Nightmare moon was currently sitting on her new throne, her sisters old one. She was having fun watching those little pesky ponies run around helplessly inside her dream bubble. In reality, those ponies were just sleeping in the castle. She had even added some extra things to scare the ponies further. She knew that these ponies contained an element of harmony in them each of them, but she could not let them find out. She had to keep them separated. Her biggest problem was the element of loyalty. She had already broken free of Nightmare moon's hold and had gotten back to Twilight. 'Is it physically impossible to keep the element of loyalty away from her friends? I make an endless dream dome around them that should stop anyone from getting back to the others once they have split up, but noooo, the element of loyalty just has to destroy my perfect plan and get back to her freind, now she will probably go and find her other friends and bring them back! Ughh, great. Well, I'll just go and see if I can keep one of the others away, that will by me the time I need to build my army. Now, hmmm, Element of kindness, no, she's already screaming her head of with the dream version of me. Element of honesty, no, she's too hard to fool. Element of laughter, nope, no way, staying away from her. Oooh, there's a new one, element of generosity, hmm, how about I block her magical connection with Twilight so she can't get back, then allow her to find the element of kindness, finally, when they are trying to get back I can create a diversion, direct her magic elsewhere so she thinks that that is where her precious friend is. perfect...'
---
"Hey Rainbow Dash! Did you find the ceiling?" Spike asked cheerfully.
"Heheh, no, sorry little dude, this place goes on forever. It's basically an endless dome!" Rainbow replied
"Oh, well, I think the others have the same problem, I heard Fluttershy scream earlier and Rarity went after her a few minutes ago." Spike said
"Oh no, Fluttershy's probably freaking out, I gotta help her!" Rainbow Dash cried.
"It's ok Rainbow, Rarity has gone to help her, you need to stay here." Spike told her, Rainbow didn't exactly need to stay, she could probably find the others and bring them back as quick as possible, but with this being an endless dome, and the others scattered around it, it might not be the best idea to go anywhere without knowing where you are going.
"Well, this is one time I can't complain about her being scared, especially after what happened to me while I was up there. Fluttershy is scared of just about everything. " Rainbow Dash said. Then she noticed that she was still upside down and Twilight hadn't said anything at all. "Yo! Egghead! Are you alright?"
"Hmm! What oh, yeh! I'm fine, just, fine." Twilight said, dropping Rainbow Dash onto the ground.
"ow."
"So, an endless dome huh, wait, you said something happened with you up there, what was it?"
"Well, when I was flying, a voice came into my head and started messing with me. It kept trying to discourage me at first, trying to make me stop reaching the ceiling, if there was one. But then it started talking about all my friends and it was trying to convince me that they weren't my friends. The voice put lots of images in my head and changed a few memories so that it felt like everypony was just using me, or they didn't like me. Then, the voice started to encourage me to get to the top, saying that it believed I could make it, when nopony else did. I kicked it's flank though and came straight back down! See, I knew my friends really were my friends because after the voice left and I thought about it, I could remember all those times me and my friends had fun and we did stuff for each other." Rainbow explained. Through all of this, Twilight had pulled out a note book and was writing notes down.
"Anything else?"
"Hmmm, oh yeh! The voice tried to tempt me with offering me a load of stuff, like all I could ever want, a chance to prove myself and It said that it would be my friend." Rainbow said.
"Hmm, interesting, in that case then, we'd best stick together. I've found that there are 5 spells, the dome included. I'm not too sure what other spells she cast but one of them must have something to do with the dome being endless, another has to have something to do with all the mysterious creepy things going on."
"Twilight?" Spike said curiously "how are we gonna stay together if the others can't find us, I mean, it's pretty dark and they may misjudge where they came from."
"Well, Rarity can find me again with her magic, and Rainbow came back, besides, I can cast a search spell to find them, huh, I didn't actually think about that before."
"Yeh, Spike, and I can go and search too! I mean, my navigational skills are awesome!" Rainbow said.
"But Twilight just said we have to stick together!"
"And I can find my way back with AJ and Pinkie! I mean, it shouldn't be that hard to find them right? Pinkie's probably thrown a party and she can probably use her weird Pinkie sense to find AJ."
"Uhhh, Pinkie sense?" Twilight asked.
"Don't ask"
--
Rarity was running in the direction Spike had pointed, towards where Fluttershy had screamed. Rarity assumed she was getting closer because she could now hear crying. It was faint, but it was there. Suddenly she felt a slight change, as if something in her magic had slipped. But her magic was with Twilight so she shouldn't be able to feel it. Unless Twilight moved, but she'd had to have moved a long distance quickly for the change to be noticeable. 'Maybe she teleported somewhere else. But why would she do that? Another angle to work at perhaps? Oh well, at least I can still sense my magic' Just then, Rarity heard a shrill scream. It came from somewhere to her right and sounded very close. Rarity started to run in that direction and eventually came across Nightmare moon herself standing atop of Fluttershy, scaring the daylights out of her.
"STOP THAT YOU RUFFIAN!" Rarity yelled at Nightmare moon, but then instantly flinched and shied away as Nightmare moon turned her glare to Rarity. "Oh horseapples" She murmured. Nightmare moon continued to glare at Rarity for a few more seconds before disappearing in a puff of blue-ish, purple smoke and drifting away. Rarity stood still for several seconds before running up to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy are you alright?"
"RARITY! HELP! THERE'S A BIG SCARY MONSTER THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE NIGHTMARE MOON AND I THINK IT WANTS TO EAT MEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEEEEEE!!!!!" Fluttershy cried, leaping to her hooves, then collapsing at Rarity's, sobbing.
"There there, Fluttershy, the monster has gone. How about we get you back to Twilight and Spike, then we can find the others." Rarity said, patting the terrified Pegasus on the back to calm her down.
"Y-yes please Rarity, are you s-sure that the m-monster is gone?"
"Yes I am dear. Now, lets go, Twilight should be this way."
---
Applejack had been running for Celestia knows how long. Her legs were aching and she was no longer sure which way Pinkie was. She was sure from the amount of running she had done and how fast she had been going that she should have run into her by now, but she hadn't.
"Consarn it Pinkie, Why can't ya just sit still while Ah look for ya, then we can find each other and find a way back to Twilight." She grumbled. The aching in her legs seemed to intensify faster than Applejack could run. Still she carried on, 'Ah wonder what sorta luck Twilight had with those spells. Maybe she found a way out already.' Applejack thought. Suddenly, she tripped on something and face planted into the floor. "Ow, who did that!?" She shouted, getting up. No answer came. She looked down and saw a bunch of streamers and confetti. "Ah tripped on confetti??" Applejack asked herself, the gears in her mind turning, trying to work out why the streamers where there. She looked around. A little way off, there was a balloon, then another, and another. Applejack kept walking, as she did, she saw an apple bobbing bucket, complete with apples and water. She saw a table, with the remainders of a giant cake and some other party food. Applejack went over to the cake. She tried a bit. The taste was familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had tasted it before. Applejack tried the punch. The taste burst in her mouth. She could taste raspberry and strawberry, Blueberry and blackberry, Mulberry and Cranberry, gooseberry and elderberry and... Bananas? Applejack was confused, she had only ever tasted berry punch (not the pony) with bananas once, at a Pinkie Pie party. That was when she remembered the taste of the cake. It was Pinkie Pie's super duper special surprise. Pinkie brought it out on rare occasions, and the taste was delicious. Applejack looked around. She could see lots of balloons and streamers. She didn't know how the streamers were hanging around as there was nowhere for them to hang from. Bits of cake were on the floor, along with wrapping paper and cardboard. A few toys were strewn about as well. Applejack concluded that Pinkie Pie had been here.
---
Pinkie Pie was following Paul. After calling him, she had explained that she needed to find Twilight but couldn't remember where she was. She asked if Paul knew where she was and if he could take her there. Paul had been hesitant at first, as if he didn't want to show her, but after some thinking about where Pinkie Pie listed on his imaginary friend chart, (she came absolute first, by the way), He decided to show her. So now, he was taking her in the direction of Twilight. He could sense how close she was, so he sped up. Pinkie Pie sensed this and quickly trotted up to his side. Within minutes she saw Twilight and Spike with Rainbow Dash hovering just above them. Twilight was concentrating on a spell and Spike and Rainbow Dash were talking. Pinkie Pie began to run towards them, at the sound of her hooves, Spike and Rainbow turned around and smiled when they saw her. They waved, Pinkie waved back and ran faster. She then leaped into the air and tackled Rainbow to the ground in a hug, one which Rainbow Dash had only been half expecting.
"DASHIE!!!! SPIKE!!!!! TWILIGHT!!!! Oh I'm so glad I found you guys again! After I left I couldn't find the edge of the dome, then I through a big party cause I was bored, then I got lost, so I called for Paul and he came and I explained to him that I had lost my way after throwing that huge amazing Bash! It was too bad that you guys couldn't come but that's okay because I will throw another huge one for everpony, and timberwolf head, and dragon, and we will all have fun! But anyway, I explained that I had gotten lost and I needed to find you so Paul here took me to you! And that is how Granny Pie saved the rock farm!" Pinkie said in one breath, still squeezing Rainbow Dash to death. Twilight had stopped her spell to acknowledge Pinkie Pie, now she half wished she hadn't.
"Huh?" Was all that she said.
"Hi Pinkie Pie It's great that you've come back! Applejack hasn't come back yet though, nor Fluttershy. But Rarity went to find her after we heard her screaming." Spike said to Pinkie.
"Hi...Pinkie...can you....please...stop hug..ging....me...I cant......breath" Rainbow Dash managed to gasp out. Pinkie Pie promptly stopped hugging her and jumped on Twilight.
"Sorry Dashie, but you are really huggable, what with your fluff and feathers and everything. Fluttershy is huggable too but not as soft. Twilight is huggable, but no where near as soft or fluffy!" Pinkie cheerfully told them, then she let go of Twilight and began to hug Spike. He wasn't pleased about that, but his thick dragon scales stopped Pinkie Pie from squeezing him to death like she did to Rainbow, who was still trying to get up after Pinkie's hug attack.
"HEY! I'm not fluffy!" Shouted Rainbow, Indignantly.
"Actually, Rainbow, all pegasi are fluffy. Its part of their DNA, It keeps out the cold when they are flying or in cold weather. Adding feathers just makes you even fluffier as feathers have a special trait that allow the animal or pony who have them to fluff them up. A pegasus's fur is much thicker than a unicorns or earth ponies and a lot softer. Out of you and Fluttershy you would be softer and fluffier as spending time up in high altitudes and flying often will soften them." Twilight explained. Rainbow just scowled at her and said
"I'm not fluffy."
---
Up in Nightmare moon's castle she had finished creating her army, or the beginning of it. Her soldiers just had to grow up. They were currently in the care of their mothers, giant chaos beasts just like the ones she had used to kidnap Ponyville's ponies-who had all managed to escape, she still didn't know how-except that the mother chaos beasts didn't have all the power that the soldier chaos beasts had. Nightmare moon was coming into her throne room to look at the vision of the elements of harmony. She saw that the element of Laughter had found Twilight. Nightmare moon was shocked. That wasn't supposed to happen! How could the element of Laughter do that! Only the element of loyalty could and that was then only because she was the element of loyalty! Then Nightmare moon saw the timberwolf head. 'Aghh! That traitor! He befriended the element of laughter and now he works with her! And I cant get rid of him without getting rid of the dome! Stupid fail safe.'
---
Twilight was back to trying the spell she had previously been doing when Pinkie had arrived. It was a search spell. So she could find her friends who were still in the dome. Pinkie Pie was currently bouncing around Rainbow Dash calling her fluffy over and over, just to aggravate her. Paul appeared to be sitting watching them, though Twilight couldn't be sure if he was sitting as he had no body. Spike sat next to him, bored, originally, he had laughed when pinkie Pie started to call Rainbow fluffy and bounce around her, it was an odd sight. Rainbow trying to escape the pink pony of doom and the pink pony off doom following her and singing 'Fluffy, Rainbow Dash is fluffy' over and over. Spike tried to make conversation with Paul.
"So ughh, you helped Pinkie find us?" Paul just nodded. "Can you talk?" Paul shook his head. "Did Pinkie name you then or did she just know your name?" Paul looked at him, wanting to say the answer but unable to. "Nod for Pinkie named you and shake your head if she just knew." Spike told him. Paul nodded.
"AHA! Found Rarity and Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed. It had been possibly several hours since Rarity had gone to find Fluttershy. "Wait, why is she going over there, were over here, she can't be following my magical signal!"
"What are you talking about Twilight, Rarity knows the magical transfer tracking spell, she should be tracking you." Spike said. "Maybe you got the angle wrong"
"No I haven't! I know I haven't! We need to get to Rarity, but we can't leave this spot in case Applejack comes back."
"Ok Twilight, If you think that they are going the wrong way, just send one of us to go and fetch them." Spike told her
"But what if whoever I send gets lost? What if they don't come back? What if-" Twilight was cut off by Spike pinning her lips closed with his claws.
"Twilight, whoever we send will be fine, Rainbow and Pinkie came back didn't they?"
"I guess, but it was Paul who got Pinkie back, Pinkie might not have come back if it weren't for Paul!"
"Then we can send Paul to get Rarity and Fluttershy, and Maybe Applejack too." Spike suggested
"YES! That's a great idea. Thanks Spike. HEY PAUL! CAN WE BORROW YOU FOR A FEW MINUTES!" Paul looked over to them, nodded and then hovered to them. "Do you know where Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy are?" Paul nodded. "Can you get them back for us?" Again Paul nodded, then he looked around as if pin pointing one of them and headed off in that direction.
---
"Rarity, are you sure Twilight is this way? Umm, I don't mean to offend you but, we've made so many turns that it's hard to tell left from right anymore." Fluttershy timidly asked.
"I'm pretty sure Fluttershy, I can track Twilight's magic because I use the magical transplant tracking spell, I think it's called that anyway, but Twilight seems to be on the move."
"Why would Twilight be on the move? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'm not sure, maybe to find the others?" Rarity and Fluttershy had been walking for hours. After Rarity had saved Fluttershy from Nightmare moon, Rarity had gotten Fluttershy to follow her. She had been following Twilight's magical trace and was sure she'd find her in a matter of minutes, but, Twilight seemed to keep moving. As if she were running around looking for something, only sometimes stopping somewhere and then moving before Rarity could reach her. Another hour passed of the two mares walking, silently, supposedly not aimlessly, before Fluttershy broke the silence. She broke the silence with a scream. A scream that sent Rarity's head whipping round to see her pointing at something. Rarity looked. She saw a timberwolf head. Like the ones that Pinkie had got rid of. Except, for some reason, she didn't feel scared by it, she soon realized that, the reason she wasn't scared, was an orange head poking round from behind the timberwolf.
"APPLEJACK!" She cried and rushed over to her friend. Futtershy followed suit but staying well to the left of Rarity, away from the head. Applejack was hesitant at first but then, when she realized that the two were her real friends and not inside her head, she rushed over to them.
"Rarity, Fluttershy, thank Celestia that Ah found you! And Ah wouldn't ta found you if it weren't fer Paul 'ere."
"Paul?" Rarity and Fluttershy asked in unison.
"yep, came an' found me, then took me 'ere, Ah think he's gonna take us to Twilight, not sure though, he's less of a talker than Big Macintosh." Applejack said looking at Paul. Paul nodded in agreement, then tilted his head quickly behind him as if to tell them to follow, and moved off in that direction. Applejack followed and Fluttershy began to when Rarity interrupted.
"But Twilight's this way. I can feel her magic."
"What? How can ya 'feel her magic'?" Applejack asked.
"Through a spell. Twilight should be this way, but she keeps moving."
"Then maybe yer magic is wrong, or maybe Nightmare moon 'as messed it up, she tried to make me think that a bunch o' her 'puppets' were ya'll, an' the others too."
"Now that you mention it, there was a brief 'tick' in my magic, but that just felt like Twilight was moving."
"Why would Twi move? She's gotta stay there for the others to find her. Judging by what Ah experienced, ahd say that they'd 'ave a bit o' trouble gittin' back."
"Hmm, I suppose you're right, and...Paul...brought you to me and Fluttershy, so why shouldn't he take us to Twilight. Ok, let's go."
--Time skip--
"What in tarnation is that noise?" Applejack asked.
"....It, sounds like Pinkie Pie." Fluttershy said after a brief pause.
"..Pinkie Pie singing." Rarity chimed in, A few seconds passed.
"...Pinkie Pie singing, 'Fluffy, Rainbow Dash is fluffy'" Applejack said with half a smirk, half a confused, expression. A minute passed before they could see the others. Twilight saw them and gave them a wave. Spike did the same. To the left, Rainbow Dash was lying on her stomach, on the floor, wings spread out by her side and her front hooves were covering her face. Pinkie Pie was bouncing around her, singing her song.
"Fluffy, Rainbow Dash is Fluffy! Fluffy, Rainbow Dash is Fluffy! Oh hey Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy! Your back, Wanna sing my song with me?"
"NO! PLEASE DON'T!" Rainbow Dash's head shot up and she looked at her friends, almost pleading. Applejack smirked.
"As much 's Ah would like ta tease Dash, ah don't wanna sing. But, from what Ah know 'bout pegasi, ya're fluffy. Very fluffy."
"AJ!" Rainbow Dash whined. Suddenly noticing that Pinkie had stopped, she got up and flew over to Fluttershy.
"Hey Flutters, Spike told me that he, Rares and Twilight heard you scream earlier, you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Rarity got rid of the monster. And then Paul ca-, wait, I thought I told you to stay off that wing! Stop flying! You'll hurt yourself!" Fluttershy scolded.
"But I'm fine Fluttershy! My wing has been holding while I flew up to find the ceiling, and back down! It hasn't broken at all, look!" Rainbow stopped flying and flared her wing, so that Fluttershy could see it.
"But, your wing! You had broken the wrist! Now it's perfectly fine!" Fluttershy exclaimed in disbelief. Twilight came over to them, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Let me see, hmm. Your right! How did it heal so quickly?"
"Maybe the dome fixed it?" Pinkie Pie suggested.
"It also cleared the forest from us as well, we don't look at all like we had traipsed through the Everfree forest." Rarity added.
"Well, Ahm not buyin it." Applejack said "If Nightmare moon wanted to trap us, why fix Rainbow's wing and git rid of all the mud?"
"Maybe because she knew we couldn't get out if this is an endless dome!" Pinkie said. Twilight was deep in thought, still examining Rainbow's wing.
"Rainbow, can you fluff out your feathers?" She asked
"What? Yeh, but why would I do that, It wont help us unless you wanna stay warm." Rainbow Dash responded.
"I'm testing something, you'll see." Twilight told her "Now fluff your feathers." Rainbow did as she was told, unfortunately for her, the sight of Rainbow's wings now even fluffier got Pinkie to start her song again.
"Fluffy, Rainbow Dash is fluffy!" Everyone ignored her. Twilight continued to examine Rainbow's wing.
"AHA!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed. "Found something!"
"What?" Everyone asked.
"Rainbow Dash still has some of her feathers!"
"Of course I still have some of my feathers, I didn't lose them all!" Rainbow shouted, a bit annoyed.
"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant was, that according to Fluttershy, when I asked her about your wing, you had lost some of your feathers. I couldn't see them without your wings fluffed, that's why I asked you to fluff them. You still have the feathers you supposedly lost. Now, If the dome actually fixed your wing, it still couldn't have given you your feathers back. That's because a pegasus has special magic in their wings that stops the growth of individual feathers by magic. So your feathers can only grow back naturally!"
"Ughh, what?" Rainbow asked.
"It means that magic couldn't regrow yer feathers, RD. But, Ah don't see how that's gonna help us escape." Applejack said
"It means that Rainbow Dash isn't actually here, none of us are." Twilight replied
"But, we are here. How can we not be?" Rarity asked
"I don't know, I'm guessing that it's caused by one of Nightmare moon's spells." Twilight said, thinking. Then Pinkie started to giggle. "What is it Pinkie?"
"I know why we aren't here!" She exclaimed "We're dreaming!"
"But we never went to sleep!" Rainbow countered.
"We didn't have to fall asleep by ourselves, silly filly. Moon Butt made us go to sleep. With this dome!" That finally clicked in Twilight's head.
"Pinkie, you're a genius! Now everypony, hold still. I'm going to try a wake up spell." Then, without giving the others to respond, she lit up her horn and cast a spell. The spell had shone a bright white light so no-pony could see. When they could. They were all lying down on the cold hard surface of the castle. They got up.
"YAY! We're awake!" Pinkie yelled.
"Oh Ponyfeathers! My wing's broken again!"
"Look at me! My beautiful coat is covered in mud!"
"Umm, yay."
"YEE HAWW!"
"Phew! Now we need to find the elements of harmony. Oh and stay out of Nightmare moon's way."
"HI PAUL!" Pinkie shouted, waving to a timberwolf. The timberwolf nodded it's head, then noticed that it had a body, and waved back.
"How did Paul get here?" Spike asked. Everypony shrugged.