In Canterlot, Princess Celestia just finished explaining Twilight's letter to her younger sister, Luna.
"This is an interesting story, though I've never heard of this kind of tribe before, nor have I heard of these 'misfits'," Luna said.
"This is very interesting," Celestia agreed. "But I don't recall anything that could have cause ponies to be stranded on an island and evolve into a carnivorous species, perhaps Discord had something to do with it."
"Oh, I sincerely doubt it," came a familiar, yet mischevious voice. "If I did I would have made them chase after turkey legs on a rope all over the place, or maybe put them in a field of grass coated pigs. No! I got it, having their teeth fall out and dance on a chicken that flies upside down and backward while it molts. Oh, I should write this down, it is golden!"
"Discord, have you heard about these misfits?" asked Luna.
"Afraid not, Luna, but now that I have I need to write down what forms of chaos I can cause on them," Discord said gleefuly before taking out a notepad and a pencil out of his ear. "Now let's see, I'll take those arms off that smart pony and have them come to life and slap him silly," Discord started scribbling in the notepad, looking like he was taking notes when in reality he was just playing a game of tic-tac-toe against himself. "And that one pegasus, what for him?" he tapped the pencil eraser on his chin in thought as Celestia rolled her eyes.
"Discord, this is important. We could be introduced to a new kind of pony that has never been seen before!"
"Fine," Discord threw the notepad and pencil backwards. "What do you need me to do, oh Princess?"
"Simply tell the ponies in my air force to search for this tribe of Predators," Discord saluted before teleporting away.
"Sister, I don't understand, why aren't you doing this?" asked Luna.
Celestia smiled. "I think you know very well why, these misfits may perhaps be what we were looking for."
"Do you mean, we finally found a way to help 'them'?"
Celestia nodded. "Come, sister, it's time we finally paid a visit to our friends Solar Eclipse, and Moonlight Shadow"
"Cyber, you have to try these apples, they are the best in Equestria," Lyra said as she brought her new friend to Sweet Apple Acres.
Cyber looked around, admiring the apple trees as they passed by. "I must admit, these are very impressive looking apple trees," he said as an orange earth pony came into view.
"Howdy, Lyra, how's it going?"
"Hi, Applejack, I came to get some apples for Bon-Bon. Oh yeah, and meet my new friend."
Cyber introduced himself. "Hello, Applejack, my name is Cyber System."
"What's that you got on your back?" Applejack asked. "Some kind of electrical doodad or something?"
"Actually yes, they have neural transmitters that I have connected to my central nervous system so I can-" he facepalmed after noticing Applejack's confused expression. "Oh, why do I even bother, I can control them like extra limbs."
"I see, so why do you do that?"
"He said he can't use magic after having brain damage."
"It was mildly traumatizing, but I got over it with my love for technology, these arms were one of my first inventions, it was hard and took a long time but once I built them I earned my cutie mark and never used my hooves for anything besides walking."
"Well, that's a cutie mark story I never thought I'd hear from a unicorn."
"You should hear Dusty's cutie mark story, it involves psychological trauma."
"Who's Dusty?"
"He's a friend of mine, a pegasus that's scared of heights but he drills through ground like butter."
"A pegasus scared of heights? That's unusual."
"I know right?" said Lyra. "He even has his own group of misfits, with Cyber here as their leader."
"Why does your group need a leader?" asked Applejack.
Cyber shrugged. "I don't know, I guess it's because they need somepony to look up to in their time of need, which happens a lot to a misfit. But who could blame them? When you grow up nearly exiled from the outside world, you begin to question whether somepony wants to be your friend, or if they want to run you out of town for being a monster."
"Well, you don't need to worry a bit, we've had our fair share of weirdness here in Ponyville."
"That's good to hear, and you don't need to worry about us either, Mixy and Fang wouldn't hurt anypony."
"Why would we be worried about that?"
"Well, Fang eats meat and Mixy's a changeling hybrid."
Applejack and Lyra were a little shocked at that. "A changeling... what?" said Lyra.
"Yeah, we get that reaction a lot, but like I said, she won't hurt you."
"Might wanna tell Rainbow Dash about her or she'll think she's a spy," said Applejack as the name rang a bell in Cyber's memory.
"I'm sorry, but did you say Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah, she's a friend of mine. Have you heard of her? Not surprised actually, bein' the only one who performed the sonic rainboom, she gets all the attention."
Cyber shook his head. "No, it's not that, Dusty has held a grudge on her ever since she made him jump off of Cloudsdale, which caused his fear of heights."
Applejack's eyes grew with alarm. "What? Rainbow wouldn't do a thing like that!"
"Maybe not anymore, but Dusty doesn't know that, I'm worried that he will hurt her the moment he gets."
"We have to keep that from happening," said Lyra. "Where are they?"
"Dusty would be where he could easily make a cloud of dust, or at least somewhere calm, maybe outside of town."
Applejack thought about it. "I got it, Lyra, tell Big Mac where we're goin', help yourself to some apples while you're here. Cyber, follow me," Lyra and Cyber gave an understanding nod as Applejack left with Cyber not far behind.
They ended up at a hilly area. "They're not here!" said Cyber.
"I wouldn't say that," said Applejack, pointing upward, where Cyber could barely make out two pegasi, both were falling but one was moving around and flailing about.
"Oh no, we're too late, he's falling."
"But why is Rainbow doing this?"
"We can discuss cause and effect later, right now there must be some way to save Dusty."
"Can't he just dig?"
"Not when he's panicking," Cyber said as he searched through his saddlebag. "Think of it like flying, he does it like an instinct, but when it's clouded by a strong emotion or reaction, in this case fear, he can't focus and is unable to dig."
"And we're just standin' around while your friend's life is at stake?"
"Don't pressure me! I'm looking!"
Earlier...
"Come back here, squirrel!" Fang shouted as his prey began to run away in fear, but the carnivorous pony was just as fast and had no trouble keeping up through the forest. Eventually the squirrel got the advantage when it scurried into a tree.
"Rats!" Fang shouted, then looked around for something useful, finding a large rock, he devilishly grinned as he stepped on it and lay down perfectly still.
The squirrel looked from it's hiding spot, seeing nopony was there, it scampered down the tree carefully, standing in front of a rock as it tried to calm down after almost being eaten by a pony, unaware that two eyes sprouted from the rock, and then...
CHOMP!
Fang's jaws clenched on the little rodent, as it tried to run away, but Fang already shook his head vigorously and began to chomp harder, then it wasn't long before the squirrel dropped dead, then Fang happily dropped it on the ground and picked the meat off the carcass.
"Camouflage, works every time," Fang said, satisfied before turning around to see a yellow pegasus with pink mane staring at him, with a look that was unsure whether he was a monster about to eat her, or just another creature of the forest.
"Uh, sorry you had to see that," Fang said, stepping forward, but the mare stepped back in response. "Look it isn't what it looks like," the mare's eyes darted to the squirrel's carcass. "Okay, it is what it looks like, but you have the wrong idea, I won't eat you, promise," Fang stepped again, but the mare continued backwards, not saying a word. "Come on, I don't bi-" Fang caught himself before reconsidering the statement. "I mean, I won't hurt you, I'm not a monster, my name's Fang," all he got in response was an awkward silence.
A sudden high pitched voice rang out. "Hey, Fluttershy, what are you looking at?" shortly a familiar pink pony hopped next to the pegasus, then looked at Fang, then smiled and waved. "Hi, mister! Have we met before?"
"Actually, I think that we met when I first arrived this morning."
"Oh yeah, I'm Pinkie Pie, this is Fluttershy."
Fang stepped up to them. "I'm Fang."
Pinkie Pie looked curious and forced Fang's mouth open to look at his teeth. "Wow, what big teeth you have, and sharp too!"
"Aaahaaaahhaahah," Fang moaned as Pinkie held his mouth open.
"Oh, sorry," Pinkie Pie released Fang's jaw. "What was that?"
"I said that I'm carnivorous."
"What does that mean?"
"I eat meat."
"Ew, so you don't eat veggies?"
Fang shook his head. "No, they make me sick."
Fluttershy spoke up. "Um... do you... eat ponies?"
"No, I've never eaten a pony."
"Can you still eat cake?" asked Pinkie.
"Yes."
"You're fine by me," Pinkie put on a large grin and bounced off, then Fang looked at Fluttershy.
"Does she normally act like that?" he asked, but the only response he got was a nervous mumble and Fluttershy running off to Pinkie Pie, who was distracted by something else.
"Fluttershy, what's that?" Pinkie asked.
"W-What's what?"
"That, right there, don't you see it?" she pointed off into the distance
"I don't see anything."
"Here, how about now," Pinkie Pie handed Fluttershy a telescope, which she took and looked in the direction Pinkie was pointing.
"It looks like Rainbow Dash. But who's that with her?" the name got Fang's attention.
Pinkie took the telescope back and looked through it. "He looks scared. Is he all right?
The mention of the pony with Rainbow Dash made Fang frantically run over to the two mares. "Let me see that!" he said before taking the telescope and looking through it, where he could see a cyan mare carrying a beige pegasus stallion who looked absolutely terrified. The realization hit Fang like a sack of bricks. "DUSTY!" he shouted before zooming out of the forest and made his way to Dusty's landing point.
Mixy sat down at a bench and took a relaxing deep breath.
'Today's going to be good, I can feel it' she thought. 'I just can't wait to see everypony and not have them run away in fear just because my dad is a changeling. They think that just because changelings are evil it means me and my dad are, but we're not! Only Cyber understands me, he understands everypony, no matter how strange or odd they are, Cyber never turns his back and is there to help ponies in need, like I was. I just wanted a friend, and Dad said that I wouldn't fit in, I thought that he was trying to keep me in, but he was trying to protect me. I still remember that day when I first met Cyber, Fang, and Dusty.'
"It's nice of you to let us stay for the night," Cyber said to the couple in front of them, Mirror Shard, a male baby blue unicorn pony, and Dandelion Meadow, a golden yellow unicorn mare.
"It's no problem, Cyber, anything after you helped me."
"Hey, Dad? Who is it?" asked Mixy as she came down the stairs.
"Just some passerbys in need of a place to stay, so they'll be sleeping in the guest room tonight," said Dandelion.
"Oh, have you eaten yet?"
"Do you have any meat?" asked Fang, earning confused looks from the homeowners.
"Uh, meat?" asked Mirror Shard.
"We'll explain later," said Dusty as Dandelion got to work on dinner.
...
"You're a... changeling?" Cyber gasped as he saw Mirror change into one of the most feared and hated creatures in Equestria.
"Cyber! What are you doing?"
"Wondering what's going on, that's what I'm doing," Cyber answered.
"No, no, you're just dreaming, or tired, just go back to bed," Mirror Shard chuckled nervously and looked saccharin, but Cyber wasn't convinced.
"You're not fooling me with that, Mirror Shard, if that even is your real name."
"It is, honest! Please, please, don't tell the princess, my wife and daughter are all I have left, I can't afford to lose them," Mirror Shard begged as tears started streaming down his face.
"Bring your wife out here," Cyber said, then Mirror nodded and trotted into his room, shortly both him and Dandelion emerged with the same nervous and desperate look.
"Please, we beg you, don't take us apart," Dandelion said.
"First a few questions, one: will you hurt me?"
"We don't want to, but we will take action if you want to take us apart," answered Mirror.
"Two:" Cyber turned to Dandelion. "How long have you known what he was?"
"Ever since Mixy was born."
"Three: is your daughter adopted?" the couple shook their heads, and Cyber was intrigued. "So she's a hybrid?" the two nodded. "And she has no friends?"
Mirror shook his head. "She tried to once, but everypony ran away, she hardly left the house since."
"Final question: would you allow your daughter to come with me?"
The two were confused. "You want to... marry her?" asked Dandelion.
"Uh... no, as I mentioned before, I have a group of oddball ponies, we wander Equestria in search of ponies who need help, in other words we give ponies the friends they couldn't get before, and I feel like your daughter would make a perfect member, she's one of a kind, a special, a misfit even." Cyber smiled
"I would?" Mixy asked from her hiding place.
"Mixy, how long where you there?" asked Mirror.
"I heard the whole thing, Dad, and I agree with him, if I travel Equestria I can help show ponies what I am on the inside. We might even be able to clear your name, Dad."
The married couple looked at each other in thought before Mirror spoke. "Alright, but first, we need to see if we can trust you."
"Understandable, Mr. Shard."
Several days later...
"Mixy, please approach," Cyber said as the changeling hybrid stepped up. "Do you pledge to be brave and have the courage to be seen?"
"Yes," answered Mixy.
"Do you swear to never hide your true look in front of others?" said Fang.
"Yes."
"And do you pledge to always accept differences and never look down at yourself?" said Dusty.
"Yes."
"Then, as sure as my love for technology is strong," Cyber began. "I hereby announce you, Mixy, as an official member of The Misf-"
CRASH!
Mixy woke up from her daydreaming as somepony crashed into her, which truned out to be Fang.
"Fang, where's the fire?" she asked
Fang got off his hybrid friend. "Mixy! It's an emergency! It's Dusty! He's in trouble!"
"Trouble? What do you mean?"
"He's falling! Come on!" Mixy didn't need to hear anymore as Fang dashed past her with her following.
After some time of running, Mixy and Fang made it to a hilly area, where they see Cyber with an orange mare.
"Fang! Mixy! I'm so glad you two made it."
"We came as soon as we saw Dusty," said Fang. "Mixy, you think you can fly up and catch him?"
Mixy shook her head. "He's going too fast!"
"Fang, just tell me where Dusty's going to land."
Fang looked at the falling pegasus, then at the ground, then he made an X in the dirt. Cyber put the disk he was holding in the center then pressed the button, instantly it came to life and drilled into the ground while simultaniously extending upward in the shape of a funnel.
"What happens now?" asked Applejack.
"We wait."
Earlier again...
Dusty relaxed on his dust cloud looking up at the partly cloudy sky, pondering recent events.
'We met an actual princess', he thought. 'Just a few steps away from having ponies look at us not with fear, but with hope that nopony will be exiled or outcasted because of who they are or what they do, or-'
"Gang way!"
"Huh?" Dusty looked up just before being tackled by something moving too fast for Dusty to identify, all he knew was it was a pegasus, and he started tumbling around.
Dusty managed to get up. "Hey! Watch where you're going, you crazy-" Dusty stopped after seeing what crashed into him, a cyan mare with rainbow-hued mane, or to Dusty, a mare he haven't seen in a long time.
"R-Rainbow Dash?" Dusty asked as Rainbow also got up.
"How do you know my- wait a minute, Dusty? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Rainbow sighed with relief. "Well, that takes a lot off my chest, I thought you died back when we were foals."
"No, but in the past years I've been gone, I've always wanted to give you something."
"Really?" Rainbow rolled her eyes but leaned in anyway to get what Dusty was giving her, expecting something romantic, but what she got was a sucker punch to the face that sent her tumbling down the hill before flying back upward.
"What the hay was that for?" she demanded.
"Oh, where do I begin? How about the time it all started when I fell off of Cloudsdale and crashed into the ground, which left me afraid to fly or do anything related to heights, or how about after that when I was trapped underground for days. You're lucky an explosion made me realize my destiny to dig."
"What are you talking about?"
"You heard me, ever since you dared me to jump off Cloudsdale, I'm scared of heights, I can't walk on clouds, and I dig instead of flying!"
"What?! That's impossible, and how does this have anything to do with me?!"
"You know very well, Rainbow Crash, that out of of all the bullies and jerks that picked on me, you were the worst."
"Watch it, punk, you're talking to the element of loyalty, fastest pegasus in Equestria, and future Wonderbolt member."
"And give me a reason why I should believe those excuses, I don't care about those stuck-up showponies you call the Wonderbolts, nor do I care about speed, and to be honest, I've seen Spike for less amount of time than you and already he's shown more loyalty than you by a longshot, Rainbow Crash."
Rainbow fumed, anger surging through her at the bombardment of insults Dusty threw at her. "Say that again," she threatened.
Dusty repeated slowly and firmly. "Rain. Bow. Cuh-rash."
"That's it!" Rainbow Dash shouted before flying into the air, then divebombed straight at Dusty, who stood his ground before pounding at the ground and digging out of the way at the last minute, making Rainbow Dash fly to the hole. "Come out of there and fight, you coward!" she shouted into the dark hole.
Dusty's voice echoed out of it. "If you insist!" then shortly Dusty shot up from underneath Rainbow Dash and jabbed her in the chest, just before diving back into the ground as RD stood up, ignoring the fact she was tasting a little blood and she had an injured torso.
"No fair!" Rainbow shouted before Dusty's head popped out of a new hole made next to her.
"Aw, what's wrong? Having trouble?" Dusty taunted as Rainbow tried to punch him, but missed as he simply moved back into the hole. "Missed me!"
Rainbow Dash needed to think of something fast, she obviously couldn't fight Dusty like this, she had to fight fire with fire. She grinned as a large rain cloud hovered overhead, then flew after it.
"What? Have you given up already?" said Dusty as Rainbow dragged the cloud to the fight scene.
"Nope, just thought you needed a bath, that's all."
"Wait, what? A bath? What are you-" Dusty was interrupted once Rainbow Dash released the water from the cloud, jetting into one of Dusty's holes, then it wasn't long before the other holes turned into geysers, spouting water out, with one of them containing Dusty, whom Rainbow zoomed at and kicked square in the chest, sending him across the hillside, soaking wet and coughing up water.
"How does that feel, Dusty?"
"Very *cough* clever, Rainbow Crash, *cough, cough* but you'll have to be better than that!"
"You mean like this?" Rainbow Dash said as she dashed toward Dusty and sent him airborne, Dusty was about to use his air time to drill into the ground until he realized how high he was, which caused him to panic and miss his moment of safety, though Rainbow was too angry to see his fear.
"Well, that's odd," Rainbow Dash taunted. "A pegasus who doesn't use his wings."
"Yeah, they haven't gotten much of a workout since we met, haven't you been listening?" Dusty replied, spatting out some dirt and mud.
"Well then, let's just see how good your wings really are after all this time." Rainbow Dash made an evil grin.
"Wait, do you mean, you don't mean!" Dusty shouted in fear as Rainbow Dash slowly nodded. "No, no, no, no, no, don't! Please!"
"Too late!" Rainbow zoomed at her opponent and grabbed him before he could dig to safety, then proceeded to fly both of them upward, much to Dusty's dismay, until they were both so high, ponies on the ground were almost invisible.
"P-please! P-p-please! D-d-don't d-do it! P-please!" Dusty begged as fear became the only emotion he knew. "You win! You win! I g-give up! Just p-put m-me down!"
"Alright," said Rainbow Dash with pride as she carried him over to a nearby cloud, and despite his constant begging for her to stop, she placed him on the cloud and almost immediately he fell through and was sent falling, much to her surprise.
"Help me! Help me! Somepony! Please!" Dusty screamed while his life began to flash before his eyes while Rainbow Dash tried to fly after him.
'Wait, he wasn't kidding?' she thought. 'Great, now I feel bad again,' she flew towards the falling pegasus as if she was trying to do a sonic rainboom. "Hold on, Dusty! I'm coming!" gradually she approached the falling beige pegasus.
She got closer but the ground was catching up fast, then she hit the brakes in surprise as Dusty fell into a strange machine that extended into the ground, and around it was one of her friends and three other ponies.