The Surfer flew out of the hive, looking over it.
"It is a shame that innocents had to be injured" he proclaimed. He looked away, then flew off towards the horizon.
'I feel like I should help these equines somehow, but based on my recent observations, they do not appreciate my presence here." He pondered to himself.
He flew to an isolated area in the Everfree.
'Perhaps I should go encounter the equines directly if I want to progress with them.'
He spots a tree, seeing it as an adequate spot.
'For now, I shall meditate over it...'
He levitated down below the tree, and stayed there, carefully thinking about his plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The moon rose above Canterlot, as the princesses and the Elements have rendevouzed back together.
The Elements were all walking towards the throne room, conversing with each other.
"What do you think it does?" Rarity asked, marveling at the cube held in Twilight's magical aura.
"I don't know Rarity. Whatever it is, it's emitting a powerful energy off of it. I can feel it radiating in my magic." Twilight responded. "It feels very similiar to the attacks Chrysalis used on me."
"You mean the ones that nearly... killed you?" Fluttershy whispered.
"Yes..." Twilight responded. "Maybe this cube has something to do with Chrysalis suddenly being stronger."
They entered the throne room, seeing all three of the other princesses, along with Shining Armor, discussing amongst each other. They turned and saw the Elements.
"It is good that you are all here." Celestia said. She looked at Twilight, worry in her face.
Twilight walked in front of her friends to meet Celestia. They nuzzled together.
"Are you alright Twilight?" Celestia asked. "I heard about the event between you and Chrysalis."
"I'm fine Princess Celestia," Twilight replied. "Just a few broken ribs, but I'll heal."
"I'm glad to hear it." Celestia smiled. "I wouldn't know what to do if you were..."
Celestia paused, frowning.
"If I was what, Princess?" Twilight asked.
Celestia shook her head, smiling again.
"Never mind. Let's just talk about your mission."
"Did you all manage to capture the Surfer?" Luna asked.
Twilight grimaced.
"I'm sorry Princess Luna, but we were not able to apprehend him."
Celestia sighed.
"Maybe this mission is out of your power..."
"What do you mean Princess?" Twilight asked.
"The last time we've seen the Surfer, it took both of our parents to sacrifice their lives to save us all." Celestia said, remembering painfully. "They were the strongest of all alicorns when they were living."
Twilight suddenly remembered about the cube.
"Princess, I might have something that could help us."
"What is it Twilight?"
She rummaged through her satchel, and pulled out the cube. It glowed blue, as the Princesses stared in awe.
"What...is that?" Princess Cadence asked.
"I have no idea what it is," she said. "But it gives off a power like no other. I found it in the changeling hive we were in."
"Wait, there is a hive in the Everfree?" Luna asked.
"Yes, and from what we've experienced, the changelings are now stronger than ever. Apparently, they've managed to feed off the energy of this cube. That's why they were stronger when we met them."
Twilight gave the cube to Celestia, who started examining it.
"The surfer gave me it, telling me that the changelings called it 'Extremis'."
"What a weird name." Shining Armor spoke. "Why name it that?"
"I don't know. But I have an idea on how we could use this Extremis to our advantage."
Celestia put the cube on a nearby pedestal.
"Tell us your plan Twilight." Celestia said.
"I believe if we find a way to combine the Extremis with the Elements, we could fight against the surfer's master."
"How do you propose we do that?" Luna inquired.
"I don't know yet," Twilight responded. "Whatever that thing is, it's not of this world. It might take days, even months. Time we do not have." Twilight said.
Suddenly, the doors opened to the throne room. Everyone turned to see an old, white 'stached janitor wearing familiar shades, whistling a tune from the headphones he was wearing.
"Anyways," Twilight continued, putting aside the short distraction.
The janitor started mopping the floor around the throne room, paying no mind to their conversation. Then he saw something peciliuar. A blue cube on a pedestal next to Princess Celestia.
"Oh what's this?" he spoke. "Some sort of magic puzzle cube?"
Twilight then looked at the janitor.
"Hey! Don't touch that. It's a very powerful cube of extraterrestrial origin that we are using for saving the entire-"
Twilight didn't finish his sentence, as the janitor took the cube and twisted it. The cube then miserably shattered into dust.
"Huh," he said. "That's gonna be a hard one..."
The stares that the janitor received would've been palpable, if he wasn't wearing his headphones.
"Do you...do you know...what you've done?" Celestia asked him in disbelief.
The janitor didn't hear, as he picked up the dust and put it in his trash bin.
"WE ARE SPEAKING TO YOU!" Luna yelled at him in fury.
The janitor blinked, as he could've sworn he heard something. He took off his headphones and looked to see 10 very angry ponies and a dragon glaring at him.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying again?" he asked obliviously.
Twilight was practically in a blinding rage.
"What were we saying? WHAT WERE WE SAYING?!" she yelled.
The janitor raised a brow.
"Uhh, yeah?" he replied.
"YOU NINCOMPOOP! Do you realize what you have done?!"
"Look, if this is about my cleaning, please don't be harsh. This is my first day on the job after all."
Twilight's vein started throbbing in her head.
"You...you incompetent.....bone-headed-"
"Whoa whoa whoa your majesty! Let's just take a moment and calm down..." the janitor interrupted.
Twilight was fuming now, ready to burst. She hated whenever things didn't go to plan, especially if the plan could've saved Equestria.
"Breathe in...then out..." the janitor inhaled then exhaled. Then he repeated the process.
Twilight was gnashing her teeth.
"You just doomed our whole planet to the Silver Surfer's master!" she yelled.
The janitor's attention was caught at the mention of Silver Surfer. He raised a brow, then chuckled.
"Ol' Galactus huh?" he laughed.
"This is no laughing matter custodian," Celestia deadpanned. "I could send you to the dungeon for this."
"Hold on sweartheart," the janitor said, digging through his jacket. "I think I got something for you.."
The janitor then pulled out what looked like some rolled up comics out of his pocket.
"What are those?" Cadence asked.
"Consider them history books" he smiled.
He handed them to Celestia, who reads the title.
"Origins of Galactus #1?" she said curiously.
She skims through it, faacinated by the artwork and storyline. She chuckled.
"Looks like we have quite the historian here" she said.
"No ma'am I'm just a janitor"
Celestia passed the comic to Twilight, as she began studying it.
The janitor shrugged, as he began to leave the throne room.
Before he could leave, however, a pink mare stopped him.
"I've never met a pony like you! My name is Pinkie Pie, what's yours?"
The janitor gave her a weird look, then exhaled.
"Just call me Stan."
Pinkie raised a brow.
"Stan? That's a silly name for a pony."
"I know. That's why I'm not a pony."
"What?" Pinkie said, confused. Then she gasped.
"Are you a changeling?!"
Stan shook his head.
"Nope. I'm just a janitor."
"Oh..." Pinkie said.
Stan then walked out of the throne room, singing some song about some guy "living on the edge" and "spinning webs" under his breath.
"Well, I'll make sure to make you a 'Hello New Janitor Party' soon!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Stan didn't hear her though, due to his headphones being back on.
The ponies all exchanged the comic within themselves, all finding as much information as they could. A plan soon started to take form, as they began to talk amomgst each other. A plan that could save them, their families, and all of Equestria.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where is my Herald!?" a booming voice resounded in the cosmos.
"He should have found some planet by now!"
The voice, who was sitting on his ship, flipped a switch on his giant seat.
"So be it Surfer," the voice spoke. "If you refuse to give me the signal, I shall find you."
"Taa 2!" he commanded.
"Prepare a ship to find the Surfer..."