• Published 27th Nov 2011
  • 14,909 Views, 200 Comments

Tales of Harmony - Starwind Dood



Fan-fiction that will show you the harmony found in our hearts!

  • ...
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Chapter 3

Is it ever a wonder what's real and what's just a tale?

It just seemed like a foal's quest at first.

NEW GAME

>CONTINUE

OPTIONS

"Saddlebags?" Twilight paced across the den as she listed off items for Spike to check off. Her voice gave off an optimistic vibe: she always felt at ease when she had some semblance of control.

"Check," Spike confirmed as he checked off the list item.

"Bucket?"

"Check."

"Food?" Twilight continued to list.

"Check," Spike replied as he stuffed Twilight's saddlebags with a few extra gems for the road.

"Sandwich recipe to cook food with?" Twilight asked.

"Do we really need a recipe for making sandwiches?" Spike groaned.

Twilight turned to Spike and began to lecture, "Of course, Spike. The culinary arts are not one to be taken lightly. On the road we'll only be able to carry so much food with us at a time, so we need to be able to ration carefully. That means making sandwiches to the letter; no more free-style cooking for us," she concluded.

Spike raised a claw, ready to argue back, and then gave up. He didn't want to provoke another lecture, so he quietly slipped the recipe card into the saddlebags, sandwiched between a loaf of bread and a bag of daisies.

"Do we have the maps?" Twilight asked, "Such a key item is crucial for the traveling pony." Equestria could be a deadly place to get lost in, and the Everfree Forest had already proved to be a fatal trek for the unprepared.

"Definite check." Spike opened his backpack to reveal various maps of Equestria, and what little information was available about the Everfree Forest. "I copied as much as I could from the library. By the way, the price for colored magic prints went up again."

"Again?" Twilight groaned. "My school projects are going to get pricey now."

"Says the mare who can't get less than an A." Spike rolled his eyes.

"Last, but definitely not least, checklist for future reference?"

"Twilight, who do you think you're talking to?" Spike held a rolled up checklist in the air before stuffing it into Twilight's saddlebags.

"I should expect no less from my number one assistant," Twilight giggled, "did you leave that note for Night Light like I asked you?"

"Yeah, but don't you think you should tell him face to face? I mean, I don't know much, but didn't your mom disappear into the Everfree Forest? I don't think Night Light is going to be happy about this."

"She did," Twilight replied as she loaded herself with her saddlebags, "but she was looking for the elements of harmony: there has got to be a reason for that."

"And your hypothesis, Dr. Sparkle?" Spike laughed as he jumped on Twilight's back.

"Well, it may sound silly, but what if she was trying to find them in case of Nightmare Moon's return?"

"The mare from your tale?"

"My mother's tale, yes. Celestia did exist one thousand years ago. What if Nightmare Moon did too? Then the prophecy about her being released could be true too."

"Twilight," Spike groaned, "this is beginning to sound really far-fetched."

Twilight sighed: the more she talked about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. "Yeah, it kind of is. Still, finding the elements of harmony could be a boon to the field of magic study."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself."

"Thanks, Spike," Twilight gratified her dragon companion.

"No problem, Twilight."

Twilight and Spike left before dawn that morning; the moon was still visible in the sky, gazing down upon the city. Twilight treaded lightly through the lower-city streets. She was heading for the city gates, but a pink pony in a black coat intercepted her.

"I finally found you!" the pink pony squealed, her giant pinwheel bouncing on her back along with her, and her face distorting with an impossibly huge grin. "I've been searching high and low for you."

"Y-you!" Twilight growled. For the third time in three days this mysterious pink pony had barged into her life, and for the third time she was going to get a migraine. "Are you stalking me?" she accused her.

"Oh, hey," Spike popped up from behind Twilight's head to get a good look at the pink pony. "It's you again! You were with Trixie, right?" he asked.

"Uh-huh!" the pink pony nodded. "Who are you?"

"I'm Spike," Spike gestured to himself, "and this is Twilight," he said gesturing to Twilight.

"I know that, silly," The pink pony replied as she got closer to them.

"You do?" Spike asked.

"Who are you?" Twilight took a step back, pointing her horn at the pink pony. "I am in no mood for games right now."

"Huh?" The pink pony looked confused. "I'm Pinkie Pie, silly," she said with a smile.

"That tells me nothing, and I don't even know if that’s true. I don't make it a habit to trust bandits."

"A bandit? Where?" Pinkie Pie jerked from side to side, looking for any sign of bandits or thieves. "Bandits are notoriously tricky, you know."

Twilight groaned. "No! I mean, you're the bandit! You stole that key-thing from Apple Acres! You're a bandit!"

"Oh that," Pinkie Pie waved a hoof to dismiss Twilight. "Silly, I was only borrowing it. I even gave it back already. I didn't steal anything."

Twilight's eye twitched. "You only gave it back because I was dragged out into the forest by that orange apple-pony!" Twilight roared.

"Wait, a pony that's an orange apple?"

"No!" Twilight yelled, "and what about the pegasi armor you stole?"

"I'm still borrowing it!" Pinkie Pie lit up again with a wide smile.

"So you borrow things…" Twilight began to fear where this was going.

"Yep! Only grouchy grouch meanies steal."

Spike was doubled over on Twilight's back, consumed in a fit of laughter as Twilight tried to apply some code of logic and morals to the pink pony. She found that it was impossible to apply a normal thought process to Pinkie Pie. "Fine!" Twilight yelled. "Go borrow something else and leave me alone."

"But we're friends!" Before Twilight could get away, Pinkie Pie threw herself on-top of Twilight, wrapping her completely in an almost rib crushing hug.

"We are not friends," Twilight struggled to say as precious breath escaped her body. "Spike, help!"

"We're not?" The pink pony asked, still holding tightly onto Twilight.

"We're not!" Twilight cried out with the last of her air.

"Well that can change!" Pinkie Pie dismissed Twilight's complaint and continued to be incomprehensibly happy. "So what are you up to, new friend?"

"Nothing!" Twilight cried out.

"We're going to find the elements of harmony," Spike answered.

"Spike!"

"Ooooh," Pinkie Pie started, "that sounds like lots of fun. What's an element of harmony?"

"It's," Twilight started, "it's… I guess it’s a magical artifact. Celestia used the elements of harmony to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon a long time ago. I'm looking for those…" It sounded ridiculous: it was ridiculous. "I don't know much more than that." Twilight's hopes were slowly falling. She hadn't even left Canterlot and her journey was already turning into a failure. She cast her eyes away from Pinkie Pie and Spike. In her head, she was already cursing her lack of foresight and she didn't want to hear what Spike or even the insane pink pony had to say.

"That's okay," Pinkie Pie let go of Twilight and forcibly turned Twilight to face her. "I'm sure you'll find it!"

"Th-thanks?" Twilight stuttered.

"And I'll help you!" Pinkie Pie declared.

"What!?" Twilight gawked. "Why are you…" Twilight wanted to accuse her of some greater scheme at work, but as it stood she was the only one had given her any positive feedback on her quest, so she rephrased her question, "Why do you want to help me?"

"Because…" The pink pony thought to herself for a moment. "I believe you, silly."

"Somepony doesn't know Twilight too well," Spike teased.

"Spike," Twilight groaned. "Listen, Pinkie Pie-"

"You said my name!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed,

"Yeah… well, how do I know you aren’t going to 'borrow' the element from me?" Twilight asked.

"If it's that important to you I won't 'borrow' it," she said with a wink.

Now I really don't get her.


"Pokey!" Twilight called out to the guard of the Canterlot gates. "Can you open the gate?"

Pokey, irritated that his night-watch nap had been interrupted, slowly turned to Twilight. "Twilight? Again? Whatever. I can't open the gates for another ten minutes. That's standard protocol." Pokey sighed as he repositioned himself in his chair, trying to get back to his nap.

"Pokey!" Twilight growled.

"Rules are rules," he laughed. The Canterlot gate guards were notorious for their lack of empathy and cynical demeanor, created and refined from down-trodden souls and hours upon hours of unrivaled boredom.

Twilight groaned in frustration. Arguing with the gate guards was considered a Canterlot tradition. With nothing left to do, Twilight sat herself down, anxious for dawn to break and signal the beginning of her journey. "How much longer…" she groaned.

"Nine more minutes, Twilight," Pokey laughed.

"Well, look who it is?" an accented voice called from behind them.

Twilight turned around. "Applejack, Big Macintosh. I guess you two are heading back to Apple Acres?" Twilight asked.

"That's right," Applejack replied. "We managed to sell enough to make ends meet, which is better than last time. And what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're visiting already?" Applejack laughed, but her eyes caught a glimpse of a certain pink pony. "Wait a minute…"

"Hi!" Pinkie Pie bounded up to Applejack, catching her off guard. "I'm Pinkie Pie! You beat me up back in the Everfree Forest! You were really good at fighting! Who taught you all those artes? I bet she was some kind of kung-fu master." Pinkie Pie kept going on and on with no end in sight.

Applejack turned to Twilight, desperate for some kind of escape from the endless babbling. Twilight could only suppress a snicker and shoot Applejack a merciless glare. Applejack turned to her brother, Big Macintosh, with eyes begging for salvation. Big Macintosh didn't even try to hide his amusement like Twilight did. Turning back to Pinkie Pie, Applejack tried to interrupt her, "Would you…"

"So after our fight we just kept walking around in circles for hours and hours and Trixie kept saying stuff about being the best pony ever and we ran from this crazy big chimera with a snake head. It was scary! But then we found Canterlot and we built a stage and I borrowed some armor from some nice well-meaning pegasi and I found Twilight but she-"

"For the love of Canterlot, shut up!" Pokey cried out, successfully silencing Pinkie Pie.

"You know how to get rid of us," Twilight taunted the sleep-deprived guard. "Opening the gate a few minutes early isn't going to hurt anypony."

"Perhaps," Poke started, "but when I signed up as gate watch, I pledged the rest of my life to harassing others and being a prick in general. Why, I consider it my life's purpose to be irate and insensitive."

"Just open it!" Twilight yelled, her last nerve dead. "I can blast open the gate you know."

"That would be a sight," Pokey mused. "All right, fine. I'll open the gate." Pokey jumped down from his post, shooting Twilight and Pinkie Pie an annoyed look. He magically took out the gate key out from his armor and opened the gate. "Are you happy?" he groaned.

"I'll get back to you on that," Twilight replied.


SKIT: Sour Apples

Applejack: So, here we are again; I figured yesterday would be the last I ever saw of you.
Twilight: The feeling is mutual. Although, I'm happy I don't have to pull the cart this time.
Applejack: You could offer your assistance. It's only the polite thing to do.
Twilight: Like scamming me?
Applejack: Some ponies sure do know how to hold a grudge.
Pinkie Pie: I could help you with that!
Applejack: Oh no, missy. I'm not risking you runnin' off with my apple cart!
Pinkie Pie: I won't do that, honest.
Applejack: I still ain't chancin' it.
Pinkie Pie: Such a grouch...
Applejack: We apple family ponies pride ourselves into growing up to be just as sour as a rotten apple.
Twilight: I can see that.

SKIT: End

The road to Apple Acres hadn't changed a bit in a day. The morning sun was rising over the hills, painting the road with an orange glow; there wasn't a cloud in the sky to block out any rays of light. Twilight was traveling with Applejack and Big Macintosh again with the silent agreement that if a chimera appeared they would protect each other. Luckily, no chimera had attacked them like before.

"So," Applejack turned to Twilight, "what are you up to now, Miss Twilight?" she asked. "I can't imagine you returning to Apple Acres for some down-home hospitality."

"Well…" Twilight replied, knowing how ridiculous the answer was sounded. "I'm searching for the elements of harmony."

"Elements of what-now?" Applejack somewhat echoed. "What in tarnation is that?"

"It's…" Another question with a ridiculous answer. "It's just supposed to be some magical instrument needed to combat Nightmare Moon," she said in one breath.

Applejack shot Twilight a concerned look. "Miss Twi', you seemed like a mare that had her snout in a book all the time, but now it sounds like your chasing a fairy tale."

"I know," Twilight sighed, "I know it sounds ridiculous."

"So what?" Pinkie Pie butted in. "What if the elements are real and Nightmare Moon is too? Twilight will be the only pony who would have known about it and know how to fight Nightmare Moon! Isn't that neat?"

"You're asking me if the possible destruction of Equestria would be neat?" Applejack scoffed. "Sorry, but, sugar-cube, you sound like your one barn short of a farm, and you act it too."

"Aww, thanks!" Pinkie Pie replied as she got closer to Applejack, much to her discomfort.

"Regardless, it still sounds crazy. Right, Big Macintosh?"

"I don't know," Big Macintosh answered, "what if Miss Twilight is right."

"Then I'll strap a piston engine to my boot and fly into space," Applejack retorted with a huff. "Honestly, you all sound silly. Where are you even goin' to start?"

"The Everfree Forest near Apple Acres contains the former city of Canterlot, now called Old Canterlot," Twilight began to lecture. "According to Canterlot history, Celestia used to hold her court in Old Canterlot. She eventually moved to the mountain side where it is now and eveypony moved with her, leaving Old Canterlot to be overtaken by the expanding Everfree Forest."

"Impressive," Applejack commented, "sure do you know your history."

"I'm a student!" Twilight exclaimed with pride. "Of course I know these things."

"Must be nice, school," Applejack sighed.


It was almost evening by the time Twilight had reached Apple Acres. The trip between Canterlot and Apple Acres took almost the whole day and the sun would be setting soon. "Back here again," Twilight sighed.

"I'm sure we can work out some arrangements for your stay at our farm." Applejack grinned.

"No thanks," Twilight snapped back. "I brought a tent," she said smugly.

"Your loss," Applejack shrugged. "Good luck on your quest, Miss Twilight."

"Aw man," Spike groaned. "Do you even know how to pitch a tent?"

"No, but I brought a pamphlet with instructions." Twilight used her magic to retrieve the pamphlet from her saddlebags and proudly hold it up to Spike. "I came prepared."


Applejack and Big Macintosh sat alone in the den of their barn. Big Macintosh poured through a multitude of papers depicting bills and the financial state of their apple orchard scattered over a desk. Applejack sat by a fireplace, nervously tapping a hoof. "So," she started, "taking into account all the expenses, what's our haul? What are we looking at for fall? Will we be able to fix my truck, Betsy?"

Big Macintosh looked up from the finance report. "Not even close. We made enough to keep going, but that's only if Canterlot can buy some rain." Big Macintosh shifted his weight, moving his fore-hooves to his temples. "I heard a rumor that Canterlot won't be able to buy some for fall, so we may need to get the town together to buy some rain ourselves."

Applejack almost cracked the floor with how hard she stomped her hoof. "Dang it. We need more bits."

"I know, Applejack. I know…"

"I'm going outside," she said after a long pause. "I need to clear my head."

"Don't be long."


The sun finally fell below the horizon, and soon the moon would ascend into place high in the sky and shine its pale light on the poor town. Applejack sat by one of her favorite trees, trying to make sense of her situation. "Dang it," she cursed. "This barn is going to go under if I don't think of something." She adjusted her hat, trying to block the moonlight from her eyes. She wanted to scream at someone if only to vent her anger, but that wasn't like her. "I just want my family to be okay; to not have to worry about going hungry. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Of course not!"

Applejack shot up, nearly losing balance in the process. She glanced around, looking for the intruder on her thoughts. "Who's there!" she called out.

"Up here!" a high-pitched voice replied.

Applejack looked up. Deep in the leaves of her favorite tree was the pink bandit pony. "You again? If you're here to steal some apples you'll find the whole orchard picked clean."

"I'm not here to borrow anything, silly!" Pinkie Pie jumped down from the tree, landing perfectly on her hooves. "I couldn't help but overhear your predicament, so I thought I could offer a solution!" Pinkie Pie smiled brightly at the farm-mare, who felt a little perturbed by the scene.

"And what might that be?" she asked, wary of any possible response that could come from such a random pony.

"You can come with Twilight and me to Old Canterlot!"

"Are you crazy!?" Applejack roared. "The Everfree Forest is dangerous enough even in the shallow parts, and you want me to go with you into the deepest parts of it, where all the really nasty and dangerous stuff is, on a wild goose chase for some element?"

"Well," Pinkie Pie replied, "just imagine all the loot you can find; thousand year old Canterlot stuff from Celestia's age. I know that stuff goes for lots of bits in Caballus."

Applejack was about to rebuke her argument, but she actually stopped to think about what she said. No one ever goes that deep into the Everfree Forest, not even bandits and thieves. There was sure to be plenty of treasure amongst the ruins that she could sell to bring bits back into the farm. Of course, this meant going into the Everfree Forest. "You'll just end up dead on the floor," Applejack concluded.

"Not if we all work together!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"We'll get lost."

"What about that pony that guided you before?" Pinkie Pie asked breathlessly.

"Fluttershy… yeah… she's good at navigatin' the forest and all…"

"I'm sure she'll be willing to help," Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "So, are you going to come with us? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

Applejack considered it for a moment. Desperate times do call for desperate measures… but this is too desperate. "I… fine, but we need to go now."

"Now now?"

"Yes, now." Applejack didn't want her family to know.


"Twilight…"

"Yes, Spike…"

"This is not a tent." Spike gestured to the tangled mess of wire and fabric. Twilight's pamphlet had proven to be useless before the reason of common experience. "This is a mess."

"I refuse to sleep at that farm," Twilight stated.

"Well, what's wrong with my farm?" Applejack called to her from behind. "I see your tent is going well," she said with a smirk.

"Here to gloat?" Twilight asked with little patience.

"A little, but my main reason is to tell you I'll be joining you on your little journey to the Old Canterlot."

"You're coming with us? What happened to chasing fairy tales?" Twilight asked, offense ringing in her voice.

"That don't matter," Applejack replied, stomping a hoof into the ground. "There just might be treasure, and that means bits. Bits I need. So there you have it."

"You're grave robbing!" Twilight accused her. "That's just... disrespectful!"

"I do what I have to to keep my family out of the grave, got it!" Applejack yelled back, her anger getting the better of her.

"Uh, girls," Pinkie Pie interrupted them, "let's not fight. We're supposed to be friends here."

"I'll let you know when I start feelin' warm and tingly," Applejack bluntly replied, "but in the meantime let's haul ourselves out to Everfree and get this over with."

"Right now?" Twilight argued. "Are you crazy?"

"I have to be if I'm actually goin' into that crazy mixed up forest, so The sooner this is over the better."

SKIT: Twitchy Twitcha Twitcha Twitch

Pinkie Pie: Oh!
Twilight: What is it?
Pinkie Pie: My neck feels twitchy!
Twilight: …so?
Pinkie Pie: Pinkie senses… tingling!
Twilight: Pinkie senses?
Applejack: What in tarnation is this about?
Pinkie Pie: My pinkie senses!
Spike: Pinkie senses?
Twilight: Just what are pinkie senses?
Pinkie Pie: I don't know.
Twilight: What?
Pinkie Pie: They just show up and, depending on the kind of twitch, something happens.
Twilight: I find this hard to believe.
Applejack: Yeah, me too.
Spike: This coming from the group looking for the elements of harmony?
Applejack: I'm just in this for the bits.
Twilight: Still, it doesn't make any sense. Let's just keep going.

SKIT: End

Even after two days the tracks from Trixie's cart hadn't disappeared, and in the light of the moon Applejack was able to follow the tracks right back to the tree it crashed into; where they first met Fluttershy. The cart was still stuck in the tree, and still a mess.

"Oh wowee, the steam cart is still here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she jumped on top of the broken down pile of scarp. "I bet Trixie will be happy to know it's okay."

"Oh yeah," Twilight added, "I forgot about her. Isn't she your partner in crime?"

"Kind of," Pinkie Pie answered. "We go around borrowing stuff and getting bits for Ponyville."

"Ponyville? Is that where you're from?" Twilight asked.

"Yep! Don't tell me you've never heard of it!?" she gasped. "I'll need to bring you there for a party!"

"Ponyville?" Applejack butted in. "Where is that?"

"Never heard of it, AJ?" Pinkie asked. "It's just waaaaay north of here."

"It doesn't ring many bells. I think it's been mentioned around the farm a few times. Maybe we used to do business with Ponyville? I don't know." Applejack conceded. "Also, don't call me AJ. I'm Applejack."

"I'll have to throw you a party too then!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"You can hold onto your parties. I just need bits. Now where is that pegasus tracker pony." Applejack looked around the treetops, but couldn't find sign of any Fluttershy. "Probably hiding in some stump somewhere."

"Well, if I was a timid pegasus pony where would I be?" Spike asked himself. "I got nothing."

"I've got an idea!" Pinkie Pie withdrew the giant pinwheel attached to her back.

"What are you-"

"Timber!" she yelled out as her weapon began to spin. She swung it into the base of the trunk, cutting cleanly through the wood. The tree toppled over, crashing to the ground loudly. All manner of creatures for miles heard the sudden crash of the tree.

"Are you trying to call every stinkin' chimera to us!?" Applejack yelled out, directing her anger at Pinkie Pie.

"Yelling isn't going to help the situation," Twilight chided.

"Uhm, is somepony there?" an innocently soft and familiar voice called out.

"Fluttershy!" Spike exclaimed. "It's us: Spike, Twilight, and Applejack. Well with one more now."

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Fluttershy quietly crept out of a nearby bush, her large cyan eyes examining over the assembled cast before her. "Uhm, hi," she timidly greeted Pinkie Pie.

"Hiya!" Pinkie Pie ran up to Fluttershy and started shaking her hoof repeatedly and completely stunning the shy pegasus.

"Hey." Applejack grabbed Fluttershy away from Pinkie Pie, saving her from Pinkie Pie's unending hoof-shake. "Listen, we need your help to get to Old Canterlot."

"You need my help to go where?"

"Old Canterlot," Twilight repeated for Applejack. "It should be north by north-west of here, but with how thick the forest gets it will become difficult to navigate, which is where you come in. I… we need your help."

"That sounds dangerous." Fluttershy backed away from Twilight, afraid of the request itself.

"This is really important," Twilight pleaded. "It's a matter of global security!"

"It is?

"Yes!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I guess... I can try," Fluttershy responded. "Why do you need to go there?"

"I'm looking for…" Twilight sighed. "I'm looking for the elements of harmony."

"What's that?" she asked.

Twilight groaned. How many times was she going to have to explain her wild goose chase plan today? "The elements of harmony are magical artifacts used by Celestia to defeat Nightmare Moon and banish her to the moon and now I'm looking for them because Nightmare Moon could, I repeat could, be returning to try and bring about night time eternal, there!"

"Wow, I'm impressed," Pinkie Pie chirped.

"Uhm… okay?" Fluttershy responded.

"Sounds like a load of hooey, don't it," Applejack commented.

"Well, maybe not all of it is hooey," Fluttershy tried to sound inoffensive, possibly sounding worse for it.

"Well, can you just tell us if you can lead us there so I can see my crazy plan blow up in my face already." All the negative reinforcement was beginning to wear away at Twilight. Her own self-doubt wasn't helping either.

"I think I know where you're talking about is," Fluttershy responded. "It's a bit of a ways from here though."

"Of course it is," Twilight groaned. "Nothing is ever easy."

"If it was easy it wouldn’t be an adventure," Spike replied.

"Uh, girls, we have a problem," Pinkie Pie muttered to everyone else.

"Chimeras…" Fluttershy squeaked.

A pack of half-wolf half-lizard chimeras surrounded them. They surrounded them from every angle; hanging in trees and poking out of bushes. An odd cacophony of growls and hisses erupted around them.

"Dang it, just like I said would happen," Applejack grumbled.

"Put your claws up!" Spike yelled as she withdrew his daggers. Two of the chimeras jumped at him. "Fang Rush!" Spike cried out as he ducked the first chimera and sliced through the second one.

"Oh no, oh no!" Fluttershy panicked as a chimera jumped at her. "No!" she yelled out as she drew her weapon, deflecting the chimera's attack; her sickle gleamed eerily as it poked out of her sleeve.

"Fluttershy, duck!" Applejack called out as she charged at her. Fluttershy just barely ducked as Applejack jumped over her, catching a chimera in mid-air. "Harvest Dance!" Applejack kicked the chimera while air-born. Turning herself, she gave the creature another buck, busting its neck, before landing back on the ground.

Pinkie Pie swung her pinwheel to bat off another chimera. "This is really exciting!" she exclaimed as she jumped over another one. "But I wish it wasn't a fight for our lives!"

"Less talking, more surviving!" Twilight gasped as she launched a series of fireballs.

"Oh, right. Surprise Infliction!" Pinkie Pie swung her pinwheel upwards, cleanly cutting a leaping chimera. "Twilight, above you!"

"Huh?" Twilight barely dodged three of the assaulting monsters. "Spike!" Twilight called back. "Get on my back!"

"Coming, Twilight!" Spike yelled back as over a chimera, dragging his daggers through it, and then jumping on-top of Twilight. She bucked up to launch him high into the air. Slamming his daggers together, Spike formed his bow and took aim of a chimera. "Gale Salvo!" he cried as he let lose the volley of arrows.

Twilight wielded the spear she had brought with her between her teeth. A chimera jumped at her. She closed her eyes as she drove her spear forward at the monster, almost completely skewering it. Breathing heavily, she threw away the corpse and pointed her spear at another chimera. "Comet Cannon!" she cried out as a chunk of ice erupted from her spear, blasting another chimera into a shivering pile of ice.

The few chimeras left grouped together to mount one last assault on the ponies. "Everypony, behind me!" Twilight cried out, her horn beginning to glow.

The chimeras launched their assault as a single pack. Twilight's horn gave off a bright magenta light as a wall of ice sprang up from the ground, skewering many of the chimeras.

"I got it!" Applejack yelled out as she jumped into the weakened fray. She slammed herself into the wall of ice. "Beast!" Applejack's primal force blew apart the ice, sending frozen shrapnel into whatever was left of the monstrous pack. Any surviving chimeras chose to flee. The battle was over, and at their hooves laid a small pike of dead chimera bodies.

Twilight gagged at the sight. It was in self-defense, and chimeras of all kinds were notoriously aggressive. Still, it didn't feel right.

"This is horrible," Fluttershy lamented. "We… we…"

"That was intense," Spike yelled out over Fluttershy with an unhinging chipper attitude.

"Spike," Twilight interrupted him, "I wouldn't call this a time to celebrate. We just killed-"

"It's kill or be killed," Applejack interrupted Twilight. "We don't have the time to sit around and think whether it was right or wrong."

"But killing is wrong!" Fluttershy asserted, almost jumping on Applejack before reverting to her meek ways. "I mean… even with…"

"This was self-defense. If chimeras want to mess with me, then they better be ready to get bucked in the face." Applejack's words were cold. It did little to comfort the distraught yellow pegasus. "Now then, think you're ready to lead us?"

"I… fine…" Fluttershy surrendered.

SKIT: The Best of Friends…

Fluttershy: Uhhh…
Pinkie Pie: Yes?
Fluttershy: Weren’t you with the bandits?
Pinkie Pie: I'm not a bandit. I'm Pinkie Pie!
Fluttershy: Oh, okay.
Pinkie Pie: And you're Fluttershy!
Fluttershy: Y-yes… I am.
Pinkie Pie: And starting today we're going to be the best of friends!
Fluttershy: Okay?
Pinkie Pie: By the way, you know anything for dealing with a twitchy neck? Mine is killing me.
Fluttershy: I… know some massage techniques.
Pinkie Pie: Neato!
Twilight: Is it me or is this group getting crazier with every addition?
Spike: You act like this is a bad thing.
Twilight: I'm the only sane pony here.

SKIT: End

Twilight had been traveling for a few hours. Fluttershy was able to expertly lead them though the twists and turns of the forest. Once again, Twilight found herself becoming nervous with the ambient sounds of animal calls, footsteps, and the flapping of wings.

"So," Applejack started, "how far are we from Old Canterlot?"

"Well…" Fluttershy thought for a moment. "I've never been that deep into the forest. I don't know how thick the forest gets then."

"Aren’t you a pegasus?" Twilight stated bluntly. "Wouldn't you have flown over it at some point?"

"Well… I'm not very good with heights," Fluttershy sighed.

"What?" Spike blurted out. "A pegasus afraid of heights? What's up with that?"

"Spike, be quiet," Twilight reprimanded the dragon. "That was uncalled for."

"It's… true," Fluttershy said, and went quiet.

The forest grew thicker as they ventured further, and the night was getting darker. It wasn't just Twilight who was beginning to feel fatigued. "Maybe we should stop and rest," Spike suggested. "It's not like pushing ourselves is going to help, right?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Applejack replied, the fur on her forehead sticking to her face. "Got any water? I'm thirsty."

"Water, coming up," Twilight grinned as her horn began to glow. "Splash!"

A torrent of water erupted from under Applejack, launching her into the air.

"Oops," Twilight gasped. Spike took the moment to catch as much water as possible with the bucket he brought.

Pinkie Pie managed to catch Applejack on her way down. "Aw, no flowers?" she joked.

"I have to ask, was that on purpose?" Applejack winced, now soaking wet and irritated.

"That was an accident," Twilight stated defensively. "You said you were thirsty so I cast a water spell... a little to close you."

"Too close my water-logged patootie…" Applejack groaned. "Fine, we got water. What do we have to eat?"

"Sandwiches," Twilight proudly declared, "I brought a recipe for sandwiches and plenty of bread and daisies." Twilight pulled out the note-card with a transcribed recipe for daisy sandwiches written in perfect horn-written cursive; one of her prouder achievements. "We'll have perfectly measured and rationed sandwiches in no time."

"Iguana," Applejack tapped Spike, "is she serious?"

"Sadly," Spike groaned.

"Can't say daisy sandwiches sound very appetizing," Applejack groaned. "And 'perfectly measured'?"

"Well," Fluttershy butted-in, "I know where we can find some edible mushroom."

"Oh! I can make some stew then! I need a fire though," Spike added.

"Mushroom stew? Yeah, that can work," Applejack replied.

"All right! Stew it is. I'll call it Wild Stew a la Spike."

"Like I'm trusting anything you make, iguana."

"Oh! This calls for a party!"

The group was suddenly alive with chatter over the proposed meal. Everyone except Twilight, who began to feel her efforts were in vain for copying and bringing the sandwich recipe. "Well, yeah, I guess that sounds good." When Twilight looked up she found Fluttershy, Applejack, and Spike had already disappeared on her, off to hunt for their respective tasks, leaving her alone with Pinkie Pie who was busy setting up streamers. She sighed, trying not to apply common sense to her last companion..

"So, giggle at the ghostly; Guffaw at the grossly," Pinkie Pie sang to herself as she hung decorations over the trees. "Crack up at the creepy; Whoop it up with the weepy."

"What are you singing?" Twilight asked.

"A song my granny would sing to me whenever I felt scared. It always gives me a little bit of courage when I sing it," Pinkie Pie replied as she continued to hang balloon.

"Is that how you're able to stay calm in this?" Twilight murmured, gesturing to the forest. "The place makes me feel so… tense. Just the sounds are enough to make me tense up." Twilight curled herself up as her mind wandered to the infinite sounds the forest produced.

"It's all right, Twilight." Pinkie Pie sat herself next to the lavender mare. She mimicked her, curling her body up, and smiled at her. "You don't need to be all scared alone when you have friends with you."

"I guess that would be nice," Twilight sighed, "if I had any friends."

"We're friends!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her happiness slowly flowing into Twilight.

"Well," Twilight tried to retort, "We're not friends; just a bunch of crazy ponies on a crazy mission."

"And that makes us friends!" Pinkie Pie answered.

Twilight genuinely laughed as such a simple answer. "Crazy friends I have then." She smiled. Twilight turned her attention back to the sandwich recipe card jutting out of her saddlebags. "My sandwich recipe," she sighed, "worthless."

"Or not!" Pinkie exclaimed.


"These shouldn't be poisonous," Fluttershy held a mushroom that she harvested with her sickle moments ago.

"All right, I'll get to picking," Applejack, now in a better mood, began searching the forest grounds for the mushroom, leaving Fluttershy and Spike alone.

Spike picked up a dry stick and stuffed it into his backpack. "So, Fluttershy," he started, "how did you get to learn so much about the Everfree Forest?"

"Well, I was raised here," Fluttershy answered. The tribe that raised me taught me all about living here safely."

"Oh? Cool. Where are they?" Spike asked.

"They move periodically, so I don't know where exactly they are now." Fluttershy answered. "After awhile I grew too big so, well I don't live with them now."

"That sucks," Spike answered a little too insensitively. "Uh, what I mean is…"

Fluttershy giggled. "Yeah, I guess it does suck."

"Don't you ever think about leaving the forest and living with other ponies?"

Fluttershy didn't move. The question paralyzed her. "I… I'm not very good at talking with others. I'm fine here, so it all works out." She turned away from Spike and resumed her search for mushrooms and firewood.

"Oh." Spike wished he hadn't asked that question. "If you say so."

SKIT: I Have to Do This

Applejack: Dang it... why am I out here in all this?
Applejack: Stupid forest. Stupid Canterlot. Stupid expensive rain!
Applejack: Just need to concentrate on the task at hoof...
Applejack: But now I'm lookin' for mushrooms to feed them crazy ponies.
Applejack: Pretty lucky of me to get to Old Canterlot so I can pry some vases or something.
Applejack: Though, it was that pink pony's idea...
Applejack: Why do I have a bad feeling?
Applejack: Somethin' bad is going to happen. I can feel it in my hooves...
Applejack: But beggars can't be choosers, though.
Applejack: I have to keep goin'... for my family... right?

SKIT: End


"We're back!" Spike exclaimed. "I hope you're all ready for Chef Spike's Forest Floor Mushroom Stew!"

"That's a terrible name," Applejack replied, "and I ain't trustin' an iguana to cook my food. I'm cooking this." Applejack held the bag of mushrooms away from Spike.

"No way! You're going to ruin my masterpiece!" Spike exclaimed as he jumped for the bag.

"That's all right!" Pinkie Pie butted in. "Because Twilight and me made sandwiches!"

"Perfectly measured and rationed sandwiches; following the recipe to the letter. No crumb or petal was wasted," Twilight added with pride.

"Soup and Sandwiches. Yeah that works." Spike replied. "I'm still cooking the stew!"

SKIT: Chef's Pride

Applejack: You're heatin' it too much!
Spike: This is magical dragon fire! It works way differently.
Applejack: You're still going to boil out all the flavor.
Spike: No I'm not!
Applejack: This ain't even remotely edible.
Spike: Says you!
Twilight: What is with all the arguing…
Spike: Twilight, tell Applejack that I have to cook every single meal back home.
Twilight: It's true. He does do the cooking.
Applejack: I still have years of experience on him.
Twilight: That is also true…
Spike: I have my chef's pride riding here! I'm not going to let an amateur ruin my stew.
Applejack: Amateur!?
Twilight: I'm done here…
Notice: Spike earned the title Little Chef!

SKIT: End

The air was permeated by a delicious aroma and a bickering pony and dragon. A pot of stew hung over a magical green campfire while Applejack and Spike argued with one another about how best to prepare the stew.

"It's done!" Spike called out to Twilight and the others. Spike held out the first bowl of stew. "Despite some unnecessary interference." He glared at Applejack.

"I made it better!" Applejack argued.

"Party time!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she took the bowl from Spike and buried her face in it. When she came back up for air she called out, "Let's eat everypony and Spike."

Twilight anxiously inspected the stew created by Spike's efforts. She was already hesitant about the idea of eating Everfree Forest mushrooms, and the stew itself looked less appetizing than cabbage stew. "Are you sure this is safe to eat?" she asked with concern. "I don't know any spells to handle food poisoning."

"Positive!" Spike poured himself a bowl and ate some of his own stew just to prove how safe it is. "See?"

"Spike, your stomach is a garbage disposal. It's hard to trust that kind of opinion."

"It's fine!" Pinkie Pie announced as she greedily devoured the stew.

"It's," Fluttershy paused, "okay."

"Not my best work," Spike replied, "but I think we all know why."

"Whatever, iguana. The only reason it's edible is because of my work." Applejack pounded her chest to punctuate her statement, much to Spike's chagrin. "Y'all better thank me by eating up, everypony."

"Is no one going to eat a sandwich?" Twilight held up the platter of sandwiches in vain. "I worked hard on these."

"How do you work hard on makin' a sandwich?" Applejack asked.

"Well… whatever!" Twilight grew flustered and decided to just eat the sandwiches herself.

In an hour the soup was gone, and only a few of the carefully prepared sandwiches had been eaten. The moon in the sky had reached the apex of its path, shining down light for Twilight and everyone else to use. "Is everypony ready?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah," Applejack commented. "So how far are we now? It's already midnight."

"I don't know," Fluttershy answered.

"Why don't you fly up and take a peek." Spike suggested.

"I guess I could," Fluttershy answered nervously. She withdrew her wings from within the confines of her robe and began to rise upward. She wasn't steady at all, but she did manage to rise above the treetops.

"See anything?" Applejack yelled to her.

Fluttershy dove down to the ground, her body shaking in a fit of panic. "Hide, now!" Fluttershy jumped into a bush next to her, her jittery body causing the bush to audibly rustle alongside her whimpering.

Applejack turned to Twilight. "What was that about-"

An ear piercing shrill broke through the tree tops, causing Twilight and her companions to hold their ears in pain. A winged chimera broke through the tree tops and landed itself in front of Twilight and Applejack. It was large, as big as two ponies, and vaguely avian with long limbs, especially its legs. Its beady eyes were locked on the two ponies as its head twitched in agitation. It leapt at them; Twilight and Applejack could only stare in fright.

"Watch out!" Pinkie Pie threw herself in front of Twilight and Applejack. "Thunder Hoof!" Pinkie Pie wound up her fore-hoof and drove it into the monsters scaly hide. Her joy-buzzer came to life and electricity surged through the chimera's body. The chimera responded by spinning, forcing Pinkie Pie off of it, and kicking her to the floor. The chimera jumped on her, pinning her down to the floor with its talons, and lashed out at Pinkie Pie with its beak. Pinkie Pie screamed in pain as the monster dug into her shoulder.

"Shoot!" Pinkie Pie's scream snapped Applejack back to her senses. She sprang into action, racing at the monster. "Get off of her! Revolution-"

The chimera raised one of its elongated legs and kicked Applejack into the air. Applejack flew back a few feet, but was caught by Twilight's magic, enveloping her in magenta light. The monster took the chance to pounce on Applejack again, delivering two swift and hard kicks to her body. Twilight tried to soften the blows with her magic, but Applejack could still feel each hit through the aura surrounding her.

"You monster!" Spike cried out as he withdrew his daggers, the blades glimmering in the moon light. "Diving Dragon!" Spike jumped into the air and then shot himself at the creature, diving onto the creature and burying his weapons in the monster's back.

The chimera howled in pain as Spike forced his weapon deeper. The chimera flared its wings and shot into the air, taking Spike with it.

"Help!" Spike yelled as the chimera rocketed higher into the sky.

"Fluttershy, do something!" Twilight called to the shivering pegasus. "It's going to hurt Spike!"

"I-I-I don't know," Fluttershy stuttered. "It's really high now."

"Dang it, fly up there and do somethin' before it comes back down and pancakes the iguana!" Applejack exclaimed. "You're the only one who can catch it."

A hail of razor sharp feathers erupted from the treetops, causing Twilight to shriek. With every flap of its wings the chimera shot another hail of feathers that them.

"Shoot!" Applejack cursed. "Dang it, I can't do anything from here."

"Applejack, cover me!" Twilight's horn began to glow as her spell charged. "I'll burn it to a crisp!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Applejack stood in front of Twilight, trying to act as a living shield. "Beast!" she cried out as her primal force clashed with another wave of feathers, knocking them away.

"Flame Lance!" Twilight called out. In the sky, a spear of pure fire barreled at the chimera. The monster saw the projectile and flew over it, completely evading the spell.

"Help!" Spike cried out again from the back of the monster.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight cried. "Please! You're the only one who can reach it."

"I-I can't. It's too scary." Fluttershy retreated back into the safety of her bush.

"Dang it," Applejack cursed, "you're going to get up there and take that thing down even if I have to force you myself!"

"Wait, what?" Fluttershy's confusion lasted only a few moments.

"Revolution Apple Buck!" Applejack bucked Fluttershy into the air.

"Applejack!?" Twilight was shocked.

"I used more apple and less buck. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Just be sure to back her up."

Fluttershy unfurled her wings and caught herself in the air. She let out a sigh of relief as she stabilized herself, and completely lost breath the moment she looked the chimera in the eye. "Uhm, if you would please… put down… Spike… please?"

The chimera let out an ear piercing screech as it flew right at Fluttershy, its wings extended outwards and talons flashing menacingly.

"Oh boy," Fluttershy squeaked as she withdrew two sickles from the confines of her robes. "Can’t we talk about this?" she pleaded.

The chimera screeched at her as it flew at her. Fluttershy turned tail and flew as fast as she could to escape the predator.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight called to her. "Try and restrain it so I can hit it with a spell."

"Restrain, right, easy," Fluttershy lied to herself as she flew in an arc to try and out-maneuver the chimera, but to no avail. She wasn't going to out-fly this thing. The chimera caught up to her, and reached out to claw her with its talons. On instinct, Fluttershy attacked the creature. She threw her sickles, bound by chains, at the chimera. The chimera knocked away the weapons with its talons, the sickles recoiling back into the confines of Fluttershy's robe.

"Fluttershy!" Spike called out. "Throw me a sickle! We'll tie it up!"

Fluttershy winced as she dodged a hail of feathers. She wished she could fly away, but she had no chance of escaping such a vicious predator. She wound her fore-hooves back and swung forward as hard as she could. "Aching Chains." Fluttershy's voice echoed as she threw her sickles at the chimera. The chimera tried to kick them away again, but the chains danced over its talons and embedded themselves within creature. "I- I got it?" Fluttershy questioned as the monster shot upwards, dragging Fluttershy with it; Fluttershy screaming the whole way through.

"All right!" Spike cheered over Fluttershy's screaming. He crawled down to the monsters leg and pried off the sickles and threw them over the creatures shoulder and around its neck. "All right, pull!" Spike grabbed onto the chain and threw himself off the chimera, throwing its flight trajectory off balance.

The chimera was nearly thrown out of the air, but it managed to catch itself in time, only to be impaled by Twilight's flame lance. Fluttershy withdrew her chains back into her robes, dragging Spike along with them and delivering him into her hooves. Twilight's spell dragged the chimera off into the forest, away from Twilight and everyone else. With a mix of relief and anxiety, Fluttershy flew back to the ground.

"Holy cow that was exciting!" Spike exclaimed as he jumped off of Fluttershy and onto Twilight.

"That was terrifying!" Twilight cried as she hugged Spike close to her. "I was so worried something bad might happen or you would get hurt or worse! What were you thinking!?" Twilight asked in a panic.

"I don't know," Spike shrugged, "I'm fine, Twilight. You don't need to be so doting."

"Twilight!" Applejack called out to her. "Get over here!" Applejack was kneeling by Pinkie Pie, who was looking pale.

Twilight galloped over to the pink pony. Pinkie Pie was bleeding along her right shoulder. The wound she had suffered from the chimera looked dangerously deep. "You girls okay?" Pinkie Pie asked weakly.

"You idiot! What were you thinkin'! That thing almost killed you!" Applejack cried out. Tears were telling up in her eyes for a pony she barely knew. "I can't go home to my family thinkin' a pony died because of my carelessness!"

"Get out of the way." Twilight shoved Applejack aside and put her horn on the wound. "C'mon, I know this spell. Concentrate." Twilight shook a little as she felt the blood touch her horn. "Cure." As the words left Twilight's lips, magic began to envelop itself around Pinkie Pie's wound. The wound began to sew itself back together. After a few moments the wound was gone. Not even a scar remained.

"That was amazing, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie tried to jump up to hug Twilight, but instead tripped and fell onto her, with desired results. "Woah, that made me feel all woozy for a moment."

"I was able to heal the wound, but you still suffered a bit of blood loss and you need time for your body to register that it's okay now, but you'll be fine," she informed her. "Pinkie Pie, thank you."

"It's no problem," Pinkie Pie replied. "I know if some grizzly beastie was after me you girls would save me in a heartbeat."

Twilight and Applejack exchanged some rather uncomfortable glances. Both of them doubted whether they would be able to take a blow like that for the other so instinctively. Pinkie Pie was able to read the looks on their faces. "Well, I still would do it again," she sighed.

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack started.

"You said my name!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "That's the first time you've said my name, Applejack!"

"Yeah, I guess it is," Applejack sighed, a small smile forming on her face. She tried to hide it. "Just, that was dangerous. That thing looked like it was made of knives. So, just, don't do anythin' so fool-hardy. I can't bring a dead pony back to town."

"Dead bodies make for really good fertilizer, though," Fluttershy added.

Applejack didn't blink. "I don't want to know how you know that."

Pinkie Pie burst out laughing. "I bet I would grow some great flowers!" She continued to laugh, mocking the idea of her own death. It was an infectious laugh as Twilight soon found herself laughing too, then Applejack, then Spike. Even Fluttershy couldn't resist a quiet giggle.

"All right, all right," Twilight broke through the laughter, "if we're done here, Pinkie Pie can you get off of me?"

"Oh, sorry, I was just having so much fun!" Pinkie Pie pried herself off the purple mare.

Twilight levitated out from her bag one of the sandwiches she had carefully prepared earlier. "Eat this to regain some strength."

"Okie dokie lokie, Dr. Twilight!" Pinkie Pie responded.

With a sigh of relief, Twilight turned to Fluttershy. "Did you manage to see how far we are from Old Canterlot?"

Fluttershy pawed the ground uncomfortably. "Sorry, no."

"Well then, I guess our midnight break is going to be extended until Pinkie Pie is feeling better."

"Thanks, everypony," Pinkie Pie replied sweetly.


Lyra barely dodged a heavy blow from a powerful chimera. A monstrously large chimera with a snake head had attacked Canterlot, and it was up to the militia to defend it. "Pokey! Where are the mages!?" Lyra cried out to the gate guard.

"Ditsy is rounding them up!" he yelled back from atop the city walls. "Give her some time!"

"I don't have time to give. This thing is going to break through the wall if we don't do something soon!" Lyra yelled back.

Spitfire flew across the chimera, grabbing its attention long enough to turn it away from Canterlot. She turned around, withdrawing a double-bladed sword, and flew straight at the monsters throat. The monster snapped at her with its powerful jaws, forcing her to turn up or else be devoured. "All right, I can play hard too." Spitfire cooly responded to the attack. She flew high into the sky before barreling downward. She spun her body, turning herself into a living buzzsaw. "Spitfire Tempest!" Spitfire's body caught ablaze as she buried herself into the monster and brought it to the ground.

Lyra jumped up at the monster, raising her broad-bladed lyre overhead. "Deluge Lamentoso!" she yelled. She slammed her weapon down on the chimera and then swung upwards, calling forth a magical stream of water. She finished off the attack by slicing through the stream, and the chimera.

"It's not done yet!" Spitfire warned her.

The chimera slithered behind Lyra, who was too exhausted from her attack to respond.

"Shining Fang Drop!" Pokey Pierce crashed down on the chimera, his magic engulfed in the katana he drove through the monster's hide. "Pyre Havoc!" Pokey Pierce dragged his katana upward through the chimera, coating the blade in magical fire before jumping off the monster. The chimera was completely stunned. "Mages!"

The chimera was assaulted by a barrage of magical fireballs, icicles, disks of water, and lightning as every able bodied unicorn in Canterlot flung every spell she knew at the monster. The chimera thrashed about as it was pelted by the magical barrage before becoming still.

"Is it done?" Lyra asked as she raised her weapon.

"I hope so," Spitfire huffed.

"Mares, don't worry," Pokey laughed, "the captain-"

"You're not a captain," Lyra interrupted him.

"Future captain of Canterlot's militia was able to pull through and save the day," Pokey gloated.

"Stop trying to take the credit," Lyra groaned.

Pokey leaned against the body of the dead chimera, or so he thought. The chimera's body twitched back to life as its snake head rose over Pokey. He turned around, scared for his life as he gazed into the black slitted eyes of the chimera.

"Holy Lance!" Night Light's voice echoed through the night.

Spears made of pure light formed above the chimera's head and impaled it from all sides. The monster's head fell to the floor, eyes cold and dead. It was done. Canterlot was finally safe.

"Is everypony all right?" Night Light approached the three ponies. "Is anypony hurt?"

"I'm all right," Pokey gasped.

"I'm uninjured," Lyra groaned.

"I could use some medical attention," Spitfire limped onto a foreleg. "Are chimeras always this rough? I don't think I've ever encountered anything like that at the Cloud Kingdom."

Night Light walked up to Spitfire and placed his horn on her injured leg. "Cure." With a flash of golden light Spitfire's leg had been completely cured. "Is that better?"

Spitfire stretched the leg and moved it around a little. "Amazing. It still feels numb, but other than that, if feels just fine."

"Just some basic healing." Night Light turned to the damaged walls of the city. They weren't destroyed, but they had taken too much damage to withstand another attack from such a level of chimera. It would take tens of thousands of bits to repair it; bits he knew weren't likely to exist. With a sigh, Night Light turned back to the three survivors. "Canterlot owes all three of you a debt of gratitude."

"I'm enlisted in the militia," Lyra commented. "It's my job to do this."

"It's my job to protect all civilians, Cloud Kingdom or otherwise," Spitfire replied.

Pokey wanted to revel in the glory, but his much more humble cohorts made it difficult to look good. "Yeah, what they said," he groaned.

Night Light acknowledged the three heroes and galloped off. He had to call the Canterlot council together immediately.


"And I said, 'oatmeal? Are you crazy!?'" Pinkie Pie continued to gab on and on, slowly wearing away any patience and pity everyone else had for the motor-mouth mare.

"Pinkie," Applejack fidgeted, "can you please stop talkin'. I don't know how much more I can take."

"How much more what you can take?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I think we're ready to move on," Twilight groaned. "Spike? Fluttershy? Where are you?" Twilight quickly scanned the area to try and find the purple dragon and yellow pegasus. "Where are you?" she called out again.

"Over here!" Spike answered back. "Twilight, you have to check this out! Fluttershy can talk to animals!"

"Spike, that's preposterous," Twilight answered back. "First off, animals don't have a verbal language to communicate with. Second-"

"Would you quit lecturing and just see for yourself!"

Twilight, too tired to argue back, gave into the dragon's demands.

Fluttershy sat before a brown owl, smiling contently. Neither of them did any actual talking, but seemed to truly enjoy each other's company.

"I don't see any talking going on here, Spike," Twilight chided. "Fluttershy, let's go!" she called to her.

"Oh, sorry. I was just enjoying this owl's company."

"Spike says you were talking to it," Twilight joked and laughed, expecting Fluttershy to join her.

"Well, not really talk, but I find it rather easy to communicate with animals," Fluttershy sighed. "Easier than other ponies anyway."

"Really?" Twilight asked.

"Yes," Fluttershy answered. "I guess I've always had this kind of talent."

"Think it can tell us how far we are from Old Canterlot?" Twilight asked. The owl hooted at her, a tinge of annoyance carried in its hoot.

"He's a boy, and he's quite smart," Fluttershy answered for him.

"Really." Twilight felt a slight novelty in being possibly cursed out by an owl. "Well, Mr. Owl, think you can tell us how far we are from Old Canterlot?" she asked with a grin.

"Well," Fluttershy started, "can you show us to Old Canterlot?" The owl took off immediately. "He wants us to follow!" Fluttershy sprang into life as she chased after the owl.

"Wait for me!" Spike called as he grabbed onto Fluttershy's tail, giggling madly.

"Wha- Spike!" Twilight groaned. "Applejack! Pinkie Pie! C'mon!"

"We got a lead?" Applejack asked.

"Looks like it!"

SKIT: The Heartless

Twilight: Amazing, Fluttershy. You really can communicate with animals.
Spike: I said that!
Fluttershy: It's not that amazing…
Twilight: It is: I've never met anypony with that kind of ability.
Applejack: Say, Fluttershy, can you talk to chimeras?
Fluttershy: No, I can't. It's impossible...
Applejack: Woah, you didn't have to get so down about it.
Fluttershy: When I communicate with animals it's like I'm listening to their hearts, but not chimeras.
Pinkie Pie: So chimeras don't have hearts?
Fluttershy: Maybe…
Twilight: Then, how do their bodies pump blood?
Applejack: Think metaphorical-like, sugar-cube.
Pinkie Pie: But how can they party!?
Applejack: Party?
Fluttershy: Maybe chimeras don't have hearts, but that kind of makes me sad, because then all they can do is hurt others.

SKIT: End

The owl lead Twilight’s group through the twists and turns of the forest. It was hard for them with only moonlight for illumination, but eventually the forest became less dense, and the sounds of monsters and predators became less ubiquitous. Eventually they were in front of the ivory towers of Old Canterlot. "Incredible," Twilight mouthed.

Old Canterlot gave off the distinct impression that time itself had forgotten about it. Everything stood still in a way that unhinged the mind. Any one motion stood out from the rest of the world here. The owl continued to lead them deeper into the lifeless city.

"Hoo-wee," Applejack gasped. "There's sure to be a mess of precious treasures somewhere in a place like this, I reckon."

"It's amazing!" Pinkie Pie screamed. "This place must have been crawling with ponies way back!"

"It's... really spooky," Fluttershy squealed. Not even animals would take refuge in this town, and that made her nervous.

"But we found it!" Spike cheered. "We found Old Canterlot!" he bounced up and down, continuing to cheer with joy around the ponies.

"Thank you, Mr. Owl," Twilight thanked their guide. With a small hoot the owl flapped its wings and took off into the sky, returning to the Everfree Forest that Fluttershy found him in..

"Well, now that we’re here..." Twilight trailed off, gazing at the ancient towers. They look just like the upper district of Canterlot.

"So, Pinkie Pie, where are all the valuables usually kept?" Applejack asked for an expert thief’s opinion.

"Museums!" Pinkie Pie answered.

"We are not robbing a museum!" Twilight barked instinctively.

"I need the bits more than a dead city does," Applejack argued.

Twilight grew flustered. "Fine, but the elements come first. Then you can take anything you want," she said mockingly.

"Fine by me." Applejack rubbed her fore-hooves together as she examined each building, eyes peeled for any signs of wealth to be had.

"So, where would the elements be?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Uhh," Twilight quickly turned about as she examined the city. The city lacked a castle which she assumed would be an obvious place to store magical artifacts. "I guess we'll just have to look everywhere?"

"That sounds boring," Spike groaned as he followed along.

Twilight tried every door she came across. Most of the locks were so rusty or broken that Twilight could simply force open the door. However, she couldn't find anything resembling an element of harmony. "Do you even have a clue as to what these presumed elements might look like?" Applejack complained.

"Well." Twilight reached into her bag to bring out beaten, leather bound book with a golden pony insignia on the cover. Twilight opened the book and flipped through the pages.

A quick peak from Applejack revealed the book to be a picture book. "Twilight, what are you doin' with a picture book?"

"This is a book about Equestria's history up till Celestia's disappearance," Twilight argued.

"It's a picture book…"

"It's the best resource I have," Twilight groaned. She finally found the page she was looking for; a picture of five differently colored gems encircling a sixth one. "Our best bet is that the elements look something like this."

"They don't look very different from your typical jewelry," Applejack commented. "You could buy these at cheap knock-off stores. We actually have one in town, too."

"These are special," Twilight argued.

"And how will we know they're special?"

"Well," Twilight paused. Once again she was at a loss for an answer. "I don't know."

"Well, then we better get searchin'," Applejack walked past her. "C'mon."

"Huh?" Twilight gawked. "What happened to your skepticism?"

"Oh I'm still skeptic, but I doubt that's going to change your mind. Hay, my own skepticism doesn't even change my mind."

"You're…" Twilight smiled. "You're one complicated pony, Applejack."

"Did you think I was all buck and no brain?" Applejack joked. "I'll need to buck the brains out of you if you're suggesting that."

"Hey, you're getting along again!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "When we get back we're going to have to celebrate."

"Yeah, we'll only need to wade through the Everfree again. Can't say I'm lookin' forward to that," Applejack joked.

An ear piercing shrill broke out from the forest. Twilight turned to the sound as a bruised mess of a chimera limped out of the trees. The same chimera from before, but it had brought more. Two similar chimeras accompanied the bruised chimera from either side.

"Looks like we were followed." Applejack planted a hoof into the ground. "Our work is cut out for us this time, girls."

"I'm a guy," Spike groaned.

"Not the issue." Applejack tensed her muscles. "I'm not going to be caught off guard this time you feathered freak."

"I'm not going to let anypony get hurt." Twilight wielded her spear in front of her.

"I won't either." Pinkie Pie placed a hoof on Twilight.

"I'm not going to get dragged everywhere this time!" Spike formed his bow and nocked an arrow.

"Well, you all have fun with that," Fluttershy barely said above a whisper. "I'm going to go hide… far away… good luck."

"You're going to stay and fight!" Applejack scolded her.

"Yes ma'am," Fluttershy squeaked.

"There's five of us, and only two and a half of them," Applejack stated. "We can win this."
The three chimeras came at them at once. The two able-bodied ones flew while the wounded one ran clumsily. "Cover me!" Applejack threw herself into the attack. The two stronger chimeras tried to attack her from both sides.

"Burning Lotus!"

"Fireball!"

A fiery arrow caught one of the chimeras in the side while a volley of magical fireballs fended off the other. Applejack slipped through the two chimeras and converged on her target. "Take this!" Applejack tackled the weaker chimera by ramming a fore-hoof into its beak. "Harvest Dance!" Applejack kicked the chimera into the air and jumped after it, bucking it again while air-born. "Autumn's Fall!" Applejack roared as she dove onto the chimera, sending the both of them to the ground with an audible crunch.

"My turn!" Pinkie Pie jumped over Applejack, her giant pinwheel gleaming mercilessly in the moonlight. "Party Destruction!" Applejack moved out of the way for Pinkie Pie to finish off the pinned and weakened chimera.

"Behind you!" Spike called out.

Pinkie Pie turned just in time to duck over a swooping chimera. "Fluttershy! You got to bind 'em again!"

"A-again?" Fluttershy stuttered. "I-I can't do that."

"We'll cover you." Twilight pointed her spear at a chimera and let loose a bolt of ice. The chimera easily dodged the blow, but it did keep it at bay.

"Gale Salvo!" Spike kept up a constant volley of arrows to try and keep the chimeras at bay. "You can do it, Fluttershy!"

"I-I don't know," Fluttershy stuttered again. "I…"

"If you don't do something, we're hosed," Applejack told her, "we can't escape a couple of flying chimera: they'll just keep dive bombing us till we go down. You need to go up there and fight them. Twilight and Spike will protect you, but you have to do something!"

Fluttershy felt pressured. She didn't want to fight. She wanted to hide. "I… can't…"

"Then we're going to die!" Applejack yelled at her. "You want us to die!?"

"N-no…" Fluttershy nearly teared up.

"Then get up there and use your fancy chain stuffs to pin them. We're not asking you to kill, or even hurt them. Just bind them."

"Promise you won't kill them?" Fluttershy replied.

"If we can get them to run with their feathered tails between their legs," Applejack replied with a cocky smirk. "Go girl!"

"A-all right!" Fluttershy opened her wings and flew up. Behind her Twilight and Spike fired spells and arrows to protect Fluttershy. "I-I can do this," she told herself.

The chimeras locked eyes with the new challenger. If they had hearts perhaps they would have been broken by the pegasus's resolved eyes; instead, the chimeras flew at her, maneuvering through the magical barrage. They extended their talons at Fluttershy, wanting to rip her in half.

"No!" From within Fluttershy's right sleeve a sickle appeared and clashed with the two pairs of talons. From her left sleeve a sickle threaded with chains swung out and snaked its way over one of the chimeras. The other chimera tried to fly under Fluttershy to rip her in half, but from within the confines of her robe a third chained sickle appeared and lashed itself at the chimera, burying itself in its back. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy apologized as she swung the two chimeras together. "Ouroborus!" A fourth sickle appeared and wrapped itself around the two chimeras. From each hoof, Fluttershy had a chain extending and tying itself around the monsters. "I got them! Now what?"

"I've got it!" Twilight called out as she disappeared in a flash of magenta light.

"W-where did she go?" Applejack asked, flabbergasted.

"Up there!" Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at a shining light high in the sky.

In the sky above them, Twilight was barreling downward, her spear pointed at the chimers and her body engulfed in fire.

"Burning Moon Fang!" Twilight cried out. Fluttershy untied her chains just before Twilight collided right into the chimeras, dragging them to the ground and exploding. Twilight withdrew her spear from the monsters and winked away. The now-crispy chimeras couldn't even stand after such an attack. Fluttershy galloped up to the injured creatures, intent on trying to help them, but a weak snap from one of their beaks made clear what would happen if Fluttershy got any closer.

"Well? Git!" Applejack yelled at the monsters. "We can go on and it won't end pretty for you."

No one was sure if the chimeras actually understood Applejack, but, with what little strength the chimeras had left, they picked themselves up and ran off back into the forest, their self-preservation instincts taking over.

"What was I thinking!?" Twilight cried as she fell over in exhaustion. "I don't think I've ever done anything so dangerous and stupid."

"I don't think you've ever done anything so awesome!" Spike jumped onto her, wrapping her in a scaly hug. "That was just so cool!"

"Yeah, Twilight," Pinkie Pie added. "You're going to need to teach me that trick for parties."

"Sorry, it's a unicorn thing." Twilight grinned: the thought of Pinkie Pie with the ability to wink scared her more than the chimeras.

SKIT: Hidden Depths

Applejack: So, Fluttershy, just what are you hiding underneath all that robe.
Fluttershy: Huh?
Applejack: I wasn't expecting you to have all that chaining gear underneath. Gotta admit, I'm a little afraid to take you on in a lasso competition now. Where did you learn to lasso like that anyway?
Fluttershy: The tribe taught me. Sickles were what they used, so they taught me so I could defend myself.
Applejack: Doesn't sound like a group of ponies I would want to meet…
Fluttershy: Oh, they aren’t ponies.
Applejack: The… hay? You sure are a mysterious one, Fluttershy.
Fluttershy: Thank you?
Applejack: You're welcome?

SKIT: End

They had tried nearly every door in the old and broken city. Most of them lead to houses, with a few to some possibly once important, but now broken down, establishments. Only one building was left. "It's always the last one," Pinkie Pie commented knowingly.

"We still don't know for sure if these element thingies exist," Applejack replied. "Don't get your hopes up just yet."

"Well, now is our chance to find out." Twilight bucked open the door. The insides of the building were unlike the rest of Old Canterlot; it was preserved. The building only had a single room with no windows, save for a single sky light. The circular wall of the building contained a mural. On one side of the mural stood a regal white winged unicorn. On the opposite side, a midnight black winged unicorn stood proud and cold. "This must be a depiction of Celestia and Nightmare Moon!" Twilight gleefully exclaimed. She has never been so close to something so ancient, and there, in the center of the room on a raised pedestal, sat a single stone orb with a diamond indention. "Is this it?" Twilight asked herself.

"It don't look like the pictures in your book," Applejack answered her.

"I know, but..." Twilight gazed at the stone orb as she walked up to it. She touched it with her hoof. She could feel it: powerful magic was contained within the stone. "This has to be it!" she exclaimed. "We did it! We found… an element of harmony." The book foretold of five elements that would awaken a sixth and before her sat only a single element. "Why is there just one? All the work and fighting for one." Twilight slumped onto the floor.

"We can think about that later," Applejack interrupted her. "Now that you have your elements how are we going to go about takin' everythin' that isn't nailed down?"

"Is bits all you can think about?" Twilight groaned.

"Hey, I have a family to think about," Applejack angrily replied.

"And they're back to fighting," Spike commented.

"Spike, shut up," Twilight huffed. "Just, help me with this and then we'll find something valuable for you to sell."

"My neck is twitchy!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"So?"

"And my tail is all a twitchy too!"

Both Twilight and Applejack stared at the pink pony with mild exasperation. "So?" they said in unison.

"Twitchy neck means earthquake, and twitchy tail means something is going to fall!"

Twilight turned away from Pinkie Pie in disinterest. "Pinkie, that's preposterous."

"No, that's my pinkie senses! Not prepositions," Pinkie Pie answered her.

"Let's just grab this thing," Applejack butted in.

Applejack and Twilight worked together to move the element of harmony off its pedestal and stuff it into Twilight's saddlebags. With the element securely in storage, Twilight and her traveling companions left the empty room with its mural.

"All that work, just for one element," Twilight moaned. "I don't even know where to look for the other five."

"Uh-oh," Pinkie Pie gasped, jumping up and down to get everyone else's attention. "We got to find a shelter!"

"What? You're pinkie senses?" Twilight groaned.

"Yep, and it's a doozy!"

"A doozy?" Applejack echoed. "What's that suppose to mean?"

The ground underneath them began to shake. "W-what's going on!?" Fluttershy panicked.

"A real earthquake!? Dang it, why now!?" Applejack cursed.

Old Canterlot began to fall apart; the city forgotten by time was crumbling. The ivory towers collapsed, crushing anything under them, and the ground was also beginning to separate. "What the hay!?" Applejack cursed as she narrowly dodged a statue. "Watch out, Fluttershy!" she called out.

"What?" Fluttershy didn't see the falling pieces of building falling towards her. She was nearly buried alive.

"Fluttershy!?" Pinkie Pie crushed the debris with her pinwheel. "Fluttershy! Are you okay?" Fluttershy didn't respond: she was out cold.

"Everypony!" Twilight called out. "Get close to me!" Applejack, Spike, and Pinkie Pie carrying Fluttershy galloped up to her. Twilight enveloped them in a bubble of magic for protection. Moments later, the ground under them gave way. The bubble of magic fell, Pinkie Pie's tail twitching the whole way.