The bright flash of light wakes up Perfect Image. The blue Pegasus rolls out of bed as the Bushwoolies scatter from the room. Perfect Image looks up to see Winkz and Vanilla standing over her.

The blue mare quickly looks around the room, “Is it just you two?” She asks.

“Your lover isn’t with us.” Winkz told her.

Perfect Image sighs. “I wish Philia would at least write me?”

Vanilla gives a wicked smirk. “I’m not saying she doesn’t care about you, I think with all the traveling she does the pony has learned to focus on the moment.”

“You’re saying she only focuses on the now.” Perfect Image looks disappointed.

“I’ll remind her that you are looking forward to seeing her again,” Winkz gives Perfect Image a smile.

“There is no need for that,” Perfect Image blushed.

“Her mouth says no but her body says yes,” Vanilla smirks.

“What are the two of you here for?” Perfect Image asks.

“I’m trying to figure out how to give my sister’s body back to her without passing on my existence,” Vanilla answered.

“Vanilla? We found your orb but with it damaged we thought that you were dead?” Perfect Image said realizing who she was talking to.

The door suddenly flies open, “Are you okay madam!” The brown guard Bat Pony with a patch of mud for his cutie mark bursts open the door. He sees Vanilla and bows to her. “My lady I’ve had no idea that you have returned. You should of told us if you want to do business with the governor.”

Governor?” Vanilla raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Perfect Image.

“Apparently by the bylaws of your land, when you give me or your other self give me the Life Knife you gave me the authority to rule in your stead,” Perfect Image explains, “It was hard for me at first, but I’ve worked through the crisis Ferngully dropped in my lap.”

“Sorry about that,” Vanilla looked away shamefully.

“There is no need to apologize,” Perfect Image told her, “This place does not hold good memories for her, I don’t blame her for shedding this place like a snake sheds its skin.”

“Miss?” The guard pony spoke up questionly.

“You are dismissed Grimes,” Perfect Image waves her hoof.

“Very well,” Grimes leaves the room shutting the door behind him.

“We were hoping to look through some of my mother’s old books,” Vanilla stated.

“Well, when the castle was destroyed two of its three libraries were destroyed also,” Perfect Image replied, “But I was told some of those books were worth their weight in gold so we been taking great care in trying to find them as we dig through the rubble. Keep away rain clouds that can the stuff, We’ve almost cleaned up all of the mess and all the books and scrolls were placed in a pair of empty houses. You are free to go look through them but they are pretty disorganized at the moment.”

“Thank you,” Vanilla nodded her head.

“I’ll have Grimes and a few other ponies help you,” Vanilla tells them.

“The next day…”

The Pegasus fly into town. They were greeted by a small group of Bat Ponies.

“I am looking for the barer of the Life Knife,” A cloud pink colored Pegasus with a white main that had a brown streak going across both his head and tail. His cutie Mark was of a pussy willow curled in a spiral.

“Gentle Willow…”

“She is dead,” Grimes answers.

“Then I demand to see the blade,” The Pegasus told the Bat Pony.

“That is not up to me, that is up to the governor,” Grimes said.

“State your business here?” Perfect Image steps forward.

Gentle Willow had a look of shock on his face. “I thought this was an Earth Pony and Bat Pony village?”

“We are on the edge of the Wildlands the rules are different here,” Perfect Image explains.

“I see,” Gentle Willow nods his head.

“State what business you would have to bring you to come here and ask for the Life Knife?” Perfect Image asks.

“I am Dr. Gentle Willow, a bunch of our troops has been occupying Earth Pony villages,” Gentle Willow explains, “Before the invasion started our people started coming down with Lightning Flu. Normally this flu only affects Pegasus. But somehow we been passing it on to the other ponies with dire consequences.”

“And you think the Life Knife can help you?” Perfect Image points out.

“I’ve heard it cured an outbreak of blood asps, even brought back the dead,” Gentle Willow tells her.

Perfect Image gives a quick glance at Grimes. “The blade can do that but I’ve been told over using its power like that can have deadly consequences.”

“I suppose that means I shouldn’t use the Life Knife,” Perfect Image answered to the Pegasus.

Gentle Willow sighs, “Very well, I had been ordered to take in the knife by force if I thought I had to. But I believe your opinion of the knife’s usefulness in this occasion.”

“I thank you for your consideration,” Perfect Image nods her head.

“Ale and Beerstein did have one of the most extensive collections of medical texts around, they were doctors after all,” Grimes points out.

“Very well, Gentle Willow, her castle was recently destroyed,” Perfect Image tells the Pegasus, “We have a place we have been storing the books, their daughter and a friend of hers are there right now looking through the texts. I’m sure if you help them they will help you as best they can.”

“Thank you,” Gentle Willow bows his head.

The Pegasus swiftly headed to the books storage building. The Vanilla and Winkz were looking through books when the Pegasus walked into the cramped building. The two ponies readied themselves for what ever happened next.

“It’s okay!” Grimes jumped in and shouted, “They are here with Perfect Image’s permission.”

“Very well,” Vanilla loosens her stance, “I assume that you are looking for something?”

“Yes, some of the Earth Pony villages under Pegasus control has come down with a paramagical plague,” Gentle Willow answered.

Vanilla and Winkz exchange glances.

“That’s not an issue with you is it? That the villages are under our control?” Gentle Willow asks.

“No,” Vanilla said unsurely.

“What she means is that we are neutral parties, but we been doing some extensive traveling in the Earth Pony territories,” Winkz explains, “We have friends and allies who are not neutral parties.”

The Pegasus guarding Gentle Willow begins to make a fighting stance.

“But we are out here and this is neutral territory,” Winkz shrugged.

The Pegasus relax themselves.

“Then greetings I am Dr. Gentle Willow the two behind me are Three Ton and Steel Dew,” Gentle Willow introduced his companions.

Three Ton was the largest Pegasus that most ponies at ever seen. He was larger than Claymari who her herself was larger than most males. Eyes a turquoise green. He may have even been a little bit larger then King Mars. His coat was blue steel and his mane and tail bright blue. His cutie mark was of three elephants.

Steel Dew was a gray Pegasus with a gold mane. His eyes the color of brass. The stallions cutie mark was seven red hot molten droplets of melted metal.

“I am Vanilla and the crystal pony next to me is Winkz,” Vanilla extended her hoof.

Gentle Willow extended his hoof and they shook.

“I have an idea what books you might need for your research,” Vanilla tells him, “There also seems to be several published journals that my mother grouped together that still seemed to be relatively intact.” She smiled, “You got to love the Earth Pony printing presses.”

“Thank you very much,” Gentle Willow replied.

“I can point you to some of the ones that we have already been searched through that may be what you’re looking for. In exchange I’ll ask you to keep an eye open on anything that mentions soul transferring.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Gentle Willow motioned his Pegasus companions to start looking through the pile of books that Vanilla had pointed at.

“Evening…”

Gentle Willow came across an article that made his eyebrows raise. He turns to Vanilla excitingly.

“Miss, this is a firsthoof account of one of the patient zeros of the asp blood plague,” Gentle Willow says to her.

“Interesting, other than Ginger Ale and Beerstein were in the middle of the epidemic, I really didn’t know much about that incident,” Vanilla remarks, “Perhaps it won’t hurt to read it out loud as we search?”

Gentle Willow reads a little bit ahead. “According to this the disease was actually a magic curse. The Life Knife must have more powers been previously thought if it can break curses. Curses are normally unaffected by regular healing magic.”

“I’ll keep that information in mind,” Vanilla smiles.

“My name is Lt. Ginger Onyx,” Gentle Willow begins to read, “I was named so because of my onyx colored coat and my ginger colored mane. I was exploring the Wildlands as part of a military exposition. There are two other ponies that was under my command.

One was called Gas Hunter. He must’ve been some kind of mutant because his violet hair flowed and moved on its own. His coat was an even darker shade of purple than his mane. A series of lavender colored wisps was on his flank.

The other was a mare called Oyster. Like me she got her name from her coat a dull pearl gray in color. Her mane and tail was as black as ravens. Her cutie mark was of a golden clamshell.

The papers on the ponies under my command I was given to me before my mission. It said that Gas Hunter grew up as a tracker outside of some backwater village around Poison Swamp.

As for Oyster, she’s the daughter of one of the commanders on the Mass Counsel and like most of her kin is looking to make a name for herself through acts of adventurous heroism ,victories and battle. Usually the most likely case this mule is a dumb ass and would probably get herself killed soon.

Our mission was to confirm the location of the tomb of Medusa. She is said to be the mother of the Pegasus as well as Queen of the Serpents. As for what the hell serpents has to do with Pegasus I don’t know?”

“Well being called Queen of the Serpents and Mother of the Pegasus actually does make sense,” Vanilla notes interrupting Gentle Willow’s reading.

“Really how so?” Gentle Willow asked.

“Are you familiar with the theory of evolution?” Vanilla replied.

“It sounds familiar,” Gentle Willow said hesitantly.

“It basically states that if some outside force doesn’t interfere with a creature’s design, the creature will change over time to suit it’s environment better,” Vanilla answers, “This process of change is called evolution. Like how the Earth Pony changed to Dore after tunneling shafts underground. Or if you want to use a Pegasus example Swiftlets evolved after a bunch of Pegasus decided to live in large caves for shelter.”

“And what does this have to do with Pegasus and serpents?” Gentle Willow asked.

“There are papers that said that birds naturally evolved from creatures that are called dinosaurs,” Vanilla explains, “Dinosaurs are described as giant serpent like creatures.”

“Oh I see,” Gentle Willow nods his head, “Since Pegasus wings resemble birds that makes us serpent themed chimera.”

“At least from my understanding,” Vanilla tells him.

Gentle Willow coughs clearing his throat as he begins to read again. “Following the directions I was given, we soon came upon the village of bat winged Lamia Ponies called Lavender.”

“Lavender? That’s where Esther Song came from, come to think of it she’s been my mother’s employee since before I was born?” Vanilla notes. Suddenly a horrific memory of her body being ripped apart by dark power as she turned into the leviathan moon monster caused the bat pony to sway. “It was a serpent, she summoned a serpent?”

“Are you okay?” Gentle Willow asks.

“I died?” Vanilla gasped, “My memories?”

“You finally realize that you’re missing some?” Winkz said as she walked up behind a pile of books.

“Why didn’t you say anything!” Vanilla snaps.

“You were evil and mad,” Winkz shrugged, “Tell me you’re not better this way?”

“I don’t remember what I even died for?” Vanilla said shocked, “Was I ever even a pony?”

“If it makes you feel any better I suspect you’re probably a fake personality designed to keep Ferngully under control,” Winkz answered, “But at some point like always the character becomes real.”

Vanilla starts breathing heavily. “Keep reading,” She gasped at Gentle Willow. “I said keep reading!” The Bat Pony shouted.

“Gas Hunter instructed us on how we should introduce ourselves to the natives. They were nonhostile and quite friendly. They even showed us where to find the Temple of Medusa.

We all remember the story about the beautiful mare who worked for a goddess of war. Then one day one of her compatriots became lustful and raped her in the temple of the war goddess. She complained to the goddess about the vile act and was punished for having sex in the temple. The goddess turned her into a monster and the child that was forced upon her became the first Pegasus.

This story entered our heads as we entered the ancient structure known as a Stable. Its size was massive with what seemed to be statues of ponies randomly lying about.

As the three of us walked closer to the center of the Stable the more I thought about that story and the more I looked at Gas Hunter. There were thoughts that I soon realized wasn’t exactly my own. I found myself being mad at him, mad at him for being a stallion, like one of those stallions that raped Medusa.

“Don’t you hear it!” Oyster cried, “The singing of the siren pony?”

Oyster then makes a random turn. I yelled at her to come back to us is both Hunter and I followed her. We only lost sight of the pony for a moment but when we saw her again she was staring trancelike into a hole in the wall. When we got up to her to check on her the mare collapses at our feet.

“Come here my child,” said a voice. I asked Hunter if he heard it and he shook his head no. The voice repeated itself again and again but he did not hear it. The voice seemed to be coming from a hole in the wall.

I’ve bent my face down to the hole peering in through my eye. Looking in I saw a red glint that quickly disappeared as something lunged at me.

The next thing I knew I was on my rump with blood running down my cheek. Gas Hunter had sliced a purple snake in half. It’s upper half lay twitching and hissing on the ground. The pony had to crush its head with his hoof.

Without warning the buck sticks his lips over the wound on my cheek and begins to suck on the flesh. My blood flowed into his mouth and once his cheeks were full he spits the bloody mess on to the ground. For good measure sucks on my cheek again then spits it out again.

I looked at him in shock.

“That’s for the poison,” Gas Hunter explains pointing at the snake.

This was when I realized that the snake had bit me and he was sucking out the poison. We waited there for a few moments to see if the poison would have any effect on me. Nothing happened to me but gas Hunter soon became lightheaded in his body broke out in a sweat.

I decided to tell him to sit there and wait with Oyster as I returned to the entrance. After a minute of walking back the way we came I heard a loud scream of a mare. When I came rushing back the site made me gasp. Gas Hunter’s chest had burst open and dozens of blood covered snakes was slithering out of him. Oyster stood there over him freaking out in a panic.

I grabbed the distraught mare and we both ran out of the Stable. Outside the Stable we gave ourselves some time to relax. During which I found that there was a heavy pain in my chest. I didn’t think much of it as we returned to the village called Lavender. This time we were not so happily greeted by them.

After a heavy battle we escaped to the air. As I was flying I noticed a cut on one of my legs and something hanging out of it. It was the tail of a tiny snake. In a panic I pulled the thing out only to have another snake slide out of the wound with it.

We soon found a nearby village in the clouds. By then my entire body was in excruciating pain in the only thing that could relieve it was removing the snakes from inside of me. To my horror even pools of my blood was turning into snakes before my eyes.

Now I lay here dying, dictating my report to This Bat Pony doctor who is trying her best to save my life. When I became too sick to move Oyster went ahead of me. I’ve heard that she had been put into quarantine after others around me gotten sick. But oddly I’ve heard that she’s been fine and no pony really knows why?”

“Is that it?” Vanilla asks.

“It seems so,” Gentle Willow answers.

“I think I need to take a breath,” Vanilla says as she walks outside.

“Will she be okay?” Gentle Willow asked Winkz.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Winkz shook her head.

“The Bat Pony farms…”

Bat Pony farmers flew up and down the cliff side picking the flowers off of the ivy looking vines. Grimes flew around these ponies trying to spot the one that he was looking for.

She was a golden yellow Bat Pony with a pumpkin orange mane. Her cutie mark was the depiction of a silver medallion swinging back and forth

“Hypnotic Sleep…”

The mare greets Grimes with a smile and the two of them kiss.

“So is this your sweetheart?” Steel Dew smiles at the two ponies as he came flying up.

“She’s my wife,” Grimes introduced.

“Pleased to meet you,” Steel Dew did a bow.

“A pleasure,” Hypnotic Sleep blushed.

Steel Dew looks at the vines growing on the cliff face. “So what are these things?”

“These are the vines that we grow for food,” Hypnotic Sleep pulls a five leafed stem with long jagged leaves off the vine and presents it to Steel Dew.

The stallion takes the vine leaves and chews on it for a moment savoring the taste. “Tastes like rhubarb,” He notes.

“Just be careful it’s not good to eat too much of that plant raw it will make you sick,” Grimes noted, “Normally we boil them until the pot is thick with their juices.”

“Good to know,” Steel Dew nodded his head.

Hypnotic Sleep returns to the farm work that she was doing and starts to pick off yellow flower buds.

“Why are you doing that?” Steel Dew asks.

“Keeping the flowers on the plant makes the leaves grow small,” Hypnotic Sleep explains, “Removing the flowers allows them to produce larger leaves and therefore more food.”

“Mind if I help?” Steel Dew asks, “I’ll probably be eating some of that sooner or later since I’m staying here in this town anyway,” He smiles.

“Aren’t you supposed to be guarding Gentle Willow?” Grimes asked.

“Three Ton has guard duty I’m on break,” Steel Dew points out.

“I suppose it’s okay,” Hypnotic Sleep nods her head.

“Vanilla…”

Vanilla enters the bed chambers that was given to her for her stay. She was physically distressed and exhausted plopping herself onto the bed. Time rushed as she dozed off. She was awoken by a knock at her door. The Bat Pony gets up to answer it.

Perfect Image greeted her with a smile.

“What is it?” Vanilla growled.

The blue Pegasus’s smile turned into a frown. “Is something the matter?”

“Nothing you can fix dear,” Vanilla shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” Perfect Image replied. She then reaches into her saddlebag. “I brought you this.”

The Pegasus takes out a cracked crystal orb. Vanilla instinctively cupped who hooves out taking it in her forelimbs as Perfect Image past the glass object to her. Vanilla stood there staring at the thing.

“I figured you may want it,” Perfect Image points out.

“Thank you,” Vanilla said in an indifferent tone.

“You’re going to be okay right?” Perfect Image asked as she made half a turn.

“I’m fine,” Vanilla said as calmly as she could.

Perfect Image walks down the hall as Vanilla closes the door behind her. Vanilla lets loose a scream and chucks the glass object against the wall. It shatters at the impact.

Before Vanilla knew what was happening to her a shrieking demon of slashing sand springs from the broken orb and attacks her. The thing was somewhat shaped like a Bat Pony

Vanilla screams out as countless cuts were sliced into her body as the sands whipped around her. Then the creature released her from its vortex and she slumps to the ground her blood pooling on the floor.

The vortex of sand knocks Vanilla’s door off its hinges and rushed out down the hallway. Winkz hearing the commotion runs over and sees the broken door. The pony then enters Vanilla’s room to see the yellow Bat Pony laying unconscious on the ground. With her horn Winkz found who she was looking for and the two of them teleports away.

“The vine farm…”

Grimes hears the alarm go off.

“Hypnotic stay here,” The brown Pegasus orders.

“That’s an attack alarm right?” Steel Dew points out.

“It is,” Grimes says as he takes off towards the town.

“I’m coming with,” Steel Dew told him.

“Then you take the lead,” Grimes replied, “It could be you Pegasus that’s attacking us for all I know, so I’m not letting you get behind me.”

“Fair enough,” Steel Dew nods his head as he flies past Grimes.

The two flying ponies came across the sight of Three Ton being tossed into the side of a building. He impacted it so hard that he broke the wood paneling on the wall and caved it in a little bit. They soon noticed that one of his wings was bleeding.

Three Ton dodges the sand demon as it lashes at him to make another furious attack. The large Pegasus then quickly parries around and faces his supernatural opponent.

“Isn’t that your companion?” Grimes notes.

“It is,” Steel Dew replied.

“What is it he’s fighting?” Grimes points out.

“I’m going to find out,” Steel Dew said his body emitting a red orange aura.

“Is that? You have a speed magic ability!” Grimes stutters to say.

Suddenly Steel Dew takes off with an orange red streak shooting sparks behind him. When the Pegasus reached the spinning vertex he rears back in the air and kicks at it with one of his hindlegs. His metal hooves had become red hot and sparks shot from his horseshoes. To the eye, the speed of his kick made a red orange streak.

The vortex leaps back, the attack that just hit it was emitting heat and disrupted the air flow that was keeping it together momentarily. Steel Dew then comes down on the demon with his forehooves, them too glowing red hot and streaking red orange as they moved. The vortex demon dodges and shrieks at the gray Pegasus.

Steel Dew puts his hooves firmly on the ground. They sizzled and smoked as they touched the soil and the red glow faded from them. Grimes lands nearby as the vortex creature blends itself into the soil and dust of the road.

“You seem to have an effect on it,” Grimes points out.

“Unfortunately I don’t think I can really hurt it,” Steel Dew says as he cautiously looks around at every breeze of dust.

“I’ve inherited some Earth Pony magic from my mother,” Grimes told the Pegasus, “I have a second sense when it comes to soil and its makeup.”

“You know where the creature is?” Steel Dew asks.

“In general distance and area,” Grimes answers.

“Three Ton are you okay?” Steel Dew turns to his large companion.

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to fly for a while,” The Pegasus answered looking at the blood stains on his wing growing larger and darker.

A handful of Bat Pony guards show up. “What do you want us to do sir?” One of them asked Grimes.

“Stay up there for now,” Grimes orders. He then turns to Steel Dew, “You think that thing can fly?”

“It looked like it was taking the shape of a Bat Pony so I’ll assume yes,” Steel Dew answered, “If we could get away from the ground we would have the advantage.”

“Or away from this loose soil,” Grimes adds.

“Did you just get an idea?” Steel Dew asked.

“We should lead it toward the cliff side you know where they were farming the vines?” Grimes answered, “Best case scenario it leaves and becomes just another strange creature of the wild. Worst case it sticks around and we have to fight it.” The Bat Pony turns to his guards. “Gather up some of the ponies and make some firebombs out of the whiskey storage. With that combination we might be able to drive this thing in the direction we want.”

“Yes sir,” the Bat Ponies fly off.

“I think I’ll let you two handle that thing,” Three Ton tells them.

“That is fine, rest my friend,” Steel Dew replies to the large Pegasus.

“Dew watch out its coming your way,” Grimes shouted.

A cloud of dust shoots out at Steel Dew. At the last moment, Steel Dew takes off to the air as the dust cloud jumps up turning into the outline of a Bat Pony that was shrieking at him with this extended exaggerated jaw.

Having missed its target the vortex demon then turns at Grimes. But as soon as the creature turned the face the Bat Pony he was already swift enough to have taken up to the air.

“Vanilla awakes…”

The Bat Pony looked up to see Perfect Image standing over her, the Life Knife floated in midair above her.

“Can’t you do something about the scars?” Winkz asked.

“Scars?” Vanilla perked up. At this point she realized that she couldn’t feel her tail and one of her ears felt numb.

“I don’t think so, there seems to be some kind of force within her to stop a complete healing, it could be the antenna or because she was so close to death,” Perfect Image shook her head, “I’m afraid they also maybe biolocked like the scar around her head. No amount of magical healing can cure them.”

“Get me a mirror,” Vanilla said coldly.

“Vanilla you should wait a while,” Winkz starts to say.

Vanilla jumps up and pushes the Crystal Pony out of the way. She frantically looks through the rooms for a mirror. After entering the second room she found a full body one and the Bat Pony gasped at what she saw.

“Ferngully is going to kill me,” Vanilla said as she puts her hoof along the jagged scar that ran under her eye, down her cheek and across the neck.

Almost all the damage was kept to her right side. Tip of her ear had been lapped off in another scar went down across the side of her head near her antenna. A dozen random scars crisscrossed her torso, legs, and rump. Her right wing had three good holes in the flaps. The end of her tail had been lopped off, but remained covered or anal hole but left her marehood exposed.

Vanilla looked at her exposed rear lowering her ears. For some strange reason she was feeling extra drafty back there now.

“Sorry about your tail,” Perfect Image said as she drapes a sheet over the mare’s rear with the intention of covering her privates.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t bug me as much as I thought something like that would,” Vanilla replied.

“I never thought about living a life without a tail?” Perfect Image points out sadly.

“In the Crystal Kingdom there are a type of slave mare that have their tails removed to show them that they can’t reject the advances of stallions,” Winkz points out.

What Winkz said didn’t register to Vanilla, but caused Perfect Image to shutter at the thought.

A town guards pony came running up. “Madam Governor several of us has engaged a strange demonic creature made of slashing sand!”

“That’s the thing that did this to me,” Vanilla gritted her teeth.

“We’re driving it towards the cliffs with firebombs,” The guard pony stated.

Vanilla starts to head for the door letting the sheet slide off her body.

“Vanilla no!” Winkz shouted.

Vanilla turns back to the crystal mare, “This is my beast to bear!” She snaps.

“The streets of Hard Peak…”

The bottle crashes against the ground and the flame spreads across the dirt. The open fire causes the wind currents to become chaotic and repelled the vortex demon away. Another crashing bottle and it was forced in another direction. Soon the creature was forced to the edge of the cliff. There Grimes and Steel Dew was waiting for it.

“Come on you bastard fly or fall!” Steel Dew snaps.

The vortex was forced over the side of the cliff. The screeching ball of dust rode down the vine covered cliffside. Suddenly it’s form outstretched its wings and the thing took off to the air.

This was the moment Steel Dew was waiting for. He pops the cork off a whiskey bottle and dives for the shrieking sand monster his speed ability leaving a trail of red orange heat behind him.

Steel Dew spins around the creature pouring out the contents of the whiskey bottle over it. He then spins very very fast making a whirl of red as he heats up the air around the creature trapping it in the alcohol liquid and his own vortex. Suddenly the liquid ignites and the creature shrieks out in pain.

The flaming sand demon lashes out at Steel Dew. The Pegasus was knocked back, a long bleeding gash spurted blood from his side. Grimes had to diving in and catch him to make sure the pony didn’t fall to his death.

“That’s a plan that went down the drain,” Steel Dew said to Grimes as the Bat Pony supported him.

The flames covering the vortex creature soon went out leaving the thing steaming as it hovered there in the air.

“Monster!” Vanilla shouted.

The vortex creature formed its pony head and had looked up at Vanilla who was standing at the edge the cliff above it. There was a moment of emotion and understanding exchanged between the two. Without hesitation Vanilla outstretched her wings. One wing complete and one wing tattered she steps off the cliff.

The ripped wing made it difficult for Vanilla to move. But she managed to direct herself well enough to dive right at the vortex monster. Before they made contact her antenna glowed brightly white as she focused everything that she had into it. The blasts that she unleashes hits the creature.

The yellow Bat Pony looses consciousness as the vortex creature shrieks and begins to suck in more and more air. Dust from the air itself gathers to the thing making it into a more of a solid pony form.

Grimes put Steel Dew in some vines and the Pegasus wraps his legs around the plants. The Bat Pony now free, dives for Vanilla as the now solid creature of dust and soil flies away from them.

“The next day…”

Ferngully awakes her body sore and exhausted. Something didn’t feel right about her but she couldn’t put her hoof on it until she looked in the mirror. It was her reflection and the sight of it made her scream.

Grimes was the first one to come to the sound of the Bat Pony screaming. What he saw was her crying with thick tears running down her scarred cheek. Her foreleg had shattered the mirror cutting its flesh and causing blood to run down its cracked surface.

“I look like a monster now!” She wailed, “Truly a Franken Pony.”

“I’m sorry my lady,” Grimes did a bow to the Bat Pony.

“What the heck happened to me!” Ferngully shouted.

“You were attacked by a monster, the others it attacked recovered just fine with no complications, but for some reason your wounds are biolocked and they will never heal beyond those scars naturally or with magic,” Grimes explains.

Ferngully outstretched her injured wing and noticed strands of leather stitched through them.

“Your wings have been repaired to a state where you can almost use them like before,” Grimes points out, “I’ll go get your dress.” He turns to walk away.

“Why would I want to wear a dress!” Ferngully shouted, “Naked is the only way to wear scars!”

Grimes frowns and points at Ferngully’s rear. “He kind of sort of have to, unless you don’t have any issues exposing yourself to everybody.”

“Exposing myself?” Ferngully turns to look at her rear and yelps. “My tail is gone!” She screamed hiding her exposed hind quarters against the wall.

“So do you want the dress or not?” Grimes asked.

“Get the dress!” Ferngully shrieked.

“At the edge of the Peak Towns…”

Gentle Willow gathered supplies along with Steel Dew and Three Ton.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving so soon,” Perfect Image remarks to the Pegasus.

“Luckily we found the right journal and notes so quickly,” Gentle Willow remarks, “Since Pegasus ponies already have an immunity to these diseases I can make anti serums by distilling Pegasus blood. But I’m going to need a lot of Pegasus to do it.”

Ferngully came walking up in a saddle dress. The end of the saddle dress had a cloth that hung over her rear. She braided the blue cloth to make a makeshift tail that covered her mare bits.

“I don’t remember you, but I was told that I should see you off,” Ferngully said to the Pegasus her voice lacking some of her normal emotion.

“You may not be the same pony but we are grateful for your help,” Steel Dew says to her. Ferngully turns away keeping her good side facing the Pegasus.

“You’re welcome,” The Bat Pony replied.

The Pegasus flies away, as soon as they were out of sight Ferngully rips the dress off her body throwing it to the ground. She stomps on it with her hooves as she screams and cries.