Meanwhile, far, far away, beyond the borders of Equestria, such feelings of happiness and jubilation were not being felt. A purple alicorn with a dark blue mane, streaked with light blue, was busy looking at old photographs. Her eyes rested on them one after the other, filled with bitter hatred. Her lips curled into a sneer.
“Soon,” she thought to herself. “Soon, she'll know exactly how I feel; hopeless, unloved, unwanted. Just you wait, Princess. It’s only a matter of time..."
Back in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was still leading her new friends through the streets. Blaze, in particular, kept turning his head this way and that, trying to take in as much as he could see. The buildings, the streets, the ponies greeting them and smiling at them as they continued on, all of this seemed to make his brown eyes shine with delight behind his glasses.
"Wonderful!" he breathed. "The atmosphere here! It's just so, so...quaint! So picturesque! There's a real charm about it! A real rustic charm! It's nothing like Cloudsdale! I've gotta jot this down!"
He fished eagerly around in his saddlebags until he pulled out a notepad, many of its pages already filled up. Holding it in the crook of one hoof, he gripped a pen in the fingers of one wing and started writing feverishly. Storm Cloud rolled her eyes. Chocolate Gem giggled.
"What's he doing?" asked Pinkie.
"Oh, don't mind him," said Mint, grinning. "Blaze can't help jotting down story ideas when the inspiration strikes him."
"Yeah," said Gregory, cracking a grin himself. "He says if he doesn't do it right away, he'll forget."
"It's happened before, I'll have you know!" Blaze retorted, looking up briefly.
"We know, we know," said Gregory, rolling his eyes banteringly.
"Neato!" said Pinkie. "I bet you'd get along great with Twilight, Blaze! She loves stories, too! Well, actually, she likes reading in general, but stories are still reading, right? You'd get along like peanut butter and marshmallows!"
Firebrand gave her a bewildered look.
"Peanut butter and marshmallows?" he repeated.
"What?" asked Pinkie, innocently. "They make for one de-lish sandwich!"
Firebrand didn't seem to have a retort for this, nor did anypony else, so on they went, no more said on the subject. All of a sudden, Pinkie stopped short, having bumped into somepony. The group of six saw that it was a white unicorn with an elegantly-styled purple mane. The stallions can’t help but note that she’s quite attractive. Beside her was an orange Earth pony with a blond mane, topped with a brown Stetson, who had taken a step back in surprise at Pinkie bumping into the unicorn.
“Goodness, Pinkie Pie, do watch where you’re trotting, dear,” said the unicorn, in a very elegant voice.
"Sorry, Rarity,” said Pinkie. “Are you headed to Twilight's?"
The unicorn, thus addressed to as Rarity, nodded and gestured towards her companion.
"Applejack and I were just headed there now, actually. Twilight and Starlight have to try on the dresses I've made for them. They’re going to absolutely adore them!"
Applejack rolled her eyes smilingly. Rarity, meanwhile, spied Pinkie’s guests.
"Oh? Who are your companions, Pinkie?”
“My new friends!" exclaimed Pinkie, eagerly. “Chocolate Gem, Mint Leaf, Storm Cloud, Gregory, Blazewing and Firebrand!"
She pointed her hoof towards each one as they all showed some sign of greeting. Applejack tipped her hat in greeting,
“Howdy, folks. I'm Applejack, and this here is Rarity."
Rarity nodded her head.
"Lovely to meet you all," she said, before turning her attention to Firebrand. “Firebrand, was it? Aren't you the one who is supposed to be performing?"
Firebrand nodded his head, and Rarity smiled widely.
“Oh, good! Fluttershy is looking for you."
Firebrand gave her a puzzled look. The name ‘Fluttershy’ was new to him, as it was to the others.
“I’ll, er, just take you to her,” said Rarity. “She's at the castle. Follow me."
They all started off after Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack joining in. Blazewing merely paused before saying, to no one in particular,
"So...no hotel, then?"
"Firebrand’s being rather quiet, don't you think?" Chocolate Gem whispered to Storm Cloud.
Storm Cloud nodded.
"Yeah. Maybe he’s more nervous than we think."
"We could ask him,” said Chocolate Gem, “but we both know he'll just shrug it off and claim we’re worrying over nothing.”
"He'd tell us if something was wrong, though, wouldn't he?" Storm Cloud asked.
She seemed rather unsure of herself as she looked at Firebrand.
"We're here," said Applejack.
Storm Cloud and Chocolate Gem looked up, and all six of them gaped at the building standing before them. It was a huge castle, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a ‘castle treehouse’, carved from crystal and peaking far into the sky.
"Dude," quipped Gregory breaking the silence.
“Sweet Celestia,” Blaze breathed.
He even went so far as to take off his glasses, rub the lenses, and put them back on, staring in disbelief. Pinkie jumped up in front of the group.
“Welcome to the Tree Chest Puzzle Map Castle!" she said, excitedly.
“Huh?" was the unanimous response.
Pinkie took a deep breath, and when she next spoke, her words came out in a speedy torrent of sound.
“This castle appeared when my friends and I opened up a magic chest near this this tree called the Tree of Harmony, which is where Celestia and Luna got the Elements of Harmony (see the connection?), but we had to put them back since these terrible vine things were invading Ponyville! Oh, and they took Celestia and Luna, though I’m not sure how they reached all the way to Canterlot. Anyway, we all found these keys, and used the box's powers to beat Tirek!"
She beamed at them all. It was clear she expected them to understand every word she had said. No such luck. The six friends looked even more baffled than ever. Applejack stepped forward.
"What Pinkie means is, this castle is magic. That’s all you need to know.”
Pinkie looked slightly put out at her explanation being dumbed down this way, but her frown only lasted a few seconds; she was all smiles again as Applejack knocked on the massive doors. Presently, one of the doors opened, and a small purple and green dragon appeared.
“Oh, hey, Applejack!” he said, "And Pinkie and Rarity, too! You're just in time to..."
He trailed off as he spotted the unfamiliar faces in front of him.
"Um, who are they?” he asked.
“These are my new friends," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Is Fluttershy here?"
Spike nodded, and turned to their guests.
“I'm Spike, by the way. Nice to meet you.”
Mint Leaf spoke up.
"I'm Mint Leaf, and these are my friends: Storm Cloud, Chocolate Gem, Gregory, Blazewing and Firebrand."
"Firebrand?” Spike repeated. “You must be the one Fluttershy wanted to see. I'll take you to her right away."
He gestured for the others to follow him. As they stepped inside after Spike and started down the corridors, Chocolate Gem whispered excitedly to Blaze,
“I can't believe we're meeting the Princess of Friendship!”
“Yeah,” said Blaze, an eager gleam in his eye. “D-Do you think she'd let me interview her?”
“Maybe,” said Chocolate Gem.
It was then that the two of them noticed Rarity, who had been looking at the pair of them for some time.
"Your name is Blazewing, right"? she asked him
"Yes," he said, looking rather confused.
"As in, Blazewing the writer?” asked Rarity.
"Uh huh,” replied Blaze, still looking a bit puzzled.
Rarity's face lit up,
“Then Twilight will most assuredly be glad to meet you! She adores literature of all sorts, after all."
Chocolate gave Blaze a friendly punch
"Aww, Blaze has a fan!" she teased.
"And it's a princess" piped in Gregory, raising his eyebrows.
“Aw, cut it out, guys,” mumbled Blaze, bashfully.
"We're here!” called Pinkie.
The gang looked up. Standing before them were two ponies. One was a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, slender and delicate in appearance, downright cute, some might say. She looked slightly timid in the face of so many new faces. Standing beside her was a purple alicorn with a dark blue mane, streaked with purple and pink, her face alight with benevolence and cleverness. It was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself.
“Welcome, everypony,” said Twilight. “I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and this is my friend, Fluttershy.”
“Hello, everypony,” said Fluttershy, in a very sweet and mild-toned voice.
Pinkie made the introductions, and the six friends greeted Twilight and Fluttershy, unable to keep themselves from bowing to the former, calling her ‘Your Highness’. Twilight looked rather sheepish about this.
“Oh, please, there’s no need for all that,” she said, modestly. “Just call me Twilight. It’s wonderful to meet all of you.”
“Firebrand?” asked Fluttershy, addressing the stallion in question. “I need you to come with me. We have to check your stage to make sure everything you need is ready for your performance. I’m sure you’ll do a great job, but it never hurts to make sure, right?" she added, smiling.
“Thank you, Fluttershy,” said Firebrand, nodding. “I appreciate that.”
“I'll come, too, Flutters,” said Applejack, “in case ya’ll need help with anything."
The three departed together. Twilight, now looking quite excited, turned her attention towards Blaze.
“Are you really Blazewing?” she asked, eagerly. “As in, Blazewing, the famous writer?”
Blaze blushed a little, rubbing the back of his head,
"Well, I don't know about ‘famous’, Princess Twilight."
Chocolate piped up, nudging Blaze in the ribs,
“Ahh, he's just being modest. Blaze is a great writer! One of the best writers in all of Equestria, I'd say!”
Blaze's face turned a deep shade of scarlet.
"Gem..." he muttered, his eyes directed at the ground.
Chocolate just grabbed him and pulled him close, the way an overeager sister hugs her brother.
"Blaze wanted to know if he could interview you, Princess!”
Blaze’s eyes widened and snapped upwards to look at Twilight. He seemed both taken aback at Gem abruptly stating his desire, and pensive about what answer the princess could possibly give. Twilight, however, smiled broadly.
“Sure! Is now alright?"
Blaze, looking dumbstruck, nodded. Gem giggled and ruffled his mane.
“Great!” said Twilight. “Just follow me to the study." She then said to Rarity, “I'll have to try on the dress later, Rarity.”
“Of course, darling,” said Rarity. “I have three more dresses and three suits to make, anyway." She turned towards the mares. "I'll need your measurements, so if you could please follow me. As for you, Gregory," she added, turning to the griffin, "I will get yours in a bit."
"Ooh, do you wanna help me bake?" Pinkie asked Gregory, getting so close that she was practically in his face.
"Um, sure, sounds fun," said Gregory, shrugging.
"Yay!"
The pink Earth pony grabbed the surprised griffon and dragged him off towards the kitchen.
“Spike,” said Twilight, turning to her dragon assistant, “let in any other guests that arrive, and let me know when Princess Celestia gets here."
“Got it,” said Spike, saluting.
“Alright, then. We'll all meet back here in a few hours."
Everypony agreed and headed off in their respective directions.
Meanwhile, outside, a chariot came down from out of the sky with a bump and clatter of hooves from its steeds. Princess Celestia herself stepped out, glancing down at a scroll held in her magic. An anxious frown disturbs her normally tranquil face.
"I certainly hope you are able to help me, Twilight." she whispered to herself. "You're my one hope right now..."