> The Balance of Harmony
>  by The Rising Tide of Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The door to the small cottage opened, and a young woman stepped in.  She closed the door behind her, sighing heavily, and leaned against the door.  She was of average height, but her appearance was anything but average.  Her waist-length hair was a deep indigo, with single stripes of pink and light purple running down the center.  Her right eye was a deep purple, which gazed around at the main room of the cottage.  Her left eye was covered with a black cloth patch, and was surrounded by vicious-looking scars, running in jagged lines both above and below the patch.  She was wearing a long button-down cotton dress, and wore a dark cloak over her shoulders which she proceeded to hang on a peg by the door, and well-worn leather boots.  In her right hand, she gripped a long staff, topped with a violet crystal in the shape of a horn, and she leaned heavily on the staff as she moved into the room, her right leg limping along.

The overall presence of the cottage was that of a well-kept home.  It was comprised of one large room, with a sleeping area in one corner, a kitchen area in another, and a living area taking up the rest.  Bookshelves lined the walls, filled to the brim with books of all shapes and sizes.  There were some chairs in the center of the living area surrounding a small table, in front of a fireplace that was currently filled with a cheery, warm fire.  The sleeping area contained two beds, one larger than the other.  The smaller bed was currently filled with a sleeping young man, short green hair ruffling with each snore as he lay on his bedsheets, as if he had fallen asleep as soon as his head touched the bed.  The young woman smiled at him as she moved through the cottage, admiring his handiwork throughout the area, as he was the one who kept the place homey and clean.

She paused in her journey across the floor, staring up at the mantle above the fireplace.  Two framed photos sat there, in a place of honor.  The one on the left appeared to contain six mares, all smiling and hugging each other, as happy as could be.  The one on the right contained what appeared to be the same six mares, but in a fully human form, including the young woman who now gazed wistfully at the group.  The women were all smiling, but there was a grimness about them that translated to their stances.  No longer hugging, but still standing close together, they gazed out of the photo with a certainty and determination, each armed with various weapons, a force to be reckoned with.

The young woman’s gaze dropped from the photos, and she continued to her destination: a small writing desk on the far side of the cottage, tucked away from the rest of the room in a small alcove.  Writing supplies lined a small shelf next to the desk and rested on the desk itself.   When the young woman reached the desk, she carefully eased into the well-cushioned chair, leaning her staff against the shelf.  Picking up the quill in front of her, she dipped it with a practiced finesse into the inkwell, and began to write.

My name is Twilight Sparkle, she wrote.

Pausing a moment, she continued.

This is the story of how we saved this world.
And of how I lost the greatest friends I could ever hope to have.

> Chapter 1: The Unexpected Visitor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It all started… well, in actuality it probably started a couple of years ago, back when I found that scroll in the Star Swirl the Bearded archives back in Canterlot; the scroll that gave me the chance to go back in time for a few minutes.  After that escapade, I continued to work on the spell for a while, but eventually gave up on getting it to do much more.  Apparently, though, there was another… me… somewhere else that had managed to get it to do more.  A lot more.

It was that spell that brought me and my friends here to this world.  I miss them so much right now.  Rainbow Dash, with her arrogance and loyalty.  Applejack, with her pride and honesty.  Rarity, and her snobbish ways tempered with her generosity.  Fluttershy, her anxieties eased by her kindness, and even Pinkie Pie, her craziness made easier to deal with by the way she always was able to make us laugh.

It was a bright sunny day, one of the best that season.  Even Rainbow Dash had worked hard to make sure it was a nice day, clearing the clouds earlier than normal with her usual level of quality.  We had planned for a nice day down at the lake, and I was getting some things ready for our lunch, when suddenly a wind blew through my library.  At first I chalked it up to an open window, but none of the windows happened to be open at the time.  The wind began to increase, with sparks appearing in the air.  Surprised, I dropped whatever I had been holding at the time, and stared in disbelief.  It was the same effect that occurred when I had used the time-traveling spell, but this time, it appeared to be much more substantial.  I stared into the center of the library, waiting for another visit from my future self, but what appeared next shocked me to my very core.

Materializing in the midst of the sparks and whirlwinds, a blue unicorn appeared, dressed in what appeared to be a long dress and cloak, blue and white striped mane flying in the wind.  After she finished materializing, she glanced around in disbelief before her eyes fell on me, and the shock to her system was apparent on her astonished face.  She stumbled back into my table, then fell over, reaching clumsily behind her to break her fall.  Her eyes fell upon her own hooves, and they grew even wider, if that was possible.  Staring down at her forelegs and hooves with astonishment, she looked around the room once more as I studied her, recognizing her form almost immediately.

“Trixie!” I exclaimed, impressed despite myself.  “What are you doing here?  How did you manage to get that spell to work?  I never realized how much talent you really had!”

Trixie looked up at me, mouth agape, then closed it before attempting to stand back up.  She moved like a newborn foal, unsure of where to put her legs, overstepping more than once before she managed to get herself upright.  It was then that I was able to study her more closely, and what I noticed surprised me greatly.  She looked haggard and worn, as if she had been through a great ordeal, and her clothing matched her overall appearance.  Her dress was ripped and torn in places, and appeared to have been patched more than once.  Her cloak was a rough cut, and looked as though it had been continuously exposed to the elements.  

Finally managing to stand, she looked as though she was about to speak, but then began turning this way and that, as if looking for something.  Concerned, I offered to help her.  “What are you looking for, Trixie?”

She continued searching for a moment before muttering, “Where is it?  Where is it?”  Her voice, usually airy and superior, was full of worry.

“Where is what?”

“My staff!” she cried.  “I can’t do my magic without my staff!”

I was confused at this.  What unicorn needs a staff to do magic?  “Umm, Trixie?  What about your horn?”  Her horn was right where it was supposed to be, on her forehead.

She stopped at this, then reached up and felt her forehead, hooves bumping against the solid horn there, the source of a unicorn’s powers.  She sighed with relief and began to relax.  “I’m sorry,” she replied.  “I’m just not used to this body.  As long as I have my magic, I’ll be all right.”  She gestured around the room, including me in her sweep.  “I knew this would be a different world, but I didn’t think it would be this different.”

Now it was my turn to stare at her, mouth agape.  “What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.

She looked at me with a seriousness I had never before seen in Trixie.  “I… am not the Trixie you know,” she said with an air of apprehension.  I could tell she wasn’t sure I believed her, and she was right.  Though the Trixie I had last seen had been much more put-together, it had been a while since we had met, and I couldn’t know what she had been doing in the meantime.  “I am hoping that I’m in the presence of Twilight Sparkle?” she continued.

Surprised, I replied, “Well, of course.  You remember me, don’t you?”

She shook her head.  “The Twilight I knew is much different from you, though you share the same eyes and hair.  I am glad that it is you, for I don’t have much time to explain.  I need you to gather your five friends and bring them back here as soon as possible.  It will be easier if I explain it to all of you than to explain it multiple times.” 

As I stared at her, confused, Spike walked into the library, carrying some of the picnic items.  “Twilight, I got all the things you asked me for…”  Noticing Trixie for the first time, he jumped, and dropped some of his load.  “Whoa, when did Trixie get here?  I’m gonna need more food if you invited her.”

Trixie turned expectantly to look at the newcomer, and started violently.  “Who is this?” she demanded, stepping back.

“Umm, Twilight?” Spike asked, looking at me.  “What’s going on?”

“Trixie, it’s Spike,” I replied, concerned.  “You know, my assistant?”

She regained her composure, and replied, “Yes, Spike, of course.  I remember now.  I suppose he can hear my story as well.  But we must act quickly if I am to explain myself.  Your research had extended the spell duration for quite some time, but I still only have half a day at most.  We must not dawdle.”

I stared at her, confused, until her impatience began to show.  “Right, right, I understand.”  Turning, I spoke to Spike.  “Spike, can you go and round up everyone as soon as possible?  Maybe get Rainbow Dash to bring Fluttershy and Applejack while you get Rarity and Pinkie Pie.”

Spike saluted me, and replied, “Sure thing, Twilight!” before running out of the library as fast as his legs could carry him.  Turning, I noticed ‘Trixie’ inspecting her forelegs once more, and apparently marveling at her horn.  Feeling confused and awkward, I tried to decide what to do with this unexpected visitor, before settling on watching her and hoping she would volunteer more information.

When none was forthcoming, I decided to break the ice, hoping that Spike would be able to locate my friends quickly.  “So… what are you doing here?” I asked, somewhat lamely.

She looked at me, hesitant to speak, and then offered a response.  “I need your help.   Desperately.  My world is suffering, and you and your friends are the only ones who can save us.”  She saw my look of further confusion, but refused to elaborate more.  “It will be easier if I can tell all of you my story at once.  Please bear with me until then.”

I nodded, then thinking she looked like she had been through quite an ordeal, began casting around for something to offer her.  “Would you like some food?”

She nodded, gratefully, and I reached out with my magic and grabbed some of the food that Spike had prepared earlier for our picnic.  Floating it over to her, she studied both it and my magic carefully, as if expecting something unpleasant.  After appearing satisfied that there was nothing to worry about, she attempted to pick up the food with her forelegs, knocking it onto the floor.  Looking up at me in shame, I merely smiled and proceeded to clean up the mess.  Placing the food more at head height, she got the idea and bent her head to begin eating.  

After she had finished most of her food, the door opened, and Rainbow Dash came in, followed by Fluttershy and Applejack, who was looking rather cross.  “Twilight, Ah know you’re excited for the picnic, but come on!” she complained in her distinctive accent.  “Ah was in the middle of chores when Rainbow Dash here swooped in and said we had to skedaddle over here as soon as possible.”  Her eyes landed on Trixie, who was now attempting to drink from her cup with moderate success, and she stopped in her tracks.  “Now what in tarnation is she doing here?”

Trixie’s eyes lit up at the sound of Applejack’s voice, and she dropped her cup, the drink spilling out onto the floor as she turned to look at the new comers.  Her face fell slightly as she realized that only three of my friends had arrived, but she seemed heartened by their appearance.  I spoke up.  “Trixie’s here because she has something very important to tell us, and only has a short time to do it.  We’re waiting for the others to get here before she starts her story.”

Applejack continued to look grumpy, but seemed to accept that.  Fluttershy, however, looked anxious.  “Something important?  Are you sure you need us?”

Trixie nodded.  “You six are the only ones I can think of now.  You’re truly my last hope.”

As the other three gaped at her, the door opened again, and Spike came back, followed by Rarity and a bouncing Pinkie Pie.  As soon as the others saw Trixie, their astonishment was obvious, with Rarity responding in a typical fashion.  “Trixie, dear, whatever happened to your outfit?  You look horrible!”

Trixie smiled a very tired-looking smile.  “It’s nice to know that some things never change, regardless of where I am.”  She proceeded to lift her cloak, showing off her dress.  “You made this for me, long ago.  I’ve done my best to keep it intact, but I’m no seamstress.”

“I?” Rarity replied.  “I’ve never made anything for you that I can recall.”

Trixie shook her head.  “It will make more sense when I finish explaining everything.  I’m glad you all came quickly.  My time here is running short, and there is much to explain.”

My friends all looked at each other, confused.  “What are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Trixie bowed her head for a moment, apparently collecting her thoughts.  When she looked at us once more, there was a determined look on her face, something I had never before seen on her.  Then she spoke, and we heard one of the most incredible things I had ever heard before, or even considered.

“As I told Twilight before, I am not the Trixie you know.  I am the Trixie from another world.”

We all gasped, surprised.  This was definitely not what we expected to hear.  She pressed on, determined to speak as quickly and precisely as possible.  “I came here to beg for your help.  My world has been beset by – no, destroyed by – a force beyond our control.  We have tried our best to resist him, but everything we’ve done has failed.  He has destroyed all forms of resistance, and put horrible beings in charge of our world, who continually inflict pain and suffering on the good people of our world.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” interrupted Applejack.  “Who’s this ‘he’ you’re going on about?”

“Discord,” Trixie replied.  “He has taken over our world with his horrible powers, and turned it into an oppressed wasteland.”

“Discord!” I replied.  “But, we took care of him a while ago.  He’s been turned to stone once more, and can’t hurt anyone!”

“That was here, in your world,” Trixie said, sadly.  “Unfortunately, in our world, your attempt didn’t work.”

“But what about the elements of Harmony?  Why didn’t they work?”

Trixie hesitated, then replied, “The elements don’t work if the ones they are bonded to are dead.”

She paused for a moment, a weight settling on her shoulders, and her meaning sank in to us all.  “D-dead?” stammered Fluttershy, hunkering down.  “H-how?”

“Discord killed you all in my world.  There is no one there who is able to use the elements, as Discord killed them during your attempt upon his life.  As I understand it, he took the elements and gave them to his most powerful servants to keep watch over them.”

“But whatever can we do, dear?” asked Rarity.

Trixie paused for a moment, and appeared to be gathering her courage.  She finally spoke, saying, “I would like to take you back to my world with me.  I believe that since you have defeated Discord in your past, you can defeat him in my world.”

We all stood, stunned at her request.  “How?” I asked.  “How can you take us to your world?  For that matter, how did you get here in the first place?”

“You,” Trixie said simply.  “It was you and your research into that time spell that allowed me to come here.  You spent much time trying to modify that time spell you found years before, trying to go back far enough to stop Discord’s rise to power, but you were never able to extend it beyond a few hours’ time.  However, shortly before being killed, you and I had managed to get the spell to extend to other worlds as well.  This is how I found you.  This is my last hope.”

“But how can that get us to your world?”

“I can take you back with me when the spell ends.  I believe we have one hour left before I will be pulled back into my world.  I hope to bring you with me once that happens.”

Rainbow Dash gave a rather arrogant smile, and waved her hoof dismissively.  “No problem.  We’ll just grab our elements, go back with you, and take out Discord.  We’ll be back in time for dinner!”

Trixie shook her head.  “I wish it were that easy.  The problem is that the elements only work in the world that they originated in.  Your elements will be as rocks if you were to bring them to my world.  You need to get the elements in my world and use them.”

“How would we get back?” I asked, concerned.

Trixie looked away slightly.  “I should be able to bring you back when you’re done.  I believe that since you’re native to this world, the spell shouldn’t bring you back to my world.”

“Are you sure?” asked Applejack.

Trixie lifted her head, looking determined.  “As certain as I can be,” she replied.

A silence fell as we all ruminated on the information.  After a minute, I asked, “Can we discuss this?  You’re asking an awful lot of us.”

Trixie looked hopeful.  “Yes, I will give you some time. Please remember, I have less than an hour before the spell will pull me back to my world.”

I nodded.  Turning to my friends, I beckoned them to the other side of the library.   They all crowded around me, including Spike.  “Well?  What do you think?” I asked.

Rarity spoke first.  “I’m not certain about this, Twilight.  Are we certain we can be of any assistance?  It sounds like it’s truly a nasty world she’s from.”

“Ah dunno about this, Twi,” Applejack spoke up.  “Ah mean, we’ve been through a lot of crazy things, but this sounds truly crazy.  How do we know this isn’t just Trixie trying to pull one over on us?”

I shook my head.  “I saw her arrive, Applejack.  It looked just like when I visited myself in the past.  That same light, the same whirlwind, and she has already been here much longer than I was when I cast the spell.  Besides, her story rings true to me.”

“Well, I’m with you on this one, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash spoke up.  “I’m ready to sock Discord in the face once more.  She sounds like she really needs help.”

Fluttershy moved a little closer to Rainbow Dash, huddling in her shadow.  “R-really?  I don’t know if this is a good idea…”  She shuddered a little.  “Discord was really… scary.”

“Yes, that’s true, he was truly a horrible person,” Rarity replied, contemplating.  “Maybe we do need to help her.  I can’t stomach the idea of letting Discord run free anywhere.”

“But what about our duties here?” interjected Applejack.  “Ah’ve got stuff to do on the farm.  Big Mac and Applebloom can’t handle everything by themselves.  We’re also the only ones who can use the elements of Harmony here.  Who’s gonna help Equestria if something happens?”

Pinkie Pie, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up.  “I think we should do it, guys.”

We all jumped slightly, and turned to look at her.  She looked unusually serious.  “Why’s that, Pinkie?” I asked.

She looked at us as if we had completely missed the point.  “Well, duh, it’s obvious, isn’t it?  Her world is so sad, we need to do something to make them happy.  She looks like she could really use a laugh, but there’s nothing for her to laugh at.”

Rainbow Dash nodded vigorously.  “She’s right, you guys.  We need to help her.  I think we can do it.”

I nodded.  “I agree.  I think that there is much we can do.  Besides, I’ve been studying lots of spells that might be useful during this quest.”

Rarity nodded as well.  “I’m with you, then.”

Applejack looked disappointed, but eventually nodded.  “All right.  If you’re going, Ah can’t let you go by yourself.  Ah’ll go too.”

We all turned to look at Fluttershy, who huddled further into Rainbow Dash’s shadow.  “Well, Fluttershy?” I asked.  

She huddled there for a minute, shuddering, then finally sighed, looked up, and quietly said, “All right.  I’ll go.”

I smiled.  “Thanks, Fluttershy.  I’m sure you’ll be a big help.”  We all turned to Trixie, and I approached her.  “We’ll do it,” I announced.

Relief flooded her face.  “Thank you so much.  You don’t know how much this means to me.”  She glanced at the clock on my wall.  “We have roughly half an hour before the spell ends.  Now, by that time, I’ll need you all to hold on to me, and I will bring you back to my world.  If there’s anything you need to do right now that you can get done quickly, now is the time to do it.”

Applejack looked at me, troubled.  “We should at least leave a note or something for everyone.”

I nodded.  “I agree.  Let’s write one quick.  Spike?”

Spike grabbed some paper and a quill, and we dictated a note to be left behind, explaining what was going on and hopefully when we’d be back.  Trixie watched us during this, wistful and somewhat closed-faced.  At the time, I thought it was just because she missed her old friends, but now, after all we’ve been through, I think it was because she truly had no idea whether we would come home or not.

After we were done, Trixie motioned us over.  “It’s almost time to go.  I believe that there are only a few minutes left.  Please everyone, take ahold of me.  Once the spell ends, we will be pulled back to my world.”

We all huddled against her, holding on as best we could.  Spike appeared to be waffling for a minute, then after pinning the note to the table, rushed over and grabbed on to me.  I smiled, thinking he was just giving me a farewell hug, but he continued to hold on, even as the whirlwind from before started up, and light began to surround us all, including Spike.  “Spike!” I cried.  “Let go, or you’ll be pulled in with us!”

He shook his head, and cried over the sound of the wind, “I’m not letting you go by yourself!  You know you’ll need me to help you!”

“Spike!” I yelled.  “Don’t do this!”  But at that time, I was too late, as the whirlwind picked up speed, the light fully enveloped us, and everything went white.
> Chapter 2: An Arrival and a Farewell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The first thing I noticed as I woke to my friends groaning was the cold as a chill breeze blew across my skin.  The second thing I noticed was that my fur was gone, and that there was nothing protecting my now-bare skin from the breeze.  Opening my eyes, it took me a moment to realize that I wasn't blind, and that it was dark outside.  Pushing myself up, it took me another moment to realize that my limbs were not what I was used to, and immediately dropped back to the ground, hitting my head on a rock.  “Ouch!” I cried.

“Twilight?”  It was Trixie’s voice, calling to me from the dark.  I raised my front limbs, marveling at the appendages in front of me.  After some inspection, I determined that I could use these arms and hands to push myself up, and after a few false starts, managed to push myself up onto my knees.  Looking around, I noticed Trixie, but definitely not the Trixie I was used to.

She was standing tall on her legs, dressed in the same clothing as I saw her before, however it appeared to fit her much better than I had originally thought.  Her blue and white striped hair flowed down her back, and she was carrying a staff topped with a crystal that looked very much like her horn when she was a unicorn.  Noticing this, I immediately brought my hands to my forehead, feeling for my horn, which appeared to be missing.  Casting around in a panic, I noticed a violet crystal in the shape of a horn lying in the dirt next to me.  Grabbing it, I immediately felt the presence of my magic.

Trixie noticed my searches, and smiled slightly, my confusion at my new form similar to hers upon entering my world.  “That crystal will be the source of your magic from now on.  If you don’t have your crystal at hand, you won’t be able to use magic at all.”

Looking up at her in astonishment, I noticed my companions lying nearby, groaning as they too managed to work themselves into a standing or kneeling position.  The differences between this world and our world were astonishing.  Applejack appeared tall and muscular, her long blonde hair flowing down her back in her usual ponytail, her ever-present hat on her head.  She stood taller than Trixie, inspecting her hands with an amazed look on her face, and looking down at herself, feeling her new body.  Rainbow Dash was on her knees, her short hair still rainbow-colored, looking over at Fluttershy with confusion.  Fluttershy herself was standing as well, looking graceful and at ease with her new form, her light pink hair reaching nearly to the back of her knees, inspecting herself in a way similar to Applejack.  Rarity and Pinkie Pie were sitting next to each other, Pinkie Pie’s curly pink hair bouncing as she turned her head this way and that, trying to see everything at once while checking herself out.  Rarity was sitting in shock, her purple hair reaching halfway down her back, staring down at a white crystal in her hand similar to mine.  Finally, Spike was lying on the ground next to me, staring up at me in astonishment; his head was covered in short spiky green hair.

Trixie gave us an appropriate amount of time to get used to our new forms, scanning our surroundings all the while.  She appeared tense, as if expecting something or someone to come out of nowhere.  After a few more minutes, her anxiety growing even more, she called us all together.  “We need to get moving.  The longer we stay out here, the more likely we are to be found by Discord’s minions.”

“Where are we?” marveled Applejack.  She was staring out into the darkness, trying to make sense of our surroundings.  For the first time, I looked around.  The area around us appeared desolate, dead and dying trees dotting the landscape, and broken down buildings visible in the distance.  We were sheltered somewhat by a small hill, but other than that, there wasn’t much to see.

“We’re just outside the old village of Equs.  We have a small base within the ruins, which we’re pretty sure Discord doesn’t know about.  If we head to the old library, we’ll be able to get into the underground base.  Big Mac should be able to help us.  We’ll be able to get you all some clothes and something to eat.”  She turned and gestured towards the buildings, indicating our destination.

We had all managed to get to our unsteady feet, Rarity and I clutching our crystals, and had just started to follow Trixie when what sounded like an explosion came from behind us, and Trixie let out a scream of agony, lurching forward as if struck by an invisible force.  I immediately rushed forward to help her and found her clutching her shoulder, blood leaking out onto her clothing.  Fluttershy let out a scream of fright, cowering down behind Rainbow Dash, who was looking around for the source of the explosion, as was Applejack.  Rarity and Pinkie Pie had come up behind me to see what was wrong with Trixie, their faces set in shocked expressions.  At that moment, we heard a voice behind us, a voice we were all very familiar with.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?  I see a few rats have come scurrying out to play.”

I kept my hand on Trixie’s shoulder as we all turned to see a tall man standing at the top of the hill we had just left the shadow of.  He was dressed in what appeared to be a pin-striped suit, with a deep red cloak covering his shoulders, a wide-brimmed hat on his head.  Even in the darkness he appeared to be wearing sunglasses.  He was surrounded by four other men, each of whom was armed with a rifle, one of which was smoking from the recent shot that had left Trixie writhing in agony.

The man looked down upon our little gathering, and his bearded face appeared to light up.  “Oh, Trixie, my dear, I thought I’d never be able to find you!  I’ve been trying to give you an invitation to one of my parties for months, but you’ve been so elusive.”  His voice took on a note of false hurt.  “It’s almost as if you didn’t want to come see me.  How sad.”  An evil smile formed on his face, and he began to stride down the hill, followed by his men.  As he moved, the hill itself formed into a series of steps, giving him an easier descent.  When he reached the bottom, he turned his eyes on us, inspecting each of us to a point where we all began to feel uncomfortable.  It was that point that he took off his sunglasses, and revealed the yellow and red eyes that we were all familiar with.

“Discord,” snarled Applejack.  “What are you doing here?”

He turned his gaze on her, appearing hurt.  “Why, Applejack, my dear, you wound me!  Why shouldn’t the ruler of the world be able to go wherever he chooses, especially when he’s trying to hunt down an errant misfit?”

The shock at him addressing Applejack by name must have been apparent on my face, for he looked at me with a knowing smirk.  “Oh, don’t be surprised, Twilight Sparkle.  Of course I know who you are.  One tends not to forget the group of women that one brutally killed a few months back.  You haven’t been brought here to stop me, have you?”

Trixie looked up at him, murder in her eyes mixed with the pain from her shoulder.  “They will stop you, you bastard.  They already have and know how to do it again.”

Discord looked curious.  “I see.  Now, which of my many incarnations have you fought against?  Hmm…”  He glanced around, and his eyes fell on Fluttershy.  “A simple touch should do it,” he said.  With that, he vanished suddenly, appearing next to the cowering Fluttershy.  He proceeded to grab her by the neck, knocking Rainbow Dash to the ground, and lifted Fluttershy into the air with one hand.   He drew her towards her and his gaze bored into hers, even as she struggled fruitlessly against his iron grip.  He finally released her as her face was begging to turn blue, and she landed hard on the ground, coughing and trying to catch her breath.  His arrogance plain to see, he scoffed at us.  “Ah, the draconequus.  Well, he always was a bit of a softie.  I am nothing like he was, ladies, so you’d best remember that.  I’ve already killed you once, and I can do it again very easily.”

Turning, he moved over to Trixie, watching curiously as she tried to struggle against the pain while backing away from him, a look of fury and determination on her face.  He stopped short of her, looking disappointed.  “Ah, Trixie, and here I thought you’d be happy if you were able to bring someone else to try and kill me, even if you know you won’t be able to bring them home again.”

We all looked at her as one, astonished.  “Trixie?” I asked.  “Is that true?”

Trixie shook her head, glaring at Discord.  “It’s not.  I can bring you home, once we get rid of him.”  She spat in his face, and continued, “I know your tricks, you slime.  Every chance you get, you try to drive a wedge between people.  That’s how you killed them before.  It won’t work this time, though.  They’ve been through your garbage already, and know what to expect.”

Discord looked angry for a brief moment, then regained his composure as he drew out a small handkerchief, and proceeded to wipe his face.  He turned away from her, and began to move between us all, hands behind his back.  “Ah, Trixie, I thought that perhaps someday you and I could become friends, much like your princess and I.  But alas, it seems that it is not to be.”  He glanced behind himself at her, yellow eyes glowing slightly in the darkness.  “It seems that since I have you here, I must do something about you.  Now, what should that be…?”  He struck a thoughtful pose, tapping his chin.

As he was doing that, I noticed Trixie was gripping her staff tightly, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.  Light was beginning to emanate from the crystal at the tip, and a moment later, a blast of flame emerged from her crystal, aimed straight at Discord.  He was engulfed immediately, and Trixie slumped, leaning on her staff, triumph in her eyes.  “I’ve… been saving… that for you, you… bastard,” she gasped, breathing heavily.  “I… hope it hurts…  That’s for my friends…”

A flicker behind her and her words were cut off by a grunt, as she looked down at herself in disbelief.  A sword was protruding from her midsection, and as she watched, Discord slowly withdrew it, blood flowing freely from her stomach.  She simply dropped to her knees, despair plain on her face, as we all watched in horror.  Her staff clattered to the ground, and there was another flicker as Discord’s boot landed on the crystal, shattering it to pieces.  Trixie looked up, tears streaming from her eyes, right into the barrel of Discord’s gun.  An untouched Discord spoke in an offhand voice, saying, “I told you that you wouldn’t be able to bring them home.”  A second later, he fired point-blank into her head with a sound of finality.

I became aware of a screaming sound as I watched Trixie’s body fly backwards from the force of the blast, blood flying from the wound in her head.  It wasn’t until I realized that I was clutching my cheeks so hard I was cutting into them that I realized that I was the one screaming.  Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were just staring, Fluttershy was crying uncontrollably, and Pinkie Pie was furious.  As I screamed, my voice growing raw, I noticed suddenly that Pinkie Pie was no longer where I had seen her before.  Suddenly, one of the men who had been hanging back watching was lying on the ground, apparently dead, a knife in his throat.  Pinkie was standing in his place, holding his rifle, and she proceeded to put a bullet into the heads of each of the other three before they were able to react.  

Before I was able to register my astonishment at this, Pinkie had vanished again and reappeared right behind Discord, gun pointed directly at his head.  Discord was watching her, head turned completely around and smiling confidently, nodding as if he had expected the sudden turn of events.  “Ah, Pinkie Pie, your surprise parties never cease to amaze me.  It’s almost as if your talent was made to kill people from the shadows.”

Pinkie, who was glaring at him, breathing heavily, suddenly looked down at the gun in her hand.  Her expression was one of surprise as she saw what she was holding, and she nearly dropped the gun as she flinched away.  Discord merely laughed, spinning the rest of his body around to face her.  “What’s the matter, Pinkie Pie?  Afraid of your new party cannon?”  His fist suddenly shot out and connected with her cheek, sending her sprawling on the ground.  He leered down at her as she lay there, and made as if to advance upon her.  Immediately, Applejack moved between the two of them, her fists raised.

“You get away from her,” she demanded, and she stepped forward quickly, letting loose with a right hook that caught Discord on the jaw.  His head snapped to the side, and proceeded to spin completely around, yellow and red eyes alight.  He laughed maniacally, and said, “My, my, I’d forgotten how much fun you all can be.”  Stepping back, he paused thoughtfully.  “You know what, I think we’ll have another game.  I’ll let you go, and we’ll see who survives this game.  The six of you against me.  If you can get to me with your precious elements of Harmony, then you win.”

“And if we can’t?” I asked.

He suddenly vanished, and I jumped as I heard his voice right behind me.  “Well, then,” he said smoothly, as I felt his hand caressing my cheek.  “You’ll be dead.”  With that, he vanished once more, and his voice echoed into the darkness as he left us in the clearing, surrounded by carnage.
> Interlude 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight was startled out of her reverie by Spike’s voice behind her.  “Twilight?  When did you get back?”

She looked up from her writing. Spike was sitting up on the bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning.  As looked closer at her, she noticed Spike’s expression change to one of concern.  “Twilight?  Are you ok?  You’re crying!”

Twilight put down her quill and felt her face.  She was indeed crying, and had been unaware of it.  Wiping her eyes with a handkerchief, she smiled at Spike and replied, “Yes, I’m fine.”  Taking a deep breath, she continued.  “I- I’m just writing our story.  Right now I’m writing about what happened to Trixie.”

Spike came over to where she was sitting and gave her a comforting hug.  Though they loved each other greatly, they always had thought of each other as a brother and sister.  Twilight was glad for his comfort, since the emotions that welled up in her every time she thought about the friends they had lost were often too much to bear.  “I know, Twilight.  That was a hard night.”  He looked down at her, and she marveled just how much taller he had gotten after arriving in this world.  She was used to looking down at him as a baby dragon, but here, he was a much taller young man. 

She smiled up at him.  “Thanks, Spike.  I appreciate your concern.”

He smiled back.  “Listen, I’ve gotta run out for a little bit.  I need to get a few things.  Are you gonna be ok?  Do you need anything before I leave?”

She shook her head.  “I’ll be fine, Spike.  Thanks again.”

He squeezed her shoulder gently, and headed for the door.  She watched him go until he had closed the door behind him.  Turning back to her desk, she steeled herself once more and dove back into her story.

> Chapter 3: Underground Revelations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We sat in that clearing for a while after that, taking stock of what happened.  

The shock of suddenly arriving in this foreign place and just as suddenly losing our guide in such a brutal manner was difficult to bear, especially for Fluttershy, who was still sitting there, crying uncontrollably.  Rainbow Dash had scavenged the cloaks from the dead guardsmen, and after Rarity used her magic to repair the holes and clean out some of the blood, had draped one of them across both herself and Fluttershy in an attempt to comfort her.  Fluttershy had responded by flinging herself into Rainbow’s arms and gripping her tightly.  The two of them sat there, Rainbow Dash looking slightly uncomfortable, but willing to put up with our friend’s distress.

Rarity, Applejack, Spike, and Pinkie Pie were sitting in a circle.  Pinkie was inspecting her new gun, and Applejack had retrieved the rest of the weapons off the guardsmen.  They too were draped in the remaining cloaks, Rarity having cut one into portions and fashioned a smaller one for Spike, and appeared to be deep in discussion about something.

I was kneeling next to the body of Trixie.  She was lying in the dirt, a bullet wound in her forehead, silent and staring.  I reached over and closed her sightless blue eyes, brushing her blue and white striped hair away from her still face.  “I’m sorry,” I murmured, grief welling up in me.  “I wasn’t able to keep you safe.”  I leaned back slightly, and my hand brushed her staff, which was lying on the ground, crystal shattered and scattered around.

I picked up her staff, inspecting it.  It was a long piece of what appeared to be polished oak, graceful designs carved into the entirety.  The only exception was where Trixie had gripped it, which was worn smooth with years of use.  The crystal appeared to have been firmly attached with strands of wire.  Looking down at her still form, I made a decision.  Taking my crystal, I fiddled with the wires until I was able to attach my own crystal to the end of the staff.  Gripping it where Trixie had, I tested the feel of it.  I felt the magic flow through me, and the staff began to glow with a bright purple light.

Startled, the others looked over at me.  “Twilight?  Whatever are you doing, darling?” asked Rarity.

I ignored her, gazing down at Trixie.  “Thanks,” I said, bowing slightly to her.  I looked over at Rarity.  “Rarity, do you think you could repair Trixie’s cloak?  I’d like to have it, at least until we can get some new clothing.”

Rarity looked at me with understanding in her eyes.  “Of course, dear.  Give me just a minute.”  She stood and moved over to where I was kneeling.  Using her own crystal, she was able to remove Trixie’s cloak and inspected it.  Concentrating, she repaired the two holes in the shoulder and center, and cleared away the bloodstains.  She then handed it down to me, and I fastened it around my neck before standing, staff in hand.

The others all watched me expectantly.  I looked around at them, then drew up my courage and spoke.  “Everyone, we have a job to do.  We need to find the elements of Harmony, and eliminate Discord once and for all.  If not just for us, then for Trixie, and all that she has lost.  I say we press on to the hideout she mentioned and see what we can find out about the elements and this world.”

Rainbow Dash spoke up first.  “I’m with you on that one.  We owe Discord a good smackdown for what he’s done.  Let’s do this!”

Applejack nodded as well.  “Ah think we’re all in agreement with that.  Besides,” she continued, in a more anxious voice, “Ah wanna see Big Mac again.”

I was startled at that, until I remember that before being attacked, Trixie had mentioned something about Big Mac being at the resistance hideout.  I nodded.  “Of course,” I replied.  Looking down at Fluttershy, whose eyes were red from crying, I reached out my hand, a sympathetic expression on my face.  She smiled up at me, and took my hand, letting go of Rainbow Dash.  I noticed as she stood that her neck was red and raw from where Discord had grabbed her earlier, and wondered not for the first time if she was going to survive in this new world.  She was also starting to shiver from the cool night air, which reminded us all of our current clothing situation.

After we all got to our feet, I paused for a moment, then concentrating, used my magic to lift Trixie’s body into the air behind us.  The others watched in silence, understanding on their faces as she floated along with us.  We moved quickly through the remains of the forest, heading into the ruined buildings Trixie had identified as the remains of the town of Equs.  As we entered the town, I was struck by the similarities to our home town of Ponyville.  The streets were set up in a similar fashion, even including some of the same stores in the same locations as back home.  We even passed what appeared to be a copy of Rarity’s dress shop, and the road that back home would have led out of town to Sweet Apple Acres was in the same location.

The others noticed this as well, and even commented on it.  “Hey, that’s where Sugarcube Corners is!” cried Pinkie Pie, a smile on her face as we approached the festively-decorated building.  The smile froze and began to crack slightly as we got close enough to see that the door was hanging off its hinges, and all of the windows were broken or missing.  What would have been the store’s sign was swinging in the chill wind, hanging from one loop.  She gazed sadly at the place of so much happiness where she had grown so much over the years.

Rainbow Dash, who had been watching around us, pointed into the distance.  “Hey, that looks like the library.”  We all turned and looked in the direction she was pointing, noting a large tree that overshadowed the buildings around it.  Feeling suddenly homesick, I began to rush towards it; Trixie’s floating body being carried behind me by my magic.  The others followed quickly, and we all rounded a corner at the same time to see what I thought would be my old home.

It wasn’t what I thought it would be.  Instead of being a large tree filled with inviting windows and a doorway, the tree was merely a tree.  However, it stood next to a large building that appeared as run-down as the rest of the town, but still held an air of familiarity to it.  There was also a feeling that the building’s appearance wasn’t what it seemed, and as we approached, I noticed that more of the windows appeared to be intact than in any other building we had encountered in the town, and the door appeared to be solidly hung and in remarkable condition.

We walked up to the door with some trepidation, all of us pulling our cloaks closer around us in some fashion, with the exception of Rainbow Dash, who had left the cloak to Fluttershy.  As we approached, I floated Trixie’s body towards me and took it into my arms.  It didn’t feel right just having her floating around like that as we went inside.  Her weight settled on me as Applejack reached the door and pulled it open.  

We all moved into the library and looked around.  The darkened room looked much like the rest of the town, shelves falling apart, moldy books strewn about the area.  Some destroyed furniture was lying about as well, chairs and couches interspersed among the shelving.  It looked as if when it was a fully functioning library, it would have been a very inviting place.

As we inspected the area, I heard a small sound behind me.  Turning around, I moved into the corner of the room, still carrying Trixie’s body, and started inspecting the area.  “Twilight?” called Applejack.  “What’re you doing?”

“I thought I heard something…” As I approached the area where I heard the sound, I noticed that one of the shelves that had been on the wall appeared to have moved slightly.  It looked like there was a drag trail in the dust on the floor.  I kneeled down slightly, inspecting the floor, and suddenly heard a click behind me, and felt the pressure of hard metal on the back of my head.  I froze, and heard a familiar deep voice behind me.  “Who’re you and what the hell are you doing here?” 

As I knelt there, unsure of what to do next, I heard Applejack’s voice call out.  “Big Mac!  That’s Twilight, let her up!”

The pressure let up from my head, and I slowly stood and turned around to look at whoever was standing behind me.  I found myself looking up at a large man with orange hair, dressed in a work shirt and overalls, holding a large handgun that was now pointed at the ceiling.  He was looking down at me in shocked surprise, turning his head this way and that, taking in me, Trixie’s body, and the rest of us in sequence.  His eyes alighted on Applejack, and he dropped the gun, rushing over and folding her into a bear hug, lifting her off the floor.  “AJ?” he said, tears forming in his eyes.  “Is that really you?  Ah thought you were dead!”

Applejack gasped from the force of his hug, and when he finally put her down, she shook her head.  “As much as Ah’d like to say Ah am, Ah’m not.”  When he looked confused, she continued.  “Ah’m not the AJ you know, Big Mac.  Trixie brought us here from another world.”

He continued to look confused, until he looked closer at whom I was carrying.  Shock covered his face as he registered who the body was, followed by sadness.  “Trixie…” he said, forlornly.  He shook his head sadly, then looked around at us once more.  He appeared to be thinking about something, and nodded as if making a decision.  He beckoned to us all, and led us to the shelf that I had been inspecting a minute ago.  Grabbing the shelf with one hand, he pulled it back on hidden hinges, opening a passageway which led down into the ground.  “This way,” he said curtly, and started down the stairs there.

We followed, not knowing what else to do, and Rainbow Dash pulled it shut behind her with ease.  Big Mac paused for a moment, surprise flitting across his face, but continued down the stairway, which opened up into a large underground chamber with multiple doorways.  As Big Mac entered the room, a woman who had been standing over a table in the center of the room looked up.  She had a light purple sweater on, which coordinated with her purple striped hair, and jeans along with thick leather boots.  “Mac, dear, what happened?  Who did you…?”  She trailed off as the rest of us filed into the room, naked except for our cloaks, looking exhausted and bedraggled.   Her hands flew up to her mouth, and she gasped.  “Oh, my God.  But – but, you’re dead!  You’re all dead!”

Big Mac nodded, and gestured to me and my burden.  “Trixie,” was all he said.

The woman looked down at Trixie’s body, shocked and saddened.  “So she was successful.  She must have been so proud of herself at the end.  What happened to her?”

I told her everything that happened, starting with her showing up in our world, and the incident with Discord.  Big Mac had moved to stand next to her, his arm around her shoulders as they listened to our tale.  Their expressions grew more and more serious as I spoke, and when I finished, they looked at each other knowingly.  The woman spoke first, shaking her head.  “She had grown so much during the last few years, what with the war against Discord and his forces.  She was such an experienced battlemage, and was always on the alert.  Discord was never able to find her, no matter how much he searched.  I guess she was so elated that she was able to bring you back to us that she let her guard down just long enough.”

“Discord did say he had been looking for her for a long time,” I replied.  “I’m sorry, you are…?”

“Oh, I apologize,” she replied.  “I understand that you might not recognize me.  I’m Cheerilee, Mac’s wife.”

“Cheerilee?” replied Rarity.  Then she giggled slightly.  “I remember when my sister and her friends tried to get the two of you together with a love potion.  It looks like it might have worked here.”

Cheerilee giggled as well.  “Yes, I remember that as well.  Oddly enough, it was that afternoon after the potion wore off that we were able to spend enough time together to realize just how much we did care about each other.  We got married a few months later.  You made my lovely dress, and Applejack was my maid of honor.”

Mac gave her a hug, looking down at her lovingly.  She looked back, smiling, then turned back to us, serious once more.  “Now, since you are here, I’m assuming Trixie told you where we were located?”

I nodded.  “It was one of the last things she told us before Discord arrived.  I don’t think he heard her, but I could be wrong.”

She and Mac looked at each other, and they both nodded.  Mac let go of her, and moved off through one of the doorways.  Cheerilee watched him go.  “He’s going to warn the others.  We may have to move quickly if Discord does know where we are.”

I nodded, then felt myself get weak from the strain of carrying Trixie’s body.  Swaying slightly, I asked, “Is there someplace I can lay her?”

Cheerilee started, and replied, “Oh, of course.  I’m so sorry.  Please, bring her over here.”  She gestured to a small table against the wall in the back.  I moved over to where she indicated, and gently lay Trixie’s body down on the wood.  Standing up, I rested on my newly-acquired staff, a feeling of exhaustion coming over me.  I saw from the expression on my friend’s faces that I wasn’t the only one feeling like we’d been through on ordeal.  Cheerilee took in our appearances, and moved over to one of the other openings. “Come with me, please,” she said, “We need to get you some clothing before you all freeze.”

As we followed her along into a small passageway, she continued speaking.  “I’m so sorry that I didn’t think of this sooner.  I’m still reeling from what’s happened.  We’ve both lost and gained a great asset today, and I’m not the only one who’s having a hard time with it.”

Applejack, who had been silent since meeting Big Mac, murmured just loud enough for me to hear, “That’s true.”  I glanced behind me, and noticed the expression on her face.  It was a combination of fear, frustration, and confusion.  I understood immediately what was going on.  Meeting another Big Mac and having to dash his hopes so quickly must have been hard on her.  At the same time, he was her brother, and she wanted to make him happy, even if it wasn’t the Big Mac she knew.  

We continued in silence for a short distance, until we entered a large room.  There were a few wardrobes against the wall, some sewing supplies on the other, a bed against the back, and a workstation.  Rarity immediately hurried over to the wardrobes, opening them and began inspecting the clothing inside.  Glancing over at the sewing supplies, her eyes grew wide.  “Why, I recognize those supplies!  They look just like mine!  That’s my sewing machine; I even see the nick in it where it was dropped a while back.”

Cheerilee looked over at her, taken aback.  “That… makes sense, in an odd way.  This was your – I mean, our Rarity’s room, until she died a year ago.  We’ve kept it as it was for the most part, since we still need to repair clothing, though none of us are as good as you ever were.”

Rarity let out a squeal of delight.  She immediately fell back into her old personality, grabbing clothing from the wardrobes, and one by one, pulled us all further into the room.  Cheerilee smiled warmly, and backed out of the room.  “I’ll just wait for you to finish getting ready.  Come back to our meeting room when you’re done.”

I nodded, and barely had time to offer a thanks before Rarity grabbed me and pulled me closer to her, tape measure at the ready.  “Now, I’m not as familiar with our measurements here as I am at home, and these” - she gestured to my breasts – “are going to take some getting used to, especially Applejack’s and Fluttershy’s.”  She looked pointedly over at Fluttershy, who covered her ample chest modestly with her cloak, blushing.  “So if you could all be so kind as to be patient while I take everyone’s measurements, I should be able to find some outfits for us without any trouble.  However, first thing’s first.  Twilight, I can tell you’re comfortable with your staff, but I would rather have something a little more fashionable.”  She began poking around in the sewing materials for a moment, before exclaiming, “Aha!”

She pulled out a length of silver chain, and holding her crystal, focused on it, a look of concentration on her face.  As her crystal glowed, the chain wrapped itself around in in a secure crisscross pattern as she deftly moved her fingers away from the chain, always keeping a hand on the crystal.  Soon enough, the chain sealed itself together, and she was fastening the clasp of her new necklace behind her neck.  “That’s better,” she nodded, satisfied.  Turning to the rest of us, she began appraising us up.  “All right, let’s get started.  Rainbow Dash, come here, please.”

With that, the next hour passed in a blur of clothing, magic, and flying sewing supplies.  Finally, everyone was dressed in well-fitting simple clothing, even Spike, who Rarity had to trim down a few items from the wardrobes in order to fit him.  I admired Rarity’s control of her magic using her crystal necklace, but still felt that Trixie’s staff was more my style.  I’ve often thought lately that if I had chosen to wear my crystal like Rarity, I would have been able to save at least one of my friends, but I have to crush those thoughts before they get the best of me, otherwise I’d go crazy.

Feeling refreshed and more presentable, we all trooped back into the meeting room, to see Cheerilee together with Big Mac once more, both bending over the same table we had seen her at when we arrived.  “We’re done,” I announced as they both looked up at the sound of us entering the room.  Big Mac’s eyes traveled over us to rest on Applejack, who had retained most of the weapons we had taken from Discord’s men, where they paused for a moment.  As she noticed him looking at her, he glanced away hurriedly, but not before I noticed the tears forming in his eyes as he took in his sister’s appearance.  Feeling a pang of guilt for bringing his dead sister seemingly back to life, I attempted to sway his attention by focusing on the task at hand.  “Is everyone prepared to move if need be?” I asked.

He nodded, still looking away from us, but appeared to master his emotions enough to speak, albeit in a more clipped tone than what I was used to.  “They’re always ready to move.”

Cheerilee nodded in agreement.  “We’ve got possible safe houses all over the area.  We just need the incentive to move from one to the other.”

I nodded in return.  “Now, I have to ask you.  Do you have any information on where we can find the elements of Harmony?”

Cheerilee smiled.  “Straight to the point, aren’t you?  As a matter of fact, the location of the elements is well known.  Discord has made no secret of their whereabouts, almost as if he was taunting us.”

Rainbow Dash scowled.  “That sounds like him, the punk.  He’d want to make it seem like you could take them at any time, then pull the rug out from under you at the last minute.”

“Exactly,” replied Cheerilee.  “As such, we have this map of the land, each element marked out in case we felt up to such a feat.”  She gestured to the map on the table, which appeared to have colored pins sticking out of it.  I looked closer, and gasped as the familiar shape of our land appeared before me.  “I know these places!” I exclaimed.

“Really?  That makes this easier, then,” replied Cheerilee.  She pointed out the different locations, providing some warning about each.  “The closest is in the Endless Forest here.  I believe it’s the element of Loyalty, and it’s guarded by Discord’s magical timberwolves and their pack leader.”

Fluttershy jumped, and stammered, “T-t-timberwolves?”

Applejack scoffed, and twirled one of the hunting knives she had acquired.  “We’ll take ‘em down into kindling.  No problem.  Where next?”

Cheerilee pointed towards the second-closest pin, which was located in a city to the south.  “Here’s where we believe the element of Generosity is located.  This is also the home base for the Changelings and their queen.  We’ve had a hard time making headway against them due to their changeling powers.”

I groaned at the mention of the changelings, but the thought of them sparked another.  “Cheerilee?  What’s happened to my brother?”

Cheerilee flinched slightly as she was in the process of indicating the next location, and I saw Big Mac tense.  Without looking up, she replied, “We… haven’t seen him since Cadence vanished and you… died.  I’m not exactly sure where he is right now.”  Before I could inquire further, she continued pointing out the location of the elements.  “I believe there are two elements here, the elements of Laughter and Kindness.”  She indicated a location in the snowy north.  “The Crystal Empire, ruled with an iron fist by King Sombra and his Queen of Shadows.”

“That meanie?” Pinkie Pie snarled.  “Wasn’t he banished to the shadows or something?”

Cheerilee shook her head.  “When Discord was released, he brought him back as well.  They’ve worked together in cementing their grip on the lands over the years, and are often in consultation with one another.”

“Who is the Queen of Shadows?” asked Rarity.  “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of her.”

“That would be the former Princess Luna, of course” replied Cheerilee, matter-of-factly.  We all gasped, and she looked up, surprised at our reactions.  “Didn’t you banish Nightmare Moon in your world?”

I shook my head.  “No, we freed Luna from her Nightmare Moon personality.  She’s much happier now.”

It was Cheerilee’s turn to be surprised.  “Well, I wish that had happened here.  She was banished once more, after you were unable to convert her.  Discord released her at the same time as King Sombra, and established them as King and Queen of the Crystal Empire.”

I looked around at my friends, who were looking grim.  Even Pinkie Pie was having a hard time keeping a smile on her face at the news we were receiving.  Before Cheerilee could elaborate on the next element, were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of running feet, and suddenly two young voices exclaimed as one, “Pinkie Pie!”

We turned to look at the doorway that Big Mac had entered earlier to see two small children, not much older than five, running into the main room.  The two were obviously twins, though the girl had orange hair and the boy had brown.  Pinkie’s eyes lit up at the sight of the two, who promptly tackled her, knocking her to the ground in a fit of giggling.  The boy, who was hugging her in the legs, spoke up, saying, “Pinkie, we missed you!  They said you’d gone away, and we wouldn’t be able to see you again!  Can we play? Huh? Can we?”

Pinkie was looking so much like her regular self that I had a hard time telling them no.  As I hesitated, Cheerilee spoke up first, sounding like the teacher she truly was.  “Now, now, Pumpkin, Pound.  Pinkie needs to be able to breathe.”  At this, the two immediately jumped off Pinkie Pie and looked suitably abashed, though they were both fighting hard not to break into grins.  Cheerilee smiled at them.  “I need to talk to Pinkie Pie for just a little longer, ok?  Then you can play.”

They both looked disappointed.  “Ok, Ms. Cheerilee,” they chorused.  After one more tackling hug, they left Pinkie Pie giggling on the floor and ran back into the room they had left.  Cheerilee watched them go, a sad smile on her face.  “I wish their parents were still around to see them grow into such wonderful children.”

“What happened to the Cakes?” asked Pinkie, who was being helped up by Spike.

“Died,” Big Mac replied gruffly.  “A year ago.”

“They were running a food shelter that got raided by Discord’s men,” explained Cheerilee, looking somber.  “There were no survivors.  We’ve all been raising the kids as best we can, given the circumstances.”

Pinkie slammed her fist down on the table.  “In that case, I need to go do my duty!” she exclaimed.  “Twilight, cover for me.  I need to go make those kids smile!”

As she rushed off, leaving us all in her wake, I just watched her go.  Cheerilee made as if to stop her, but then shook her head.  “Those kids could do with some time with her.  They were so disappointed when we told them Pinkie was gone.  Kept asking about when she was coming back.”  Tears started to form in her eyes, and she brushed them away, turning back to the rest of us.  “Now, where were we?”  

Scanning the map, she nodded to herself and pointed out one of the other pins.  “Here’s the location of the element of Honesty.  I’m not sure who is guarding it, but it will be difficult to get to.”  She made as if to move to the next pin, but I stopped her.  She appeared anxious, but I ignored it, and focused on the last location she had indicated.  “That’s Canterlot!” I exclaimed, looking up at her for confirmation.

She shook her head.  “Camelot is what we’ve called it.  But yes, it’s the capitol city.  Now something of a wasteland.  Now, the final location is –“

“Hang on,” interrupted Rainbow Dash.  “You haven’t told us who’s guarding the element yet!”

“That’s because I don’t know for certain,” she replied, getting more anxious.  “I can’t help you with this one.”

There was silence for a minute as Rainbow Dash eyed her, then finally dropped her gaze with a huff.  “Fine.  What’s the last one?”

Cheerilee immediately pointed to a mountain on the outskirts of the map, to the east of Camelot.  “Here,” she said.  “The Dragon King is guarding this one as a favor to Discord.  The element of Magic.”

As we stared down at the map, a thud occurred behind us.  Rainbow Dash sighed, and reached down to pick up Fluttershy, who had fainted.  “Come on, Fluttershy, we’ve faced a dragon before and lived to tell the tale.  You can do it again.”

Cowering in Rainbow’s arms, Fluttershy shook her head emphatically.  “Not another dragon!  I can’t handle those things anymore!”

Spike reached over and tapped her on the shoulder.  “Umm, Fluttershy?  I’m a dragon, and you faced me when I was out of control.”

“But you’re different, Spike!” she wailed.  “I know you!”

Applejack put a hand on her shoulder.  “We’ll all be there with you, girl.  You won’t have to do it alone.  Besides, it’ll be a while before we get to that one, so you’ll have plenty of time to get over your fears.”

Fluttershy let out a sob, and continued to cling to Rainbow Dash, who just rolled her eyes.  I made as if to comfort her, but Rainbow stopped me.  “Let her cry it out.  I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”  She looked over at Cheerilee.  “Is there somewhere we can go and rest?  I’m beat, and Fluttershy will need somewhere quiet to pull herself together.”

Cheerilee nodded, and pointed down a new entryway.  “We have some sleeping quarters down there.  We currently have a few empty beds, so you won’t be kicking anyone out tonight.  Second room on the right should be empty, and it’ll have a couple of beds in it.”

Rainbow Dash nodded her thanks, and guided Fluttershy down the corridor.  I looked around at my remaining friends, and we all nodded.  “I think we’re going to turn in as well, though I do have a few things I need to discuss with you before going to sleep.”  Cheerilee nodded, then directed Big Mac to guide the others to their sleeping arrangements.  After they had all left the room, she turned to me expectantly.  “First of all, I’m going to need a copy of this map with the element locations marked.  Second, we’re going to need some weapons, and maybe some training in how to use them, though,” as a thought occurred to me, “Pinkie Pie seems oddly proficient in these guns.”

Cheerliee seemed to expect this.  “Yes, she always had a knack for them.  She was quite deadly when she had the opportunity.  I’ll see what I can put together for you.  The weapons you took from Discord’s men should give you a nice place to start, and I’m guessing your magic will help you greatly.”

I nodded.  “That is true, but I think I’ll feel better if I have something to fall back on.  I’m still not used to using magic in this world.  The idea of using this” – I hefted the staff – “instead of this” – I pointed at my forehead – “still seems unnatural.”

Cheerilee smiled sadly.  “Oh, Twilight.  It was you who once told me that magic didn’t just come from here” – she tapped my crystal – “but from here” – she tapped my forehead – “and here.”  She finished by poking me over my heart.  

I smiled back at her, feeling an echo of things that I myself had said in the past.  “Thank you for everything.  We would be lost without you.”

“Twilight, if all goes well, it will be me saying that to you.  I just hope that we haven’t brought you here in vain.”

A sense of dread pulsed within me, but I pushed it down.  “Thanks again.  I’m going to get some rest.”  I nodded in the direction that Pinkie Pie had gone after the children.  “Will you make sure that Pinkie Pie gets a place to rest?”

Cheerilee nodded.  “Of course.  Rest well, Twilight Sparkle.”

I left the meeting room and headed down the corridor Big Mac had taken everyone.  I didn’t see him, but figured if I listened at the doors I would be able to find my friends.  As I reached the second set of doors, I heard some voices coming out of the one on the right.  I paused, listening to the voices, and was able to pick out Rainbow Dash’s confidant voice intermixed with Fluttershy’s soft voice.  As I debated whether or not to knock and see how they were doing, Rainbow’s voice grew panicked, and was silenced by a sudden “mmph!”

Panicking myself, I pushed the door open quickly.  “Rainbow, are you-“  I stopped in surprise, door and mouth hanging open.  Rainbow was sitting on a bed, a shocked expression on her face, tentatively holding Fluttershy, who apparently had wrapped her arms tightly around Rainbow and was kissing her passionately.  After what seemed like an eternity, Fluttershy broke the kiss, eyes hopeful, and Rainbow just stared at her, barely acknowledging my presence.  Fluttershy finally noticed me first, and blushing furiously, let out a squeak of surprise and proceeded to leap into the other bed, burying herself under the blankets.

Rainbow was still sitting there shocked, one hand on her lips, eyes darting back and forth between me and Fluttershy, who continued to huddle in the bed.  Deciding that discretion was the better option, I slowly backed out of the room, gently closing the door behind me.  I paused for a minute, but heard only the rustling of bedclothes and no more voices.  Thoughts were flying through my head.  Fluttershy?  Truly?  She’s always been with Rainbow, as much as possible, but I thought that was just because they were pegasi.  Was there really something more to her and her admiration?  Rainbow has always been there for her.  Is it truly love, or just a misguided affection?

I hadn’t realized that I was walking and talking to myself until I heard a door open next to me, and Rarity poked her head out.  “Is anything the matter, Twilight, dear?” she asked.

I jumped, caught off guard.  “Oh, Rarity!  You surprised me!”  I settled myself down, and replied, “No, no, nothing’s wrong.  Are you ok?  Settled in?”

She nodded, seeming unconvinced, but let the matter pass.  “Yes, Applejack and I are sharing this room.  Spike has one for the two of you just over there.”  She pointed across the way, and I followed her finger to the door she was indicating.  Nodding my thanks, I moved over to it, and heard her shut the door after me.  Thoughts still buzzing around, I opened the door and entered the room.  Spike was already on one of the beds, snoring away.  I smiled at him and proceeded to slip into the other bed.  Despite my overwrought brain, I managed to fall asleep almost immediately and did not wake until late in the following morning.
> Chapter 4: Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As I awoke in the dim underground light, I had vague hopes that everything that had happened the previous day had been a dream.  However, after sitting up and realizing that I was still in this body, I admittedly let out a disappointed sigh.  Levering myself up into a sitting position, I remained there for another minute as I gave myself time to fully awaken.  Looking around, the room was much like it had been the night before, though Spike appeared to already be up and out, as his bed was empty.  I stood and stretched, yawning, then picked up my staff and walked out into the hallway leading towards the meeting room.  As I entered the hallway, I saw Rainbow Dash closing the door to the room she had shared with Fluttershy.  She rested her forehead on the door, sighing, before she noticed me and immediately looked away, blushing.

I made as if to move down the hallway past her, but her voice stopped me.  “Listen, Twilight, about last night…”  She paused, frustration on her face as she felt unable to express what she was trying to say, but I stopped her, shaking my head.

“Rainbow, it’s none of my business.  Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

“That’s not all of it, though,” she replied, quietly.  “She said she loves me, and that I’ve always been there for her, and I’ve been a great comfort, and she’s been feeling this way for a long time…”  She trailed off, still looking confused.  “And Twilight – this is the tough part – I think I love her back.”

I looked back at her in surprise, then caught myself.  I looked into the eyes of this rough-and-ready woman, searching for her feelings, and found the sincerity I was seeking.  Smiling, I threw my arms around her neck in a hug, which caught her off-guard.  “Don’t worry, Rainbow,” I murmured into her ear.  “It’s ok.”  Releasing her, I gripped her shoulders lightly.  “But if you ever want to talk, you know I’m here.  I’ll always be your loyal friend, you know that.”

She smiled shakily, and replied, “You’re right, Twilight.  Thanks.”

“Anytime.”  I motioned down the hallway.  “Now let’s go get some breakfast.  I’m starving!”

Rainbow laughed.  “You got it.”  With that, we headed out into the meeting room, where the others were already gathered.  Rainbow went to stand next to Fluttershy, who was looking at both of us apprehensively.  Rainbow drew her off to a corner, and while I couldn’t hear what they were saying, it appeared to relieve Fluttershy, as she wrapped her arms around Rainbow once more, though the kiss she gave was much more chaste than the one from last night.  I smiled to myself and moved over to the others, who had saved us some food from breakfast.

As I sat down to eat, we started discussing our current plans.  We all agreed that we would spend at least a week if possible training in our new weapons and familiarizing ourselves with the world around us, including the remains of the town we were in.  Pinkie Pie, who was sitting with the twins, demanded that play time be included in our plans, since, as she put it, “All work and no play makes Pinkie bored.”  We all agreed that that was true, and made sure that we would all have free time during the day.

The first thing that we did was prepare a funeral for Trixie.  The entire camp turned out for it, as she has been well-known and well-respected.  I recognized a handful of people from back home, but I tried to avoid any awkward conversations as much as possible, though some of my friends weren’t as concerned.  I watched Applejack reacquaint herself with some of the Apple family, including her little sister Applebloom.  I noticed that each meeting seemed bittersweet to her, as I knew she felt like she was playing a part instead of being her true self.  The actual burial was somewhat of a rushed affair, as we felt like it wouldn’t be a good idea to expose that many people for that long of a time, as no one truly knew if Discord was searching for us or not.

The rest of the week passed quickly, as our days were all very full.  I spent much of my free time upstairs in the library, searching books for information on the world, including some of the dangers we were likely to face during our quest.  The rest of it was devoted to practicing spells, including some new ones that I found in a few spellbooks.  It amazed me to find just how much differently magic was being used in this world.  Much of the magic I had learned back home was of a defensive or supportive nature.  Here, there was much more emphasis on attack and destruction spells, like the fire spell I had seen Trixie use.  Regardless, between learning how to use a gun, researching, and studying spells, I was exhausted at the end of each day and often fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

My friends spent their time in other pursuits.  One thing that we all had noticed was that in addition to our regular talents, we had all gained a certain understanding of this world upon arrival, which aided us in adjusting to our new forms.  We also found that our talents had manifested themselves in different ways.  This seemed to surprise our hosts, but I put it down to the magic that had brought us here in the first place.  Rainbow Dash and Applejack had incredible strength, and were easily able to lift more than even Big Mac on their own.  Rainbow Dash was also able to move at incredible speeds, much like she could when she was a Pegasus.  Since she could no longer fly, she could no longer perform the sonic rainboom, but her overall strength and speed made up for it.  

Both of them spent the most time working with our new weapons, learning their care and use from Big Mac and a handful of others, as well as sparring with each other in hand to hand combat.  Watching one of their sparring sessions was amazing.  Between their evenly-matched strength and Rainbow’s enhanced speed, their strikes were powerful and quick, Applejack quickly learning to anticipate Rainbow’s speed in order to counter.  Applejack’s new ability seemed to be adaptation, as she was always the quickest to pick up on a new technique or a change in approach.

It took us a long while to figure out what was different about Spike.

Pinkie Pie had already demonstrated some of her new talents when we had faced Discord that first time.  Her ability to disappear and reappear behind someone when they weren’t expecting it was both strategically useful and extremely annoying, as she often used it to sneak up behind us when we were engrossed in something, accompanied by either one of the twins or some other loud noisemaker.  I was very tempted to try out one of the new trap spells I had learned on her, but decided against it.  It was really tempting, though, especially after the fourth time.

Fluttershy retained her ability to speak with animals, but her abilities had expanded to be able to sense nearby living creatures, as we found out one morning while the two of us were exploring the town ruins.  Since the town was mostly abandoned, the forest has slowly been reclaiming it, including the local animals.  Fluttershy was able to speak with a couple of birds that were nearby to get a sense of the overall animal population and their mood.  “They’re very anxious,” she relayed to me.  “They’ve never liked Endless Forest, and with the packs of timberwolves roaming about, it’s even harder for them to gather food and keep their little ones safe.”  

I filed that bit of information away for later, when we were going to head into the forest itself.  I thought that her abilities might be useful when facing the timberwolves if she could use the animals as scouts for us.  I often snuck glances at her as we explored that day, watching her graceful form as we picked our way among the ruins.  There seemed to be more of a certainty to her now, a sureness in her steps and bearing that had never been present before.  She and Rainbow Dash had often been sneaking away together, though to do what, I didn’t know.  The two of them usually came back smiling and content, so at least they were enjoying themselves.

Rarity had been the most secretive throughout the week.  She spent all of her free time in her crafting room, working on what she would dramatically refer to as a ‘secret project.’  It wasn’t until the end of the week that she unveiled what she had been doing, and how her talents had been affected by our transition to this new world.  Each of us received a custom-fitted outfit, made of fabric that she had enchanted to be resistant to damage, along with tough leather boots and a warm cloak that would change colors to help blend into the background.  As a nod to our past life, each cloak clasp was designed in the shape of our cutie mark.  As we all admired our new clothing, she told me about her inspiration.  “I had never thought of doing something like this before, but as I was working on our first outfits, the thoughts just came to me, as if they had been there all along.  After that, I just knew I had to make something that would protect us out there.”

“Rarity, these are amazing!” I replied, holding up the cloak and watching the shifting colors.  “I never would have thought of this!”

She blushed slightly, and replied, “Yes, well, as I said, it seemed as if I had done them before.  Perhaps it has something to do with this new world.”

I looked around at our friends, all talking and laughing as if we had never left our home.  It had been a busy week, but above all, it had been interesting and fun.  It stands out to me as one of the greatest memories I have of this world, as evidenced by the picture we took that day that currently stands on my mantelpiece.  Little did I know that that day would be the last that we would all spend together in such happiness.
> Interlude 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A tap on her shoulder brought Twilight out of her focus.  “Twilight, it’s getting late,” Spike announced.  “You should think about getting some rest.”

Twilight looked up from her writing, blinking.  The day had indeed passed by, and the evening sky was deepening into the dark of night.  Spike had graciously turned some lights on for her to see by, but as she rubbed her eye, she found that she was having difficulty keeping it focused.  Yawning, she looked over at him.  “Oh, thanks Spike.  I was just so wrapped up in this, that I didn’t notice how late it had gotten.”

Spike smiled at her and shook his head.  “Twilight, if I wasn’t around to make sure you ate and rested, you’d work yourself to death.  You gotta get better about taking care of yourself.”

She smiled back.  “That’s why you’re my number one assistant, Spike.  What would I do without you?”

Spike held his hand up to his ear and asked, “What was that?  I didn’t hear you.”

Twilight punched him in the arm.  “You know what I said, silly.  Now help me up.”

Rubbing his arm in mock-hurt, he moved around her chair to grab her staff.  Reaching out his other hand, he lifted her from the chair with ease born of dragon strength and gently set her on her feet.  She wobbled for a moment as her leg failed to fully support her, and he was immediately at her side, supporting her arm while handing her the staff.  “Spike, it’s ok,” she protested.  “I can walk, you know.  I managed it to and from the house while you were passed out on the bed earlier.”

“I know,” he fretted.  “It’s just that your leg doesn’t seem to be getting any better, and it’s been months.”

Twilight sighed.  “I know, I know.  There’s not much we can do aside from wait and see what happens.  The doctor said I should keep exercising it daily or it won’t have any chance of getting better.”

“But what if it doesn’t?” Spike asked, worried.

She drew herself up, and was able to stand without his assistance.  “Well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it.”  She proceeded to limp to her bed, Spike following her every step, concern plain on his face.  She shooed him away with a look, and proceeded to get ready for bed after he turned away.  Easing into her bed, she pulled the covers over her as Spike turned out the lights, and proceeded to lay there for a while, memories churning in her head, until she was finally able to fall asleep.
> Chapter 5: The Endless Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The following day dawned dim and cold.

We stood in the meeting area, dressed in our new outfits, travel packs at the ready.  The group had outfitted us with enough food to travel to the middle of the forest and back without any trouble, but we still anticipated some scavenging if possible.  I had hoped that Fluttershy would be able to aid us in that by communicating with the local fauna and getting a sense of some good food sources.  

I turned to Cheerilee and Big Mac to bid them farewell.  They stood together, apprehension on their faces as if sending a child out into the world for the first time.  In a sense, that was what we were to them, and we all knew it.  However, we knew that we all had a job to do, and we were going to do it.  “Thanks, both of you,” I started, before Big Mac held up his hand.

“Not necessary,” he rumbled.

Cheerilee nodded as well.  “We know you’re going to risk your lives for us.  For that, we thank you, and wish you well.”

I smiled at them, feeling both grateful and apprehensive.  We were truly about to risk our lives for them, but they were as a family to us, and we were willing to do anything for them.  After one final good bye, we hoisted our packs and headed up the staircase and into the library.  Applejack closed the secret door behind her, and we all headed out into the light.

The sky was cloudy, with the occasional flash of sunlight from a tiny break in the clouds, and a chill wind was whipping through the deserted town.  Rainbow Dash looked up at the clouds and scowled.  “Man, I wish I still had my wings.  Then I could clear up that sky in no time.”

“Ten seconds?” I prodded, smiling.

Rainbow grinned.  “Ten. Seconds. Flat,” she emphasized.

Fluttershy, who was walking next to her, smiled up at Rainbow.  “I know you could,” she encouraged.  Rainbow smiled back, blushing slightly, and we continued out of the town and to the edge of the forest.  We knew from our previous explorations that the forest became dense quickly, but there were a number of animal trails that we could use to move about.  We were able to locate one of the larger ones near the edge of town, and after pausing for a moment to regroup, started into the forest.

Despite it being full day outside, entering the forest itself was like walking into the evening.  Shadows clung to the trees like moss, and the overhead canopy of leaves wove themselves together in an attempt to block out any possible shred of sunlight.  The forest itself seemed oddly quiet, with little ambient noise that we could notice.  Fluttershy seemed particularly apprehensive as we moved further and further into the forest, and she kept casting glances around into the trees as if searching for something but never finding it.

“Fluttershy, dear, whatever are you looking for?” asked Rarity.

“There’s nothing here,” she replied vaguely.

“Silly,” replied Pinkie Pie.  “There’s plenty of stuff here.  Just look at all the trees, and rocks, and vines, and grass, and – “

Applejack cut her off.  “Ah think what she’s trying to say is there aren’t any animals.  Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded.  “I can’t see any of the animals I’m used to seeing, even in the Everfree Forest.”

“Well, there goes that plan,” I grumbled.

“Cheer up, Fluttershy,” replied Rarity.  “Maybe we’ll see some animals further in.  Maybe they just don’t like the edge of the forest as much.”

“Maybe…” she replied.  But she didn’t sound convinced.

We headed deeper into the forest, not entirely certain where to go.  Cheerilee’s map gave us a general idea of where the element was thought to be held, but without a lot of identifiable landmarks and being limited to animal trails to get anywhere, it was slow going.  Applejack, who held the map, consulted it often in trying to find our way anywhere near the center of the forest.  After a couple of hours of wandering, we arrived at a small clearing.  I motioned for everyone to stop and take a rest.

Rainbow Dash growled at me.  “C’mon Twilight, we’re not gonna get anywhere if we stop all the time!”

“Rainbow, we hardly know where we are, let alone where we’re going,” I replied.  “We need to pause and get our bearings before we start going in circles.”

“Fine,” she huffed, and she moved over to a nearby log and flopped down on it. She glanced over at Fluttershy, patting the spot next to her.  Fluttershy smiled and slid down next to Rainbow; resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder as Rainbow slid an arm around her.  Rarity, who had been grumbling at the mud and dirt that was getting on her boots, watched this display with an expression of surprise.  As Applejack and I consulted the map in order to plan our next move, and Pinkie Pie and Spike moved over to the side of the clearing to play a game of cards, Rarity tapped my shoulder and motioned with her head to the two on the log.  “Twilight, dear, what’s going on there?” she asked.

I glanced over at our friends.  “They’re sharing a log, Rarity,” I replied, somewhat evasively.

Rarity gave me a dirty look, and Applejack looked around at what we were talking about.  Noticing the two cuddling, she shrugged, and looked back at the map.  “Looks like they’re having a good time,” she commented offhandedly.

“You know exactly what I mean, Twilight,” Rarity snapped.  “Don’t play ignorant with me.  When did this happen, and why wasn’t I informed?”

“First of all, Rarity, I didn’t tell you or anyone else, because it was Rainbow Dash’s and Fluttershy’s secret to tell,” I replied harshly.  “I promised Rainbow I wouldn’t say anything unless she wanted me to.  Second, it happened at the beginning of the week, and if you hadn’t been so involved in your project, you would have noticed what was going on between those two.”

Rarity huffed at me.  “Well, excuse me for trying to make our lives easier here.  I didn’t see you making magical armor or anything like that this week.”

“No, because I was busy researching other things,” I snapped back, stepping closer to Rarity.  “Spells that would help us survive these ordeals.”

Applejack was suddenly in between the two of us, glaring at us both.  “Y’all need to knock it off,” she growled.  “We’ve got enough going on without you two fighting.  Rarity, is there really a problem here, or are you just feeling a little on edge because you missed out on some good gossip?”

Rarity huffed again, and nose in the air, replied, “Gossip!  Heaven forbid you should suggest such a thing!”  Then a small smile played across her face.  “Well, maybe,” she finished, somewhat sheepishly.  

The three of us looked at each other before bursting out laughing.  Our laughter was interrupted by Rainbow’s indignant voice.  “You know, we can hear you,” she said.  For some reason, that drove us to laughing even more, until Fluttershy sat up suddenly and motioned for quiet.  Our laughter died as we all took in her serious face.  She appeared to be casting about, much like a dog searching for a scent.  She suddenly dove behind the log she was sitting on.  “Hide!” she called.

Our attention caught, we all dove into the brush, pulling our cloaks over us.  I noticed as I did that everyone’s cloak shifted to blend in with the forest floor, making us appear as part of the scenery.  We all sat there, waiting expectantly for what seemed like an eternity, before we heard a clacking sound, much like two boards being hit together.  The sound was accompanied by a growling, and a nauseous smell started to permeate the clearing.  As I watched, a form entered the clearing, following by two others.  They were wolves, but they appeared to be made entirely of pieces of the forest, much like the timberwolves back home.  They moved a little too smoothly, as if they were on puppet strings, and the clacking noise came from the movement of their joints.  The smell we noticed appeared to be their breath, which was growing stronger now that they had reached our clearing and were sniffing around.

They appeared to be searching for something, as they all paused in the center of the clearing and started sniffing the entire area.  I cringed as they approached the edge where I had seen Pinkie Pie secrete herself, but they appeared to be satisfied with what they found, as they moved on to another area.  It wasn’t until I saw a flash of pink right behind one of them that I realized why they didn’t find her there – she had already leapt away, and appeared to be getting ready to strike.  I tried frantically to signal her away, but my attempts were hampered by the timberwolves coming closer to my side of the clearing.  I realized I was too late as soon as Pinkie pulled the trigger on her gun, blowing apart the head of the rearmost wolf.  The wolf clattered to the ground in a heap of branches and twigs, and the other two rounded on her.

As I struggled to get into the clearing to help Pinkie, a flash of movement startled me, and all of a sudden, a second wolf was 
being lifted into the air by Rainbow Dash, and was immediately slammed into a nearby tree at high speeds.  Applejack, who had been hiding near the tree, yelped as she was peppered with flying pieces of timberwolf.

The third timberwolf proved smarter than its companions, and also proved itself to be surprisingly quick as it bounded onto Pinkie Pie, raking at her with its claws.  Pinkie stumbled backwards, surprised, and the claw struck her in the chest, skidding across her armored shirt.  The wolf bounded backwards away from her, dodging Rainbow’s next attack.  Finally able to get a clear shot at the creature after stepping into the clearing, I raised my staff, and hesitated for a moment, unsure of using one of my new spells.  In my hesitation, another shot rang out, clipping the timberwolf on the shoulder, this time from Applejack, who had pulled out her rifle and was lining up another shot as she moved closer.

The wolf spun around, noticed her aiming, and proceeded to quickly bound to the side, spoiling her shot, and taking another swipe at Pinkie as it passed.   Pinkie let out a yelp of pain as the claws connected, catching her in a briefly unprotected area on her side and spinning her away onto the ground.  Fluttershy, who had been cowering behind the log, suddenly stood up, and glaring at the timberwolf, advanced upon the shocked and suddenly cowering beast.  “Stop that!” she yelled as she advanced.  “You do not hurt my friends!”

We all stopped in astonishment as we watched her scold the timberwolf, who just cowered, whimpering.  After a minute, she finished berating it, and stood there with her hands on her hips.  “Now, what do you have to say for yourself?” she demanded.

The timberwolf proceeded to whimper and whine as she listened intently, expression disappointed.  “I understand that you’re just doing your job, but there’s no need to be a brute about it.  Now, I need to ask you something.  My friends and I are searching for the element of Loyalty, and we were told it is here in the forest.  Will you tell me where it is and how to get there?”

The timberwolf looked around at us, and nodded vigorously, wooden joints clacking.  It proceeded to speak to Fluttershy, growling and whining in turn.  She listened, satisfied as the timberwolf apparently told her what we needed to know, until she suddenly cut it off.  “Wait – what was that?” she demanded.  “Where is it kept?”

The timberwolf repeated what it had just said.  Fluttershy just stared at it after it had finished speaking.  “Well, Fluttershy?” I prodded.  “What did it say?”

She looked over at me, troubled.  “It said they keep it by the mirror pool.”

Pinkie Pie, who had been sitting with Rarity while she checked her over, looked up in surprise.  “The mirror pool?  I remember how to get there!”

I moved over to her, and she winced as Rarity prodded her side once more.  “It should be fine, Pinkie dear,” Rarity pronounced.  “Just a light scratch.”  She inspected Pinkie’s shirt, noting the scratches running across it.  “Hmm, I may need to make some adjustments to the design.  It appears that their claws are sharper than I anticipated.”

“Pinkie, are you sure you can take us there?” I asked.

She nodded vigorously.  “Yep, I remember the directions just fine!”

Rainbow Dash, who had been looming over the cowed timberwolf, piped up.  “So what should we do with this one?”

Applejack looked down at it.  “Let’s just take it out.  One less timberwolf to worry about.”

The wolf scrabbled to its feet, looking worried.  Fluttershy, however, shook her head.  “It told us all we need to know.  We can let it go and it won’t hurt us anymore.  Right?” she finished, glaring down at the wolf, which shrank back, nodding emphatically.  Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked disappointed.  “Fine,” Rainbow Dash sighed.  “But if I see it again, I’m taking it out.”

The wolf looked up at her in fear, and took off into the woods.  As the clattering of its joints disappeared into the forest, we all stood and regrouped.  I motioned to Pinkie Pie to lead the way, and we headed off into the forest.  As we headed deeper into the woods, we did our best to skirt around anymore packs of timberwolves.  Fluttershy’s sense of the forest helped us out greatly during our journey, allowing us to alter our course to go by any packs that might have been in our way.  All the while, Fluttershy continued to search for any local fauna, but was unable to find so much as a bird or a mouse in these woods.  I could tell that this was troubling her greatly, and I found it odd myself.

We finally arrived at what Pinkie Pie said was the entrance to the mirror pool.  It turned out to be a large cave opening in the ground, leading deep under the forest.  We all looked around carefully, expecting a horde of timberwolves guarding the entrance, but none were to be seen.  Applejack looked suspicious.  “Ah don’t like this, Twilight,” she muttered.  “It’s too quiet.”

“You’re right, AJ,” I replied, searching for anything out of the ordinary.  “Fluttershy?  Do you sense anything?”

She shook her head, and moved closer to Rainbow Dash.  “No, Twilight, I can’t feel anything near us.  There’s definitely something down there, though.”  She pointed into the cave, trembling slightly.  

Rainbow Dash slipped an arm around her, and said, “Don’t worry about some silly old cave.  We’re right here with you.  We’ll be in and out of that cave in no time.”

Fluttershy leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek.  “I know I’ll be safe with you around.”

Rainbow blushed.  Applejack smiled at them, and said, “Ok, you two, break it up.  We’ll get you a room later.”  Both Fluttershy and Rainbow were blushing furiously now as Spike was making mock gagging noises.

I smiled slightly, then turned to look back at the cave.  The others followed my gaze, and grew silent.  I still couldn’t see anything untoward, so I made the decision and started forward into the cave.  The others were caught off guard for a minute, but followed in short order.

As we made our way down into the darkness of the cave, we moved slowly in order to allow our eyes to adjust to the light.  It was dank and cold in the cave, and we could hear the occasional drip of water echoing from below.  The floor was growing slippery, and more than once one of us slipped, either tumbling into someone else or clipping the cave wall.  Eventually, we all made it down the bottom of the slope, which ended at a natural landing overlooking a large, shimmering pool that lit up the entire cavern with a pale green light.  It was a beautiful sight, made ugly by the current occupants of the cavern.

Timberwolves were everywhere.  They were lounging around the banks of the pool, roving up and down the cavern, coming in an out from various openings around the cavern wall, and even coming out of the pool itself.  I watched in amazement as two timberwolves dove into the pool, and suddenly four came out.  Pinkie Pie looked incensed as she watched the timberwolves duplicate themselves.  “Those jerks!” she growled.  “They shouldn’t be using the mirror pool like this!”

“We’ve gotta put a stop to this!” Rainbow Dash said.  “If we don’t stop them, they’ll be able to overwhelm the town!”

“No kidding,” replied Spike, watching in awe.  He was kneeling near the edge of the landing, looking out at the pack, when he suddenly pointed near the back of the cavern.  “Look over there!  I bet that’s the leader!”

Our eyes followed to where he was indicating, resting on a large timberwolf who appeared to be resting on an elevated part of the cavern, almost like a throne.  He was bigger than any of the others, and as he watched the pack, his glowing eyes gave off a certain level of intelligence that I had never seen before in a timberwolf.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound, and the rock that Spike had been leaning on gave way.  He lost his balance, fell with a cry, and started rolling down the rocky slope towards the pool.  “Spike!” Rarity cried, reaching out for him fruitlessly.  We all watched in horror as he fell down the slope, landing at the bottom with a loud thud that attracted the attention of every timberwolf in the cavern.  Groaning, he pushed himself up, only to find himself face to face with a timberwolf.

“Gyaah!” he cried, pushing himself backwards until he was against the slope.  The timberwolves slowly advanced on him, the leader watching them curiously as they penned him against the rocky wall.

“Oh no, you don’t,” muttered Applejack as she unslung her rifle.  Taking quick aim, she let loose three shots, taking down two of the timberwolves and clipping a third.  This drew the attention of the cavern, including the leader.  Growls began issuing from the timberwolves, a low bass noise that reverberated around the cavern.

Amidst the echoing growls, a deep, raspy voice issued from the leader.  We listened in astonishment as it spoke to us, saying, “Why have you come to our home, little humans?”

I drew myself up, and announced, “We are here for the element of Harmony that you hold.  We were told by one of your pack that it was down here.”

The large timberwolf got to its feet, joints clacking loudly as it moved.  It looked around at the pack, all of whom were looking to it for direction.  Resting its gaze on one that stood near the back, it nodded once and turned back to us.  “Yes, my packmate told me about you.  Little humans who are searching for us and for the element that the being known as Discord gave us.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash glared at Fluttershy, who shrunk back slightly.  “I knew we should have taken that one out,” muttered Rainbow Dash.

“Who are you?” I asked.  “I’ve never heard of a timberwolf that could talk.”

The timberwolf looked up at me, disdain clear in its eyes.  “I am the Alpha.  Therefore I am endowed with the intelligence to lead my pack.  You would not understand.”

“I don’t suppose it would be too much to ask for you to give us the element?” asked Rarity.  Alpha turned its eyes on her in silence and growled.  “I suppose that’s a no,” she replied.

“Discord gave us the element, as he was aware that little humans would wander into our nest looking for it.  He knew we would enjoy the meals that would arrive.”  Alpha stretched its wooden face in a grin.  We heard a clacking noise behind us, and turned as one to see a group of timberwolves approaching us from behind.  A cry from below alerted us to Spike’s predicament as well.  

Making a snap decision, I gave my friends orders.  “AJ, Rarity, you two hold here and take care of this group.  Rainbow Dash, can you head down and help Spike?  Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, you come with me.  We’re going after the element.”

Rainbow Dash threw me a quick salute and was gone in a blur of motion.  She sped down the hill that Spike had fallen, crashing into the timberwolves that were about to pounce, using her newfound strength to break them apart.  She was able to shatter three of them before the rest were able to bound away in a clatter of wood.  

Applejack and Rarity stood firm at the cave landing.  Rarity had pulled out a couple of handguns, and was taking careful aim at the timberwolves, picking them off one by one.  Applejack was holding her rifle and doing the same, preventing the timbewolves from surrounding them.  

I was rushing down the slope, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy bounding down gracefully behind me.  A group of timberwolves appeared in front of us, but I was able to cast a fire spell at them, setting one alight and scattering the others.  We rushed through the opening I had made, and turned towards where Alpha was standing and watching.  It appeared unconcerned as we approached, and another group of timberwolves appeared between us.  Suddenly, I saw a flash of pink, and Pinkie Pie appeared behind them, gun at the ready.  A couple of shots, taking out one of the timberwolves, and she vanished once more, appearing behind another.  She was able to take out three more wolves before Alpha suddenly stepped forward and swiped a paw at the air behind one of the remaining wolves.  I was astonished as I heard the thud of its paw connecting with solid flesh, and Pinkie, who had just appeared, was flung to the ground, groaning.

I had just enough time to glance at her to see that she was merely dazed and not injured before a cry from behind caught my attention.  I looked over to where Rainbow Dash and Spike were fending off timberwolves.  The problem they were having was that as soon as they took one down, another would pull itself out of the mirror pool and join the fray.  As I watched, Rainbow Dash was knocked down by a timberwolf, and two more pounced on her.  I was already in the process of casting a spell to save her when I saw that Spike had leapt onto one of the wolves in fury, and was proceeding to attack it.

As Spike dug into the wolf’s back, I saw that he was starting to gouge out deep marks in the timberwolf, knocking big chunks out of it.  He made quick work of it after that, tearing it to pieces before starting on the second one.  I noticed that his arms were getting longer, and his hands were tipped with wicked-looking claws that carved through the wooden limbs of the timberwolves.  He reached down for Rainbow Dash after taking out the second one, and as he helped her up, I saw that he had somehow gotten taller than her.  His face and skin had taken on a purple sheen, much like his scales had been back home, and his hair was spiking upwards, forming a crest.  He turned towards another wolf and proceeded to cut it down with a blast of fire from his mouth.

My astonishment at Spike’s transformation was short-lived as a scream brought my back to my current situation.  Alpha was slowly approaching Fluttershy, who had pulled out a handgun and was firing blindly at it, shots clipping its wooden form.  Pinkie Pie was still on the ground, the other nearby timberwolves converging on her prone form.  I grabbed one of them with my magic and flung it into the other, shattering it, followed by launching a round of fire bolts at the rest.  They fell back, growling, and I rushed over to Fluttershy, who was still pulling the trigger on her now-empty gun.

As Alpha raised its paw to strike at her, I jumped in front of her and threw up a magical shield.  Alpha’s claws raked across the shield, sparks flying, and it drew back slightly, an irritated look in its face.  It looked up slightly, focusing behind me, and I chanced a glance backwards just as I heard Applejack’s voice yell, “Twilight! Behind you!”

I was unable to stop the timberwolf as it slammed into me, pushing me to the ground and causing me to drop my staff.  My shield disintegrated, and Alpha smirked toothily.  I felt the timberwolf’s claws attempt to dig into my chest, but Rarity’s armored outfit stopped it, for at least a short time.   I saw the claws shred through my shirt before I was able to heave the timberwolf away from me and push myself up.  

Alpha glanced at me and nodded slightly.  “My packmate told me that our claws were not quite sharp enough to pierce your armor.  Perhaps I should test that theory.”  With that it quickly bounded over to Fluttershy, knocking her down and raised its paw, sharp claws at the ready.

Suddenly the timberwolves that had been surrounding Spike and Rainbow Dash exploded into the air, and Rainbow sped through them in a flash of speed.  Letting out a primal scream, she launched herself at it, and slammed her feet into the side of its face, flipping backwards to the ground.  Alpha let out a roar, reeling, and swiped its paw at Rainbow, who dodged to the side and grabbed the paw as it went by.  She yanked suddenly, pulling Alpha off balance, and kicked upwards, shattering the foreleg she was holding.  

Alpha roared in both pain and fury, and attempted to swipe its remaining forepaw at Rainbow.  Rainbow ducked under the swipe and moved in close, slamming her fist into Alpha’s chest, causing the wood to crack under the force of the blow.  Alpha used the momentum from her strike to leap over her, and kicked out with its hind legs, catching her in the back and flinging her forward.  Rainbow turned her momentum into a forward roll, and was able to get back to her feet almost immediately, skidding to a halt.  She pushed herself forward towards Alpha’s hind legs and grabbed one, swinging herself around, tearing it off with her momentum.  

Alpha immediately went down, off balance.  Rainbow Dash flung away the wooden limb and using her enhanced strength, lifted Alpha into the air, and flung it as hard as she could at the cave wall.  Alpha hit the wall hard, cracking it deep, and shattering into pieces.  Immediately, all of the timberwolves in the cavern turned as one, looking towards the remains of their leader, bowing their heads.  Rainbow Dash stood there, panting, staring at the remains of her opponent.  Fluttershy stood up and threw herself at Rainbow, wrapping her arms around her and giving her a big kiss.  “Thank you, Rainbow Dash!  You saved my life!”

Rainbow hugged her back.  “C’mon, Fluttershy, you gotta be a little more self-sufficient here.  I can’t always be there to save you.”

I smiled up at them, getting to my feet, and moving over to help Pinkie Pie up.  She was rubbing her head where she had hit it after being knocked down, but seemed otherwise ok.  As I pulled her up, I noticed a glint in the remains of Alpha, and looked over at it.  “Rainbow, look!” I called.  “It’s the element!”

Rainbow Dash looked over at it, and disengaged herself from Fluttershy to go investigate.  She poked through the pile of wood scraps before emerging victoriously holding a shining stone with a lightning bolt-shaped crystal in it.  “We got it!” she crowed.  “Catch, Twilight!”  She tossed the stone to me, and started down towards us.  As she took her first few steps, a rock suddenly landed on the ground next to her with a loud crack!, followed by a handful of others nearby, some splashing into the pool, some landing on timberwolves.  We all looked up to see a large crack forming in the ceiling, the large stalactites above us shaking as the crack grew wider and wider.

“Twilight!” yelled Spike.  “We gotta get out of here!”  I noticed that he had shrunk back to his regular size, and he was weaving through the cowering timberwolves to the slope leading to the exit.  The four of us started towards where Applejack and Rarity were waiting, when Rarity screamed, pointing upwards.  I looked up to see that a gigantic stalactite had broken free, and was now heading straight for us.  I raised my staff, putting all of my concentration into my spell, and grabbed the stalactite with my magic, halting its descent.  

“Come on!” I grunted.  “I can’t hold this long!”  I moved as fast as I dared, following behind Pinkie Pie, stones falling all around us.  Hearing another scream, I stopped, and looked behind me, afraid at what I was going to see.

Rainbow Dash was still on the other side of the pool, standing near Fluttershy, who was screaming in terror.  As I focused through my concentration on my spell, I could see that a large chunk of wood was protruding from Rainbow Dash’s midsection.  The wood was the claw from one of the limbs that Rainbow had ripped off of Alpha, which was now attached to another timberwolf.  As I watched, the remains of Alpha were glowing and zipping towards the timberwolf, melding themselves with the wolf’s current form, turning into another Alpha.

Alpha’s voice issued from the new timberwolf’s mouth.  “I cannot die.  A new Alpha appears whenever the old one is no more.”  Alpha’s eyes turned on Rainbow Dash, who was still impaled on its claw.  “I thought my claw would be sharp enough to pierce your armor.”

“Rainbow!” I screamed, the strain of holding up the ceiling of the cavern weighing heavily on me.  I could see spots forming in front of my eyes as I fought against the strain of the spell.

Rainbow Dash coughed, blood flying from her mouth.  She looked lost for a moment, then with a look of determination, grabbed hard onto the claw protruding from her abdomen and held on tight.  “Go!” she called, blood dribbling down her chin, her voice raw with pain.  “Get out of here!  I’ll hold him!”

Alpha tried to withdraw its claw, but Rainbow Dash’s strength was too much for it.  It tried to lift her into the air, but was unable to.  Fluttershy rushed over to her, and tried to grab her arm and pull her away.  “Rainbow!  You have to come with us!”

“Fluttershy, you’ve gotta get out of here.  The ceiling’s gonna come down!”

Tears streaming down her face, Fluttershy shook her head.  “I can’t leave you!  I just – We just…”  She trailed off, wailing, and pulling on Rainbow’s arm.

Grimacing from the pain of both Alpha and Fluttershy pulling on her, Rainbow Dash shook her off.  “Go, Fluttershy.  I know.”  Tears began to well up in her eyes.  “I love you.  But I can’t let you die here.”  She snaked her head forward, kissed Fluttershy on her lips, and shoved her away from her with her foot, sending her bouncing towards me.  Rainbow Dash caught my eyes, and smiled at me sadly, as if to say I’m sorry.

I shook my head, pain building from my spell.  “We need to go now!  I can’t hold it much longer!”  I ran as fast as I could towards the exit, hearing Fluttershy running behind me, crying.  I let go of my spell as soon as we passed into the tunnel leading to the surface, and turned back just in time to see Rainbow Dash still struggling with Alpha before the ceiling of the cave crashed down, blocking the tunnel.  Fluttershy, still crying, flung herself at the newly formed debris wall, and began scrabbling at the stones, trying to dig her way back into the cavern.

Applejack grabbed her and pulled her back, kicking and screaming, reaching for the wall.  “Fluttershy, stop!  It’s too late!  There’s nothing we can do now!”

Fluttershy struggled against her solid grip.  “No!  I have to get to her!  I need to save her!”

Rarity came up and slapped her face.  Fluttershy immediately stopped, looking up at Rarity in shock.  Rarity spoke firmly, saying, “I know you’re upset.  We all are.  But we need to get out of here, or Rainbow’s sacrifice will be in vain.”  Tears were streaming down Rarity’s face as she spoke. “Fluttershy, we need your help to get out of here safely.  You need to guide us around any other timberwolves still in the forest.  We will have plenty of time to grieve once we get back to town.”  Putting her arm around Fluttershy, she hugged her and Applejack close, then steered the two of them up the slope towards the cave exit, the rest of us following suit.
> Chapter 6: A Night’s Rest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I have little memory of the journey back to town.  We were all in a daze, and it seemed that the timberwolves were avoiding us as much as we were avoiding them, since even though Fluttershy was in no shape to guide us, we didn’t run into any more packs.  As soon as we reached the edge of the forest, we all dropped to the ground, crying and exhausted.  I must have passed out, for I found myself being shaken awake what seemed like hours later.

I woke to find myself looking into Spike’s concerned eyes.  “It’s getting really dark, Twilight.  We need to get back in case the timberwolves find us.”

I sat up, rubbing my eyes, and looked around.  Applejack was sitting nearby, watching over Fluttershy, who was curled into a ball, either catatonic or sleeping.  I couldn’t tell from where I was lying.  Pinkie Pie was standing, watching the forest, a deeply serious look on her face.  Rarity was sitting and staring at the ground, not really seeing what she was looking at.  

“You’re right, Spike,” I replied, pushing myself up.  I moved over to Applejack and kneeled down, glancing at Fluttershy.  She appeared to be asleep.  “How is she?”

“Not well,” Applejack replied.  “She’s been in that position the whole time.  Ah think she fell asleep a little bit ago.”

“Can you carry her?” I asked.

Applejack nodded.  “Yeah, Ah can do that.”  She knelt forward, slipping her hands under Fluttershy, carefully lifting her into her arms.  I helped her up while she settled Fluttershy’s weight.  I motioned to the others, who had turned to watch us, and we started back into town.  There was a defeated air about us as we moved through town, though I felt the comforting weight of the element of Loyalty in my bag.  We had lost one of our dear friends, and might lose another if Fluttershy didn’t recover.

We slowly approached the old library, dragging our feet from exhaustion.  Suddenly, the door flew open, and Big Mac rushed out, followed by Cheerilee.  “You’re back!” she exclaimed.  They both stopped suddenly as they took in our faces, and looked confused.  “What happened?” asked Big Mac.  Looking around at us, Cheerilee asked, “Where’s Rainbow Dash?”

Unsure of how to respond, I just stared back at her, a heaviness in my gaze.  She covered her mouth with her hands, gasping in terror.  “Oh, my,” she breathed.  “I’m so sorry.”

“As am I,” I replied.  “Can we get inside?  I’ll tell you everything then.”

The two of them nodded together, and held open the door for us to come inside and down the secret passage.  Big Mac pulled the secret door shut behind us, sealing us inside.  I shivered, even though the passageway was warm and comforting, and we moved down into the main meeting area.  Applejack headed towards the sleeping areas with Fluttershy still in her arms and disappeared down the hallway.  The rest of us slumped into seats around the meeting room, drained.  

Big Mac and Cheerilee looked anxious.  “What happened, Twilight?” Cheerilee asked.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the element.  “We got it,” I replied.  “But at a cost.”

Mac looked downtrodden, and Cheerilee’s eyes were welling up.  “I’m so sorry,” she repeated.  

“At least we’ve solved the timberwolf problem,” I continued.  I explained about the mirror pool and about the timberwolf Alpha.  Cheerilee seemed awed at Rainbow Dash’s abilities and willingness to sacrifice herself for us.  I stared down at the element in my hand, conflicting feelings welling up in me.  I felt awe for the element itself, joy at being able to retrieve it, and sorrow at the cost of our dear friend.  As I stared at it, I suddenly thought I noticed a glint deep inside the element.  Holding it close, ignoring Cheerilee’s queries, I inspected the element closely, looking for whatever it was caught my eye.  Unable to find it, I shook my head silently and put the element away.

I looked back up at Cheeilee, who was watching me warily.  I smiled slightly, trying to assure her that I was all right, while knowing in my heart that it wasn’t true.  “We need some rest,” I told her.  “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

She nodded, and we both looked up to see Applejack return.  “Ah got Fluttershy settled in,” she said.  “But Ah think that someone should stay with her, just in case.”

I nodded my agreement, and looked around at my friends.  “I’ll stay with her tonight,” I said.  “We’ll see how tonight goes.  If need be, we’ll take shifts with her.”  My friends nodded, and we all stood, heading to the sleeping area.  I left Rarity and Applejack to their room, Pinkie Pie went to stay with Spike, and I paused outside Fluttershy’s door.  I listened at the door for a minute, much as I had a week ago, before gently pushing it open.  The room was dark and silent.  I could just make out Fluttershy’s form in her bed, silent and still.  I nearly panicked before I saw her side rise and fall with her measured breathing.

Closing the door carefully behind me, I moved into the room and quietly got ready for bed.  Slipping into the empty bed, I felt an odd sense of guilt as I settled into Rainbow Dash’s old bed, listening to Fluttershy’s breathing.  Eventually, exhaustion claimed me, and I fell asleep.  





I half-awoke sometime in the middle of the night, feeling a form slip into bed with me.  At first I thought it was a dream, as I felt someone’s hands exploring my body, someone’s lips pressing to mine.  It wasn’t until I tasted the blood on her lips and felt her breasts pressing against me that I realized what was going on.  I woke up fully, pushing Fluttershy away from me.  “Fluttershy, what are you doing?” I demanded.

I could barely see in the darkness, but I could see enough to make out Fluttershy’s form next to me.  I pushed myself up on my arm, glaring at her as she lay there, wide-eyed and staring.  As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see that tears were streaming down her cheeks, and I immediately felt bad for my reaction.  “Fluttershy?”

“I- I’m sorry, Twilight,” she stammered, shuddering.  “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s ok, Fluttershy,” I replied hurriedly.  “Really, it’s ok.”

She curled up, her hair forming a curtain across her face.  “No, it’s not ok, Twilight.  It was my fault she died.  If I hadn’t been so weak, she wouldn’t have had to save me again.”

“Fluttershy, we all knew what we were getting into.”  I steeled myself, and continued.  “We’ve all known that we could get hurt, even badly.  It’s happened in the past.”

“B-b-but no one has ever died!” she cried, looking up at me.  “I just wanted her to be alive so badly, I-I thought you were her, it was so dark, and I was so scared and lonely and I just wanted it all to be a bad dream…”

I silenced her with a hand to her lips.  “Fluttershy, I’m not upset about that.  I was just surprised, that’s all.”  I took a deep breath.  “But you have to remember that I’m not Rainbow Dash.  I love you, Fluttershy, but not quite like that.”

She nodded, tears still streaming.  “I know, Twilight,” she replied.  “I know that.”  She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and wiped away her tears.  She sat in silence for a minute, then faced me with a deadly serious expression.  “Twilight, I need to be strong.  I won’t be the reason that anyone else dies.  Will you help me?”

Taken aback, I stared at her for a minute.  “Are you sure about this, Fluttershy?  Aren’t you afraid you’ll lose yourself?”

She shook her head.  “I’ll always be me, Twilight.  I’m just tired of being so weak.”

I watched her, seeing a certain steel in her eyes that I had rarely seen before.  I nodded.  “I’ll do what I can for you.  We all will.”

Relief spread across her face, and she threw her arms around me in a tight hug.  “Thank you, Twilight.  You’re so kind and honest.”

I smiled, hugging her back, my own relief welling up inside of me.  It looked like we wouldn’t lose Fluttershy after all.  I yawned, and she blushed.  “Anyway, let’s get some sleep.  We’ve still got a lot to do,” I finished grimly.  

She nodded, then hesitated.  “Twilight?  Can I sleep here tonight?”

I paused, then nodded.  “Sure,” I replied.

She smiled, and we lay down together.  She curled up next to me, and I lay there, listening to her breathing becoming more and more regular until she finally fell asleep.  I lay awake for a time, trying to work out the best way to help her become stronger, until I finally drifted off once more.
> Interlude 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Twilight!  Twilight!  Are you all right?”

Twilight looked up at Spike from where she had been writing.  Once more, she found that she had been crying, and Spike was shaking her shoulder trying to get her attention.  

She wiped her eye, and nodded.  “Yes, Spike, I’m fine.  Just… it was hard, reliving what happened to Rainbow Dash.”

Spike’s concern was apparent.  “Twilight, are you sure you should be doing this?  This memory spell you’re using is really knocking you for a loop.”

Twilight shook her head.  “I need to do this, Spike.  If I don’t, there’s no one else who can or will.”

Spike looked unconvinced.  “C’mon, Twilight.  I gotta make sure you’re ok.”  He shuffled his feet slightly, looking abashed.  “You’re the only one I have left.”

She looked at him in surprise, but recovered, thinking.  They were truly all they had left from their old life, and she knew that he would do anything to keep her safe, just as she would for him.  She smiled up at him.  “I know, Spike.  Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.  It’s just going to be a few more days, and I’ll be done.”

Spike continued to look unsure, but nodded anyway.  “All right, Twilight.  I guess.”  He turned away, heading towards the kitchen area.  “I’ll make you some lunch.  You tend to get so focused you’d forget to eat if I wasn’t there to remind you.”

She smiled at his retreating form, and turned back to her writing.  The memory spell she’d been using to recall her experiences with as much clarity as possible flared up once more, and she delved back into her past.
> Chapter 7: Mourning and Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The next day, we all gathered together in the meeting area.  

Fluttershy was still somewhat withdrawn, but the others were pleased to see her upright and interacting with everyone.  We all felt the pain of the loss of Rainbow Dash, and much of the morning was spent in mourning.  We reminisced about past adventures with her, and did our best to celebrate her amazing life.  It wasn’t until the afternoon that I decided to broach the subject that Fluttershy and I had discussed in the night.

“We need to spend some time this week helping Fluttershy train,” I said, after outlining her request.  “Any suggestions?”

Applejack spoke up, “Well, Ah can teach her how to fight.  We can spar together.”

Rarity shook her head.  “I need to work on something else this week.  Our outfits need to be stronger.  Those timberwolf claws were able to shred through my hard work much too easily, so I will be busy strengthening my work.”

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down on her heels.  “I can help Applejack!”  She popped over behind Fluttershy, wrapped her arms around her neck, and ruffled her hair.  “We’ll make sure she’s ready for anything!”

Fluttershy looked apprehensive, but smiled.  “Thank you, everyone.  I won’t let you down any more.”

Applejack shook her head.  “You’ve never let us down, Sugarcube.  We should’ve thought more about bringing you down there in the first place.”  Fluttershy smiled back at her gratefully.

I nodded.  “Sounds good, everyone.  I’ll leave you to get everything set up.”  I turned to Spike, and said, “Spike, can I talk to you about something?”

He looked up at me, surprised.  “Uh, sure, Twilight.  Whatever you need.”  

I motioned him away from the others, and we headed over to a corner of the room.  Looking down at him, I asked, “Spike, what happened yesterday?”

He looked down, wringing his hands, slightly abashed.  “I’m not entirely sure, Twilight.  It felt like the time when I grew into a full size dragon before.  It didn’t start until I got really mad when Rainbow Dash was knocked down, and I just jumped on the timberwolf and started clawing.”

“Spike, you grew claws and got bigger.  It was amazing!  Do you think that you could find a way to control your changes?”

“I dunno, Twilight,” he replied, looking uncertain.  “I’m not sure I can.”

I patted him on the shoulder, smiling.  “It’s ok, Spike.  Don’t worry about it.  If you find you can, it would be a great help, but we’ll be fine if you can’t.”

He smiled up at me.  “Thanks, Twilight.  I’ll see what I can do.”

I ruffled his hair.  “No problem,” I replied.

We decided to take another week of rest and preparation.  Pinkie Pie worked out her grief and frustration by playing with the twins and continuing to surprise us throughout the week.  Fluttershy and Applejack spent a frustrating week working out together, with Fluttershy having some trouble getting used to the idea of attack and defense.  She often came out of their sparring practices battered and bruised, but still determined to come back and learn.  Applejack did her best not to let her frustrations show during the sessions, but I walked in on one late in the week where she lost her temper with Fluttershy.

“C’mon Fluttershy, you gotta put some effort into your attacks!” she yelled, stomping away from a defeated Fluttershy, who was lying on the ground, dazed.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Applejack rounded on me, frustration plain on her face.  “She’s not trying!  Ah keep trying to show her defensive moves, but she’s not putting any force behind her attacks.  If she doesn’t try to hit me, anything Ah do just flings her to the floor!”

Fluttershy pushed herself up, shaking her head.  “Applejack, I need to know how to fight!  I need you to show me what to do!”

“But Ah can’t show you what to do if you keep pulling away!”  Applejack punched at one of their sparring bags, knocking the entire rig to the ground.

“Applejack, calm down!” I called.  “You know she’s never been very aggressive.  Overcoming years of a behavior takes a long time.  You need to be patient with her.”

Leaning against the wall, Applejack sighed.  “Ah know, Ah know.  Ah guess Ah’m just anxious and frustrated.  Ah used to spar with Rainbow, and y’all know how competitive she was.”

Fluttershy let out a sob, and Applejack’s expression grew contrite.  “Ah’m sorry, Fluttershy.  We all miss Rainbow Dash, and Ah’m taking it out on you.”

“It’s ok,” whimpered Fluttershy.  “I know I’m not her.  But the least I can do for her is to try not to be so weak.”

“Can you two take a break?” I asked.  “It might do you some good to relax.  You’ve been at this almost nonstop for the entire week.”

Applejack nodded, fatigue showing in her eyes.  “Yeah, Ah think that would be good.  We’ve been working hard these last few days, and Ah’m exhausted.”

Fluttershy shook her head.  “If it’s alright, can I stay here?  I want to practice some more.”

We both looked over at her in surprise.  “Are you sure?” I asked.  “You must be exhausted.”

She looked at me with a determined expression.  “It doesn’t matter,” she said.  “Just set up the punching bag, please.”

Applejack and I looked at each other, concerned.  “All right, Sugarcube,” Applejack said.  “If you’re sure.”  She righted the bag and frame and headed towards the door, where she paused.  “Fluttershy, the biggest thing that’s holding you back is yourself.  We can keep this up, but Ah think we might be better off with you learning to shoot.”  With that, she left the room to go rest.

I turned to Fluttershy, who was lining up with the punching bag, fists ready.  As I watched, she let loose with a few quick strikes, sending the bag bouncing, and followed it up with a swift kick.  She bounced back, readying herself, and pushed forward once more, hitting the bag with a combination of strikes.  Her aggression was apparent, but I noticed that it was fueled more by frustration than anything else.

“Fluttershy, maybe Applejack is right,” I said after a few minutes.

She kicked the bag once more, and whirled to me, fury in her eyes.  “What do you mean?” she demanded.

“Exactly what I said.  Maybe you’re having a hard time with this because you’re attacking a person, and not a bag.  You’ve never been one for direct conflict, and even willpower won’t change that.  Maybe a gun is the better option for you.”

She glared at me for a while longer, then dropped her eyes, defeated.  “You’re probably right, Twilight.  It’s been so hard this week, and I’m pushing myself so much, but every time Applejack attacks, or asks me to attack, I just freeze.”

I put my hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.  “It’s ok, Fluttershy.  We know who you really are, and a fighter you are not.  We love you regardless.”

Fluttershy smiled, still looking down at the ground.  “Thanks, Twilight.”  She looked up at me gratefully.  “I’m going to go find Applejack and see what she suggests I use.”  She headed out of the training room, and I watched her leave.  

I walked over to the punching bag they had been using, rested my hand on it, and sighed.  “What are we becoming?” I asked myself.  Drawing my fist back, I gave the bag a punch and immediately winced.  Shaking my hand from the pain, I shook my head as I left the room and wondered just how they could hit that all the time.

We spent a few more days working on our preparations for our next venture.  We knew that with Rainbow Dash gone, we would have a harder time getting the elements to work, but we were hopeful that we would be able to find someone who would be able to use the element in the meantime.  Fluttershy and Applejack spent a much more agreeable time training, as Fluttershy took to gun use much easier than hand to hand combat.

Rarity had been spending the entire time reworking her magically armored outfits.  Taking her lesson from our fight with the timberwolves, she did her best to strengthen the spells on the material, keeping them as maneuverable as possible while keeping us protected.  I visited her the day before we were to leave in order to see how she was coming.

I walked into her crafting room, knocking on the door as I opened it.  “Rarity?  How are you doing?” I called into the room.  A moment later, I jumped in shock as I heard a gunshot, and rushed further into the room in a panic.  “Rarity!” I cried.

Rarity, earmuffs on her ears, was standing in the back of her room, aiming a smoking gun at one of her new outfits.  She looked satisfied as she lowered her gun and removed her earmuffs.  She moved forward, oblivious to my presence, and inspected her handiwork.  “Perfect,” she purred, obviously pleased.

“Rarity, what’s going on?” I asked.

She jumped in surprise, and turned around.  “Twilight!” she exclaimed.  “I apologize, I didn’t notice you there.  Have you come to see my new line?”  She gestured to the hanging clothing.  “Look, no holes.  It successfully stopped the bullet.  I think I’m on to something!”

“Wow, Rarity, that’s amazing!”  I moved over to inspect her handiwork.  There was a small scuff mark on the clothing, but no hole from the bullet.  I looked around the room and found the bullet had flattened, bounced off, and landed a few feet away.

Rarity blew on the barrel of her gun and smiled.  “I shall call it ‘bullet proof fashions.’”

“That’s great,” I replied, feeling the material.  “And they’re still nice and flexible, too.”

Rarity looked proud of herself.  “This just might be my best work yet.  As much as I dislike insinuating anything about my friends, it was a good thing that Fluttershy was unable to handle combat, since this extra time has allowed me to fine tune my methods.”

I nodded.  “Well, since Fluttershy has taken much better to the gun use, it was a worthwhile delay.  Besides,” I continued wryly.  “The elements aren’t going anywhere.”  I noticed that Rarity turned to her workbench and grabbed her tape measure.  

She turned back to me, a smile on her face, and she said, “Well, since you’re here, let’s get your outfit ready.  Strip!”

Seeing the determined and happy look on her face, I sighed inwardly, and proceeded to follow her directions.  She measured me top to bottom, all the while cutting and measuring her material with her magic.  A half hour later, with the assistance of her magic and her natural talent for dressmaking, I was the proud owner of a new armored outfit, custom designed to suit me.

“And it fits you just perfectly,” Rarity gushed.  I twirled around for her admiration, and she nodded to herself in satisfaction.  “Perfect!” she repeated.  “Now, all I need are the others.  Could you please go get them for me?”

Another hour later, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were all in Rarity’s craft room, waiting to get fitted for new clothing.  There was a short pause as Rarity shooed Spike out of the room before starting in on the others.  I waited outside with Spike, who was sulking as I quietly smiled at him.  A few hours later, Rarity called him into the room, and the others exited behind him, each sporting their own outfits.  A short while later, Spike emerged with his own outfit, and a few minutes after that, Rarity was basking in the glow of our admiration.

The last day was spent resting and planning.  I sat with Big Mac and Cheerilee mapping our path to the southern city.  I was very apprehensive about going to the capitol of the Changelings, but if we were able to retrieve the element from them, we would be that much more confident going after the rest of them.  The loss of Rainbow Dash was still weighing heavily on us, so we attempted to take as much as we could into account.  The overall path to the city would be relatively simple and easy, and with Fluttershy’s sense of the surroundings, we would be able to avoid any dangerous animals on the way.

The hardest part would be when we got into the city.  The map that Cheerilee had was an old map, and didn’t take into account any changes the Changelings may have made to the layout.  However, we felt confident that if we could find the location of the Queen, we would find the element.

The following day, we all rose bright and early.  I had stayed with Fluttershy for the entire time we were there per her request, but there were no more incidents like that first night.  Neither of us slept very well, as she would often wake up in the middle of the night crying, and one time she woke screaming in terror.  I did my best to comfort her each time, but often enough she fell asleep crying in my arms.

We stepped out into the town after saying goodbye to our hosts.  It was a cool morning, the sun trying to break through the gray clouds but failing.  “You know, Ah don’t think Ah’ve ever seen the sun since we got here,” Applejack complained.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was Discord’s doing,” I replied.  “Sunlight would be something that would encourage hope.”

We headed out of the town, carefully picking our way through the ruins, and started on the road to the south.  The road snaked through the hills as we walked, and the landscape around us was desolate, with few animals around, and not a single person in sight.  It was easy going, as far as travelling was considered, but it was also boring.  Many times, Rarity voiced her complaints as to how bored she was, which usually resulted in Pinkie Pie breaking into some sort of song and dance routine in order to cheer her up.  The results of this, however, were often as random as Pinkie herself was.  Sometimes we would all follow along, feeling the cheer and singing with her, and sometimes her attempts at levity were met with stony silence or a snappish response from one of us.

It took us three days to get to the southern city.  Each night we camped on the side of the road, taking shifts during the night to keep watch, but our overall trip was uneventful.  The landscape started to vary about halfway there, with the desolate plains giving way to forested land.  Fluttershy’s sense of living creatures allowed us to avoid any large animals, including what in the distance seemed to be a pack of timberwolves.

We arrived at the city in midafternoon.  As we crested the hill, we looked down at what appeared to be a walled city, with a large structure in the center.  The structure was a tall building built in the shape of a castle, including the crenellations around the top.  The overall city appeared to be a maze of differently shaped buildings, laid out in a vague circular form.  We could see three main roads that cut through the city, all approaching the center castle from different directions.  A river ran through the rear of the city, filtered through the walls by a fine grate.

We paused there, looking down at the city, and rested for a while.  Applejack and I went over the copy of the map we received from Cheerilee and Big Mac, trying to see what things had or hadn’t changed.  Fluttershy sat by herself, watching the city quietly, holding the pair of handguns that Applejack had found for her.  Rarity stood talking with Pinkie Pie while Spike stood next to her, gazing up at her with the admiration that I was used to seeing from him.

After some time inspecting the walls, we determined that the easiest way to enter would be to see what the defenses were around the main entrance and plan from there.  Our second plan would be to locate an area of the wall that was damaged, and see if we could find a way through.  After this discussion, we regrouped and headed down to the city below.

As we walked, I turned to Fluttershy.  “Fluttershy, do you sense anything down there?”

She was silent for a moment, then replied, “I’m not sure.  I think I sense something, and then it’s gone.  The animals I sensed on our way here were always constant, as were the timberwolves.  These are different.”

“That doesn’t make sense, dear,” replied Rarity.  

“I know it doesn’t,” Fluttershy murmured.  “But that’s what I sense.”

In the wake of this unsettling information, we kept a very careful watch on our surroundings as we approached the city.  While nothing appeared untoward, the general sense of the area was one of anticipation as we neared the main entrance.  The wall around the city appeared to be upwards of twenty feet tall, with the entrance was about half that size, with large wooden doors that hung halfway open.  Applejack carefully approached the open doorway, and peeked inside.  She turned back to us, shaking her head, indicating that there was nothing there.  We hurried over to where she was standing.  “Nothing?” I asked, surprised.

She shook her head again.  “Nothing,” she replied.  “Ah don’t get it either.  Ah’m afraid it might be another trap.”

“Let’s move quickly then,” I replied.  “If we can get directly into the city, we can hide among the buildings and hopefully hide from anyone looking for us.”

Applejack unslung the rifle from her back, holding it at the ready.  The rest of us also readied our weapons, and we slipped through the open doorway and into the city of the Changelings.
> Chapter 8: The City of Changelings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As we passed the doors, a long hallway cut through the walls, opening up into a large city square.  The square itself appeared devoid of any life, though it looked like a market had been going on at some point, since there were wooden stalls set up in a haphazard manner throughout the area.  It was an eerie sight; all of the stalls looked like they had just been abandoned mid-market.  There were some food stalls with rotting fruit and vegetables strewn about the stands, some stalls with household goods filled with rusting pots and pans, and even what looked like a stall for a jewelrymaker, which Rarity immediately grew excited about.

She rushed over to the stall, inspecting the remaining pieces of jewelry, admiring the craftsmanship.  Many of the pieces were still intact and in good condition, and she spent a good few minutes picking them up, trying them on, and putting them down, until she noticed the looks of impatience on our faces.  Smiling abashedly, she put down the necklace she was holding, but grabbed up a couple of beautifully designed rings, slipping them on her fingers in admiration.  Applejack just rolled her eyes while Pinkie Pie looked excited about Rarity’s find.

As we left the square, we moved into the city proper, looking for the main roads we had seen from the hill.  Following the twisting, turning streets was disorienting, and more than once we thought we had become turned around until we got a glimpse of the castle through the tall buildings and were able to reorient ourselves.  The emptiness of the city was beginning to unnerve us as we searched among the buildings.  Pinkie Pie peered into one of them, searching for any signs of life.  “There’s nothing in there except for some old furniture,” she reported.

I looked around in disbelief, sure that there had to be something alive in this city.  As I searched, I caught a flash of color down one of the alleyways and paused to look.

“What’s up, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“I thought I saw something move down there,” I replied, indicating the alley.

She looked into the gloom, searching hard.  “Ah can’t see anything,” she said finally.

I took one last look down the alley, waiting for the movement from before, but nothing came.  I motioned to the others to keep moving, and we headed down the street, hoping to find something that would ease the anxiety that the empty city was causing.  Suddenly, Rarity paused, looking around, and said, “I saw something over there.  It looked… colorful!”

We looked in the direction she indicated, and also saw nothing.  “What did you see, Rarity?” asked Fluttershy.

Rarity hesitated before answering.  “It looked like… a person, with colorful hair.”

We all looked over at her in disbelief.  “Really?” I asked.

Rarity shook her head.  “I don’t know for certain, it was so quick.  But something was moving over there.”

We looked at each other.  “Should we check it out?” asked Spike.

I nodded.  “But carefully.  We don’t know what’s going on.  Remember, the Changelings live here, so we have to be very careful.  You all remember how devious they were.”

The others nodded, and we started down in the direction Rarity had seen the movement before.  We saw no further signs of life, until Pinkie Pie let out a yelp and pointed down another alley.  “Down there!  I saw it down there!”

We rushed down the alley, hoping to catch whatever we had been seeing.  As we reached the end, it opened up into a large courtyard that was overgrown with weeds and trees.  It appeared to be a former play area, as there were see-saws, swings, and slides that were falling apart and being reclaimed by nature.  However, this was all secondary to the form that we saw in the center of the courtyard that caused Fluttershy to let out a scream of delight and rush forward.

The rest of us stopped dead as we took in the bedraggled form in front of us.  Tall, with rainbow colored hair and muscular arms, Rainbow Dash looked back at us from under a torn cloak.  She was smiling, and as Fluttershy launched herself at her, the smile appeared to get even wider.  After a moment’s pause, we all rushed into the courtyard, hurrying over to where Fluttershy was hugging Rainbow Dash for all she was worth.  

“But-But how?” I stammered, taking in her form.  She appeared to be healthy, if worn down and somewhat wasted away.  

She just smiled, and replied, “Hey, I couldn’t leave you hanging, now could I?”

Rarity smiled at her, completely taken aback.  “However did you survive the cave in, darling?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head.  “I don’t really know.  One minute I was watching the cave collapse, and the next, I woke up outside.  I knew this was where you guys were headed next, so I made my way to this city, and I’ve been looking for you ever since.”

Fluttershy finally released her, looking up at her with relief.  “You have no idea what I’ve gone through, Rainbow Dash.”  She kissed her, and continued, “I thought you were dead!”

Rainbow Dash smiled down at her in an odd way.  “Well, I’m not, am I?”

“No, you’re not,” Fluttershy replied.  “That makes it all better now.”

“I hate to break up the reunion, guys,” called Pinkie Pie.  “But we have a problem here!”

We all turned to look at her, and saw what she was pointing at.  The previously abandoned ruins of the city were now playing host to what appeared to be an army of pale white humanoids.  They poured out of the windows and filled the rooftops, crawling and scrabbling their way out.  Their limbs were long and spindly, and their hands seemed to be able to grip to the sides of the buildings, as many of them were crawling along the walls.  Their faces were humanlike, but very androgynous, and their bodies were smooth and hairless.  We circled together, back to back, watching the slowly approaching army.  Fluttershy, who was between Rainbow Dash and Rarity, carefully drew her guns, and steadied herself.

“Don’t worry, Rainbow Dash,” She called, a determined tone in her voice.  “You won’t need to save me this time!”

I heard Rainbow Dash reply, and I stiffened as I heard a hissing creep into her voice.  “No, I won’t.  But your friends will.”

I spun around in time to see Rainbow Dash’s face melt away, to be replaced by the face of one of the pale humanoids.  Fluttershy looked over at her, confused, then began to scream in terror as the Changeling pounced at her.  Rarity, however, was quicker than I was, and shoved Fluttershy to the side and out of the creature’s way.  Unfortunately, this put her directly into its path, and it collided with her, wrapping its arms tightly around her and pulling her away from us.

“Rarity!” I called, shocked.  I heard gunshots behind me, and glanced over to see Applejack firing into the approaching horde.

“Twilight!” she cried.  “We gotta get out of here!”

“But-!” I stammered, and I heard Rarity scream as the Changeling pulled her into the approaching horde.  Fluttershy was lying on the ground where Rarity had pushed her, and started scrabbling to her feet, bringing her guns to bear.  Fury coated her face, and she began firing indiscriminately into the horde, screaming.  Spike was also shooting wildly, barely looking at what he was aiming at, his eyes only on Rarity’s retreating form, screaming her name.

Fury built within me, and I focused my magic on a new spell.  As Pinkie Pie started shooting next to me, I brought my magic to bear, staff glowing, and released a wall of fire that surrounded us, cutting us off from the approaching Changelings.  The majority of the horde stopped short of the wall, but handfuls approached closer and were incinerated for their efforts as the wall launched a white-hot bolt of fire at anything within five feet.

The attack stopped for the moment, and I called out to the Changeling.  “Give us back our friend and I won’t burn down this city!”

The Changeling laughed a hissing laugh.  “You would not dare, little human.  You would burn up your precious friend as well.”

I snarled at it, frustrated.  “Give her back!” I demanded once more.

The Changeling laughed once more.  “Unlikely,” it replied.  “We shall take your friend to our Queen.  I can feel her love for you all pulsing within her.  She will provide a wonderful meal for our Queen, and if all goes well, a bit of sport for us.”

“What do you mean?” I called, furious.

“Come to find her and you shall find out.  If we don’t use you for sport, that is.”  With that, the Changeling disappeared from view, cackling, as Rarity’s scream echoed through the courtyard.

I slumped to my knees, the energy required to keep the wall of fire up draining me quickly.  The fire flickered, and the wall shrank to half its previous size.  I saw the horde of Changelings watching us, anticipation on their faces, and I knew that I couldn’t let them get us.  “Everyone, to me!” I cried, and as soon as I felt their presences beside me, I grabbed their hands, forcing them to hold on to mine, and put all of my remaining energy into a teleportation spell.  A purple light flashed around us, and everything went black.





I awoke lying on the ground, aching all over.  As my eyes focused, I saw that we were back on the hill overlooking the city.  Pinkie Pie and Applejack were holding a struggling Fluttershy, who appeared to be trying to break free of their grip and head back into the city.  She was crying and screaming incoherently as she thrashed around, but eventually she gave in and slumped to the ground, defeated.  Pinkie Pie sat down next to her, holding her closely, frustration plain on her normally happy face.

Applejack took a few steps away and flopped down on the ground next to me.  She glanced over at me and noticed that I was awake.  “Twilight!” she cried.  “Thank goodness you’re ok.  Ah was starting to worry.  When we landed here, you were out like a light.”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, my words slurring slightly.  I blinked again, fatigue washing over me as I fought to keep myself focused and awake.  Applejack looked concerned as I struggled to move into a sitting position, and she reached over to give me a hand.  “Thanks,” I said as she hauled me upright with ease.  I looked around, and noticed Spike sitting on the ground, facing the city.  “Spike?” I called, concerned.  He ignored me, and continued to stare down at the city below us, and I noticed the look of intense concentration on his face.  “Spike!” I yelled, and he finally looked over at me, fury and hatred in his expression.  I was taken aback at that, as I had never seen him look at anything that way before. 

“What?” he growled, in such a deep voice that I was afraid that I had taken a Changeling with us by mistake.

“Spike, are you ok?” I asked.

“What do you think?” he snapped, eyes flickering.  “Rarity’s down there somewhere.  We need to go save her!”

“Spike, hon, Twilight’s in no shape to move right now,” Applejack pleaded.  “We need to let her get her strength back.”

“Then I’ll go myself!” he growled.  He stood to his full height, radiating anger, and even Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy took notice at the sudden turn of events.  He looked over at Fluttershy’s tear-streaked face, and asked, “Don’t you want to get back at them for that dirty trick?”

Fluttershy nodded, determination plain.  “Of course she does,” Pinkie interjected.  “We all do!  That was beyond mean!”  Spike turned his angry face to her, and she continued speaking.  “But we need to do this together!  It’s the only way!”

Spike let out a deep growl.  He clenched his hands together, raised his head and let forth a burst of flame that stretched high into the sky.  “Fine!” he snarled.  “Fine.  I’ll wait.  For now.”

“Good,” replied Applejack, irritated.  “Now if y’all could help me with Twilight, we need to get moving.  Your little display there just showed anyone who’s looking for us exactly where we are.”

Spike looked stubbornly furious, but conceded the point as he moved over to me and helped me stand.  My legs were shaking as we moved from our current location as quickly as possible, but we managed to get ourselves into a nearby grove of trees without any trouble.  As the sky was deepening into evening darkness, we decided to set up camp for now and try to get back into the town as soon as we could.  After getting our campsite ready, we started planning our reentry.  I must have fallen asleep shortly after things were set up, since I had no idea what was discussed until after I woke up in the middle of the night.

I awoke to the quiet darkness, broken only by the soft sounds of insects and the occasional snores of my exhausted friends.  I looked around and noticed that Pinkie Pie was awake, keeping watch while the others slept.  I got up, moved over to where she was sitting and joined her vigil.  “Hi, Pinkie,” I said, as she watched me get settled.

“Hi Twilight,” she replied, rather sedately.  I looked at her, worried at the change in her demeanor.

“Are you ok, Pinkie?” I asked, concerned.

She sighed.  “It’s this place, Twilight.  It’s so gray and colorless and hard.  I’m having a hard time keeping my Pinkie strength going.  I know I wanted to bring a smile to everyone here, but it’s really hard when you can’t smile yourself.”

I gripped her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.  “I know, Pinkie.  This world is so different from ours, and I can’t help but worry about what it’s doing to us.  Rainbow Dash is gone.  Fluttershy is an emotional wreck.  We have to rescue Rarity from who knows what.  We’ve all changed so much in our time here, I’m afraid that we’ll never be the same.”

“Well, of course, Twilight,” Pinkie replied with a trace of her old self.  “Things have to change.  If they were the same all the time, they’d be boring.”

I smiled at her.  “Did your Pinkie sense tell you that?”

She shook her head.  “My Pinkie sense has nothing to do with that.  It’s my common sense that tells me that.”

I chuckled.  “Oh, Pinkie, if we all had your common sense, then we’d all know what to do.”

She smiled at me, then her expression grew sad again.  “I wonder if I’ll ever be able to make anyone smile again,” she murmured sadly.

“Of course you will,” I replied.  “Who else is going to throw the best parties for a toothless alligator?  Or show me when I’m getting too serious by coming up with overelaborate and completely nonsense plans?  Or teach me to watch out for falling frogs and pots?”

She laughed.  “Oh, Twilight, you say the funniest things sometimes.”  Giggling, she looked out into the darkness, and smiled once more, looking more like the Pinkie Pie I knew.  “Thanks, Twilight,” she continued.  “Sometimes we all just need a laugh.  Even me.”

“Anytime,” I replied.  After a short silence, I asked her, “So what is the plan to get Rarity back?”

“I need to get everyone up soon.  Since you’re awake, we’re going to make our move to get back into the city during the night.  Applejack thought it was the best idea.”

I nodded.  “That makes sense.  Night would be the best chance to get in without being noticed.”

She continued outlining the plan.  “Since we’re pretty sure where she’s being held, we figure we need to get into that castle.”  She looked over at me.  “Can you still do that spell that shows us who the Changelings really are?”

I nodded, feeling ashamed.  “I should have done it before.  I should have known that seeing Rainbow Dash here was too good to be true.”

Pinkie Pie gave me a hug.  “We were all caught off guard, and Fluttershy was so happy.  I was too happy seeing her so happy that I didn’t even think about it.  At least we’ll be ready for it now.”

“You’re right,” I replied, hugging her back.  We both grew serious, and Pinkie Pie stood up, extending an arm to help me stand.  

“C’mon, Twilight,” she said.  “Let’s get them all going.”

We managed to wake everyone and get the campsite packed up within short order.  Starting out of the grove, we carefully made our way down back towards the city, relying once more on Fluttershy’s senses.  Now that she knew what to look for, the Changelings were easier to avoid, but we were almost caught more than once as the hideous creatures were now patrolling the city walls.  Approaching the main gate, we found that it was still open, and that there were two Changelings standing guard.  I looked over at Pinkie Pie, who gave me a knowing glance, and promptly vanished.  Two minutes later, both guards were dead, daggers sticking out of their necks, and Pinkie was waving us over.  She collected her daggers as we hurried into the gates, ducking behind them before we could be seen.

As we hurried through the entryway, all senses alert, we noticed that the presence of the Changelings was much more visible now.  Everywhere we saw the glowing remains of what appeared to be green cocoons.  After entering the city proper, more than once we had to duck into the remains of a building to avoid a Changeling’s searching eyes.  They were scurrying around the city, hunting for us with an insect-like mentality.

Taking a different route from our previous misadventure, we searched the streets and alleyways, looking for the easiest way to the castle.  Finally, as dawn began to stain the gray sky, we had to admit that we were lost once more, and that we needed to find a landmark of some kind before we would be able to locate the castle.  We ducked into what we hoped was an empty building to plan.

“We need a better look at the city,” Applejack pointed out.  “Ah think we need to get to the rooftops and go from there.”

“But what about the Changelings?” asked Fluttershy.  “Won’t they see us?”

“If Ah go, Ah’ll be quick enough that they won’t catch me,” Applejack assured her.  “Besides, as long as Ah know y’all are down here, there’s nothing they can do to distract me.”

I was uncertain about this plan, but couldn’t come up with anything better.  “All right, AJ.  Just remember: Anyone you see up there is a Changeling, no matter who they look like.  We’re staying right here.”

She nodded, gave me a confident grin, and started quickly up the stairs, rifle at the ready.  We stayed in the room, keeping a lookout for either Changelings or for Applejack’s return.  After a half hour, we started to get restless.  Pinkie Pie was pacing the room, and Spike was staring out the window, growling to himself.  Fluttershy was still keeping watch, warning us any time a Changeling came by so we were able to duck behind the walls and out of sight.

A few minutes later, we heard a clatter on the stairwell, and Applejack came into view.  She was holding her rifle, and kept glancing behind her as she rushed towards us.  I immediately pointed my staff at her, and she stopped as I encased her in magic, lifting her slightly.  Panicked, she waved her free hand and cried, “Real me!  Real me!”

At those words I released her, and she dropped to the floor.  Relieved, she rushed over to us and said, “We gotta move.  Those Changelings spotted me while Ah was checking out the city from the roof, and Ah think they followed me down.  Ah did my best to lose them, but just to be safe…”

I scowled.  “AJ, you couldn’t be a little more circumspect?”

She glared at me.  “Ah had to get out in the open so Ah could see what’s out there.  It was the only way.”

“Fine, fine, I get it,” I replied testily.  The stress was truly getting to us if we were snapping at each other over everything.  “Everyone, let’s go.”

We headed out of the building as quickly and quietly as we could, slipping into a different building across the street.  We rushed into a back room without any windows, and proceeded to discuss the layout with Applejack.  Based on what she was able to see, we had a few different options for getting to the castle.  We could follow the twisting streets towards the main thoroughfares, and hope that the Changelings weren’t patrolling those roads.  The second option was to make our way through the street maze and hope that we were able to get to the castle that way.  The third and most promising option was to follow the city wall around to the south until we arrived at the river.  We could then follow the river to the rear of the castle and see if there was an entrance there.

We decided on making our way to the city wall and following it to the river.  It would take longer, but it would likely be the easiest way.  After making certain that everyone was aware of the plan, we carefully made our way out of the building.  As we headed into the street, Pinkie Pie, who was in the lead, slipped and fell to the ground.  “Pinkie, are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, hurrying forward to help her up.

She nodded, wincing, and looked down to see what she had slipped on.  Her eyes grew wide as she saw the remains of one of those green cocoons, and before we were able to search for its former occupant, a white form dropped to the ground between us, and flung its arms out to grab.  We all jumped backwards, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy on one side, and Applejack, Spike, and me on the other, and the Changeling missed us.  However, three more Changelings dropped next to the first one, cutting us off from each other.  Fluttershy screamed and drew her guns, cutting down one of them, but stopped firing as soon as she realized she might hit one of us.  Pinkie, however, jumped behind one of them and proceeded to make quick work of it with her daggers.

Unfortunately, during this time, the Changelings were joined by another four, and we were becoming quickly outnumbered.  I fired a bolt of lightning at one, sending it flying into the wall, and as Applejack took out another, I launched fire at a third.  As more and more Changelings arrived, I saw that there was no way we were going to be able to get to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.  I made a tough decision, and yelled to them, “Run, you two!  Meet us at the rendezvous point!  We’ll be there as soon as possible!”

Fluttershy looked apprehensive, but nodded, and grabbed Pinkie Pie, pulling her away from the fray.  As they disappeared from view, I pulled Spike and Applejack away from the Changelings and launched more lightning at them, which caused them all to pause.  We promptly turned and ran as fast as we could, deeper into the city and away from our retreating friends.
> Interlude 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Twilight, the Mayor’s here to see you,” Spike called, breaking her reverie.

Twilight nodded, pushing away her memories, and stretched, yawning.  “That’s right, I forgot I had said she could come by this afternoon.”  Since her adventure had finished, she had been spending a lot of time helping the people of Equs rebuild and restore the town to its former glory.  The current Mayor often came by to discuss matters with her and get her opinion on the town’s growth and prosperity.  She pushed herself up out of her chair and stepped forward to go see her visitor.  Unfortunately, she landed on her bad leg, and promptly lost her balance, tumbling to the floor with a cry as it gave out from under her.

Spike was immediately at her side, followed by the Mayor herself.  “Twilight!  Are you alright?” Spike asked.  

Wincing from the pain, she took a deep breath to calm her frustrated nerves, and nodded.  “I’m alright, Spike.  I just bumped something, that’s all.”  She looked up at him, feeling like an invalid as tears of frustration started leaking from her eyes.

“Miss Twilight, please,” said the Mayor.  Twilight looked over at her familiar face, and remembered when the gray-haired matron had first approached her for advice.  “You need to take care of yourself.”

She sighed, and allowed herself to be helped up.  Spike grabbed her staff and handed it to her, and she rested her weight on it as she stood.  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said in a tired voice.

“Perhaps you would be more comfortable if we sat down?” the Mayor asked with concern, gesturing towards Twilight’s sitting area.

“Sure, c’mon Twilight,” Spike piped up, guiding her over to one of her comfortable chairs.  She allowed herself to be led, limping along resignedly, and he helped her settle into her favorite chair.  “I’ll go make some tea or something,” he announced, rushing off to the kitchen.

The Mayor settled herself into a chair across from Twilight.  “He seems enthusiastic about helping you,” she observed.

Twilight smiled.  “Yes, he always has been.  A little overenthusiastic at times, though.”

“He does truly have your best interests at heart, Miss Twilight.”

Twilight sighed.  “I know he does.  It’s just that sometimes I feel like a burden to him.”  She gestured to her leg and eye.  “I have a hard time walking for long distances, so he helps me out there.  He also does a lot of my errands for me, since I know my eye makes people uncomfortable.  He spends so much time doting on me, that it hardly seems like he has any time for himself.”

The Mayor smiled.  “Don’t worry about him, Miss Twilight.  He has more than enough time to himself.  I’ve seen him often about town, talking with people and helping them with their projects.  We all know that Spike is a wonderful young man, and a great help to our community.”  She looked pointed at Twilight.  “Just as we know that you are a wonderful young woman, and the reason we are able to live in peace, regardless of how you look.”

Twilight smiled at her.  Visits from the Mayor often came with hints to come out of her shell and interact with the townsfolk more.  “All right, I’ll try to get out and talk with people more often.  Just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work out.”

“Miss Twilight, I think it will work better than you fear,” the Mayor replied.  “If nothing else, Miss Cheerilee and Mr. Macintosh will be happy to see you.”

“I know, I know,” Twilight replied.  Spike returned to the sitting area, with a tray containing cups of tea and some cookies.  He sat the tray on the table between them, and they both took a bite of cookie.

“Spike, these are wonderful,” complimented the Mayor.  “I must get your recipe.”

“Why, thank you!” he replied, blushing.  “It’s been in the family for a while.  I’ll see if I can write it down for you.”

Twilight smiled as she watched him so happy.  After she and the Mayor finished their snack, they got down to business discussing the town, and further rebuilding options.  The Mayor often asked about how the town was set up in Twilight’s old world and seemed satisfied enough with the answers to put some of the plans in place in their world.  After a few hours of discussion, the Mayor got up to leave, satisfied.

“Now, Miss Twilight, please consider my advice,” the Mayor said as Twilight limped with her to the door, Spike at her heels.  “Remember, we all know who you are, and we respect you greatly.  Do not forget that.”

“I won’t,” she replied.  “I’ve just got a project of my own that needs finishing before I get too involved in something else.”

“Ah, I see,” the Mayor replied.  “Well, good luck to you, then.  I shall see you later.  Same time next week?”

Twilight nodded.  “Of course.”

The Mayor swirled her cloak on and pulled the door shut behind her.  Immediately, Twilight limped back to her desk, and dove back into her memories as Spike looked on with a worried expression.
> Chapter 9: Flight, Friends, and Fury
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The next few days passed in chaos.

The three of us ran from the Changelings, hiding wherever we could and fighting when we had to.  We hid deep within the buildings at night, taking turns resting and watching for trouble.  It seemed like the Changelings were everywhere, and without Fluttershy’s senses, we had a hard time avoiding them, especially when they were already waiting for us.  There were a few times when they tried to copy our friends, but I was able to spell them back to their true forms before Applejack or Spike took them out.  The hardest times were when they copied Applejack’s family, but since we were the only ones in the city, we knew there was no chance Big Mac or Applebloom would be anywhere near here.

We did our best to work our way to the city wall and follow it down to the river.  The third day, we ran across a pack of Changelings pulling down a building, blocking the easiest path to the river and we had to turn into the town quickly before being spotted.  We were able to take a roundabout way to find the wall once more, but it delayed us a few more hours.

The morning of the fifth day, we finally reached our goal.  Battered, bruised, and bloody, we arrived at the river and began searching for our friends.  We carefully scoured the buildings next to the river, flushing out a couple of Changelings in the process.  It wasn’t until the fourth building that we got lucky.  As we were climbing the stairs, exhausted, I came to a landing and saw a flash of pink.  Wary of more trickery, I carefully approached the doorway where I had seen the movement and slowly looked around the corner.  I caught a glimpse of what I thought was Fluttershy’s long pink hair before I felt movement behind me.  

I quickly turned around, catching Pinkie Pie’s hand as it descended with her wicked-looking dagger.  She looked shocked for a moment, then recovered and drove her other fist into my stomach.  I fell back, gasping for breath, and Pinkie was on top of me, driving her dagger towards my face.  Panicking, I raised my arm, feeling the dagger slide along my armored shirt.  The skidding dagger landed in the floor next to my head, and Pinkie strained to pull it out for a moment before being tackled to the floor by a flying Applejack.

As they fought, I got to my feet, only to find myself staring down the barrel of Fluttershy’s shaking gun.  I raised my hands, trying to reassure her, and said, “Real me!  Real me!”

Fluttershy cocked her gun, still shaking.  “The last Twilight we fought already tried that one,” she spat harshly.  “Gotta try something else.”

I looked over at Applejack and Pinkie Pie, who were both rolling on the floor, each trying to get the upper hand.  I saw Spike come up the stairs behind them and pause, taking in the scene, a look of indecision on his face.  Thinking fast, I said in a quiet voice, “You tried to sleep with me the first night after Rainbow Dash died.  I spent every night of the rest of the week comforting you in the middle of the night after you woke up crying.”

Fluttershy lowered her gun, shocked.  I used her hesitation to grab my staff and cast my revealing spell on her, which flowed off of her harmlessly, as I had expected.  Satisfied, I quickly cast the spell on Applejack and Pinkie Pie, causing them both to hesitate in their attempts to kill each other.  The spell flowed off them both in the same way, indicating that they were their true selves.

I stood on shaking legs, relief washing over me.  “You can stop fighting now,” I called to Applejack and Pinkie Pie.  “It’s ok.”

They looked at each other, Applejack on top of Pinkie Pie, her hands around Pinkie’s neck, and Pinkie Pie holding another dagger near Applejack’s throat.  Slowly they disengaged themselves from each other, and Applejack stood up, offering a hand to Pinkie.  “Sorry ‘bout that,” Applejack apologized.

“No problem” Pinkie replied brightly.  “I would have done the same thing.”

Fluttershy was still standing there, holding her gun.  I looked closer at her, and saw tears starting to form.  I hugged her tightly as the tears began to flow.  “I’m sorry,” I murmured into her ear.  “It was all I could think of to say.”

She hugged me back, and shook her head.  “It’s alright, Twilight.  I’m ok.  It’s just… it caught me off guard, that’s all.”

Spike came into the room with us.  “Is the fighting over?” he asked.

I nodded, disengaging myself from Fluttershy.  “Yeah, it’s over.”

He looked as us oddly, but made no comment.  We took some time to recover after that episode, with Pinkie and Fluttershy regaling us with the tale of their escapades.  It sounded like they ran across more Changelings that attempted to duplicate us, and one that nearly killed them after getting close enough to mimic some of my own mannerisms.  Without my magic to keep them safe, they had to take the gamble on when to trust or not.  Fortunately, Pinkie Pie’s abilities were enough to catch any Changeling that deceived them enough, though they didn’t escape completely unscathed.

“That’s why I was so surprised when you blocked me, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie described.  “None of the others had ever realized what was going on.”

“I’ve seen you do it enough times – and been the target of your surprises – to know what to expect.  I’m just glad you used a dagger instead of a gun.”

“The guns draw their attention,” Fluttershy pointed out.  “They swarm like locusts at any noise that loud.”

After a good rest, we scouted out our location as best we could.  We were able to determine that the river did run right up against the castle, but without getting any closer, we couldn’t tell if there was an entrance or not.  We decided to hunker down and wait until night before trying to navigate the river.  

As the day turned into night once more, we carefully moved out into the open, heading directly for the water.  Rushing to the edge of the river, we slipped quietly into the cold water, and began to pull ourselves along the ledge towards the castle.  After an hour pulling through the water, we were just near the castle, and I was starting to shiver.  I looked back at Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Fluttershy, who were behind me.  Pinkie and Spike seemed to be doing ok, but Fluttershy was shivering as well.  “Applejack, do you see any openings?” I whispered ahead.

Applejack, who was a few feet ahead of me, whispered back, saying, “Ah see what looks like a steel doorway just ahead.  We can try gettin’ in there.”

“Good,” I replied.  “I’m freezing here.  Let’s go.”

“Hang on, Ah’m gonna see if there’s any guards.”  She carefully pulled herself out of the water and dripping, moved quickly over to the door.  She inspected the doorway carefully, and checked the area around it as thoroughly as she dared.  Finding nothing, she motioned to me to come forward.  I motioned for the others to come up by me, and indicted for them to wait until I gave them the sign to come out.  I pulled myself out of the water, looking around quickly, and hurried over to where Applejack was waiting.

“Can we get inside?” I asked.  “The others are waiting, and Fluttershy’s shaking.”

“Ah think we can get in,” she replied.  “Ah just need your help.  Can you magic this thing open somehow?”

I looked at the doorway, and pointed my staff at it.  “Let me try,” I said, and began concentrating.  My staff began to glow, and Applejack began to panic a little.  I motioned for her to relax, and continued to carefully work my magic on the door’s lock.  After what seemed like forever, I heard a click, and the door was unlocked.  I reached forward and opened the door, carefully looking around to see if anything was alerted to our presence.  After nothing appeared out of the shadows, I opened the door further, and motioned for the others to come in.

Fluttershy was next, shivering and dripping.  We waited a few minutes for anything further, then motioned for Spike to come.  After he arrived, we paused once more to wait for Pinkie Pie, but our wait was short-lived as she appeared behind me, dripping.

Applejack closed the door behind us, and we moved further into the building, looking for a corner to try and get ourselves warm again.  Locating a small storage room, we slipped inside and took off our cloaks in order to try and dry them out as I conjured a small fire in the center of the room.  Wringing our clothing out, we did our best to warm up and get dry.  After a half an hour, we determined that we were going to be as dry as we could considering our location, and decided to move out in order to find Rarity.

Our first thought was to try and locate the lower levels, since we figured our best chance of finding Rarity would be to start at the bottom and work our way up.  We searched around the level we were on, and finally located a stairwell that led both up and down.  Heading down the stairs, we came across a doorway at the end.  Applejack carefully pushed it open, and slipped through the doorway.  I heard a couple of thuds, and Applejack opened the door to let us through.   I saw a couple of Changelings unconscious on the floor as we stepped around the door.

“C’mon,” Applejack motioned.  “Let’s move.  They looked like they were guarding the back area here.”

I nodded, and we headed through the opening into a long hallway, flanked by doors on either side.  One by one, we checked the doors, finding very little aside from supplies and empty rooms.  Frustration growing, we reached the last room and opened the door.  Inside, it appeared that the room had been used as some sort of jail, as there was a pile of straw on the floor, chains bolted to the walls, and some well-worn eating utensils in the corner.  Spike knelt down and inspected the straw and froze as he looked closely at it.

“Twilight,” he announced quietly, “There’s blood on the straw.  A lot of it.”

I knelt next to him and pulled up a handful of straw, looking at it closely.  “You’re right, Spike.”

Pinkie Pie spoke up by the wall chains.  “These chains are also covered,” she said, holding up the clanking metal.

Fluttershy looked anxious.  “What do think it means?” she asked.

“Ah’m hoping that it’s old blood, and doesn’t mean anything for Rarity,” Applejack said grimly.

I looked at Spike, and we shared an understanding glance.  The blood on the straw was too fresh to be anything aside from within the last week.  We looked up at the others, who were looking afraid and anxious, and I felt a pang of dread at what was to come.

We left the jail cell and headed out of the basement area, back up the stairwell, and moved up to the second floor.  Systematically moving our way through the rooms on the second floor, we fought our way through a few groups of Changelings.  In one of the rooms, we found something that made us even more apprehensive.  Folded up on a table in the center of the room, we found Rarity’s armored outfit, including her color-shifting cloak.

I grabbed the clothing and stuffed it into my bag as we all looked at each other grimly.  Spurred on by our discoveries, we hastened our exploration through the upper floors until we finally reached the top, our anxieties pushed to the breaking point as we pushed our way into the final chamber.

The top floor was one large room, supported by large pillars, and decorated with the grisly trophies of the Changelings.  Human remains were suspended on the walls alongside weapons, arranged in different positions.  Tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of war and devastation.  A long, deep red carpet stretched from the door to the back of the room, where a raised dais stood supporting a large throne upon which sat a large, pale Changeling.  Instead of being smooth and androgynous like the rest of them, this Changeling had a distinctly feminine form and an air of command about her.  She was accompanied by a group of Changelings, and they were surrounding what appeared to be a large cloth sack.

We approached the dais, stopping halfway up the room.  The Changeling on the throne watched us, a mild curiosity on her face.  I stepped forward and announced, “We’re here for our friend and the element of Harmony that you carry.  Give them to us and we won’t destroy your city.”

The Changeling Queen laughed at us.  Her laughter echoed around the chamber, and was picked up by her Changelings, which amplified the laughter until it felt like it was coming at us from every direction.  Tensing, we shifted our stances, readying our weapons.  The Queen noticed this, and waved at her minions, who stopped laughing.  Then she spoke.

“You want your friend?” she asked.  Her voice had a reverberation to it, almost as if she was speaking with multiple voices at once.  “You come in to my city, kill my subjects, cause havoc in my lands, and you dare demand your friend?  And threaten me as well?  How dare you!  Why should I give you anything?”

“You attacked us first!” Applejack shot back.  “Your little subjects tricked us and tried to kill us after kidnapping Rarity!”

“My subjects were merely doing what they always do – find food,” the Queen replied.  “To us, you are merely a source of food.  We feed off your love for others and provide you a service in return.”

“Yeah?” I replied.  “What sort of ‘service’ is that?”

The Queen stood and stretched languidly.  She moved down the dais gracefully, approaching us with a hungry look on her face.  “Why, we provide the service of the one thing that you people have never been able to manage.”  She arrived at our location, and reached forward, gently touching Applejack’s cheek.  Applejack flinched away, and the Queen laughed.  “We provide the opportunity to see loved ones.”  With that, she changed form into Applejack’s sister, Applebloom.  Applejack looked furious, but she had already moved on to me, touching my cheek with the speed of a striking snake.  “We provide the chance to see missing family members.”  She changed into a familiar male form with crystal blue hair, catching me off guard.

“Shining Armor?” I whispered.  She watched my reaction with a sly smile on her face, and looked over at Fluttershy.  I knew what was going to happen, but I was still too shocked to react in time.  

“And,” the Queen said, caressing Fluttershy’s face longingly.  “We can bring back the dead.”  With that, she changed into Rainbow Dash.  Fluttershy stared at her longingly, then mastered herself with a look of fury.  Pulling out her guns, she aimed them directly at the Queen’s forehead, and snarled, “Don’t you ever take that form again!”

The Queen laughed, and changed back into her natural form.  As she did, I noticed two items hanging from her neck.  One appeared to be the element we were after, a circular stone with the shape of a diamond in the center, and the other was…

“Rarity’s crystal!” I exclaimed, pointing at the silver chain hanging from her neck.  

The Queen looked down at her chain and smirked at me.  “Ah, yes, she did have some pretty jewelry on. I especially liked the rings she was wearing.”  She held up her hand, and I recognized the rings that Rarity had found in the city our first day here.  They were both coated in blood.  She saw the look of horror on my face, and turned on her heels, laughing.  “I suppose you would like to see your friend now,” she continued, sauntering back up the dais.  She circled the cloth sack next to her throne, the other Changelings scooting out of her way.  Pausing behind it, she rested her foot on it, and spoke once more.  “I fed well the first day, but instead of just killing her, I decided to let my subjects have some fun.  They’ve been so excited about it, they’ve been playing with her nonstop since.”  With that, she shoved the sack over with her foot, and it spilled a form out, bouncing down the stairs of the dais.  

We almost didn’t recognize her.  Her lovely purple hair had been hacked off roughly, and blood, both dried and fresh, coated almost every inch of her body.  She was completely naked, and we could see cuts and bruises up and down her form, especially on her wrists and ankles where she had been bound by the chains we saw in the cell.  Some of her fingers had been broken, and she appeared to have been repeatedly violated.  Her eyes were scrunched tightly, and she was curled into a ball as tightly as possible.  

Horrified, we gaped at her quivering form.  “Rarity!” I cried.

At the sound of my voice, her eyes flew open, and her head jerked up, searching.  As soon as her eyes landed on us, instead of the look of gratitude that I was expecting, she let out a scream of pure terror, and scurried away from us as quickly as she could.  I watched her attempt to hide from us as she was sobbing uncontrollably, and my eyes flashed up to the Queen in fury.  “What did you do to her?” I demanded.

“I told you, my subjects have been playing with her,” she replied, a satisfied smile on her face.  “They’ve just been having their fun using your own forms.”  The Changelings on the dais flickered into mirror images of us, smiling evilly before changing back.

“You – you’re a monster!” cried Fluttershy, watching Rarity’s attempts to make herself as small as possible with a look of pure horror on her face.  Pinkie Pie stood stunned, Spike was growling, and Applejack shouldered her rifle, aiming directly at the Queen.  

The Queen waved away Applejack’s threat.  “It was you and your people who made us this way.  Especially her,” she pointed down at Rarity.  “This one was instrumental in causing our banishment.”

“What?” I replied, confused.  “What are you talking about?”

“Do not pretend to be ignorant,” she snarled, standing.  “You know full well that she was the one who incited the people against us – we were not good enough to live among you!”

“Rarity would never do that!” Pinkie Pie interjected.  “She’s too kind and generous for something that mean!”

“Little fool,” the Queen hissed at her.  “You know nothing.  Discord was right to kill you all before.  But he was also right to give me the opportunity to avenge my people and our lifestyle.”

“Discord told you about us?” I asked.

She laughed once more.  “Of course.  He told me that you would be coming for your precious elements, and that I would have the chance for my revenge.”  She removed both the element and Rarity’s crystal from her neck, and swung them from the end of her hand, taunting us.  “Well?  Here is your precious, precious element.  You can come get it – at the expense of your friend’s life.”

At that point, the growling that had been coming from Spike turned into an ear-shattering roar.  Covering my ears, I looked over at him to see that his form was changing, growing quickly.  His hair stood up, forming a crest, and fused together.  His limbs extended, razor-sharp claws growing out of them, and his tail extended behind him, small sharp spikes growing around the tip, giving it the look of a mace.  His skin took on a purple sheen, growing scaly, and his mouth extended, fangs growing to deadly points.  He let out one more roar before he lost his powers of speech completely.  “GIVE ME BACK MY RARITY!” he screamed, his voice deepening until his roars caused the ground to shudder.

We scrambled away from him, and I waited for him to leap at the astonished Queen like he had while fighting the timberwolves.  However, instead of jumping at her, his form now taller than even Applejack, he continued to grow and grow even further, turning into a full grown dragon.  He stepped forward, shaking the castle to the core, and the Changelings leapt at him, hissing.

He swiped his claws at them dismissively, and three of them exploded in a spray of blood with the force of his strike.  His claws were so sharp that they slid through a nearby pillar with ease, the pillar coming apart completely, stones raining down around us all.  “Spike!” I called, dodging the falling debris.  “Watch out for us!”

He ignored my cries, continuing to destroy any Changeling that got in his way.  He shifted to the left to avoid an attack, and his shoulder knocked over two other pillars.  I saw the debris rain down near Fluttershy and Applejack, and cried out a warning.  They jumped away, but I saw Applejack get hit on the side with a large rock, and she rolled away, striking the wall with a thud.  She lay there, and I couldn’t tell from where I was if she was conscious or not.

Spike leapt forward, landing hard on the dais in front of the Changeling Queen, who dropped the element and Rarity’s crystal, losing her balance from the force of Spike’s landing.  Spike roared in triumph, and snapped his head forward with an astonishing speed.  I was able to see him close his deadly jaws around the Queen, snapping her in half at her midsection, before I heard a cry of warning behind me.  “Twilight!” yelled Pinkie Pie.  “Watch out for the tail!”

Surprised, I looked up just in time to see Spike’s deadly tail flying towards me.  I tried to throw myself out of its way, but I wasn’t fast enough as the tail clipped the side of my face, flinging me back with blinding pain.  I struck my head hard on a piece of debris and my world went black.



	

I woke what seemed like hours later, but after looking around at the carnage around me, realized it had only been a few minutes.  The left side of my face was screaming with pain, and I couldn’t see out of my left eye.  I tried to close my eye to make it easier, but nothing changed.  Pushing myself up, I surveyed the area as best I could, trying to ignore my aching body.  Spike was still in his dragon form, and was contentedly chewing on something up on the dais that I recognized with a lurch in my stomach as the leg of the Changeling Queen.  

Blood was everywhere in the throne room, splattered on the walls and floors where Spike had demolished the Changelings.  I saw Fluttershy, who was tending to Applejack, who appeared to be ok, if favoring her side that had been struck.  I looked over at Rarity, who was still whimpering in the corner, trying to keep us all in her field of view, terror on her face.  Despair threatened to overwhelm me as I looked for Pinkie Pie, who was carefully picking her way through the debris towards me.  She glanced up as she made her way around a large piece of pillar, and the shock on her face was immediate.  “Oh no, Twilight!” she cried, rushing over to me.  “Your eye!”

I shook my head, not sure what I was thinking at the time.  “My eye’s fine,” I replied.  “I’ve probably just got some blood in it, that’s all.”

She looked apprehensive, and I looked at her carefully through my good eye, a cold certainty starting to grow within me.  “Pinkie?” I asked quietly.  “What’s wrong?”

She opened her mouth a moment, closed it, then opened it once more.  “You’re eye, Twilight.  It’s – it’s gone.”

I stared at her for a horrified moment, then pressed my hand to my left eye.  Ignoring the pain, I felt around the socket, feeling the shredded flesh radiating from the eye, but not feeling anything resembling my actual eye.  As I confirmed what Pinkie Pie was telling me, I broke down crying, tears streaming from my good eye, but nothing coming from the other.

A rumbling below us broke me from my feelings of pity, and I realized what was going on.  Spike’s disregard for anything around him had caused the building to come off of its foundations, and it was getting ready to collapse.  Pushing myself up, I called to the others.  “Everyone, we need to get out of here!  The building’s gonna fall!  Over to me, now!”

Spike just looked over at me, ignoring my cries as if I was nothing to him.  Fluttershy and Applejack hurried over to me, but I ignored their cries of concern at the sight of my face as I looked over at Rarity.  She tried to scurry away from my view, but was unable to go any further as she had backed against a pillar.  “Pinkie, get her, quickly.  I’ll try to get Spike.”  

Rushing over to Spike, followed by Fluttershy and Applejack, I tried to reason with him as he gnawed on the leg.  “Spike, come on!  We need to get out of here!”

He grunted down at me, eyes narrowing as he inspected me.  “Spike, it’s me!” I cried.  “Come on!  The only way to save Rarity right now is for you to come back to us so we can get out of here!”

The shaking of the building increased as Pinkie Pie hurried over, dragging a struggling Rarity the entire way.  “Twilight, I don’t think it’s gonna hold much longer!” she yelled.  “Whatever you’re gonna do, you’d better do it now!”

“Spike!” I screamed, trying to get through to him.  “Remember Rarity!”

He looked down at me, then at Rarity, and his eyes softened.  Suddenly, the dragon was gone, the Changeling Queen’s leg flopping to the floor, and Spike was standing there in his normal form, looking woozy.  Applejack immediately grabbed him and Fluttershy, and I grabbed Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie and poured my strength into another teleportation spell.  I felt the ground give way beneath my feet just as the spell took effect, and for one brief moment we were falling in midair before the spell whisked us away, and we landed on the grassy hill outside of town just in time to see the castle in the city collapse in a heap of debris and dust.  Immediately, the pain in my head became too much to bear, and I blacked out for the second time that day.
> Chapter 10: A Lack of Foresight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I awoke feeling someone wrapping bandages around my head and over the side of my face.  I groaned in pain, and whoever was wrapping stopped suddenly, and I felt my head being lowered into someone’s lap.  I opened my right eye and found myself looking up at a crying Spike.  I tried to smile up at him, but the movement pulled at the damaged skin on my face, and I ended up half-smiling, half-wincing.  He let out another sob at this, and I tried to comfort him.

“Hey, why’s my number one assistant crying?” I asked, trying to push myself up.  Everything ached, and the left side of my face was on fire with pain.  Spike immediately tried to push me down, but I waved him off.  He watched me with apprehension as I pushed myself into a sitting position.

“I thought you were dead,” Spike wailed.  “I’m so sorry, I almost killed you!”

I almost smiled once more, but thought against it.  Instead I settled for trying to pat him on the shoulder.  With my depth perception being off, I ended up missing and grabbing his arm.  Squeezing it in comfort, I replied, “I’m alive, though.  We all are.  That means it’s all right.”

A cry from the others drew our attention.  We looked over and saw that Rarity was curled up in a ball once more, screaming at Pinkie Pie, who was trying to get her to put on the clothing we had found in the castle.  From the incoherent screams, I gathered that the Changelings had put her through a horrible ordeal the entire time they had held her.

Applejack came over to where I was sitting and sat down next to me, a defeated look on her face.  I could see she was holding the chains with the element and Rarity’s crystal.  “Snatched ‘em while you were reasoning with Spike,” she said, holding them up to the light.  She looked over at me with a look of apprehension and pity, and asked, “Twilight, are you gonna be ok?”

Immediately I bristled at her insinuation, but realized that she was truly concerned for my well-being.  “I don’t know,” I replied softly.  “I know I’m gonna try, though.”  I gestured to where Pinkie Pie was carefully backing away from Rarity, who had grabbed a nearby stick and was waving it wildly in self-defense.  “I’m more worried about her.  I don’t know if she’ll recover.”

Applejack shook her head, worry plain on her face.  “Ah dunno, Twilight.  Ah think our best bet is to get her back to familiar surroundings.  Hopefully she’ll realize that we’re not the Changelings anymore.”

I nodded, wincing at the pain in my head.  “Let me rest for a while longer.  I’ll try to bring us home.  The quicker we can get there, the quicker we can try to help her.”

Applejack shot a concerned glance at me.  “You sure you can do that, Sugarcube?” she asked.

“I have to be, otherwise it won’t work,” I replied.  She looked unsure, but let it pass, and nodded.  

“All right, Twi.  Ah’ll do what Ah can to let you rest.  You let us know when you’re ready, and Ah’ll make sure we get ahold of her.”  She indicated the still-naked Rarity, who had now turned her attentions to Fluttershy, who was backing away quickly from her wild eyes.  Applejack paused for a moment, then said, “Excuse me, Twi.”

She stood, and quickly moved over to Pinkie Pie.  After a brief conversation, Pinkie nodded, a grim look on her face.  She picked up a rock and vanished, appearing behind Rarity, bringing the rock down on her head, knocking her unconscious.  I winced at the sight of Rarity dropping to the ground, but understood the necessity.  I huddled there, wrapped in my cloak, as Spike finished bandaging my head, until I eventually fell asleep for a time.

I woke as the dawn began to light the sky, feeling the stiffening in my joints.  Stretching myself, feeling my joints pop, I carefully pushed myself up to a standing position.  I looked around at my friends, who were in deep discussion over by the unconscious Rarity, who had been wrapped up in her cloak.  “Hey, guys,” I called as I headed over to them.

They looked up at me apprehensively.  “Hey, Twilight,” replied Fluttershy.  “How are you doing?”

“I hurt pretty badly,” I replied honestly.  “I’m afraid, and I’m feeling kinda depressed.  But I have to get us all home, so I’m determined.”

Taken aback by my honesty, they looked at me with surprised expressions.  Shaking off their surprise, I asked, “How’s Rarity?”

“We don’t really know,” Pinkie Pie replied.  “She’s been quiet since I knocked her out.  At least she’s not screaming at us.”

I looked down at her still form, sorrow welling up in me.  I took a deep breath.  “All right,” I announced.  “Let’s go home.”  I gripped my staff tightly, and extended my other hand.  The others stood slowly, and Applejack reached down and, with a wince of pain, picked up Rarity, still wrapped in her cloak.  We all linked hands, and I concentrated, staff pulsing with light, pouring my energy into the spell.  After what seemed an eternity, the spell took effect, and we vanished.

We reappeared on the outskirts of Equs.  Immediately, my legs gave out from under me, and if I hadn’t been holding my staff or Pinkie Pie’s hand, I would have collapsed.  Planting my staff and using Pinkie Pie for leverage, I pushed myself up on shaking legs.  I noticed that I was having a hard time gripping, and felt tremors run through my arms.  The others were still recovering from the usual post-teleportation disorientation, but they were all standing normally.

Spike recovered first, and noticing my distress, rushed over to me.  “Twilight!  Are you ok?”

I smiled a shaky smile at him.  “I’m ok, Spike,” I replied, my voice shaking.  “I’m just drained.  I’m gonna need to eat like a pig after all of these long-range teleportation spells.”

He disengaged my hand from Pinkie’s.  It took almost no effort on his part, though to me it felt like I had been squeezing with all my strength.  “Here, lean on me,” he said, putting my arm around his shoulder.  I nodded gratefully, and together we slowly picked our way back to the library, Applejack still carrying Rarity, and followed by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.

We arrived at the library, and made our way through the secret door.  Hearing the sounds of our arrival, we were met at the bottom of the stairs by Big Mac.  He was smiling until we came out of the shadows of the stairs, then his expression turned to shock and horror.  “What happened?” he cried.  At the sound of his voice, Cheerilee rushed into the room, apprehension on her face as she took in our exhausted crew.

I felt my body shuddering, and immediately pointed Spike in the direction of the nearest chair.  We limped over to it as quickly as possible and I collapsed gratefully into it as Applejack immediately took Rarity away to her room.  Spike explained my situation, and Cheerilee quickly left to get me something substantial to eat.  A short while later she brought back a large tray of food and I dug in gratefully, eating as quickly as I dared.  After working my way through half of the plate, I started to feel normal again, and slowed my eating to the point where I could talk at the same time.  

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had already been filling Big Mac and Cheerilee in on the results of our journey.  I could tell when they reached the point about what had happened in the throne room by the looks on their faces.  They finished up with our escape from the destroyed castle and our final teleportation back to the town.  Cheerilee was looking at me with an expression of sadness and pity, and I suddenly felt a surge of anger at her response.  Who was she to look down at me with pity?  She hadn’t been the one out there risking her life to restore her world.  I immediately felt ashamed of my feelings, and turned away from her sorrowful gaze.

Applejack returned a short while later, having settled Rarity into her bed.  “Ah can only hope that a familiar sight will help her out,” she said grimly as she sat down next to me, picking at the remains of my plate.  I nearly growled at her, but restrained myself, realizing that I was already overfull.  I pushed the plate over to her, and she nodded gratefully, scarfing down the last bits of food.  Cheerilee noticed her hunger, and half an hour later, four more plates were brought out for the rest of us.  

We talked over breakfast, trying to figure out what to do next.  We all agreed that we would take what time we could to allow Rarity to recover, but we weren’t sure how long that would take.  “They did some horrible things to her,” Fluttershy shuddered.  She appeared to come to a decision, for she announced her desire to stay with Rarity.  “Twilight was kind enough to stay with me during my troubles.  I want to repay the favor.  Besides, Twilight can use all of the rest she can get right now.”

“Are you sure, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack.  “Ah’ve got no problems staying with Rarity.”

Fluttershy shook her head.  “I’d like to do this.  I want to help.”

As no one had any objections, it was decided that Fluttershy would take Applejack’s bed, and Applejack would take Fluttershy’s.  I elected to stay in Fluttershy’s room with Applejack, and Spike and Pinkie Pie would continue to share their room.

The rest of the day was filled with apprehension.  Rarity awoke sometime around noon, screaming and crying, and anytime any of us tried to help her, she became unmanageable and violent.  She would either try to attack us or hide in the corner or under the bed.  She was only marginally trusting of Big Mac or Cheerilee, but as none of them had attempted to hurt her as of yet, she would at least remain silent and still if they entered, watching their every moves.

As night finally arrived, we decided that it was time for bed.  “Fluttershy, are you sure you’re up to this?” I asked as we made our way back to the sleeping areas.  We paused outside of Rarity’s door, and Fluttershy looked at me with determination.  

“Of course I am,” she replied.  “If I can show her the kindness that we all need, then I believe she’ll get better.”

I smiled at her.  That was the Fluttershy I remembered.  “All right, but if you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.”

She smiled back.  “I won’t.”  And with that, she carefully pushed open the door, and slipped inside.  I waited outside for the usual round of screams, but none came.  Satisfied, I made my way into Fluttershy’s room with Applejack, and crawled into bed, promptly falling asleep.

The next two days were filled with tension, as Rarity’s sobs and screams began to grate on everyone’s nerves.  The time between the outbursts was getting to be longer, but every time it felt like we were making progress, she would lapse back into terror and either attack whoever was nearby or scuttle away and hide.

All the while, thoughts were turning over and over in my mind.  Something that the Changeling Queen had said to us was gnawing at me, but I was too focused on Rarity to truly explore the meaning behind it.  Unfortunately, everything came to a head on the third day, and I was forced to face the meaning of those words.

We awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of gunshots.  Panicked, we all scrambled out of our beds, nearly tripping over one another to get down the hallway to Rarity’s room.  Shoving the door open and turning on the light, we were met with a scene of horror.

Rarity was huddled in her bed, holding one of Fluttershy’s guns, and was staring down at the prone form of Fluttershy, who was groaning, still dressed in her nightclothes.  I saw blood spattering the walls opposite her and blood was dripping from Fluttershy’s shoulder where she had been shot.  Tears were streaming down Rarity’s face, and I could see her mouth moving silently.  She appeared to be apologizing over and over as she stared, hands shaking.

I carefully stepped into the room, and stopped as she immediately trained the gun on me.  Raising my hands, I did my best to show her that I meant no harm.  “Rarity, it’s alright,” I spoke soothingly.  “It’s just us.  It’s really just us.”

“How do I know that?” she demanded, her voice breaking.  “So many times you came to me, saying that, but it was just the beginning of more pain!”  The sobbing intensified, and the gun shook in her hands as she babbled in terror.  “The torture, the pain, it never stopped!  Every time any of you came to me, it was hope dashed by pain, pain, and more pain!”

“Rarity, please!  You have to let us help you!”  I pleaded.  “We’re safe now.  No one is going to hurt you anymore.”

Applejack had moved into the room behind me, eliciting a fresh scream from Rarity.  Her gun was now jerking back and forth between us.  Applejack moved slowly, keeping an eye on her gun, until she was next to Fluttershy.  Pausing there, she waited to see if Rarity was going to do anything drastic, and when nothing came, slowly knelt down next to Fluttershy, inspecting her wound.  Trying to keep Rarity focused on me, I took a hesitant step forward, and she trained the gun on me.  “Get back!  Get back!” she screamed.

I heard Applejack murmur next to me.  “It looks like the bullet just passed through,” she observed quietly, “but we gotta get her patched up right quick.”

The whispering was apparently too much for Rarity to take.  “No more, no more,” she repeated over and over.  “I can’t take it anymore.”  Suddenly, her hands stopped shaking, and I noticed that she was staring at the gun she was holding.  A feeling of dread formed in the pit of my stomach as I saw her eyes narrow in determination.

“Rarity?” I cautiously spoke.  She looked up at me with a vacant smile on her face.  Ever so slowly, she pulled the gun back until it was pointing upwards.  A feeling of anticipation filled the room as she stared into my eye.  The silence dragged on as we stood there, each watching the other, Applejack kneeling next to Fluttershy, and Spike and Pinkie Pie still standing in the doorway.  She cocked the gun, the sound deafening in the silent room, and I braced myself, waiting for the barrage of bullets.

They never came.  With one swift motion that left us all dumbstruck, Rarity placed the gun under her chin and pulled the trigger.

Time slowed to a crawl.  The deafening blast of the gun intermingled with our screams as I watched Rarity’s head jerk upwards, blood spattering the walls behind her, and her body slowly slumped down onto the bed as I reached forward in futility, the gun clattering to the floor.  I saw Spike rocket past me, leaping onto the bed in a belated attempt to save the one person he’d loved so dearly for the longest time.  He picked her up, cradling her lifeless head in his arms as her blood coated him.

I stood there, thunderstruck.  Never in my wildest nightmares did I ever expect the scene that had unfolded in front of me.  I moved forward, as if in a daze, and knelt next to the bed, placing my hands on Rarity’s forehead.  Her skin was cold and lifeless, and her sightless eyes stared back at me, finally exhibiting a measure of peace.  All of the horrible bruising and cuts on her body seemed as decorations on a lifeless shell, and as I carefully pried her head from Spike’s trembling hands, ignoring the blood that now began to coat my nightgown, she seemed to be a dead weight.

Holding her head in one hand, I gently closed her eyes with the other, and then bent down and kissed her pale, bloody lips.  “Good night, sweet Rarity,” I whispered, feeling the full weight of what had been done to her over the course of those painful days.  Handing her head back to Spike, I stood, moving with a distinct purpose, ignoring the cries and queries from my friends.

Stepping out into the hall, I noticed that a crowd had gathered at the end of the hallway, their expressions ranging from curious to horrified as I stepped into their view.  I momentarily vanished from sight as I slipped into my room, grabbed my staff, and stepped back out.  I must have been a terrifying sight to behold as I approached the crowd, the bandages on my head covering the left side of my face, my hands, face, and nightgown coated in Rarity’s blood, my glowing staff in hand, and such an expression of fury on my face that they all immediately parted to allow me to pass.

Cheerilee and Big Mac were near the back of the crowd, which suited me just fine.  I strode directly towards them, their faces growing more and more nervous until I reached them.  Without stopping, I grabbed Cheerilee by the throat with all the force I could muster, forced her backwards until we hit the wall of the meeting room, and slammed her up against it, my fury lending me enough strength to hold her a foot off of the floor.  “WHY!” I screamed.  “WHY DIDN”T YOU TELL US!”

I heard Big Mac growl behind me, and felt his presence getting closer.  I spun my staff behind me and grabbed him with my magic, pulling him around and forcing him up against the wall as well.  Pushing my face up close to Cheerilee and ignoring Mac’s struggles, I hissed at her, “The Changeling Queen had some interesting things to say when we faced her.  She told us that they had been driven out of the land, and that Rarity was the biggest reason why.”  She struggled against my grip, her face changing colors as she fought to breathe, but I was too furious to notice.

“You knew!” I shrieked, shaking her like a rag doll.  “You knew what we were getting into, and you said nothing!  You knew that bringing Rarity there would be like a slap in the face to them.  Now she’s dead, and you.  Said.  NOTHING!”  I screamed the last word, crushing her against the wall.  Suddenly I felt hands on my shoulders, pulling me away from the wall.  I lost my grip on Cheerilee, and she tumbled to the ground, hands at her throat, coughing and gasping for air.

I whirled around, swinging my staff at whoever had dared interrupt my fury.  Pinkie Pie blocked my attack, catching the staff and holding it tightly as she looked down at me in sorrow.  I glared up at her, but as she wasn’t the target of my ire, the glare was only half-hearted before I broke down sobbing into her arms, resting my head on her chest.  I heard a soft thump as my magic dissipated, and Big Mac landed on the floor.

Pinkie Pie pulled me away from everyone, bringing me back through the silent crowd, and herded me back into my room.  She sat me down on my bed, took my staff from me, and leaned it against the wall.  “What was that all about?” she asked, concerned.

I looked up from where I had buried my face in my hands.  “You heard the Changeling Queen and what she said about Rarity.  There has to have been some truth behind that, or they wouldn’t have tortured her that badly.”

“I just thought she was trying to get under our skin,” she replied, looking worried.  “You really think she was telling the truth?”

I nodded grimly.  “And I aim to get as much truth out of them before we go anywhere else.”

“Ok,” she agreed.  “But can it wait until you’ve calmed down?  You look really, really scary right now.”

I looked up at my kind, gentle friend, who had spent the majority of her life trying to make people laugh, and who I had seen not more than a day ago brutally killing Changelings in an effort to save our friend.  If she felt that I was too scary, then who was I to judge?  I nodded in resignation, and she smiled.  “There’s my Twilight.  You stay here,” she ordered.  “Applejack and I will take care of everything else tonight.”  And with that, she was gone, and I was left alone with my thoughts and my grief.

I stayed there until morning came, staring at the wall separating my room from where Rarity had been only hours before and thinking.  Shortly after morning, Applejack came into the room, looking exhausted.  “We managed to get her cleaned up,” she said as I glanced up at her.  “We should be ready for the funeral anytime today.”  She grimaced, holding her side, and sat down on the bed opposite me.  She waved away my questioning look, and rubbed her side a little.  “Just hurt myself a little during the fight at the castle.  Ah should be fine, no problem.”

“Did you find out why she shot Fluttershy?” I asked.

Applejack nodded.  “First thing Ah asked her when she came to.  Turns out Rarity woke up sometime in the middle of the night crying.  Fluttershy was just trying to get her calmed down like she had before, when Rarity suddenly pulled out one of her guns and started firing.  She must’ve stolen it sometime during the day when we weren’t looking.  Fluttershy went down after she was hit in the shoulder, and must’ve passed out from the shock.”  She looked down sadly.  “She was in a right state when she woke up again and we had to tell her what happened.  Thought she’d never stop crying.”

I drew my knees up and hugged them to me.  “I know how she feels,” I replied.

Applejack looked over at me curiously.  “Pinkie Pie told us what you did to Cheerilee and Big Mac.  You really reckon that there’s more that they didn’t tell us?”

I nodded, determination creeping into my voice.  “I do.  And I aim to get the answers before we go anywhere else.”

“Still plan on going after the rest of the elements?” Applejack asked, her voice neutral.

I glared up at her.  “Of course,” I replied testily.  “I owe it to the memories of Rarity and Rainbow Dash to try and save this world.  They will not have died for nothing.”

Applejack stared at me for a moment, then broke into a satisfied smile.  “That’s my Twilight,” she said, echoing Pinkie’s earlier observation.  “Ah wouldn’t have it any other way.”

My interrogation of Cheerilee and Big Mac didn’t occur until late in the afternoon.  We held a small funeral for Rarity.  There didn’t appear to be any of her family present in the town, so we were the ones who provided most of the information for her eulogy.  I insisted that she be buried next to Trixie, as the best connection to our old world.  

After we came back inside from laying her to rest, I immediately cornered Cheerilee and Big Mac, though with much less violence than the night before.  Cheerilee’s throat was heavily bruised from my attack, but I refused to feel any sympathy for her.  “Well?” I demanded, as we all got ourselves settled in the meeting area.  Fluttershy’s shoulder was heavily bandaged, and Applejack was still favoring her side.  “There’s a few things you’ve been keeping from us, isn’t there?”

Cheerilee and Big Mac looked at each other, and they sighed together.  This time it was Big Mac who spoke, outlining the history that we had been unaware of.  “Rarity was instrumental in getting the Changelings banished, yes,” he rumbled.  “After the six of you banished Nightmare Moon, you were lauded as heroes.  Unfortunately, while most of you kept your senses after that, Rarity let it go to her head.”

We looked at each other.  “She’s always been a little full of herself, but not that badly,” I replied.

Big Mac shook his head.  “This was more than that.  She took it upon herself to act as a leader, and rallied people around causes she deemed important.  One was the banishment of the Changelings.  Up until that point, it had been a mutual existence.  We tolerated them, and they tolerated us.  Nothing big, but no open antagonism either.  Rarity felt that their abilities were disgusting, and their appearance even more so.  So she was able to convince the Princesses that they were a threat to us, which led to their banishment, and ultimately to the incident at Princess Cadence’s wedding where the Queen attempted to take over the kingdom by posing as your brother.

“The problem truly came when Discord appeared.  As we found out later, Rarity’s arrogance had grown to the point where she was no longer a representation of the element of Generosity.  When the six of you attempted to challenge him, the elements didn’t work.”

Fluttershy looked astonished.  “What do you mean, didn’t work?”

“Just that,” he replied.  “From what we heard, you tried using the elements, but without Rarity’s element, the magic just fizzled out.  At that point, Discord just laughed and proceeded to kill you mercilessly, taking the elements for himself.”

“How do y’all know this?” Applejack asked, suspicious.  “Y’all weren’t there, were you?”

Big Mac shook his head.  “Nope.  Rainbow Dash told us.  She was the only one to escape the massacre and live to tell the tale.  She didn’t last too much longer, though,” he continued sadly.  “She blamed herself for your deaths, for leaving you all when you most needed her.  She eventually left once more to go after Discord, but never returned.  News of her death fighting Discord reached us later, after Discord announced that he was the true ruler of the world.”

There was silence as we digested this information.  After a few minutes, I spoke up.  “Is there anything else you’ve been keeping from us about… us?  Was Fluttershy secretly an assassin?  Did Pinkie Pie spend her days torturing little creatures?”

The both shook their heads vehemently.  “No, nothing of the sort,” replied Big Mac.  “Ah promise.”

“I want to ask about a few people.  One, are any of Rarity’s family still alive right now?”

They shook their heads.  “As far as we know, none of them,” replied Cheerilee.  “Sweetie Belle was the last seen, and that was on her way to the Crystal Empire.  She was following your brother’s trail.”

I glared at them.  “So you do know what’s happened to my brother!”

“Well, what we told you was a portion of the truth,” admitted Big Mac.  “No one’s seen him since you were killed.  Rumor has it that he went north in a depression, and may have joined with King Sombra.  One thing’s for sure, though,” he continued, “anyone who has seen him with any certainty hasn’t lived to tell the tale.  He tends to kill anyone who gets close enough to identify him.”

I stared openmouthed.  “My brother?  My Shining Armor?”  I shook my head.  “It can’t be true.  He was never a killer…”

“With Cadence gone, and you dead, there was no one to help him,” Cheerilee continued sadly.  “I think something snapped inside him.”  She looked over at me, uncomfortable and eager to change the subject.  “You said you wanted to ask about other people?”

I nodded.  I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to my next question, but I had to ask.  “You already told me what happened to my brother.  Do you know what happened to Princess Celestia?”

Cheerilee’s face fell, and Big Mac bit his lip.  “We were afraid of that,” he rumbled.

“We didn’t want to disappoint you,” Cheerilee pleaded.

“What. Happened,” I demanded through gritted teeth.

Big Mac paused before answering.  “She’s the ruler of Camelot,” he said quickly, as if speed would make the subject go by faster.  I shot him a questioning glance, and he continued.  “She’s joined with Discord, much like her sister, and guards the element of Honesty.”

“What?” demanded Pinkie Pie.

“We think that Discord brainwashed her,” Cheerilee explained.  “It’s the only explanation that we can think of.  She’s completely subservient to him and guards the element under his orders.”

“We’re gonna have to fight Princess Celestia,” groaned Applejack, mortified.  “How’re we gonna do that?”

“Maybe we can reason with her?” asked Fluttershy.  “We might be able to convince her to give us the element if she realizes it’s us.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Big Mac replied, shaking his head.  “But I suppose it’s worth a try.”

I was silent for a minute, thinking.  “What’s on your mind, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“That settles it,” I said.  “We’re going north next, to the Crystal Empire.  I need to know what’s happened to my brother.”

“Remember, he’s not the brother you used to know,” pointed out Applejack. 

“I know that,” I replied.  “But he’s still my family.  You know how it is with family.”

She looked at me for a minute, then nodded.  Turning to the others suddenly, she said, “You know with all that’s gone on, we never checked on your families.  D’you know anything about them here?”

“Oh, I already know where my family is,” Pinkie Pie said brightly.  “They’re at the north end of the cemetery.  I found their spot the first week we were here.”

Taken aback at her frankness, Applejack and I sat there openmouthed.  Shaking myself, I turned to Fluttershy, who had been silent.  “How about you, Fluttershy?  Did you want to check up on your family?”

Fluttershy shook her head.  “Not especially,” she replied, a flat expression on her face.  “I expect that dad would still be disappointed in me, and mom would be drunk.”  Seeing our disbelieving faces, she continued.  “They disowned me long ago, when I failed flight camp and got an ‘inferior’ cutie mark.  Not that mom ever noticed me anyway, or did much of anything that dad didn’t want.”

“Ah’m sorry about that, Sugarcube,” apologized Applejack.  “Ah never –“

Fluttershy shook her head.  “Don’t worry about it.  I never told any of you.”  She turned back to me, and asked, “Well, Twilight?  What’s the plan for getting there?”

I gaped at her.  “W-well, I guess we rest for a while before heading north.”  I turned to Big Mac and Cheerilee.  “How long do you think it’ll take us to get there?”

“Well, if you can get the old train moving again, it’ll be about a day’s ride north,” replied Big Mac.  “Otherwise, it’s at least a few weeks on foot.”

“Where’s the train?” I asked.

“Day and a half’s walk to the northeast,” he indicated, pulling out the map of the area.  He indicated a point a ways in the northeast, on a line that I had originally taken to be a river.  “It’s been at least a year since it ran,” he warned.  “Might not work too well.”

“Well, if it’ll save us the time, we’ll give it a go,” Applejack stated confidently.

“What can you tell us about the Crystal Empire?” I asked suspiciously.  

“Honestly, there’s not much to tell,” Cheerilee replied.  “It’s always been a secretive country, and especially so since King Sombra was resurrected.”

I looked her in the eyes for a long while, but nothing further was forthcoming.  I dropped my gaze and nodded.  “All right.”  I pushed myself up, standing.  “We’ll rest for a while.  We all need to recover from our last ordeal, so we’ll give it at least a week before we start off again.  Our first goal will be the train.  If we can get it running, great.  If we can’t, it’ll be a long walk.  Applejack, I’ll be counting on your mechanical know-how to get it working.”  She nodded in response, determined.  “Good.  After we get to the Crystal Empire, we’ll have to reassess the situation.  Remember, we’re looking for two elements this time.”

With that, we all stood and started to go our separate ways.  Applejack pulled me aside before I could go far, and handed me something.  Looking down, I saw the chains that she had taken from the Changeling Queen; one had the element of Generosity and the other had Rarity’s crystal.

“Ah thought you should hang on to these,” she said.

I looked down at the element, staring into the crystal diamond, a pang of grief welling up within me.  As I stared, I noticed a small shimmer of light deep within the diamond, much as I had with the element of Loyalty, and bent my head to look closer.  There was a shimmering there, but it faded before I could inspect it too closely.  Disappointed, I looked up at Applejack.  “Thanks,” I said, closing my fingers around the items.  Ignoring the look of curiosity she threw my way, I headed back towards my room to store the element with its companion.  
> Interlude 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Twilight! Twilight!”  Spike was shaking her hard, trying to get her attention.  Her hand slipped, and she knocked over the inkwell, spilling ink on the floor and splattering it on her boots.  She looked up at him in irritation, and saw him step back, suddenly unsure.

She tried to soften her expression, but he stayed a few feet back from her.  “What is it?” she asked in measured tones, shaking her head to clear her mind.  For a brief moment, her face felt just as it had the day after she had lost her eye, but the pain faded as quickly as it had come.

“It’s just that…” he paused, wringing his hands.  “Twilight, I’ve been trying to get your attention for a while now, but you weren’t responding.  It’s late, and you need your rest.”

She blinked, and looked out the window.  The sun was completely gone, and it was pitch-black outside.  Stretching, she stood and tried to walk over to the kitchen to get something to drink.  However, much like she had earlier, she stepped forward without her staff, and her bad leg gave out from under her.  Falling with a cry, she landed hard on her shoulder, feeling a slight pop as it dislocated with a flash of pain that brought tears to her eyes.

As she lay there crying, Spike rushed over to her, and knelt down beside her.  “Twilight, are you ok?” he asked.

She tried to push herself up, but the waves of pain coming from her shoulder were too much, and she slid back down to the floor.  “I think I dislocated something,” she gasped, trying to shift off of her injured shoulder.

Spike reached down, feeling the damaged shoulder, trying to ignore her gasps as he carefully realigned the bone into its socket.  Sticking his arm in front of her mouth, he ordered her to bite down on his sleeve.  As she did so, he quickly forced the bone back into position, and she let out a muffled scream as the pain reached its peak and receded.  Gasping, she released his sleeve, and he helped her sit up.

“What were you thinking, walking like that?” he demanded.  “You know you can’t walk without your staff or something!”

She sat there, crying, and he immediately felt bad about losing his temper.  “Twilight?  What’s going on?”

Wiping the tears from her eye, she sniffed.  “It’s just this spell,” she confessed.  “I remember everything so clearly, it feels like I’m right there.  And I’m walking normally, without a cane or a staff or someone’s arm.”  She slapped her bad leg.  “And then I come back to reality and I… forget about this.”  She growled, frustrated.  “It’s like the rug is pulled out from under me as soon as I take a step.”

Spike hugged her tightly.  “It’s ok, Twilight,” he whispered in her ear.  Releasing her, he looked into her eye with a serious expression.  “But tomorrow, you need to take a break.  At least for the morning, ok?  No spells, no writing.  Just go outside and have a walk or something, or sit in the sun.  It’s been beautiful out lately, and I’ve got a nice chair and table set up just by the front walk.  I’ll even make your favorite breakfast.”

She glared at him.  She was determined to finish her story, for the sooner she was able to finish, the sooner the pain of loss might recede.  Looking into his eyes and seeing the love and concern there, she was forced to concede his point.  “All right,” she agreed.  “I’ll take a break tomorrow morning.  Then I need to get back to work.”

He smiled at her gratefully.  “Thanks, Twilight.”  With that, he picked her up easily, and ignoring her protestations, carried her over to her bed and carefully set her down.  She waved him away before he could get any ideas about undressing her, and proceeded to get herself ready for bed.  Lying down, she closed her eyes, intending to meditate for a while to calm her racing memories, but fell asleep almost immediately.

The following morning dawned brightly, birdsong calling to her as she lay in her warm bed.  She rubbed the sleep from her eye and pushed herself up as the sunlight broke in through her window.  Grabbing her staff, which Spike had thoughtfully brought over from her writing alcove, she pushed herself to her feet and proceeded to limp over to the kitchen, where Spike was cooking.  She took in the delicious aroma of her favorite breakfast and sighed happily.  Spike turned, noticing she was up, and smiled at her.  “Good morning, Twilight.  If you want, I can bring you your food outside.  It’s nice and warm out there right now.”

She smiled back at him.  “That sounds lovely, Spike.  Thanks.”  She limped back over to her bed, got herself dressed, and headed outside into the sun.  

It was a lovely day outside.  The birds were singing brightly, a warm wind blew softly, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  As she settled herself in the chair in front of her cottage, she watched the rest of the town begin to move about their business, men and women moving about on various errands, and children running outside to play.  Shortly after getting settled, Spike brought her breakfast out, and headed back inside to tidy up.

She ate, grateful to Spike for forcing her to relax for a time, just watching everything, taking solace in the normalcy going on around her.  As the morning ticked by towards noon, she noticed that a small group of children were watching her from the street.  Looking over at them, she smiled, then froze as they screamed and ran away.  Feeling furious and humiliated, she sat there watching their retreating backs.  Is this how they all see me? She wondered.  As some monster to fear?

Grabbing her staff, she pushed herself to her feet, grabbed her empty dishes with her magic, and headed back inside the cottage.  Depositing the dishes in the sink, she brushed past Spike, ignoring his question about how she was doing.  Settling herself at her desk, she noticed that the ink mess had been cleaned and the inkwell refilled and replaced.  Shooting a grateful glance at Spike, who was quietly washing her dishes, she leaned her staff to the side, and delved back into her memories as she prepared to write once more.
> Chapter 11: Just a Train Ride Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We spent most of the week recovering.

It turned out that Rarity’s armored outfits had held up very well during our ordeal, so there weren’t any repairs to make on those.  After thinking it over, I decided to gift Rarity’s old outfit and color-shifting cloak to Cheerilee, who accepted it gratefully.

“Thank you so much, Twilight.  This is so generous of you, considering,” she finished sheepishly.

I sighed.  “I understand why, Cheerilee.  I might have done the same thing in your position.  But please – if you think of anything else that can help us, please share it, no matter how much it might hurt.  The more we know the better chance of our survival.”

She nodded.  “If I – or anyone else – think of anything, we will let you know immediately.”

“That’s all I can hope, for.  Thank you, Cheerilee.”

By the end of the week, our wounds had healed well, for the most part.  We found that for whatever reason, we healed at a faster rate than anyone else in this world.  Fluttershy was still favoring her shoulder, but Applejack seemed to be on the mend, and my face had healed to the point where the cuts were just angry and red instead of bleeding.  I would have plenty of scarring, but at least I wasn’t bleeding all over the place.  Pinkie Pie had come up with a soft cloth eye patch for me – “I keep them in case of eye patch emergencies,” she had said brightly, as she handed it to me – which I wore proudly.  I still got some odd looks in the halls, but generally no one commented.

The day before we were set to leave, Spike came into my room as I was inspecting Rarity’s crystal.  I had been studying it to see if there was still any residual magic in it, and if I could use it as well.  Looking up at him, I smiled.  “What’s up, Spike?”

“I need to talk to you Twilight,” he said seriously.

“Sure, no problem,” I replied.  “Have a seat.”

He sat down on Applejack’s bed, silent.  As I waited, he refused to meet my eye, and I started to grow irritated.  After a few minutes of silence, annoyed, I asked, “Well, what is it?”

“I’m not coming with you,” he said in a rush, as if determined to get it out at once.

I felt taken aback.  I wasn’t expecting this.  “What?  Why not?”

“I almost got you killed, Twilight!” he cried.  “What if I had hit you full on with my tail?  You wouldn’t have a head anymore!  Or if I’d stepped on any of you, or knocked down the building on you – “

“Spike!” I cried.  “Enough. There’s no need to feel so bad about this.  It was an accident.”

“I told you before I didn’t think I could control it,” he continued.  “So I’ve decided to stay here.  I can help out around the hideout and help keep them safe.”

I looked over at him disappointed.  “You’re serious about this, aren’t you.”  It wasn’t a question.  

He nodded, resolute.  I looked at him for a long time, and then dropped my gaze.  “All right,” I sighed.  “If that’s what you truly want.”

He hopped down from the bed, and shook his head.  “No, Twilight, it’s not what I want.  It’s what I think is best.”  With that, he left the room, leaving me alone once more.  I sat there, my heart no longer in my work, feeling like we had lost another friend.

The next day, the four of us gathered in the meeting room.  I collected our latest set of maps from Cheerilee, gave Spike a big hug, and we headed out on another journey.  Moving through town, we headed out in a new direction, working our way to the north east.  We made our way across the countryside, skirting our way around the edge of the Endless Forest.  It took a day, but we eventually ran across what appeared to be a line of railroad tracks.  Scraping away some of the overgrowth eventually revealed the iron tracks.  Feeling heartened, we decided to follow them to the north in hopes that they would lead us to where the old train sat.

After another hour’s march, we crested a hill and saw the train sitting in the distance.  Unfortunately, as we looked down and the engine and its attached cars, we noticed movement among the cars.  I motioned for the others to kneel down as we waited to see what the source of the movement was.  Soon enough, I stiffened as I saw a group of men step into the open, men who were dressed in the same fashion as those we saw with Discord on the first night we arrived here.

“What’re they doing here?” asked Applejack.

“I’m not sure,” I replied.  We watched their movements for a half hour, trying to make sense of their movements.  Before too long, it became apparent that they were guarding the train.

“You think Discord sent them here?” asked Fluttershy.

“You might be right,” I replied.  “They look like Discord’s men.  I wonder if he’s trying to test us, see how determined we are to get the elements.”

“Well, Ah’m just as determined as ever,” Applejack snarled.  “Ah say we take ‘em out and get that train running.”

“I’m all for that,” Pinkie Pie interjected.  “I’ll be right back.”  With that, she vanished before I could say anything.  A few seconds later, we heard gunfire as the men below began to panic as Pinkie went to work on them.  I saw one break away from the group, running away from the train, but a few seconds later a flash of pink appeared behind him, and he slumped to the ground as Pinkie put a bullet in his head.  A moment later, she vanished once more, and I jumped as I heard her voice behind us.  “All done!” she said brightly.

We all turned as one and stared at her.  “Pinkie,” Applejack said, “y’all are seven different kinds of crazy.”

“Thanks!” she replied, and stated heading down the hill towards the train.  After a moment, we scurried up and followed her down.  Arriving at the train, we made our way by the cars and up to the engine, inspecting them as we went.  For the most part, they seemed to be intact, and the overgrowth was small enough that we thought we could clear it away without too much trouble.  Arriving at the engine, we paused as we took in the sight.  

The engine appeared to be a steam engine, much like the one we were used to seeing back home.  The outside was coated with rust, but we were hoping that the inner workings were shielded enough that they weren’t rusty.  Luckily enough, after prying loose some of the outer bolts, it seemed that much of the inner workings seemed to be functional.  With direction from Applejack, I used my magic to clean away some of the inner corrosion while Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy cleared away some of the overgrowth in front of the train, as well as getting some fuel for the engine and water for the boiler from a nearby stream.

Piling the wood in the coal cart, I used my magic to start a fire in the burner, and we tossed in some wood, praying for the best.  The engine began to screech as the steam built up within the pipes, and after another half hour of burning, the engine began to move, ever so slowly.  We heard the cars behind us creaking and shaking, and the engine began to strain as the weight of the cars held the engine back.  After a few more minutes, the engine gained enough strength to break three of the cars free from their beds, with a loud snap as the coupling after the third car snapped in half.

We cheered as we began moving forward, the train engine gaining speed as we went.  Eventually, we were able to get the engine going fast enough that we were flying across the countryside, cutting through overgrown bushes and grass as we zoomed by. Settling into the roomy engine compartment, we decided to allow the train to do the work and relax as we went.  For the first time since we lost Rainbow Dash, we felt calm and at peace as we watched the scenery go by, the train clattering along the railway.  We took turns keeping an eye on the engine gauges and feeding the fire, chatting as we worked.

After a while, I noticed that Fluttershy was wincing as she moved her arm, and I was starting to feel an ache in the side of my head.  The others noticed as well, and gave us both the opportunity to relax further as they worked.

“How are you doing, Fluttershy?” I asked as we sat in the back of the engine, watching Pinkie Pie and Applejack work keeping the engine going.

She rotated her shoulder, wincing further.  “It hurts,” she admitted.  “But it seems to be getting better.”  She looked over at me.  “How are you feeling, Twilight?”

I knew she was referring to more than my pain.  I sighed, as I searched for the best way to answer her question.  “It’s… like you never know how much you rely on something until it’s gone.  I keep finding myself misjudging distances, but I’m getting better about adjusting.  I feel depressed at times, but at least I have you guys to help me out.”

She nodded.  “I don’t know what I would have done without you all these last weeks.  I’ve always been so lucky to have such good friends.”

“Like the time you lost yourself with your assertiveness training?” I smiled.

She giggled.  “I was a bit of a beast, wasn’t I?  But Rarity and Pinkie Pie were there to help me realize what I had become and how to be myself once more.”

I reached over and squeezed her hand.  “We’ll always be there for you, Fluttershy.  Even if we’re not around, you know we’ll always be with you.”

She nodded, smiling back at me.  “I know that, Twilight.  Just like we’ll always be there for you.”

Her words resonated with me, and I felt a sense of peace.  We settled in together, resting.  Applejack and Pinkie Pie had fed the engine fire enough that they were able to take a break as well, so we all sat together, talking and reminiscing.  After a few hours, we noticed that the sun was beginning to set, so we arranged for everyone to take shifts keeping the engine running.  I offered to take first shift, giving Pinkie and Applejack plenty of time to rest.

As I stood by the fire, tossing a few more logs in, I watched my friends settling in for the night.  I hoped that the peace we all felt during this long trip would be enough to get us through whatever was to come.  I turned my face to the north, feeling a chill wind blowing through the cab, and shivered.  We’d already lost two of our friends in the process of getting two elements.  Would we lose anyone else in our search?

Our shifts passed through the night uneventfully.  As I awoke the next morning, feeling stiff from lying on the floor of the engine cab, I found myself shivering, and drew my cloak closer around me.  I pushed myself up, and glanced out the window, expecting to see the rolling grasslands and forests that I had seen during our trip.  Instead, I found myself looking out at a blanket of white snow.  The engine was cutting through the drifts, snow flying up from the plow in front and drifting away on the winds.

Pinkie Pie, who had been manning the engine as part of the morning shift, noticed my expression and smiled widely.  “Isn’t it great?” she bubbled.  “We hit the snowfields a couple hours ago.  I thought it was awesome!”

“It’s beautiful!” I exclaimed, watching the light bounce off the flying snow, causing a shimmering effect in the air.  The others were waking at this point as well, and we all watched the snow falling for a time before getting back to work.  We traveled through the snow fields for a few more hours, until Fluttershy pointed ahead of us, and asked, “What’s that?”

She was pointing towards a shimmering dome of light.  The tracks were heading directly at the glowing wall, and I recognized it from our own world.  “It’s the Crystal Empire!” I exclaimed.  “We’re almost there!”

Applejack looked a little worried.  “Are we sure that’s gonna work the same way as back home?  Shouldn’t we slow down?”

I thought for a moment, the shimmering barrier approaching rapidly.  “It looks the same as it did back home, so I’m guessing it should act the same.  On the other hand, we don’t know what’s on the other side, so we should probably try to slow down.  Pinkie, will you put on the brake?”

Pinkie Pie threw me a salute and tossed away the log she had been getting ready to throw into the fire.  She grabbed the brake handle, and threw it.  Or tried do.  The handle didn’t move, no matter how much pressure she put on it.  “Pinkie?” I asked, getting apprehensive.  We were almost at the wall.

She grunted, pushing with all her might.  “It won’t move, Twilight!” she said, straining.  Applejack rushed over and threw her weight onto the brake handle, but even with their combined efforts, it wouldn’t budge.  

“We forgot to check the brakes!” Applejack yelled.  We hurtled through the snowdrifts, panicking, and the train struck the shimmering wall.  Immediately, we passed through it effortlessly, and found ourselves in the land of crystal summer.  As we marveled at the sudden change in seasons, we passed under a large crystal arch and Fluttershy screamed, pointing ahead.  The tracks were still there, and appeared to be leading up to an old train station.  However, instead of overgrown brush or snow on the tracks, these tracks were blocked by large growths of crystal.  We heard the smaller growths shattering as the train ran them over, but another mile ahead of us and approaching fast, a gigantic crystal stood, taller than the train engine and nearly as wide.  

“Everybody out!” I yelled.  I motioned for everyone to head to the right side, and Fluttershy hesitated.

Without any time to reassure her, I yelled, “Jump!” and proceeded to tackle her out of the engine.  We flew through the air, and as I saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie leap behind us to safety, I reached out to all of us with my magic and halted our descent with a sudden jerk.  I brought us down to the ground safely, and not a moment too soon as the train slammed into the giant crystal, shattering it into a thousand deadly pieces and turning the train into a giant fireball as the boiler exploded.  Pulling everyone next to me, I raised a shield and we hunkered down as flaming debris and deadly shards of crystal rained down, bouncing and clattering off of the shield.

We waited as long as we dared, afraid that the noise might bring someone to investigate.  When the last few pieces of crystal stopped falling, I dropped the shield, and we hurried through the flaming debris over to the train station.  Slipping inside the dilapidated building, we hurried to a corner where we could watch through the broken windows without being obvious.  Drawing our cloaks over ourselves, we waited cautiously.  It turned out our fears were well founded, for within a few minutes, we saw a pair of amazing craft land by the remains of the train, and eight soldiers leapt off, fanning out to inspect the wreckage.

The craft were like nothing we had ever seen before.  They looked like silver-colored disks with raised edges that formed guardrails, with gaps on either side wide enough for two people to walk abreast.  As they flew, they were surrounded by different-colored lights and appeared smooth on the bottom, but as soon as they landed, three metal struts folded out from underneath, supporting the craft’s weight on the ground, and the lights disappeared.  We couldn’t see much of the inner workings from where we were, but it appeared that one soldier always remained on each craft at all times

We carefully watched the soldiers scour the area, ducking under our cloaks and huddling against the walls as they approached the station.  We could tell that they were calling to each other, but we couldn’t fully make out what they were saying.  Suddenly the station door flew open, and three of the soldiers rushed, guns at the ready.  They tore through the broken-down station with military precision, checking around corners and in rooms.  We nearly had a close call as one of the soldiers stepped on the edge of my cloak, slipping slightly.  He glanced down and I held as still as possible, but he seemed to dismiss it as brief clumsiness and moved on.  

After a few tense minutes and a brief conversation, the soldiers seemed to feel that the station was empty, and they filed out of the building, calling to their peers.  They all grouped together, discussing the wreckage, then filed back onto their crafts.  The colored lights surrounded the crafts once more, and they lifted off into the air, landing struts retracting, and they sped off into the distance towards the darkness-covered Crystal Palace.  

We waited for a short while to make sure that none of them came back, and then reemerged from the station.  “What were those things?” Applejack asked. 

I shook my head, just as surprised as she was.  “I’m not sure,” I replied.  “But those lights looked like magic to me.”

“Wow,” Pinkie Pie marveled.  “Those things were cool!  Do you think we can get some?”

“Pinkie, we gotta focus,” Applejack scolded.  “Enough time later to figure those things out.”  She looked towards the palace jutting up in the distance.  It looked much like we remembered it had, except instead of being filled with love and light, the palace and the surrounding city were covered in a haze of darkness and shadow.

Looking at the familiar sight, I felt determination and fear inside of me.  The last time we had visited the Crystal Empire, it had become a place of happiness, ruled by my brother and his wife Cadence.  From the brief glimpse we’d had of the power of the unicorn King Sombra, this Crystal Empire looked much like I imagined it had during his rule.  

“Alright, girls,” I announced, “at least we’re on familiar ground now.  On the one hand, the city looks exactly like the one back home.  On the other hand, I don’t think we’re going to win just by putting on a fair and playing with flugelhorns.”

“Aww, and I wanted another flugelhorn,” Pinkie Pie pouted.

“When we get home, Ah’ll get you all the flugelhorns y’all want,” replied Applejack.

“Thanks, AJ,” I smiled.  “Now, I remember the layout of the Crystal Palace, and I think I have a good idea of where King Sombre would keep the elements.”

“You’re thinking of where he kept the Crystal Heart, aren’t you?” asked Fluttershy.

I nodded.  “Exactly.  I still remember how to perform the shadow magic that Princess Celestia taught me, so even if it’s not out in the open, I can get us to the right place.”

“Sounds good, Twi,” replied Applejack.  She motioned towards the Palace.  “Shall we head out?”
> Chapter 12:  The Crystal Empire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We headed towards the Crystal Palace.  It seemed as if the palace and city were surrounded by a bubble of darkness much like the bubble protecting the empire from the cold.  As we got closer, we could tell that the crafts that we saw earlier were far from the only ones as we watched a number of them flit in and out of the barrier of darkness, each containing four to five soldiers, and surrounded by different colored magical lights.

Applejack paused, and we stopped, looking back at her.  She appeared to be thinking about something and looking up at the sky.  “What’s up, AJ?” I asked.

“Just wondering,” she replied.  “What Pinkie said makes a lotta sense.  You think we could get ourselves one of those things?”

I looked up at the flying crafts.  “Did you have a plan in mind?”

She nodded.  “If we could get one of those things, we could fly up to the top of the palace and check to see if the elements were there.  Might save us a ton of time, and we could avoid any big fights.”

I thought about it for a minute.  “You’re probably right, if we can figure out how to make them work.”

“You said yourself you thought that light was magic, right?” Pinkie Pie said.  “You’re the magic expert, Twilight.  Should be a snap for you.”

“How are we going to get one of them down here without getting any of the others coming after us?” asked Fluttershy.

I looked around.  There were a number of crystal growths in the area, including some really large ones.  “The trick is to do something big enough to attract attention,” I murmured, thinking, “but not big enough to cause a lot of alarm.”  Thinking for a bit, I motioned the others over behind one of the larger growths.  “Ok, here’s the plan.  I’m going to do something to get their attention.  When they land, I want Pinkie Pie to take out the one that stays behind.  Fluttershy and Applejack, you’re going to take out the others.  I’ll keep any gunfire off of you.  Got it?”  They nodded.  “All right, here goes…”

I reached out with my magic and grabbed one of the large crystal growths.  Wrenching it out of the ground, I waited until one of the crafts exited the darkness and made a pass over our area.  When it approached, I launched the crystal up at them, missing them by a few feet.  The craft immediately spun around and headed back towards us.  Landing within twenty feet of our hiding place, four soldiers exited the craft while one stayed behind just like the ones we saw before.  As they fanned out, searching for the source of the attack, I motioned to Pinkie Pie, who vanished and reappeared behind the soldier on the craft.  A crack sounded in the still air as she shot the soldier from behind and promptly dropped to the floor of the craft as the other soldiers spun around, guns trained on where she had been standing a moment ago. 

While they were distracted, Fluttershy and Applejack spun out from behind the crystal pillar and opened fire on the soldiers.  Two were cut down immediately, and one turned back to fire, bullets bouncing off my hastily-erected shield before Applejack took him out.

“Twilight!” I heard Fluttershy call, and quickly looked to where she was pointing.  The fourth soldier had turned and ran, heading back towards the darkness.  I grabbed a nearby growth of crystal with my magic and sent it hurtling directly at the soldier’s back, impaling him with my makeshift crystal spear.

“Good job, girls,” I called as we headed up to join Pinkie Pie, who had pushed the dead soldier’s body off the craft, and was now standing in the center, staring down at something.  We ran up the ramp that had been lowered when the soldiers exited the craft, and stopped short, staring.

In the center of the craft, a man sat in a well-worn metallic seat, tightly chained to the floor of the craft.  He wore a thin tunic and foot coverings, and appeared thin, wasted, and unkempt, his black and brown striped hair long and his beard scraggly.  He appeared unaware of his surroundings, just staring at the floor, not even noticed as we approached closer.  The worst part, however, was what had been done to him.  We stared in horror at the crystal that had been driven into his forehead, protruding like a makeshift unicorn, a crystal that looked very similar to my own.

“The lights… they really are magic,” I gasped, horrified at the implications in front of me.  I reached out and gently touched the crystal, and the man’s eyes lit up suddenly, his head coming up.  He still appeared to be unaware of what was going on, but he spoke in a monotone voice.  “Input directions.  Lift off?”

Shocked, I stammered, “Umm… yes?”

“Acknowledged,” he replied, and the craft was surrounded by a blue light, lifting into the air.  “Indicate flight pattern,” the man intoned, as we hovered in the air.

“What’ll we do, Twilight?” Applejack asked, worried.  “Ah dunno if Ah feel comfortable doing this anymore.”

“I understand, Applejack,” I replied grimly, “But if we can avoid any further bloodshed and get the elements, we might be able to find out how to get these people released if we can find King Sombra.  This’ll be the quickest way.”

Applejack stared down at the man in disgust, but finally nodded.  “Ah don’t like it, Twilight, but Ah understand.  Let’s get this done.”

“I don’t like it any more than you do, AJ,” I replied.  I turned to the man, feeling slightly sick as I addressed him.  “Take us into the city, please.”

“Acknowledged,” he replied, eyes glowing a bright blue.  The craft sped off, slipping into the barrier of darkness before we had a chance to react.  We appeared on the other side, and gasped at the sight before us.

Below us lay the Crystal Empire, the buildings placed much as we remembered them.  However, the darkness had pervaded the streets and buildings, and everything looked to be in a haze.  We saw more of the flying craft flitting about the city, some moving about in regular patterns as if on patrol, others flitting this way and that, but all appeared to be moving with a purpose.  We couldn’t see any people in the streets below, just the occasional groups of soldiers marching along.  It wasn’t until we came to the main thoroughfare where we had held the Crystal Fair what felt like eons ago before we saw any of the regular populace.  

It appeared to be one large chain gang.  Soldiers were marching alongside the populace, who had been chained to one another and forced to march up the street.  Some of the chained prisoners were clothed, though the rags and strips of cloth were hardly enough to be considered clothing, but more often than not, many were naked and bruised.  Each prisoner had their hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them, and another hand on the person next to them, so from above they appeared to be interlocked together.  When they reached the end of the road in front of the palace, one of the soldiers in front blew a whistle, and as one, all of the prisoners down the center of the group dropped their hands from the prisoner next to them.  The group split in two, splitting around the palace and heading over to two separate large buildings where they were all herded inside, the soldiers unchaining them as they entered.  When the last prisoner had entered, the soldiers slammed the outer doors, bolting them shut and taking up guard positions outside the buildings.

“He’s treating them like animals,” Fluttershy gasped, horrified.  We stared down at where the last prisoner had entered, not believing our eyes.  We looked at each other in horror before an outside voice grabbed our attention.

“You there!” called a soldier as one of the flying craft sidled up next to us.  “What are you doing?  Get back on…”  The soldier trailed off as he got a good look at us, then he snapped up his gun, aiming it directly at us, his companions following suit.  “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.  Without waiting for an answer, he pulled out a whistle that had been hanging around his neck and blew three short blasts.  Dropping it, he called to us again.  “Identify yourself!”

Attracted by the whistle, two more discs flew up, settling into a triangle formation around us, soldiers covering us with their weapons from all angles.  We were close enough to see that these craft were powered by three women, all in the same position as the man in ours, all with crystal ‘horns’ jutting from their foreheads.  As I stared around wildly, trying to think of a plan, I heard a familiar voice that caught my breath and caused me to freeze in place, slowly turning around to see the source.

“Twily?”

One of the soldiers from one of the new discs stepped forward, removing his helmet.  His close-cropped crystal blue hair came free, and I stared into the familiar eyes of my brother.  His eyes held no warmth for me, however, just a cold steel marred with confusion.

“Shining Armor?” I whispered, staring back.  At the sound of my voice, his eyes grew flat and a sneer grew on his face.

“Shining Armor?” he snarled, and I noticed bubbles of shadow magic surround his eyes.  “Shining Armor is dead.  He died when my sister died.  My name is Twilight Armor.”

“Commander Armor, are you familiar with these people?” one of the other soldiers asked.  

“Not at all, Lieutenant,” he replied curtly, glaring at me in hatred.  “They’re just some heartless lookalikes.  Not even good ones.  My sister had two eyes.”  He waved dismissively.  “Arrest them, and let the King deal with them.”  He turned away, and the other soldiers trained their guns on us, as two of them tossed small hooks on the guardrails of our craft, latching us together.

“Shining Armor, no!  It’s me, Twilight Sparkle!” I cried, trying to get through to him.  “Don’t you remember me?”

He whirled back to me, fury in his eyes.  “Twilight Sparkle is dead!” he snarled.  “I saw what was left of her.  She is dead and gone and there’s nothing that can bring her back.”  For a moment, I saw the mask of fury slip, and the hurt in his eyes caught at my heart.  I stepped forward to try and comfort him like I always had, but the mask was back up and he turned away once more as the soldiers approached our craft.

“Ah’m sorry, we’d love to come and play, but we have some business to take care of,” announced Applejack, stepping forward swiftly, tapping the man at the center of our disc.  “Up!” she cried as soon as his eyes lit up, and our craft shot upwards, leaving one of the three behind and dragging the other two up with us, pulling them almost completely vertical before the strain on the ropes became too much, snapping them.  I rushed to the side as we continued to rocket upwards, looked down at the wobbling crafts receding below.  I saw that many of the soldiers had fallen off of the discs, being unprepared for the sudden change in direction, including my brother.  As I watched him fall, he met my eyes calmly.  Shadow magic began to surround him, and he reached out and grabbed the nearby shadows, pulling them over himself and disappearing from view.  As the shadows dissipated, he was gone.

I had no time to contemplate what had just happened, as the final disc had stated pursuing us, heading directly upwards after us.  Applejack tapped the man again, and said, “Evasive maneuvers!”

“Acknowledged,” the man replied tonelessly.  “Please grab on to the evasion restraints and remain seated.”

I looked around, and saw that straps were hanging from the guardrails.  “Grab the straps!” I yelled, sliding my staff in my belt and quickly wrapping the straps around my wrists, huddling against the guardrail as I watched the others try to do the same.  The craft sped off into the air, followed by the pursuit craft, gunfire ricocheting off the metal of our craft as they shot at us.  We wove through the air, charting a course around the Crystal Palace, bobbing and weaving and the other craft pursued.  Suddenly, our disc shot directly up, moving completely vertical, and it took all my strength to hold on.  I heard a scream above me, and looked up just in time to see Fluttershy losing her grip on her restraints, falling towards me.

“Fluttershy!” I screamed.  “Grab on!”  I held my hand out as she tumbled, and she flung her hands out to me in desperation.  Our hands slapped together with a loud smack and I grabbed onto her with all of my strength as she jerked to a halt, screaming as her injured shoulder was wrenched.  I grimaced, gasping at the strain on my body as the full force of her weight felt like it was pulling me in two.  We heard a crash behind us, and I chanced a glance downwards through my concentration and pain.  I saw that the disc that had been pursuing us had crashed into the Crystal Palace, and was now plummeting towards the ground.  I felt a pang of sympathy towards the woman that had been strapped into the craft, but at that moment our craft righted itself, and Fluttershy and I slammed into the floor, groaning.

Applejack disengaged herself from the restraints, tapped the man, and said, “To the top of the Crystal Palace,” in a shaking voice.  Looking over at the two of us, she asked, “Are y’all ok?”

“Ow,” was my only response as the craft glided gently over to the top of the Palace.  I carefully undid the restraints, noting how deeply they had cut into my wrist when Fluttershy had grabbed me, a deep bruise already forming.  Gingerly pushing myself up, I tugged at Fluttershy, who still hadn’t released my hand.  “Fluttershy, it’s ok.  You can let me go now.”

She whimpered, and I carefully pried her hands away from mine.  Realizing that she was no longer falling, she opened her eyes and looked up at me.  “Thanks, Twilight.  You saved me,” she said gratefully.

I shook my head with a smile, massaging my wrists.  “No problem.  Are you ok?”

She nodded, wincing.  “I think so.  My shoulder really hurts, though.”

“I should think so.  You wrenched it pretty well.”  I looked around as we stopped, and noticed that we were at our destination.  I saw a familiar chamber in front of us.  “It’s the chamber where the Crystal Heart was kept!” I exclaimed.  From the outside, it looked exactly the same as when I had been there before.  A stairwell opened up in the floor, stairs leading down inside the Palace, and a large blue circle was visible on the floor.  Suspended above the circle was the Crystal Heart itself, just as it had been back in our world.  I couldn’t tell if the elements of Harmony were anywhere to be found from where we were floating, so I stepped off of the disc and into the chamber.

The others followed suite, coming in behind me.  “Be careful,” I warned.  “When I was last here, that blue circle acted as a warning device, trapping me when I stepped on it.  Let’s avoid it if we can.”

The others nodded, and we circled the chamber.  As I approached the circle, being very careful not to tread on it, I noticed two other objects hanging in the air with the Crystal Heart.  Two stones, one with a crystal butterfly and the other with a crystal balloon.  “The elements!” I cried, pointing to them.

“How do we get them?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Let me try,” I said, and raised my staff.  Reaching out with my magic, I tried to grab one of the elements, but the magic just slipped off the stone.  Irritation building, I tried again with the other element, and then with the Crystal Heart itself, but the result was the same.  My magic just slipped away and I couldn’t get a grip.  “It doesn’t work,” I growled, frustrated.

“Let me give it a go,” said Applejack.  I noticed that she had pulled out a coil of rope and was knotting it into a lasso.  We watched in anticipation as she twirled the lasso above her head and launched it at the element of Laughter.  The rope slipped around the element, and she jerked it expertly, tightening it around the stone.  I held my breath as it seemed that the rope would hold, and she yanked hard, pulling the element out of the air and into her hand.  I let out a whoop of victory as she untied the element and tossed it to me with a smile on her face.  She was just getting her rope ready to toss again when we heard a familiar voice echoing from the shadows, and we paused in fear.
> Chapter 13: From Night to Twilight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Congratulations, little ones, you were able to get one of the elements.  However, you will not live to be able to celebrate your victory.”

“N-n-n-nightmare Moon?” Pinkie Pie stammered, searching for the source of the voice.

Laughter echoed around the chamber, and the shadows around us seemed to deepen.  “You remember me?” the voice replied.  “I’m so pleased.  And here I’d thought that no one would care to remember me after you banished me back to moon.”  The shadows rippled in the corner of the room, and a tall, beautiful woman stepped out.  Her skin was like ebony, and her eyes glittered like stars in the dark of night.  Her long flowing hair was made of pure darkness that rippled as she walked, and she had on a long gown of the deepest midnight blue.  She wore a crown made of a black metal, topped with sparkling diamonds and a large black opal in the center.

“Princess Luna?” I asked tentatively.

She smiled coyly at me.  “Little Twilight Sparkle, I presume?  The eye patch suits you well.  It gives you more of a… rough, vicious look.  Much like you used to be, when you banished me at the last.”  She walked slowly towards me, much like a cat getting ready to pounce, her hair flickering and flowing behind her.  I stepped backwards, raising my staff defensively, and she stopped, a petulant little frown on her face.  “Twilight, Twilight.  Must you be so formal?  I merely wanted to give you a kiss in greeting.”  Turning away in a huff, she glided away from me.  “Very well, then.  Since that is the way you wish to be, I can play that game as well.”

She turned back suddenly, and her hair lashed out at us, wrapping around our wrists and ankles.  As we struggled, she lifted us into the air, dangling us by our wrists, and pulling our limbs spread-eagle.  Nightmare Moon looked around at us, and frowned slightly.  “Why, there are only four of you.  Where are your other companions?”

Thinking fast, I replied, “They’re coming for us.  They’ll be here any second to rescue us.”

She looked up at me, contemplatively, and shook her head slowly.  “No, I don’t believe you.  Twilight Armor said you were always a horrible liar.”  Looking around at the four of us, her eyes landed on Applejack and lit up.  “My, my, I’ve always wanted to have a little fun with you, dear Applejack.  Let’s see what happened to your other friends, shall we?”  She dragged Applejack down in front of her with her hair, and grabbed her face with surprising strength.  I watched Applejack struggle in her grip, but Nightmare Moon was too strong.  Darkness began to radiate from her hand, surrounding Applejack’s face, and Nightmare Moon stared into her eyes, searching.  

Her expression grew frustrated as she continued to search.  “When did your mind become so strong and adaptable?” she growled.  “Very well then, enough of being nice.  Let’s see how you handle this.”  Her eyes disappeared, leaving behind blinding points of white light, and the darkness radiating from her hand suddenly increased, enveloping Applejack’s entire face.  Applejack screamed, redoubling her efforts to escape Nightmare Moon’s grip, but all she succeeded in doing was causing Nightmare Moon’s nails to cut into her face, leaving bloody furrows down her cheeks.

Nightmare Moon suddenly released her, and she slumped in her bonds of hair, gasping and crying, tears intermingling with the blood running down her face.  Laughing, Nightmare Moon looked up at me, her eyes back to normal.  “Exquisite!” she cried.  “Two of my enemies are no more!  One buried in her own tomb, and the other taking her own life after being too weak to go on!”  Looking down at Applejack, who continued to sob loudly, she gloated.  “And perhaps another will join her, if she still has enough of a mind left to do much of anything.”

I heard a scream of fury nearby, and we all looked up at Pinkie Pie, whose eyes were blazing with hatred.  “No one hurts Applejack on my watch!” she screamed, her body shaking against Nightmare Moon’s restraints.  Nightmare Moon merely smiled up at her, an expression that turned to astonishment as Pinkie vanished from her bonds, reappearing behind her, gun at the ready.  Without so much as a word, Pinkie Pie pulled the trigger, putting a bullet directly into Nightmare Moon’s head.  Nightmare Moon slumped to the ground, and we fell to the floor as her hair released us, slithering away and covering her body.

We scrabbled over to Applejack as Pinkie Pie stood there, gun smoking, glaring down at Nightmare Moon.  “No one hurts my friends while I’m around,” she snarled.  “Pinkie Promise.”

Applejack was lying on the ground, staring sightlessly, tears still streaming and blood dripping from her face.  “Applejack!” I cried, grabbing at her shoulders.  I just missed, and snarled in frustration, adjusting my aim.  Shaking her, trying to get her attention, I called to her again.  “Applejack!  Wake up!”  She just lay there, unresponsive, sobbing quietly.

“She will not wake up,” intoned a different voice.  I turned in shock to see my brother materialize from another corner of the chamber, shadow magic surrounding him.  “When the Queen uses her full power on someone, they are gone for good.  Your friend is nothing more than an empty shell.”  He glared down at me, drawing a sword, leaving his gun shouldered.  “You, however, are an affront to nature.  You should not be here, dead thing.”

“Shining Armor!” I cried.  “Please, can’t you see it’s me?  What’s happened to you that you’re here, and working for King Sombra?”

“My name is Twilight Armor,” he growled.  “And you want to know what’s happened to me?  You, of all the people you could claim to be?  You happened!” he screamed.  “You died!  That’s what happened!”

“But what about Cadence?” I asked, afraid for the answer.

His face fell, but only briefly as another flash of shadow surrounded his eyes.  “She’s… gone.  King Sombra killed her when Discord brought him back.”  His stern countenance returned, and he glared down at me.  “If you hadn’t been gone, she would be alive!”

I stared up at him in astonishment.  “But, Shining Armor, why would you work for the man who killed your wife?”

“Because he said he can bring her back, but only for a faithful servant,” he stated.  “He’s the one who gave me the powers of shadow that have served me well all this time.”

“But he’s a monster!” cried Fluttershy, staring up at Shining Armor with horror.  “He treats his subjects like slaves!  He traps people on those discs and forces them to use magic against their will!”

Shining Armor gave her an arrogant look.  “Silly girl, I’m the one who devised that design.  If it hadn’t been for Sweetie Belle, I never would have thought of it at all.”

Pinkie glared at him.  “What did you do to Sweetie Belle?’ she demanded.

“If you must know, she was the first successful test subject.  I caught her following me on my way here to enlist with King Sombra.  I think she had some silly idea of convincing me to come back and help the resistance, but it didn’t matter.  I neutralized her without too much trouble – she never was very good at using her magic.”  

He paused, thinking back.  “I thought about killing her, but then another plan flashed into my head.  Crystals could be worn almost any way, but they had to be touching their owners in order to work.  Well, what if instead of a necklace or staff, the crystals were implanted directly into the magic user’s body?  Since I was close enough to the Crystal Empire, I dragged her unconscious form the rest of the way, and after I got myself situated here, I proceeded to experiment.  Eventually, I settled for implanting the crystal directly into her forehead, giving it the best possible access to her brain, and finally allowing her to use her magic properly.”  He smiled slightly, flickers of shadow magic playing across his face lending his expression an air of madness.  “Implanting the crystal in that fashion had an unforeseen side effect.  She now had almost no will of her own, much like that of a mage’s staff or crystal necklace.  Nor did any other test subject we used.  Fortunately, the Crystal Empire has always had a surplus of magic users, so there was never a shortage of subjects.”

We stared at him as he finished his story, horrified.  I felt tears sliding down my cheek as I looked at the monster who used to be my loving, caring brother.  “Oh, Shining Armor, I’m so sorry,” I apologized.  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you in your time of need.  If I had been, maybe…”

He sneered down at me, pointing his sword at my face.  “Save it,” he snarled.  “I don’t know why you’re here now, and I don’t particularly care.  But since you’re here, I might as well kill you now.”  He raised his sword, bringing it down at my head with sudden speed.  With a speed born of frustration and pain, I raised my staff, coating it with energy, and blocked his attack.  He pressed his sword down towards me, and I grimaced as his strength and leverage worked against me.

“You want to know why I’m here?” I grunted, sliding my staff away so that he lost his balance and his sword struck the ground with a clang.  I brought my staff up quickly, as Shining Armor swiftly recovered and swung again.  “I’m here to save this world from people like King Sombra and Discord,” I continued, speaking quickly as we fought.  “I was brought here with my friends from another world to save this one.”  I found myself quickly getting short of breath.  I was in pretty good shape from all of the traveling and running we had been doing, but this was a much different exertion, one that I wasn’t used to.

Shining Armor paused in his assault, staring at me in disbelief.  “Another world?” he demanded.

I nodded.  “Yes.  I’m not the Twily you know, but I can still love you like a sister.  The Shining Armor I knew would never have stooped this low, no matter what.”

He paused, lowering his blade for a moment.  He just stared at me, and I could tell he was struggling with something internally.  He lowered his eyes, staring at the floor, his blade dropping even further.

I paused, then slowly approached him.  “Shining Armor?” I asked, hesitantly.

As I got closer, a flash of shadow magic surrounded him, and his head flew up, hatred on his face.  I staggered back as he brought his sword up, swinging it at me.  It scraped across my armored outfit, slicing through a lock of my hair.  He advanced on me, and I saw a flash of pink behind him.  At the same time, I saw a flash of shadow magic, and he turned with a speed I had never thought possible to block Pinkie Pie’s surprise attack, sword catching her gun just as she was pulling the trigger.  The bullet soared over his head, ricocheting on the ceiling, bringing down shards of crystal.

Shining Armor glared at Pinkie Pie, and she glared back, flustered.  All of a sudden, Shining Armor vanished in a pool of shadows, and reappeared behind Pinkie Pie.  She spun, swirling her cloak in an effort to distract him.  It worked, as his strike missed her completely, getting caught on her cloak.  She vanished, and reappeared behind him having drawn her wicked-looking daggers.  She struck quickly, but he spun as well, catching her in the shoulder with the butt of the gun strapped to his back.  Then they both vanished from sight.

Fluttershy and I just stared at the battle going on in front of us that we could barely see.  There would be a flash of pink, followed by a flash of blue as Shining Armor reappeared as well, and the two would disappear again after trying to strike at the other.  We heard the sound of metal striking metal as the two would collide, blades at the ready, each one catching the other’s attacks with deadly precision.  The only way either of them would successfully strike the other was if one of them made a mistake.

Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie was the one to finally make the mistake.  As she reappeared in the center of the room, she stepped on one of the crystal shards that had fallen earlier, and slipped slightly.  The mistake was so slight, but it was just enough for Shining Armor to appear behind her, and before she could react, he drove his sword into her back, slipping between her armored shirt and pants with deadly precision.  His blade emerged from her stomach, coated in her blood, and she opened her mouth in a soundless scream.

He withdrew his blade, and she slumped to the ground, hands pressed against her stomach.  “Pinkie!” I screamed, rushing over to her.  

She hugged herself, blood pouring out from between her fingers, looking up at me with a shaky smile.  “S-sorry, Twilight,” she stammered.  “I guess I broke my Pinkie Promise.”

“No, Pinkie, no, you haven’t,” I replied, pulling some bandages out of my bag.  “You’re fine, don’t worry,” I said as I started wrapping bandages around her, pushing her hands out of the way.  “We’ll get you fixed up.”

I heard laughing, and glared up at Shining Armor, who was casually wiping his blade clean.  “You idiot!” I screamed.  “Why did you do that?”

“Why does it matter?” he replied.  “You don’t even belong here.  You said it yourself.”

“It does matter!” I cried.  “She is my friend!”

“You mean ‘was’,” he pointed out callously.  “Just look at her.  She’s not long for this world.”

Dreading what I was about to see, I looked at Pinkie’s face.  She was growing pale, and was starting to look woozy.  I kept up my bandaging efforts, pulling them as tightly around her as I dared.  She winced as I yanked on the last bandage.  “Lay down, Pinkie,” I murmured, gently pushing her down.  She complied without any struggles, which made me worry.  Pinkie had never been this still in her entire life.

“Don’t worry, ‘Twilight’,” he sneered, shadow magic playing around his eyes.  “You’ll join her soon enough.”  He raised his sword, intending to bring it down on me.  I reached for my staff, but I wasn’t fast enough as the sword came down, whistling as it passed through the air.

Suddenly a gunshot sounded, and the sword clattered to the ground.  Shining Armor grabbed at his sword arm as blood blossomed from his upper arm, searching for the source of the bullet.  I spun my head around, doing the same.  We noticed the shooter at the same time, letting out a gasp.

Applejack had raised herself up on one arm, wincing, and was holding a smoking gun in the other.  “Ah’m sorry, Twi,” she muttered through clenched teeth.  “Ah wasn’t fast enough to save Pinkie.  But Ah could at least save you.”

“But how?” Shining Armor demanded.  “How did you survive the Queen’s attack?”

“Ah don’t really know,” Applejack replied, keeping her gun trained on him.  “All Ah know is that Ah did mah best to avoid her mind getting in mine, but Ah just couldn’t.  So Ah made sure to keep mah real self in the back of mah own mind while giving her what she wanted.”  She shook her head.  “It wasn’t easy, Ah’ll tell you that.”

Shining Armor looked furious, shadow magic playing around his eyes.  “Fools. You’ll never get out of here alive anyway.”

Applejack slowly got to her feet, gun trained on him.  “Maybe.  But maybe we will.  And we’ll take you down with us.”

He smirked at her.  “You wouldn’t dare, not with her here.”  He jerked his head in my direction.

“Ah think she’ll understand,” Applejack said grimly, and pulled the trigger.  

Shining Armor just continued smiling.  Applejack glared at him, and shot at him until the clip was empty.  Suddenly, the shadows coalesced around Shining Armor, and the bullets that Applejack had just fired dropped to the floor.  The shadows detached themselves from him, and joined together in the form of Nightmare Moon, who smiled up at us as she leaned against my brother.  “Isn’t he such a nice boy?’ she asked coyly.  “I’ve always enjoyed my little toys.”

“But – but, Pinkie Pie shot you!” Fluttershy cried.

She laughed brightly.  “Little fool, do you truly think just a bullet could kill me?  I am powered by the stuff of Nightmares.  There’s nothing that can kill me.”

Applejack limped over to me.  “Twilight, Ah hate to say it, but Ah think we need to get outta here.  Pinkie needs help, and if we don’t get going, we’re gonna lose her.”

I felt torn.  On the one hand, we had gotten one of the elements.  On the other hand, there was still one more, hanging just feet away from us.  However, both Shining Armor and Nightmare Moon were standing between us and the element.  There was no way that we would be able to get around them fast enough.  Glancing back at Applejack’s serious face, I nodded.  “Grab Fluttershy,” I ordered.  Applejack nodded back, and turned quickly, grabbing her hand.  I grabbed ahold of Pinkie Pie’s limp hand, and Applejack grabbed my shoulder.  I raised my staff, and started pouring my magic into the teleportation spell, staff glowing.

“Ah, ah, ah,” chided Nightmare Moon.  “No one said it was time to leave yet.”  Her hair slid around, grabbing my staff and ripping it out of my hand before I could complete my spell.  I grabbed at it as it was pulled away, but she spun it away from my grasp and clipped my forehead with it.  Seeing stars, I dropped Pinkie’s hand as Nightmare Moon brought my staff back to her own hands.

I heard Applejack’s tense voice in my ear as I shook my head, trying to clear it.  “Twilight, the stairs.”  

I nodded, glaring at Nightmare Moon, speaking out of the side of my mouth.  “Grab Pinkie Pie.  Fluttershy, hand me Pinkie’s gun.  We’ll provide the cover for Applejack to get Pinkie to the stairs.”  I reached my hand back, and as soon as I felt the weight of the gun in my hand, brought it around, standing up and aiming at Shining Armor and Nightmare Moon.  I heard Fluttershy stand beside me, and Applejack hoisting Pinkie Pie as I focused on my targets.

My targets seemed unconcerned.  Nightmare Moon waggled my staff at me, mocking me as I backed away.  “You already know you can’t kill me that way.  And I won’t let you kill my pet either.”

“Oh, I’ll kill you,” I snarled.  “It just might not be right now.”  I pulled the trigger, firing at them rapidly, as did Fluttershy, and we both backed away quickly towards the staircase.  Shining Armor saw our plan, and started forward, moving through Nightmare Moon’s hair just as one of my bullets passed, clipping him on the leg.  He limped backwards, and Nightmare Moon placed a hand on his arm with a small smile, keeping him from coming after us.  The last sight I had of them before I turned and bolted down the stairs was Shining Armor’s shadow-tinged glare and Nightmare Moon’s smile.

We bounded down the stairs as quickly and carefully as we could, Applejack in the lead.  Below the floor of the chamber at the top of the Palace, the area was gently illuminated with some sort of white light, and the circular stairs seemed to be endless.  We hurried down them until after a few flights, Applejack stepped wrong and slipped on a stair, falling and dropping Pinkie Pie, who rolled down a handful of stairs and stopped.  Applejack scrambled to her feet as Fluttershy and I hurried up.  “Applejack, are you ok?” I asked.

“Yeah, yeah, Ah’m fine,” she brushed me off, scrambling towards Pinkie.  Fluttershy and I followed quickly, and we knelt down next to her, inspecting her.  I saw that her blood had completely soaked through the bandages, and more was slowly seeping out.  She looked dangerously pale as I grabbed her hand, which was limp and cold.

“Pinkie!  Pinkie!” I called, trying to get her attention.  Flutteshy was looking anxious, alternating between feeling Pinkie’s forehead and checking her bandages.  

Pinkie’s eyes fluttered open, and she smiled up at us vaguely.  “Hey guys, how’s things?” she asked, her words slurring.  “Is the party over?  I didn’t go too crazy again, did I?”

I shook my head, tears in my eye.  “No, Pinkie, you were your normal silly self.  Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey Twilight, did anyone tell you that you look like a pirate?  A sleepy pirate, with a really weird haircut?”

I smiled as best I could.  “Yeah, Pinkie, I think you’ve told me that before.”  Fluttershy was crying, and Applejack, tears welling in her eyes, was looking grim.

“Oh, good,” she said, her voice fading as she spoke.  “I would hate to let that one go by.”  Her head slid to the side, and her eyes grew unfocused.  She let out one last breath, and went still.

“Pinkie!  PINKIE!” I screamed.  We sat there, the three of us, crying over the body of our good friend.  It wasn’t until we heard the sound of boots approaching did any of us look up, and even then it was only to see that we were surrounded by King Sombra’s soldiers, all of whom were pointing their guns at us.  We were hoisted up, hands tied, and hauled down the rest of the stairs, where we were roughly stripped and thrown into the jail cells below the palace.
> Interlude 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Twilight, there’s someone at the door to see you,” Spike called, shaking her shoulder.

Twilight looked up from her writing, blinking back tears.  It was now late afternoon, the sun still shining brightly through the windows, the day outside looking just as perfect as it had when she came inside.  Spike just looked at her sadly, and handed over her staff.  “You might need this,” he reminded her.

She shook her head, pushing away the pain of her memories, and nodded.  “Thanks, Spike.  Who is it?”

“It’s Applebloom,” he replied.  “She’s got some kids with her.”

Twilight grimaced, frustrated.  “Probably come by to mock me or something,” she grumbled.

Spike shook his head.  “No, I think you’ll like this visit,” he replied.  Helping her up, he moved aside as she limped over to the front door, wiping the tears from her eye.  Somewhat apprehensively, she opened the front door, looking out into the sunlight.  “Yes?” she called.

Applebloom stood there, a vibrant teenager with bright red hair and piercing magenta eyes.  She was dressed much like her brother usually did, in overalls and a work shirt.  Behind her were a small group of kids, the same ones that had ran away from Twilight earlier in the day.  Twilight scowled at them, and they hid behind Applebloom, fear on their faces.  Applebloom looked between Twilight and the kids in mock-disappointment, then smiled at her.  “Hey, Twilight, how’s things?”

“That depends,” Twilight replied curtly.  “Are you here to make fun of me?  Scream and run away from the monster lady?”

“Hey, Twilight, there’s no need for that,” Applebloom chided.  “Ah’m just here to remind these silly-billies” – she glared behind her at the kids – “that there’s nothing to fear from you.  Ah remember well when you came here, and how nice you were to me and everyone.”

Twilight stared at Applebloom.  “You don’t hate me?  You don’t think I’m frightening?”

Applebloom looked at her with a measure of pity.  “Twilight, Ah was there,” she repeated simply.  “Ah saw you after you lost your eye.  You were so scared and hurt.  How could Ah be afraid of you after that?  Even with all the stuff y’all went through, you were still so nice to us.”

I hesitated, then replied, “But Applejack…”

“Mah sis did what she had to do,” Applebloom replied. “Ah know how much you tried to help her and Ah love you for it.”  She motioned for Twilight to come outside.  “Now c’mon.  Show these littles that you’re ok.”

Twilight carefully limped out of her cottage and into the sunlight.  The warmth on her face was a wonderful feeling, and the calm air was refreshing after cooping herself up in the cottage for so long.  The kids behind Applebloom huddled together as she limped closer, and she paused.  Seeing the encouragement on Applebloom’s face, Twilight approached closer as Applebloom pushed the kids forward.  Moving slowly, her leg stiff and weak, Twilight carefully lowered herself down so she was level with many of them and sat quietly, waiting for them to make the first move.  Soon enough, a little girl with silver and white hair approached her hesitantly, but when Twilight remained still, screwed up her courage and came to stand next to her, inspecting her with awe.

Twilight simply looked back at the girl, unsure of what to say, or if even to speak.  Applebloom looked on encouragingly.  “Go on, Silver Bell,” she said to the little girl.  “It’s ok.  She won’t bite.”

Silver Bell reached out and touched the smooth side of my face, awed.  “Are – are you really Twilight Sparkle?” she asked in a soft voice.

Twilight nodded.  “Yes, I am.  I’m sorry if I frighten you.  I know what I look like.”

Silver Bell smiled.  “Guys, it’s really her!  It is!”  With that, the children were suddenly surrounding her, touching her arms, shoulders, and face, and peppering her with questions and comments.  “Wow, your hair is beautiful!  I wish mine looked like that!”  “Did you really beat all those bad guys?”  “Why can’t you walk right?”  “You saved my daddy’s life, thanks!”

Applebloom was there, restoring order with practiced precision.  “Now, now, kiddos, give her some space and a chance to answer.  Now, one at a time, ok?”

Twilight smiled at the children, and they stared back at her, awed.  A little boy with emerald green hair raised his hand.  “Miss Twilight?  Does that hurt?”  He pointed to her eye.

She shook her head.  “No, it doesn’t hurt, not anymore.  It did when it happened, but the pain has faded.”

Another girl with pale pink hair raised her hand. “Miss Twilight?  Did you really beat all those bad guys like everyone says you did?”

Twilight smiled.  “Yes, I did.  But not by myself.  I had help from some of the greatest friends I could ever hope to know.  One of them was Applebloom’s sister.”  The children turned back to Applebloom, astonishment on their faces.  She nodded, blushing at the sudden attention.  “Cool!” exclaimed one of the children.  “Miss Twilight…”

And so the afternoon passed into evening, Twilight and Applebloom talking with the children.  It was nearly dark before Applebloom finally announced to the children that it was time to get home, and that she would get in trouble if she kept them out too much later.  There was a collective groan from the children, but they all came up and hugged Twilight, thanking her for talking with them.  Twilight hugged them all back, and carefully pushed herself back to her feet, leaning on her staff.  As the children huddled together, talking excitedly about all they had heard today, Applebloom came up and gave Twilight a big hug.  “Thanks, Twilight,” she said gratefully.

“No, Applebloom, thank you,” Twilight replied.  “This has been wonderful.  Believe me; I’ve needed something like this to remind me who I really am.”

As Applebloom left, herding the children back to their homes, Twilight watched them all go with a sad smile on her face, leaning on her staff.  “Oh, Applejack, if only you could see her right now.  What a wonderful young woman your sister has turned out to be.”  With that, Twilight went back into her cottage.  Spike was waiting for her, a small smile on his face.  “What?” she asked him.

“Nothing,” he replied.  “It’s just that this is the happiest I’ve seen you in weeks.”

She smiled sheepishly.  “Yeah, well, it’s the best I’ve felt in weeks.  I truly needed that.”

Spike motioned over to her favorite chair by the fire, and said, “C’mon, Twilight.  Let’s relax for a while.  I’ll make you some dinner.”

She nodded, and with his assistance, she got herself settled into the chair, while he proceeded to cook up some dinner for the two of them.  As she basked in the warmth of the fire, thinking back on her day, Spike sat down with her, and the two of them talked well into the night.  After the fire had burned out and the dark sky outside was filled with twinkling stars, they decided to call it a night.  Twilight limped over to her bed, got herself ready, and settled in, a feeling of peace filling her.  She felt that she was more than ready to continue her story, as the questions from the children had made it even more important to her to finish and had given her the strength to continue writing.  With that thought, she fell asleep, dreaming of joyful times with her old friends.
> Chapter 14: Imprisonment and Freedom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We spent days chained in those cells.

It was impossible to tell the passage of time down in the dungeons.  There were no windows in any of our cells, and the only way we were able to make any sort of distinction between day and night was that food came during the day and not during what we thought was night.  We were beaten, tortured, and abused at any time, but none of the soldiers touched us beyond that.  I learned from snatches of conversation that Shining Armor and King Sombra both felt that any soldier that conducted themselves so heinously was not fit to live, and that the soldier and any others that were complicit in the act would be executed immediately if such behavior was discovered.

Applejack was the strongest of us all, and withstood the abuse the best.  Both Fluttershy and I took strength from her defiance, especially Fluttershy.  Without Applejack there, I think Fluttershy would have broken by the second day, but even though she looked a wreck, she remained herself throughout the ordeal.  The soldiers had given us scraps of clothing to wear, so I think that helped her feel a little bit of normalcy, even though the clothing was in tatters and smelled like death.

It wasn’t until the fourth ‘day’ that we realized that we weren’t alone in the dungeons.  We had each been put in separate cells, but we found the first day that as long as we were careful and quiet, we could talk to each other from our cells.  It was after a particularly long torture session for Applejack that we made the discovery.  I watched as she was dragged back, beaten and bloody, past my cell and dumped unceremoniously into hers, the guards slamming the bars shut and sauntering out, laughing.  I crawled over to the bars of my cell, peering out at her as best I could as she lay there.  I could hear her gasping in pain, but even now she refused to give them the satisfaction of hearing her cry.

“Applejack?” I called quietly.  

I waited for a while before I finally heard her response.  Her voice was tense and choked with pain.  “Y-yeah, Twilight?” she gasped.

“Any thoughts on how we’re getting out of here?” I asked, hopeful that she had a plan.

“You-you’re gonna have to give m-me a minute, Twi,” she stammered, still gasping.  “Ah-Ah’m not thinking t-too clearly right now.”

“Just give up,” came a voice from the cell across from mine.  It was hoarse and scratchy, as if the speaker hadn’t said anything for a long time, but clearly female and vaguely familiar.  “No one has ever escaped from here.”

I squinted across the way, trying to see into the dark cell, but the light from the dungeon entrance didn’t reach that far.  I had never noticed anyone over there before, but looking into the cell, I saw the remains of a meal glinting in the light near the bars and heard the faint clinking of chains being dragged across the floor.  “Who’s there?” I asked, pressing myself against the bars.

After a pause, I heard the chains dragging and straw rustling.  As I watched, I could see the vague form of a person slowly rising from the bed of straw, chains clearly dangling from her wrists and ankles as she shuffled forward with a scraping of metal.  As she stepped into the light, grasping the bars of her cell, I gasped in recognition and sorrow at the sight of someone who I had been told not that long ago was now dead.

She was tall and dreadfully thin, dressed in rags similar to ours.  Her hair, which was striped in shades of pink, purple, and pale yellow, had been hacked short at one point, but was now growing ragged and dirty around her face.  Her face was covered in cuts and bruises, and her bare arms and legs were full of old scars and fresh bruises.  There was a deadness in her lavender eyes that matched the monotone of her voice.  The chains were fastened tightly around her wrists and ankles, and I could see old scarring from where she had once fought against them.  

“Cadence?” I asked in disbelief.

She looked back at me, eyes narrowing as she tried to make out my form in the dark.  I saw the moment of recognition, followed by disbelief and astonishment as she slid down the bars, knees weak as she stared at me.  Her voice shook as she spoke.  “T-Twilight?” she asked.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” I recited, smiling halfheartedly.  “Clap your hands and do a little shake.”

She just stared at me, shaking her head.  “But – but, you’re dead!  Shining Armor told me he saw your body!”

I sighed.  “The thing is, Cadence, I’m not the Twilight Sparkle you knew.  I’m from another world.”

“How is that possible?” she demanded, disbelief plain on her face.  I explained how Trixie had come to us and brought us to this world.  Understanding dawned on her face.  “I remember hearing that you had been working on that spell, but I didn’t realize…”  She shook her head.  “It’s all too much to take in, but since you’re here…”

“Cadence, Shining Armor told us that you were dead.  That King Sombre had killed you.  Why are you here?”

“I don’t really know what happened,” she replied.  “All I remember is when King Sombre was released, Shining Armor and I came to fight him.  We were managing to hold our own for a while, but then King Sombre cast a spell on him, and he just started screaming my name and crumpled to the ground.  Without Shining Armor to strengthen my magic, King Sombre quickly overpowered me and captured me.  I saw him use his shadow magic on Shining Armor as I was dragged away, and Shining Armor just vanished.”

“Vanished?” I asked, frowning as I began putting some pieces together.  “What do you mean?”

“The shadows completely covered him, and he disappeared.  I don’t know what happened to him.  I’ve been down here ever since, just trying to survive.”  She shuddered, the numbness returning to her eyes briefly.  “It’s been horrible.”

We heard the door to the dungeon area open, and we both immediately scurried back to the rear of our cells, Cadence’s chains scraping across the floor.  Two guards walked in, a man and a woman, peering into our cells.  I huddled into my pile of straw, trying to make myself as invisible as possible.  I heard the guards talking to one another as they looked in.

“Which one should it be this time?” the man asked.  “We did the blonde one earlier, and the Commander doesn’t want us to do the same one twice in a row.”

The woman peered into Cadence’s cell.  “Eh, let’s skip over this one.  She’s all worn out.  Give her some more time to recover and we can start in on her again.”

The man, who had been looking into my cell, turned to the woman.  “Hey, I know.  Let’s do that tall, pretty one.  I think we can get her screaming in no time.”

“You just want to get another look at her rack,” the woman accused.  “But whatever.  Works for me.”

I looked up in panic as I saw them move away from my cell, and next door to Fluttershy’s.  I rushed up to the bars as they opened her cell, and she began to whimper as they entered.  I heard her scuffling with them for a minute, and one of the guards let out a cry of pain.  I couldn’t see exactly what happened, but I suddenly saw Fluttershy scramble out of the cell, panic on her face, followed shortly by one of the guards.  “Fluttershy!” I cried as she rushed past, heading for the exit.

Unfortunately, she only made it a few steps past my cell before the guard tackled her to the ground.  He knelt down, shoved his knee into her back and grabbed her long hair, pulling it back.  He then grabbed her hand, wrenched it back, and quickly tied her hair around her wrist, followed by her second hand.  I could see tears in her eyes from the pain as he hauled her up, the second guard coming out of the cell with a bloody nose.

“Dammit,” the female guard growled, approaching Fluttershy.  Eyeing her companion’s handiwork, she smirked through the blood.  “Nice thinking.”  She then wound up and punched her in the gut.  Fluttershy jerked forwards, gasping and coughing, her hair pulling her arms up further and her face screwing up in pain.  “That’s for my nose, bitch.  Now march.”  The first guard wrenched Fluttershy around, and they pushed her forward.  I watched in vain as they marched her down the hallway and out of the dungeon.  About ten minutes later, we heard Fluttershy’s screams echoing down the hallway.

“F-Fluttershy,” gasped Applejack, and I saw her pulling herself up on her cell bars.  “Dammit, Twilight, we gotta get out of here.  Ah don’t know how much longer she can last.”

“We can’t,” replied Cadence, coming back to the bars.  “There’s no way to get out of here.  Even if you could get out, where would you go?  This is underneath the Palace.”

“Ah don’t care,” replied Applejack, inspecting the door of her cell.  “Ah can’t stand by anymore and watch my friend be hurt.”  She looked closely at the hinges, and I saw her smile in a determined manner.  “Ah never noticed this before,” she said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Hang on, Twi,” she replied.  I watched her kneel down, clench her teeth together, and grab the bottom of her cell door.  I heard her grunt as she started to lift the cell door.

“AJ, what are you doing?” I called, panicked.  Applejack ignored me as she strained, slowly lifting the cell door.  I watched in surprise as Applejack’s cell door rose, the hinges sliding upwards until they eventually slipped out, the door falling forward with a loud clang.  Applejack slumped to her knees, breathing heavily, blood seeping from some of her fresh wounds.  She then groaned, and slowly pushed herself to her feet, limbs shaking slightly.

“Ah don’t think Ah can do that again, Twi,” Applejack gasped.  “Ah’ll have to get the keys before Ah can get you out.”

“Are you sure you’re up to that?” I asked, concerned.

She looked over at me, wincing as she rotated her shoulders.  “Ah don’t really have a choice, do Ah?”  With that, she started down the hallway towards the door leading out.  

Cadence looked over at me, shock on her face.  “How did she do that?” she asked.

I smiled at her.  “She’s always been a tough one,” I replied.  We waited, watching the door that Applejack had just gone through with apprehension.  Fluttershy’s screams had stopped, and the silence was deafening.  Suddenly, the door opened once more, and we saw two forms coming down the hallway.  As they got closer to our cells, we saw that it was Applejack, who was supporting a limp Fluttershy, who was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds.  Applejack carefully sat Fluttershy down on the ground, and pulled out a bloody ring of keys.  I watched in gratitude as she fumbled through the keys, finally finding the one that fit my cell.

I threw my arms around her as the cell door opened.  “Thank you, Applejack,” I cried.  “Thank you.”  I looked over at Cadence, who was looking at us with an expression of guarded hope.  Applejack moved over to her cell, and flipped through the keys once more, opening up her cell.  She then proceeded to unlock Cadence’s chains, pulling them off and flinging them into the back of the cell.  Cadence just stared at her, absently massaging her wrists.

“Come on, we need to move,” Applejack said, pulling Fluttershy to her feet and slinging Fluttershy’s arm around her shoulder.  “Ah don’t know how long it’ll be before they find the guards.”

“Cadence, let’s go,” I said, grabbing her wrist and pulling.  She allowed herself to be led out of the cell, and we all rushed down the hall and out of the door.  We slipped out of the dungeon and into the nearby guard room.  I could see the familiar torture room through a door on the opposite wall of the guard room, and I could see the results of Applejack’s handiwork lying on the floor near the horrible table that we had all suffered on over the last few days.  A thought struck me, and I hurried over to the dead guards, checking their clothing.

“Twilight, what are you doing?  We gotta go!” Applejack called.

I ignored her, and began stripping the uniforms off of the guards.  Applejack gently sat Fluttershy down on a nearby chair, and came in to see what I was up to.  “Twilight, what the hey…?”

I had managed to get the uniform off the male guard, and held it up to her.  “Here, try this on,” I ordered.  “He looks to be about your height.”

Applejack stared at the uniform for a minute, then a smile grew on her face.  “Good idea, Twi.  Lemme check the lockers out here, see if there’re any others.”  She vanished back into the guard room as I stripped the other guard.  I did my best to ignore the guard’s face as I pulled her clothing off, not really wanting to look at the eyes of one who had caused me and my friends so much pain.  

Scurrying out of the room with the uniform under my arm, I entered the guard room to see Applejack dressed in the uniform I had given her, straining to close the front of another guard’s uniform over Fluttershy’s ample breasts.  “Dammit, Fluttershy, suck it in!” she grunted, as Fluttershy winced, tears in her eyes, Applejack’s tugging scraping roughly against her fresh wounds.  Cadence had already found another uniform, obviously tailored for a man, but her emaciated figure fit easily into it.  

“Applejack, stop it,” I ordered.  “You’re hurting her.  I’ve got another idea we can try instead.”

Applejack flopped to the floor, exhausted from all of her exertions over a short period of time.  I had to admire her strength after all she had done, especially since she had been tortured to the point of exhaustion not that long ago.  However, I knew that her strength couldn’t last forever, and I was afraid of when it would give out.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to rest right now.  Motioning for Cadence to come over, I knelt down next to Applejack and Fluttershy, and began to outline my plan.  Pushing through Fluttershy’s interjections, I explained how we could get through the guards and possibly find our possessions.

“If the three of us keep our helmets on at all times, I think we can manage this,” I finished up.  I turned to Fluttershy, who was looking apprehensive.  “Fluttershy, I know I’m asking a lot of you.  You’ll be the most exposed, and you’ll have to play your part to the hilt.  But I know you can do it.”  I gripped her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.  “You’ve gotten so strong,” I whispered into her ear.  “Rainbow Dash would be proud.”

She hugged me back gratefully, not saying anything.  I released her, and asked, “Will you do it?”

She nodded, her face serious.  “I will, Twilight.  Let’s go.”

I looked over at Applejack and Cadence, inspecting them.  Neither of their uniforms fit properly – Applejack’s was straining at the chest, but she had somehow managed to get her uniform closed up around her breasts, and Cadence’s hung on her, overlarge – but they had their helmets on, and were holding themselves with an air of confidence, which was essential to the plan.  Applejack had tucked her hair up inside the helmet as best she could, and there was a little bit of blonde poking out of the bottom.  However, it was the best we could hope for.

A few minutes later, I was marching up the stairs in front of Fluttershy, gun at the ready.  Fluttershy was dressed back in her prisoner’s rags, her hands tied behind her back, with Cadence and Applejack following behind her, guns raised.  Relying on my memories of the layout of the Crystal Palace, I carefully led them up into the palace, looking for what I thought would be a storage room.  After an hour of careful searching, avoiding coming too close to any of the guards stationed throughout the palace, I began to grow frustrated as every room I thought would fit the layout wasn’t what I expected it to be.  It wasn’t until a passing patrol approached us that I felt our luck might change.

The patrol leader halted, eyeing us, and saluted.  I saluted back as best I could and trying to hide my nerves, and he eyed the bound Fluttershy.  “What’re you doing with the prisoner, soldier?” he asked.

Falling back on the cover story we had devised, I replied, “Commander Shi-Twilight Armor wishes to see the prisoner.  We’re escorting her to his chambers.”

The soldier looked at us, curious.  “But Commander Armor’s chambers are upstairs.  Why are you in this wing of the palace?”

“We’re looking for the prisoner’s possessions.  Commander Armor wants to question her about them.  We were told that they were down here, but we haven’t been able to locate them.”

He nodded, smirking.  “Whoever sent you this way gave you a bum steer, soldier.  That prisoner’s things are in the storage room next to the Queen’s chambers.  This is where regular prisoner’s things would be kept.”

I winced inwardly, thankful that my helmet visor was hiding my eye.  That was going to make things interesting.  “Thank you, sir,” I replied, shaking my head in frustration.  “I’ll be sure to let the guy who told me know.”

He nodded, satisfied.  Motioning to his patrol, they marched on past us, continuing their rounds.  Once they were out of sight, I turned back to the others.  “Dammit,” I muttered.  “This isn’t going to be easy.  Hopefully we won’t run into Nightmare Moon again.”

I heard Cadence hiss with an intake of breath.  “Nightmare Moon is here?” she asked.

I nodded.  “Yeah, she is.  We fought her earlier.  She’s the one who took my staff,” I growled.  

“Easy, there, Sugarcube,” muttered Applejack.  “Let’s just get a move on.  We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

We headed back the way we came, and up the main stairs, heading towards where I remembered the Queen’s chamber to be.  As we walked, I felt someone come up behind me next to Fluttershy.  “Twilight,” Cadence’s voice asked, “How is it you know your way around this palace?”

I didn’t look back, focused on the task at hand.  “I’ve been here many times in my world.  It seems to have the same layout.”

“So the Crystal Empire has returned in your world?  What about King Sombra?”

I chanced a glance back at her as we approached the floor with the Queen’s chamber.  “You and my brother defeated him with the Crystal Heart.  He is forever gone in my world.”

She remained silent for a time, contemplating what I had told her.  Finally, we located the room that the soldier’s directions had indicated.  I glanced around carefully, but no one appeared to be paying us any attention.  I opened the door and slipped inside, motioning for the others to come with.  

The room we had entered was like a museum.  Artifacts were displayed on the wall and in cases placed around the room.  “Wow…” I said, awed.  “These must be the treasures of the Crystal Empire.”

“More like the trophies of Nightmare Moon,” Applejack snarled.  “C’mon.  Let’s find our stuff and get going.”

I released Fluttershy from her bonds, and we spread out around the room, searching for our things.  Applejack found our outfits folded in a case in the corner, with our cloaks.  She gathered them up quickly, stuffing them into a nearby bag and slinging it over her shoulder.  I found Pinkie Pie’s daggers hanging on the wall.  Furious, I snatched them down, handing one to Fluttershy and one to Applejack.  Applejack slipped hers on her uniform belt, and Fluttershy managed to rig something under her ragged tunic.  Cadence found a sword on the wall, which she took and clipped to her belt.  “I was trained in swordplay while growing up,” she said in response to my questioning look.

We continued searching the room, eventually finding Fluttershy’s and Pinkie Pie’s guns.  We also found some additional ammunition for them, which, since we had been running low, was a nice bonus.  Applejack didn’t find her old rifle, but she was happy enough with the gun we had taken from the soldiers.  I didn’t find my staff, but I found something else.  “Cadence,” I called.  “Come look at this.”

She came over to where I was standing in front of a case against the wall.  It was filled with magic crystals.  One in particular, a pale pink crystal, was given a place of honor in the center of the case, resting on a satin pillow.  Cadence looked into the case and gasped at the sight of the crystal.  “That’s mine!” she exclaimed.  We quickly opened the case, and she reverently lifted the crystal off of the pillow.  “I thought I’d never see this again,” she whispered.  I saw tears forming in her eyes as she clutched the crystal to her chest and I smiled at the sight of the happiness on her face, something I wasn’t sure I would see in her in this world.

Looking around the case, I grabbed a different crystal, one that had a chain attached to it.  I carefully removed the chain and offered it to Cadence.  She took it gratefully and wrapped it around her own crystal, which she then hung around her neck, tucking it under her shirt.  Applejack and Fluttershy came over to us.  “We can’t find your staff, Twilight,” Fluttershy reported, “or the element.”

I growled again, frustrated.  I was feeling naked without my magic.  “I’ll bet the element is back with the other one.  My staff must be in the Queen’s chamber.  We’ll have to check there.  I can’t get us out of here without my staff.”

The others looked apprehensive.  “You sure about this, Twilight?” asked Applejack.

“It’s the only place it can be,” I replied.  “It’s right next door, so we’ll just have to hope that she’s not around.”  I looked at them, contemplating the situation for a moment.  “I’ll go over and check.  I’ll look as quickly as I can and be right back.”  I saw the hesitation in their faces and shook my head.  “It’s the fastest way.  It’ll be easier for one of us to get in and out quickly.”

Applejack looked grim, but nodded.  “Alright, Twi.  We’ll hang here and wait for you.”  She glanced over at Cadence and Fluttershy, and I understood why she was giving in so easily.  The others wouldn’t survive another full-fledged confrontation with Nightmare Moon in their current condition.  Fluttershy had been going strong, considering her wounds, but her strength was flagging.  Cadence hadn’t been out of the dungeons for months, and while she had gotten her magic back, I knew her strength just wasn’t ready for a major confrontation.

Applejack gave me a hug.  “Be quick, ok?”

I nodded.  “I will.”  With that, I turned, shouldered my gun, and slipped out of the door.  Glancing around quickly, I slipped over to the next door, which was much more ornate than any other door, and pushed it open carefully.  The room inside was dark, and I slipped inside, pausing for a few minutes as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.  Once I could see, I started quietly searching around the room.  It was a large room, befitting a Queen, with a large four-poster bed on one side, some fine furniture as a sitting area, and resplendent artworks on the walls.  There was a large fireplace opposite the bed, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the wall above the mantle.  Hanging on the wall was my staff, looking just like I had last seen it.

I headed straight towards my staff, dragging a chair over in front of the fireplace.  I steadied the chair, climbed up on it, and reached out carefully, grabbing my staff from the wall mount.  As soon as I pulled the staff away, I felt something wrap around my middle, and I was hauled out of the chair and into the air, letting out a cry of surprise.  

“Greetings, Twilight Sparkle,” called a voice from behind me.  “I missed you.”  I looked down and saw the flowing midnight of Nightmare Moon’s hair wrapping around me.  I scrabbled at the hair, trying to dislodge it, but it tightened up, and I felt myself having difficulty breathing.  She pulled me around, down to face her, and I glared into her shining eyes.  She wrapped her hair around my wrists and ankles, pulling my limbs straight, and she slid closer to me.  I struggled against her hair, trying to dislodge something, but she grabbed my face with her hand, and I had to hold still as she dug her fingernails into my cheek.

She smiled up at me.  “I knew you wouldn’t stay down there forever.  You’ve always been a little too resourceful to be held.  I kept your staff because I knew you would be coming for it.”  She pulled my face close to hers, and kissed me deeply.  Breaking the kiss, she smiled coyly, and sliced her finger down my cheek, drawing blood.

Furious, I spat in her face, snarling, “I know who you really are under that shell.  I know you’re Princess Luna, not Nightmare Moon, and Princess Luna would never do anything like this.”

Nightmare Moon casually wiped my spit from her face.  “Well, well, well.  The little lady still has a fighting spirit.”  She grinned at me, teeth flashing in the darkness.  “I like that in a lady.”  With that she suddenly flung me backwards into the wall.  I bounced off of a painting and plummeted to the ground, pain coursing through my body.  As I tried to push myself up, she grabbed me once more with her hair and flung me across the room into the opposite wall, crashing into another painting.  I fell to the floor, landing on my back, groaning.  I carefully pushed myself over onto my knees, and Nightmare Moon grabbed me again, this time flinging me upwards into the ceiling.  I slammed into the ceiling tiles with bone-jarring force, feeling them give way, and she dropped me to the floor, pieces of tile raining down around me as I crashed down, bouncing on the carpeting.

Aching all over, I felt my strength begin to flag, as the culmination of my ordeals the past few days caught up with me.  I tried to push myself up, and was barely able to get my knee under me before Nightmare Moon encircled me with her hair once more.  She forced me into a kneeling position, and knelt in front of me, grasping my chin and raising my head up.  “I’m sorry, Twilight Sparkle,” she said in a sickly sweet voice.  “But I’m afraid that you’re not long for this world.  Mayhaps I should send you back to your old world?”

The astonishment must have shown on my face, for she continued, laughing.  “Oh, yes, I know where you’re from.  Discord told us everything, the little dear.  We’ve been expecting you the whole time.  Why did you think I was waiting for you up in that tower?”

My face fell as I considered the futility of her words.  They were completely prepared for us.  So prepared that they were ready for all six of us.  Only four of us showing up must have been a joy for them.

But a thought crept into my head.  They hadn’t counted on us releasing Cadence.  And I doubt they had considered our new abilities, which was apparent when Applejack survived her attack before.  

Defiance crept back into my mind.  I glared up at her.  “Just because you think you have everything under control doesn’t mean you do.  If I’ve learned anything, I’ve found that things can change in a heartbeat, and something you thought was hopeless is now possible.”

Her smile became lopsided.  “Ah, well.  I thought I could break your mind before I could try to break your body.  It looks like we’ll have to do this the other way around.”  With that, she dug her fingers into my face, and I screamed as I felt electricity coursing through me.  After what felt like an eternity, the pain stopped, and I hung there, gasping for breath.  Suddenly, another surge of electricity caused me to writhe in agony until it stopped, leaving me gasping again.  It was too much.  After all I had been through I wasn’t sure how much longer I could last.

Suddenly the door burst open, and I heard gunshots.  Nightmare Moon’s hair released me, and I fell to the floor once more.  I was able to carefully turn my head to get a look at the door, and what I saw caused a shaky smile to form on my face.  Framed in the doorway were Cadence, Applejack, and Fluttershy, all pointing their guns at Nightmare Moon.

Fluttershy rushed into the room, keeping her gun trained on Nightmare Moon, who was glaring at the three of them, apparently unhurt.  “Twilight, are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, kneeling down next to me.

I coughed, voice raw from screaming, and nodded as best I could.  “I am now,” I gasped.  Fluttershy helped me sit up, my limbs still shaking.  I noticed that throughout the entire ordeal, I had kept my hand on my staff, gripping tightly enough to cause my knuckles to turn white.  I smiled at that, and looked up at Nightmare Moon.  “See what I mean?”  I raised my staff, shooting a bolt of pure white light at her, flinging her back into the wall, bouncing off and down to the floor.  

Nightmare Moon pushed herself up, eyes blazing, and fired a bolt of darkness at me.  I was able to put up a shield, deflecting the bolt into the wall.  Just then, I saw another bolt of light fly by me, striking Nightmare Moon in the side, knocking her down.  “Who dares?” she cried, looking over at the door.

Cadence stood there, hand out, a pale blue aura of magic glowing around it.  “Twilight, we should leave right now,” she called, launching another bolt of light at Nightmare Moon, her hand shaking from the effort.  

Nightmare Moon glared at her, and I used the distraction to push myself up, grab Fluttershy, and rush to the door as Applejack opened fire, keeping Nightmare Moon pinned.  Spinning around, I faced Nightmare Moon, raising my glowing staff while continuing to hold Fluttershy’s hand.  “Fluttershy, grab Cadence,” I whispered.  “Applejack, grab me.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them following my orders.  As Nightmare Moon stood, I made as if to cast another bolt of light at her.  Her hair flashed around her in a defensive barrier, and I cast my spell.  I saw the surprise in her eyes as we vanished, teleporting away.
> Chapter 15: Shattered Bonds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We arrived at the top of the tower in a flash of light.  As I slumped to the ground, drained, I looked up at the Crystal Heart, which was floating next to the two elements of Harmony.  I smiled.  “Just as I thought.”

The others looked up, Applejack and Fluttershy staring at the elements, and Cadence staring at the Crystal Heart.  I saw tears in her eyes as she looked upon the relic that could save this country.  Before she could stand and reach for it, I warned her off.  “The circle on the floor is a warning signal.  If we touch it, King Sombre will be here in an instant.”

I saw the frustration plain on her face.   “Then what do we do?” she asked.

I looked over at Applejack, who was digging in the bag she had grabbed.  “Do you have any rope?” I asked.

She looked up at me and passed me my outfit and cloak.  “Ah don’t think so, Twi.  Ah couldn’t find our packs in that room.”  She handed Fluttershy her clothing, and pulled out her own.  Finally, she emptied the bag by pulling out Pinkie Pie’s clothing, which was still bloodstained.  As she looked at the clothing with sadness in her eyes, I stared at the now empty bag, thinking quickly.

“Applejack, hand me that bag,” I asked.  She looked up at me in surprise, but handed the bag over.  I grabbed the bag with my magic and floated it up to the element of Kindness.  Moving swiftly, I scooped the bag over the element and floated it back.  The others looked up in astonishment as I pulled the element out of the bag.  Then I floated the bag back up, grabbed the element of Laughter, and did the same.  Looking over at Cadence, I brought the bag back up and scooped up the Crystal Heart, floating it over to Cadence, who took it reverently.  I quickly changed clothes, noting that Fluttershy and Applejack had done the same.  Slinging the bag over my shoulder, I deposited the elements back into it.

Suddenly, I heard the voice of my brother behind us.  “Well, you managed to survive your time in the dungeons and get your elements.  You’re far stronger than you look.”

We all turned back, watching Shining Armor step out of the shadows.  His gun was trained on me, and he was glaring.  “Shining Armor!” I cried.  “Stop this!  Cadence is alive!  King Sombra has been controlling you with his magic!”

He sneered at me, shadow magic playing across his eyes.  “How dare you say that name!  Cadence is dead.  I saw her die.  And my name is Twilight Armor!”

We both turned as we heard Cadence’s voice.  “Shining Armor?”  She was stepping forward hesitantly, taking her helmet off.  As her ragged hair fell around her face, her eyes looking at Shining Armor hopefully, he stared back at her in amazement.

“C-Cadence?” he stammered, reaching his shaking hand out slowly towards her, gun dropping to the floor with a clatter.  She smiled at him, reaching for his hand.  Suddenly, Shining Armor screamed, clutching at his head, shadow magic playing across his body.

“Shining Armor!” she cried, rushing over to him, and grabbing his shoulders.  He continued to scream, writhing as the shadow magic flickered and flashed across his body.  In between flashes of shadow, I saw flashes of his regular magical aura.  The flickering stopped for a time, and he looked up at Cadence with eyes no longer tinged with shadow.  “C-Cadence?  You’re alive?”  He looked around quickly.  “Where’s King Sombra?  What happened to him?”

She looked down at him, smiling, but suddenly the shadow magic flashed again, and he screamed once more, writhing.  When it stopped, he glared up at Cadence, his eyes dark once more.  “You’re dead.  I saw you die.  You’re just another imposter like Twilight.”

Taken aback, she pulled him to her, her hands glowing with azure light.  “Shining Armor, you know that’s not true.  You’ve been under King Sombra’s spell this whole time.  Remember who you truly are!”  With that, the blue light erupted from her, engulfing them both.  The shadow magic flickered and flashed once again, playing across both of them, and both Shining Armor and Cadence screamed.  Shining Armor’s purple aura intermingled with Cadence’s blue aura, driving away the shadow magic with a flash of blinding light, causing the rest of us to cover our eyes.

As the light faded, we looked back at the two of them.  Shining Armor had slumped in her arms, eyes closed, and breathing deeply.  Cadence held him closely, tears streaming and a smile on her face.  After what seemed an eternity, he opened his eyes and looked up at her.  “Cadence?” he repeated.  “Cadence!  I thought you had died, I – I saw King Sombra attack you.  What happened?  Did you defeat him?”  Looking around, he saw the three of us and his eyes grew wide in shock.  “Twily?” he asked, quietly.

I smiled, relief filling me.  “Hi there, Shining Armor.  Remember me?”

He stared.  “I – I saw your remains!” he stammered.

My smile dropped slightly.  “It’s true.  Your Twilight is dead.  I’m the Twilight from another world, as are my friends.”

He looked between us and Cadence.  “But – how?”

I shook my head.  “It’s a long story.  We have to get out of here first.”

He looked around, as if seeing their surroundings for the first time.  “Wait, this is the Crystal Palace!  How did we get up here?”

“Twilight brought us here,” Cadence replied.  “Shining Armor, look!”  She picked up the Crystal Heart, showing it to him.  He took it reverently, gazing into its crystal depths.  “It’s what we were looking for.  With this we can save the Crystal Empire.  Twilight’s done it before!”

A deep, rumbling voice echoed through the chamber.  “My Crystal Empire will remain mine.”  A swirl of shadow flowed around us, spinning through the room and coalescing into a tall man standing next to Shining Armor and Cadence.  His black hair flowed behind him, and his glowing green eyes stared out at us all.  He was holding a large staff with a blood-red crystal on top, which was glowing with a similar magical aura.  

He smiled viciously down at them.  “So, my little puppet has cut his strings,” he rumbled, staring at Shining Armor, who looked confused.

“What are you talking about?” Shining Armor demanded.

King Sombra just laughed.  “Did they not tell you, little puppet?  What you have done all this time, in my service?  Once I convinced you that your little toy was dead, it was easy to harness your mind to me.”

Shining Armor stared between King Sombra and the rest of us.  “Twiliy?” he asked, plaintively.  I felt my heart breaking at the sound of his voice.  I opened my mouth to answer, but I couldn’t think of what to say.  He saw the look on my face, and horror started to fill his expression.

King Sombra laughed even more.  “Oh, little puppet, if you only knew.  Knew of the lives you have ruined with your experiments.  Knew of the torture that your little sister and her friends have gone through under your orders.  Knew of what your toy has gone through.  Knew of what you have done for me and my Queen!”  He turned back to the shadows, staring into the darkness with a sly smile on his face.  “Speaking of which…  You may come out, my dear.”

I felt despair overwhelm me as I saw the form of Nightmare Moon materialize in the shadows.  For the third time, I looked upon her intimidating form as she strode out of the shadows, a smile on her face.  She glided across the floor, heading towards us, and the three of us scrambled away from her.  

I heard movement, and looked over to see Shining Armor getting to his feet, sword in hand.  “You monsters,” he grimaced, his body shaking.  “I don’t know what you’ve done to me, or made me do, but I remember enough of what you are.”  He raised his sword.  “I remember that in order to save this country, I need to kill you.”  With that, he rushed at King Sombra, swinging his sword with a cry of fury.

King Sombra snorted.  “Impudent puppet,” he rumbled.  He swiped his staff, and a blast of wind issued from it, catching both Shining Armor and Cadence, sending them flying back into the blue circle on the floor.  They landed, bouncing, and the floor immediately flashed with shadow magic.  I watched as Shining Armor pushed himself to his knees as Cadence rolled over, still holding the Crystal Heart, but our view of them was suddenly obscured by black shards of crystal shooting up from the floor, forming a black crystal cage.  

“Shining Armor!  Cadence!” I cried.  I rushed towards the cage, but my way was blocked by King Sombra, who stepped in front of me.  I was unable to react as he swiped his staff at me, sending a blast of shadow magic which struck me in the face.

I was flung backwards into the wall, feeling the crystals jutting from the wall cutting into my body, piercing my back, arms, and legs.  Nearly blacking out from the pain, I saw Nightmare Moon’s hair floating around the room, grabbing Fluttershy and Applejack, lifting them into the air.  This time, Nightmare Moon wasn’t pulling any punches as she stretched their limbs nearly to the breaking point.  I heard both of them screaming, joints popping, and watched as King Sombra approached my friends.  He raised his staff towards Fluttershy, and a blast of searing red light tore off her arm in a spray of blood, which floated away in Nightmare Moon’s grasp.  She screamed, her voice growing hoarse.  “Fluttershy!” I screamed.

Glancing over at me with an evil smile, King Sombra left Fluttershy hanging, bleeding profusely, and moved over to Applejack.  He proceeded to trace the tip of his staff along her body, glowing red lines forming on her wherever it touched.  She looked down in terror as the staff finished its journey, and King Sombra removed it with a flourish.  He then turned away, moving directly towards me, and stabbed his staff down on the floor in front of me.  At that moment, Applejack’s skin exploded in a spray of blood as she screamed in pain and terror.  “Applejack!” I cried, sobbing, as King Sombra stopped in front of where I was pinned to the wall. 

He bent down in front of me, putting his face directly in mine.  His green eyes glowed brightly and he smiled.  “Now, little one, it’s time for you to truly suffer.”  He traced the tip of his staff across my face, burning like fire as it touched me.  I screamed in pain, and light suddenly filled my vision.

I blinked, the pain fading like a bad dream.  I found myself not pinned to the crystal wall, as I expected, but standing in the center of the chamber, exactly where I had been when King Sombra first attacked me.  Looking around, tears flowing down my face, I saw that everything was exactly as it had been before the attack.  Fluttershy and Applejack were standing where they had been, but they were staring at me with worried expressions.  Nightmare Moon and King Sombra were staring, not at me, but at the crystal cage, which was glowing with a bright white light.  Suddenly, I saw the crystal cage shatter, exposing Shining Armor and Cadence, who were holding the Crystal Heart.  The Heart was glowing with the white light, which had stripped King Sombra’s magic from me.

As we all watched, the light between them grew, growing to blinding proportions.  I covered my eye as best I could, but was able to see the light flash out from the heart, sending a wave through us all.  I saw King Sombra struck by the light, which tore him apart as he let out a guttural howl, the crystal on his staff falling to the floor and shattering.  The light hit Nightmare Moon after that, tearing through her hair, which had formed itself into a defensive barrier.  The flowing midnight hair was stripped away, shredded to pieces of darkness that dissipated as the light passed, and tearing away what appeared to be an outer shell.  The light struck the rest of us and passed through without harm, though I felt myself revitalized and uplifted by the passing energy.

When the light finally faded, we all looked around in astonishment.  The Crystal Palace was glowing with a soft light, which pulsed throughout the entire Empire.  I could tell that my friends felt the same revitalization that I had, for though our wounds weren’t closed, we were all moving better than we had been even half an hour ago.  I looked over to where Shining Armor and Cadence had been, and saw them sitting together in each other’s arms, the Crystal Heart glowing between them.  We also saw with astonishment that Nightmare Moon was no more, and in her place laid an unconscious Princess Luna.

We spent some time sitting in that chamber, resting and recuperating.  We inspected the rest of the city as best we could from the tower chamber, noticing that the barrier of shadows was completely gone.  We also could tell that the citizens had received the same benefits we had, and were even now filling the city in wonderment.  The soldiers appeared to have given up, throwing their weapons down and surrendering to the populace.  There didn’t appear to be any imminent danger of violence, but we knew that if no leadership took control anytime soon, things could escalate quickly as the effect of the Crystal Heart wore off.

After a short while, we noticed that Princess Luna was stirring.  Her form had been completely changed by the light, stripping away her Nightmare Moon personality.  Her skin was no longer ebony black, but a soft grey, and her flowing hair was a deep midnight blue.  Her eyes still glittered like stars, but there was a kindness present in them that was never visible in Nightmare Moon.  Applejack and I moved over to her, and helped her sit up.

She looked at us uncomprehendingly.  “Where am I?” she asked, her voice soft and kind, but confused. 

“You’re in the Crystal Empire,” I replied.  “My name is –“

“Twilight Sparkle,” she interrupted, shaking her head.  “I… remember your name, but I know not why.”

“We’ve… met before,” I replied carefully.

She looked confused, but I shook my head.  “It’s not important right now.  What is important is that there’s a country here that needs someone to provide leadership.  Princess Luna, it might be best if you step up.”

“I?” she replied, surprised.  “I have been gone for a thousand years, Twilight Sparkle.  I know not the means of running a country.  Besides, the subjects would not know me, nor would they be likely to trust.”

I heard Cadence speak behind me.  “We can do it, Twilight.”  She and Shining Armor were standing behind us.  I looked up at them in astonishment, which was short-lived as I felt a sense of rightness.  I saw the determination on their faces as we all turned to face them.

Shining Armor nodded.  “I need to do something to make up for what has happened to this country.  For what… I… did.”  He looked frustrated, and I knew King Sombra’s words were weighing heavily on him, even though he couldn’t remember anything since Cadence had been captured.

Cadence hugged him close.  “It’s ok, dear,” she reassured him.  “We’ll do everything we can to help.”

I came over to them and hugged them close.  Smiling up at them, I felt that sense of rightness once more, and we all came together with a sense of peace that had not been present in that country for quite some time.

We spend a few days exploring the Crystal Palace and trying to restore order in the Empire.  We were unable to locate Pinkie Pie’s body, and neither Luna nor Shining Armor remembered enough to give us any clues as to where it was.  We also discovered that the light had caused all of the people who had been implanted with their crystals to be healed, their crystals removed from their bodies and returned to normal.  However, the discs they used to power were still functional, as long as someone was willing to operate it.  After some discussion, Applejack, Fluttershy and I decided to take one of the discs.  I would be the one operating it, since it would use less energy than teleporting and would allow us to get to places I had never seen much faster.  

We removed the restraint chains from our chosen disc, cleaning it as much as possible.  Cadence and Shining Armor had provided us with plenty of supplies, including some additional weapons, which we carefully strapped into the disc.  As we worked, we heard a young girl’s voice behind us.  “T-Twilight Sparkle?”

I turned, seeing a teenaged girl standing behind us.  She had curly hair striped in shades of purple, a clear crystal hanging from her neck, and was looking at us apprehensively.  “Yes?” I asked, certain that I knew who this was, and feeling relief that she was ok.  Applejack and Fluttershy popped their heads up from inside the disc where we had been working, curious.

“Umm,” she stammered.  “Y-you might not know who I am, b-but, I heard about you from Princess Cadence.  I’m…”

“Sweetie Belle,” I replied, smiling.  She let out a squeak of surprise, and I approached her carefully.  She was staring at my eye patch, unsure of what to say.  I stopped before I got too close to her.  “What can I do for you?”

She looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet.  “Ummm…” she started, “You see, umm… I was wondering…”

“Well, come on girl, spit it out,” called Applejack.  “What can we all do ya for?”

Sweetie Belle let out another squeak, then mastered herself.  “Well, can I come with you?  At least back home?”  She looked up at me expectantly.  “I can fly the disc if you like.  I’ve done it plenty of times.”

I smiled down at her.  “Of course you can come, Sweetie Belle.  We were just about to leave, as soon as we finish cleaning the disc.  Is there anything you need to do before we leave?”

She shook her head.  “No, nothing that I can think of.  I already thanked the Princess and said goodbye to Shining Armor.  He’s such a nice man, isn’t he?”

I looked down at her, curious.  Either she had no memories of what Shining Armor had done to her, or the story Shining Armor told us while under King Sombra’s control wasn’t entirely true.  Shaking the thought away, I nodded to her.  “Yes, he is a really nice man.  I’ve known him for a long time.”

“Really?” she asked, looking up at me in awe.  “Wow, you’re so lucky.”

I motioned up at the disc.  “Shall we get going?”  We climbed into the disc, surveying our handiwork.  All evidence that the disc had held a prisoner at one time was gone, and we had cleaned the metal until it shone with pride.  “Sweetie Belle, I was planning on flying us in this.  Is there anything that I need to do to get it going?”

She shook her head.  “Nah, it’s pretty simple.  Just have a seat in the center here…” She sat down, settling herself in the seat.  “And power it up!”  She placed her hand on her crystal, concentrating hard.  A blue aura of magic surrounded the disc, and we rose into the air.  “Just tell me where to go, and we’ll get there in a snap!”

I looked around in awe.  The Sweetie Belle I knew had enough trouble getting a spoon off the table, let alone lifting an entire metal disc and three passengers into the air.  Applejack and Fluttershy looked just as amazed.  “This is great, Sweetie Belle!  Ah never knew you had this much in ya!” Applejack said.

She smiled.  “Ah, this is nothing.  You should see me flying around the Palace.  I can loop the loop like the best of them!”  She looked over at me.  “So where to, Twilight?”

“Well, let’s head home, Sweetie Belle.  To the south.”  I reached into my bag, and pulled out Pinkie Pie’s old cloak.  I wrapped it around Sweetie Belle, saying, “It’s going to get cold after we leave the dome of the Crystal Empire, so here you go.”

She smiled up at me, and we started flying south.  “Thanks, Twilight.”  We picked up speed quickly, the Empire flashing past below us.  Applejack, Fluttershy and I sat down in the disc next to Sweetie Belle, relaxing in the smooth flight.  A few minutes later, we came upon and passed through the shimmering dome on the edge of the Crystal Empire, and out into the snowy north.  I sighed as I saw the flying snow below us, looking out with a feeling of sadness.

“What’s up, Twi?” Applejack asked.

“Just thinking,” I replied.  “Remembering how excited Pinkie Pie was when we first came here on the train.”

The mood became somber for a moment, as we all remembered our hyperactive friend.  I wished that we had been able to find her body and bring her back for a proper burial.  Fluttershy reached over and squeezed my shoulder in sympathy.  “We know, Twilight.  We all miss her.  We never really had a chance to mourn her when she died.”  Her eyes lit up, and she spoke excitedly.  “Hey, we could celebrate her when we get back home!”

I smiled back.  “That’s a great idea, Fluttershy.  I think she’d like that.”

We flew in silence for a while, watching the scenery go by.  I did my best to keep Sweetie Belle on track, but it was difficult without the sun to steer by.  After another couple of hours, we left the snowy plains, coming into warmer weather.  “Sweetie Belle, would you like to take a rest?” I asked.  

She shook her head.  “Nah, it’s ok, Twilight.  This is pretty easy, actually.”

“Ok, if you’re sure,” I replied.  We sat there chatting for another couple of hours, chatting and eating some lunch as we flew.  It was late afternoon before we finally found ourselves approaching Equs.  We landed on the outskirts of the town, doing our best to camouflage the disc from prying eyes, then headed into the city and entered the library.

It was a bittersweet reunion in the underground hideout.  On the one hand, Sweetie Belle was welcomed back with open arms.  Applebloom in particular was excited to see her, and the two of them spent the entire evening heads together, talking and laughing.  I was struck by the similarity of this Applebloom with the one from our world, and found myself asking a question that I later regretted.  Approaching the two girls, I asked, “Hey, Applebloom, where’s Scootaloo?”

Silence greeted me, as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked up, sadness in their eyes.  Surprised at their reaction, I immediately felt bad, but felt I had to push on.  “What happened?” I asked.

“Well, Twilight,” replied Applebloom.  “Scootaloo, well, she always really, really wanted to be like Rainbow Dash.  When the town was attacked, she decided she wanted to be a hero like Rainbow, and rushed at the bad guys.”

“Oh, Applebloom,” I replied, sadly.  

She nodded.  “She didn’t last long,” she replied somberly.  “When the attack was over, we buried her in the cemetery, kinda over by Pinkie’s family.”

“I’m so sorry,” I replied.

Sweetie Belle shook her head.  “Don’t worry, Twilight.  She did what she wanted to, and went down fighting.”

After that difficult moment, the next one came when the twins heard we had come back.  I saw them come flying into the meeting room, excitement on their faces as they searched for Pinkie Pie.  When they couldn’t find her, my heart broke as I saw their faces fall.  They ran over to me, eyes hopeful as they looked up at me.  I braced myself as they asked, “Miss Twilight?  Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

“Well, you see…” I started replying, then hesitated.  I wasn’t sure how to respond.  “Pinkie Pie’s not coming back, kids.  I’m really sorry.”

“Oh,” they replied, looking disappointed.  “Is she staying in the Crystal Empire?”

I nodded hopefully, cringing inwardly at the twisted truth.  “Exactly, she had to stay there.”

“Oh, ok,” they replied.  “She should have fun, there’s a lot of shiny things up there, aren’t there?”

“You’re right, kids,” I said, hugging them both close.  “You’re exactly right.”

We stayed for another day, throwing a party to celebrate Pinkie Pie, but decided that we should leave the following day.  We’d already had plenty of time to rest in the Crystal Empire, and aside from dropping off our two new elements, there was nothing to keep us in town for too long.  We were packing up the next morning as Cheerilee and Big Mac approached us to say goodbye.

They came up, giving us all hugs as we were getting ready to hoist our packs.  “Good luck,” Cheerilee said as she hugged me.  “Thank you for bringing back Sweetie Belle.”

“I’m just glad she’s ok,” I replied.  We had told them what had happened in the Empire, and what had been done to her.  I did leave out the part where Shining Armor had said he was the one who developed the methods for implanting the crystals.  Sweetie Belle still didn’t seem to have any memory of the procedure or who did it, and I didn’t want to sow distrust of my brother.

“’Luck,” grunted Big Mac, shaking my hand.  I nodded back at him, smiling.  We thanked them once again, and headed out of town, towards our camouflaged disc.  We cleared it off, and I settled myself in the seat in the center.  Gripping my staff, I concentrated, and saw a purple aura surround the craft, and we were levitating with ease.  I felt that the disc itself was working in my favor, boosting my magic to the point of making it easy to move.

Looking over at Applejack, I called, “Which way, AJ?”

She pointed off to the east.  “Over thataway, Twi,” she replied.  I focused my concentration, and we sped off into the air, heading towards our next destination: Camelot.	
> Chapter 16: The Royal City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It took two days flight, but we eventually reached Camelot.  Much of our flight was spent in silence, Applejack and Fluttershy cleaning the weapons we had acquired.  Fluttershy had brought a small paint set as well, and took some time to decorate her guns with a stylized butterfly, much like her old cutie mark.  When she saw me watching her paint, she blushed, and said, “Well, they don’t have to be ugly things, do they?”  Applejack, who had been watching, handed over her own rifle with a hopeful smile, and we watched as Fluttershy decorated her rifle with a stylized trio of apples.  

We first saw the city of Camelot when we were roughly a half day out, the gleaming white buildings on the edge of a cliff, the large white castle jutting up into the air.  We decided to land outside the city and approach the rest of the way on foot.  With the situation in Camelot an unknown at the moment, we thought it was better to come in quietly on the ground than appear as an attacking force.  That decision being made, we touched just off of the road into town, doing our best to disguise the disc once more, shouldered our packs, and hiked towards the city.

We approached the gleaming white walls, passing a checkpoint on the way in.  The checkpoint appeared to be unmanned, so we hurried our way through and headed directly for the main gate.  The approach felt eerily familiar to our approach to the Changeling’s castle, and just as silent, which set us all on edge.

We kept our weapons sheathed as we approached, the only exception being my staff, which I used as a walking stick.  We saw that the main gates were open wide, as they usually would be during an average day.  However, we still couldn’t see anyone manning the gates. 

We strode through the entrance, unchallenged.  We looked around the familiar city, searching for some form of life.  Suddenly, Fluttershy pointed down the street, and called, “Look there!”

We looked where she was pointing, but I couldn’t see anything.  “Fluttershy, what did you see?” I asked.

“I thought I saw something down the street,” she replied.  “It looked like someone walking.”

“Ah didn’t see anything,” Applejack mentioned, looking around.  “On the other hand…” She stared down towards a different area of the main street.  She shook her head.  “Ah thought I saw…”   Suddenly she looked confused.  “Ah dunno.”

“Wow, that couldn’t be any clearer than if you’d drawn a picture,” I grumbled sarcastically.

“Sorry,” Applejack looked contrite.  “Ah just thought I saw… you.”

“Me?”  I looked around, searching in confusion.  Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement in the street.  “Wait, did you...?”

We all looked around, seeing flashes of movement, which grew more and more prevalent.  Suddenly, it was as if a film had been pulled back, revealing a hidden world.  We saw people, but they weren’t truly there.  They were transparent, filling the streets and buildings, passing around and through us.  It looked as if we were standing in the middle of a bustling city that wasn’t real.

“Oh my…” gasped Fluttershy.  “What is this?”

Suddenly, Applejack pointed again.  “Twilight, it is you!”  I looked where she was pointing, and gasped, as I saw a young girl, no older than eight, with hair matching mine exactly.  She was walking with two adults, a man and a woman, who I recognized as having to be my parents in this world.  They appeared to be walking down the street, heading towards a large building that looked like a barracks.  They approached the door, knocked on it, and disappeared inside.  Suddenly, I looked back again, and saw myself in the same position on the street, heading down to the barracks with my parents.  We watched as this scene repeated itself over and over again, much to our confusion.

We looked around, focusing on other specters, noticing the same repetition among them.  It looked like someone had taken a slice of the life of Camelot and just looped it over and over again.  “What the hey’s going on here?” Applejack asked. 

“I have no idea,” I replied, astonished.  Suddenly, I was tackled from behind, slamming down on the ground.  I felt a weight resting on my back, and tried to turn myself over, but I suddenly felt the edge of a blade resting on the back of my neck.  I froze, and heard Fluttershy’s voice, except at the same time it wasn’t Fluttershy’s voice.

“Living beings have no place in Camelot,” she said, another voice echoing under hers.

“Fluttershy, what the hey are you doing?” Applejack called, and I felt the weight being pulled off of my back.  I chanced a glance up, and saw Applejack holding back Fluttershy, who was holding one of Pinkie’s old daggers, straining to get to me, a twisted expression on her face.  Her eyes, however, were vacant and staring.

As I watched, pushing myself to my feet, Fluttershy suddenly twisted around, driving her dagger into Applejack’s shoulder, skidding off her armored shirt.  Applejack let out a cry of surprise, releasing Fluttershy, who attacked Applejack once more, blade flashing.  Applejack’s defensive instincts kicked in, and blocked the attack with a blur of motion, catching the blade on her arm.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” I cried, grabbing her with my magic, halting her attack.  She glared at me, eyes still vacant, and she spoke in that dual voice once more.

“This is the land of the Dead,” she intoned.  “Living beings have no place here.”

I stared at her, trying to figure out what was going on, when I suddenly saw a wisp of what appeared to be smoke floating in the air, heading directly towards Applejack.  “Applejack, look out!” I cried, sensing malevolence from the smoke.  She looked up in surprise, and the wisp struck her, vanishing into her.  As soon as the wisp entered her, she looked over at me with the same twisted expression Fluttershy had, drew her dagger and leapt at me.  

I let out a cry and grabbed Applejack with my magic as well.  “What’s gotten into you two?”

They both glared at me, speaking at exactly the same time in that dual voice that caused the hair to stand up on the back of my neck.  “Living beings that enter Camelot must join those that live here or they must leave here forever,” they both intoned.  

“Well, we can’t die yet, and we can’t leave until we get the element that’s here,” I countered.  “And for that, I need my friends.  So leave them alone!”  With that, I cast a purging spell on the two of them, watching wisps fly out of them both.  As soon as the wisps completely left their bodies, their expressions turned back to normal, and their eyes cleared, looking confused as I released them from my holding spell.  

“Umm, Twi?” asked Applejack.  “What’s going on?”  

Fluttershy looked down at the dagger in her hand and let out a little squeak of surprise.  “When did I grab that?” she asked.

I looked up into the sky, searching.  The daylight made them hard to see, but after some careful inspection, I found that I could see the translucent wisps floating in the air.  “We may have a problem, girls.  It looks like this is a city of ghosts, and they don’t want us here.”

Fluttershy looked up into the air, panic on her face.  “Ghosts?  What’ll we do, Twilight?”

“I think I can keep us protected from them, but it’s going to take a lot of my energy.  We’ll need to make this a very quick visit, if we can.”

“Are you sure you can handle this, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack, eyeing the floating wisps.  Some of them appeared to be circling us with anticipation.

“I don’t really have a choice now, do I?” I replied, steeling myself.  “Now stay close to me.”  They stood next to me, determination on their faces as I concentrated on my chosen spell.  A force field flickered into being around us all, just as one of the wisps attempted to strike.   It was deflected off back into the sky, and it circled back with an air of frustration, hovering over us once more.  

Fluttershy looked over at me.  “A force field?  But I’ve seen you cast those without any problem, and hold them for a long time.”

I shook my head.  “The actual casting of force fields is easy.  And I can anchor them to a location, which allows me to keep it going without too much effort.  It’s mobile force fields that are difficult.”  I waved away their concern.  “I’d rather deal with that then worrying about which of us will become possessed next.  Now, we need to get moving.  I’m betting the element is in the castle, it’s just where that I’m not completely sure about.”

We headed up the main street, directly towards the castle, moving quickly.  I hoped that there would be someplace we could hide from the floating wisps, since I could already feel the drain on my energy from keeping the force field going as we ran.  Wisps struck down at us as we ran, bouncing off of my force field, and continuing to circle back.  As we approached the castle, I felt myself starting to falter, and started looking for someplace to hide.

“AJ! Fluttershy!” I called, pointing at an old guard house that looked solid.  “Over there, quickly!”  We rushed over to the guard house, and Applejack kicked the door in, pulling us in with her.  We slammed the door shut behind us, and I looked around quickly, searching for any of the wisps before dropping the field with a sigh of relief.  

Fluttershy looked closely at me.  “Are you doing ok, Twilight?” she asked, concerned. 

I nodded.  “I’m fine, just tired.  Give me a few minutes of rest, and I’ll be able to get us into the castle.”

“Ah hope we don’t run into any more of those things,” said Applejack, shuddering.  “Ah didn’t feel right, when that one was inside me.  Ah felt… cold and Ah didn’t know what Ah was doing.”

Fluttershy shuddered as well.  “Me too.  It was like I would never be warm again.”

“Well, as long as they haven’t taken over the castle, we should be ok,” I replied, carefully glancing outside.  “Ready, girls?”  They nodded, and I cast my force field spell again.  We ran out of the guardhouse, heading straight to the castle, flinging open the doors as we went.  Applejack turned back and slammed them shut, and I dropped the force field with relief.

We looked around the castle, searching for wisps while inspecting the castle entryway.  The castle itself was dusty and uncared for.  Moldy furniture decorated the foyer, while dusty old tapestries hung from the rafters, looking like they would disintegrate at the slightest touch.  We strode up the main stairs, old carpet covering the steps, doing our best not to disturb too much dust.  We had one close call when I stepped on what turned out to be a rotten stair, and it fell apart under my foot with a loud crack.  I fell through, scraping my leg in the process, the rest of the board shattering into pieces.  I felt Applejack grab the back of my shirt, pulling me back and away from the broken stair.  We carefully tested the steps before putting weight on them after that.

Arriving at the main hall, we entered the room, looking down the hall to the raised dais at the end, upon which sat two thrones, one of which was occupied.  We strode down the great hallway, dusty, falling apart decorations on the walls, approaching the occupied throne.  Arriving at the foot of the dais, we looked up at the one person I was afraid to see in this new world: Princess Celestia.

She sat on the throne, staring blankly off to the side at something that only she could see.  Her pale, multicolored hair flowed behind her, and her pale skin shone in the light.  She was wearing a long white gown made of a shimmering material, and her golden crown was perched on her head.  She suddenly smiled, and I thought for a minute that she was smiling at me, like she always did whenever we saw each other.  However, my joy was short-lived as she spoke, incoherently, apparently talking to someone that we couldn’t see.

“Princess Celestia?” I asked, tentatively.  

She ignored me for a while longer, conversing with whatever shade she was seeing.  I approached her, coming up the dais.  I got to the first level before she reacted, her face flashing in my direction.  “I do not remember summoning you, Twilight Sparkle,” she spoke in her commanding tone.

I stopped reflexively in the face of that tone.  Mastering myself, I replied, “No, Princess, you didn’t.  I’m here to obtain something that you hold.”

“The element of Harmony, yes, I know.  My beloved has informed me of your quest, and how it is you are here, despite being dead in our world.”

I was taken aback, and glanced back at my friends.  They were just as surprised as I was.  “Y-you’re beloved?” I asked.

She smiled, somewhat vacantly.  “Yes, my beloved Discord.  He told me about your arrival shortly after he met you last, and told me that you would be coming by to retrieve the element of Harmony that he keeps here.”  She reached up, golden light surrounding her hand, and we looked up as the element of Honesty came floating down, a stone with a crystal apple set into it.  Celestia took hold of it, admiring it in the glow of her magic.

I was still in shock over her calling Discord her beloved.  “Princess, what has Discord done to you?”

She looked up at me in surprise.  “Why, Discord has given me the greatest gift of all.  He has given me the freedom to be myself.  I have ruled for the past two thousand years, and Discord has allowed me to step down from that position for the first time.  He has even brought my long lost sister back from her banishment.”  She gestured to the empty throne next to her.  “Have you met Princess Luna?” she asked.

Somewhat hesitantly, I replied, “Yes, your Highness, I have.  She’s actually in the Crystal Empire right now.  We freed her from being Nightmare Moon.”

Somewhat testily, Celestia replied, “Twilight, I know not what you are talking about.  Princess Luna is right over there.  Can you not see her?”

“Umm… I’m sorry, Princess, but there’s no one there.”

Celestia sighed.  “Oh, Twilight, and here I thought you were a bright student.  Perhaps if Discord were to visit, you would be able to see the truth.”

“What truth?” Applejack asked, confused.

“Why, the truth about Discord and myself.”  She stood, still holding the element, and called out, “Discord!  Will you come here, please?”

“Yes, my dearest Princess?” came Discord’s voice.  We turned to see him opening the side of one of the pillars like a door and entering the room.  He closed it behind him, and took a bow.  “Greetings, ladies!  It’s wonderful to see you again!”

“Discord!” cried Fluttershy, stepping behind Applejack, a frightened look on her face.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.

His expression became mock-hurt, and he replied, “Why, can’t I come by and see my good friends and my Princess?”  Suddenly he was right behind me, hands on my shoulders, head craning around to look at me.  “My, my, Twilight, love the eye patch.  It suits you.”

I shrugged his hands away and spun around, staff at the ready.  “Discord, what did you do to the Princess?”

With a look of innocence, he replied, “Me?  Why, I gave her some well-deserved time off from running the country.  Is that so wrong?”

“What’s this about Princess Luna being here?  You know she’s in the Crystal Empire right now.”

“Well, now, it’s not my fault if the Princess needs a companion,” he replied, indignant.  “I just happened to give her one.”  He snapped his fingers, and I could see a form in the second throne.  It looked like Princess Luna, but was made entirely of wood.  As I watched, it got to its feet, joints clacking much like the timberwolves.  It made a jerky sort of bow, and sat back down, going limp.

“A puppet!” exclaimed Fluttershy.

“If you say so, dear Fluttershy,” Discord replied.  He stepped forward to me, causing me to take a step back.  We walked this way back down the steps, him advancing and me retreating until we got to the bottom of the dais.  “Now, Twilight, I must commend you on your progress so far.  Four of the elements, and you’ve only lost three of your wonderful friends.  Somehow I expected it to be one to one, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers.”  He disappeared and reappeared next to Celestia, who handed him the element of Honesty.

Suddenly, Discord was standing between Fluttershy and Applejack, tossing the element back and forth.  My friends each jumped away from him in surprise.  “I suppose you want this one as well.  Now, I could just give it to you, but that wouldn’t be very fun, now would it?”

“What do you want?” I growled, frustrated.

“Some entertainment, my dear Twilight,” he replied.  “I am the master of Chaos, after all.”  With that, he snapped his fingers, and two of the wisps from outside suddenly appeared above Applejack and Fluttershy.  They both let out a cry as the wisps struck them, their faces going blank, then becoming as twisted and menacing as they had outside the castle.
> Chapter 17: Some Entertainment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I held my staff up, readying my magic to cast the purging spell on then.  When I didn’t see the answering aura on my staff, I looked down in surprise, finding myself holding nothing but a long fighting staff.  I looked over at Discord, who was waggling my staff at me with a smirk on his face.  “Good luck!” he called, vanishing and reappearing perched on top of Celestia’s throne, her in his lap and my staff in his hand.

I only had a moment to register my astonishment before Applejack and Fluttershy leapt at me, weapons drawn.  I dodged to the side as they both landed right where I had been standing, daggers flashing down.  Applejack immediately reacted by bounding towards me, and I tried to block her attack with my staff.  Fluttershy, not being as strong as Applejack, didn’t react as fast, but was still aggressive enough to come around Applejack and strike at me.  I did my best to dodge and block, but they were too fast, and I felt the daggers scraping my armored shirt.

I jumped up the stairs, trying to put some distance between us.  They circled around me, one on either side, getting ready to strike.  The vacancy in their eyes was disturbing, and combined with the twisted hatred, made them look menacing.  The only thing I could think about was to go on the offensive, so I leapt at Fluttershy, staff swinging.

She reacted to my swing by blocking with her arm, letting the staff roll off and grabbing it, pulling me in and off balance.  Falling forward, I saw her swing her dagger at me, and I let go of the staff and tried to drop forward and out of the way, landing hard as the dagger whistled by.  I scrambled to my feet just as I felt Applejack come up behind me, but was unable to dodge as she drove her fist into my lower back.  Pain blossomed in my back, and I lost my balance once more, rolling down the stairs.  I landed at the bottom in pain, and immediately tried to bring my arms up in defense.

I was lucky that I did, as I felt a blinding pain on my arms as Fluttershy brought my staff down on them hard.  Fortunately, my armored shirt protected my arms from breaking, but it still hurt enough to bring tears to my eye.  I saw her raise the staff again, and rolled to the side as she brought it down with enough force to crack the tile I had been lying on.  I kept rolling, anticipating Applejack’s follow up strike, which scraped on the back of my shirt as I rolled and cut a line in my cloak.

I rolled over once more, pushing myself to my feet as I went.  I jumped towards Fluttershy, grabbing at the staff as she swung it at me.  The force of the swing jerked me to the side, but I was able to hold on and use my momentum to wrench the staff out of her hand.  I swung it around as I went, and was lucky enough to catch Applejack in the forehead as she moved in to strike at me.  I knocked her back to the floor, unconscious, just as I felt Fluttershy’s foot connect with my stomach, driving the wind from me.  I fell forward, gasping, and Fluttershy drove her elbow into my back, knocking me forward to the floor once more.

I felt Fluttershy kneel down onto me, placing the dagger at my throat.  I quickly thrust my head backwards, catching the side of her face with the back of my head.  She jerked to the side, dagger scraping along my neck, and I pushed myself up, using her momentum to slide her off my back and to the floor.  I rolled to the side and stood up once more, sweeping my staff upwards just as she was standing up, catching her in the side of the head, knocking her unconscious as well.

I stood there, breathing heavily, arms burning from the exertion of fighting my possessed friends.  I whirled up to face the throne as I heard slow applause coming from Discord.  “Bravo, bravo!” he cried, applauding.  “Very well done!”  He pushed Celestia off his lap, and stood, coming down towards me.  “I especially liked how you dodged Fluttershy’s strikes.  I really thought that Applejack would be the one to take you out, but little Fluttershy turned out to be quite the feisty one.”  He vanished and reappeared next to Applejack, looking down at her.  He bent down and placed his finger against her forehead, causing the wisp he had summoned to fly out of her and disappear.

“It’s really too bad that you weren’t able to kill them,” he said as he appeared next to Fluttershy.  “But I suppose it’s to be expected, being friends and all.”  He tapped Fluttershy’s head, and dismissed the wisp.  He appeared halfway up the dais, holding my staff.  “I guess I should honor my side of the bargain,” he said, tossing my staff in the air towards me, which I caught deftly, glaring at him.  He pulled out the element, spinning it in his hand, and rolled it down the stairs to me.  I grabbed the element, staring at him in astonishment, but refusing to question our luck.

“Now as much as I’ve appreciated the little song and dance you’ve provided us, I’m afraid that I must ask you leave,” he announced.  “I’ve got a few things planned, and I must get up early tomorrow morning.”  He reappeared next to Celestia, taking her hand and helping her to her feet.  The two of them bowed to me, then turned around, heading towards the back wall, which shimmered into an overlook scene.  I started up the dais.  “Celestia!” I cried.

Discord’s head spun around to look at me, and he shook his head.  “Ah, ah, ah,” he chided.  “The night is over and it’s time to head home.  Good luck, little Sparkle!”  He snapped his fingers, and suddenly we were outside the city and on the road, darkness surrounding us.  I looked around, surprised at the sudden change in time and place, and noticed Fluttershy and Applejack stirring, sitting up.  

Applejack was rubbing her forehead, and Fluttershy was holding the side of her face.  “What happened?” asked Fluttershy, looking around.  “How did we get out here?”

“Are you guys ok?” I asked, rushing over to them.

Applejack touched her forehead gingerly.  It looked like a lump was forming, and she winced when she touched it.  “Ah think Ah’m gonna have quite the headache,” she muttered.  “What did y’all do to me?”

“Umm, I kinda hit you in the head with a staff,” I replied.  “You were both trying to kill me at the time, so it was kinda justified.”

They looked at me, horrified.  “It was Discord, wasn’t it,” Applejack stated.  I nodded in return.  “How?” she asked.

“It was those wisps we saw in the city,” I replied.  “He brought in a couple of them to possess the two of you for his entertainment.”

“I’m so sorry, Twilight,” apologized Fluttershy, flustered.  

“It’s ok, Fluttershy,” I replied.  “At least we got the element.”  I held up the element, and they stared in astonishment.

“He actually gave it to you?” Applejack cried, grabbing it and inspecting it before handing it back to me.

“Yeah, I don’t really understand it either,” I replied.  “I guess… that’s chaos?  Unpredictable?”  I stared down at the element, trying to determine if it was a fake.  It looked much like the others that we had already found, complete with the brief glimmer of light in its depths.  Satisfied, yet still confused, I placed the element in my bag, helping my friends to stand.  Fluttershy had a nice bruise on the side of her face, and the lump on Applejack’s forehead had finished forming.  We stared at each other for a minute, relieved and confused, then fell into a hug as we all realized that we had faced Discord and survived.

Releasing each other, we started heading away from the city and towards our hidden disc.  “Well, Twilight, one more element, right?” Applejack pointed out.  “Then we can finally get rid of that jerk.”

I smiled back at her.  “Exactly,” I replied.  Then my face fell.  “I hope, at least.  With the others gone, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Fluttershy looked worried at my words.  “That’s right, Twilight.  Who’s going to hold the element of Loyalty?  Or Generosity, or Laughter?”

Applejack shook her head, confident.  “We’ll be ok, Twi.  Ah’m sure of it.”  I turned to protest, but she stopped me with a hand on my lips.  “Trust me, Twi,” she stated, looking into my eye, a knowing smile on her face.

I smiled back, feeling reassured.  Applejack had never steered me wrong when she spoke like that.  Thinking back now, I often wonder if Applejack had seen the changes this world had wrought far before any of us, and was doing her best to make sure I understood in case things went wrong.

We arrived at the disc, clearing it off and loading our things up once more.  We decided to camp out for the night before heading off to our final destination, enjoying one more night of peace in the wake of so much confusion.  We huddled around our map, locating the Dragon’s Mountain and planning the easiest path there.  It was a testament to Fluttershy’s growth that she didn’t fall into fits of terror at the mere mention of the Dragon King, though I was unsure as to how much she would be able to endure on a mountain full of dragons.  Such questions were put aside for now, and when we finished our planning, we spent the remainder of the evening talking and laughing, much like we used to.  It was well into the middle of the night before we fell asleep, huddled together under our blankets under the dark sky.
> Chapter 18: Into the Dragon’s Lair
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We woke the next morning, sky still grey and dim, and climbed into the cold disc.  I shivered slightly as I settled myself into the seat in the center, wrapping my cloak around me in an effort to keep warm.  I looked around at the others.  Applejack was looking to the east towards our destination, her cloak and long blonde hair blowing out in the chill morning wind, and her ever-present hat flapping on her head.  She was a sight to behold, arms folded, a long dagger in her belt, apple-decorated rifle slung over her back, and two handguns strapped to her side.  She shifted slightly, and I was able to see her face, still decorated with the long scars from Nightmare Moon’s fingernails.  I knew that under her clothing, her body was also covered in long scars from our ordeal under the Crystal Palace, and if these gave her any pain, she refused to let it show.

Fluttershy was in the process of double-checking our supplies, making certain that everything was strapped in properly.  Her cloak fluttered in the wind as well, her long pale pink hair flowing behind her.  Her face still bore traces of the kindness of old, but her eyes were hardened by the hardship and loss we had all endured.  She now carried herself with a confidence that I had never seen in the old Fluttershy, handling herself with ease as she moved about the disc.  She too wore a long dagger in her belt, one of the pair of Pinkie Pie’s that we had recovered and Applejack carried the twin to.  Strapped to her side were her two butterfly-decorated handguns.  I knew that she too was scarred under her clothing, as we all were, though the only traces that could be seen were when she shifted her arms just right, exposing her scarred wrists.

I blinked back unexpected tears as I watched them before getting ready to pilot the disc.  “Ready, girls?” I called.  They nodded, and sat down next to me as I poured my magic into the disc, purple aura surrounding us, and we lifted off into the sky, heading straight for Dragon Mountain.

Up in the air once more, we flew calmly, chatting as we went.  It took the better part of two days to reach the mountain, which much like the castle of Camelot, rose out of the ground like a deadly spike, smoke issuing from the tip.  As we approached, we could see dragons flying about the mountain, roaring and snapping at each other, letting loose the occasional gout of fire.  We flew as close to the mountain as we dared and hovered for a little while, inspecting the mountain and trying to see if there was an obvious path to the top.  Using a telescope that Cadence had provided us, we inspected the base of the mountain, locating a pathway that we thought we could use that seemed to run up the side.

Just as Applejack had put the telescope away, Fluttershy let out a cry of alarm, and I looked up to see a large blue dragon plummeting towards us, claws extended and wings flapping.  We screamed, and I immediately took the disc into an evasive maneuver, looping up away from those claws.  The dragon flew past us, opening its wings wide in an attempt to change course, and we flew up high in an attempt to get away as quickly as possible.  The dragon flapped its wings hard, rising much faster than I had expected, and let loose with a blast of fire, which I rolled the disc in an attempt to avoid.

Fluttershy and Applejack were jostled around like rag dolls, holding on tightly to the safety straps.  “Dammit, Twilight, you’re trying to lose the dragon, not us!” screamed Applejack.  I glared back at her, but held back a retort as I concentrated hard on keeping the disc moving while the dragon came by for another attack.  I waited until it was almost right on top of us before dropping my levitation field suddenly and we plummeted towards the ground out of its reach as my friends screamed.  I powered the field up once more, slowing our fall as gently as I could, skimming the tops of the trees.  I watched with a grim satisfaction as the dragon slammed into the trees ahead of us, driving up a large cloud of dust and debris.

We floated just above the treetops, resting for a moment, and I turned the disc towards the mountain, flying us away from the dragon.  Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement, and the dragon’s claws were streaking towards us faster than I could react.  The claws sliced through the disc as if it were paper, somehow missing us all, but cutting the disc into three pieces.  I struggled to keep the pieces together while keeping us afloat and making sure that my friends stayed on board.  “Hang on, girls!” I cried while forcing every ounce of speed I dared from the disc as it broke apart, aiming us for the side of the mountain and the pathway we had spotted earlier.

I spotted the pathway about a quarter of the way up, and made a split second decision.  “Jump!” I called, standing up on the wobbling disc.  Applejack and Fluttershy didn’t even stop to think and leapt from the pieces they were standing on.  I immediately dropped my spell from those pieces, and they flew away from the one I was standing on, crashing into the side of the mountain as I launched myself into the air, removing my spell from the disc completely and reaching out for my friends as we fell.  I was able to grab them out of the air, carefully slowing them so that they weren’t injured by a sudden stop.  I heard the sudden crash and tearing of metal as the portion I had been sitting on struck the mountain.

Carefully bringing my friends over to me, we floated down to the mountainside as quickly as I dared, trying not to show the dragons that we had survived the crash.  We had gotten enough attention from the noise of the crashing disc, but we were able to avoid the searching eyes of the few that came over to investigate by hiding under an outcropping and pulling our cloaks over ourselves.  After waiting long enough for the dragons to lose interest, we pulled ourselves up and started up the side of the mountain.

It was a tense hike, slow going and full of stops to hide from swooping dragons.  Fortunately, we were small enough to not draw attention to ourselves, and our cloaks camouflaged us enough that we were able to avoid confrontation with the fliers.  It was the ground-dwelling dragons that were the problem.  We had to move carefully when we encountered one of those.  We were able to sneak past a few of them, as they were either sleeping or distracted.  One I even levitated out of the way as its massive bulk took up the entire trail.  We had to be very careful when moving near the mountain itself, as the sides of the mountain were interspersed with what looked like large rock spines that jutted out for a foot or two and had razor-sharp tips.  There were a couple of times where we brushed too close to one of them, coming away with shallow gashes, as the spines were even able to cut through our armored clothing.

It wasn’t completely smooth sailing as we made our way to the halfway point.  There was one particularly alert dragon that we weren’t able to sneak by, and ended up fighting our way through.  The three of us worked together well, Fluttershy providing a distraction with her guns and agility, giving Applejack enough time to take out the dragon’s eye with a well-placed shot.  I finished the dragon off by launching a fireball directly down its throat as it roared in pain, burning it up from within.

Looking back on it now, I think the ease with which we took out that dragon may have been our undoing.  It gave us a level of overconfidence that we took with us as we climbed the mountain.  If we had been able to take out a dragon that big without any trouble, what chance did any of the others stand?

It was another hour before we found ourselves at what looked like the halfway point.  As we hiked up the pathway, we came to a flat landing that hung over the side of the mountain further than any landing we had seen yet.  In the center was a very large dragon, one that looked like it had survived longer than any dragon we had yet seen.  It was coated in a dark, rocky skin that was covered in patches of lichen.  Spines jutted out from its back, looking much like the spines from the side of the mountain, and its tail ended in a large rocky club.  The vertical pupil of its dark green eye stared at us, its great crest swaying in the winds blowing about the mountain.  It pushed itself to its feet with a rumble, and stretched, yawning, but still keeping its eye on us. 

Then he spoke, and his voice was like a small earthquake.

“Little humans,” he rumbled, glaring down at us.  “You dare to disturb the rest of Syrothrax?”

I stepped forward.  “We apologize for disturbing your rest, but we’re on our way to see your King.  We wish to speak with him regarding the element of Harmony that he holds.”

The dragon laughed, and the ground around us shook slightly.  A few small rocks dislodged from somewhere up the mountain, bouncing down and ricocheting off Syrothrax’s hide.  The dragon paid them no mind and spoke to us again.  “The Endless One has no need to deal with humans.  There is nothing that you could offer him that could make him listen to you.”

“Please, can you let us pass?” asked Fluttershy, trembling slightly, but mastering herself as the full weight of the dragon’s gaze turned upon her.  “We really don’t want to fight you, but we need to see your King.”

The dragon lowered his head until his eyes were level with us and glared, vertical pupils contracting to slits.  “You would fight?” he growled.  “You would fight Syrothrax?”

“If’n we truly had to,” Applejack growled back, standing firm.  “We’d really rather not, though.”

“You just might get your wish, little humans,” Syrothrax rumbled, drawing himself up to his full height, “for Syrothrax is the Endless One’s gatekeeper.  There are none who pass without Syrothrax’s approval.  And of you, Syrothrax does not approve.”  His crest flared up, and he let out a deafening roar, launching a blast of fire that radiated the heat of an inferno.  The flame washed over us as I was able to raise a shield just in time, protecting us from the blast.  When the fire stopped, I dropped the shield, and we rushed in together, weapons drawn.  

We tried employing the same tactics that had served us well against the other dragon, but we quickly learned that Syrothrax was much more experienced than that other dragon had been, and he saw through our plan with ease.  He also moved much faster than we had expected, and we were soon reduced to dodging swipes from his claws and tail.

I dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, dodging a particularly close swipe from his claw.  Applejack followed behind it, loosing round after round at Syrothrax’s eyes, but the bullets just ricocheted off of his stony skin.  Fluttershy dodged as best as she could, and ran up to his side, leaping onto his leg in an attempt to get onto his back, using her dagger as leverage.  Along the way up, she fired point blank into his side, hoping to find a weak spot in the stony armor.  Trying to keep his attention, I rolled to my feet and launched a bolt of lightning at his face, electricity playing across his cheek, which caused him to roar in pain.

Finding a weak point, I launched bolt after bolt as quickly as I could, until I saw him shift quickly, flinging his tail in my direction.  Applejack was able to jump out of the way in time, but there was no way I was going to be able to easily dodge the strike.  I quickly teleported to the other side of the tail, and launched another bolt of lightning right at the base of his tail.  He roared, and lashed out with his rear claws, but I was ready for the attack and dodged to the side.  

He suddenly spun around just as Fluttershy had reached his back, dislodging her and she fell, landing hard on the rocky ground.  Applejack saw her fall, and started to run over to her, firing quick shots at Syrothrax, hoping to keep him off balance.  I saw a few of her shots enter his open mouth, and he roared in pain.  I saw the fury on his rocky face, and he drew in a deep breath.

“Applejack!” I yelled, rushing over to her.  She had gotten about ten feet from me before she stopped dead, staring up at Syrothrax in terror.  I tackled her to the ground, quickly bringing up a shield just as Syrothrax let loose with another blast of flame.  As the flames washed over us, I saw Fluttershy getting to her feet, readying herself for another charge.  She never got the chance.  As I watched in horror, Syrothrax flicked his front foot forward, slapping her away.  She flew backwards through the air and landed directly on one of the mountain’s rock spines, impaled through the chest, guns clattering to the ground.

“FLUTTERSHY!” I screamed.  I pushed myself up off of Applejack, who was staring at her broken body in horror.  I rushed over to her, unsure of what I could do, but determined to do something to save her.  She hung there, suspended on the rocky point, looking dazed and confused, blood bubbling from her lips, her long pink hair matted with blood.  “Fluttershy…” I gasped, reaching her and grabbing her hand.  Tears were streaming down my face, and she looked over at me, smiling weakly.

“I’m sorry, Twilight,” she apologized.  “I messed up again, didn’t I?”  She coughed, spraying blood over my face and clothing, but I didn’t care.

I shook my head emphatically.  “No, Fluttershy, you were amazing.”  I heard gunshots as Applejack screamed in fury, firing at Syrothrax.  “Really, you were,” I reassured her, my voice breaking in sorrow.

She smiled at me faintly.  “At least I’ll get to see Rainbow Dash again,” she breathed, blood bubbling as she spoke.  She looked down at me, smiled once more, and her eyes went vacant and glassy as her body slumped, the last traces of life leaving her.  

I gripped her hand, which had gone cold and slack and let out a howl of pure anguish.  I felt a cold fury burning inside of me as I lifted my bloody staff, glaring up at the dragon that was snapping down at Applejack.  I gathered my magic into myself, stalking forward, and started launching lightning bolt after lightning bolt, covering the dragon in electricity.  Syrothrax let out a roar, but I didn’t let up.  He swiped his claws at me, and I teleported away, causing him to lose his balance.  I launched another bolt, and he swiped his tail over at me, but I teleported away once more.  He overshot where I would have been, giving Applejack the opening she needed.  She fired one quick shot, taking out his left eye, and he let out a bone-rattling roar, thrashing about.

We both jumped back, waiting until he finished thrashing, hatred and fury clear on both of our faces.  He stopped, pushing himself up, glaring down at us with his remaining eye.  “You will pay for that, little humans,” he growled, fury in his voice.  “Just like your little friend.”

“Our ‘little friend,’” I snarled, advancing towards him, “was better than you could ever hope to be.”

“That is what you think, little human,” he growled.  “Prepare to die.”  He drew himself back, and just as he started to inhale, Applejack rushed forward, firing a burst of bullets into his mouth, and I teleported up onto his head as he roared, my staff glowing brightly with magic.

“This is for Fluttershy!” I screamed, and I plunged the staff directly into his ruined eye, firing as much lightning into his head as I could.  His body started convulsing as the lightning coursed through him, and I was flung off of him, landing hard on the ground between Applejack and the edge of the cliff.  She was staring at Syrothrax, a grim smile on her face as he went into his death throes, my staff still stuck in his eye.  She turned to me, smiling with satisfaction, and opened her mouth to speak as I pushed myself up.  

Suddenly, I saw Syrothrax’s tail flying directly towards her as he convulsed, and I called a warning.  “Applejack, behind you!”  She spun around just in time to be hit with the rocky club on the end of Syrothrax’s tail, and I heard the bone-shattering crunch as it struck.  She flew by me, rifle sliding along the ground, and I reached out to grab her hand as quickly as I could as she went by.  Her momentum dragged me along with her, and I slammed down on the rocky ground at the edge of the cliff as she went over, holding on to her hand as tightly as I could as she dangled there.

I looked down at her, and gasped at the sight.  Her legs dangled ineffectively, bone protruding from her right thigh, and her left leg was bent backwards.  Her pelvis looked like it had been crushed, and her broken ribs were protruding from her chest in places.  She was bleeding all over, and looked like she was having a hard time catching her breath.  I felt the despair welling up in me as she looked up at me, fear on her face.

“Applejack!” I cried.  “Come on, we need to get you up so we can get you to a doctor or something!”

“T-Twi?” she whimpered, and it tore at my heart to hear the fright in her voice.  “Ah… Ah can’t feel my legs.”

“Can you pull yourself up?” I asked, tears falling once more.  “I can get you out of here, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

She tried to lift her other arm, but winced at the effort.  She shook her head.  “Ah don’t think Ah can, Twi,” she replied.  “Ah just don’t have the strength anymore.”

“What should I do?” I wailed.

She stared up at me for a while, agony on her face, and I saw the moment she reached her decision.  She took a deep breath, and said, “Let go.”

I gaped at her.  “Wh-what did you say?” I stammered, sure that I had heard her wrong.

She smiled a weak smile.  “Let go, Twilight.  You need to live so you can stop Discord.”

I shook my head emphatically, arms burning from the effort of holding her weight.  “Applejack, no!  I can’t lose you now!  Not after Fluttershy!  I need your strength!”

She shook her head in response.  “No, Twilight.  You’ve got plenty of strength on your own.  You can do this.”

“But the elements!  I need you for your element of Honesty!”

“Twilight, Ah’m going to tell you the honest truth here.”  She looked me directly in the eye, trying to keep her breath.  “The elements don’t respond to us anymore.  They haven’t since we arrived.  You’re the one they react to.”  She must have seen the disbelief on my face, for she smiled and continued.  “Ah suspected it when we got back with the element of Generosity, and Ah knew for sure once we got the element of Honesty.  It didn’t react to me when Ah touched it, but Ah saw the spark when you held it.”

“B-but the others…” I stammered, feeling my strength start to give out.  I tried to get a better grip on her hand, but her blood on it made it slippery.

“Ah’ll bet they had the same thoughts,” she replied, “they just didn’t wanna say anything.  We all wanted to help you save this world.”

“BUT I DIDN’T ASK YOU TO DIE FOR ME!” I screamed, voice cracking.

She smiled once more through her pain.  “Ah know, Sugarcube.  Ah know.  We did it because we love you.”  She squeezed my hand, and a fleeting hope ran through me as I squeezed back as hard as I could.  The hope was short lived as she completely relaxed her hand, and without her strength there was no way I could hold on to her blood-covered hand.   She slipped from my grasp, and I tried to reach for her once more as she fell away from me, a smile on her face as she disappeared into the distance, her hat floating away on the winds.  “APPLEJACK!” I screamed.

I lay there, staring off the edge of the cliff, tears falling in the wind.  I eventually pulled myself up, unfeeling and unthinking, tears falling of their own accord.  I slowly walked over to the body of Syrothrax, who had stopped convulsing and was lying there still.  Wrenching my staff from his eye, heedless of the dragon’s blood, I walked over to where Fluttershy was hanging, using my magic to pull her off of the rock spike.  Laying her body down, I carefully removed her dagger and holsters from her belt before I pulled as many rocks together as I could, making a cairn over her body.  I then walked over to where she had dropped her guns, picking them up, staring at the stylized pink butterfly she had happily painted on them what seemed like an eternity ago.

I strapped the holsters on, slipping the guns into them, and clipped the dagger to my belt.  I then walked over to where Applejack’s rifle lay, and picked it up, staring at the trio of apples for a minute before slinging the gun over my shoulder.  I then sat down in the middle of that landing, halfway between Fluttershy’s cairn and the edge of the cliff, trying to be as close as I could to both of my friends, and I cried.

I cried for hours, sitting there, until my legs were numb and my eye burned.  I cried, mourning all of my lost friends, wishing for just one more chance to see them, to tell them this wasn’t necessary, that they didn’t have to die for me.  To tell them to live, to be happy, to run away, anything but what they had already done.  

It was dark when I finally had no more tears.  At that point, I knew exactly what I had to do.  Pushing myself up, my legs shaking and numb, I stood, wobbling until I managed to master myself.  I hoisted my staff and picked my way around Syrothrax’s body, making my way up the mountain, a grim expression on my face.
> Chapter 19: The Endless One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Word had obviously spread among the dragons of the death of Syrothrax, so as I made my way up, not bothering to hide my presence, I was avoided.  Nearly any dragon that caught sight of me, my staff lit with purple magic, death on my face and murder in my eye, stepped aside as quickly as possible.  Only one dragon challenged me on my way up, a red dragon, obviously young and eager to prove himself.  I made short work of him by grabbing him with my magic and slamming him into the side of the mountain, impaling him on the rock spikes in the same way Fluttershy had been, barely blinking as I strode by his body.

Eventually, I reached the cave at the top of the mountain.  I strode into it, heedless of the dangers, and approached the old dragon there, lying on his treasure trove.  He was huge, easily larger that Syrothrax had been, and had a golden sheen to his scales.  Razor-sharp spines ran down his back in two rows, all the way down to the tip of his tail.  His wings were gigantic, each one easily the size of the cave entrance, and he unfurled them as he stood up, looking down at me from large silver eyes, a large scar running over the left one.  He opened his grizzled mouth to speak, and I saw teeth as large as I was, dripping with what appeared to be venom that sizzled when it landed on the rock floor.

“I see you have passed Syrothrax,” the dragon spoke, his rumbling voice echoing through the cavern.  “I am the Endless One.  I have watched over my kind for eons from this cave.  You are the first to ever best Syrothrax in his long, long time as my gatekeeper.  To whom do I have the honor of addressing?”

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” I replied, as calmly as I could.  “And I am here to kill you and take the element of Harmony that you hold.”

The Endless One chuckled, his rumbling voice shaking the ground.  “There is no need for more violence, little Twilight.  You and your friends have already put up an admirable fight, and there is no need to lose someone as remarkable as yourself in a bout of madness.”

I glared up at him, determined to make him pay for the loss of my friends, but my glare merely flowed off of him like water.  He bent his head down towards me, looking me in the eye, his vertical pupil staring.  I stared back, unmoved by the force of his gaze, and I heard him begin to chuckle once more.  “Very well, little Twilight,” he said.  “I see the determination in your face.  I offer you a choice: you may leave this place now, and I will make sure you are unmolested by my kind.  Or you may fight me for the element you seek, risking your life once more.  Should you win, I will grant you the element and safe passage from here.”

I stepped back, readying myself, fury in my heart.  “What you offer is no choice at all,” I replied.  “I would be stepping on the memories of my friends if I left without the element.”  I raised my staff, charging it with magic.  “I will fight you.”

He nodded expectantly.  “As I would have expected.  Very well.  Let us make the fight a little more fair.”  With that, his form shimmered, and he began to shrink, spines and wings receding into his body, his mouth merging into his face, and his tail shrinking.  A few seconds later, a large, robed bearded man was standing before me, golden hair fluttering, and a scar running over his left eye.  He walked over to a certain spot in his treasure trove and grabbed an ornate shield and longsword.  Striding back to the center of the cave, he took the time to fasten his shield to his left arm, glancing over at me expectantly.  Taking the hint, I drew Fluttershy’s guns, checking the clips one by one and reloading quickly, followed by Applejack’s rifle, which I slung back over my shoulder after reloading.  With that, we both slipped into ready stances, he with his sword and shield, and me with my staff and Fluttershy’s gun.

We flew at each other at the same time, his sword raised, and my staff glowing.  He swung his sword with lightning speed, but I quickly teleported behind him, firing a handful of rounds at his back.  He spun with a speed I couldn’t have imagined, deflecting the bullets with his shield.  I followed up my shots with a quick bolt of lightning, which he somehow caught on his sword, absorbing the electricity and flinging it away to strike the wall of the cavern, raising a cloud of dust.

Frustrated, I launched myself at him, firing my gun, followed by a wide blast of fire.  He leapt over the fire, sword driving down at my head.  I used my momentum to drop and roll to the side as his sword sliced down, cutting a gouge out of the ground right where I had been standing.  Rolling away, I swiped my staff at his feet, catching him in the foot, knocking him slightly off balance.  Seeing an opening, I launched another bolt of lightning at him, but he somehow pushed off on one foot, flipping backwards and away from my blast.

I teleported away from his next strike and reappeared on the opposite side of the cavern, hoping to get a chance to catch my breath.  Multiple teleportation spells, plus all of the magic that I had been throwing about during the battle with Syrothrax, combined with all that my friends and I had been through on our journey to and up the mountain, were really starting to wear on me, and I could feel the fatigue in my limbs.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get more than a few seconds respite before he rushed at me, sword at the ready.  

I stabbed my staff down into the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth towards him.  He merely flipped towards me over the shockwave, but I had been prepared for that as I dropped my staff and quickly unslung Applejack’s rifle.  Aiming where I thought he would land, I fired three high-powered shots, dropped the rifle, and swept my staff back up.  I saw that my aim had been true as my shots tore through his ornate shield, and I could tell that I had actually wounded him as he winced, his shield dropping.  Emboldened, I quickly pulled out Fluttershy’s gun and rushed towards him while I still had an advantage.

I launched another bolt of lightning as I ran, following it up with a barrage of bullets.  However, I was caught off guard as he once again caught the lightning on his sword, but instead of flinging off to the wall as I had expected, he spun his sword around and flung it back at me.  Unable to dodge, I screamed as the lightning struck me, flinging me backwards to strike the rocky wall. 

I stood there, convulsing as the lightning coursed through my body, and looked up in time to see him streaking in, sword held horizontal in front of him.  Unable to teleport in time, I made a split second decision, grim smile on my face, and allowed him to come in.  I screamed in pain as I felt his sword pierce my side, driving into the wall behind me as it slid through me.  Fiery pain coursed through me as I looked down into his unflinching eyes.  Mastering myself, I dropped my staff, reaching up with my right hand, and grabbed his sword hand as hard as I could, holding him there.  His eyes flashed down to my hand, curious, then looked up at me as I raised my left hand, still holding Fluttershy’s gun.  I placed the gun to his forehead, and without preamble, pulled the trigger.  The explosion was deafening, and his head jerked back as he released the sword, slumping to the ground.  I smiled down at him, pain wracking my body as I tried to pull the sword out of me, but my strength faded quickly, and I slumped, passing out.
> Interlude 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight pulled herself out of her spell, looking around as she came back to reality.  She had been working nonstop for the last few days, determined to finish her story, but the last few hours had been some of the most painful she had experienced during the course of this project.  She touched her face, feeling the expected tears, and smiled sadly.  Watching the deaths of Fluttershy and Applejack once more had torn at her heart.  Seeing Applejack fall away like that, that sad smile…

She shook her head, doing her best to master herself once more.  Looking out of the window, she noticed that it was late afternoon.  Feeling a sudden urge to move, she pushed herself up, catching herself as she noticed a small piece of paper hanging on the window in front of her.  She took it down, seeing Spike’s handwriting on a memo for her.

“Twilight – remember to grab your staff before walking.  I had to go out and take care of a few things, be back soon – Spike.”

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, and reached out to grab her staff.  Limping away from her desk, she found herself heading for the door to the cottage, grabbing her cloak.  She stepped outside, enjoying the afternoon sun on her face and paused, unsure of what she should do, but feeling a need to do… something.  A moment later, she was closing the door behind her, and limping out onto the road, a specific destination in mind.

As she walked the streets of Equs heading towards her destination, she felt eyes on her.  She glanced around, noticing that people were staring at her, and briefly felt that same sense of self-consciousness she had earlier in the week when the children had run away from her.  However, the feeling was short-lived as people began smiling and waving to her as she looked at them, and she smiled back, feeling a sense of belonging.  

Twilight walked through the bustling marketplace, and heard her name called from a nearby stall.  She turned to see a young man with golden hair leaning on his stall, different shapes and colors of candles decorating his table.  “Hi there, Miss Twilight!  Haven’t seen you about for a while.  How are you?”

Twilight smiled back.  “Hi, Candlewick,” she replied, “I’m… doing.”

He frowned.  “That’s all?  Sorry to hear that.  You ok?”

She nodded halfheartedly.  “Yeah, I guess I am.  It’s just been a rough couple of days.”

He nodded, understanding.  “Having a hard time with your story?” he asked.  

Twilight looked over at him, surprised.  “How did you know about that?” she asked, confused.

“Spike’s been talking it up to pretty much anybody he can whenever he comes by,” Candlewick replied, smiling happily.  “Everyone’s excited about it.  We all want to hear about how the heroes saved the world.  It’s one thing to read about it in the history books, but to read it from your point of view…”  He sighed happily.  “That would be amazing.  It would be like being there!”

Twilight’s face froze slightly.  He noticed the change in her demeanor, and immediately became contrite.  “Gosh, I’m sorry, Miss Twilight, I-I wasn’t thinking, and…”  His voice petered out, and he hung his head.  “Sorry…” he finished lamely.

She reached out and patted him on the hand, a sad smile on her face.  “I know, Candlewick.  I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”  She paused a moment, thinking back.  “And you know what?  I was there, and it was amazing.  It was amazing what my friends were willing to do for me, and for everyone here.”  He looked up at her hopefully, and she continued, smiling, “I still miss them terribly, but they were truly an amazing group of women.”

His excitement returned, and he said, “So you’re gonna show us all when you’re done?” he asked.

She nodded.  “Of course, Candlewick,” she replied.  “Of course.”

“Yes!” he cried, pumping his fist in the air.  “Thanks, Miss Twilight.  It’s gonna be awesome!”

She smiled at his enthusiasm, reminded of Rainbow Dash for a moment.  Thanking him, she continued on through the marketplace, waving to other familiar faces as they greeted her, feeling buoyed by Candlewick’s excitement at seeing her work.  She left the marketplace, heading for the north end of town, walking serenely through the streets until she finally reached her destination – the cemetery.

Passing through the gateway, she moved with single purpose, weaving her way through the gravestones until she reached a specific patch, where two graves sat next to a large monument.  As she approached, she was surprised to see the familiar form of Spike kneeling next to the center gravestone, placing a fresh bouquet of flowers.  He looked up in surprise as she limped up, and smiled at her.  “Hey, Twilight, you came up for air,” he joked.

“Har har,” she replied, smiling back.  “I needed a break.  I just got partway through Dragon Mountain, and…” she trailed off, the pang coming back into her chest as she tried to push away the memories.

Spike looked away, and she saw the guilt on his face.  She never blamed him for not coming with them after Rarity’s death, and had told him so many times, but she knew that he still felt guilty about not being there during their struggles.  They stayed there in silence for a time, Twilight leaning on her staff and Spike sitting next to Rarity’s grave.  She heard a sniffle from him, and looked down in concern.  “Spike?” she asked.

He wiped his nose quickly, and continued to stare at Rarity’s gravestone.  “It’s just… I never really got to tell her how I felt.”

“Oh, Spike,” she replied, “Everybody knew how you felt, even her.”  She smiled.  “It was pretty obvious.”

He shook his head.  “It’s not the same, you know?  Just once, I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, but I never got up the courage to actually say it.”

Twilight moved over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder.  “I know, Spike.  When I lost Applejack, I realized that there was so much that I had wanted to say to everyone, but never had a chance.”  She looked up at the memorial, which had the carved likenesses of all of her friends.  “But you know what?  That’s why we can come here and talk to them.  It’s not the same, and it never will be.  But at least it’s something.”

She suddenly felt his arms around her, hugging her tightly.  They smiled at each other through their sudden tears.  “You know I love you, right, Twilight?” he asked.

She hugged him back.  “I do, Spike.  I do.  And I love you too.”  With that, they stood there, holding each other tightly in silence as the sun crept down towards the horizon and stained the sky with fiery colors.  Nothing needed to be said, and they both knew it, for everything that could be spoken in that moment was felt through their embrace.  When the sun dipped below the horizon and the night sky turned a deep blue-black, they turned from the memorial and started back to the cottage, Twilight’s arm around Spike as she limped along, her staff lighting the way.
> Chapter 20: A Nudge Too Far
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I awoke what seemed like hours later, feeling oddly refreshed for having just been pinned to the wall like something in a display.  

I also found myself looking up at what I determined was the cave ceiling.  Confused, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, and after feeling no pain, felt around my side, finding no wounds.

My inspection was interrupted by a nearby voice.  “Feeling better?” rumbled the Endless One.  I spun around to see him sitting there next to a small fire in his human form, stirring something in a pot that seemed to be steaming happily.

I carefully took stock of myself.  I was feeling better, oddly enough.  I felt like I had slept for a week, and my bruises and wounds from my trek up the mountain had been healed.  I noticed that my staff, dagger, and guns were lying right next to me, looking oddly clean.  I picked them up, checking them, and noticed that the guns had all been reloaded as well.  I started suddenly as I saw the Endless One kneel down in front of me, a large bowl of what looked like a vegetable stew in his hands.  The smell was amazing, and I found myself famished as I wordlessly took the bowl from him, heedless of the temperature.  I scalded my tongue on the first few bites, but the taste was worth it.

He chuckled at my enthusiasm for the food as I downed the bowl and held it out for a second helping.  “Eat as much as you like, little Twilight.  I used your body’s energy stores to heal your wounds, so you will need a way to replenish them.”  He gestured to my weapons, and continued, “I took the liberty of cleaning your weapons while you rested.  I apologize if I have stepped out of line.  I did find the artwork pleasing, though.  Would I be remiss to ask if you are the artist?”

I shook my head as I finished my second bowl, a pang of grief shooting through me.  “No,” I replied sadly, my voice catching in my throat, “my friend Fluttershy did those.  She died fighting Syrothrax.”

His face unreadable as he refilled my bowl again, he replied, “I apologize.  The loss of friends is always a difficult thing to bear.”  He handed my bowl back and I attacked it once more with gusto.

I got about halfway through my bowl before I stopped, resting the spoon in the bowl.  I sat there for a moment, before looking up at him and asking, “If you don’t mind, can I ask why…?”

“Why you are not dead?” he finished for me.  He looked away for a moment.  “Because I feel that the time has come for a change.  I had thought that with Discord’s rule, life would become easier for me and my kin, which is why I had agreed to watch this.”  He picked up a stone from the ground next to him.  I saw with astonishment that there was a crystal in the shape of a star embedded in the center.  “However, that has not been the case.”  His expression unreadable, he reached over to me, handing over the element.  I took it, astonished, feeling the familiar weight and resonance of the element of Magic.  

A sudden realization intruded on my astonishment, and I looked up at him.  “Wait, I shot you!  I saw you fall!”

He chuckled, and tapped his forehead.  “Yes, you did,” he replied, “And I will have quite a headache for a little while longer.  But truly, little Twilight, there was no way you could kill me.”

I bristled.  “Then why challenge me at all if I couldn’t win?”

“Because I wanted to see what you would do to save this world,” he replied, ignoring my indignant tone.  “Your willingness to sacrifice yourself is admirable, if a little misguided.”  His matter-of-factness made me look away, somewhat ashamed.  “Do not worry, little Twilight,” he continued.  “As long as you complete your quest, sacrifice can be borne.”  He stood, extending a hand to help me up, which I took gratefully.  He gathered up my weapons, handing them over to me, and I replaced Fluttershy’s guns, Pinkie Pie’s dagger, and Applejack’s rifle before taking back my staff.  He placed a hand on my shoulder, and looked me directly in the eye.  “Now go, little Twilight.  I wish you luck.  I will provide you safe passage away from this place upon your request.”

I thanked him, then hesitated before accepting his offer.  “Can I make one request first?”

He nodded in reply, and I pressed on.  “My friends… died here.  I left Fluttershy’s body next to Syrothrax, and I don’t know where Applejack finally...” I paused, unwilling to finish that thought.  “If… if you find them… could you…?”

“They will be offered a place of rest, little Twilight,” he replied.  “I will bring them into my chambers here in a place of repose.  I will even allow you to visit them should you so choose.”

“Thank you,” I replied gratefully, then steeled myself for the journey home.  “Alright.  Let’s go.”  With that, I turned around to leave the cavern, and nearly fell over as I suddenly found myself outside the library building in Equs, darkness surrounding me.  I shuddered at the thought of the amount of power required to move me that quickly and without me even realizing it was happening, and suddenly felt like I had been completely outclassed from the beginning.

Shaking away a thought that threatened to send me reeling, I entered the library, making my way to the back, and slowly descended the stairs into the underground hideout.  I felt my dread increase with each step as I entered the meeting room, looking around.  It was empty at the moment, but I wasn’t surprised.  In fact, I was glad of it, since I didn’t really feel like seeing anyone at that point.  I carefully made my way over to the sleeping rooms, finding my old room.  Quietly opening the door, I slipped inside, intent on getting in and out without seeing anyone.

Spike was sleeping on his bed, his snores ruffling his hair as he lay sprawled under the covers, one hand hanging over the edge of the bed.  Doing my best not to disturb him, I crept through the room to where I had placed the rest of the elements of Harmony.  Pulling them out of the cabinet we had been storing them in, I placed them carefully in my bag next to the elements of Honesty and Magic, feeling their comforting weight in my hands.

After securing the elements, I slipped out of the room, carefully closing the door behind me as Spike continued to snore lightly.  I quietly moved through the meeting room and headed to the door, where I was stopped by the voice of the one person I had hoped to avoid behind me.  “Twilight?” Big Mac’s rumbling voice called quietly.  “What’s going on?”

Dreading what was about to come, I turned around to face him.  He was standing there shirtless and barefoot, wearing a pair of loose pants, looking at me curiously.  Noticing I was alone, he looked around, trying to see if anyone else was there.  “Where’s AJ?” he asked.

I hesitated, trying to think about what to tell him.  My apprehension must have shown on my face, for his eyes narrowed, and he started to approach me.  “Twilight, where’s Applejack?  Where’s Fluttershy?”

I remained silent, begging him with my remaining eye not to ask those questions as he stood over me.  In an effort to distract him, I opened my bag and took out the last two elements of Harmony, showing them to him.  “We got them, Big Mac.”

He glanced down at them, and his eyes widened in happiness.  “So, that means you can finally beat Discord, right?” he asked.  I nodded, still not trusting my voice.  He swept me up in a great bear hug, pulling me off of my feet.  “That’s great!  Where’s AJ?  Ah wanna congratulate her!”

Seeing him so happy and excited broke something in me, and I looked up at him, grief plain on my face.  He saw my expression, and immediately put me down, looking into my eye with concern.  “Twilight?” he asked, panic starting to creep into his voice.  “Where’s AJ?”

“Sh-she didn’t make it,” I whimpered, finally letting out the truth that I had kept locked up inside.  

“W-what?” he stammered, dropping to his knees in shock.

“They’re all gone,” I whispered, resting my forehead against his.  He just continued to sit there, staring at nothing.   “It’s just me, now.”  I hugged his head against my chest, and I felt the beginnings of a sob.  “I’m sorry, Big Mac.”  I gently pushed him back upright, looking into his eyes.  “I’m taking the elements to finish this.  I can do it.  Applejack told me so, and you know about her honesty.  But if I don’t go now, I’ll never go.  I’m sorry to do this, but I can’t have you raising an alarm or anything.”  He just looked up at me, tears in his eyes, uncomprehending.  I raised my staff and cast a sleeping spell on him.  His eyes slowly closed, and I grunted as I grabbed him, preventing him from falling over.  I gently laid him down on the floor before turning and hurrying up the stairs and out of the hideout.

I stepped quickly out into the night air, hurrying out of town as fast as I could.  Once I reached the outskirts I paused, thinking.  Discord had never actually told me where he could be found.  However, I knew of one place that I was fairly sure he might be.  Gripping my staff tightly, I concentrated hard, and with a flash of light, vanished, reappearing in the great hall of Camelot.

The great hall was almost exactly like I had left it.  The only difference was that instead of being occupied by Princess Celestia, the hall was completely empty.  Determined, I stalked up to the dais where the two thrones still sat, seeing no one, not even the Luna puppet that Discord had created.  “Discord!” I cried.  “Come out and face me!”

“Now, now, Twilight Sparkle, there’s no need to shout,” Discord said from right behind me.  I jumped and spun around to face his yellow and red eyes, hatred on my face.  He looked around me, searching, until he finally let out a cry of triumph.  “YES!!!!  They’re all gone!”

“Yes, Discord,” I growled at him.  “They’re all gone.  But that doesn’t mean you won’t be.”

He started dancing a jig, bounding around the hall, leaping and bounding from the floor to ceiling.  “Oh, Twilight, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see this!”  He landed in front of me, an evil smile on his face.  “I knew my little nudges here and there would leave it down to just you and me!”

“W-what did you say?” I asked.  “What nudges?”

“Well, how else do you think your friends had the bad luck to get killed?” he replied as he sauntered away from me into the middle of the hall.  I hurried down the dais, following him.  “I mean, impalement has always been one of my favorite things.  Why else would three of your friends end up impaled, even with that fancy armor you’ve been wearing?”  His clothes changed to match the armored clothing Rarity had designed.  “Very stylish, by the way.  I’ve been thinking of picking up a set for myself.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded, furious.  

“Well, Twilight, if you must know, without a little help, there was really no way that Alpha would have been able to ‘stick it to the man’.  I mean, his claws were sharp, but not quite that sharp.  But a little chaos, a little nudging here and there, and he just manages to find the weak point in little Rainbow Dash’s clothing.  And boom!  One down!”  He laughed as he danced away.  “Of course, Rainbow Dash herself helped, too.  If she hadn’t slammed him against the cave wall, you just might have been able to save her with your magic!”  He tilted his head back, turning it completely over as he looked at me.  “Alas, such is the limit of the great Twilight Sparkle.”

I pulled out Fluttershy’s gun and fired a few rounds at him, furious.  “Don’t mock Rainbow Dash!” I snarled.

He disappeared and reappeared facing me, wagging his finger.  “Now, now don’t take that tone with me.  You’re just upset because you know it’s true.”  His smile deepened.  “You’ve got plenty of limits, you know.  Just like your friends.  Good old Rarity found hers, didn’t she?  Yes, she did, don’t deny it.  A little nudge here and there, and she gets caught instead of dear old Fluttershy.  I knew the Changelings would have plenty of fun with her.  I just thought she’d be a broken wreck for the rest of her life!”  He was suddenly standing right next to me, examining his fingers.  “And I was right – it just didn’t last very long.”

I swung my staff at him, but he reappeared in midair, floating above me.  “Now, Pinkie Pie – I always liked her, so chaotic, so me-like – she was a little tougher.  That ability of hers had always helped you out, hadn’t it?”  He vanished and reappeared right behind me.  Anticipating his move, I jabbed my staff behind me, but he swiftly stepped to the side, unconcerned, grabbing my staff in his own hand.  “Ah, ah, you need to relax, Twilight.  Have a seat and take a breather.”  A cruel expression on his face, he flexed his hand, dark energy forming into a ball, which he slammed into my right leg.

I screamed as the energy coursed through me.  I felt my leg twisting, bones breaking, pain blossoming as the energy seemed to touch every possible nerve point.  I fell over onto the hard floor, whimpering and crying as I held my leg, praying that the pain would end.

Discord sauntered away, unconcerned.  “Now, where was I?  Ah, yes.  Pinkie Pie.”  He took a few steps up the dais and continued speaking.  “Now, she was a little difficult.  But once I saw how your brother could fight, I had my answer.  All it took was a little mistake, and she would be done for.  A little crystal on the floor, a little shift in her clothing, and voila!  Ex-Pinkie Pie.”

“Y-you monster…” I gasped, fighting through the pain as my leg continued to twist and writhe.  I tried to think of something to make it stop, but it was difficult to focus through the haze of agony.

“And finally, your last two friends.  Simple enough, I thought.  Let the dragons take them out.  But then again, you were resourceful.  So I had to come up with a little something.  Another little nudge, and just as you’re pinned under fire, the dragon swats little Fluttershy like a little fly, and splat!”  He danced gleefully.  “Pinned like her little butterfly friends!  Oh, it was wonderful.  As for Applejack, how else could that dragon’s tail have made it that far around?  Just a little nudge, and Applejack gets a nudge in return.  And she finally learns how to fly!”  He crowed with laughter as I lay there, panting.  The pain had finally subsided, but my leg was a twisted mess, and I knew I was in no shape to stand.

I pushed myself up with my hands, and somehow managed to get into a sitting position.  Discord appeared right in front of me, leaning over, a confidant look on his face.  “Shall I give you a nudge as well?” he leered, and snapped his fingers, my world going black.  
> Chapter 21: Chaos and Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Suddenly, I was back in Sugarcube Corners, but still in my current form.  Based on the decorations and the clientele, this was the Sugarcube Corners from this world.  I was standing in the main shop area, looking towards the seating area.  I noticed that something in my vision was off, and looked around carefully to determine what it was.  A thought occurred to me, and I slowly brought my hand up to my left eye, touching where my eye patch would be.  I was rewarded with pain and tears as I poked myself in the eye.  Blinking away the tears, I looked down at myself, seeing that I was dressed casually, in a sleeveless dress with soft boots, my leg no longer twisted and broken.  Looking at my arms, I saw that they were smooth, no longer crisscrossed with scars from the torture I had endured under the Crystal Palace.

Stepping into the seating area, I looked around curiously, my jaw dropping as my eyes alighted on a large booth in the corner.  Sitting there, talking and laughing, were my friends, alive and well.  I could see Pinkie Pie eagerly scarfing food and talking at the same time next to Rarity, who was doing her best to smile at Pinkie’s antics while trying not to look disgusted as crumbs sprayed from her mouth.  Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were cuddling in the back of the booth, talking with Applejack, who had her back to me, her ever-present hat on her head.  They all looked hale and hearty, without any injuries, scars, or even any weapons.

I slowly walked over to them, and Pinkie Pie looked up at me, smile lighting up her face.  “Twilight!  We’ve been waiting for you!” she cried, spraying food over the table in front of her.  Rarity carefully scooted away from her a few more inches.  

Applejack turned around in her seat, and I could see the joy in her green eyes.  “Twilight!  C’mon over here and grab a seat.  We’ll get you something to drink!”  She raised her hand, waving me over, and I could see her arm was as smooth as mine, no traces of any scars.

I approached the table, pulling up a chair, and sat down.  My friends all smiled over at me, even Rarity, who had grabbed a few napkins and was busy wiping the crumbs from the table.  I watched Rainbow Dash give Fluttershy a kiss before she handed over a menu.  I barely glanced at it before setting it down on the table, confusion plain on my face.

“Twilight, dear, is anything the matter?” asked Rarity.

“I… I don’t understand,” I replied, unsure of how to approach what I was feeling.  “Y-you’re all… dead.”

They all looked at each other, surprised and concern on their faces.  “What’re you playing at, Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash.  “We’re obviously fine.”  She squeezed Fluttershy’s rear, causing her to jump and let out a squeak.  “Well, I’d say Fluttershy’s finer than the rest of you,” she continued, as Fluttershy blushed furiously.

Applejack smirked at Rainbow Dash, then turned to me with a concerned look.  “You ok, Twi?” she asked.  

I just stared back at her at a loss for words.  Then I gave her a shaky smile.  “Y-yeah, AJ, I’m ok.  I don’t know what I was thinking.”

She reached over and gave my shoulder a squeeze.  “It’s alright, Twi.  Ah’d say you’ve been working too hard.  You gotta get out of that library more often.”  Her hand remained on my shoulder, and the surroundings took on a grayish tone.  Her face froze, as did everything else aside from me.

“Applejack?” I asked, hesitantly.  Applejack’s eyes suddenly changed, changing from her warm green eyes to Discord’s yellow and red ones.  She opened her mouth to speak, and Discord’s voice issued from her mouth.

“Do you like it, Twilight?” he asked.  “Your friends, all together again, happy as can be.  And you with them!”  He leaned forward, whispering to me.  “I can give you this.”

My surroundings changed back to their normal colors, and everyone began to move again.  Applejack released my shoulder, and turned back to talk to Rainbow Dash.  I just sat there in silence, trying my best to absorb all of the joy and happiness that always surrounded my friends, Discord’s words echoing through my mind.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie’s face appeared in front of mine, causing me to jump back in my chair.  “Pinkie!” I exclaimed.  “Don’t do that!”

Pinkie just continued to smile.  “Sorry, Twilight, but you were looking too serious.  I needed to do something to turn those frowns upside down.”  The world around me changed again, freezing.  Pinkie’s bright blue eyes changed into Discord’s, and he spoke through her.

“Fun and games once more,” he teased.  “All the happiness you could ever want!”

The world started up again, and Pinkie smiled at me.  “Twilight, I’m planning a party for this afternoon, if you wanna come. It’s a Just Because It’s The Middle of Summer party!  It’ll really get those smiles going!”

“Sounds great, Pinkie Pie,” I replied, a shaky smile on my face.  I looked over at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who were talking with Rarity.  “I see you two are looking as happy as ever,” I said.

“Are you kidding?” Rainbow Dash replied, smiling.  “Fluttershy’s the best!  Ever since that time she tackled me behind the barn, we’ve been having a great time!”

Applejack glared at her.  “Now, don’t you go using mah barn for your little trysts, Rainbow.  You two got your own places to get up to mischief in.”

“Aw, lighten up, hayseed,” Rainbow Dash replied.  “Sometimes it’s fun to get out a little, isn’t it, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy was blushing furiously, but put on a small smile as she nodded, much to Rarity’s amusement.  Suddenly, the surroundings froze once more, and I watched as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s eyes changed from blue-green and magenta to the matching yellow and red of Discord.  “See how much fun your friends can have?” they spoke in unison.  “You can join them once more with my help.  Just say the word…”

The world began to move once more, and I felt a longing in my heart that I had never felt before.  Watching my friends, healthy and happy, nearly brought tears to my eyes after all of the horror and heartache we had been through all these months.  But at the same time, it felt… wrong.  I knew what was true, and if I were to accept Discord’s offer, I would be living a lie, if I could call it living.  I steeled myself, and stood up from the table, slamming my hands down on it.  My friends immediately stopped talking and looked over at me in surprise.

“Twilight, what’s your problem?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s all wrong,” I spoke softly.

“What’s that, dear?” asked Rarity.

“It’s all wrong,” I repeated, louder.

“What is?” asked Fluttershy.

“Everything,” I replied.  “This is wrong.  None of this is real.”  I looked up at them, anger and sorrow in my eyes.  “You’re all dead.  I watched you die, each and every one of you, as we fought to find the elements of Harmony.”

They were all looking at me, concern on their faces mingling with fright.  “Umm, Sugarcube?” asked Applejack.  “If we were all dead, how could we be here?”

“Discord,” I hissed.  “Stop dishonoring their memories and let them rest.”  I felt a fury building up within me, and saw a purple aura begin to surround me.  “I will never take an offer like this!”  With that, a blast of pure magic flared out from me, shattering my surroundings like glass, my friends vanishing into the darkness.

I found myself sitting on the floor inside Camelot castle, staring up into Discord’s eyes.  He had an expression of disappointment on his face as he looked down at me.  Letting out a huff, he turned around, stalking away.  I became acutely aware of my situation as I felt the regular ache of my missing eye, the new pain of my ruined leg, and the overall exhaustion of my body.  Discord spun around at the top of the dais, and flopped down in one of the thrones, sighing.  “Ah, well,” he said.  “I suppose since I couldn’t drive you mad, I’ll have to just kill you.”  

He snapped his fingers, and I heard a whistling sound above me.  I looked up and immediately rolled to the side as a large stone statue landed on the ground right where I had been.  I tried to push myself to my feet, but my right leg wouldn’t support me at all, and I fell back over.  

“Time to dance, Twilight!” I heard him crow.  Without thinking about it, I teleported to the other side of the room just in time to see an even larger statue land right where I had been lying.  I then teleported once more, this time landing right behind the throne he was sitting on.  I heard rather than saw the crash of the next piece of statuary as I was in the process of digging in my bag while carefully bracing myself against Discord’s throne.  

“Now, now, Twilight,” called Discord.  “No fair hiding.”  I heard him rustling around as he looked for me, but at that point my hand connected with the element of Magic, and I pulled it out.  I suddenly had a flash of insight and rolled to the side just as the blade of Discord’s sword appeared through the back of the throne.  “Gotcha!” Discord called, as he saw my movement.  I quickly teleported to the center of the main hall as a large boulder landed where I had been.  

I was starting to feel the fatigue of rapidly teleporting.  Panting slightly, I leaned heavily on my staff, raising the element of Magic, and starting to pour everything I had into it.  Discord saw the element, and gave it a look of dismissal.  “Seriously, Twilight?” he huffed.  “What do you expect to do with just one element?  Your friends are certainly not going to be able to help you.”

I continued to pour energy into the element, giving it my entire being.  The element began to glow with the light of my energy, and suddenly I felt the other five elements leaving my bag, taking positions in a circle around me.  They too, began to glow, and a light began to form connecting them all to each other.  Discord gaped in surprise.  “But how?” he demanded.  “How can you control the elements?”

“It’s who I am,” I replied.  “My friends have given me their strength so many times over the years.  I’ve learned more about harmony from them than I could ever hope to from a book.  It just took a brand new world for me to realize it.”  The bonds of light between the elements brightened, connecting them all in a flash of rainbow colored light.  “Now, Discord.  It’s time this world was rid of you.”

I saw him rush down the dais towards me, but I refused to back down, pouring my last dregs of strength into the spell.  Just as he reached the last stair, I let it all loose.  A blast of multicolored light flew from the elements, striking Discord in the chest, slowly turning his skin to stone.  I felt myself quickly growing weak, and the last thing I saw before blacking out was Discord’s stone face, set in an expression of fear and hatred.





I came to what must have been hours later.  The first thing I felt was the pain of exhaustion, as every fiber of my being cried out in agony.  I shifted slightly, finding my head resting in someone’s lap, and I carefully opened my eye.  The world was a blur around me which slowly came into focus, as I found myself still in the center of the great hall.  I felt something wet land on my forehead, and I carefully looked upwards as my head throbbed with pain.

Staring into magenta eyes that were filled with tears; I saw the pale rainbow hair flowing around her bent head as she held me, crying.  Princess Celestia saw that I was awake, and she gasped in surprise and happiness.  “Oh, Twilight, I thought we’d lost you!” she exclaimed, no longer the vacant puppet of Discord.

I tried to sit up, but found myself lacking the strength.  Celestia saw my efforts, and carefully guided me into a sitting position, letting me rest against her until I felt well enough to support myself.  I looked around the hall, seeing the devastation of Discord’s attacks.  Broken statues were everywhere, and Princess Celestia’s throne had been rent in two by Discord’s sword.  Discord himself was right where I had left him, a stone statue, the same expression of fear and hatred on his face.  The elements of Harmony were lying on the floor around me, no longer connected by the bright rainbow light.

I looked over at Celestia.  “Princess…?” I started, not knowing quite how to phrase my question.  I settled on simply asking, “Are you ok?”

She looked away from me, knowing full well what I meant.  “No, Twilight, I’m not ok,” she replied heavily.  “I’ve spent so long under his control.”  She grimaced as the memories resurfaced.  “It was a moment of weakness, but that’s all he needed – just a moment.”

“Princess, what happened?” I asked.

She looked over at me, sadness in her eyes.  “After you and your friends were killed, I lost myself.  I felt that it was my fault for pushing you into battle against Discord, when I knew full well what he was capable of.  It was then that he came to me, and…”  She trailed off for a moment.  “He showed me that I could be happy again.  All it took was just one little decision, and my life could be filled with joy once more.  And from that day forth, I was living in the past.”

I shuddered as I remembered what Discord had offered me.  I had nearly become trapped by his magic in the same way.  She hugged her knees to her chest, and I saw the guilt in her face at what her moment of weakness had cost her.  Seeing Celestia like this… it felt wrong.

I felt fury building up inside of me.  Discord had been the cause of everything.  He had killed my friends, ruined everyone’s lives, and caused the Princess to suffer.  I pushed myself to my feet, falling over more than once as my leg gave out from under me.  Celestia saw my efforts, and did her best to help me stand.  I limped over to Discord using my staff as a crutch, fury and hatred filling me as I approached his stone figure.

I stood in front of him, and grasped his shoulder to steady myself as I placed my staff against his chest.  Magic filled my staff as I poured my energy into one final spell.  Celestia watched in shock as I released a blast of energy, shattering Discord’s stone body into a thousand pieces.  I watched pieces of stone rain down, listening to the pattering noise as they struck the floor.  I reached down and grabbed a handful of pieces, and limped over to Celestia.  “He will never, ever trouble us again,” I declared with finality.  “And if anyone gets the idea to reassemble him somehow, I’ll make sure that they’ll be missing a few pieces.”  I shoved the pieces that I had grabbed into my bag.

Celestia gathered me up in a hug.  Despite the aches, despite the pain, despite the hurt I had endured, I felt at peace as she held me, my quest complete.  We stood there holding each other for a long time, surrounded by the elements of Harmony.  Tears were flowing down both of our faces as I mourned my friends and she mourned her losses.  I felt warmth on my back, and turned to look out of the window, seeing the sun shining brightly as the ever present clouds broke for the first time since I had arrived in this world.





Since that time, the world has been rebuilding.  It’s been a long, slow process, since Discord’s rule was anything but productive.  Fortunately, some good things had come out of the devastation.  The Crystal Empire shared the magic boosting technology that had been developed under King Sombra’s rule, which really helped with reconstruction.  My brother was still having a difficult time earning the trust of the people there, since many of them only remembered him from his Twilight Armor persona.  However, Cadence’s magic and the magic of the Crystal Heart at least kept the populace from raiding the Palace and killing him in the night.  

Celestia is back in power in Camelot, co-ruling the country with her sister.  Once Discord’s spell on Celestia was broken, the city was cleared of the ghosts of the past, once more allowing living people in.  Naturally, being the seat of power of the country, it didn’t take long for it to fill up once more.  Princess Luna has been having a difficult time as well.  Being gone for over a thousand years doesn’t help your ability to socialize.  Fortunately, the Princesses have been using each other for support as they and the country recovered.

Equs has become a bustling town.  We’ve spent so much time rebuilding here, and the people are proud of their work.  With my leg, I wasn’t able to provide much in the way of heavy lifting, but I tried to help out with my magic now and then.  At least, when I was able to convince someone to let me do anything.  Being a hero has its disadvantages, let alone a disfigured and disabled hero.  I did get a nice cottage out of the deal, though.  Big Mac wanted to build me a palace, but I talked him down rather resolutely.

After some time, and some additional study, I finally worked up the courage to cast a certain spell that I had been avoiding for a while.  Spike watched from the safety of the cottage doorway as I stood, light and wind surrounding me as I cast the dimensional travel spell that had brought us here in the first place.  I pushed myself to the limits in order to give myself as much time as possible back in my old world, and when the light faded, I found myself sprawled on the floor of my library, back in my familiar pony form.  I was still wearing the clothing I had left in, including the eye patch, and as I tried to move around, I found that my right hindleg was just as twisted as it had been.  I limped around quickly, doing what I could to get things in order, when all of a sudden the door to the library opened, and I heard a cry of surprise.

“Twilight!” cried Applebloom, as the little filly rushed in to see me.  She stopped halfway, astonishment on her face as she took in my appearance.  I cringed inwardly as she examined me, realizing what a fright I must be.

Feeling a small sense of relief combined with fear and dread, I realized that Applebloom’s arrival might be just what I needed to get everything done in time.  “Applebloom, I need your help,” I said quickly, “and I don’t have much time.  I need you to move as quickly as possible and get your family, Rarity’s family, and the Cakes over here.  There’s something I desperately need to tell you all.”  I left out any mention of Fluttershy’s or Rainbow Dash’s families, as I knew they would likely be in Cloudsdale and wouldn’t get here in time.  

She stared at me for a minute longer, then nodded her head, a confused expression on her face.  “Uh, ok, Twilight.”  With that, she turned around and headed out into Ponyville, running as fast as she could.  I quickly turned back to my task at hand – composing a letter to Princess Celestia.

My mental clock had been carefully monitoring my time here, and I had two hours remaining when I finally finished my letter.  Just as I was rolling it up, the library door opened, and Applebloom returned, followed by everyone I had asked her to gather.  They all stopped in astonishment at the sight of me, but I urgently motioned for them all to gather around me quickly.

I carefully sat down, and launched into my story, pausing only to answer a quick question here and there.  When I finished, tears were present in everyone’s eyes, and I knew I only had a short time left.  I hung my head, seeing the grief plain on their faces, and said, “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry for not bringing them back.  I wish so much that I’d been faster, or stronger, or – or…”  I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled into a rough hug.  Big Mac had grabbed me and crushed me to him.  I then heard him say the longest, most heartfelt thing I had ever heard him say before.  “It’s alright, Twilight.  Ah know mah sister did what she had to do for you and for everyone.  Ah’m not mad at you, and neither is anyone else.  We’re just glad you were able to tell us how great they were.”

Tears in my eyes, I looked around at the gathered crowd.  They all nodded in agreement, sadness clear on their faces.  “Thank you, everypony,” I said.  I felt the magic stirring around me as the spell began to end.  Pushing Big Mac away, I carefully backed up, looking at them all with a sad smile on my face.  “I have to go now,” I announced sadly.  “Please make sure that letter gets to Princess Celestia.”  I indicated the sealed scroll that was now sitting on my old table, next to some of the pieces of Discord.  As the wind picked up around me, I looked up at my mantelpiece, seeing my old picture of everyone.  I quickly wrapped my magic around it, and floated it down to me, holding onto it tightly as I was pulled back into my new world.
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight stirred from where she had been writing, and Spike looked up in anticipation.  He watched as she put down her quill and massaged her wrist before gathering up her many pages.  He quickly stood and started over to her, but she grabbed her staff and pushed herself to her feet before he could get there.  She looked over at him with a grateful smile as he approached and wrapped him up in a one-armed hug.

“Ummm, Twilight?” he asked.  “Is everything alright?”

She nodded, still holding onto him, smile on her face.  “Yes, Spike.  Everything’s fine.”  She released him, tears glistening in her eye.  “It’s done,” she said simply.

“That’s great!” replied Spike.  “When can I read it?”

“As soon as I make sure that everything’s in order,” she replied, “and get it bound up.”  She laughed at his disappointed face.  “Don’t worry, Spike.  It won’t take long.”

“Alright, alright,” he replied.  “Hey, can I go tell Candlewick?  He’s been looking forward to it.”

She nodded.  “That’s fine.  You can tell whoever you want.”

“Thanks, Twilight!” he replied as he dashed out the door.

Twilight watched him go, a smile on her face.  After a time, she limped over to her bed, staff glowing with magic.  A long chest slid out from under the bed, levitated into the air, and landed on the bed itself.  She eased herself down next to the chest, and opened it.  Inside were Applejack’s rifle, Fluttershy’s guns, Pinkie Pie’s dagger, Rarity’s crystal, and the six elements of Harmony.  She carefully picked up the elements one by one, gently placing them on the bed next to her.  Looking down at the crystals in each one, she felt sadness and longing deep in her heart, intermingled with joy.  

“We did it,” she whispered, speaking to the spirits of her friends.  “We stopped Discord and brought peace to this world.  I just wish…”  She trailed off, wiping away a tear.  “I’ll never forget you,” she finished simply.  

As she gazed down at the elements glittering in the sunlight, she felt it.  For a moment – maybe the briefest of moments, maybe more – she felt the presence of her friends.  Their arms were around her, holding her tight, and she could feel their love.

“Thank you,” she whispered, tears of joy flowing freely.  “Thank you.”