oh no!" Twilight didn't know what to do. She started by taking off the metal ring and the muzzle. After she did, she could hear her brother groaning.

"Twi...twily." He said faintly.

In tears, Twilight hugged her brother carefully. He was sprawled out so each of his legs were spread wide apart. The chains extended from his hooves in the center of the room to metal rings bolted to the ground in a square. She didn't know how long he was tied up here, but it did not look comfortable at all.

Twilight gave another tug at the chains, this time at the end embedded into the floor. They didn't budge. Twilight didn't know what to do, so in a bit of panic her horn lit up. The chains were all ripped out of the floor with a strong force. As soon as she did this, Shining Armor's legs snapped together like a bear trap. Twilight's horn returned to normal as she went to hold her brother.

"Twilight?"

Princess Cadence's voice was heard from the other side of the broken wall. As soon as she saw her husband, she burst into tears and went right to his side. He was unconscious once again, but at least he was safe.

*********

Twilight exited the chamber that served as Shining Armor's recovery place. Mares went in and out, providing food and water and medicine to the stallion. Cadence hadn't left his side, running her hoof over his own. Outside the room, Twilight ran into Berry Bunches. The princess donned a smile and approached the filly.

"How have you been since staying here? I hope you've been treated well?"

Berry Bunches smiled. "It was most pleasant...but, I'd rather be with Fluttershy." She looked much cleaner than she did in Manehatten. Her injured wing looked healed, although it didn't look usable. Twilight had not interacted with the Filly much beyond talking to her on the train near the city, but she felt she had a duty for the uprooted filly. She turned around before continuing. "I also want to play with those other fillies more. I haven't left the castle much so I haven't played with the other fillies around here."

Cadence's voice could be heard from inside the room. "Twilight?" The princess turned to Berry Bunches and smiled.

"I'm sorry...I'll be right back. I'll take you to see the city today. Would that be fun?"

"Oh, yes!" Berry replied before running off, singing a tune.

Shining Armor was awake. The color returned to his face and he had a faint smile on his face. "Twily..." He said as she ran to hug him. When she did, he let out a small gasp as she backed off. "It's okay..." He said after Twilight turned red.

A few royal guards entered the room. "You called for us?" They said as they stood in a line. There were about twelve in the room. Each one was decorated in armor and carried a spear.

"Yes. We have to keep our defense up in case we are attacked by those Sleipnirs. Or anypony, for that matter. The changelings might try to take this castle again, or the griffons could, or..."

"Wait." Twilight interjected. "I've never read a book on it, but I've seen what the Sleipnir can do. The princesses were powerless, and the Elements of Harmony had no effect, or else they would have reacted when Rainbow Dash...well, if they wanted to, they could destroy this place in an instant." she did not look happy as she said that. "...So, why haven't they yet?"

"She's right." her brother agreed weakly. Cadence looked down to ponder on this.

"Maybe it has to do with magic? We haven't used any ever since the changelings attacked." Cadence offered.

Twilight's eyes widened at hearing this. I used magic to free Shining Armor. She knew the Sleipnir were attracted to magic, but she hoped they didn't notice the power she used to help her brother.

One of the guards spoke up. "Perhaps it is the cold weather?"

"That could be a possibility." Princess Cadence paced the room. "In any case, they are not the only threat. The greatest threat, no doubt, but not the only one. We have to keep prepared for any sort of attack. This kingdom is the only safe place reminiscent of the old Equestria."

Another guard spoke up. "There has to be a way to defeat them, though! If they are indeed afraid of the cold, we should entice them to fight us up here!"

"That could be too dangerous." Cadence replied. "What if that's not the case? All would be lost."

"We know nothing about them..." Twilight said. She wished there was a book somewhere that she could read. A book all about the Sleipnir. In fact, she hadn't read a book in ages. "How can we fight something we know nothing about?"

"Maybe Discord knows." Cadence said with a grimace. Twilight immediately thought of the prophecy...or, what she thought was the prophecy. Was it mis-translated? Luna herself said nopony knows the language well...That would also mean that we have no way to communicate with them. There goes any hope of negotiation.

Shining Armor began to stir. "Maybe we should wait until he feels better to discuss this matter." Princess Cadence said quickly as she rushed back to his side.

"No..." Shining Armor weakly said. "I say...go with the plan...bring them up here."

"But, that would put us all in danger! The crystal ponies..." Cadence said back. Twilight wasn't sure if was a good idea either, but they had to be sure.

Shining Armor laughed. "We have to be sure. If we are affected by the cold, they must be as well."

The guard who offered the idea spoke up once again. "I say we capture one and bring it up!" Twilight almost laughed at this proposition; how could anypony bring one Sleipnir up without causing them all to attack?"

Before Cadence could dismiss the idea, he continued. "If they are truly afraid of the cold, the others won't bother to come to his aid." That made some sense, at least.

"We will consider it. For now, you are all dismissed." Cadence said before looking to her husband again. The guards filed out of the room quickly, leaving Cadence and Twilight alone with Shining Armor. Cadence left her husband's side for the first time to address them.

"What do you think, Princess Twilight?"

Twilight swallowed. Me?

"I..."

"As a princess, you must be able to handle situations like this." Cadence frowned as she said it. "I know it will be tough, but both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are gone."

Is this why Celestia made a princess of me? Did she know this would happen? Twilight suddenly felt all the weight of being a leader come down at once. Until now, it had only been a title. One of happiness and of dignity. Now, it meant being a leader as well. Twilight knew it did, but she never imagined it would feel like this.

"I...I stand by the proposition." She said in as royal a voice as she could. Cadence gave a warm smile.

"Then...I do too. It's just, how do we plan on capturing one of those things? I haven't even seen what they can do."

Twilight thought for a moment. "I have an idea, but it might be extremely dangerous, especially if our assumptions are wrong."

Cadence looked to Shining Armor, who had fallen back asleep. He looked much healthier now than before. "I trust you with this, princess."

*********

The streets of the Crystal Empire were barren. The crystal ponies all stayed inside, fearful of what the world had become. Just like the Sea Ponies, Twilight thought. Berry Bunches traveled right alongside the mare, happily humming the same tune.

"You'll have to show that song to Fluttershy next time you see her." Twilight said as she passed the library. Berry Bunches giggled. "I hope I see her soon!"

Twilight stopped for a moment. Berry Bunches stopped ahead of the princess. "What's wrong, Twilight?"

"Nothing." The purple princess responded. "I just need to check out the library. Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure!" The filly said. "There's nopony else out anyway..."

The library was filled with books on many topics, dating back to the founding of the Elements, to Discord's rule of Equestria, and even to the founding of Equestria itself....but nothing on before that. Twilight got to looking as Berry Bunches browsed the books meant for fillies. The librarian was nowhere to be found. She probably went to hide too.

"How come nopony took note of it?" Twilight asked out loud as she looked through every book. She used her magic freely now, as it may bring a wandering Sleipnir to the empire and test out the theory. That sounded like a safer idea than what Twilight planned on doing.

"Not even Star Swirl's private journals contain anything..." Twilight said in frustration before remembering how she found important books in the past, when the world was a happier place. She remembered one book hidden in a secret compartment, and tried to look for one here.

In the back of the library lay books on ancient magic. Nothing in the actual collection was relevant, but Twilight started looking for something there first. After looking at another of Star Swirl's journals, she tossed it aside. It hit the ground and scattered dust all over the place. As Twilight looked at the dust settle, she saw something on the back cover of the book. It looked like a pattern of lines slightly etched into the cover. They were in an intricate detail, but trailed off the edges of the book. A map?

Twilight returned to the other journals Star Swirl had written. After dusting the covers off, Twilight found more patterns. From what she gathered, she found six books that made up some sort of clue. It didn't take long to arrange them in the correct pattern. Berry Bunches, meanwhile, finished her book and met with Twilight.

"Hey Twilight..."

"Not now, Berry...I'm trying to..."

The pattern didn't have much meaning at first, but after looking at it for a minute, Twilight found the meaning.

"It's a map of Equestria! And the surrounding lands."

Indeed, it was a map. The six books were arranged in 2 columns and 3 rows. The middle two books contained the actual Equestria. The bottom two held the dragon lands, the desert, and an unknown land even further south. The top two books contained land that Twilight guessed would be even colder than the Crystal Empire. That was the basic message; when Twilight looked closer, she saw three red dots on three different books: One far in the north, one in Canterlot, and a last one where the Crystal Empire would be.

"Twilight..." Berry said again. Twilight ignored her.

"These three dots...they must be something important." Twilight deduced so after trying to remove the dots, proving that they were not unwanted marks. "...but, what?" The dots were all on a separate book. When Twilight looked at the titles, she had her answer. The Canterlot dot was a book on Equestria history and folklore. The dot of the north was on Discord's rule over Equestria. The Crystal Empire Dot was...a book about the very library she was in. When she opened it, she found a map of the library on the back cover. After comparing the location of the dot to the location on the map, Twilight found her target.

The books for fillies was a small area in the center of the library. There were books about all sorts of pony-tales and things fillies would find amusing. Twilight approached one bookshelf. There was one section where the books were all removed from the shelf - the place Berry Bunches had been browsing, most likely. As she looked at the back of the shelf, she saw a faint mark etched in the wooden shelf.

"Berry?"

"I've been trying to tell you!" Berry Bunches said, laughing. The mark looked like something carved into the wood, something nopony would pay any attention to. However, when Twilight touched it, it felt soft. The princess knocked it away to reveal a button.

A loud clang could be heard as the middle of the library opened up. A hidden staircase revealed itself, leading down into a basement. Twilight made her way down with Berry following closely behind.

The bottom emptied out into another collection of books. It was much smaller than even the fillies section, containing very old and dusty books. The air was stiff, as if the room wasn't opened in centuries. Twilight made her way to the first book she saw. Upon removing the dust, she smiled at what she saw:

"The Rise and Fall of the Sleipnir"

Sweetie Belle 2 - Walk of Fame

It began to rain.

Sweetie Belle knew her sister hated the rain, but she continued on all the same. She had a weird look in her eyes, and an even weirder look in her mane. It was the least unkempt thing she had ever seen on her sister. But, when Sweetie Belle would ask her sister what was wrong, Rarity would just smile and keep moving.

Spike wasn't too worn by the recent "adventure", but he did seem to be concerned for Rarity as well. He would always be by her side; if she needed anything, Spike would get to it right away. As soon as they entered the city, Rarity's stomach began to grumble. Spike showed up a few seconds later with a freshly picked fruit.

The city itself looked as dismal as ever. Sweetie Belle remembered staying here before, when Pinkie Pie's leg was caught in the sign. The rain made the city look even more depressing. As it began to pick up, Sweetie Belle covered her head.

"Rarity!" She cried as she felt the droplets. Acid rain.

Without hesitation, Rarity broke off in one direction. "Come with me!" She called as the filly and dragon ran. Over a hill, Sweetie Belle saw a train station - the same train they took to get to Las Pegasus in the first place. She remembered the outfits Rarity had made for them before they set out on their journey. Sweetie Belle wished they had never left Ponyville. We could all have lived on the Apple Farm, safe from everything.

Rarity jumped into the train and emerged with her rain outfit. She had a filly-sized one in one hoof and Spike's fedora in the other. Sweetie Belle slipped it on and made her way into the train.

If anypony came by after they abandoned the train, they didn't take anything. All of the outfits were still there. One for each pony in their group. Sweetie Belle saw the one Rainbow Dash wore. When Rarity saw it, she tried to keep herself from crying.

"Rarity..."

The unicorn broke into tears as she began wailing. "I am such a terrible sister and friend!" She cried out. "I lost them all, and I don't know if I can protect you any longer!"

Sweetie Belle frowned. She had grown a lot since the world ended. She felt taller than before, and her horn grew a few inches. She felt grown...but now, she is looking at her sister. The filly knew her sister had a knack for the dramatic, but she could tell that Rarity was genuinely hurt right now, sprawled on the floor like a baby. She approached her sister and gave a big hug.

"You are protecting me, Rarity. And, I will protect you too."

The sky roared.

Rarity stopped her sobbing and looked into Sweetie Belle's eyes. Even her eyes looked uncouth. The unicorn smiled and hugged back. Spike joined in soon after, and the three sat in silence.

The train was cold and damp, but Sweetie Belle felt safe in the hooves of her sister. Even though Rarity was classy, she did want to look out for her sister. Sweetie Belle's stomach began to rumble as loudly as the sky, prompting Rarity to step back. "We should go find some food."

As she entered the city, Sweetie Belle grew even sadder. They were in the northern part of the city, away from the restaurant that Twilight and Rainbow Dash had encountered those ponies. The rain was heavy, but Rarity's outfits were still able to keep the three dry. Sweetie Belle prodded along, staring at the rain droplets as they hit the ground. The filly's hoof hit something hard and metal as she passed a ruined building.

"What?"

Sweetie Belle turned around to see what she hit. It was just a broken sign with an arrow pointing to the east. She disregarded it and kept moving.

"Now...where can we find some...Aha!" Rarity ran to a building that once was a café. The broken sign above the door read "Café Pegasi". It was a sandwich shop and coffee house, but time had not been kind to the humble shop. The inside was trashed, rummaged through by scavengers. The walls were stained with dust and dirt, and the floor tiles were uplifted, revealing grass and vines piercing the floor.

The kitchen was all but cleaned out. Small scraps of food and coffee beans littered the tables and floors. Rarity searched through all of the cabinets for anything edible. Spike opened the refrigerator up and found a few fruits, all dried out and overripe. Rarity took them all the same.

"I am no chef, but..." She said as she got to work. Rarity took care not to use magic as she chopped the fruits up and placed them into a bowl.

Sweetie Belle jumped in. "Can I help?"

Rarity laughed. "No, darling. Go stand over there." She pointed to a corner of the room. Sweetie Belle lowered her head and made her way. There was a weird odor in the room, something Sweetie Belle could not place. It was not strong enough to burn her nose, but it lingered in the room. If Rarity could smell it too, she didn't give it any thought. Sweetie Belle grew even more curious about it, but eventually shrugged it off as rotting fruit or something.

"Done!" Rarity yelled as she produced three bowls of fruit salad. They were not the best-looking Sweetie Belle had ever seen, but it was still food. She accepted her portion with a smile.

The three made their way to a small table near the front of the café. Sweetie Belle sat down and went to work on her bowl. The fruit had a dry, yet sweet taste. It was something she never tasted before. Not exactly the best, but it was enough to keep her tummy from growling. Rarity slowly ate hers, while Spike was done in a few minutes.

"Spike, what an appetite you have!" Rarity cooed as the Dragon wiped his mouth. He stared back with a sigh.

The sky roared again.

This time, Sweetie Belle's ears pricked up as she heard it. "What's that?" She asked, but nopony heard her. Rarity and Spike were busy staring at each other.

"You know, Spike..." Rarity said quietly. "...Given the circumstances and what's happened..."

"Yes, Rarity?" Spike said slowly, sighing as he did.

Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out and walked to the window.

"Rarity, you know I've always..."

"If we ever get out of this situation..."

The filly stared out the window and looked to the sky. It was still raining, but the clouds were all twisted up in a circle in one location. She looked at it sideways for a moment before realizing what it was.

"The sleepers..." She said quietly at first, then repeated with force.

Rarity and Spike snapped back into Equestria and ran to the window. The sky grumbled and cackled as gray figures dropped from the sky. They were Sleipnir, Sweetie Belle knew, but they were all tiny. None of them were as big as the ones that ate the princesses and Rainbow Dash.

At that moment, Rarity's element began to glow. "What's happening?" Rarity yelled before looking up again. She backed away from the window. "Look out!" She yelled.

Sweetie Belle turned for a moment to see her sister, then turned back to the window. What she saw made her duck.

The Sleipnir crashed down onto rooftops, roads, and right into the window the three were looking out of. There were two, then three, then seven, and then the window cracked. By that time, the three had run into the kitchen. Sweetie Belle could hear whinnying and neighs coming from all directions as Rarity opened the backdoor. The three ran into an alleyway that led down a narrow path. The gray forms cluttered the orange skies as the three charged through trash cans and debris. "Rarity!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she began to fall behind.

"I will not lose you again!" Rarity yelled as they emptied onto the streets. The Sleipnir were flying all over the place, looking for anything that moved. When they spotted Rarity, Spike, and Sweetie Belle, they all turned their heads.

The Sleipnir were diverse. Some looked hideous, while others looked very nice. However, they all had bloodlust in their eyes. Each one had eight hooves and a long tail. In place of a cutie mark was an arcane mark. Sweetie Belle didn't want to know what it meant. Another thing was that none of them had wings. They seemed to just float around. They did not possess horns either. Some would glow; when this happened, Rarity's element would shine and make sounds. The unicorn didn't wait to find out what it meant. She scooped Sweetie Belle up and ran away from the beasts.

The ensuing sound was something Sweetie Belle would never forget. It was a cross between braying and screeching. The Sleipnir all chased the three. Spike did his best to keep up as Rarity jumped over obstacles and rubble. Sweetie Belle clung to her sister's neck. Rarity cut left and right in an attempt to outrun her chasers, but they always kept up.

After exiting another alleyway, Sweetie Belle saw what was only known as the walk. Rarity even stopped for a second to bask in its beauty, but continued running. The walk of fame was a street of Las Pegasus devoted to important ponies. The tiles that lined the sidewalk all carried a star and the name of some famous mare or stallion. Sweetie Belle noticed two tiles for both Princess Celestia and Luna. The surrounding buildings looked glamorous even though they were ruins; most were fancy restaurants or theaters. One building on the end was called House of Mirrors. Conveniently, it was not as destroyed as the other buildings, and might prove a useful tool to escape.

"Aha!" Rarity yelled as she galloped straight towards it. The Sleipnir followed closely behind. The inside was filled with various mirrors, of all shapes and sizes. It took a moment for Rarity to find where she was going, but she managed to elude her pursuers. Of the hundred or so that followed, only a dozen went in. They crashed into the mirrors or got lost, leaving the three to hide within the maze. Rarity trotted along before tripping over something on the floor - a trapdoor.

It was fairly dark in the hole, but Sweetie Belle could see it lead somewhere - hopefully somewhere safe. She jumped off of Rarity's back as the three sat down to rest. Rarity was panting like never before. "I hope I never have to do that again!" She said breathlessly. Sweetie Belle took a step and found a few mirrors down in the hole. The little light that shone bounced off the mirrors.

The hole was not entirely intact. On the other side, there was a crack in the ceiling that showed the world above, right in front of the House of Mirrors. Sweetie Belle approached it and saw the swarm of Sleipnir outside. They were chattering and roaring as they searched for the three tasty, moving objects. After a few minutes, the chattering died down as they wandered off. Sweetie Belle could see the sky clear up; both the rain and the ominous cloud were gone.

"Do you think it's safe to leave?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Spike spoke up. "I'll go check." He said as he climbed up the ceiling.

Rarity called for him. "Spike, no! It's too dangerous!" But, it was too late. Sweetie Belle and her sister watched the hole for what seemed like hours. It was too quiet.

After a few minutes, Spike popped his head back down the hole. "All clear!" He called.

Outside, the walk of fame looked very disheveled. Nopony would ever think of this street as one of glamour and fame. Sweetie looked in all directions for any signs of life. There was nothing around.

Rarity held her sister. "I know where we can go." She said as she looked east. "The beach!"

Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity. "I don't know..." she began, but Spike was already walking in the direction of the Santa Mare-ia Marina. Sweetie Belle groaned before prodding along.

The marina served as both an amusement park and a fishing dock...at least, it used to. The dock was destroyed and most of the amusement rides were knocked over and rusted. The beach itself, however, looked fairly clean.

Rarity ran into the water after throwing her outfit onto the soft sand, followed by Spike. Sweetie Belle felt very cautious. Normally, she was much slower to grasp concepts than her filly companions, but the recent events changed her.

Why is the beach so clean if the rest of the city is...

That's when she heard it. There were sounds of drums and singing off in the distance. They were very faint, but Sweetie could make them out. They were coming from the north. As she turned her head, she could see a distant stream of smoke rise from behind some buildings.

Somepony's here.

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle called to her sister, who was busy playing with Spike in the water. "Of all times you decide to acknowledge Spike's love for you, you choose now!?" The filly began to run for her sister, feeling the soft sand on her hooves.

Any thought of the smoke from the buildings left Sweetie Belle's mind as she approached her sister in the water. There was something much different about Rarity; She was much less formal than she used to be. Here she is, playing in the water with a dragon. Sweetie Belle thought. She would never do this before. The salt water got into much of her mane and tail, but she still laughed as she splashed Spike. As Sweetie Belle approached, Rarity decided to splash her as well.

"Got you!" Rarity yelled.

Sweetie Belle beamed at her sister for a moment before laughing. "I'll get you back!" She yelled as she jumped into the water, splashing both Rarity and Spike.

The three were having much fun splashing each other and laughing. The sky was clear as the orange sky created a somber mood. If there were any Sleipnir still in the city, they were nowhere near the three having fun in the water.

As all good things must come to an end, so too did the fun in the water have to stop. The three grew hungry again, prompting another expedition for food. The journey this time took them to the marina. Rarity was able to find a stall filled with fruits. It was blocked off by a fallen ride, which was the reason it was untouched. Spike was able to squeeze in and collect enough for the three to eat.

"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle said after taking a bite. "Will we ever see the others again?"

The white unicorn paused for a moment before speaking. "I most certainly believe so. We can get through anything!" Rarity said as she lifted her apple.

"But..." We're not together anymore. And Rainbow Dash is... Sweetie Belle saw her sister smiling and didn't want to ruin the mood. Instead, she smiled back. "Good!"

"We're not going to stay in the city long, are we?" Spike spoke up. He wanted to be with Rarity for as much as he could, but not here in this destroyed city. "Maybe we can find a nice location near a bunch of gems!"

Rarity smiled. "That would be nice. We can relax, safe from those...beasts."

Sweetie Belle was about to add to the conversation when she felt a sensation to sneeze. As she did, a green bolt shot from her horn and into the sky. Doing so killed the talking as the others fell silent.

"Sweetie Belle!"

"I'm sorry!" Sweetie panicked. She knew that those monsters were attracted to magic, and I just used some.

Rarity immediately looked up and around. There was nopony in the immediate area, but she grew cautious. "I think it's time to call it a night. Or day, whichever it is."

The three found a small hut on the pier to sleep in. It was pretty cozy, though cramped. Sweetie slept against a wall while Rarity and Spike each took a corner. Sweetie Belle tried her best to close her eyes and sleep, but all she could think about was the magic she used.

What if they find us?

Sweetie Belle eventually had a dream. She was back in Ms. Cheerilee's classroom. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were there as well, and the three were laughing. Then, she saw the other ponies: Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle felt happy that everything was back to normal.

However, Rainbow Dash suddenly turned into a Sleipnir. The sky grew dark and the others disappeared, leaving Sweetie Belle with the monster. It began to chase the filly, who broke into a gallop as quickly as possible. However, she tripped and fell, leaving her fate to the beast.

Sweetie Belle woke up to screaming. She stirred a moment before realizing what was happening. I'm being carried by a stallion. Rarity's voice could be heard. "It wasn't us, we're just traveling! We'll be gone as soon as possible!"

"Don't think we're dumb! We saw a bolt of magic. It was the filly, right? If so, we need her."

Sweetie Belle's heart grew heavy. They want to take me away, the Sleipnir. As she looked up, she saw a group of stallions instead. They looked like any other pony, but they were very dirty and sneaky-looking. One had a black robe on while the others wore nothing. Rarity and Spike were each being carried by a stallion. Sweetie Belle tried to thrash around, but she felt weak.

"Don't be afraid." One of the stallions said. "We're just trying to find out who made that magic a while ago. You see, we need a pony who can make magic. If ya tell us which of you did it, we won't harm you."

"What for?" Sweetie Belle peeped. She didn't really want to know the answer.

The robed pony spoke. "It's a secret, but I can tell you that it would be a great help to us and our ponies. A lot of the unicorns in Equestria were killed by the Sleipnir. Some didn't realize what their magic did until it was too late."

Sweetie Belle was speechless. She didn't trust these two at all and looked to Rarity. She looked defeated, bruised and hit. The filly thought that if she told, they would drop Rarity and Spike and let them go. I will do it. I have to be brave.

"Fine! It...it was me! I made the magic! Will you let them go?" Sweetie Belle heard Rarity's voice before she could say the words herself. The ponies turned and smiled.

"Good!" The robed pony exclaimed. "And yes...we will not harm these precious ones."

"So you'll let them go?" Rarity said in a panic.

The robed pony laughed. "I said we won't harm them. You're all still coming with us."

Sweetie Belle began to scream. Her piercing voice caused her captor much discomfort. "Shut that filly up!"

A large blunt object hit the back of Sweetie Belle's head. She grew faint, lastly seeing Rarity in tears as they were all carried toward the cloud of smoke..

Fluttershy 3 - Survive

"You feeling okay, Fluttershy?"

Pinkie Pie bounced in the snow, seemingly impervious to its cold effects. Fluttershy paid no attention, however. It had been about a week since she first had that dream. Every time she slept it was the same thing, over and over again. By the seventh night, she didn't want to rest at all.

The three had made it far north in a good amount of time. From what she saw, Fluttershy could tell she was far outside of Equestria's safe boundaries. Animals and other creatures populated the snowy landscape; some were small and ran at the sound of the ponies walking along, but others were big and menacing. Discord was able to save the ponies from a bear attack by distracting the hungry animal.

Discord always seemed as if he were enjoying a game. With everything that happened, the draconequus simply laughed and snapped his fingers. Sometimes he would be gone for hours at a time, leaving the ponies to fend for themselves. He would show up again just as quickly as he left.

This was one of those times. Discord was nowhere to be seen, leaving Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stranded in a small cave in the midst of a blizzard. Neither knew where the other draconequus were, so traveling was not an option. Fluttershy managed to get a small fire going as Pinkie jumped around for warmth.

With Rainbow Dash gone, and the other girls scattered, Pinkie Pie had changed. Fluttershy could see traces of the old Pinkie Pie as she jumped around and would talk for hours and hours. However, something just felt different. For one, Pinkie's tail was not as poofy as it normally was. Her mane was slightly darker than normal as well. However, whenever Fluttershy would ask about it, Pinkie Pie would always respond the same way:

"What are you, crazy!? I'm fine, silly!" Pinkie would say with a twitching smile.

After a few hours and no sign of Discord, Fluttershy felt hungry. The basket of fruit Discord had was all gone now, leaving the pegasus to go in search of something to eat.

"Wait here, Pinkie Pie. I'll be back, okay?"

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie Pie said with her forced smile. She just stared at Fluttershy as the pegasus slowly backed out of the cave, laughing awkwardly.

I know I've done some bad things ever since the meteors...but there is something wrong with Pinkie Pie too. Are we all going through the same thing?

Fortunately, the blizzard did lighten up, leaving Fluttershy able to forage for food somewhat safely. Securing the saddlebag, she flexed her wings and flew to avoid touching the cold snow on the ground. The cold snow that fell seemed to pierce her wings like spikes, but Fluttershy kept flying so her wings wouldn't freeze up. She didn't want that to happen, especially if she were in danger.

Who am I kidding? I'm in danger right now!

Fluttershy found a small valley covered in trees and rocks. The pegasus dropped right next to a large tree and took a look around. Nothing dangerous here. She began walking around in search for something to eat.

Something to eat...

The pegasus remembered the taste of that rabbit she ate a while back. It was so different, so...tasty. Since then, she managed to eat three fish, another rabbit, and almost killed a deer, but it ran away. Fluttershy knew she had changed; she was no longer the scared pony she was before. She was no expert like a dragon or a Manticore, but she knew how to go for blood.

Fluttershy spotted a small bush filled with crystal berries. "They grow all the way up here?" the pegasus said out loud as she scooped up as many as she could into the bag. As she did, another bush rustled right behind her, prompting Fluttershy to jump up and squeak.

"I-Is somepony there?" She called. A few seconds passed and the bush rustled again. A stallion jumped out, covered in fur. He was carrying a spear and had a weird look in his eyes.

"It's been a long time since I saw another pony." He said as he lowered his weapon. The stallion had purple fur and a black mane. Fluttershy couldn't see his cutie mark.

Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, hello!"

"What are you doing out here?" The stallion snapped. He looked hungry.

"I'm just...looking for food." Fluttershy said quietly as she hovered in the air.

"Me too." The stallion responded. He raised the spear again.

"We can help each other find some! Do you know the area?" Fluttershy said with a weak laugh, slowly backing away from the stallion. She didn't like where this was going.

"I think you can help me out, yes." The stallion said, inching toward the pegasus.

Fluttershy gave a weak laugh again before turning and flying as fast as she could. The stallion ran right behind her. For a pony running in the snow in cold weather, the stallion was very fast. Fluttershy tried flying faster, but the cold air prevented her from doing so. She then felt something pierce her wing. It was much more painful than anything she experienced, besides Gilda's talons digging into her hooves. The pegasus had a second to look at what hit her before she fell to the ground. The stallion had thrown his spear and hit the pony right in the center of her right wing. Tears formed in Fluttershy's eyes as her wing twitched. The impact caused the spear blade to snap off the wooden handle; her wing was impaled on the handle as the spearhead lay next to her face, covered in blood.

As the stallion approached, Fluttershy hid the spearhead with her mane. The pony hovered over Fluttershy and laughed. He placed his front hooves right on Fluttershy's right wing. The pain coursed throughout all of her body. The stallion then gripped the spear with his mouth and pulled. It hurt even more than the initial blow. It didn't budge at first.

"I've been living up here for quite a while now." The stallion said as he tried to pull it up again. His words were a little distorted, but Fluttershy could make out what he was saying. "Before your Equestria fell to pieces, I was a member of the royal guard. I got lost out here during a search party for the Crystal Empire, my soldiers and I. We ended up wandering well outside the boundaries. Our food grew short, and...well, let's say my comrades helped me survive this long." He chuckled again.

"Please...let me go." Fluttershy weakly said. The stallion placed one of his hooves right on the back of Fluttershy's neck, digging her face into the snow. He noticed the cuts and scars on the pegasus, causing him to laugh again.

"I have a feeling this isn't the first time something like this happened to you...but I'll assure that this'll be the last...maybe I'll have a little fun before I-" The spear came out of the wing at this point with some force, causing the stallion to flinch back. The stallion looked shocked as he noticed that the spearhead was missing. Taking advantage of the situation, Fluttershy gripped the spearhead in her mouth and lunged at the stallion. Her wing hurt and bled profusely, but her adrenaline was running. Fluttershy managed to get him right in the neck, sinking the spear deep into the flesh of the pony. He dropped the spear handle and gurgled as blood spilled from his mouth and neck.

The stallion didn't go down, though. He managed to get one hoof up and ram it right into Fluttershy's injured wing. She yelped as she backed off. The stallion pulled the spearhead from his neck and spat at the ground. The white snow was stained red all over the place as he inched closer to Fluttershy.

"You were an inch off..." He said breathlessly. "A little closer and you would have severed my artery...you need to be more precise to survive, girl!" He leaped into the air and tackled Fluttershy to the ground. His blood spilled all over Fluttershy as she cried. "I'm going to have fun with this one!"

THWACK.

The stallion flew right off of Fluttershy. Behind him stood Pinkie Pie, holding the spear handle in her mouth. He dropped the blade right in front of Fluttershy, who picked it up and jumped onto her prey.

Fluttershy stabbed the stallion in the heart once. "HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT!?!?" She cried as she removed the blade and stabbed him in the face, then in the neck, and in the heart again, and once more in the face. She continued to slide the blade in and out of the flesh as quickly as she could before Pinkie Pie pulled her off.

"Let go!"

The pegasus twitched her head and sliced Pinkie Pie right on her hoof. "OW!!!" Pinkie Pie screamed as she jumped back. Fluttershy immediately dropped the spearhead and cried again.

"Pinkie Pie! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The pegasus approached her friend, but Pinkie Pie started to back away. Luckily, the cut was nothing more than a minor one, and Pinkie smiled once again.

"You saved me!" Fluttershy cried as she hugged her friend. "How did you...?"

"When I promised I would wait in the cave, I lied. I had one of my pinkie senses go off - a new one I never felt before! I knew something bad was going to happen, so I tried to follow you. After a while, I was going to turn back, but I heard voices! I ran to the source and saw the two of you struggling..."

"Thank you!" Fluttershy cried as she hugged Pinkie Pie. The blood from the stallion stained both girls as well as most of the snow in the immediate area. The ponies turned to see what was left of the "royal guard".

He was a mess: his face was unrecognizable and his furs were all stained red. Fluttershy didn't want to stare any longer and turned to return to the cave. Pinkie bounced along right behind her.

Discord was waiting in the cave, lounging on a piece of meat. "Ah, you're back!" He said as the two entered the cave.

"We're back?" Fluttershy said. "Where have you been!?"

"Out."

Fluttershy beamed at the draconequus, who began to laugh.

"I went exploring to find my brethren. In fact, I found them...why are you covered in blood? Killed something else, did you?"

"A pony."

"Oh." Discord's smile went away as he saw Fluttershy staring with empty eyes. She was in no mood for jokes or tricks. She just wanted to go home.

"The sooner we talk to them, the sooner we can return to Equestria and defeat the Sleipnir." Fluttershy said. She dropped her saddlebag next to the fire and pulled some berries out. Pinkie Pie helped herself as well.

Fluttershy didn't care about the blood that stained her fur and mane, or her injured wing. She was in a mood to kill, and would kill Discord right then and there if she really wanted to.

"Fine. Let's go." Discord said quickly.

Discord led the ponies to where he said his fellow draconequus were in hiding. The path led right through the location Fluttershy made her kill. He's going to see everything.

"Um...Discord?" She said in a meek voice.

"Don't play coy with me! I see what you did here." Discord laughed as he looked at the bloody mess Fluttershy didn't bother to clean up. The stallion still lay on the ground, with the spearhead sticking out of him. Discord grew smaller and touched the metal.

"You really did a number on him!" Discord said with a chuckle. "I didn't expect you to be able to do this, honestly. I always expected Pinkie Pie to be the one who would gut a pony." Discord grew to his original size. Fluttershy did not respond. She didn't care. "I wonder who knows he's gone? Out here, in the middle of nowhere..." Discord's voice grew faint as he continued on. Fluttershy just stared at the body, feeling the life that was there slip away. No...he was going to kill me! I had to!

I had to survive.

Apple Bloom 2 - A House Divided

"Braeburn!"

Apple Bloom had found the stallion in the desert, exhausted from travel. He was unconscious and dehydrated, but Applejack was able to supply fresh water to her cousin. He looked travel-worn, as if he were wandering the desert for days. The ponies were able to bring him under the shade of a nearby tree and waited until he woke up.

Scootaloo was in charge of keeping watch for any changelings. "We may have gotten away from them, but they may still be out there." Applejack said to the fillies. Scootaloo was the one who offered to keep watch. Her sudden streak of courage surprised the Apple sisters.

Braeburn eventually began to stir under the tree. "Cuz? Ya okay?" Applejack gave her family member some space as he opened his eyes.

"Applejack? Apple Bloom?" The yellow stallion removed beads of sweat from his brow as he sat up. Applejack gave him a big hug.

"Ah'm so glad you're okay!" She cried. Apple Bloom sensed something was wrong by the way he looked down and said nothing as Applejack held him. He didn't return the hug, but soon gently pushed the orange mare off.

"What are y'all doing out here?" Braeburn asked.

"Ah could ask you the same question..." Apple Bloom said under her breath. Braeburn looked at Apple Bloom for a second after she said it, causing the filly to flinch, but Braeburn simply smiled.

"Just lookin' for a place to be safe." Applejack said. "We need'ta get a good idea of what's goin' on so we can go help our friends....what about you? What happened?"

Braeburn stood up and placed a hoof on the tree. "After the meteors hit, our town was devastated. The crops stopped growing and a lot of the ponies gone and moved away. Ah stayed, though." He paused for a moment.

"When those changelin' critters appeared, Ah made my way out of Apple Loosa and found a small shelter nearby. Ah was looking for some food when Ah passed out..."

Applejack smiled. "You have someplace to stay? Could ya take us in?"

Apple Bloom saw Braeburn hesitate before nodding his head. "It's about half an hour from here. Let's go!"

Sure enough, it took about thirty minutes to reach Braeburn's shelter. It was a moderately-sized house in the middle of the desert. It looked to be a farm of some sort, but no crops were growing now. The orange sky complimented the shifting sands and dust.

"Here it is!" Braeburn exclaimed as he extended a hoof to the house. The shelter was pretty run-down; it looked to have been abandoned well before the meteor shower.

Scootaloo saw a pair of birds flying in the air and flew up to chase them. "Hey, Apple Bloom!" She called down to the yellow filly. "Watch me catch these birds!"

Apple Bloom stood in awe as Applejack followed Braeburn into the house. Apple Bloom could hear AJ's voice trail off, but she was too busy watching Scootaloo. The pegasus caught up to one of the birds, who started panicking and sped up at this point. "Almost there!" Apple Bloom yelled, laughing. Scootaloo zoomed through the sky and managed to snag one of the birds right out of the air. She landed right next to Apple Bloom, showing off her prize.

The yellow filly heard noises from inside the house - the sound of glass breaking and loud thuds. "What's goin' on in there?" Apple Bloom said out loud as Scootaloo petted the bird. She had a very bad feeling in her gut as the wind began to pick up, blowing sand and dust everywhere. Suddenly, a green flash came from one of the windows, causing Apple Bloom to close her eyes.

Scootaloo, at this point, realized what was happening as she dropped the bird. Before it hit the ground, Apple Bloom stared at it. She could see a gleam in its eyes that she had seen before.

"...Scootaloo!"

The bird flashed green as well, knocking back the fillies. When she looked again, Apple Bloom saw a changeling hovering above. It screeched as Apple Bloom picked herself up to run into the house, but she was grabbed by the changeling. The second bird flew down and revealed that it was a changeling as well before picking up Scootaloo. The fillies thrashed around before they were both knocked out cold. Apple Bloom saw a third flash of green before passing out.

*********

"...Here you go, Chrysalis."

It was Braeburn's voice Apple Bloom heard. She opened her eyes, seeing nothing but blurry images. As it cleared, she found herself chained to a wall along with her sister and Scootaloo. Braeburn was in the room, looking sad, as Queen Chrysalis towered behind him. There were a few other changelings in the room as well. Applejack was awake, yelling at her cousin.

"You sold us out??"

"No, Applejack, Ah-"

"Ah don't wanna hear it!" The orange mare yelled, to Chrysalis's laughter.

"This is too good! I asked you to bring the next ponies you find, and you bring an element of harmony! Too good!"

"Will you hold your end of the deal, then?" Braeburn said back. "You promised!"

"Of course, dear." Chrysalis said coldly, pacing around the room. The voices were all faint, but Apple Bloom did her best to make out the words.

"And...you're not gonna hurt them, are ya?"

"On my honor." The changeling queen snickered.

"Ya sold us out for a deal!?" Applejack sounded furious. She thrashed about in the chains a little before being smacked by one of the changelings.

"This changes everything..." Chrysalis said with another laugh. She turned to Braeburn. "I give you my word. I will not harm you."

Braeburn smiled at that. "Oh, thank you, ma'am-"

"Chester, kill him."

The look on Braeburn's face changed so suddenly that Apple Bloom was more startled by his reaction than what happened next. A changeling bit right into Braeburn's neck and dug long, sharp claws right into his flesh. Braeburn screamed and fell to the ground.

"Ah...ah thought..."

"The deal was that I would not harm you. I said nothing about my children." Chrysalis bent down to stare Braeburn right in the face. "You have served me well, as short a time it was. You will serve my children even better." She stood up and looked to the other changelings. "I'd say you all deserved a quick meal. Enjoy."

The changelings picked up Braeburn and took him out of the room. He screamed the entire time as the ponies heard sounds of chewing and tearing. Apple Bloom couldn't bear hearing the sounds, while Scootaloo began to cry. Before long, Braeburn fell silent. Applejack went from mad to extremely terrified. "Braeburn!!!" She yelled and thrashed about again.

Chrysalis laughed again and approached the mare. "Don't worry. It's not as painful as it seems...well, maybe it's more painful, but who has time to argue semantics?"

"Why...Braeburn may have betrayed us, his family...but why did ya kill him?"

"Oh, Braeburn didn't betray you!" Chrysalis pronounced his name wrong, but Braeburn wouldn't be correcting her anytime soon. "You just happened to be the first pony he saw to seal his deal. When we took his town, he begged me to spare him, so I struck him a deal: He brings us a pony for food, and we cause him no harm...At least, until we were done feeding here. However, he brought in an Element of Harmony! And two delicious fillies! Braeburn did such a good job that I...ended his contract early, so to speak." She cackled before placing a hoof on Scootaloo. The orange filly screamed.

"You can't harm us!" Applejack yelled. "We've beaten you before!"

"Correction: you and your friends have beaten me. I don't see them anywhere, do you? And...I heard what happened about Rainbow Dash. It's a shame...I wanted to see if she tasted like rainbows."

Applejack jerked the chain around a few times. "Why do you need to do this? Can't..." Applejack hesitated. "Can't you feed on them Sleipnir?"

Chrysalis laughed. "The Sleipnir? Have you seen them? It's much easier to prey on weaker species such as yourselves."

Applejack adjusted her chains. "But, if you help the ponies fight them...your children can, um, feed on the dead! Listen...them Sleipnir eat ponies as well. You'll be competing with them over who gets to feed! If you turn the tables, you can eat them and then prey on us unopposed!"

It was the weirdest thing Apple Bloom ever heard her sister say, but it made sense. At least, she thought it did. And Chrysalis apparently thought so as well.

"I see..." Chrysalis paced around for a moment. "Yes...what if they do take all of the ponies for themselves? I can't let that happen!"

Applejack smiled. "If ya let us go, we can all travel to the Crystal Empire under peace and work out a strategy! We'll fight back against them Sleipnir before long! Ah swears it on mah life!"

Chrysalis smiled. Apple Bloom sensed that it wasn't a happy smile. "I see your point, fair pony." She turned to face the three. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were on either end of Applejack. Their front hooves were chained to the walls right above them, and their hind hooves were chained to the floor.

Suddenly, Chrysalis slid over to Scootaloo once again and placed a hoof on her wings. "However, I feel that we should make this a trade. We'll let you go, but one of you must die...and I'm feeling partial to fried chicken wings right now." She licked her lips. Scootaloo screamed in agony as Chrysalis began pulling her tiny wings right out.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Scootaloo pleaded as Chrysalis continued pulling. Apple Bloom was screaming as well after hearing slight tearing sounds come from her friend. Please, don't!

When Apple Bloom looked over to see what was happening, she nearly fainted. Upon seeing drops of Scootaloo's blood emerge from where the wings began to tear, she yelled.

"Applejack!!!!"

The mare bucked the floor where her chains were connected, effectively breaking her hind hooves free. She swung around and kicked Chrysalis. The blow caused her to let go of Scootaloo's wings. Applejack swung her hooves down again right onto Chrysalis's head and pulled as hard as she could on the remaining chains. They came off easily due to Applejack playing around with them the entire time. Apple Bloom's eyes lit up as Applejack gracefully stood over the changeling queen. Scootaloo was sobbing as Applejack broke the chains. "Can you help Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo nodded and limped over to help Apple Bloom escape.

The other changelings swarmed the room after hearing the commotion. Applejack stood among them once again, ready to fight. "Ah need you two to get on outta here, you hear me?"

"But, what about you?" Apple Bloom squeaked. She didn't want to lose her sister, not now.

"Ah'll be right behind you. Go!" The fillies went.

Scootaloo's wings were bleeding, but still functional. It hurt when she tried to move them, but at least she could. Apple Bloom was glad that her friend didn't end up cut into pieces and fed to those changelings. Then again, Ah'm glad Ah ain't dead either. As they exited the house, Apple Bloom felt a hoof grab her by the tail. She screamed and bucked the changeling that followed them. It didn't do much damage, but it did get the changeling to let go. The two ran as fast as they could, away from the house.

"We have to go!" Scootaloo yelled as she began to run away.

"Ah won't leave her!"

"Apple Bloom!"

"Ah won't!!"

"There is nothing we can do! Applejack said she'll be okay, so we have to go! If they capture us, it'll all be in vain!"

Apple Bloom teared up and turned away from the house.

"Ah'll find you, sis. Everything will be okay."

Sweetie Belle 3 - A Lovely Song

It was a dark and stinky cell. Sweetie Belle could not see the hooves in front of her face. The smell was so bad that she almost passed out multiple times. But she could hear everything going on outside.

Spike was in the cell as well, but he would always be rattling on the bars in an attempt to get out. "Let us out of here!" He would scream. Nopony came down to shut him up. After the fifth time, Spike gave up and sat in a corner.

Sweetie Belle wanted to know where her sister was. The voices outside were from both mares and stallions, but none sounded like Rarity. She remembered the good old days, when she would be in Rarity's house while she worked. She imagined herself back in Carousel Boutique. Rarity was making another dress, specifically for Sweetie Belle. It was very elegant and covered in sequins. The dress was a bright light blue with waves stitched into the sides. "Try it on, Sweetie." Rarity said happily, and Sweetie Belle wore it. It fit her body perfectly as it flowed down and onto the floor. As she moved, it swayed as if the wind were blowing.

But, that would never happen. Not anymore. Sweetie Belle was in a cell in the ruins of a strange city, filled with dangerous ponies. She didn't know how long she was in the cell due to the never-changing sky. Ponies would come down every so often with loaves of bread, or cold soup. It would always taste disgusting or cold, but Sweetie Belle and Spike ate it all the same. Sweetie Belle bit into the hard bread and took a while to swallow it. She wanted to spit it back out, but her tummy said otherwise.

Eventually the cell doors opened. A stallion was there, holding the door. "Time to go." He said gruffly. Sweetie Belle couldn't see his face, but she didn't have to be told twice. Spike followed closely behind as she passed under the stallion's arm. He smelled even worse than the cell, which made Sweetie Belle question what that stench was. "If you run, you won't get far, so make it easy on yourself." He said as she exited the room.

The light outside made Sweetie Belle close her eyes quickly. It took a while for her eyes to adjust. She was still in Las Pegasus, although it was in an area she had never seen before. There was a giant open space right in the center of ruined buildings, covered in dirt and containing one solitary stone table in the center. There were ragged ponies surrounding the open land, both mares and stallions, fillies and colts. They all looked like common folk, survivors. Sweetie Belle could see earth ponies and pegasi, but no unicorns.

The crowd parted in one section, revealing stronger stallions trotting to the stone table. They were carrying a mare, her head covered by a bag. When they got closer, Sweetie Belle could see that it was Rarity they had. She began to run to her, but the stallion who freed her grabbed her by the tail. "What did I say about running?" He said in a coarse voice.

Sweetie Belle sat, helpless as she watched the stallions throw Rarity onto the stone table and place her hooves in chains. The hooded pony Sweetie Belle had seen before was standing at one end of the table. The crowd cheered and hollered until he brought up a hoof to silence them.

"Now!" The hooded pony began. The entire area grew so quiet that Sweetie Belle heard her own heartbeat. "We are the chosen! Ever since that day when the skies rained fire, we were the ones who survived! We may have lost family, friends, and loved ones, but we continue to live! We were chosen by the gods to carry on in this world!"

"What gods?" Sweetie Belle asked aloud. The stallion hit her. "Shut up and listen to him speak!"

The hooded pony continued as he lowered his hood. He was nopony Sweetie Belle knew. The stallion had one long scar on the left side of his face. His mane was gray and withering.

"After living on our own for a while, growing our ranks with those who believe in our cause, the gods decided to descend on this world themselves! They killed our dear princesses! And that's when we realized their purpose - to feed on those who use magic!"

"Those who did not carry magic within them soon realized that they were the true chosen! All unicorns began to fear for their lives, and thousands became prey for the gods! Soon after the incident, we as the chosen decided to help appease our gods and offer them all unicorns we could find!" He removed the bag from Rarity's head, revealing a frightened pony underneath. The crowd began to boo at the sight of the unicorn, too busy to notice that there was one among their ranks.

"Now! The gods brought their minions in this city a few days ago, searching for any source of magic to feed on. Even though we are chosen, we still need to appease them, to make them our friends! As such, I will be offering this fine young unicorn to the gods! May they take her and give us their blessing!"

The crowd roared and began to chant and yell. "Kill her!" "Take her away!" "Leave us and kill the unicorn!" Sweetie Belle began to cry and attempt to run to save her sister. Spike was the one who held her back this time, although he looked as if he wanted to go down there himself.

Rarity was screaming as the hooded pony turned right to her. "Don't worry, darling." He said as he caressed her cheek. "Your sacrifice will save thousands of earth ponies and pegasi. We will be able to live in harmony with our gods. Don't you see how tremendous an honor that is?"

Even when her life was on the line, Rarity never stopped being dramatic. "I will never let you do such a thing! Just let me go, now!" She tried thrashing about, but the chains were tightly kept. The hooded pony laughed.

"It is up to our gods to decide her fate, not us!" He yelled, quieting the crowd. "We must wait for them to appear and judge this pony!"

Sweetie Belle looked horrified. If the Sleipnir come here...if the BIG ones come here...Maybe they'll take these bad ponies themselves and leave Rarity!

The hooded pony pulled out a small knife. "However, we must draw them here!" He turned to Rarity and sliced a small line along her hind leg. Rarity began screaming again. "I ask you to use your magic! Use it or I will cut you again!" The unicorn resisted, causing the hooded pony to cut her on her other hoof. He stabbed right into the center of her cutie mark and sliced down her leg. He didn't stab deep - he didn't want to kill her - but there was no doubt that it gravely hurt her sister.

"Please, stop!" Rarity screamed, but the hooded pony only laughed. "I will stop if you accept your fate. Use your magic and call the gods to us!"

"You want me to use my magic, huh?" Rarity said in between breaths. Her blood was bright against her white fur. "Fine!"

Her horn began to glow blue as the knife the hooded pony held was lifted right out of his grasp. With a sudden twist, the knife sunk right into the hooded pony's shoulder, dropping him down and causing an out roar from the crowd. The other stallions nearby were about to respond when the hooded pony stopped them.

"No!" He said as he coughed. "Let the gods judge her. They are on our side."

The crowd was suddenly hushed when the sky grew dark. The clouds rumbled and gathered together, as if by magic. Magic. Sweetie Belle could hear the sky roar again as the ground began to shake. Ponies in the crowd began to cheer their false gods.

"They have come!"

"They have heard our prayers!"

"We will be saved!"

Sweetie Belle lowered her head. They are all blind, and I'm just a filly. Another roar brought Sweetie Belle's head up.

There it was. The giant Sleipnir descended from the clouds. She wasn't sure if was the one that ate Luna, or Celestia, or even Rainbow Dash. She didn't care. It was here, and somepony is going to die. I just hope it is not Rarity.

The beast cut through the air and landed with a thud around the stone table. He towered far above and looked down on all the cheering ponies around.

"Oh, great and powerful god!" The hooded pony was able to get back up despite having been stabbed. "We give you this unicorn as an offering! Let us establish peace!"

The Sleipnir looked at him for a moment, then spoke. His voice was booming and made all of the ponies shudder and grow silent. He spoke in a language nopony could understand. Purple mist emanated frrom his mouth as he did so. His voice was so trembling that Sweetie Belle dropped down and shuddered herself.

"What did he say?" One of the stallions called out.

Before anypony could respond, the Sleipnir swayed his head towards Rarity. She screamed as he did, but soon his head passed right over the bleeding unicorn. Instead, the Sleipnir targeted the hooded pony, who realized what was going to happen and began to run into the crowd.

"No!" He yelled, pushing other ponies out of his way. The Sleipnir arched back and charged forward, opening his mouth to collect any ponies in the way. He managed to pick up a good dozen, including the poor hooded pony, before floating back up into the air. The ponies all around began to scream and scramble as the Sleipnir roared. Smaller beasts emerged from the clouds and charged right into the crowds.

Ponies were run down, eaten, and attacked by these beasts. Rarity was still chained to the stone table, bleeding out and passed out. The others paid no attention to the unicorn, busy fearing for their own lives. This was Sweetie Belle's chance to save her sister.

"Spike!" She yelled as she ran to the table. Spike ran closely behind. The Sleipnir were flying in all directions, biting and bucking anypony in their way. The giant Sleipnir circled above like a true god. Sweetie Belle ducked under ponies tossed in all directions, and jumped over dead bodies. Eventually, she reached her sister among the chaos.

"Rarity! I'm going to get you out of here!" Sweetie Belle began to cry as she pulled on the chains, but it was no use.

"Sweetie..." Rarity quietly said. She had a slight smile on her face, as if she were about to give up. "Thank...You have to get out of here...leave me..."

"I won't!" Sweetie Belle's horn began to flash green as the chains were all uplifted from the stone table. It was done with such force that the chains flew skyward, braking off of Rarity's hooves. The projectiles flew up and struck one of the Sleipnir, knocking it right out of the sky.

The nearby beasts stared at the source of magic and screeched, braying as they fell upon Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Spike jumped up and struck one of the beasts with his claws. He got a direct hit on the face of a Sleipnir, knocking it away. Rarity got up and motioned for the the others to run.

Around them, the other ponies were either dead or being chased. Some of the stallions put up a fight, but they were killed all the same. The giant Sleipnir still flew above. Before Sweetie was able to make it away from the scene, the great beast flashed purple.

Everypony froze in place, including Sweetie Belle, her sister, and Spike. She couldn't move, but struggled to get herself free. She could feel herself being pulled back to the stone table. Other ponies were pulled as well. This made the ponies easy targets as the Sleipnir sprang upon them. Sweetie Belle could hear the cries of mares, fillies, and even stallions as all fell to the beasts. I won't die like this, she thought to herself as she used her magic again. She managed to free herself from the grip as she dropped to the ground. She used it on Rarity and Spike as well, freeing them from the Sleipnir's spell.

Right as she did so, a great light flashed once again. When it cleared, there was nopony else left on the field besides the dead. The Sleipnir must have teleported the living bodies away from the area. The air was filled with cries and moans of the dying ponies, but Rarity didn't stop to help them. "Let's go!" She said as she ran. Sweetie Belle followed.

Rarity left a trail of blood as they ran through the streets of the city. "I should have known they were still here..." Rarity said, wincing after every step. Her legs were not badly cut, but she had bled out enough on that table. They made it to the Applewood sign before Rarity collapsed.

"No!! You're going to be okay!" Sweetie Belle said as she held her sister. Rarity looked very pale; she had lost a large amount of blood. "I can...I can fix this!" Sweetie Belle wanted to find something to use as a bandage...She would not let her sister die now.

"It's okay." Rarity calmly said. She had a smile on her face as she said it. Sweetie and Spike cried as they tried to press the wounds and stop the blood.

Rarity began to laugh weakly. "I've done my best to protect you, but in the end, it was you who saved me. I'd rather die here with my sister and my friend, than as a sacrifice. You have to be strong, Sweetie Belle. You have to do what I couldn't...Survive." Even in the end...

Sweetie Belle sobbed. "I won't! I won't let you die! You can't leave me, Rarity!"

"Can you...can you sing me a song, Sweetie Belle?"

The filly closed her eyes. Singing? I haven't tried singing since...

The words that came out of her mouth were the first words she could think of:

Hush now, quiet now.
It's time to lay your sleepy head...

When she finished, Rarity had another smile on her face.

"You know, you have a wonderful voice. Please, share it was everypony. Let them know that my sister has the voice of an angel."

"Not an angel..." Sweetie Belle sobbed. However, she thought about it long and hard. Maybe she should sing; it was Rarity's last request. She will not let it go unfulfilled.

"I will. I will sing everywhere I go!" Sweetie Belle said. "I will sing songs of everything I saw, and everypony I knew and loved! I will!"

Sweetie Belle's flank began to glow, and a warm light enveloped the filly. She screamed, but nothing harmed her. When it faded away, Sweetie looked at her flank to see a...a cutie mark! It was a pink heart-shaped note, outlined in purple. It was very beautiful, and Sweetie Belle was overjoyed to see it.

"Rarity, look-" Sweetie Belle turned to show her sister her achievement, but Rarity was gone. Her eyes were closed and her breathing stopped. Sweetie Belle cried long and hard into her sister's fur along with Spike.

"Rarity..." Spike tried to say something, but he couldn't. "...I will protect your sister now. For you."

Sweetie Belle looked at her sister one last time. She looked peaceful, as if she were in a better place now. She is in a better place now...away from all of this. The Element of Generosity was still hung around the unicorn's neck. Sweetie Belle unhooked and put it on herself. "I will keep this safe for you now, sister."

Rarity was given a proper burial in front of the Applewood sign. Sweetie Belle searched the area for something that could stand as a tombstone, and found a small wooden post. She dug it into the ground where Spike carefully buried the body. Sweetie Belle and Spike stood side-by-side for an eternity, staring at Rarity's final resting place.

There was a gentle breeze along the Applewood sign. The orange sky turned a dark red as Sweetie Belle finally turned to move on.

"Where are we going to go? What will we do?" Spike asked solemnly. Sweetie Belle was not sure what to do now. She wondered if the others were still alive. There was no way to tell if anypony besides Twilight was still okay.

"We have to write back to Twilight..." Sweetie Belle said, and made her way back to the city. There was a shop near the Applewood sign, which luckily had writing supplies. Sweetie Belle sat down with Spike to write a letter:

Twilight Sparkle,

We received your letter. Sorry for writing back so late...something bad has happened. We are currently in Las Pegasus. Rarity was captured by some ponies in an attempt to offer a sacrifice to the Sleipnir...well, they came and attacked most of the ponies. Rarity...Rarity died as a result. I am currently with Sweetie Belle, and we are not sure what to do. We want to go to the Crystal Empire, but it is too far and too dangerous.

I hope everything is okay with you.
Spike

Spike sent the letter on its way as Sweetie Belle began to cry again.

"Come on, Sweetie Belle!" Spike said, trying to cheer her up. "We can go anywhere you want to go."

"I want...I want to go home." Sweetie Belle said with a sob.

Spike frowned. "If only we could."

The two started walking out of the city, for hopefully the last time. As she went along, Sweetie Belle started to sing another song. Her voice, however, was shaky and sad as her words echoed into the heavens, for all to hear.

Berry Bunches 1 - Waiting

Berry Bunches was reading one of the old books in the room underneath the library. It was damp and small, but Princess Twilight brought down a few lights in order to see. She was reading her own book, about the history of the Sleipnir and what they were capable of.

The book in front of her was a history on the pegasi. It depicted the first known pegasus, Hercoltes, and how he grew wings and flew to the heavens. Berry looked to her injured wing and frowned. She wanted it to grow back so she could fly away. She would go find Fluttershy, and the two of them could live somewhere far from the war and bad things that were happening.

She heard Twilight gasp before turning to see what happened. The room flashed white for a second and a scroll of paper came appeared from thin air. Twilight looked at it for a second as Berry approached her.

"What is that, Twilight?"

"It's...a letter from Spike!" Twilight said as she opened it up to read it.

"We received your letter...But, I never wrote them a letter!" Twilight exclaimed. She continued Reading as Berry Bunches stood by her side. Soon, she dropped it and tears formed in her eyes.

"Rarity...Why could I not have done anything to help them?" She sobbed as Berry placed a hoof on her shoulder. Berry Bunches knew what it was like to lose a loved one...as cruel as he was, her father was still family.

"What can you do now?" She asked, unsure of how to keep going."

Twilight looked up. "It said I sent them a letter, but I never did so...what if I can send a letter to the past? I could warn them and tell them to come right up here! I've traveled through time before, so maybe..."

Berry was surprised by this. Time travel? "Maybe you could travel back to when the monsters attacked! Can you stop the princesses from...?"

"I don't think something that big can be changed." Twilight said, looking as if she were remembering something in her past. "But, if I can write a letter and send it back in time, maybe I can save Rarity!"

It was worth a shot. Berry Bunches ran to find a blank piece of paper and a pen, and gave it to Twilight. She used her magic to write the letter; nothing bad happened since she first used it, so it might be safe to do so here.

Finishing the letter, Twlight stood back and tried to remember a spell. Berry looked on as the princess thought long and hard about what spell to use.

"If I time this right...And, if I think of...Yes!" The room flashed once again, and the letter was gone. A small cloud of smoke remained. "Now it's up to them..." Twilight said.

"Do you think they will be okay?" Berry asked.

Twilight looked as if she weren't sure, but she nodded anyway. "Now, from what I've read here...the Sleipnir are indeed weak against cold weather. We should be safe from them here."

Berry Bunches felt relieved. She wouldn't have to deal with seeing those monsters. She was left in the Crystal Empire when Fluttershy and the others returned to Canterlot. Who knows what would have happened to me if I went...I guess Fluttershy was right in keeping me here.

"Can you write a letter to Fluttershy?" Berry asked, hopeful that she could write a nice letter to her friend.

Twilight shook her head. "I can send and receive messages through Spike. Unless she's with Spike right now, I can't...I'm sorry." She looked tired, and Berry couldn't blame her. She's been working so hard lately. The princess closed the book she was reading and placed it back on the shelf. "Are you ready to go back to the castle?"

Berry shook her head. She wanted to run around and breathe some fresh air after staying in the dark room for what seemed like forever.

The library returned to its normal self after Twilight and Berry Bunches left the secret room. Outside, the Crystal Empire still felt deserted. With the exception of the royal guards, nopony was outside. Berry laughed as she ran in circles around the princess. Twilight smiled and continued towards the castle.

Inside the castle, Berry took off in search of something new. Ever since she came to the Crystal Empire, she had always been exploring the labyrinth of a castle, discovering new areas and rooms each time. Berry decided to search for another new room. Left and right she turned, going down hallways and into doors. Eventually, she came across a stairway leading down. Berry followed it and found another long hallway that led to a large double door.

Curious, Berry Bunches opened the doors. Luckily, they were unlocked, leaving whatever was inside available for exploration. The room was pretty simple: there were a few bookshelves and an ornate carpet on the floor. The most interesting thing about the room was a heart-shaped arch that stood against one of the walls. As she approached it, Berry Bunches was able to see her own reflection in it. The arch was the frame for a large mirror. As Berry looked into it, she felt the urge to place a hoof against the surface. Slowly, she reached for the mirror. Her hoof lightly tapped the glass, feeling the cool and smooth feeling that came from it. The filly only had one word in mind for the thing she found: beautiful.

"It's a magical mirror."

Berry was shocked by the sudden voice. She turned to see Princess Cadence standing at the doorway. She had on a jeweled necklace that shimmered in the dim light.

"What does it do?"

"I found this mirror when I was exploring the castle myself. Princess Celestia told me that it is a gateway to another world, but no more than that. It only activates once every thirty moons...I'm afraid it's closed right now."

The filly frowned. She wanted to jump into the portal and go to another world. Away from all of the bad. She could be free.

"Do you think I can go through it, when it does open?" Berry asked.

Cadence closed her eyes to think. "Well, I don't see what harm it could do. It will be a long time until then."

Berry nodded. "I'll wait. I'm going to bring Fluttershy with me!" That got a laugh out of the princess.

"I'm sure Fluttershy will enjoy your adventure very much! Come, are you hungry? I'll get us some nice salads made, and we can eat in the garden."

The Crystal Garden was a beautiful place. The trees, bushes, and even grass seemed to be made out of crystals as they shimmered in the twilight. Many different flowers bloomed, giving off pleasant aromas. Berry had been in the garden before, but she would always gasp in amazement every time she entered again. The best part was that there were no guards around. Berry knew they were there to help her and the other ponies, but she was still intimidated by them anyway. She made her way to a small white table in the center of the garden and took a seat. Cadence arrived moments later with two bowls of crisp fruit salad.

Berry stared long and hard at the sky, her mind wandering elsewhere instead of eating her meal. She could see something twinkling in the sky, above the dead sun. The filly thought it to be a shooting star and made a wish.

I wish I can have a happy ending.

"Berry?" Cadence's soft voice snapped Berry back, who began to nibble at her food. "Do not worry for even a second," The princess continued. "We are very safe here. The guards are all here to protect you and the other ponies. I won't let anything bad happen to you, for Fluttershy's sake. She will return here and you can be together again."

The filly didn't know how much of that was entirely true, but she knew the princess was trying to help. She finished her meal and looked up to the sky again. The twinkling object was gone.

Berry Bunches remembered a similar twinkling object back when she lived in Manehatten. Her father was gone again, leaving the filly to take care of herself. She made a nice meal of fruit and bread, then went onto the roof. She always hid up there to reflect and watch the world around her. Ponies would always be on the streets, running and laughing. Others were in the comfort of their own homes, sitting down to wonderful meals and talking about their day. Berry never had that luxury; her father was always away. When he did return, he would only beat Berry or yell at her to clean the house. Then, he would leave again. She never had friends to help her, only the ponies she would watch from the rooftop.

She remembered looking into the sky and seeing a shooting star. It shimmered in the night sky as it raced through the heavens. Berry closed her eyes and made a wish on that star. I wish I can get away from here. I wish to be free, to explore the world myself, away from my father.

Well, her wish was granted. The world ended, her father dead, beasts and other things roamed Equestria, and she was in a place hundreds of miles from her own home. However, she wasn't sure if she would want to go back to the way things were before or not. Of course, her wings still worked back then. She wanted very much to fly, but that could never happen again. The mirror came to mind. If it's true, then I can escape through that mirror.

As Berry looked back to princess Cadence, she could see that the princess was smiling at her. "You are a special filly, do you know that?"

"How so?"

"You are staying strong. You have dreams and goals and ambitions, things that will take you far and help you survive." Cadence got up. "I admire that. Please, Berry Bunches, always follow your dreams. You might find out they are easier to achieve than you thought."

I would like that very much, Berry thought as she excused herself to return to the castle. Cadence went off to attend to Royal duties, leaving the filly to look for something else to keep her busy. Maybe Twilight is free.

Twilight Sparkle was located in her brother's recovery room. He looked much better than before, laughing and talking to his sister as Berry entered the room. The sound of the opening door was the loudest thing Berry had ever heard, and she trotted in awkwardly.

"How are you doing?" Twilight said as Berry took a place besides the bed.

"I am fine, thank you." Berry bowed her head. She heard laughter.

"No need to be courteous here." Shining Armor spoke up. "It's okay. You know, I'm going to be able to go outside tomorrow - or, after I take a nap." Nopony can tell what day it is anymore, not after the princesses died. "Maybe we can go for a run?"

Berry nodded. "I would like that very much."

Twilight smiled before getting up. "We should leave him to rest. Come, Berry. Let's go to the balcony!" Berry followed the princess out of the room after both said goodbye to Shining Armor. The way to the balcony was long, due to how large the castle was. The stairs seemed to go on forever, until they finally made it to the right floor.

The balcony sat above the Crystal Empire. It wasn't as high as the tower Twilight had found her brother in, but it was tall enough for Berry. She could see as far as the snow that plagued the outskirts of the kingdom. The streets were still empty except for the guards that patrolled both land and sky. Most ponies were scared to go outside because of all of the bad in the world. Berry wanted to take them all and go through the mirror. She wondered if Twilight knew about the mirror as well.

A guard flew by as Twilight placed her front hooves on the railing. There was a gentle breeze up there, making Twilight's mane flow in the wind. Berry liked Twilight's mane very much, although she did have pride in her own. It was long and pink, although recently it began to curl up at the ends. It reminded her of the filly Sweetie Belle's mane. I wonder where she is now.

"Berry," Twilight began. The filly could tell that Twilight's tone meant bad news.

"What's wrong?" The filly asked. Please don't leave me.

"I...We were discussing a plan about the Sleipnir before. Reading the books gave me a better idea of what to expect. I have to lure some of them up here." The princess began to frown. "...And to do that, I have to go away for a while. I will be taking a few guards and Shining Armor with me." Berry felt her heart sink as Twilight crouched down to meet the filly. "I promise you, we'll be back. You can play with Shining Armor before he leaves, but he was the one who asked to go."

"You...you're going to leave me too?" She thought of Fluttershy. As good as her intentions were, Fluttershy still left Berry alone.

"Never!" Twilight quickly said. "We are going to be back before you know it! If we're right, then it won't be too much of a problem, and you will all be safe here."

"No! Just stay here with me! We can...we can" We can escape in the mirror. Berry began to cry when Twilight placed a hoof on her head.

"I assure you, we'll be okay. I'm sorry it had to be this way...I talked with Shining Armor when we got back from the library -"

Berry ran back into the castle, leaving Twilight at the balcony. She ran with tears in her eyes. They are going to leave, and they will die. I will be alone again. She ran down the steps and found her bedroom. Berry flung the doors open and threw herself onto the bed, crying as she lay there. All she could think about was Fluttershy. Please come back, Fluttershy.

The dream Berry Bunches had that night was a pleasant one. She was with Fltutershy, and the two of them passed through the mirror. The land on the other side was beautiful: flowers scattered on a hill by a lake. There were birds and ducks and little fish in the water. The sun sat high in the sky and there were no clouds in sight. Berry's wing was working again, and the two of them took off to fly. Fly as far as they could, laughing and crying tears of joy.

Shining Armor was the one who woke her up from her dream. She tossed around, wanting to return to that heavenly place. The unicorn had a warm smile as he stepped back. "Twilight said she told you...before I leave, we're going to do whatever we can together! Just you and me."

Together, the two ate breakfast and got ready to go for a run. The two ran to the outskirts of the Crystal Empire, along the boundary that separated the lush grass from the snow. There were hills and flowers and even a lake, although none of it was as beautiful as in her dream. She managed to beat Shining Armor in a race, although she knew he let her win. Berry did feel happy for a time, especially when Shining Armor began to play catch with the pegasus. He threw the ball high up, but Berry was able to catch it flawlessly. She wasn't great at throwing, though, and the ball ended up in the lake. Shining Armor laughed as he used his magic to scoop it up.

However, it soon became time for Shining Armor and Twilight to leave. Berry stood next to Princess Cadence as Twilight and Shining Armor rounded up royal guards.

"I trust you'll be back soon." Cadence said as she nuzzled her husband. Berry gave Twilight a hug.

Shining Armor saluted. "We will be back soon, your highness!" He said with a laugh before turning to face the guards. "Our mission is a simple one: capture and bring back a Sleipnir! If we can kill one in the process, even better! Everypony has a weakness; they have one too. It is up to us to find out what that weakness is!" The guards cheered as they all made their way out of the Crystal Empire, leaving Berry Bunches behind to watch them depart.

"Princess Cadence," Berry Bunches said when they returned to the castle. "Doesn't it make you sad to see them leave?"

The princess nodded. "Of course it does, my little pony. But, I know they will be okay. Their mission is an important one, and I can only sit back and give them my support."

Later that day, Berry Bunches returned to the room the mirror was held in. She pressed herself against the glass, wanting to slip through and discover a whole new world on the other side. Unfortunately, she only slid across the surface with a squeak.

"One day," Berry spoke to the mirror as if it could listen. "I will pass through, and I will find what waits on the other side. Until then, I have to wait."

Wait for Fluttershy to come back, wait for the portal to open, wait for Twilight to return successful...wait for this all to be over.

Fluttershy 4 - Broken

Cold couldn't even begin to describe how Fluttershy felt. It seemed to be so cold that even the snow didn't fall. The pegasus's wings were too stiff to extend, making Flying out of the question.

"Don't fall behind!" Discord yelled as he floated along, impervious to the temperature. The vast forest emptied out into a flat, snow-filled land. A lonely mountain sat in the distance, its peak piercing the clouds that hung above it. Discord called it the Winter Mountain, and said his brethren were at the top. Fluttershy gulped at the thought of having to climb it.

"Fluttershy, hurry up!" Pinkie Pie bounced along towards the mountain, causing Fluttershy to gasp and catch up with her friend. The pink pony looked bright and cheerful on the outside, but her mane and tail were deflating every day. She always had a smile on her face, although Fluttershy knew it was covering up something else.

As for Discord, Fluttershy wasn't sure if she could still trust him. She made it this far with the draconequus, and they are still in one piece, so he is probably on her side. She couldn't help but think about the stallion in the snow that attacked her. Pinkie Pie was the one who saved her, not Discord. He only laughed and moved on.

The base of the mountain was very wide and rocky. Fluttershy couldn't find a good spot to climb up as she slid down with each attempt. Discord sighed and scooped the pegasus right up, floating up the mountain. Pinkie Pie bounced along as usual, singing a song as she did. Discord's hands felt extremely cold on Fluttershy's skin, but he carried her up like a filly anyway. It was a very long way up, evident through the lack of oxygen as they climbed farther and farther up. It was so hard for Fluttershy to breathe that she almost passed out. Once they made it to a small alcove, Discord dropped her in order to catch his own breath.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go the rest of the way yourself. If I carry you more, we'll drop out of the sky like flies."

"Why don't we rest here for a bit?"

Discord looked around and nodded, snapping his fingers. A warm fire appeared out of nowhere, prompting the ponies to immediately gather around it to get warm. Fluttershy was able to move her wings back and forth, hearing them crack as she did. It felt pretty good. Pinkie Pie did the same with her neck, removing all of the kinks with a louder crack. The pegasus reached for her saddlebag and pulled out the remaining berries. She gave some to Pinkie and Discord before taking the rest for herself. "I hope we get there soon...we're out of food." Fluttershy said out loud.

When nopony responded, Fluttershy looked up in confusion. Discord was already asleep, having eaten his share in an instant. Pinkie Pie didn't touch her food, but stared into the fire. There was a look in her eyes that Fluttershy knew; she was very familiar with the look. It was of sadness.

Pinkie Pie had no expression on her face. Her eyes stared blankly into the fire as her mouth stayed stoic and indifferent. Her mane and tail were fully deflated by now, covered in hoarfrost and pebbles.

"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, causing the party pony to jump. Fluttershy had never seen Pinkie get so surprised in that way; she only remembered herself having a similar reaction.

"I feel...something's wrong." Pinkie Pie said in a monotonic tone, staring back at the fire.

Fluttershy looked confused. "Well, we are on top of a cold mountain, very far away from Equestria."

"No, not that...." Pinkie Pie's expression changed, as if she had witnessed a murder, and not the pony that Fluttershy had killed. "Don't you feel it too? It's coming from...my element." The pony placed a hoof on her balloon-shaped gem. "It's as if it just grew weaker."

Fluttershy closed her eyes, placing a hoof on her own Element. For the first time since Canterlot, Fluttershy felt something stirring in the element. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in that same white room.

At least, it felt like the same room. She stood there, as well as the other ponies - Rainbow Dash was even there. That caused her to feel a sudden jolt of excitement.

"Rainbow Dash!?" Her voice echoed in the room. Rainbow Dash turned to Fluttershy, but disappeared right after...leaving the room in a state that she had seen before.

However, something else happened. Rarity, who was across from Rainbow Dash, began to glow. She spun around a few times before disappearing in the same way Rainbow Dash did. There were only four ponies remaining in the white room, and the others all looked blurry to the pegasus. The room began changing colors as well: the whiteness associated with a mix of all colors turned a nasty mix of purple, pink, orange, and yellow. That was when Fluttershy knew what happened.

"Rarity is...!" Fluttershy heard herself say as she opened her eyes once more. She was on the alcove, sitting next to Pinkie Pie and the fire. Discord had not moved, still sound asleep. Rarity. One of Fluttershy's own friends. She now joins Rainbow Dash, wherever they are now.

"You feel it too...Our friends are...dying, Fluttershy." Pinkie frowned. "One by one, they fall. Because we're not together anymore...Whenever we're together, we're unstoppable." The pink pony grew depressed right before Fluttershy's eyes. She saw the bright pink color escape Pinkie Pie's mane, tail, and fur.

Discord woke up, yawning as he looked at what happened in front of him. Fluttershy turned to him and yelled. "Are you using your spells again!?"

The draconequus got up. "Sorry, it's not me this time. She brought this on herself. Now that your...group is apart and not faring well, poor Pinkie Pie is starting to fall apart."

"What can we do to help her?"

Discord stared for a while. "Do what Pinkie Pie does when someone is sad, I guess. Cheer her up. You can do that, right?"

Fluttershy thought back to when her cutie mark was switched. She tried making the ponies laugh, but failed to do so...She didn't know if she could do it this time. No, it's Pinkie Pie! I have to try...

"Anyway, I think we should get going. At this rate, you're going to fall apart as well, and we can't deal with mean Fluttershy! Not up here!" Discord laughed as he began to walk. There was a small path that led up from the alcove that Discord used. Fluttershy started to follow before noticing that Pinkie Pie hadn't moved.

"Oh, Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy said in a sing-song voice. The pony didn't respond. "Come on, Pinkie Pie, you have to smile! Everypony deserves happiness."

Pinkie Pie didn't smile, but she got up and followed Discord. Fluttershy looked down. I can do this...I have to.

The path grew steeper and steeper as they went up. Fluttershy didn't know how anypony could live all the way up here, but she answered that when she saw Discord floating by.

"Well what do ya know, I only ran out of breath because I was carrying you all this way!" Discord laughed as he spun around in the air like a dancer.

"Are we there yet?" Fluttershy asked, looking back at Pinkie Pie. She was trudging along, although slowly.

"Yes, you are!" A new voice came from right behind the pegasus, causing her to quickly turn around. She saw Discord...or rather, a female version. She was definitely a draconequus, as she laughed when Fluttershy nearly had a heart attack.

"Discord, I see you finally came out to visit your family!" She said as she floated to him and flicked his nose.

"Nice to see you, Eris." Discord said flatly.

"The elder sent me out to greet you all. Come on, let's get you ponies inside!" Eris said, corralling the ponies up the last stretch of the mountain.

The peak was one of the most beautiful things Fluttershy had ever seen, until she turned to look at the view. She could see very far into the distance in every direction. The forest where they had come from looked like a tiny dot compared to the rest of the world. Mountains, rivers, and even something that looked very similar to the tall tower of the Crystal Empire, way in the distance. Are we that close to it, or is that just how high we are??

A small temple stood perched on the Winter Mountain peak. It was grey and made of stone. Various statues shaped like draconequus lined a pathway to the temple. Torches hung on the walls, burning brightly.

Fluttershy looked at the statues. They each looked like Discord's statue when he was sealed by the elements.

"Are they....?"

Eris laughed. "Oh, they are only statues. Don't worry, dear." The lady draconequus patted Fluttershy on the head.

The pegasus approached Discord. "Your family is very...interesting." She said awkwardly as Eris began to make cotton candy clouds appear, drinking from them like a cup.

"Wait till you meet the rest of them." Discord said quickly. "Fluttershy, I must warn you...there is a reason I never came up here with them..."

"And why is that, might I ask?" An older voice emerged from the temple. A very old-looking draconequus appeared, holding a cane in the shape of intertwining snakes biting a red orb. Although she carried the cane, she floated above the ground and approached Discord.

The old draconequus stared long and hard at Discord. She moved in an out as she circled him. When she made it back to the front, she hit him square in the head with her cane.

"Discord!" She yelled. "Where have you been!? Why would you choose to visit now, after all these years!"

Eris appeared next to Fluttershy. "That's the elder. Her name is Maelstra, but you can call her elder, or Mae, or Elder Mae."

Discord rubbed his head. "Now, you know I was sealed away for a good hundred years."

"Only a fool would have let himself get sealed in the first place!" Mae had a very stern look on her face. Fluttershy could tell that Maelstra was the kind of old lady who could be as friendly as possible, unless you get on her bad side. And right now, Discord was on her bad side.

"You all packed up and left me in Equestria. I mean, I was able to rule it by myself as a result, but I had no help from my own family." Discord put his hands under his chin and layed horizontally in the air. Mae hit him with the cane again.

"And you know well and good why we left! There was nothing more for us down there!" Mae spat before turning to the two ponies.

"At least you brought home a wife, even though she is a pony..."

Fluttershy blushed. "Oh, I'm not...not."

Mae laughed. "I'm only kidding! Hello, I am the Elder draconequus, Maelstra. You can call me Mae. Come inside, I just finished baking cookies!"

The sudden mood change startled Fluttershy, but everypony entered the temple anyway. It was pretty cozy inside, Fluttershy determined. It seemed to function just like a regular home: there was a kitchen, a dining room, and a few couches placed next to a fireplace. It reminded the pegasus of her own cottage back in Ponyville.

"Come, sit! Warm yourselves!" Mae said as she went to fetch the cookies. Discord took a seat before Eris appeared and poofed the chair away, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Oh, that never gets old!" She said, laughing.

Discord sighed. "Most definitely." He replied. His sarcasm could slice butter.

"So, what brings you all up here anyway?" Mae said as she returned with a platter of cookies. She left them on a small table for everypony to take. Pinkie Pie did manage to take one and eat it. Fluttershy did the same; after taking the first bite, her tongue felt as if it were on fire. Spicy!!! The pegasus opened her mouth and panted while Mae laughed.

"Chocolate chip with hot sauce! It's a common delicacy for us." Mae laughed. "Don't worry; you'll get used to it before you know it. It's amazing how ponies adapt to the weather, and this weather requires much adapting.

She was right - Fluttershy took a wary second bite, not even noticing the hot sauce. After that was settled, Fluttershy cleared her throat.

"Well...you see, we come from Equestria."

"Of course you did." Eris began before being hit by Mae's cane.

"...And we were wondering if...if you could help us with...With..."

"Yes, with..with...spit it out already!" Mae said hurriedly.

"The Sleipnir!" Fluttershy blurted out. There was a moment of silence.

"So the rumors are true." Mae said. "We didn't know it would happen now, but apparently it did."

Fluttershy looked at them. "So you all knew too?"

"Of course we did! We were there when the bloody king created the prophecy!" Mae said, shifting in her chair.

Mae then began speaking in a strange language, although Fluttershy could understand every word:

"And the world shall end in fire. From its ashes, chaos and order will fight once again, one keeping the other at bay, but order shall eventually win and cleanse the world.

"Wait, is that the prophecy? I heard it differently from the princesses..." Fluttershy replied to the astonishment of the draconequus.

Mae leaned toward the pegasus. "Wait, you understood that?" Even Discord was surprised, noting that even he forgot the language on account of not speaking it for a long time.

Fluttershy nodded shyly. "Yeah, I guess I did. Did you, Pinkie Pie?"

The pink pony didn't say anything, but she still shook her head.

"Amazing...you can understand the ancient language. The language of the Sleipnir and Draconequus." Mae said. She took another cookie before continuing. "But yes, that is the gist of it. Your princesses translated the prophecy wrong! I suppose that's what the cause of all this is. If they had only come to us draconequus in the first place, maybe the Sleipnir wouldn't be back."

"Is there anything you can do to...um, to make them go away?"

"No." Mae's blunt words hit Fluttershy hard. "...Yes, we could have prevented them from coming, but nopony ever bothered to come up here and get us!" She looked right at Discord.

He raised his hands. "I wanted to do it myself-"

"And look where that got you! You were enemies with the ponies; of course they would believe that stopping you would help them! Either way...even if we did do something, it may not have been enough. One way or another, a Sleipnir prophecy always comes true. Curse those beings of order...Chaos works differently - it has a mind of its own and can grow and change from our original intent. The Sleipnir's power ensures that what they will to happen, happens. It's as simple as that."

"Although, it is rather odd that they decide to show your princesses proper courtesy by eating them and half their kingdom...The Sleipnir in my day would have never done such a thing."

"It's probably revenge on being sealed away for so long." Eris offered. Fluttershy's head began to spin. Is there nothing we can do to stop them now?

"Not to mention the fact that not a single pony can communicate with them anyway...well, except for Fluttershy here."

That hit a chord with Fluttershy. Out of all ponies left in Equestria, she was the only one who can communicate with the beasts that roamed. "Oh, no." Fluttershy began to dispute. "I can't...I'm not able to."

Mae stood up. "You can understand our language - there's no doubt you can speak it too!"

"I can't!" Fluttershy said. Mae smiled - Fluttershy realized that Mae just said that in the ancient language, and Fluttershy responded in the language too.

"You have a natural gift, my dear." Mae said, approaching the pegasus. "I can see it in your eyes. You may seem timid on the outside, but you have a fire growing inside you - a chaotic soul. If you can talk to them, find out what they want...maybe you can live in peace. You'll never know unless you try."

"Won't you return to Equestria with us?" Fluttershy peeped. She didn't want to face them alone.

Mae laughed. "Oh, my dear...of course we won't!" She sat back down and took another cookie. "Our battle with the Sleipnir ended thousands of years ago. Our power wanes. We may have been able to prevent this all if it happened before, but I don't think you ponies would have liked the outcome. No, it is your fight now."

"But...chaos is the opposite of order! You must be able to do something against them, right!?"

"I wish we could...sadly, we three are the only draconequus left in the world. Back in our day, we had thousands upon thousands in our ranks, all filled with as much chaos as a little filly! After all the fighting and death, our numbers dwindled. The ponies were the ones who sealed them away - with their own power, nonetheless - not us! By the time Discord decided to be a hero and take Equestria for himself, there was no way he'd keep it!"

"Thanks." Discord interjected with a facepalm.

"Anyway," Mae stretched her arms. "The way I see it, you either learn to live with them in peace and harmony, run far away in the hopes that they won't catch you, or let them catch you and be done with it."

"But-"

"That is all I have to say on the matter." Mae got up and returned the platter to the kitchen. Eris stood up and left the room as well, leaving Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Discord.

Discord turned to the pegasus. "Sorry, but that's all that can be done here. We'll leave as soon as we can." As he said so, Pinkie Pie began to shiver uncontrollably. It wasn't a small one, either; Pinkie jerked violently as she shook and shook. Before long, she passed out on the floor.

"Pinkie Pie!" Fluttershy rushed to her friend's aid. Mae came back into the room. "Oh dear," She began. "Your friend has come down with hypothermia!"

No, no, no, no! Fluttershy said as she lifted Pinkie's head. She was out cold, still shaking. Her dull skin began to turn shades of blue-green.

Mae looked on for a moment. "You're going to have to get going quickly." She said.

"Can't we just leave her here with warm fires?" Discord asked.

The elder shook her head. "The weather now is warm compared to what it could be. If it gets too cold, it'll be too cold for even a fire. We are fine with it because of how resistant we are, but the poor dear would freeze to death!"

Fluttershy stood up. "No, I won't let that happen! We have to get her back down! We have to!" There was no way Fluttershy would lose another friend. Not here, away from the rest of the world. She turned back to Mae and Eris, who had entered the room again. "Thank you for all of your help...and please consider coming down to Equestria if you can. Maybe there is something you can do to help..."

Mae nodded. "If my old bones can get down there, I would. I hope you save your friend." She poofed up a pile of furs, which she proceeded to wrap around Pinkie Pie. "This should keep her warm enough, but you will need to get moving!"

Eris held up bags of food. "This should satisfy you on your journey back."

Fluttershy emptied it into her saddlebag as Discord picked up Pinkie Pie. She was muttering some words under her breath now. Her element was glowing faintly. "We have to go!" Fluttershy yelled to Discord. "Can't you teleport us out of here!?"

Discord frowned. "I can only teleport to a place I can see."

The pegaus groaned as she left the temple. Discord was right next to her as they raced back down the path. It seemed much easier to go down the mountain than to go up. Fluttershy flexed her wings and took off, racing down the side of the mountain. She turned to see that Discord was floating down as well. Pinkie Pie lay still in his arms. Fluttershy cried as she continued her descent.

After making it to the bottom, Fluttershy and Discord zoomed off to the south, back into the forest. They ran for what seemed like forever before finally stopping from exhaustion. Discord poofed up a fire and placed Pinkie Pie right next to it.

It was a few hours before Pinkie Pie moved. She opened her eyes slightly, prompting Fluttershy to rush to her side.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!" Fluttershy cried.

Pinkie Pie looked like an ice sculpture. Her mane and fur all looked frozen as her color looked a pinkish-blue. Her mane was as flat as paper, and her eyes looked to be begging for warmth.

"Flu...Flutter..." Pinkie Pie tried to say.

"What is it? I'm here!" Fluttershy's tears froze on her cheeks.

"Thank...thank you for being my friend." Pinkie Pie passed out again. Fluttershy cried as she clutched the barely breathing pony in her hooves.

"Discord, can't you do anything???"

The draconequus shook his head. "I can give her as much warmth as she needs, but I don't think that's going to help." He got up and made another fire appear before going off to sleep. "I really am sorry, Fluttershy."

The pegasus lay on the hard floor, clutching the only friend she had left out in this world, and cried. Rainbow Dash and Rarity are gone, Twilight and Applejack are not here...Pinkie Pie is all I have right now. Fluttershy began humming a quiet song into Pinkie Pie's ear, crying as she did:

A true, true friend helps a friend in need....A friend will be there to help you see...

Everything that had happened, Fluttershy wanted to forget. She wanted to forget about the meteors, about the ponies that attacked her, even about the Manticore she slew and Discord, who was right there with her. All she thought about was Pinkie Pie's bubbly personality, her unusual quirkiness, and how it was just the two of them, alone in this new world.

Twilight 2 - Dark Clouds

The warm air was definitely refreshing to Twilight Sparkle, who had just flown through the cold lands of the north. The alicorn went ahead of most of her party, taking two pegasi guards with her. They landed in an open field near a very small village. Twilight told the guards to take a breather while she checked the town.

The princess entered the collection of houses in search for anything that could prove to be useful: food, supplies, anypony who was alive. Sadly, the village was cleared out long ago, leaving nothing except trash and ruin. She frowned before jumping onto the rooftop of one building, staring out to the horizon.

Canterlot Castle could be seen from where she stood. It was off in the distance, but Twilight could perfectly make out the tower spires and the mountain it was perched on.

"It looks so peaceful..." Twilight said quietly, knowing all too well what is really there: the beasts that killed her princesses and Rainbow Dash.

In the book she read in the library, a whole chapter was on something known as the "Keys to Order". They were six relics that contained the Sleipnir's power, and contained the power to restore order to the world. Twilight had already deduced that these relics were the Elements of Harmony. That must be why they didn't respond when we were attacked, or else...

"Twilight!"

Shining Armor's voice carried through the air. Twilight flew down to meet her brother. He was dressed in his royal guard uniform, complete with helmet and spear. The non-winged ponies were behind him, each having a look of calmness on their faces, even though she knew well that they were all scared to be out here.

"So, what's the next part of your plan, my princess?" Shining Armor bowed in a way that Twilight could tell he was trying to alleviate the tension. Twilight laughed and told him to rise.

"We...well, we wait. Use magic whenever possible, but not too much to attract them all here. We only want a small group, and even then we'll only capture one of them, if even that's possible." The princess had a small feeling in her gut that it may not be. However, Shining Armor nodded and ordered his soldiers to stand straight.

"You heard the princess!" Shining Armor yelled. Twilight could feel the force in his voice - the voice of a true leader. "We will make camp here in this village. Rounds and watches will be assigned. Those who can use magic will do so at Twilight's discretion! If we play it safe, we'll be back in the safety of the Crystal Empire before long."

The soldiers scattered to do their duties. Some stood watch at the outskirts of the village, others on the rooftops. The rest were busy checking each individual building for anything useful or dangerous. They worked like bees, which impressed Twilight. Shining Armor had much authority, but he spoke as if he were best friends with each and every single soldier. That made the princess smile.

"Look at you, being 'Mr. Commander'!" Twilight laughed at her brother.

"Hey, this is what I do." He laughed, before straightening out again. "Are you sure it'll be okay to use magic? I don't want a large group of them to catch us off guard."

Twilight didn't respond, but instead used her magic to lift Shining Armor's helmet right off of his head. His mane fell to either side of his head as he used his own magic to force the helmet back down. Both laughed afterwards.

"You haven't changed since the end of the world, Twily." Shining Armor said as he turned to supervise his soldiers. Twilight thought about that for a while - she had seen and experienced so much with her friends while they were on their mission to find the elements. She knew Fluttershy had changed a lot ever since it started, but she never stopped to think if she had changed as well. The princess felt like she was the same - studious, cautious. She had been able to keep her friends together while so much happened.

Then again, they weren't together now - they were scattered. Rainbow Dash and the princesses were dead. The elements no longer function they way they had known - Twilight left her crown in the Crystal Empire for safekeeping. It's no use if it doesn't work...

"Twilight?" Shining Armor turned back to the pondering princess. "You all right?"

She shook her head before smiling at her brother. "Yes." She took her deep breath and wandered off.

One soldier stood in watch on top of the tallest building. It had been a schoolhouse when the world was still whole. He jumped when Twilight landed next to him. "I'm sorry, my princess!" He said as he fumbled for his spear. Twilight could only laugh. The soldier was an orange pegasus with a dark blue mane. His eyes were an even darker shade of blue. He wore golden armor that glistened in the orange light.

"It's quite all right." Twilight forgot the reason she flew up there, but it didn't matter. "What is your name?"

The soldier dusted himself. "I am Flash Sentry." He said in an official-sounding voice, although his helmet looked too big for his head and slid down part-way. He fixed it with a squeaky smile.

Flash Sentry. Twilight wished she could have gotten to know this pegasus better, in a different world. One that didn't end. He looked strong, yet gentle at the same time.

"Um...are you okay?" Twilight shook her head when she realized she was staring too long. With a blush, Twilight turned.

"Y-yes, I'm fine! I'll...I'll talk to you later, Flash Sentry!" She waved before flying off, her face as red as a ruby. The princess flew out beyond the village, into the grassy lands to the south. Rolling hills and white rocks littered the land, as clean as it might have been before the world ended. Twilight used her magic a few times to teleport around, in an attempt to draw the attention of any outlying Sleipnir. If I could examine one up close...without it trying to kill me, of course, the princess thought. Reading a book and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different things, she had found out not long after the meteors.

After flying over a rock, she found herself flying right over a group of Sleipnir. They were drinking water from a small lake, which had a river lead right up to Neighagra falls in the distance. The princess panicked and flew back to hide behind the rock, in fear that she was spotted. She closed her eyes and waited; they apparently didn't notice her.

At first glance, Twilight could see that they looked just like any other pony...well, except for the extra pairs of hooves. They were all the same color, but each had a different build and face. The symbols on their flanks were different as well, looking like arcane symbols Twilight would expect from an ancient spellbook. They spoke in a language she didn't understand either, but beyond that they acted like normal ponies. I wonder if they're friendly too...No, they killed Rainbow Dash, and the Princesses, and Rarity...

She didn't want to take that chance, though, and slowly fled. Once she got far enough away, Twilight flew back to the village.
She noticed Flash Sentry was not on top of the schoolhouse anymore as she landed right in the middle of the village. Shining Armor was there to greet her.

"Back so soon? Find anything good?" He asked as he handed the princess a fresh fruit. She used her magic to take it into her mouth for a bite.

"They're near."

That was all Shining Armor needed. He barked a command and the soldiers lined up instantaneously. Flash Sentry was on one end, Twilight noticed.

"My sister tells me that our targets are nearby! Remember, we are to take one into custody! If we can kill another, that would be even better...if we get them all, you can all have leave for a month!" The soldiers cheered at that, although Twilight wondered what they would do since there was nowhere safe to go. Twilight couldn't help but notice how the soldiers listened to her brother with respect. It was something she needed if she wanted to rule someday...And someday is fast approaching. There were a dozen soldiers here with them: four of each type. They were all clad in gold or silver armor, carrying spears. Twilight hoped there would be twelve remaining after this was all done. Oh, Flash Sentry...

Shining Armor then turned to Twilight. "Do you have a plan of action? You did see where they were and what they were doing."

Twilight gulped as the soldiers all turned to look at her. Oh, now I have to say something...this is much harder when you are put on the spot. "My brave soldiers," Twilight began. "From what I saw, our targets are unarmed, unarmored, and small in number. If magic is to be used, it will be used lightly so as to not attract even more to us. Our best bet would be to...Oh, what do I say! ...divide them up! If we can crowd one, we stand a better chance!"

Some of the soldiers agreed to that, which eased the princess a bit. "Naturally, we'll want to sneak up on them. They are near a lake, but there are plenty of rocks to hide behind!"

There was awkward silence for what Twilight thought was forever. Do I tell them to go? What now? It was broken when Flash Sentry spoke up. "We shall do what is necessary to protect and serve our princess!" The other soldiers cheered to that before Shining Armor dismissed them.

When Twilight was alone with her brother, she stepped up to him. "That Flash Sentry..."

Her brother looked puzzled for a minute, but understood. "Oh, the new recruit? What about him?"

Twilight blushed. "Oh, nothing..."

Shining Armor looked annoyed. "There are more important things to worry about right now!" He said, making the princess move it out of her mind as well. Twilight, of all ponies, knew that simple relationships didn't get them any closer to winning against the Sleipnir.

She spoke and nodded to every one of the soldiers before they departed. She didn't know any of them except for Flash, but her heart went out for them all the same. "May you be victorious today." She would tell each one. Old and young, seasoned fighters and new recruits, they each had a story to tell. And may they tell it upon our return.

Twilight flew with the pegasi soldiers as the rest galloped below. She dove down when she knew she was coming upon the lake, and the soldiers followed. "Stay here," Twilight beckoned them as she approached the same rock again. The Sleipnir were still there, and were still unarmed. Is it going to be this easy? She had never been part of a true battle before, besides the one with the Changelings in Canterlot. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

Only seven Sleipnir were in the area, Twilight counted. With the four soldiers, plus me and Shining Armor, we can incapacitate six of the seven. Capture that one and send him back to the Crystal Empire, and we're done here. It sounded so simple in her head, even more so every time she repeated it. Twilight looked again, nervously. There were still seven. She told her plan after calling one of them to her rock.

"Ready?" Twilight mouthed. Shining Armor looked to his soldiers, and back to Twilight. He saluted.

"GO!"

Everything happened so fast that Twilight couldn't even breathe as it did. The unicorns all found a target and froze him in place while the pegasi came down from above, spears in hoof. The earth ponies jumped out from the rocks and lunged at the nearest Sleipnir. The beasts were caught completely off guard. One was stabbed by a pegasus and fell into the lake, but the others broke free of their spells and fought back. Six Sleipnir to be frozen by six unicorns. Perfect, Twilight thought.

The Sleipnir began to turn different colors and fly all around. Some resisted the magic, while others took a while to break free. However, it was clear that they were beatable. One lies dead in the water. Twilight managed to freeze one right in place as she pounced on him. When she did, she saw the mark on his flank change as he teleported away. In a daze, Twilight turned and received a strong buck to the face. She fell down next to the edge of the lake. The Sleipnir shouted in the foreign language as it climbed on top of the pony, but he was soon stabbed by a pegasus. Flash Sentry! The soldier dropped down to meet the princess. "Are you okay?" He asked, offering a hoof. Twilight blushed as she accepted.

The battle didn't really go on for much longer. Of the soldiers brought into battle, two earth ponies and one unicorn were killed. The enemy casualties were much more. The last Sleipnir tried to run away, and even tried to teleport, but the combined powers of the remaining unicorns prevented his escape.

We won. We won! Twilight was happy before realizing that she didn't know how to transport this prisoner back to the Crystal Empire. The beast was squirming around, but he wasn't able to break free of the spell. The mark on his flank went away, strangely enough. In fact, the flanks of every dead Sleipnir were blank. Twilight would have to find out more about this later.

Shining Armor strained a little, but he was able to keep his hold. He turned to the other soldiers. "We are going to bring back one Sleipnir body, and all of our own. We will give them proper burials." The other soldiers went to work while the unicorns tried to maneuver the sleipnir around so they could walk him back to the village. "He can teleport," Shining Armor continued. "...putting him in a cage won't be of much use. Since he's apparently pacified now, we have to walk back like this..." The soldiers didn't complain, but Twilight wanted to break free and collapse right then. All the way back?

And all the way back they marched. Surprisingly, it didn't take much magic to keep the sleipnir suspended, and eventually a few were relieved of the duty. Before long, it was just Twilight and Shining Armor keeping him concealed. He slept the entire time, which was even better. The march back was uneventful, as the pegasi flew back in advance, leaving Twilight only able to think about this Flash Sentry as she kept a grip on the captured Sleipnir.

When they finally returned, they found that the snows had stopped falling and that the land looked a little less dismal. There is hope yet!

The soldiers returned to the applause and cheer of the entirety of the Crystal Empire. They mourned the ones lost, threw rocks at the dead Sleipnir, and cheered for the princess's return. Twilight and Shining Armor entered the square to a waiting Princess Cadence. She hugged her husband tightly before looking to Twilight. "You did well, my princess." She said with a smile. That made Twilight feel much better. Maybe I can be a leader after all.

The prisoner was placed into the crystal dungeons almost immediately. A plethora of guards stood just in case it would try to escape or break free. You can't trust these savage beasts, Twilight thought as she remembered the giant ones snatching Rainbow Dash and the princesses right out of the sky. On the count of three, brother and sister released their grips on the prisoner, but he made no attempts to flee. He only shivered, his flank still blank.

"The cold must affect their power..." Twilight said out loud. "...that, or the crystals. Either way, we shouldn't worry about him." She thought that to be a great relief. That also means nopony will come looking for him either.

Back in the throne room, Twilight called a council together. Cadence, Shining Armor, Flash Sentry, and a dozen other soldiers were all there. The princess was wondering where Berry Bunches was when Shining Armor began to speak.

"Our mission is accomplished; we have our doctor looking over the dead one, but we can't get any information out of the living one. Why do we have him again?"

"Yeah!" A soldier spoke up. "We should just kill him and send the body to Canterlot!" Several others agreed.

Twilight raised her hoof. "I will not stoop to their levels! I...I don't know what to do with him, but he may prove valuable to establish any kind of peace with the Sleipnir."

"Peace!? You think there can be peace after the princesses-"

"Twilight Sparkle will not be spoken to in that way!" Cadence snapped. The soldier who spoke up lowered his head. Twilight had to get used to political affairs like this.

Cadence turned to speak. "Well, the best way to tackle this is to gather allies."

"Who do we have? The Changelings? Ha!" One soldier spoke. Others laughed.

"I have sent a letter to the Griffons of Griffonia." Cadence said. Twilight did not like the sound of that. The same griffons who almost killed us and want to invade Equestria.

"I don't trust them," the purple princess retorted. She explained what she saw and experienced in the griffon castle.

"Yes, but they know how to deal with enemies like this. Besides, you told me yourself that a Sleipnir killed at least one of their own. We have a common enemy."

"What about the ponies from Saddle Arabia?" Another soldier offered.

Cadence sat back. "We haven't heard word from them in a while...they are another good option, although too far south."

The room grew quiet.

"Anypony else?"

Shining Armor was the one to speak up. "Twilight told me much of her adventures. We stand alone. The Sleipnir are in our land. We have to be the ones who get rid of them! Throw them to the griffons for all I care!" This got some of the soldiers riled.

Cadence raised a hoof. "We'll discuss this at a later time, when we have a better understanding of our situation."

If only I could talk to the Sleipnir. "I agree." Twilight said, and the meeting was adjourned.

Later on, Twilight ventured down to the dungeons again to see her prisoner. She knew she couldn't speak to him, but she could probably get an idea of what he was like if she watched. The princess found Flash to be the pony on guard duty at that time. Oh, great... Twilight looked down and blushed, running into him by accident.

Flash was caught off guard. "Oh, are you okay?" He asked. Twilight laughed, but quickly fell silent.

"I'm just visiting him." She pointed to the Sleipnir.

"Makes sense. There aren't any others down here." Flash laughed at his bad joke, making Twilight blush again.

No, now's not the time.

Twilight just stared at her prisoner. He sat there in the center of the cell. When food was brought, he ate it quickly. He didn't speak much, and when he did it was in his language. He seemed not to understand their own, tilting his head and giving a blank expression as he did. His eight hooves were long and white, as white as his blank flank. The sleipnir shivered every minute it seemed.

One thing that puzzled the princess was how calm he was. She had expected her prisoner to be angry and thrashing about, but this one was very docile. "Very strange...." Twilight said to herself.

*********

The princess returned to the secret room in the library, well past what she thought was nighttime. "Come on, there has to be a book on the language!" She moved through book after book in that secret library, and only found a scrap of paper with some translations on it. The language of the Sleipnir looked to be vastly different from their own, with the symbols looking almost like runes. Even though she had only studied it for a moment, she decided to try it out.

Returning to the cell, she saw that a different guard was posted there. Not paying any attention, she pulled out the paper with her magic. When she did, the Sleipnir immediately moved to the cell bars, sniffing as he approached the princess. It startled Twilight for a moment, but she managed to keep calm.

Clearing her throat, Twilight began to pronounce the words. The mare stumbled through the runes, but the words pricked the Sleipnir's ears. He gave a meek laugh as if he had understood what she had said.

The Sleipnir responded to Twilight in a question tone. She didn't know what it meant; it wasn't written on the paper - not that there was any way she would be able to interpret the sounds anyway. She looked at the phrases she had said to her prisoner: 'My love is limitless'. This made Twilight blush as she let out a meek laugh. The soldier turned to see Twilight laughing with her prisoner.

"Hey, don't encourage him like that!" He yelled, stabbing the butt of his spear into the cell.

"Perhaps I should read the translation first..." Twilight said to herself before looking at the second line. It read 'Who are you?'

The Sleipnir stopped laughing and bowed his head, speaking some more words. Twilight could make out what he said to be 'My name is Jalos, my princess.' At least, she hoped that's what he said. She smiled a bit before turning to the soldier.

"He doesn't seem to be that bad..."

"That's just to get you to feel sorry for him. He plans to get you to free him, then that's when he'll stab you in the back," The soldier showed no remorse, which discouraged Twilight a bit. Not if I try to make peace with them. Maybe that's our problem...the lack of communication.

*********

Twilight returned to the main lobby to find Berry Bunches there, who ran into her hooves upon first sight.

"You're back! I was so worried about you!"

"I told you I would be!" Twilight smiled at the little filly she held. Berry looked much better than she had been back in Manehatten. The filly yawned. "Shouldn't you be off to bed now?"

"I wanted to see you first." Berry gave an innocent smile, causing Twilight to laugh. She escorted the filly to her chambers, talking of her adventure as she went.

"So there might be hope after all?" Berry asked with a quizzical look.

Twilight looked down to the little pony. "Yes, there is." She didn't know how true that would be, but nopony knew what the future would hold. Nopony maybe...but the Sleipnir might...

Apple Bloom 3 - Family

"Just keep running!"

Apple Bloom felt so tired that she couldn't keep up. She galloped across the sands as Scootaloo flew overhead. They didn't know which direction they were traveling, but it didn't matter. The only thing they wanted was to get as far away from those changelings as possible. However, all that did matter was Applejack. "Ah can't leave her!" She yelled as sand flew up into the air.

"We've been over this! Applejack is strong! She'll meet up with us soon." Scootaloo panted, starting to grow tired from flying. Before long, the pegasus crashed right in front of Apple Bloom, who jumped over with a yell.

"Watch where you're going!" Apple Bloom yelled. The filly looked behind her to see if they were being followed. To her delight, there was nopony behind them; not even a small bird could be seen. Apple Bloom helped her friend up. "Want to stop here for a while? It looks safe."

Scootaloo looked around for a moment and nodded. Apple Bloom noticed that her friend's mane had grown out ever since the world ended. It draped over her herself and flowed when there was a breeze. She could also see the stretch marks on her wings, where the changeling known as Chrysalis tried to rip them right out. It was a surprise Scootaloo was able to fly this long in her state.

The yellow pony herself felt extremely tired and hungry. Her hooves still chaffed from the chains she was bound in, but all she cared about was seeing her sister again. However, right now Apple Bloom wanted to sleep. The place they had stopped was a little area spotted with some bushes and trees. A slight breeze had settled on the hot landscape, shifting the sands and blowing it into the fillies' eyes. Under normal circumstances, Apple Bloom knew her sister wouldn't have let them stay in a place like this for long, but she very well knew that nothing has been normal for a long time.

"We can use the bushes to hide." Apple Bloom said, wandering over to one. It pricked her skin a little as she touched it, but soon nestled right underneath it. The bush felt cold, which was odd considering they were in the middle of a hot desert. The warm sand underneath Apple Bloom balanced everything out. She could hear Scootaloo complaining under her breath, but she gave it no mention. You'll thank me later. Before long, Apple Bloom was passed out. She began to dream about Sweet Apple Acres. She and Applejack were bucking trees and harvesting apples. When they returned to the barn, Apple Bloom could see Granny Smith and Big McIntosh standing there, waving their hooves. Apple Bloom had never been happier to see her family.

A rustle in the bushes nearby woke Apple Bloom up from her dream. "Scootaloo, stop squirming!" She called out, annoyed that her dream was disturbed.

"What? I thought that was you!"

Apple Bloom's eyes widened as she sprang up. Somepony's here, she thought as she turned to the source of the rustling. "Is...is somepony there?" Apple Bloom called out to the bush, which began to rustle again. "Ah'm warnin' you...come out now!" The bushes suddenly parted, causing the fillies to huddle and cry. When Apple Bloom looked up, however, a huge wave of relief came over her. A mare emerged from one of the bushes, looking as tired as ever, but carried a confident smile on her face. A bright gem hung around her neck as if it were a part of her own body. Her mane, covered in dust, flowed in the wind.

"Applejack!!!"

With tears in her eyes, Apple Bloom rushed and jumped to hug her sister. Applejack stood there, looking better than ever. Her element glistened in the orange light, much like her mane and even her cutie mark. The sister Apple Bloom thought she lost was right here, in the flesh. Nothing would ever keep them apart ever again.

"Ah...ah was so worried about you, sis! You have to stop leavin' us alone like that!" She said, pressed tightly into her sister. Scootaloo smiled and approached the sisters as well. Applejack simply smiled and tightened her grip around the fillies, tears forming in her eyes as she did. Apple Bloom didn't care about anything else that would happen; she was with her sister again.

"Ah would never think twice about it...ah'm sorry ah scared you two. But, we're together again!" Applejack's voice was coarse, as if she had been screaming at the top of her lungs. Apple Bloom thought about her sister fighting off the changelings, and how gallant her sister must have been as she fended them off.

"How did you get away?" Scootaloo asked. Applejack laughed and wore an awkward grin. She must have done a good job on them, Apple Bloom thought as she studied her sister - she didn't have any marks or injuries from the battle, at least not anything she didn't already have. Did she really beat them without so much as a scratch? The filly shrugged off the thought, glad that her sister was alive after all.

"Let's not worry about that now. We've got some walkin' to do!" The orange mare quickly replied, turning to face a different direction.

Apple Bloom almost forgot about where they wanted to go now. "Are we going to see the zebras?" She asked, jumping up and down. She remembered the last time they were in the desert. They hadn't been with the zebras for long, but they seemed friendly enough. And, they weren't too affected by the end of the world; the zebras traveled throughout the entire desert and beyond, so they would simply move to another location if their previous one was destroyed.

Applejack laughed again and nodded. "Of course." was all she said before turning to face what Apple Bloom thought was south. "This way. Let's go! There might be more of them on their way." The fillies looked at each other, knowing what Applejack was referring to. They didn't want to get caught again; Scootaloo looked at her wings and immediately began to walk. Apple Bloom followed closely behind.

Even though the sun hadn't risen or set for the longest time, the desert still grew hotter and hotter as the three ponies ventured farther south. They passed many different rock formations they haven't seen before, suggesting that they were well beyond the region they had crossed earlier. Back in a different world, where we were all together, Apple Bloom thought. No matter; I have Applejack back. Nothing will separate us!

Of course, they weren't able to get by without being attacked at least once by the changelings. One flew overhead, nearly tackling Scootaloo right out of the sky. "Get down!" Applejack called to the fillies before running to meet the foe. With one great kick, she knocked the changeling right into a nearby rock. The fillies cheered on as Applejack charged the creature, but it simply got up and flew away screeching.

"Great job, sis!"

Applejack didn't respond; instead, she simply kept moving onward. Apple Bloom made a face, but didn't give it a second thought. She must be tired, or hot, or both. I know I am...

However, both fillies began asking questions of the mare they traveled with. While it was only filly naivete, Applejack only looked annoyed as they continued.

"How long will it be?"

"Do you think they'll remember us?"

"Can we go to Saddle Arabia too while we're out here?"

"What if we run into more of them?"

The mare soon stopped in her tracks. "ENOUGH!" She yelled in a tone that struck a chord in Apple Bloom's ear. I've never heard Applejack get mad like this, and I've seen her get mad... This caused both fillies to jump back, startled to see the fire in the orange pony's eyes.

After a moment of silence, Apple Bloom spoke. "Sorry, sis..."

"No, ah'm sorry." Applejack apparently regained her composure. "It's just hot...makes the blood boil. We had better get there soon." She said before continuing on. Apple Bloom could only look at Scootaloo, who shrugged. There was silence for the entire trip from that moment on, which was only broken when Applejack stopped to tell them to get some rest. "We'll continue after we wake." She said before falling asleep.

Apple Bloom looked up at the sky, the orange sky. As tired as she was, she just couldn't tell if was really time for ponies to go to bed. The sky would always let us know...now, it's just orange. The sun itself is sleeping, or dead. Maybe we should do the same? Is that what it means? Apple Bloom was not able to fall asleep, instead tossing and turning in the uncomfortable sands that surrounded her. They were situated right next to a cool rock and slept in its shadow. The twilight sun had cast a long shadow on everything, even the ponies themselves. Sometimes Apple Bloom would look at her shadow when she walked. Some times it looked as if she grew three feet, while other times it looked nothing like her. The sand distorted the shadows sometimes, shifting around and changing form. They had no food and water, so Apple Bloom hoped they would find something before they perish in the desert. Would anypony come looking for us, as the sands shifted and buried us deep within, hiding us like a dark secret?

The pony didn't know how long it had been since the end of the world - a few weeks, months, maybe even a year. She just wasn't sure. The days blended together, especially now that the days literally couldn't even be told apart. She felt that she had grown a lot in the time she spent traveling. The filly felt more mature now, even if she really was still a filly. The pink bow she kept in her mane had been lost long before, possibly out over the ocean after visiting the griffons, or back when they saw the dragons. Her mane had grown very long and even began to curl in a few places; she would brush it, but there was no way to out here. Her flank was also still blank. She turned to look at Scootaloo, who was sound asleep. Her cutie mark raised and lowered as she breathed in her sleep. Ah will not die without my cutie mark, Apple Bloom promised herself, although she didn't know if she could keep it.

She didn't know when she fell asleep, but she woke up to Scootaloo tapping her on the shoulder. "It's time to go." She said before walking away. Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes, getting some sand in them, and shook her head. Apple Bloom saw her sister standing a short distance away, looking annoyed. It was time to keep moving. Or end up as another secret for the desert to keep. As she walked, Apple Bloom began to wonder how many ponies were buried where she slept, hidden away for nopony to find.

Red lines streaked the orange, cloudless sky. The sun was red as well, which left an unsettling feeling in Apple Bloom's stomach. However, the others didn't look bothered, especially Applejack. She still had that confident grin on her face and walked on. Ah have to be more like her. She's strong, The ponies walked for hours through the desert, stepping on rocks and desert plants along the way. The sand only got hotter as they went along, to the point where Apple Bloom would start bouncing along just as Pinkie Pie did. She began to miss Pinkie Pie, and Applejack's other friends as well. Rainbow Dash...at least the others were still alive, or at least I hope so.

Apple Bloom collapsed into a pile of sand and rocks. She felt too tired to carry on and just wanted to rest. She knew her sister would understand, given the situation...or, so she thought. The next thing she felt was a hoof slap her on the shoulder. "Get up! We don't have time to rest!" Applejack's voice sounded different again. This puzzled the filly even more so than before. Applejack would never...

She could hear Scootaloo's voice as well, trying to defend her fallen friend. "...She's just tired. We all are. Do you-"

"There is no time! If she doesn't get up, Ah'm leavin' her! And if you want to stay with her, ya can!" Applejack's voice had never sounded more...gruff. The sudden curiosity gave Apple Bloom enough energy to stand back up and stare at her sister. She looked like Applejack, there was no doubt about it. The sun, the heat...The heat, Apple Bloom's mind repeated to her over and over again. The filly then looked to the sun in question and found something rather strange: the three ponies were moving towards it. She knew from her days in Ms. Cheerilee's class that the sun rose in the east and set in the west. They were supposed to be moving south, but if they were moving towards the sun, they were not going south.

"...Where are we going?" Apple Bloom spoke up. It sounded so blunt that Scootaloo began to laugh.

"We're going south, to the zebras." Applejack said quickly, looking as if Apple Bloom had something ugly on her face.

"But...we're walking towards the sun, which means we're not going south..."

Applejack looked guilty, the filly could see it in her eyes. Her bright green eyes. "You got me..." Applejack said sullenly. "There's a small town to the west of here. Ah wanted to restock and get some - oh, Ah don't know...food and water for our trip." The way she said it made Apple Bloom feel guilty herself.

Scootaloo walked next to Applejack. "Yeah, Apple Bloom! We don't have food or water! You can't possibly expect us to go south hungry and thirsty, do you?"

You don't have to say it like that... "Ah guess you're right...but, you should'a told us!" Apple Bloom looked up to her sisters eyes. Those green eyes. "Ah'm sorry, sis."

Applejack nodded. "It's alright, sis. Ah just didn't want to get your hopes up in case there was nothin' there..." She said before turning back to move west.

The little filly was suspicious now. What happened to Applejack? Did she...did she kill that Chrysaslis lady? Apple Bloom that something as big as murder would change the sister she knew. Hot sand or not, she had a feeling that something big had to have happened in that house to get Applejack so...mad. Even worse, she lied to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo about where they were going.

She felt slightly better, at least, when she saw the rooftops of worn-down buildings appear on the horizon. At least she didn't lie about that. Scootaloo was flying again, although this time her wings fluttered differently than before. It seemed as if the pegasus need more effort to fly than before. It must have been the stretch marks that did it. Apple Bloom wanted to tell her friend to stop flying, but Scootaloo would never do that. Even if she lost her wings forever, she would still find a way to fly. Maybe she can teach Berry Bunches how as well, if we ever see her again.

"Almost there!" Applejack called out. The tone of her voice sounded more eager than anything, Apple Bloom reflected as she saw the buildings come into better view. The wooden structures all looked like they would fall apart at any moment; in fact, one did before they even approached the town limits. It looked to be a small home, which possibly housed a family of four. The roof collapsed into the rest of the structure, taking down the frames and supports as if they were dominoes. She saw another building, two or three spots down from the collapsed house. It looked like a grocery store at first, but when she got closer she could perfectly see what it was...

...a bar. A bar that looked very similar to one they had been in before.

That's when it hit Apple Bloom. She turned around quickly to see Applejack smiling, as if nothing were wrong. But, there is something very wrong. She saw buildings that all looked familiar, even though they were worn and destroyed, Apple Bloom could tell.

They were back in Apple Loosa.

She began to back away a few steps. Scootaloo, who was oblivious to Apple Bloom's discovery, walked closer to Applejack. "Where should we start looking?" She asked.

Apple Bloom saw her sister lick her lips. The realization hit her harder than a ton of bricks. Applejack's smile, her attitude, the lies...

...That was not Applejack.

"Why are we back in Apple Loosa?" Apple Bloom said with a heavy voice. She faced her sister's impostor dead on. The mare only laughed.

"Why, to get food, of course!" was all she said. Before Apple Bloom could even blink, the pony that looked like her sister pounced right on an unsuspecting Scootaloo, holding her by a wing and a hoof. The pegasus gasped and tried to struggle free.

"Applejack, what are you doing?" She asked in a scared tone. Something told Apple Bloom that she didn't want to know the answer to that question.

"That isn't Applejack." Apple Bloom said. "That is..." She's wearing my sister's element. No doubt it's her's. "WHERE IS MY SISTER!?!?!?"

The imposter laughed, her voice sounding much different than Applejack's. "I can't believe you saw thorugh my disguise. You fillies are smarter than I thought." The figure in front of Apple Bloom shifted, revealing Queen Chrysalis herself, holding Scootaloo in place. She bit a feather right off the scared pegasus's wing. "Don't worry; your sister didn't suffer. Her services were...most welcome." Apple Bloom wanted to kill her, to strangle her and tear her wings and horn off. She wanted to plunge her hoof right through those holes in her legs and rip right through...however, Apple Bloom wouldn't believe it. It's just a trick.

"No...NO! You're lying!" Apple Bloom spat, only making the changeling queen laugh louder.

She rubbed the element that hung around her neck with a hoof before placing it back on Scootaloo's wing. "Don't want to believe me? Fine! I'm not going to be a savage and show you what's left...I only offer food to my children." They killed her and ate her...no! It's not true! Apple Bloom had never felt angrier. "You let her go now! Both Scootaloo and my sister!!"

"Or what?" The queen spat. "You'll cuddle me to death? You'll get your sister to come after me? I don't think either will ever happen, not anymore." She took another feather into her mouth. Scootaloo's tears stained her orange fur and the ground in front of her. "Let's face it; your Elements of Harmony failed back when they failed to kill me in the Crystal Empire. They've all been falling, one by one, ever since Rainbow Dash was eaten...Ha! Each of the elements, eaten up! How rich!" I will kill you. "Children!"

Chrysalis wasted no time. Changelings appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the three who stood in the center of Apple Loosa. Applejack didn't flinch. If Ah make a move, Ah die. If Ah stay here, Ah die. Apple Bloom began to lower her head in defeat. Ah'm sorry, Scootaloo.

"You want to know the last thing Applejack said before I killed her? 'Don't hurt mah sister!' ...and the last noise she made when I cut her op-"

Apple Bloom jumped right onto the queen. She didn't care what happened, she won't let Chrysalis get away with what she did. If she died, she would take as many with her as she could. It took everypony by surprise that none of the changelings responded until Apple Bloom knocked Scootaloo right out of the queen's hooves. The filly did her best to pound her hooves right into the face of the changeling queen. She ripped the element of honesty right off of Chrysalis's neck and threw it to the ground. The queen's blue and green hair was all over the ground, and her green eyes...Apple Bloom pounded right away for a good second or two before being pulled off by the changelings behind her. She screamed as she did it, and even afterwards. Tears poured from her eyes as her heart sped up. When she was being dragged off of Chrysalis, Apple Bloom thrashed about so violently that she was able to break free and stomp her target one more time before being grabbed by the rest of them. They pinned her down to the ground alongside Scootaloo, who was too scared to run. Why didn't you escape, Scootaloo!?

Queen Chrysalis got up, wiping a small strand of blood from her lip. "A commendable effort, little pony, but a vain one. I will make sure you are slowly eaten alive. I'll make sure you're still conscious even when my children rip that last bit right off of-"

A blast of green fire hit the queen so hard that she fell over, knocking the element right out of her grasp. The other changelings let go of Apple Bloom as they turned to face the source of this new distraction. Before they could, they were all enveloped in a green aura. The changelings began to screech before they were lifted into the air and thrown through the window of a nearby building. Apple Bloom didn't know what was going on until she saw purple scales and another breath of fire emerge from a dragon's mouth. The building the changelings were thrown into was lit ablaze, burning wildly as it spread to other buildings and ruins. Apple Loosa was on fire.

"Apple Bloom! Scootaloo!" A filly's voice was heard, but Apple Bloom passed out before she could realize who had saved her. The last thing she saw was a green aura surround her, lifting her up into the air.

*********

Apple Bloom slowly opened her eyes. It was very cold, but she woke up next to a strong fire. She could still feel sand underneath her, but the cold air puzzled her. She tried remembering what happened before: Scootaloo, Applejack, the changelings...

She quickly rose, so suddenly that a sharp pain coursed through her body and fell back down. She felt a hoof on her, and immediately jumped again. She turned to see the filly from before. She was a white unicorn, with a long, pink and purple mane. She had a cutie mark in the shape of a heart-shaped music note. It took a while before she realized.

"Sweetie Belle!!!"

The two fillies hugged tightly. Both were crying, happy to see each other. She looked at her friend and turned to see Spike there as well. "And Spike!" She cried as she hugged the little dragon.

"Where's Scootaloo!?" Apple Bloom quickly said, fearing for her friend's safety.

"Over there." Sweetie Belle turned and pointed to a wall. The pegasus was sleeping soundly against a cave wall.

A wall.

That was when Apple Bloom realized where they were. It was a small cave, most likely somewhere close to Apple Loosa. As she pondered, Sweetie Belle spoke again. "We couldn't go far because the Sleipnir came out...they are attracted to the magic, and I used it to save you. We're hiding here until it's safe. Are you okay?" Apple Bloom only hugged her savior in response.

"How did ya find us?" Apple Bloom wasn't sure what was luckier: Sweetie Belle and Spike finding them just in time, or actually saving them from the changelings.

Sweetie Belle touched the gem that hung around her neck. The element of generosity. Apple Bloom heard the entire story of Sweetie Belle's experiences right then. After crying for Rarity, she saw the element glow. "Spike and I decided to go south, away from Equestria. We were just walking when I felt the element glow. It grew stronger as I kept going, eventually leading me to you!"

Spike continued the tale. "It was pretty weird, but I guess that's what the Elements do best. Anyway, we saw you with Chrysalis. Sweetie Belle wanted to run and find somepony to help, but I told her there was nopony out here that could. It had to be up to us...even though we've never fought before, I guess we did a pretty good job."

Sweetie Belle's horn began to glow. "I've been working on my magic quietly for a while. I know the others said it would drain me, but I did my best to try and conserve as much power as possible...but, it did get us captured in Las Pegasus...and Rarity..." The unicorn held back a tear. "My anger came through in the end, though!"

Apple Bloom was shocked that the elements could do that for somepony who was not a wielder, but she then realized something else. "Where's...the element of honesty!"

Sweetie Belle smiled before lifting another hoof, revealing the orange element. Apple Bloom was so happy that she couldn't hold it in anymore. She hugged her friend even tighter this time, more tears than before.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" Apple Bloom rejoiced. The last thing I have of Applejack. I will treasure it always. As Scootaloo woke up, Apple Bloom fastened the element around her own neck. The three stood staring at each other, each with sad faces. "...So, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and...and..."

"They may be gone, but we are together now. The CMC!" Scootaloo said, trying to lift Apple Bloom's spirits. She felt a little better, but nothing could ever replace the void that the death of her family left. Apple Bloom then realized that she was the only one of the three without her cutie mark. "Ah guess we have to change the name now, huh." She said, looking at her friends' cutie marks. "Sweetie Belle...did Rarity get to see yours before she..."

Sweetie Belle nodded sadly, which just made Apple Bloom feel sorry for asking. "Hey," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm sorry Applejack couldn't see yours, whatever it will be. I'm sure it will be great!"

Spike interjected the conversation. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we can't stay in this cave forever. Where should we go next? Now that we're together, do we go north to meet up with Twilight again?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at each other before nodding. "We decided..." Apple Bloom began.

"To not go back to Equestria." Sweetie Belle continued.

"We will go south. As far south as we can." Scootaloo contributed.

"To find the zebras."

"To find safety."

"Until such a time comes that we can safely come back to Equestria."

"For we may be young,"

"But we have each other!"

"And no matter what happens, we will keep each other safe."

"Because we are family!" They said in unison. Apple Bloom felt much happier right then. Ah didn't lose mah family - Applejack, Granny Smith, and Big Mac are still in mah heart. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike are also mah family. Still mah family.

Spike frowned a moment before nodding. "I should let Twilight know." He said before pulling paper and a pen out of a saddlebag. "It will be hard for her to know that three fillies are traveling by themselves, but I will protect you all....so I guess it won't be that bad."

Scootaloo laughed playfully. "You're going to protect us, Spike?"

"I made somepony a promise."

*********

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,

Sweetie Belle and I have found Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Unfortunately, Applejack is...Well, just know that the four of us are safe and intend to move south for now, away from Equestria. While we could try to make the trip to the Crystal Empire, we feel that it may be too dangerous to travel so close to the Sleipnir. Do not worry; I will protect the fillies as best as I can. I promise you.

Spike

After finishing, the dragon blew the letter into the wind.

Fluttershy 5 - Hope

The three continued their journey, although Pinkie Pie was in no condition to keep moving. Fluttershy had thought her friend was gone when she didn't respond, but Pinkie Pie moved around, giving Fluttershy some more hope. The air was stiff and cold, although it did warm up a little as they pressed on. Discord helped in any way he could; he even offered to carry Pinkie Pie for a while. At least he is trying.

However, the day came where Pinkie Pie never woke. Fluttershy had gone out to find some fresh fruit for breakfast, leaving Pinkie Pie in Discord's care. When she returned, Discord only looked at her with a frown.

No.

"Pinkie Pie??" Fluttershy tried shaking her friend. She was as cold as ice, her mane flat and pale, her fur even paler. Pinkie Pie didn't respond to the pegasus's calls, and after a while Discord pulled her off of the dead mare.

"Why couldn't you do anything!?!?!?" Fluttershy yelled at the draconequus. She should never have came.

Discord only folded his arms. "There was nothing I could do. Even the best powers of chaos couldn't save your friend. I'm...I'm sorry, Fluttershy."

Pinkie Pie's burial was short and quick. Discord was generous enough to dig the hole while Fluttershy gathered as many flowers as she could find, hidden away under the snow. Two flowers were all she could find, both withered from the cold. Pinkie wouldn't care, the pegasus thought to herself. She could make anything happy. As the flowers dropped onto the lifeless pony, Fluttershy could have sworn she saw the flowers return to life on contact. Even in death, Pinkie Pie can bring joy to everything around her.

As the pegasus stared into her friend's grave, Discord laid a hand on her shoulder. "Fluttershy-"

The pegasus ran off, as fast as she could. She could hear Discord calling after her, but she ignored him. Fluttershy was truly alone. Discord was with her, but he could never understand. There were six of us. We were supposed to help each other get through anything. Without her friends, Fluttershy felt like a shell of a pony. No more purpose, no more reason. She had an ancient gift, but what good was that if she had nopony to support her?

Fluttershy had gone south enough to see the snows fade away, to be replaced with grass and rolling hills. The chilly wind was met with warm breezes. Her blood was warm, flowing through her body. Her joints didn't ache anymore, which only made her want to go even faster. However, even she had her limits. Rushing forward, she found something that could be of use.

Before her was a great cliff. Below, a vast forest followed by mountains in the distance. The view was magnificent: a plethora of trees filled the land under her. Mountains were in the distance, staring right back at the pegasus. I've tried this before at Manehatten, but my friends were with me then...I'm alone now. Alone. All she wanted was just to walk right off the cliff, keep her wings tight against her body, and fall to her fate. End everything now. There was no point in fighting a world alone.

The pegasus didn't care anymore. She just wanted to die. The pony she was now was not the Fluttershy her friends knew. The old Fluttershy was gone. The one who would hide behind her friends, the one who would get walked all over by everypony. That Fluttershy died multiple times: in the Everfree Forest at the hands of a manticore, along a river in the south from some ponies, in a volcano surrounded by dragons, in a small cave near the Griffon Kingdom, and far to the north of Equestria, in the form of a Pink mare named Pinkie Pie. The old Fluttershy died alongside each of her friends - each one promising her that everything would be okay. She couldn't let them down now. Fluttershy could feel it: Rarity and Rainbow Dash were gone, Pinkie Pie as well. She could even feel Applejack's presence fade away. Every time she closed her eyes, Fluttershy could only see that white room. It was only her and Twilight now, only two of the six. Twilight would always be farthest away from the pegasus, and neither would move. Frozen in place, tortured at the loss of friendship. She closed her eyes and took one hoof off of the cliff...

"Fluttershy!"

The sudden voice made her jump back. It can't be, I know that voice. The pegasus opened her eyes to see a pink pony standing right in front of her. She had a poofy mane and three balloons on her flank. Fluttershy didn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. Pinkie Pie stood right in front of her, as clear as the orange skies above.

"Pin-Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy rubbed her eyes with her hooves.

"Who else would it be?" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing in place.

"How? How did you...?" Fluttershy stammered, not believing it. I'm going crazy.

"Yer not crazy, sugarcube." Applejack's voice, as strong as ever, came from right next to the pegasus. She turned and saw more than the orange mare, to her shock.

In front of the pony stood four of her friends, four ponies she thought - no, knew - were dead. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie...and even Rainbow Dash, who hovered above the rest. Fluttershy couldn't hold back the tears in her eyes. She was about to jump forward and hug them, but something held her back.

She turned again to see the green dragon, Durango. He had a claw on her shoulder, keeping her in place. I can feel it, he's real. She looked back to her friends and noticed they were standing at the cliff edge. If she had jumped, she probably would have fallen right through, not realizing in time to spread her wings and fly to safety. Her friends didn't seem malicious, but Fluttershy didn't want to take a chance.

"I don't understand...I thought you were all..."

"Darling, our friendship is so strong that not even death can part us." Rarity spoke, approaching Fluttershy. She placed a hoof on the pegasus's head. It feels so warm.

"We know you are strong enough." Rainbow Dash said, flying right over Fluttershy. "Stronger than any of us were."

"No, don't say that." Fluttershy's tears clouded her vision. She wiped them away, still seeing her friends standing right in front of her.

"How can you be here? I don't understand..." Fluttershy said quietly, looking at each of her friends' faces. They all looked as real as they could be, but Fluttershy knew they were all gone.

"Fluttershy," Princess Celestia's voice echoed in the air. That made the pegasus cower, but she quickly picked herself back up. I'm stronger than that now. The princess herself emerged right before Fluttershy's eyes. She looked as radiant as ever, with her flowing mane glistening in the twilight sky. She towered over Fluttershy, but the pegasus did not back down.

"We are with you, always." The princess said, lifting the pony's muzzle up. Celestia's eyes were twinkling. "You must never give up, no matter how hard things may get. You have the motivation. Each of us."

"You are a very courageous pony. There is nothing you can't do!" Durango's voice echoed, feeling warm and fuzzy to Fluttershy's ears. She remembered him saying something similar back under the ocean. Visions of her adventures with all of her friends came flooding back to her.

The six figures in front of Fluttershy all lined up. She looked to each one, who simply smiled back. Each one began to glow faintly. Fluttershy nodded, smiling as she did. Celestia stood directly in front of Fluttershy. "You'll take care of Twilight, won't you? She will need you, and you will need her."

"And the fillies too!" Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all said.

"I will." Fluttershy said as she closed her eyes.

"You'll what?"

Discord was right behind her. For once, she didn't jump, or squeak, or even yell. She opened her eyes to see that the figures were gone. Shadows in the wind. Fluttershy shed a tear, but she kept her head held high.

"I will...survive. And I will help as many others survive too."

"That is a pretty bold statement."

Fluttershy shook her head. "I know I can. My friends told me."

Discord looked puzzled. "Right...well, did your friends tell us where we're going next?"

"Canterlot." The pegasus said immediately. I will find the Sleipnir, and we will get through this. For everypony I've lost. For everypony I have to save.

"Well, we're not going to get any closer standing around. Let's go!" With that, Discord was off.

Fluttershy turned to follow him, but looked back at the cliff edge. Her friends were gone, but they didn't leave. They never left. She understood that now. As scary as the world seemed, Fluttershy wasn't scared of it anymore. She was ready to take it on, and create her own ending. Her own story.

*********

Faster.

The air whistled past her, trees flew by, all behind her now. Her wings flexed and flapped, cutting through the air like a knife on butter. The entire world came to meet her, and just as quickly fell behind. Tree after tree, rock after rock, she kept going. She just had to keep going. For Pinkie Pie, for Rainbow Dash, for the princesses. The sky was still orange, the future still uncertain, but she kept going. There was still a chance she could fail, a chance that she was flying for no reason. Every turn she made, she risked a chance of death, of failure. Her own life was on the line multiple times, and she figured it would be for as long as she were still alive. One day would come where she cracked, and her time here in the world would come to an end.

None of that mattered.

Fluttershy kept flying, indifferent to any risk of failure. She had to keep moving south, back to Equestria, back to whoever remained. It was Pinkie Pie that motivated her. Back in the cave, when the pink mare lay in Fluttershy's hooves, the pegasus realized her purpose. You can speak their language, Mae's words echoed in her head as she held her dying friend. You should have never came with us, Fluttershy thought as the last drop of life fell from the pink pony in the shape of a tear. Pinkie Pie died, but she died peacefully. She wasn't killed by a Sleipnir, or a Changeling, or even another pony. She died from the weather, from exhaustion, from depression. And she died in the hooves of her true friend. That's more than a lot of ponies could ask for in this new world. That's when Fluttershy knew; she found a new purpose in this world.
All the pegasus could think about was Berry Bunches, the filly she saved in Manehatten. When she was on the brink of death, hope emerged. As long as there is even a shred of hope, everypony must fight on. Fluttershy realized this as she covered Pinkie Pie's grave. She had a gift - a knowledge of the ancient language. She didn't know why or how, but she knew she had to use it. If there was a chance for peace, Fluttershy didn't want to gamble it away.

She couldn't forget the others as well: Durango, Berry Bunches, even Discord and Mae. They all helped Fluttershy in a way, to change her and help her adapt to the world. No matter what would happen from here on, Fluttershy would be ready for it. The pegasus was sad that it took the death of one of her best friends for her to realize it. I've always been weak, she thought. But, that was just an illusion. Fluttershy had to be the strongest pony she knew, strong for each of her fallen friends. She remembered the day she got her cutie mark, when she fell off of the cloud during one of Rainbow Dash's races. It was an unexpected event that led her to her destiny. She knew this was the same thing. Her true destiny had to be in this world, or else she would simply die. And Fluttershy did not want to accept death. Not now. Her true destiny was at Canterlot.

But, how to do it? Fluttershy planned on busting right into Canterlot and confronting whoever was in charge there. She knew that wouldn't work out, no matter how strong her desires were now. No, I have to be smart about it. Her other option was to go back to the Crystal Empire and find Twilight first. It's no use to stay at the Crystal Empire and hide. Discord soon caught up to her, panting from the distance he had flown.

"Doesn't this twilight sky get annoying after a while?" Discord smirked as he raised his arms up over his head. Fluttershy looked up at the sky.

"It isn't twilight." She said. "No, it's more than that. It wasn't the end of the world; it was the beginning of a new one. This is dawn." She flew ahead of her draconequus companion. Discord might not understand, but I am well aware. I might be crazy; in fact, I probably am crazy. But, if the world has any chance of getting better, I must keep going for that chance. I must have hope.

Author's Note

This is it for Dawn of a New World, but not the end of this story. Because what happens next would be too much of a focus shift from the chapters in this story, I will be writing a sequel soon to continue it.

Bonus - Metal Slug

The stallion known as Metal Slug opened his eyes. There he found himself staring at death. This is the end for me, I just know it, he thought to himself as he simply stared on. There was a blue light around him, warm and cold at the same time, soft and rough to feel. It was Canterlot he could see, the great castle that he had only seen once before in his life, when he was just a colt. Now, it looked to be just another ruin. But, these ruins were not empty.

*********

"I can't believe we lost them!"

Metal Slug was a big stallion. He didn't have the stamina to continue chasing the group of mares into the desert. His companions Prickle Pine and Dusty Cloud were close behind, looking to fall over from exhaustion. Dusty looked as if he wanted to keep going, but Metal Slug threw a giant hoof in his way.

"It's too late. Let the desert consume them. We have to head back." The stallion had a scar over one eye; a brawl from before the world ended left the mark on his face. He quickly turned back to return to Las Pegasus.

"We could have gotten so much from them!" Prickle Pine whined. She was a green unicorn with a cactus for a cutie mark. Metal Slug didn't want to know what her special talent was; he was already tired of her voice. Her curled mane swept from side to side heavily as she trotted alongside the stallion.

Metal Slug knew a unicorn like Prickle Pine back where he came from. Before the world ended, he was a metalworker in Fillydelphia. His job wasn't anything special, but it paid the bills and put food on the table. He remembered when the Equestria Games were held a few years back. He was in charge of checking the stadium for imperfections and led a team to rebuild if needed. He had wagons full of food after that gig.

And one day, the meteors came to rip his life away from him. He had no family, but he did have a few close friends he had lost in that initial firestorm. He was at a friend's house when it happened. The meteor came crashing right through the roof, right onto...

No, that's in the past, Metal Slug thought. He didn't want to look weak anymore. He wanted to have a purpose in this world, more of a purpose than he did being a simple metalworker. When The Chosen came wandering through the remains of Fillydelphia, they were only a small group of twenty ponies, all seeking refuge. When Metal Slug joined, he immediately rose in the ranks, becoming second-in-command to the hooded pony himself.

Metal Slug didn't really care much for the religious talk of the hooded pony. He would always go on about how they were chosen to revive Equestria. He despised unicorns as well; once he knew that magic was useless, the hooded pony shunned many refugees, all because of the horn on their heads. It was at Metal Slug's insistence that the hooded pony let them join.

By now, the group was strong. Even though it was mere days since the meteors fell from the sky, the group had grown very rapidly. They were mainly based in Las Pegasus, but some ponies were considering starting up in Manehatten and attract some followers from that side of Equestria. Metal slug didn't care about those politics; as long as he could survive, it didn't matter what the other ponies did. Soon after joining up with the group, Metal Slug met Prickle Pine and Dusty Cloud. They had wandered into the group together, coming from Apple Loosa. The hooded pony met them both with open hooves, and they quickly began following Metal Slug around.

The city was silent, like always. The Chosen were very discreet in moving around; there could be dangers out there, as some ponies whispered about. Many had decided that the goddesses decided to have some sick game and torment the ponies. Others felt something greater was out there. All Metal Slug knew was that the ponies he had around him were nothing more than sheep, flocking from one idea to the next.

The Chosen made their homes mainly in the sewers of Las Pegasus. They were dark, damp, and smelly, but many had gotten used to it. Ponies would travel around the city and the outlying fields to search for goods, food, or anything useful. Metal Slug was in charge of bringing ponies into their order. Or, if they don't want to join, take some valuables instead. It was a much better job than working metal, Metal Slug quickly realized.

Whenever Metal Slug would return from outside, he would always report to the hooded pony. Nopony knew his real name, but many called him Divine. He didn't care either way, it seemed.

Divine's room was actually situated above ground, in an abandoned church in the south-eastern part of the city. It was a shabby place in the slums, but Divine used it to its fullest extent. Many of the prayer rooms were filled with stores of food; Divine made it his duty to give it out to anypony in need.

"Ah, Metal Slug. What news do you bring?" Divine had always asked this question when Metal Slug would report.

"We went scavenging in the café, but we came across a pair of mares. Looked like they had some valuables, so we tried to talk them into...joining us."

"You lie, again." Divine stared right through Metal Slug. He always had a blank expression on his face. "How many times must I tell you; you can't force them to do anything!"

"I didn't force anything on them!"

"And is that why they are not here?"

Metal Slug stepped back. As soon as he joined, he always took ponies in by force before letting them know what they were about. It was like metal; beat the rough square pieces first and bend them to whatever shape was needed. The ponies he had successfully recruited were either too scared to run, or too desperate to fend for themselves. Divine went to pick up a book off of the large table in the center of the room. He placed it on a shelf before turning back to Metal Slug.

"You can't do whatever pleases you just because you are a follower of our gods." He said. "They didn't choose you so you can bully and cheat your way through our new world."

The stallion didn't care for Divine's gods at all. The Chosen were a growing group of ponies who had all suffered loss. It was up to each of them to make their own way. If some are weak, it can't be helped. Metal Slug respected Divine, but sometimes he thought the pony crazy.

"I understand."

"Do you?"

Metal Slug nodded. What does he want of me?

"Then, you won't object to staying within the confines of this city until further notice, right?"

He plans to keep me close so I won't run off again. "Of course. Prickle Pine and Dusty Cloud too?"

"Especially them." Divine's voice was rough, which didn't fit his meek stature.

Metal Slug only nodded again before leaving the church. "He just wants me handing out food to the refugees and walking the city." He said under his breath. Ponies around him were ragged and weak, mothers and fillies who did what they could to survive. A stallion like Metal Slug would hate to be stuck tending to the weak.

*********

Weeks came and went as Metal Slug and his companions shifted to charity duty. As others came into The Chosen's care, Metal Slug ended up giving food out to hungry refugees. Soon enough, The Chosen were large enough to populate half of Las Pegasus. Many came from all parts of Equestria, from the south in Apple Loosa, to areas like Vanhoover and Manehatten. Some even came from Canterlot. Every pony had a story to tell, but Metal Slug didn't care for most of them.

What he did find interesting, however, was one story a mare had. She was part of the group near Manehatten, who decided that rituals should be performed to appease the gods. Divine was against that for a good while, but another pony's tale changed that.

Metal Slug was handing out food with Divine when another mare told the tale. She had a lyre for a cutie mark, and came right from Canterlot. Apparently, giant ponies came from the sky and killed the princesses. Metal Slug only laughed at that, until he noticed that the sun and moon stood still in the sky. By then, he deemed it a possibility.

Divine, however, took it as a great sign. "The gods have come to us!" He rejoiced over and over again. "He cleansed us of the wretched princesses, and now we must return our gratitude!" Many tales and rumors came about saying these gods ate anypony who used magic. As a result, Divine shunned many of the unicorns, as he feared that the gods might be angered with their presence. Some were allowed to stay, but only those who have been with The Chosen for a long time. Prickle Pine was relieved when she made the cut and was allowed to stay.

"...Any unicorn who does not believe in our ways shall be offered. Let them see for themselves that our gods are real. And let them serve the gods right then and there." Divine had changed ever since the skies stood still. He grew more lanky and laughed weirdly. There was a twinkle in his eyes that even Metal Slug found awkward. Most curious of all was what Divine told Metal Slug after finding out about this new revelation.

"I want you back on field duty. Capture any unicorns you can. Ask them if they accept our gods, the gods who let them live. If they deny, we shall use them as sacrifice."

Metal Slug had not found too many unicorns. He decided that these gods had already wiped Equestria clean of them. The ones he did find, however, immediately accepted the gods and joined The Chosen. They know, Metal Slug would think to himself.

It was a few weeks, however, before he found the right pony. Metal Slug, Prickle Pine, and Dusty Cloud were coming back from an expedition in the north. They hadn't found any unicorns, but did find a dead pegasus along one of the roads. On their way back, Prickle Pine suggested they walk along the beach. "I've always loved the beach," She said, looking out on the horizon. The sun lay dead on top of the ocean from Metal Slug's point of view.

When the amusement park came into view, Metal Slug knew that was the real reason Prickle Pine wanted to go this way. Ever since realizing that she couldn't use her magic unless she wanted to die, she didn't really have much fun going on expeditions and adventures outside of the city. She was content serving food, but Metal Slug wouldn't allow that. The amusement park was something else Prickle Pine could do to have some fun. Just the other day, she rode all of the rides so many times that one fell apart as she was still on it.

"Do we really have to?" Metal Slug said with a shake of his head. He hated being around metal ever since the world ended, and the amusement park rides were nothing but metal.

"Oh, come on! Just one more time!" Prickle Pine had never looked happier, although Metal Slug found her happiness to be annoying. I liked it better when she was sulking around, shooting ponies with magic for no reason.

A green flash in the sky changed the conversation quickly. "What was that??" Dusty Cloud said, jumping in the sand.

Prickle Pine had a stern look on her face. "That was magic. I'm sure of it...there's somepony here."

"It could be one of our own."

"They know well enough to not use their magic, especially so carelessly like that!"

With that, Metal Slug galloped off. The beach was very long, taking the stallion a good half an hour to reach the amusement park. It looked even bigger up close. Prickle Pine would have a blast with this, but we have work to do.

A weird smell came to Metal Slug's nose. It wasn't much at first, but he soon recognized the scent. The ponies that ran away from us before. They're back. He was led right to a small hut, where found the jackpot: two unicorns and a little dragon. I remember them. Yes...

When Prickle Pine and Dusty Cloud reached him, they realized it too. "Go and get Divine!" Metal Slug said to Dusty Cloud, who ran off right after.

"Are we going to take them?"

"Yeah. We have to make sure they don't wake." The three were all sleeping soundly. They looked worn out from traveling. The others must have died in the desert, and these three came crawling back up.

Divine came immediately, along with Dusty Cloud and another Stallion. There was a gleam in Divine's eyes as he nodded to Metal Slug. With that, the three were picked up and carried off.

*********

"Are you sure this is what's needed?"

Metal Slug trailed Divine as he paced around the church. "We have been fortunate enough to come across two unicorns. And you are sure these are the ponies who ran from you before?"

"Yes. Did you see the gem one had around her neck?"

"Looked like something the princesses had. I remember it from a book somewhere..." Divine shifted around in his robe. "It clearly means they are against our gods, to be clinging still to the dead princesses. Yes...they'll do perfectly."

Metal Slug still didn't care for the talk of gods, and cared even less now that he looked at Divine. He is crazy, Metal Slug thought to himself. Why will these gods think to spare us if we give them blood? They took it themselves by killing the princesses...

Many gathered to witness the gods finally making themselves visible. Those who had seen them in Canterlot were the only ones terrified, although the others assured them that they will all be spared. Yeah, spared a second death. One is enough. Divine wore his most extravagant robe as he led the ritual. The older unicorn was strapped to a stone table while hundreds looked on, cheering. All Metal Slug wanted to do right now was gallop out north, or east. To find something more interesting to do...

*********

Metal Slug stared at the Sleipnir as they hovered in the air. Canterlot Castle was teeming with them, ranging from pony-sized to monstrous ones, roaring and shaking the sky as they circled the ponies. He turned to see many of the ponies of The Chosen: mares, fillies, and stallions. Prickle Pine and Dusty Cloud were next to him, enveloped in the blue light as well. Metal Slug could hear the Sleipnir talking, but it was in a language he didn't understand. There was a look in their eyes; from that to their extra hooves, even Metal Slug was scared.

The giant one came crashing down, creating a crater where he landed. A symbol appeared on its colossal flank, changing and turning as he spoke. Metal Slug didn't know what it meant, but he believed in gods now. Let them see for themselves that our gods are real. And let them serve the gods right then and there.

Prickle Pine looked at Metal Slug with a helpless expression on her face. She was crying, but there was nothing Metal Slug could do to help as a Sleipnir took her right into its mouth in one bite. No noise came from her as she died. All Metal Slug could hear were screams of mares, cries of fillies, and the strange language the gods were speaking. Many whom he had given food and support to, many who came to him for help. I can't help them now. There was no way to move, Metal Slug found out quickly. Anything he tried only hurt him. He only stared on, watching what was happening before him. Soon enough, the sounds of other ponies died out, leaving Metal Slug alone with his captors. They all stood over him, speaking in the weird language. As big of a stallion he was, he felt helpless and scared. A strong smell filled the air, something that made Metal Slug sick all over.

It's time, he thought as some force began to move him. The giant Sleipnir opened its mouth wide, pulling the stallion right inside. All Metal Slug could hear then was the sound of twisting metal.

1 - Day Zero

Fluttershy awoke with a shock. She felt her heart beating as fast as she could bear. The drops of sweat on her brow trickled down her cheek and onto the dirt floor.

Dirt...

Dirt...floor?

Fluttershy panicked as she wondered where she was. She was just in the comforts of her own bed the night before, sleeping peacefully after a day of partying. Twilight had been coronated as a princess, and a great celebration followed. It wasn't often that somepony she knew and loved would become a princess! However, all of that was gone, and Fluttershy was alone, laying on a dirt floor. It was only then that she realized something was on top of her as well. Wood and metal.

She let out a loud squeal and struggled to her hooves. The debris fell to her sides and on the ground with a large thud. The sudden noise frightened the poor pegasus even more as she jumped into the air. It was hot and humid, the pegasus realized. Her eyes began to adjust to the light; when they did, she knew exactly where she was. On the floor was a collection of lettuce leaves, tree bark, and twigs. A broken picture frame lay on the ground nearby - a picture of her with her friends. She was in her own cottage.

Fluttershy was in a panic. She looked around to find that her cottage was decimated. Parts of the roof were singed, and the entire structure collapsed. Looking to the sky, she saw a sea of red and black. She was too scared to even register what was happening. Her first reaction was to look for...Angel!

Was he okay? Did he survive? ...What did he survive? Was all she could think about in the moment.

"Angel! Angel, are you okay!?? Please come out now, it's okay!" Fluttershy called as she flew around what remained of her cottage. There was no reply...in fact, there were no animals in sight. The birds, cats, and other critters she had taken care for every day disappeared. Fluttershy gathered that they ran off right after whatever happened....what did happen?

Fluttershy soon saw what made the air so hot: the surrounding trees were all ablaze. Charred wood and a sea of fire littered the forest she had known so dearly.

"Was it a forest fire? No...how did my cottage..." The yellow pegasus was confused as she couldn't handle what was happening. The air was still, and the only sounds were of the burning trees off in the distance. It all seemed...dead.

"The girls!"

At once, Fluttershy turned toward ponyville and flew as fast as she could. She knew that she couldn't fly fast, but in a time like this she just had to. She made a beeline through a part of the forest that had stopped burning. The intense smell of charred wood made her dizzy, but she kept flying. She flew so fast, however, that she almost crashed right into a burning tree. She squeaked as she veered out of the way.

She soon flew over ponyville...or, what was left of ponyville. Many houses were either destroyed or on fire. There were various craters in the ground, suggesting to the pegasus that a meteor shower took place. Some were empty, which was strange. Others contained rocks she knew had to have come from space. As Fluttershy flew past town hall, she saw that it was destroyed as well. The most haunting thing about it all was...that it was all silent. No screams, nopony wandering the town...nothing.

Before long, Fluttershy arrived at Twilight's library. Parts of the tree were scorched, and the bark was falling off of the base of the tree. It, like everything else, was silent. Upon noticing this, Fluttershy let out another squeal and charged right inside.

"Twilight! Spike! Are...you...here?" She yelled at first, but got softer as she went on. The books were scattered all over the floor of the library, but Twilight and Spike were nowhere to be seen. There was another crater right in the center of the room. In a panic, Fluttershy flew right to it to check if Twilight and Spike were...no, thank goodness! Fluttershy remained hopeful that her friends were still okay. Wherever they are.

Fluttershy...

"Oh, what do I do now?"

Fluttershy...

"I-I-I....C-Can't...Ha-a-ndle..."

"Fluttershy!"

The butter pony looked up to see a familiar face: Rainbow Dash! She was flying right towards Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash's face looked as if nothing were wrong, but Fluttershy could see her friend shaking as she approached.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash...I am so glad you are okay!" Fluttershy said as Rainbow Dash slowed to a halt. The yellow pony engulfed the other in a great hug, but Rainbow brushed her off quickly.

"Same with you...We were about to go to your cottage to see if you were okay! It...it was just a dumb meteor shower. At least...I think it was." Rainbow replied. The tone of her voice sounded weak, and Fluttershy knew that not even Rainbow Dash could keep her cool at a time like this, as much as she tried.

"Others? Are the girls okay too?" Fluttershy said in a hopeful tone.

"Yeah! They're at the Apple Farm right now as we speak!"

"What about anypony else?"

"I haven't seen anypony except you since leaving the farm...But don't worry! I'm sure everypony else is just recovering from it all."

Both Rainbow and Fluttershy flew quickly to Sweet Apple Acres. When they arrived, it didn't look that sweet. All of the trees were scorched, the barn was destroyed, and apples were all over the place. The air was still and there again was no sound in the air.

As the two landed, they were greeted by Twilight and Applejack. Fluttershy could see her friends were tired and covered in soot.

"Ah'm so glad you're okay, sugarcube!" Applejack said as she gave Fluttershy a big hug.

"I'm so glad you are too. Where are Rarity and Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy questioned, noticing that neither were there at the moment.

Twilight stepped forward. "Pinkie went with Spike to Carousel Boutique to find Rarity." She said quietly. She stretched her wings out a little and looked to the ground. The red sky began to fade away as the night sky began...however, it felt different than the usual nights.

"Twilight, do you know what happened?" Fluttershy asked in a small voice. Her head was low to the ground, looking up at the purple alicorn. Twilight has to know, she knows everything!

Twilight gave a small smile. "It was some sort of meteor shower. It was definitely...one of the biggest on record." She said uneasily, looking around. "In fact, I've never heard of a meteor shower of this intensity before."

Rainbow Dash was the first to respond. "Maybe this was Discord's doing! I knew he didn't really change!" She said quickly.

"Oh no, Rainbow Dash. I...don't think..." Fluttershy began.

"I don't think even Discord would be capable of this...this is just..." Twilight responded, interjecting as Fluttershy was speaking.

"This is just chaotic!" The blue pegasus shouted. "He must think this is some sick joke or something! Where is the snake hiding!? I'll pummel him until he turns everything back to normal!"

"Rainbow Dash, he's a draconequus, first of all. Besides, that won't solve anything! Not even Discord could-"

"You don't know that! He must have hid his true power!"

Just as Rainbow Dash and Twilight were about to butt heads, Pinkie Pie emerged from behind a burning tree and surprised everypony. She began to bounce up and down in her usual Pinkie way.

"Hey guys! I was hopping over to Rarity's house with Spike and I saw what happened to most of ponyville and it made me sad for a little but then I remembered this joke Rainbow Dash told me the other day with made me laugh and then I ended up at Rarity's house. I almost forgot why I was there for a second but then I remembered Twilight telling me 'Pinkie Pie, go see if Rarity is okay' so then I knocked on the door..."

One thing was certain, even after a tragic event like this happened, Pinkie Pie was still Pinkie Pie. However, it relieved Fluttershy a little. After something like this, everypony would need some cheering up.

"...And then we came back here and -GASP- Fluttershy, you're okay!" Pinkie stopped in mid air before gently settling down and running to give Fluttershy a hug. Rarity was right behind Pinkie as she waved to the others, although the expression on her face was far from happy.

"Have any of you seen Sweetie Belle?? I looked everywhere but I couldn't find my Sweetie Belle!" Rarity sobbed as she was comforted by the other girls. Applejack looked like she was about to cry, but she held it back.

"Applejack, where is the rest of your family?" Fluttershy asked bluntly. They might be checking the fields, or Ponyville for anypony else...

Instead, the orange mare put her head down. "Apple Bloom is out in the orchards, but...." the tears she had stored began to pour out now. Fluttershy was immediately sorry she brought it up.

"I'm-I'm sorry..." She said quickly, placing a hoof on Applejack's shoulder.

For the first time since Fluttershy woke up in this terrible world, the wind began to pick up. It felt bitter, as if the wind itself was dead as well. The girls looked up to see a dark cloud form over ponyville. As soon as this happened, Spike started coughing, and out came a letter. Twilight immediately opened it up and read its contents out loud:

Twilight Sparkle,

I apologize for the informality, but please come to Canterlot immediately.

Princess Celestia

"What's going on?" Rainbow Dash said out loud. Just then, a loud boom came from the sky, and drops of rain began to pour onto the ponies. They all quickly ran for cover under the debris of the barn.

"Don't worry, I've got it!" Rainbow said in a confident voice as she flew up to the giant storm cloud. Fluttershy saw her friend fly quickly up to face the cloud, but as the rain hit her, Rainbow Dash began to scream.

"Ow Ow Ow!" Rainbow yelled as she fell back down to the ground. "It feels like it's burning me! I've never seen the rain do this!"

Twilight paused for a moment before responding: "Acid rain! Get away from it, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow wasn't going to let this acid rain stop her, Fluttershy knew. She flew as quickly as she could towards the cloud again, this time trying her best to avoid the drops. She eventually made it and proceeded to buck the cloud. However, her hooves just passed the clouds as if they weren't there.

"What?" Rainbow said with a puzzled look on her face. The cloud not only kept its form, but it got bigger as well!

"I can't do anything about the cloud!" Rainbow yelled as she zoomed down to the ruins of the barn. The rain was hitting her wings, which made them twitch a bit. Her flight pattern was shaky, but she made it down to the shelter of the barn.

Fluttershy didn't know what to do. We're stuck here until this rain goes away...IF it does.

"Applejack!"

It was Apple Bloom, running out from under an apple tree. She ran quickly and into her sister's arms, and both collapsed on the ground right in front of the others.

The sisters were crying as they held each other. Fluttershy heard the sound of magic being used, and saw the barn roon lift up right overhead. Twilight was able to lift up part of the barn roof to use as a shield.

"We have to try to get to Canterlot from here." Twilight said, straining as she did. Fluttershy knew that Twilight was able to perform magic like this, but she had never seen her strain so much. It was as if her magic was weaker now. "Hopefully the train is at the station..." The other girls looked on solemnly as Twilight gave a small smile. "It'll be okay, girls. Princess Celestia probably needs us to use the Elements of Harmony, and this will all be over." Apple Bloom began sniveling and a tear formed in Rarity's eye. As Rainbow Dash joined the girls under the roof, they all took off for the train station.

Fluttershy herself was just as depressed, even with Pinkie Pie trying to cheer everyone up. The yellow pony felt the wind die down a little bit, but the rain kept pouring. The sky was now gray, although a very twilight-esque feel could be seen on the horizon.

"Oh, I hope you're right, Twilight..." Fluttershy said softly as the 7 ponies and Spike all made their way to the station.

The rain didn't let up at all as the group wandered through what remained of the town they all knew and loved. After passing by Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie herself felt a little down as she saw the charred remains of her home. Rarity gave a sob as they passed her boutique, barely standing after the destruction that occurred.

Here, the rain began to pound harder, chipping away at the frail rooftop Twilight held above her friends' heads. Before long, her grip on the roof broke and it snapped in half. Panicking, Twilight yelled "Into the boutique!" To which everyone else immediately ran for it. The rain stung as it hit the ponies. Spike wasn't affected too much because of his dragon scales, but the air was still a little thick to breathe properly.

After scurrying into the little shelter they had, Twilight collapsed on the ground. "Are you okay!?" Applejack asked as she went to help. Twilight looked tired, as if she had been lifting a whole castle instead of a roof.

"I feel like my magic's been drained..." Twilight said breathlessly.

"I know this is Discord! I can feel it!" Rainbow Dash boasted, but nopony responded.

Rarity stepped from the group. "I know what I must do! I have to protect my dear friends!" She said with her front hoof over her face, and she ran to another room.

"Rarity," Applejack started with a stern look. "Ah don' think now's the right time to be makin' no dresses."

"Darling!" Rarity said in response. "This fabric is one of the rarest I have come across. It is said to be able to withstand deterioration! Meaning...we can use it to protect us from that dreadful rain!"

"That's good thinking, Rarity!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping up and down. Doing so started shaking the whole building, leaving Rainbow to hold her down before their shelter came crashing down. The boutique was partly destroyed. Fluttershy caught a glance at it outside while she ran in. One room was completely destroyed, while the rest of it looked weak on its foundation.

One by one, each pony was outfitted by Rarity. "Stylish hoods, a most fascinating collar design...and yes, goulashes." This made Applejack smile. "Normally I wouldn't be seen with something so...unpleasing, but seeing the situation... I must reconsider!"

Fluttershy's mind was fixed on her animals, especially Angel. Oh I do hope he's okay... was all she thought about, even as Rarity threw a green hood above her head.

Before long, ten outfits were completed. "I call it..." Rarity started. "...My end of the world line! Even after something as dreadful as this - we simply cannot lose our own civil ways!"

"Leave it to Rarity to still worry about fashion even after the world ends." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.

"Girls, don't say that!" Twilight said. "The world didn't...end..." the princess sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that as well.

Applejack interrupted. "Sugarcube, why did ya make ten of them outfits?"

"Darling, we must plan ahead! There's one for all six of us, one for Apple Bloom, one for...Sweetie B-Belle ...once...we f-f-find her...and...two extras: one for a mare or stallion, and one for a filly or colt." After saying this, she placed the extras in a saddlebag that she found along the floor. "I never knew nature could be so...uncouth at a time like this. The other ponies couldn't help but laugh.

Spike spoke up. "What about me, Rarity?"

Rarity replied, "Oh there's no way I could have forgotten about my Spikey-wikey! I made you a small fedora with the same material, darling!" She used her magic to place a fedora on the dragon's head. He sighed lovingly in response.

After everypony was fitted, Twilight spoke to the crowd. "Now then, let us get going! ...Or, would you like us to find Sweetie Belle, Rarity?"

A tear formed in her eye as she nodded slowly.

Twilight stepped up again. "I say we divide into two groups: Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and myself will go look for Sweetie Belle. Everypony else is to go to the station and wait there."

The others nodded in agreement as they went off in their separate ways.

Fluttershy, although confident that Rarity's invention would actually protect them from the acid rain, was still a little scared as she made an attempt to leave the shelter. The rain beat down on the earth, splashing up as it made contact. The pegasus squeaked when she saw a drop appear right in front of her.

"Oh!" She would give out a little squeal when the rain bounced off of her hood. Fluttershy gave a small smile as she heard Applejack calling for her: "Fluttershy, yer fallin behind!" The yellow pony ran after her friend in response.

It didn't take long to get to the train station. And to their luck, the train was still there. There was nopony inside, and it looked relatively unharmed. The rain slipped off the train's roof and onto the ground.The girls and spike all scrambled into one of the train compartments and sat down on the benches. Apple Bloom looked outside in tears as Applejack comforted her. Pinkie Pie was busy examining the front of the train to see if it would work.

Applejack spoke up first. "Where d'you suppose everypony is? Ah mean, there's nopony screaming fer help, no...bodies...no nothin!"

Fluttershy didn't want to respond to that. She had her own theory, but she didn't want to put any kind of image in her friend's head, especially in Apple Bloom's. No, this is just a bad dream...a nightmare, she thought to herself. One more look outside didn't help confirm that, though.

Pinkie Pie, however, managed to jump in. "I think everypony's hiding! Maybe they're throwing a surprise party! Wouldn't that be fun!! Oh, and the train won't work!" She said as she bounced through the compartment.

"Wait, why in tarnations not?" Applejack retorted, letting go of her distraught sister.

****************

"Sweetie Belle! Can you hear me, my dear!?" Rarity screamed out into the air. The acid rain made it hard for Rarity to even hear her own voice. Rainbow was flying slowly above her, with Twilight walking behind the both of them. They soon approached the schoolhouse, also destroyed and dismal. Rarity ran inside and called for her sister.

"Sweetie Belle!"

****************

Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike all stared at Pinkie Pie. "You gonna explain yourself, sugarcube?" Applejack eyed the pink pony carefully, but Pinkie Pie was unmoved.

"Of course, silly!" Pinkie quickly said in reply. "Because none of us can drive a train!"

Applejack facehoofed.

Just then, a sound came from outside of the train. "It's Twilight!" Apple Bloom said as she saw the purple princess coming from a distance. "And Rainbow Dash, Rarity...and Sweetie Belle! Oh, is that Scootaloo too!? They're all okay, big sis!" She said excitedly. The train door opened and the girls were all reunited.

"Ah'm glad they're alright!" Applejack said, placing a hoof around her sister.

"They were hiding in the schoolhouse." Twilight said. "Nopony else was there, though...This is rather odd. Why could we only find Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo?"

"We might..um...have a problem." Fluttershy peeped as Rarity hugged her sister again. Twilight looked at her with a puzzled face.

"What's wrong, Fluttershy?" She asked.

"It's...um...well, you see..." the yellow pegasus stuttered as Pinkie Pie interrupted.

"There's no driver for this train and I'm not sure that any of us know how to drive it!" Pinkie gave a big squeaky smile, but it didn't help lighten the situation.

Twilight hesitated for a second, then her horn began to glow. With that, the entire train was surrounded by Twilight's purple aura...and it began to move! However, this took a great deal of stress out of the princess, and after a few minutes she collapsed. Her grip on the train broke as much as the train floor broke her fall.

"I'm sorry...it seems like my magic is being blocked somehow..." She said in a worried tone. Not only was the train rather large in the first place, but Fluttershy could sense that Twilight's magic was weaker as well.

"Wait!" Rainbow Dash stepped in. "Don't we just feed those rocks to the train to make it move?" Applejack nodded in agreement.

"Well, I suppose we could..." Twilight began as Rainbow Dash rushed into the front train compartment. She took about a dozen pieces of coal and threw it into the furnace. "Fire...Hey, Spike!" She said as the purple dragon stepped in. She pointed to the coal, to which he responded with a belch of flames. Pinkie Pie entered the room and began pushing all of the buttons.

"Pinkie! What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash said.

"I don't know!" Pinkie Pie responded. "But something's bound to happen eventually!"

Soon after, the train began to move. Rainbow got a feel for the controls, and after pushing Pinkie out of the room, made the train move faster. It screeched and hollered as it began chugging out of the station. The sudden movements made Fluttershy trip and fall. With a small smile, she found a seat and planted herself.

"Good work, girls! See, we can get through this!" Twilight said as the others sat down on the benches. Fluttershy nested herself in one of the benches, and looked to the other girls.

"Do...any of you...know what happened?" She asked in a small voice.

Twilight was the first to speak up. "Well..."

4 - And So We Set Forth!

For the first time in a while, the weather was actually pretty calm. The last of the acid rain dropped to the earth as a chilly breeze took over. What was once left of the grass blew lightly in the gray light. The princesses had stopped pulling the sun and moon through the skies; they had been tied to other duties, leaving the skies gray and misty. If the world hadn't ended, it might have been a nice morning filled with peace and harmony.

Harmony...

The girls all pondered at how they'd be able to find the Elements of Harmony. As Discord had said, the power of the meteors interfered with the power of the elements...and since it was thought that the meteors fell all over the world, the Elements could be anywhere! Anywhere in the world, and the girls were still sitting at Ponyville station, wondering where in the whole world to start.

It was Pinkie Pie who thought of the first idea. "What if you use your magic to locate them, Twilight?" The pink pony said.

"I wish I could, Pinkie..." Twilight said. "But you heard what Princess Celestia said: our magic is greatly weakened. I probably have enough magic to find one...with the time it would take to find it, wherever it is in the world, doing it one at a time would take forever!" Was all the purple princess could say.

"Darling, I believe we should still try..." Rarity said. "Besides, we have this train, right?"

"Wrong..." Rainbow Dash said in response. "We don't have much coal left...we probably have enough to get to Las Pegasus."

"Twilight," Applejack added. "I think you should at least locate one of the elements. Maybe if we find one, we can use it to locate the others!"

"Okay." Twilight said. "Fluttershy...what do you think?" She asked the yellow pegasus.

Fluttershy remained silent. Twilight couldn't help but frown at the sight, then shrugged.

"I guess I can try...watch out, girls!"

The purple alicorn closed her eyes and mustered up her magic energy. Her horn began to glow as she began to locate the Elements of Harmony. Twilight could feel that the magic she was using was different, as if it took a lot more power than she's ever felt before. Fluttershy could see how much it was straining Twilight's body as she shook under the weight of her magic.

Twilight's mind searched all of Equestria and beyond. She managed to locate one far beyond the borders of the pony lands, but she didn't want to use her magic to find one so far away. Instead, she focused on the closest piece: It was in a desolate area to the far west of Ponyville. With that, her energy drained completely and Twilight collapsed to the ground.

"Are you okay, sugarcube?" Applejack asked her friend. Twilight nodded and slowly rose to her hooves.

"West of here." Was all Twilight said. The others nodded and began to get on the train.

"Wait!" Peeped Scootaloo.

The others turned to look. "You don't suppose we can...eat first, can we?" She asked in a small voice. The little filly looked famished, as if she hadn't eaten in days. Fluttershy's own belly grumbled. It's been a while since she ate as well. The princesses had offered food, but Twilight and the others agreed it was better to be given to the other ponies resting beneath the castle ruins.

Pinkie smiled. "I'll go bake us some cupcakes!" She said as she bounced off towards Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh, I want to help!" Apple Bloom yelled as she followed. The other fillies joined her as well. Twilight and the other mares had no choice but to follow suit.

Sugarcube Corner, surprisingly, was in fairly good condition. Yes, a meteor hit the building, but the appliances on the first floor were generally intact. Pinkie and Apple Bloom got right to work on the cupcakes, with Pinkie humming her cupcakes song to herself. It was no surprise that the electricity was out. When it came time to bake, she called for the purple dragon, who used his breath to light the oven.

After about 17-20 minutes, the cupcakes had finished, filling Sugarcube Corner with a delightful smell to counter the gloomy mists. Pinkie pulled them out and looked around for whatever she could use to decorate them. She found some icing and some whipped cream. On each cupcake, the pink pony wrote "End of the World Cupcakes!" and handed them out to everypony.

"I have to say, Pinkie," Twilight said in assurance. "You sure know how to be resourceful." Pinkie Pie gave a huge smile as she took a bite of her creation.

Rarity made her way over to Fluttershy after finishing her cupcake. "My dear, what ever is wrong?" She asked.

Fluttershy did not respond.

"Listen, darling, I am really sorry for your loss. Angel was a good pet...My opalessence didn't survive the initial blast...I miss her!" Rarity cooed as she began to sob, but then realized that it didn't help make Fluttershy feel any better.

"How are your cuts? Are you feeling okay, dear?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy simply shook her head.

"Well, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask any of us. We're in this together!" The white unicorn said.

After the ponies consumed the very delicious cupcakes, they made their way back to the train.

"Are you sure you want to come with us, Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked her sister one more time.

The filly nodded. "Who knows, maybe we'll find our cutie marks!" She added. Rarity looked on in disagreement, but had no other choice

Before they knew it, they were back on the train and off to the west. Pinkie Pie was playing with the fillies, Applejack and Rarity fell asleep, Rainbow and Spike were getting the train to move, and Twilight was reading a book she had brought with her. Fluttershy remained silent and stared out the window. The end of the world outfits were all removed and placed on a coat rack near the back of the train compartment. The roar of the train engine filled the silence inside the train.

"Fluttershy..." Twilight said to the quiet pegasus. "Are you sure you're okay? Anything you want to talk about?"

Fluttershy finally spoke. "...It's just....I really am weak and helpless, aren't I?" She said quietly. "I was okay with it before, and I preferred that to being mean and rude...but now..." She began to tear up. "I almost died, and Angel sacrificed himself to save me, somepony who couldn't do the same for him."

"Fluttershy, you know that's not true." Twilight said in reassurance. "You are just as strong as any of us."

"But I'm not, Twilight..." Fluttershy responded. "You have your magic, Rarity can make her dresses, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are strong, and Pinkie can make the best of any situation...I couldn't even calm the Manticore down..."

Apple Bloom made her way to the depressed pegasus. "Don't worry, Fluttershy! Your cutie mark means you have a way with animals...you just need to keep trying!" Fluttershy smiled a little.

"Yeah!" Twilight added. "We all have something to contribute, so as long as we stick together we can make the best of this...I really am sorry we left you behind back in the forest." She said solemnly.

Fluttershy's smile grew a little. "Don't worry about it. It's okay..." It's not okay. Nothing is okay.

A few hours passed before the train ran out of coal. When this happened, the ponies all exited to see where they were. In the distance, large letters could be seen that spell out "Applewood", although they were eroded and knocked over. They had finally made it to Las Pegasus.

"Oh my!" Rarity exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm in...Las Pegasus! Canterlot was filled with fabulous ponies, but Las Pegasus!" She soon quieted down after realizing that it was most likely as destroyed as Ponyville. The city looked to be a ghost of its former self. Fluttershy had never seen the city when it was whole, but she knew it was more beautiful before. All she could see were stacks of smoke emerging from the tall buildings. Remains from the fires.

"So, where is the Element?" Pinkie asked. She was bouncing around in anticipation of seeing the city, even though it was destroyed.

"I'm...I'm not sure." Twilight said. "I only know it's in this area...I could use my magic again to look for it."

"Darling, don't strain yourself." Rarity said. "We'll just split up and look for them. If we run into any trouble, just meet right back here." The white unicorn said to her friends.

And so, the group split up. Twilight and Spike searched the eastern side of town, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo took the southern, AJ and Apple Bloom went west, and Rarity and Sweetie Belle searched downtown, leaving Fluttershy and Pinkie to check the northern side.

"Oh, isn't this exciting!" The pink pony said to her quiet friend. "Las Pegasus! I mean, even though it's a bunch'a rubble, we're still here! Do you think we'll find anypony famous??"

The pegasus shrugged lightly.

"Aww come on!" Pinkie Pie said eagerly. "I know things are hard, but you can't forget how to smile!" She said while giving Fluttershy a very big grin, who couldn't help but laugh.

"There you go!" Pinkie Pie squeaked. "Pinkie has done it again!"

"I suppose you're right..." Fluttershy said calmly. Even a little laughter can go a long way.

"Now then...how do we look for these elements?" Pinkie Pie responded. "Do we just look for something shiny and pretty and looks like the elements? Ooooh! What if it's behind the Applewood sign!" The pink pony then darted off towards the ruined sign. Fluttershy followed closely behind.

When Fluttershy reached the sign, she was shocked. She knew it was giant, but she had never been this close to the sign before. Standing in front of the huge, eroded "A" of the Applewood sign was very humbling. She actually became frightened at the vast size, and ducked behind a rock. Pinkie bounced around the sign and onto one of the collapsed letters.

"Hmm..." Pinkie said while sitting down. "I don't think the element is here..."

Just then, the sign Pinkie was on collapsed, bringing the unknowing pony down right into the sign. Being made of metal, the broken parts of the sign made contact with the pink hide, and Pinkie Pie got her back hoof caught in between two metal beams. Pinkie Pie screamed as she tried to move her hoof, but doing so just made the metal dig deeper into her.

"OW!!!! Help!!!!"

Fluttershy immediately called out and made her way to help her friend. She did her best to pull her friend out, but the poor pony's hoof just wouldn't budge. If it did, the metal cut even deeper into the leg. Fluttershy couldn't stare too long at the injury without having to look away.

"Ouch!! I can't move!" Was all the pony could say as she was panting and screaming, causing the metal to hurt her more, which made her scream more.

"You have to stop moving, Pinkie!" Fluttershy yelled in a panic. "Oh, what do I do??" Fluttershy remembered when her hoof was caught in a pile of rocks in the Everfree Forest, and when Angel helped her escape...

Pinkie Pie writhed in pain and shut her eyes tight as the cold metal pierced her hide. Fluttershy jumped into the air and began to fly. "I'll go get help! Please don't move!" The pegasus said as she made her way back to the station.

"Hello!? Girls!?" Fluttershy called. Nopony was around. Fluttershy assumed that the others hadn't returned from searching yet, so she turned around and flew right into the center of the city.

The city itself was in a horrible condition...and even worse, Fluttershy was able to find various bodies of poor ponies that couldn't escape the terrible meteor shower. She cried at all of the death, but remembered that her friend was in trouble.

"Rarity! Twilight! Anypony??" She yelled as she flew as fast as she could through the streets of the city. There was nopony around.

"Oh, where is everypony? Girls!?"

Fluttershy passed a boutique store when she heard Rarity's voice: "Look at all of this fabric! I know we're supposed to be looking for the Elements, but I simply cannot let this fabric go to waste!"

"Rarity!!"

The white unicorn turned. "Fluttershy? Why do you look so worried?"

"It's Pinkie...She's....She's!" Was all the pegasus could say as she was out of breath.

Rarity did not need any more. She grabbed the fabric and placed it into a saddlebag she found, instructed Sweetie Belle to get some scissors, and followed Fluttershy out of the store. Because Rarity couldn't fly, Fluttershy decided to run along with her. The journey up to the sign was even worse on hoof, as the three jumped over burnt corpses and debris. The unicorn managed to trip over the hoof of an unfortunate mare, but she picked herself right back up and continued on.

The three made it back to the Applewood sign to find Pinkie Pie passed out. Her cut was very bad; blood was gushing out everywhere as the rusty metal locked the poor pony in place. Fluttershy couldn't stand to look, and Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and turned away. However, Rarity approached her endangered friend.

"Oh my..." Rarity said quickly. "Pinkie Pie, dear, are you okay!? Can you hear me?"

The pink pony nodded slightly. Her mane was deflated as it draped on top of the sign that held her in its grip.

"I'm going to try to get you out, darling!" The white unicorn said as she jumped onto the collapsed letter "Oh my, this thing is filthy!" She said as she did so.

Rarity tried to pull Pinkie Pie out, but Pinkie wouldn't budge. "That's hurting!!" She screamed with tears running down her cheeks. Soon after, the pink pony began laughing. Weakly at first, Pinkie Pie's laughter began to echo through the misty skies.

"My dear," Rarity asked. "Why are you laughing at a time like this?"

"Because..." Pinkie calmy said. "You can't forget how to...smile..."

"Should I go and get Twilight?" Fluttershy asked her friend.

"No, that would take too long..." Rarity responded. She began looking at the collapsed sign. "Darling, how did you get stuck in here?" She asked the hurt pony.

"It fell apart..." Pinkie Pie replied, still hurting very much from the contorted metal.

That gave Rarity an idea. "If we can't remove you from the sign...we'll remove the sign! If it could fall apart so easily, I'm sure we can break it apart!"

Immediately after, Sweetie Belle and Rarity began to buck a part of the sign. Surely enough, it broke apart! It didn't budge much, but it was a sign that if the three free ponies tried hard enough, they could break the sign into smaller pieces.

"Oh, I'm definitely going to need to visit a spa after this is all done..." Rarity said to herself as she lightly bucked another part of the sign.

A few minutes passed and the ponies managed to break away the part of the sign that Pinkie was stuck to from the rest. Sweetie Belle jumped right onto the sign and began stomping on a part of it. After a few stomps, the sign caved in, taking the filly in with it. Before this happened, Rarity used her magic to levitate her sister before she ended up the same way as Pinkie Pie. The unicorn moved her sister to a safe location before dropping her suddenly. The magic had taken it's toll quickly on Rarity, who shook her head and removed another part of the sign.

"Sweetie Belle, we don't want you getting stuck too!" Rarity said to her sister. Sweetie Belle nodded slightly.

"If we pull on this one part, we can crack it open like a walnut...I mean, if that's okay with you..." Fluttershy peeped, pointing to the side of the sign that was not imbedded in her friend's leg. Pinkie Pie helped out as well, finally gaining enough strength after falling in. She used her forehooves to stomp on the part of the sign right in front of her. It collapsed soon after, exposing a rusted frame underneath it. Rarity gave one light buck, breaking the part of the frame that ran through the sign. She commanded her friends to grab different parts of the frame and to pull in opposite directions.

The sign was very large, but the erosion of standing for many years, as well as the acid rain that weakened the metal, made it very easy to pull apart. With enough force, the sign gave way and Pinkie collapsed to the ground, exposing the metal cutting into her hind hoof. Because Pinkie Pie was here for a while, she had lost a lot of blood. The metal was rusted and red, attached to a pale pony.

"Fluttershy, could you please hold Pinkie's head up?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy agreed and used her hooves to help Pinkie get up.

"Now, Pinkie Pie, I'm going to pull your hoof out. It might hurt."

The pink pony nodded, barely conscious. With that, Rarity grabbed the leg and began to pull. It budged a few inches before Pinkie Pie began screaming. The metal had cut deep into her leg, so it would take a lot of effort to remove it.

Apparently moving slowly induced a lot of pain, and the metal was positioned in a spot where she couldn't break it off, so Rarity had an idea. She grabbed the fabric she had found out of her saddle bag. "Place this in Pinkie Pie's mouth, please." She instructed Sweetie Belle. The filly carried the fabric over and told Pinkie Pie to open her mouth.

The poor pony was too weak to do even that, so Fluttershy moved a hoof to open Pinkie's mouth for her. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy said as she did so.

"Make sure you are supporting her, and make sure she doesn't drop that!" Rarity called. The ponies nodded and braced themselves. "Rarity, what are you gonna do?" Sweetie Belle asked. "You might not want to look..." Rarity replied quickly before moving herself to cover the scene.

"I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie, but this has to be done!"

Rarity forcefully pulled Pinkie Pie's leg out of the metal as fast as she could. Pinkie Pie gave out an even louder scream, but the fabric muffled it as well as prevented her from biting down and breaking her jaw. The pony's leg was free, although some blood gushed out in the process. Rarity's forehooves were covered in her friend's blood as they all fell backwards and out of the sign.

"Okay, we need to wrap this wound up...oh my, it looks really bad..." Rarity said immediately after. She again took the fabric that was placed in the pony's mouth. Pinkie Pie was now unconscious as the other two looked on with worried faces. I hope she is okay... Fluttershy thought, watching Rarity work her own kind of magic.

"I was planning on making a fabulous dress from this... But my friend needs it more!" Rarity said as she wrapped the fabric tightly around Pinkie Pie's leg. She finally used the last of her magical strength to tighten the makeshift bandage. After she finished, Rarity collapsed to the ground much like Pinkie Pie did.

"Oh my, I understand why we shan't use magic...but it was for a good cause!" She said, rubbing her forehead.

"Rarity, that was so generous of you!" Sweetie Belle said to her sister. Before Rarity had a chance to agree, a bright purple light emerged from one of the other collapsed signs. A loud crack was heard, and an object appeared from the light.

Rarity took a few steps to see what the object was. "...It's....the Element of Generosity!" She said as it dropped to the floor. She picked it up and put it on. The element glistened and bathed Rarity in a purple light. After a few seconds, the light show faded, revealing the element Fluttershy knew well.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy started. "We found it! I guess if we exhibit the trait of the element, it will reveal itself."

"Oh this will be great news!" Rarity responded. "Now, let us get dear Pinkie Pie back to the train!"

Before long, the wound was dressed up nicely. Rarity and Fluttershy each helped pick Pinkie Pie up and carried her back to the train station. The journey felt longer than anything Fluttershy had experienced before, but it was all worth it to save Pinkie Pie. If Pinkie Pie...no, I can't think of it! We can get through this, Twilight said so!

Back at the station, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were already there. Rainbow saw the group of ponies arrive.

"Hey guys! What was that beam of..." She stopped short as she saw an unconscious Pinkie Pie among them. She quickly flew over and helped support the party pony into the train. They laid her down onto a bench. Rainbow Dash noticed the element Rarity had around her neck, but Pinkie Pie's health was much more important at the time.

The rest of the group arrived within a few minutes. Applejack and Apple Bloom had found lots of apples and brought them back. Twilight and Spike each had a couple of books that they could all read if needed. They each saw Pinkie Pie and went to her side.

"Is she gonna be alright?" AJ asked. Rarity nodded. The element glistened in the dim light.

"You found the element?" Twilight asked, noticing the beautiful gem. Rarity again nodded.

"It appeared in a bright light after I helped Pinkie Pie. I hate to say it, but Pinkie Pie's injury actually helped us find it!"

After a few moments, the pink pony woke up. She was fed an apple and given some water to drink that Spike had also brought along.

"Are you okay, sugarcube?" Applejack asked her friend.

"Yeah...thanks to..." The pony stuttered.

Fluttershy spoke up. "It was lucky that Rarity was able to pull you out."

Pinkie Pie shaked her head. "No...I thank Rarity for helping me out, but she wouldn't have been there if you didn't go find her. You saved me, Fluttershy..." The pink pony gave a small smile.

Rarity agreed. "Yes, darling. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have been there to help out...And we probably wouldn't have found the element. You saved her, Fluttershy!" The other ponies nodded in agreement and all began praising the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy simply smiled and blushed, feeling great.

"Now that we know how to find the Elements of Harmony," Twilight said. "We actually have a better chance of finding them!"

"Still one problem." Rainbow Dash said. "The train's out of coal...we'll have to set out on hoof if we want to find the others."

"Right...how about we spend the night here, and figure out what we're doing in the morning?" Twilight responded. The others agreed.

Pinkie Pie was back to her normal, cheerful self after a few hours. She could barely walk due to her injury, but that didn't stop her from being Pinkie Pie. She was laughing and cheering with the others just like she used to. It gave the others such morale that everypony felt more confident in their mission now.

"It's a good thing you didn't have to cut off my leg because that would have been horrible since I wouldn't be able to walk or jump or play games like Pin the Tail on the Pony *GASP* Do you think we can play now!!?!?!?"

The others simply laughed. If the world hadn't ended, one would think that there was absolutely nothing wrong.

As the ponies all drifted off to sleep, Pinkie approached Fluttershy one last time for the night. "Thanks again!" She said quietly as she gave her friend a big hug.

For the first time since the end, Fluttershy actually felt happy again.

Fluttershy 2 - A Long Way to Go

The cave was dark...Fluttershy found herself staring into an abyss that seemed to pull her in even closer.

"Pinkie Pie!? Discord!?" Fluttershy called out. There was no response.

I'm all alone.

A shadow moved in the darkness, causing Fluttershy to jump again. In a panic, she turned back to the entrance of the cave, but it was gone. The shadow dropped right behind the scared pegasus. As she turned to meet it, she stared at herself.

...At least, it looked like Fluttershy. The mane was dull in color and covered in dirt and blood. Her fur was soaked in red as well. There was a gleam in the pony's eyes that seemed to stare right through Fluttershy.

"Please...don't..." The yellow pony squealed to her counterpart. It made no response as it lifted up a hoof, revealing a large and bloody rock.

Fluttershy tried to run, but she couldn't move. The rock came crashing down.

"NO!"

The pegasus woke up with a shock. She was on the forest floor, huddled up against a tree. As she looked up, she began to calm down.

Only a dream...or, was it a nightmare?

She looked around. The sky was still in its state of limbo. Hearing something move behind her, Fluttershy gasped and jumped into the air. It was only a sleeping Pinkie Pie, who was laid out on the other side of the tree. Discord was nowhere to be found.

The pegasus's tummy began to grumble. Do we have any food? Fluttershy looked around for something she could eat. An apple, a leaf, anything.

As it began to rumble again, Fluttershy decided to go in search of food.

The pegasus made her way into the forest. The light made it not as scary as it could have been. Fluttershy was thankful for that, at least. She tried looking everywhere for berries and fruit, but made no luck. Others must have taken them...

She soon came across a small, white rabbit. Upon seeing it, her mind immediately thought of Angel.

"Angel? Is that you?" She gasped as she made her way to the rabbit. It turned and stared at Fluttershy.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you were another bunny." Fluttershy said to the little white thing. He just stood there and stomped at the ground before running off.

"Wait!" Fluttershy followed the rabbit. "Won't you help me find food?"

The rabbit jumped along at a quick pace, leaving Fluttershy to have to fly after the creature. As it approached a large bush, Fluttershy nearly came on top of it to catch him.

SNAP.

Fluttershy passed the bush, but lost sight of the rabbit. The sound she heard came right from the bush...it was a metal sound, one that she had never heard before. As she turned back, Fluttershy gasped and cried.

The rabbit fell right onto a trap. Metal teeth snared the rabbit's leg and dug right into the flesh. Blood was everywhere as the rabbit began thrashing about. Fluttershy quickly flew to the hurt animal.

"Shh...it's okay." Fluttershy said, trying to use her motherly tone. However, upon seeing the blood, she saw something that made her stomach growl.

She stared at the rabbit flesh that lay exposed in front of her. The rabbit was crying as it tried to pull its leg out. Why does it look so...delicious? Fluttershy asked before quickly wondering why she felt that way.

No...I can't...EAT him!

Fluttershy quickly remembered the manticore she killed in that cave, and looked back to the rabbit. It had lost a lot of blood by this point and ceased chattering. It lay down on the ground, about to pass out.

"I'll help you...poor bunny." Fluttershy said, causing the rabbit to perk its ears up. Fluttershy looked around her for something...something.

She remembered the cave. The manticore. The rock.

Fluttershy found a nice-sized rock. Without even thinking, she picked it up. The rabbit had a faint smile on its face as the pegasus lifted it up. After slowly realizing what was going to happen, the rabbit began chattering again.

The pegasus stared at the rabbit before she began to sing. Hush now, quiet now...

*********

Fluttershy broke the trap with the rock. She looked down at what she had done. The rabbit was no longer moving, but it was free from the trap. The rock was smeared with blood and rust as Fluttershy tossed it aside. She stared at her prize, her meal. Not waiting any longer, Fluttershy picked up the dead rabbit and bit right into the leg. She pulled off something and began to chew....And spit it right back out.

"That's disgusting!" Fluttershy coughed as she almost choked on the rabbit meat. Already, she began to cry over the fact that she killed an animal when she began to think of a cake.

Maybe if I bake it...oh, but I have no...!

It didn't take long for Fluttershy to make a fire, but it was roaring in a matter of minutes. Fluttershy took the time to remove the fur from the rabbit, as she didn't like the taste when she bit into it. Granted, she didn't like the raw meat either, but she hoped a fire would fix that.

Pinkie Pie woke up to the smell of a fire burning and something that smelled good. "Ooh! What's that smell!?" She jumped up and went to the source of it. Fluttershy was huddled over the fire, making noises as if she were chewing something really...chewy.

"Fluttershy?"

The pegasus's ears pricked up as she turned to her friend. Pinkie Pie gasped in horror as she saw her friend, the kind and gentle Fluttershy, holding the remains of a dead rabbit. Meat hung from her mouth, and her eyes were bloodshot. Pinkie Pie stepped back. Her hair began to deflate.

"Are you...okay? Why are you..."

"It tastes good, Pinkie Pie. You should try some!" Fluttershy said before taking another bite.

"Um...no thank you. I'm good eating some cake, or fruit!" Pinkie Pie said with an uneasy laugh. Fluttershy could tell that even she was creeped out by this. It didn't matter though, as Fluttershy had never been so full before.

"Ah, Fluttershy, I see you discovered the joys of meat!"

Discord's voice broke the awkward tension as he appeared right over the fire. He was carrying a basket of fruit, which he dropped right onto the ground. Fluttershy finished up her meal and looked to the draconequus.

"Where were you?"

"Oh, I went to Vanhoover. That's where we are, by the way." Discord said as he picked up an apple from the basket. "You know, I could teach you all about the different animals you can eat, if you want. I know some really good recipes!"

Inside, Fluttershy was crying. I killed another animal! She thought to herself, ignoring Discord. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie approached the fruit basked and helped herself.

"I...killed..." Fluttershy began sobbing.

"It's okay." Discord said. "Anything we can do to survive."

Rainbow Dash said the same thing. Look where that got her.

Pinkie Pie swallowed an apple, then approached her crying friend. "It's okay, Fluttershy! I don't see you as a monster!" Fluttershy smiled at hearing this, but her insides were all twisted up.

"Now, we can't stay here too long!" Discord said. "It's a long way up to the north. If you thought the Crystal Empire was the furthest thing north, you'd be very wrong. The sooner we get going, the sooner we get there!"

"Are we going to stop by the Crystal Empire on the way?" Fluttershy asked. She wanted to see Berry Bunches again. And anypony else who survived.

Discord laughed before saying no. "We have a strict schedule. If we stop by there, you might not want to keep going. I'm not the one who wants to visit my brethren, so you'll have to stay with me the whole time."

Fluttershy looked down at the fire. There were pieces of her meal that were scattered, causing her further grief. She walked away quickly. "Let's go, then!" She said.

"Um, Fluttershy?" Discord said. "It's the other way."

The pegasus stopped in her tracks and blushed before quickly turning around. Pinkie Pie bounced alongside the two as they made their way north.

Vanhoover was a rather large city. It was nowhere near the size of Manehatten, but it was big enough for Fluttershy to be encapsulated. It was destroyed, like most of Equestria, but the main difference was that there were still ponies here. At first, Fluttershy thought they were affiliated with that group from Las Pegasus...but as she walked by, she knew they weren't. There were fillies, colts, and mares who looked like they were just trying to get by. Some were trading with other ponies, while fillies ran around and played games. Overall, it looked pretty pleasant. Fluttershy wanted to interact with the ponies, but they were too far away, and Discord did say that they were rushed for time.

Maybe Equestria isn't lost, after all...

North of Vanhoover, the temperature began to change drastically. It was hard for Fluttershy to continue moving, which Discord noticed.

"Are you cold, Fluttershy?"

The pegasus nodded her head. In response, Discord snapped his fingers.

A warm fur coat appeared around Fluttershy. It was very puffy and yellow, with small pink lines on the sides and back. She immediately felt the coat's warmth throughout her body. Discord smiled before continuing on.

"Hey! What about me!?" Pinkie Pie asked as she continued bouncing along. Discord sighed and snapped his fingers again, creating a pink coat around the pony. She began to roll around with it, laughing as she did.

"Ooh! It's soo warm!"

"Are you okay, Discord?" Fluttershy asked as he floated along without anything on.

"Draconequus aren't affected by weather." He said quickly. "That's one reason they are all hiding in the far north. It's a real pain to have family reunions, sometimes."

The landscape up here was beautiful. To the east were green rolling hills, while to the west was a beautiful ocean. The grass was a bluish-green, and the twilight in the sky made everything look as peaceful as it could be. Fluttershy loved being able to see new places a lot more than before the world ended. Maybe something good did come out of this.

With a lack of trees up here, Fluttershy was able to see for miles in every direction. There was no wildlife or anything that looked dangerous. Just her, Discord, and Pinkie Pie. The entire adventure comprised of Pinkie jumping up and down while asking the most random questions. Even Discord grew tired of it as they began bickering with each other. This actually made Fluttershy laugh.

It felt like hours before the group stopped to get some rest. The atmosphere looked exactly the same, but they all felt exhausted from the trip. Discord took out the basket of fruit again as they all sat down next to a large pile of rocks.

Fluttershy took an apple and stared at it. She couldn't help but see the poor bunny she had ended earlier that day. It was so helpless...

"You gonna eat that?" Pinkie Pie said as Fluttershy lowered it back into the basket.

"I'm not in a mood to eat..." Fluttershy responded quietly.

"Still full from that rabbit?" Discord said with a laugh, biting into an orange. Fluttershy shot him a glare, but quickly broke into tears.

"It's a fact of life. Things die, and some things eat other things." Discord said as he waved the orange around. "You think the dragons eat only gems? That the Griffons only eat anything that doesn't move? Ha!"

"I'd say you're becoming a fine young dragon, Miss Fluttershy." He laughed once more.

If I were really a dragon, I'd find a cave to sit in forever.

Fluttershy stood still and quiet, causing Discord's laughter to awkwardly pass. "Look, Fluttershy...if you can get past these things, you'll be much better. I promise you that!" He finished up the orange.

*********

Later that night, Fluttershy tried drifting off to sleep once more. When she did, she found herself in a familiar place. It was a white room, as empty as it was the last time Fluttershy saw it. She also saw her friends. All six were there, including Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy was overjoyed to see their faces.

"Girls!" She called out, but nopony responded. Soon after, Rainbow Dash disappeared, and the room changed color. The area Rainbow Dash stood turned black, leaving the rest of the room as it was. A small roar was heard from above. As Fluttershy looked up, she saw it.

A giant Sleipnir hovered over the other ponies. None of them seemed to notice except Fluttershy, who screamed as it approached her.

"Fluttershy..."

"Please don't eat me..."

"Fluttershy..."

"What!? What do you want!?" She could feel the room getting colder as a chill went up her back and into her wings. She could see her friends, but she felt truly alone.