> Beat It
>  by Spirit Guide
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Conflict
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is it, girls," Twilight Sparkle announced to the five mares before her. "Today's the day we get back at them."

Rainbow Dash punched a hoof into the air. "Yeah, we're gonna give 'em what for."

"Ah'll sure be glad to show them what we're made of," Applejack said, adjusting her stetson.

"I for one will be more than willing to teach those ruffians a lesson!" Rarity cried, trying to keep her composure.

"I've got my Party Cannon all ready!" announced Pinkie Pie with a crazy grin, stroking the shiny surface of her portable artillery

Fluttershy glared at a trash can on the other side of the street. The waste container seemed to cower against the wall of the building it was next to. "This will teach them not to draw horrible pictures of us," she whispered fiercely.

Twilight nodded approvingly. "Alright everypony, it's time. The bronies have been using us as an excuse to get away with their deeds and even now they violate our land. No more will they breach our territory. Do we want to see them around here anymore?"

"No!" came the reply from the five other ponies.

"We don't want to see their faces no more!" Rainbow shouted. "After we're through with them, they'll wish they could disappear."

"Let's go find em and send those addicted equines running for the hills!" roared Applejack.

"Bearers of the Elements of Harmony," Twilight addressed them, "this is not a fight against the usual Equestria-threatening evil. This is a battle for our home, our history, our lives. We will not give it up. With Celestia and Luna as our witnesses, we shall prevail!"

"YEAH!" With that last outcry, the six ponies walked down the street, shoulder to shoulder, spanning the asphalt road. They had their mission and now they were going to carry it out. However, as they made their way to the center of town, they failed to notice the lone yellow filly who stood atop one of the tall buildings in the area. She was dressed in a sparkling black jacket, jet-black hat and a white hoof-glove. She had no cutie mark and a pink bow was tied in her red mane. The filly looked down at the sextet of ponies marching down the street in an unbreakable line. She was going to have to get involved.

"The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it..."


*


"So much for friendship is magic," grumbled Digibrony.

"I thought they would care," Feather muttered. "I really thought they'd care."

"There's nothing more to say," Saberspark remarked. "They've made their position clear."

"Thhhhhhhhbt," said Fluffle Puff, who hadn't quite grasped the gravity of the situation.

"WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR, THEN?" Solrac screamed, shattering several light bulbs inside the streetlamps.

Rina-chan stood up, her red eyes gleaming angrily in the moonlight. "We've tried, bronies. We believed that the ponies we loved were kind and caring, but it turns out that not everything you dream is possible. Now we must cleanse the town of our mistake."

Feather held her paintbrush in her mouth, glaring dangerously towards the end of the road. "They'll pay for shattering my dreams."

"So many videos," Digibrony said quietly. "So many reviews. All for nothing."

"All those meet-ups," remembered Saberspark. "All those conventions, promoting love and tolerance. Yet how can we continue when the very roots of what we stand for are fake?"

"Thhhbt," Fluffle Puff sighed, trying to comfort the others.

"Come on, everypony," Rina called. "We know what we must do. To save us and the rest of our misguided herd, we have to defeat that which threatens to destroys us. Are you ready?"

Solrac grabbed his face and pulled in both directions. "LET'S DO THIS!"

"We're ready when you are, Rina," Saberspark said supportively.

"Yeah," added Feather. "We have to do this."

"They'd better run while they still can," Digibrony retorted.

Saberspark nodded in agreement. "If they don't want to see any blood, they'd better run. No need to be all manly about it."

Rina took a deep breath and climbed to her hooves. "Alright bronies, our time is now. We must take what we learned and use it to protect ourselves from the illusion that has guided us up until now. We won't be led blindly anymore. We shall see with our own eyes the possibilities of friendship. Our community shall live on!"

"BRONY ON!" came the reply from the other bronies, as well as a loud long 'thhhhbt' from Fluffle. Together, side by side, they began their journey down the street towards Town Square. They knew they had to stop the evil threat of the ponies they had once loved. Unknown to the bronies, a grey pegasus was perched on the apartment block above them, watching their small party. The stallion was wearing a silvery grey jacket, a white wide-brimmed hat and a bracer with a picture of a gryphon. His cutie mark was a golden eighth note next to an infinity symbol of the same color. He looked down at the fast-moving team of strong-willed stallions and mares. He was going to have to intervene.

"You wanna be tough, better do what you can
So beat it..."


*


The filly bounced from rooftop to rooftop, keeping up with the conflict-driven ponies as they sought out their adversaries. She just couldn't understand it. She got along with the bronies very nicely. Well, one of the bronies anyway. He was a nice stallion with a great musical talent, and had taking a liking to her almost immediately. After their first meeting, they began hanging out regularly in private, away from the others, for they knew that if their friendship was discovered, it would be dismantled from both sides.

It just ain't right, she said to herself. What happened to all the kind ponies ah once knew? Even Applejack is actin' funny. It really was strange, for the bronies hadn't really done anything to deserve the treatment the ponies had been giving them. Sure, there were always the bothersome foals, such as the cloppers, who had shown the bronies in a bad light, but other than that the motives of their herd was pure.

Oh well. Maybe together we'll be able to think of somethin'. Resting on a high balcony, she looked out over the buildings, big and small, that made up the city, keeping an eye open for her friend. Within a minute, a grey figure clad in white could be seen leaping over the tops of the tall apartment buildings, using his wings to extend his jumps. The filly waved at him, being kind of hard to miss in her flashy outfit. The pegasus stallion jumped the last three houses and spread his wings, soaring over and landing on the roof upon which the filly was waiting.

"Evening, Apple Bloom," the brony called.

"Howdy, Gryph," she replied. "What's going on down at your end?"

"It's awful, AB. The bronies are all riled up. They're convinced that the ponies have wronged them and are bent on ruining their lives. We've always supported and stood for love and tolerance, but we were inspired by the ponies of Equestria. Now they're saying that the ponies are treating us like dirt beneath their hooves, the bronies feel like the only way to fix this is by fighting."

Apple Bloom gasped. "That's almost the exact same thing that's goin' on with us! Mah sister and her friends think that it's you guys who've been exploitin' them or somethin' like that, Ah don't really know what that means. Have you been doin' bad stuff?"

Gryph placed a hoof on the smaller pony's shoulder. "Of course not, Apple Bloom. You ponies are our friends. You taught us about friendship and from that we learned how to love and tolerate. We would never plot attacks against Equestria."

The yellow filly sniffed and hugged the grey pegasus. "Ah knew it couldn't be anything else!"

"While we're still on topic," Gryph continued, "what have the ponies been doing to make us think they've forsaken us?"

"Nothing!" Apple Bloom cried out. "We'd never do anything nasty to the brony community. You guys followed us since the beginning while everypony else turned away."

Gryph straightened his hat. "I thought so. You're all far to kind and forgiving to commit such atrocious acts. I wonder what could have caused all our friends to think so."

"Ah just wish the Princesses were here," Apple Bloom sighed. "They'd know how to fix this ."

"It's our mission in life to repent for our sins and forgive each others mistakes. I'm sure that's what they would have wanted."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Apple Bloom looked down at the city beneath them, the brightly lit streets, the friendly faces of everypony she knew. Soon, that may become just a memory. "Come on, let's go find them. Even if we can't come up with a good plan, we may be able to stop the fighting."

"I'll always stand with you, Apple Bloom," Gryph said. He too had some good memories of times well spent, hanging out with the bronies. Without Equestria and its residents, that never would've happened. He knew they must end the feuding before it destroyed them all.

Wordlessly, Apple Bloom jumped from the roof they were on to the next one over, making her way across town in the quickest way possible. Gryph pulled his hat down tight over his head and leapt after her. The two friends sped over the tops of the buildings, determined not to let their friends meet as enemies in combat.
> Melee Mares and Skirmish Stallions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As she and her friends marched down the street, Twilight began to think about what has happened. Equestria had been getting so much hate that Celestia and the other Princesses, herself included, had to cast powerful wards to protect their serene world. The bronies had been the only ones capable of passing through the wards, with their dedication and loyalty towards the peaceful ways of the ponies of Equestria. They had been great companions, always ready to help a friend in need, but as of late, they had begun to execute odd and occasionally dangerous acts, such as letting a hydra loose in Baltimare, plugging the Saddle Arabian desert full of craters and damming the Neighagra Falls to the point were it spilled out over the walkways. Not to mention the time their musicians had shattered every window in the Manehatten plaza and the surrounding buildings with their Base Cannons. They had gone from loving and tolerating friends to destructive malevolent creatures, such as the ones that already existed in the bronies' own world. Like Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, Sombra and Tirek, they had to go, lest Equestria fall into a state of chaos and devastation.

But wait, Twilight thought. My role as the Princess of Friendship is to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria, and even the worlds beyond. We gave Discord a second chance, he took it and is now a powerful ally. But then, an unruly wind drifted through her mind, darkening her thoughts. No. They damaged my homeland and scared the other ponies. My little ponies. That is unforgivable. They will soon feel the true power of friendship

Applejack, who was walking beside Twilight, noticed her thoughtful face and asked, "What's up, sugarcube?"

"It's nothing, Applejack. Just a bit of thinking about, you know, the usual." Twilight turned away so as not to show her expression.

The farm pony was not convinced. "You look a bit uncertain 'bout something. Twi. Are ye havin' second thoughts about this whole mess?"

"No," Twilight answered. "The bronies have acted unjustifiably and have damaged our peaceful existence. We have no choice but to avenge ourselves and our friends by striking against them." This is what she said but, once again, feelings of regret welled up inside of her.

Applejack listened and shrugged. "Oh well, you're right. They shouldn't have done all those nasty things."

"Right, right," Twilight muttered.

"Come on, slowpokes!" Rainbow Dash called. While they had been talking, Twilight and Applejack had fallen behind. The others had let them lag because they respected Twilight's need for thinking, especially at difficult times like this. But when she heard, or rather didn't hear, the lull in the conversation she jumped in, hoping to speed them up. "We've got a fight waiting for us and I for one don't want to be late!"

"We're coming, Rainbow!" Twilight called, she and Applejack galloping up the street to where their friends were waiting. "Sorry. I just had a thought."

Pinkie Pie jumped in front of her. "You mean like how you're the Princess of Friendship and how your job is to spread magic and harmony everywhere and how we, as your friends, help you spread it, sorta like chocolate icing, and that maybe the bronies, like Discord, deserve a second chance although they too did all kinds of mean horrible things and that MAYBE we should have brought some Royal Guard armor and swords and may-"

Rarity put a hoof into Pinkie's mouth, pulling it out almost immediately. "Eww, Pinkie. Why did you make me try to shush you?" she whined, waving her hoof to dislodge the saliva attached to it.

"Oh, Rarity, that's not how you shush somepony." Pinkie reached out, grabbed a corner of Rarity's mouth and drew it across her pie-hole, effectively silencing the white unicorn. "I learned that trick from Discord. All you have to do is know what you're looking for!"

"Mmph mmmph, umf!" Rarity managed to say through her sealed lips. Her words were meaningless, but her eyes were shooting daggers.

Fluttershy sidled up beside her. "Don't worry, Rarity. I know how to fix this. Discord's taught me how." She grabbed the other corner of Rarity's mouth and dragged the non-existent zipper back across her friend's face.

Rarity exercised her freed lips before wrapping the butter-yellow pegasus in a hug. "Oh, thank you Fluttershy! It's times like this one that make me thankful for your amazing work in reforming Discord."

"It was nothing really," Fluttershy replied shyly.

Twilight smiled. Seeing her friends get along so well always made her happy. But then thought of the task ahead rematerialized in her mind and ended her moment of euphoria. "Alright, that's enough foaling around. Every minute we waste is more time for the bronies to plan another act."

Applejack knocked her hoof against a lamppost, causing a low resounding ring to echo across the empty street. "Back in the saddle again."

"Moving On!" shouted Rainbow, setting of down the road at a quick trot. The other followed after her and were about to set a new pace when-

"CHEESE!" Pinkie dashed off towards the entrance to a dark alley, where a light brown stallion in a yellow shirt was leaning against a telephone pole. That is, until Pinkie collided with him, sending the two Earth ponies tumbling onto the pavement. "How ya doin', Cheese?"

"Pinkie!" Cheese Sandwich grinned wildly. The other mares approached the scene as the two party ponies helped each other up. "I'm so glad to see you all again. I was beginning to worry those bronies may have captured you."

"That would be an impossible task," came a voice from the alley. Everypony turned to see a unicorn mare with an azure-blue coat step out of the darkness. Her cutie mark was a wand and a moon. "Twilight Sparkle and her friends are far too skilled to be captured by those goons."

"Trixie." Twilight remembered the traveling magician from many encounters, but they had last parted ways as friends, or at least not enemies, and Trixie's head was still in need of a little deflating. "What are you doing here?"

"I was traveling Equestria when I bumped into Cheese Sandwich here." Cheese waved at the sound of his name. "He told me he was on his way to see Pinkie Pie, so I decided to join him. Knowing that the bronies were out and about, we both agreed that having somepony to watch your back is definitely a good thing."

"Yeah, but what's the real reason your here?" Rainbow Dash inquired, hovering in front of Trixie's face. "To try to show up Twilight? Take over the city maybe?"

"Rainbow!" Twilight scolded, but Trixie waved her down. "Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie was expecting that. Fear not, I have merely come to offer my power in the battle ahead. You are going to strike back at the bronies tonight, aren't you?"

"That's where we were going just now!" Pinkie cried, then asked "is that why you came too, Cheese?"

The male party pony put a hoof around his friend's shoulder. "Like Trixie said, all I really wanted to do was visit, but if you're going to fight, I think it would help if I was there too."

Pinkie squeed audibly. "Fine with me!"

"Well, let me just say welcome to the team, Trixie." Twilight held out a hoof, which Trixie took without hesitation.

"I guess this means I'll have to put up with Trixie now," Rainbow Dash whined to Applejack and Rarity.

"Oh, she's not so bad," Rarity said defensively. "She's gotten a lot better."

"Her ego sure seems a whole lot smaller too," added Applejack.

"Okay okay, I get it, sheesh." The cyan pegasus dropped down beside Twilight. "Shouldn't we be getting a move on?"

"Yes yes, right." Twilight turned to the rest of their team, including their two new additions. "Is everypony ready?"

Cheese blew on his party blower. "I'm ready!"

Trixie magicked her magician's hat out of nowhere and onto her head. "Trixie is prepared for combat!"

"Then let's go!" The ponies set off again, their new recruits already adapting to the situation. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they left the dark alley behind and advanced towards Town square.


*


Is this right? Is revenge the solution? Are we looking at this the wrong way? It was these questions that stirred something up inside Rina's head as she and the other bronies trotted down the road. She looked back on all the times her friends had been shot down, like when Glaze and Marina got kicked out of the concert hall when Vinyl and Octavia were preforming, or when Rarity scolded Feather and Galaxyart before burning their work. Possibly the worst of all was when Twilight destroyed the convention center. Nopony had been hurt but their pride was wounded horribly. The ponies have crossed the line, Rina concluded, rage building up inside of her. We put our faith in them, reconstructed our lives and schedules because of them, and then they torment us in every way possible. There's no going back now. We must end this tonight or our lives will be ruined forever. Rina grunted contentedly.

The noise went unnoticed by the other bronies walking beside her, but Fluffle Puff picked up on it. The fluffy pony drifted to the left so that her extra-poofy fur was touching Rina. The VA brony shivered at the sudden contact but returned Fluffle's gaze. "What is it, Fluffle?" she asked.

"Thhhhhhhhhhhbbt?" Fluffle inquired.

"Yes, I am trying to figure out how this happened. It just doesn't make any sense, kind ponies and loving bronies fighting one another. You know, sometimes I wonder if-"

"Race! Mic!" Saberspark shouted suddenly.

Rina and Fluffle stumbled forward. By the time they had gotten their balance back, the other four bronies were already rushing towards a large lamppost, where two stallion were reclining against the tall metal pole. One was a light orange with a blonde mane, and a cutie mark consisting of a black Mickey Mouse head surrounded by confetti. The other pony's coat was a reddish grey, his mane dark grey and red and his cutie mark made up of a microphone and a set of headphones. Attached to the lamppost above their heads was a notice which said 'Breaking News! Pinkie Pie conquers Season 4!'.

"Hey everypony," Race greeted. "Nice night for a stroll, isn't it."

"Or rather, it would be," Mic put in, "if we weren't in such terrible times, am I right."

"Spot on," Digibrony confirmed. "They've been drinking our tears for too long now. We're on our way to go put a stop to it."

"Will you guys be joining us?" Feather asked.

Race rubbed the back of his head with his hoof. "I don't know. It just seems really unnecessary and-"

"Unnecessary?" Saber spluttered. "Nothing we do could possibly rival what they've done. Did you forget what they did at your last relay race?"

The motorhead pony shuddered at the memory. All the cars had gone up in smoke and the scent of burning rubber filled the air. The grandstand was in pieces and the spectators running in fear. Race still had a hard time believing that the ponies had executed that awful operation. "Don't remind me."

"And you, Mic. Remember what they did at your last performance?"

The musician frowned as he recalled the events of that night. The stage was on fire and light bulbs exploded without warning. The rows of seats had been either smashed, burned or overturned, trash and belongings scattered all over the floor. Not the fondest of Mic's MLP memories. "Do you really think they're the ones who did it?"

"It had to have been," Digibrony said . "Firebrand himself headed the investigation. They found locks of hair that could only have belonged to certain ponies, including Pinkie, Twilight and Rainbow Dash. Nopony else has mane colors like them, or anypony for that matter."

"Why do I feel so bad about myself?!" Feather wailed.

"It's a feeling of conflict," Rina explained somberly. "We're so in tune with the ponies of Equestria and are so appreciative of their normal, usual behavior that declaring war on them seems against our better judgement. But looking at the evidence leaves us with no other option."

Solrac nodded, then said in a normal voice, "Are you two joining us or not?"

Mic took a deep breath, then exhaled. "You've got me. What they did was completely wrong. We weren't deserving of that kind of treatment."

"I'm coming too," Race added. "That race they ruined had nothing to do with anything and we weren't the only ones wounded by it."

Rina smiled gently. "It looks like we've just gained some new recruits."

Fluffle gasped, ran over to the two stallion joining their team and nuzzled them, her thick poofy fur comforting them. "Alright, that's enough," Mic said, carefully pushing the fluffy pony off him.

Race shook his mane loose. "We're ready when you guys are."

"LET'S GO!" screamed Solrac, returning his volume to its original level.

Rina jumped to the front of the group and resumed the march. The other bronies followed behind her, taking their places on either side of the dark-pink mare, their minds made up, their mission: to get revenge on the ones they thought were their friends.
> Friends on the Rooftops
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apple Bloom was getting worried. Her sister and her friends were still intent on striking back at the bronies and, to make matters worse, their attack force had grown . She hadn't been expecting Trixie Lulamoon and Cheese Sandwich to be in town, but they were here and things just got more difficult. She and Gryph had split up to resume tailing after their respective groups. Apple Bloom had stopped to rest atop a three-story supermarket, having caught up to the Mane 6 and was now waiting for them to cover a significant amount of ground before continuing her pursuit. It looks kinda hopeless, since it's just me an' Gryph. She stared up at the moon, its bright surface reflecting the rays of the sun beyond the horizon, bathing the city in moonlight. It was a beautiful sight, especially from the rooftops, but tonight Apple Bloom wasn't parkouring to study the night sky. Her mission was one of importance. But how could she, a single filly with no cutie mark, get two groups of provoked ponies and distraught bronies to forgive and forget?

The sound of a door slamming brought Apple Bloom out of her stupor. She whirled around towards the skylight which had opened, expecting to see a security pony or night guard, but instead found two fillies climbing onto the roof, an orange pegasus with a purple mane and a white unicorn with a mane of pink and purple .

Apple Bloom couldn't believe her eyes. "Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle?"

"Apple Bloom!" Sweetie cried, leaping from the opening and landing on her friend.

"See, I told you she wasn't at Zecora's," Scootaloo said smugly.

Apple Bloom returned Sweetie Belle's embrace. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well, we went over to your place, but Granny Smith said you'd gone out. Something about 'meeting the music'. I dunno, it was hard to understand her. So we ran over to Town Hall, but Mayor Mare told us that the last pony she'd seen was Zecora, even though she's a zebra. Then we hurried to her hut and asked if she'd seen you but all she said was 'To the mixed city went Apple Bloom, to find a solution to the unresolved gloom' or something like that. What was she talking about?"

The yellow filly swallowed. Should she tell her friends about what she and Gryph were planning? Would they tell on her? Could they help even? Course they can, they're your friends, you silly filly. "You know about the big fight goin' on between us an' the bronies, right?"

Scootaloo scowled. "Of course I do. They ruined that Wonderbolts Derby that Rainbow Dash took me too! It was supposed to be just the two of us, watching the Wonderbolts do their stuff, and they had to go and blow up the cloud track!"

They did that? Apple Bloom couldn't believe it. "Are ya sure it was the bronies?"

"Rainbow Dash asked Spitfire if she saw anypony. She said she noticed a grey pegasus with a double-colored mane flying away from the track. His cutie mark was some music note."

Apple Bloom was shocked. Gryph?! It couldn't have been! And indeed it couldn't have, for on that same day she was with Gryph, working on their new song. "What about you, Sweetie Belle?"

"Well, they did blow out all the windows in the Manehatten plaza. Rarity told me about it. There was glass everywhere and the street cleaners had to work overtime while every doctor in the city was helping the ponies who got glass in their hooves. It was quite horrible."

Something fishy's going on here, thought Apple Bloom, and ah'm gonna find out what. "Do you really think the bronies did all that?" she asked the other Crusaders. "Honestly?"

Scootaloo opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it. "No. Of course not."

"That's right." Sweetie nodded in agreement. "There's no way the bronies could've done all those thing. It's gotta be somepony else framing them."

"That's exactly what I think!" cried Apple Bloom happily, grabbing her two best friends in a hug. "All we have to do now is make all the big ponies realize that."

"But how?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom looked down. Twilight and the others had turned the corner and were now trotting down the Mane Street that cut through the entire town. "We're gonna go find Gryph. Hopefully, he also found some bronies who think the same way we do."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Works for me."

"Yeah, let's go!"

"Follow me, girls!" Apple Bloom leapt from the roof they were on to the next building over, Sweetie and Scootaloo jumping after her. Together, the Cutie Mark Crusader quickly made their way across the tops of the houses and shops, trying to once again find the grey pegasus Apple Bloom had met with minutes before.

While they searched, Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom, "I just wanted to ask: what's with the sparkly jacket?"

The Apple Family filly smiled. "You'll see."

"I like it," Sweetie Belle declared. "Sequins look good on you."


*


Like Apple Bloom, Gryph was having a hard time. The bronies had stopped for a drink in the bar below so the pegasus had time for a rest. Having been joined by Mic the Microphone and AC Racebest, they were even more invigorated than before. There's gotta be another explanation aside from the ponies being responsible for all these attacks. He thought and he thought, but nothing surfaced in his mind. He lifted his foreleg and looked at his bracer, the gryphon's bright orange eye looking back at him. ARGH! I can't do this alone! I need help!

His train of thought was derailed when he heard the sound of hooves clopping behind him. He looked over his shoulder to find an unexpected duo approaching him: two earth ponies, one with a mustard yellow coat, black mane and tail of black and orange, the other was a grey color, with a mane and tail of blue with red highlights, his head adorned with a pair of headphones. The yellow pony's cutie mark was a pair of shovels and the grey pony's cutie mark was a gravestone.

"Good evening, Black Gryphon," the yellow stallion addressed, using Gryph's full name.

"Hey Dusty," he replied. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Me and Tombstone were in the neighborhood and heard the commotion below. We decided to take cover inside, rather than get drafted into this mess."

Gryph nodded. Drafted was certainly how he would've put it. "So, what do you guys think of this whole uproar anyways?"

"It's ridiculous," Tombstone spoke up. "I've been listening to the ponies and they say we've been sabotaging their sites and events. This contradicts what I just heard the other bronies say that the ponies are the ones causing trouble for us. All in all, it just seems like one big misunderstanding."

"You know that Tombstone," Gryph agreed. "Dusty knows that and I know that, but everypony else doesn't. And now they're going to fight it out once and for all."

"This goes against what we stand for," muttered Dustykatt.

The Living Tombstone looked down at the bar where their friends were resting. "The minute they're done, they're going to hit the road. What can we do to make them understand, Gryph?"

"I don't know!" Gryph moaned, putting his head in his hooves. "I can't think of anything and, worst of all, I'm scared! Scared of what might happen if this all goes unchecked."

Dustykatt put a hoof around the pegasus' shoulder. "Well, show them that you're not scared."

"How?"

"This is a game of life, Gryph. It's not something to be taken lightly. The truth is sometimes hard to take, almost as if it's taunting you knowing you can't do anything, but there's always, always something you can do, no matter what. They can take you, kick you and beat you, but that won't change anything."

Gryph lifted his head, his eyes staring off into space. He weighed Dusty's words, thinking hard about what his friend had just told him. "You're right, Dusty. We do have a choice. Even when it seems like the outcome is decided, we should never just give in, especially if it's unfair and unjust."

Tombstone clapped his fellow musician on the back. "Alright, Gryph. That's using your head."

"You mean I wasn't before?"

The three of them started laughing and rolling around on the roof. Thankfully, Rina-chan and the other bronies didn't hear them. They had just finished their rest stop and were heading out again. The only reason Gryph, Tombstone and Dusty didn't lose them was because Tombstone almost fell off when he tumbled halfway over the low wall ringing the roof. This gave him a bird's-eye view of the bronies leaving the bar. "Hey guys," he called over to the others, "they're moving out."

This brought Dusty and Gryph to their senses. "Just now?"

"Yep. We can still catch them if we hurry. Let's go."

"No." Gryph's response was an unexpected one. When he saw the questioning looks the two earth bronies were giving him, he explained. "We don't have a plan so there's no point in following them."

Dusty nodded. "That makes sense, but what do we do now?"

"We go find Apple Bloom. Me and she, we've been friends since forever and I'm sure that together we can come up with something."

"Works for me," Tombstone said.

"Let's do it."

Gryph smiled. "I knew I can count on you guys. Now let's see if you can keep up." He jumped over to the next building, using his wings to lengthen his glide. Dusty and Tombstone leapt after the pegasus in the sequined jacket, the three of them going in the opposite direction of the bronies, their minds set on discovering a solution to this unfortunate struggle.
> The Final Solution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come on girls! We're almost there."

"Almost where, Apple Bloom?"

"Yeah. All I see is the top of a museum."

Apple Bloom waved her friends over to a small pile of bricks, upon which they seated themselves. "This is where me an' Gryph hang out sometimes while we think. It's one of the most quiet places in town."

Sweetie Belle glanced over to a large domed skylight that led into the building they were perched on. "That makes sense, considering we're over a museum."

"That's closed," added Scootaloo. "For the night."

"Ah know that girls," Apple Bloom said, smiling. "That's why we chose this place. It closes just before sunset so that gives us plenty of time whenever."

The two fillies nodded in agreement. It was very quiet atop the museum, but being young meant that attention spans were short and waiting for who knows how long could get very boring. "How long are we gonna have to wait?" Scootaloo grumbled.

"I've got a rubber band here," Sweetie Belle announced, holding up a piece of elastic. "Wanna play 'Colt's Cradle'?"

"You're gonna have to remind me how, I forget."

"Okay. Hey Apple Bloom!" the unicorn called, "you wanna play?"

Apple Bloom was standing at the edge of the roof, one hoof wrapped around a flagpole that flew the Equestrian flag. Her eyes scanned the city, hoping to catch sight of her pegasus music partner hopping over the houses, but there was little to no light above the streets, since normal ponies don't use the roofs as a means of getting around. "No thanks, ah'm too upset to play." She plopped her head down onto the low wall beside the flag.

Sweetie Belle, who was just stretching out the rubber band between her hooves, dropped what she was doing and walked over to where her friend lay slumped. "What's wrong, Apple Bloom?" she asked gently.

"Everything!" Apple Bloom rolled onto her back, her hooves knocking back and forth against the stone tiles of the roof. "All our friends are fightin' fer no reason! They all think the other side did somethin' wrong, but they didn't! Why did this happen? How did it happen? What are we gonna do?!" By this point she was sobbing.

Scootaloo joined the other Crusaders by the wall. "Calm down, Apple Bloom. We'll find a way."

"Yes we will," declared a voice from behind them.

The CMC spun around to face whoever it was, their hooves raised for battle. Apple Bloom however, who had recognized the speaker's voice instantly, launched herself right into Gryph's waiting hooves. She squeezed the brony in a tight embrace, her tears soaking through his shiny jacket. On either side of him, Dustykatt Rhoades and the Living Tombstone let loose with the bronies frequently-used 'd'aaaaw'.

"Oh Gryph, I was startin' to think you'd never get here!" Apple Bloom whimpered.

"Apple Bloom," Gryph whispered fiercely to the filly, "I wouldn't leave you if Tirek himself tried to separate us."

"Friendship is magic," Dustykatt declared. Tombstone nodded in agreement.

"What are you guys doing here?" Scootaloo asked excitedly, galloping over to the grey pony.

"Helping to save everypony," Tombstone told her. "We bumped into Gryph while he was following the bronies and decided to join the 'Kiss and Make Up' team."

The Crusaders smiled. Now the big ponies were on their side. That would hopefully make everything easier. "But how are we going to get everypony to kiss and make up?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously.

"It doesn't mean that literally," Scootaloo said quickly.

"Maybe it does," whispered Dustykatt with a grin.

"It's just another way of saying 'forgiving each other'," Tombstone explained, leading Sweetie to the pile of bricks where the two sat down. "I'm sure that together we can come up with a way to get everypony to stop blaming each other."

Gryph nodded. "Yeah, but first we have to figure out why their blaming each other."

"What do you mean 'why'?" Scootaloo asked hastily. "We think you blew stuff up, you think we blew stuff up. What's to get?"

"'What's to get' is this." Apple Bloom stood up on the stacked bricks, her sequined outfit bouncing light across the roof like a disco ball. "The big ponies are sayin' that the bronies are going 'round Equestria causin' trouble and the bronies are sayin' the same thing about them. The problem is that some of the things ah've heard don't fit in. Fer example, Scootaloo, you told me that Spitfire said that after the destruction of the Wonderbolt's cloudtrack, she saw a grey pegasus with a double-colored mane flyin' away."

"Sounds like me," Gryph said humorously.

"Was it you?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"No it wasn't!" Apple Bloom cried indignantly. "There's no way Gryph coulda been at the scene of the crime, because he was with me that day!"

"Doing what?" inquired Tombstone.

"If you must know," Gryph said in a drawling voice," we were working on our new song."

"OOH OOH, can we please hear it?" Scootaloo begged.

Apple Bloom shook her head and laughed. "Sorry Scoots, no spoilers. But don't worry. As soon as this mess is all cleared up, we'll preform our song. Promise."

"First things first, we have to solve the problem," said Dusty. "Then we can return to the pleasantries life gives us."

The other ponies and bronies sat down, on or around the brick pile, and the discussion began. Gryph spoke first. "The most important thing right now is to figure out why everypony think the other group is rebelling, so to speak."

"Well, duh!" Scootaloo barked, wearing the most ridiculous grin. "It's because Celestia found out that Discord's her father!"

"Three things," Dustykatt said seriously. "One: that's not true. Two: How did you come to that conclusion? and three: Do you have any idea how old that meme is?"

"Not old enough if I can just pull it out like that! You really should bury those better, you don't want anypony finding something-"

"Yeah, that's enough," Tombstone commanded, placing a hoof over the orange filly's muzzle. "Back to you, Gryph."

"Thank you, Tombstone. As I was saying, we need to find out what's making both our societies believe that the other has wronged them."

"For that," Sweetie Belle spoke up, "we need clues. Evidence to point us on the right path."

"Excellent Sweetie," complimented Dusty. "I'm surprised to hear that coming from you."

"Scootaloo made me read Rainbow Dash's Daring Do books. That's probably the best thing I learned from them." She shuddered.

"Oh stop whining!" laughed Scootaloo. "They weren't that scary."

"Off-topic," Gryph muttered, tossing his hoof lazily over his head.

"Gettin' back on track," Apple Bloom said in a matter-of-fact way, "Sweetie Belle's right. We need proof that somepony from either side has done these things. Do we have any?"

Gryph steeped up. "Firebrand may have headed the investigation, but I'm the one he entrusted the evidence to." he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out several transparent bags, each one holding a lock of mane hair. Everypony clambered off the brick load and Gryph spread the bags out on top. "I think these should do the trick."

Tombstone crouched down and looked at the clues. "Okay, we have hair samples of the ponies who blew up the theater. Do we have anything from our supposed terrorist acts?"

"I've got something!" Scootaloo piped up, pulling out a hoofful of feathers and laid them beside the bags of mane hair. "Me and Rainbow Dash found them by the ruined cloudtrack. They probably came from whatever pony wrecked the race."

Gryph picked up one of them, a grey feather, and examined it. "It sure looks like mine. But I wasn't at the race."

Scootaloo rubbed her head against the male pegasus. "Tooooo bad."

"How can we find out who these feather came from if we don't even have a lead?" Tombstone wondered out loud, his head down sideways on the makeshift table.

Non of the assembled equines had even a spark of an idea, until one flashed into existence in Sweetie Belle's mind. "Maybe I can try casting a spell?" she said hesitantly.

"What spells do you know?" asked Dusty.

"I haven't really learned much, but thought that maybe just using magic could do something."

Gryph and Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. "Okay, let's give it a try."

"Give her some space, everypony."

Sweetie Belle stepped forwards while the bronies and the Crusaders backed up. Activating the basic levitation spell, she emptied the bags onto the brick bench alongside the feathers, laying them out in an arc. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and began channeling her magic. Light green sparks flew out of her white horn and landed on the objects before her, but flickered out almost instantly. After several more attempt, Sweetie fell backwards into Dusty's outstretched hooves, panting and gasping for breath.

"I'm sorry," she wheezed, sweat shining on her face. "I'm not strong enough to maintain a steady stream yet."

Dustykatt stroked her mane. "You did your best, Sweetie Belle. We couldn't ask you for a better attempt."

"That's great and all," Scootaloo said, "but that still doesn't help us find out who these belong to."

"What if we tried combinin' our strength?" Apple Bloom suggested.

"That's it!" Gryph exclaimed. "If we combine our power, our energy, it might generate enough magic to affect the hair and the feathers!"

"Just like the Mane 6 would do every time," Tombstone murmured fondly.

Sweetie Belle nodded in approval. "Okay, so how should we do it?"

"First, we need everypony set up in a shape, a circle maybe." Gryph positioned them all in a ring around the brick pile, placing Sweetie Belle in the middle. "Now, focus. Concentrate your energy into Sweetie Belle. Only she can channel the magic, but we can give her the power she needs to keep it going. Together we can do this!"

Scootaloo was bouncing up and down with anticipation. "Alright, let's do it!"

The ponies and the bronies closed their eyes, trying to guide their energy towards the white unicorn filly standing in the middle of their ring. In front of each of them appeared a shimmering star, from which streams of multicolored light twisted towards Sweetie Belle, wrapping their entire circle in a blinding glow. Wind whipped at their manes and threatened to knock them over, but they held their position, refusing to budge, the very air humming with their power. Everypony smiled. Feeling each others energy was one of the greatest things they've ever felt, filling them with further appreciation of one another. After what seemed like an eternity of elation, a loud explosion sounded and through their closed eyes they all witnessed a blinding flash, everypony losing themselves in the flare.

When Apple Bloom opened her aching eyes, she discovered herself and her friends lying on the roof of the museum, the night as quiet as it was before. "Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! Gryph! Tombstone! Dusty!" she cried as she ran over to each of her friends, nuzzling them gently. Thankfully, they were merely unconscious and awoke at her touch. Soon, they were all upright and dusting each other off.

"Is everypony okay?" Dusty asked them all.

"Better than okay!" Apple Bloom shouted happily. "Ah feel like the Apple Family Reunion just happened! That was th' most amazin' thing ah ever felt!"

"I feel good too," Tombstone said, a smile dominating his face.

"Getting to know each others signature energy must have made us realize just how special we all are," Gryph mused. "As a result of mixing our power, we've learned what makes each of us who we are without divulging each others thoughts and secrets."

"Wait a second!" Sweetie Belle cried suddenly. "What about the evidence?"

Everyone hurried to the brick bench. The mane hair samples were gone. In their place lay several strips of hard black organic material, like the carapace of a beetle. The feathers had been replaced by shiny thin strips. Only one hair sample remained: it had become a long piece of dark cerulean.

"Of course!" Gryph shouted, slapping himself. "Why didn't we think of that before?"

"So simple, and yet so ingenious," murmured Tombstone, 'fingering' the black shell-skin between his hooves.

"Would somepony please tell us what's going on?" The three fillies stared unknowingly at the transformed evidence.

"Do you girls remember Princess Cadance and Shining Armour's wedding in Canterlot?" asked Dusty.

"Of course we do," said Sweetie. "We were chosen as the flower fillies for that wedding."

"Well, you may not have been there at first, but every brony knows that Cadance was being impersonated by the changeling Queen Chrysalis. After Twilight and the real Cadance forced Chrysalis to reveal herself, Cadance and Shining Armor blasted the queen and her changelings out of Equestria."

"That. Sounds. Awesome!" Scootaloo shouted.

"It was a pretty amazing bit of magic they pulled," admitted Gryph. "The magic of love. Ever since the wedding, the changelings haven't been seen again. But from these," he waved at the bug bits laid out in front of them, "we can tell that they're back."

"They feed off of love," explained Tombstone, "but then why would they be trying to create a rift between us?"

"Maybe they've already gained enough power from the bond of our friendship," suggested Apple Bloom, "and now they're strong enough to take us on. Especially since we're all too busy fightin' with each other."

"Alright everypony," Dusty announced, slamming his hoof down on the bricks. "We now know the changelings are the ones behind this entire struggle that could ruin the relationship we've constructed over four beautiful years. The time has come to show our friends the truth, to unmask the real villain behind all the attacks."

Gryph hoisted Apple Bloom up onto his shoulders. "And we know how to do it!"

"Hit us with your plan," Tombstone said eagerly, Scootaloo sitting on his lap.

The six friends huddled around the square stack of bricks, their voices low but their hearing sharp. As the two songwriters laid out their plan before the others, sounds of excitement began to drift off the roof of the closed museum.
> Meeting on the Battlefield
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and her seven friends wove through the crowd of ponies scattered across the long road that spanned the city, trying to reach the center. When the other ponies realized what was going on, they quickly moved to the pavement and watched with concern and confusion as the group consisting of the Mane 6 and two of their friends continued to march down the street.

"Where are they off to?" Derpy whispered to the Doctor.

"I do believe they're off for an encounter with the bronies, to get back at them for all the atrocities they've committed."

"I heard that the bronies were going to banish the Crystal Empire again," Bon Bon told Lyra.

"I was told that they were trying to find a way into the human world," Lyra replied.

"Did you see Vinyl anywhere?" Neon Lights asked Octavia.

"I think she's got her DJ stand set up somewhere down the road."

However, all these gossips and rumors didn't stop the determined octet from carrying on, the sound of their hooves against the asphalt echoing across the rather unusually silent street, their gaze set on the small advancing group further down the road.

"This is going to be strange," Cheerilee whispered to Big Macintosh. "Interesting, but strange."

"Eeyup."


*


Meanwhile, on the other end of the street, Rina-chan led her team of able-bodied bronies towards Town Square, where they would meet the ponies head on. On either side of the road they trotted upon, bronies watched with wary eyes, some of them wishing their brave herdmates good luck, others longing for the end of the conflict and that the whole thing would just blow over.

"Wait, so only now they decided to fight it out with them?" Marina said in disbelief.

Eurobeat removed his shades and shined them up a bit. "That seems to be the case."

"You think they agreed to do this before or after they blew up the music chamber?" Voice of Reason asked Redcord

"Who knows? I just hope they come out of this with something worth reviewing," he replied with a grin.

I Bring Da LULZ nudged the blue unicorn next to him. "Hey Paleo, do you know where Glaze has gone off to? I can't find him anywhere."

"I'm pretty sure he said he was going to 'drop the bass' or something," said Paleosteno, shrugging.

The chatter continued, but the team of bronies ignored them, each of them focused on the mission at hoof, their eyes watching the road where their foes appeared. Five blocks away, then four, three, two, one block between them. Now they could see each others faces, not one of them smiling (Except for Pinkie and Fluffle, of course). Other expression varied from frowns to sneers, but all in all, the sixteen ponies stood firm and unyielding, each of them waiting for the call that would soon sound throughout the city, officially marking the end of their friendship. That call was supposed to be coming from the DJ stand arranged on the pavement, although the two musician ponies behind it were in no apparent hurry.

"This is totally bogus," declared Vinyl Scratch, absentmindedly wiping her nose on the back of her hoof.

"You've got me," Glaze announced. "I don't want to fight you guys. I know you didn't blow up the theater my buddy Mic was jamming in."

"Thanks, and don't worry, I know you're not behind the shattering in Manehatten, but man, that was one heck of a mess. And done with Base Cannons too," she added, fondly stroking the shiny surface beneath them.

The pale-yellow pegasus sighed. "Yeah. Too bad we're stuck with our orders."

"Should we sound the call?"

"Yep."

"Max volume?"

"Uh-huh."

"Mess them up as best we can?"

"Oh yeah."

The disc jockey and the brony musician switched on their equipment. Two panels opened up on the front of their stand, revealing what appeared to be two glowing-blue loudspeaker woofers. A high-pitched whining filled the air as the devices began charging, drawing looks of realization and sudden unease from the two lines of ponies. Their mouths split in wide grins, Vinyl and Glaze activated their Base Cannons.

WHOOOOSH!!!! A wave of electric blue light erupted from both woofers, rushing towards the ponies and the bronies. The force of the impact from the sonic energy knocked everypony off their hooves, all of them tumbling over each other. The two equines operating the sound-based weapons didn't let up, allowing their Cannons to release their never-ending stream of dubstep. Once they felt like they had made their point, Vinyl and Glaze shut off their devices, cutting off the blaring flow.

Rainbow Dash was the first to rise. Shaking all over, she glanced around at her friends and newly-marked enemies. They were all lying in the road, the ponies and bronies on either side of the street trotting over to see what happened. Rainbow shot a look at the two behind the mass-knockout. Glaze and Vinyl just sat there, back to back, giving her stern, serious looks. In that moment, Rainbow Dash almost regretted taking part in this feud, but memories of a deteriorating cloudtrack and screaming pegasi drove away the remorseful feeling. Instead, she began to nudge her friends awake, helping them up. Opposite the multicolored mare and her teammates, Feather Pony was in a similar state of surprise, shock and temporary shame. Her reaction was even less emphatic than Rainbow's already-quiet act, but relatively the same. Vinyl and Glaze shared a brohoof, enjoying their short victory while their friends tried to expel the still-resounding sound of the Base Cannons from their eardrums.

When they had all cleared their heads a bit, Twilight walked to the front of her team, spreading her wings in a rather majestic manner. She glared at the bronies before her and began to speak, her volume increased slightly as if by the Royal Canterlot Voice. "You have crossed the line, bronies. For years we have shown you kindness, we offered you our friendship, and this is how you repay us? By destroying our home and threatening the lives of countless ponies? I don't know how you live with yourselves."

Rina listened to the alicorn but the moment she stopped speaking, the pink unicorn stepped forwards. "You call yourself the Princess of Friendship, yet this is what you, your friends and your subjects do to us? Sabotage our work? Ruin our celebrations, which we hold in your honor? So much for your 'friendship is magic'."

"What are you saying?" spluttered Rainbow Dash, flying to Twilight's defense. She hovered over Rina's head, looking her straight in the eye. "You're the ones causing all the destruction in Equestria, not us!"

Saberspark flew over to assist Rina, staying in line with Rainbow. "I guess that means that it's not your six-colored mane hair we found at the theater. Yeah, whatever."

"That's it! Ah refuse to hear another word!" Having said her piece, Applejack leapt forward, her lips drawn back in a snarl.

"Incoming!" Race shouted, jumping over the other bronies. The two Earth ponies met in the middle of the street and began bucking at each other. But no matter how many times they kicked, their opponent always managed to roll out of the way and fire their own legs for a counterattack.

Seeing this, Pinkie immediately went into Battle-Mode. "C'mon Cheese!" she squealed, "let's party!"

"Right with ya, Pinkie!" The two party ponies reached behind and pulled two cannons out of nowhere. Grinning madly, they wheeled them forwards on either side of Twilight and positioned their hooves over the buttons.

Mic the Microphone vaulted over his line of friends, magically dragging a large cube on wheels around them. "Hey Feather. Quick, we gotta return fire!"

"But I don't like dropping the base," the pegasus mare complained.

"Then don't! Just shoot them with something!"

Feather perked up at this. "Okay!" She grabbed her own boxed, wheel-mounted loudspeaker and brought it up on Rina's left while Mic hovered his over to the mare's right side.

"3, 2, 1, FIRE!" Pinkie and Cheese slammed their hooves down and activated their Cannons, sending a mixture of confetti, streamers, firecrackers and noise out of the barrels, heading straight for the bronies. At the same time, Mic and Feather switched on their Cannons, letting loose with a resounding, two-way barrage of sound. The two expelled forces met in midair between the two groups, exploding in a spontaneous orb of colors and dissonance. Twilight, Rina and the four artillery-equipped ponies were thrown backwards by the force of the explosion, their Cannons sent spinning away. Rainbow and Saber had successfully evaded the backlash by rising several meters above the brief exchange.

"This is outrageous!" cried Rarity, trotting into 'no-pony's land'. "Can't any of you fight with a bit of glamor?"

"You don't fight with glamor, Rarity," Digibrony hissed as he levitated a pair of garbage bins, overflowing with waste. "You fight with whatever you have on hoof." And he threw his stinking load at the white mare.

"AAAAAH!" Rarity shrieked, ducking to avoid the putrid projectiles. Even so, several pieces of dirty trash landed on her, staining her coat with numerous multicolored streaks and splatters. She took one look at her coat before shooting Digibrony a look of pure hate.

"Oh. it. Is. ON!"

Igniting her horn, Rarity ripped off a large piece of the curb, carefully aiming the concrete block at the grey unicorn. "Maybe this will teach you not to play in the rubbish!" She flung her improvised missile at Digibrony, but it shattered against the force field the he conjured up.

Trixie and Fluttershy appeared on either side of Rarity. "No more shall we stand aside and watch you burn our homes!" Trixie hollered.

Solrac and Fluffle Puff dashed over to assist their friend, flanking Digi. "BRING IT ON!" screamed Solrac.

Twilight, having recovered from the concussion caused by the Cannon recoil, leapt to the head of her team. "Alright everypony! ATTACK!"

Rina-chan had recovered too, and raised her hoof in the air. "Bronies, CHARGE!"

The two forces converged on the field of battle, each one facing their own adversary. Twilight was facing Rina and Mic in a magic dual, the two unicorns almost matching her alicorn magic. Rainbow Dash was up against Saberspark in a dogfight, while Applejack was fruitlessly beating away at Fluffle Puff, the fluffy pony's thick coat protecting her from the farmpony's kicks. Rarity and Trixie took their battle straight to Digibrony, but could only equal his power, effectively drawing his attention away from the other combatants. Pinkie Pie had somehow gotten a rope around Feather's waist and was hanging on for dear life as the pegasister flew around the Square, causing the party pony to collide with a number of lampposts and walls. Cheese Sandwich and AC Racebest were in some sort of 'comic-relief' battle, slapping each other across the face one at a time, each in turn. Fluttershy and Solrac were having a combination Staring/Shouting match, the two ponies both keeping eye-contact and screaming in their opponent's face with increasing volume. On either side of the battlefield other ponies had gathered, some of them attempting to backpedal away from danger, others raring to join the fight. However, in the building across the road from Vinyl and Glaze's DJ stand, watching from a balcony extending off the roof, a number of Equestrians and bronies looked down at their brawling friends, wondering what could have caused it all.

"I just don't understand it, Dave," Spike confessed to the cobalt blue dragon beside him. "Twilight and the others don't usually solve this kind of problem by fighting. We get along just fine and so did they.  What's going on?"

Crikey Dave patted the purple dragon on the shoulder. "I wish I knew too, Spike. We all lived in harmony at one point, yet now something has driven us apart."

"It's much worse that that, Dave." The two dragons looked to the right, where a grey pegasus with dual-green-colored mane stood beside them, looking down at the warring ponies. "This kind of hostility could disrupt the balance of harmony connecting Equestria to our world. We can't afford to break our bond of friendship, especially in such a manner."

"But what can we do, Forest Rain?" asked Pipsqueak, popping up beside the brony.

"Well, for one, we can notify the Princesses. Maybe they can help."

A stallion in a white lab coat and a zebra with rings on her neck stepped out of the shadows of the rooftop. "Hold up there, Forest," the stallion said. "I think we should try and learn something from this experience."

"No, Calpain," growled Dave, "we will not learn anything, anything from this fight, especially if we don't settle the dispute somehow!"

Forest Rain nodded at the dragon's words. "What say you, Zecora?"

The zebra looked up at the moon, then down at the brawling ponies. "The time for sitting idly is past. We must mend the bond or we shall not last."

"In other words," Calpain explained to Pipsqueak and Spike, "we've done enough waiting around on the sidelines and watching events unfold. It's time to take matters into our own hooves. Or claws, as it were."

"First, we must alert the Princesses. Then stop the fight before somepony gets hurt."

"I'll get our fastest ponies out immediately," Forest announced, taking to the air. "With any luck, they'll reach our leaders quickly and they'll come to help us."

"You'd better hurry," warned Dave. "They've started calling for reinforcements down there."


*


And, indeed, although almost nopony was hurt yet, the fighting was still ferocious. Often switching between adversaries in the middle of an exchange, the combatants wove through the field, more ponies and bronies joining the fight every minute. It was still not enough, though, to decide the outcome of the battle.

Twilight decided it was time to bring out the big guns. "Discord!" she shouted into the night sky, "we need you!"

In a flash of light, the draconequus appeared, a tea tray balanced on the end of his tail. "Oh really, Twilight," complained Discord, sipping a cup of tea, slurping up the ceramic and leaving the boiling drink in mid-air. "I was just settling down to enjoy a quiet evening free of strife."

"How can you say that?" Twilight spluttered. "After everything the bronies had done to Equestria, you haven't noticed a thing?"

Discord thought about this for a moment. "Well now, I wouldn't put it that way. Let's just say that I've sort of been turning-" One of his eyes rolled into the back of his head, leaving a blank yellow eyeball- "a blind eye."

Twilight sighed. Talking with Discord was like trying to get cupcakes out of a rock. Which, with Discord around, was actually a possibility. "Okay, I get it, ha ha. Now could you please help us?"

"Well, please always helps, but I'm beginning to wonder if Celestia would really want you to solve this problem by fighting. After all," he added, "you are the Princess of Friendship now."

"Fluttershy needs you!" Twilight hollered, pointing to where Fluttershy was lying on the floor, her hooves over her head while Vocal Score and Eliyora crept towards her.

Smiling evilly, Discord vanished in another flash, materializing behind the bronies. He stomped on the asphalt road and two holes appeared in the ground, swallowing Eliyora and Vocal Score. While Discord went to comfort his friend, two shafts appeared over a green dumpster, depositing the two bronies inside it, both looking extremely dizzy.

"Are you all right, Fluttershy?" Discord asked, his voice full of concern.

Fluttershy hugged the draconequus. "Oh thank you, Discord. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't come along."

"A pleasure, my dear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some chaos to reap amongst our adversaries. See you around!" Discord flew off to where most of the bronies were fighting off ponies.

Rina-chan saw him coming. "Great," she muttered to the cyan pegasister she was fighting alongside, "they've invited Discord. Now we're in for it."

Kim Possible shook her head to dislodge the dust stuck in her mane. "Well, you know what they say: sometimes, you've got to fight fire with fire."

Rina raised an eyebrow at KP, but once she took another look at Discord, who was busy throwing pies in every brony's face, she finally caught on. "Of course! That could work. But can you call him?"

Pulling out a slightly unnecessarily large megaphone out of nowhere, Kim answered her, "Oh yeah." Switching on the megaphone she shouted into it "HEY JOHN! YOU WANNA LEND A HELPING HOOF?!"

Every pony within fifteen feet had their eardrums blasted so hard their hearing was temporarily diminished, but the summons worked. In a yellow flash of light, a brown unicorn stallion with a graying mane appeared. He was dressed in a dark-blue suit and green bow-tie and his cutie was a sealed scroll.

"Hello there, Kim," the unicorn greeted. "And you, Rina. How nice it is to see you." He ducked as two pegasi tumbled over his head. "Although, it probably would be nicer if everypony wasn't fighting."

"Hi John, nice to see you too," Rina said quickly. "Now, could you please help us out? They've got Discord on their side!"

De Lancie looked to his right, where Discord had his tail wrapped around a dark-blue pegasus and a wolf. He touched their foreheads and a wave of grey discoloration spread from the contact point.

"Oh dear," muttered John. "I'd better go. See you, hopefully, after this all blows over!"

"What's that supposed to mean, 'after this all blows over'?" asked Kim, watching the unicorn gallop over to the draconequus.

Rina shrugged. "Who knows? He's John de Lancie. Now come on, let's go knock some more heads."

"We still have to knock one head."

De Lancie made straight for Discord, weaving in and out between the ponies and bronies. When he reached Discord, he leapt into the air and headbutted the draconequus, causing him to lose his focus and release his captives. The dark-blue pegasus shook his head, the color returning to him. "Thanks a bunch, John," he said, adjusting his dark glasses. "I thought we'd be deharmonized for sure."

"Your welcome Aviators. Now hurry, you and Dr. Wolf should leave before Discord comes to."

"But what about you?" inquired Dr. Wolf. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Now go, bronies!"

Aviators and Dr. Wolf rushed back into the fray and John turned his attention to Discord. He didn't hit the Spirit of Disharmony very hard and he soon began to stir. Discord shot up, his mismatched eyes scanning the area. "What's going on? What happened? Who am I?"

John sighed. "Drop the act Discord," he ordered, crouching down into a battle position. "I know your faking."

Discord seemed surprised by de Lancie's arrival. "Oh, hello John. How are you?"

"I thought so, and very well up until the point where everypony started fighting." He waved a hoof around, gesturing to the many clashes around them.

Undeterred, Discord lounged back against a dumpster, gazing up at the sky. "I must say, Luna's done an amazing job tonight. Would you look at all those stars?" He conjured up a telescope and peered through it.

"Stop it Discord." John walked over to the draconequus and slapped the telescope, which crumbled into nothing. "This is not the time for stargazing."

"What do you mean? It's nighttime, of course it's the time for stargazing."

"No. All of our friends-"

"Most," corrected Discord. "Most of our friends."

John groaned. "Fine. Most of our friends are in a fight-to-the-finish, each one believing the other is responsible for the hardships they have faced recently. If we don't do something soon, they'll beat each other to hay fries!"

Discord did a three-sixty. "Alright, how about this: you cause chaos for my friends, indirectly trying to stop the fight, and I'll do the same for the bronies, hm?"

De Lancie's eyes changed, briefly taking on the appearance of Discord's own different-sized pupils. "You're on. Good luck, Discord!"

"And you too, John." The two dashed off in opposite directions, each one plotting his way across the battlefield, causing utter confusion among the fighting ponies. While Discord tangled up Gibbontake and Tommy Oliver in plunderseed vines, John de Lancie tried a hoof at warping reality, swapping Flitter's and Thunderlane's bodies around and leaving the two pegasi in shock and embarrassment.

On the bronies side of the street, Crowne Prince and Mad Munchkin were trying their best to keep their friends out of the fight, much like police forces at events. "Settle down, everypony!" Crowne shouted over the sound of the roaring crowd. "SETTLE DOWN!"

"This isn't working!" grunted Maddie, trying to hold back Brony Dance Party and Golden Fox. "We need a new plan."

"A new plan, you say?"

Crowne groaned. He knew that voice all too well. He turned his head to find a pale-yellow unicorn stallion in a striped shirt and straw hat. "I believe we have just what your looking for, my good friend."

Another pony, who looked just like the other one, popped up beside Maddie. "In fact, I say we have the perfect solution to your mob problem."

"Look," Crowne said, ignoring the fact that the brony riot had quieted down and was now watching them, "me and Maddie are doing just fine, we don't need help, and we certainly don't require assistance from a couple of swindlers!"

Flim gasped. "Are you saying we're a pair of dishonest businessponies?"

"I find that hard to believe, brother," declared Flam. "After all, we have offered our services at many of your conventions."

"And while you're all here," Flim added, pulling out a collapsible table, "how would you bronies like to place some bets on the outcome of this match?

Flam sidled up beside his brother. "The odds are against Racebest, Cheese is the true comedian."

"Who here thinks Fluttershy is doomed to the volume of Solrac? Or will her powerful, sweet voice end the dual?"

"1 to 6 says that Twilight will defeat every unicorn thrown at her, unless somepony thinks otherwise?"

"I'd go with the likeliness of Rainbow Dash Sonic Rainbooming all the pegasisters away."

"And don't forget, the best-case scenario of-"

Flam's sentence was cut off by a grayish-violet brony with a wild green and yellow mane, who body-slammed the salespony into the building upon which the peaceful community members hid. "Get out of here, Phlegm Phlagm Brothers," he demanded, pulling his pink plastic glasses over his eyes. "This is brony territory and you guys ain't welcome over here or over there."

A grayish blue brony with a paper roll stuck to his head bashed his head into Flim, sending the second brother flying and impacting against the opposite building. "Listen to my brother Keg when he tells you to steer clear," he told the dazed salespony, his pink 'Unicorn Power' shirt glowing bright in the lamplight. "Make like a parasprite and flee."

The Flim Flam Brothers scampered to their feet, giving the other two siblings calm looks. "Come now, surely we can share customers, can't we?" inquiered Flim, with just a tinge of hope in his voice.

Keg Standard looked at his brother. "You hear that, Phantom? They want to make a profit with us."

Phantom Horn cracked his hooves threateningly. "These guys just don't give up, do they?"

"Nope."

"Let's air-mail them outta here."

"Free shipping."

The two brothers spun around, reared and gave both Flim and Flam a strong buck to the muzzle. The salesponies went flying over the battlefield and amid the ponies who, upon seeing the swindlers, fell on them in a furious rage, every one of them eager to take a whack at the swindlers who had made fools of them on more than one occasion.

The bronies cheered for Keg and Phantom, walking over for a brohoof or to clop them on the back. Crowne and Maddie approached the siblings. "Thank guys," said Maddie. "You helped us out of a jam. You got rid of Flim and Flam and also managed to calm the bronies."

Phantom Horn rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. "It was really nothing. Just trying to help the herd, y'know."

"This is gay," complained Keg Standard as he brohoofed yet another brony. "Why can't a guy do a public service without being showered with praise from other guys?"

Crowne Prince shrugged. "That's just the way things are, I guess."

Elie Monty was standing just a few feet away from this scene, but her attention was quickly recaptured by the chaotic duo still running amok, causing both sides immeasurable amounts of trouble. "Hey look," she said to the two bronies, one blue and one a light gold, standing beside her. "John de Lancie's joined the fight."

The blue pony raised an eyebrow. "And that's supposed to make me feel better because?"

"Loosen up, Acoustic," the golden pony said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Just be glad we're not getting involved."

"You say that Mando, but it doesn't change the way thing are," Acoustic Brony moped.

Elie wrapped a hoof around each of her herdmates. "We can't give up hope. There's always a chance somepony will come shining through."

Mando looked up at the tall building behind the DJ stand. From his viewpoint, it seemed to be reaching up to touch the moon. "I'm sure some little pony is out there somewhere, ready to save the day."
> Discovery on Mane Street
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, is everypony ready?"

"I sure am."

"Me too."

"Me three."

Dusty nodded. Gryph and Apple Bloom had already climbed the tall building shadowing the combat, but had left the four of them with several tasks.

"Okay," he said, looking at their supplies: several spotlights, a couple of cables and a bag of herbs. Apple Bloom had already taken what she needed from that last item and the megaphone was in her's and Gryph's possession. "All we have to do now is hook up these floodlights around the Square, plug 'em in and direct them. Couldn't be simpler."

Tombstone rubbed his hooves together. "B'seder, where do they have to go?"

"Gryph told us exactly where," Sweetie Belle reminded. She pointed to the building across the street. "On that rooftop, way... over... there..." It was then that they realized they had a problem.

'How do we get our stuff all the way over there?" Scootaloo groaned.

"Can't you fly?" asked Dusty.

The orange pegasus filly sighed. "No. My wings aren't strong enough and I've tried before. I just can't fly that far, if at all." She looked close to tears.

"Don't be sad, Scoots," Tombstone said warmly, wrapping a hoof around her. "Nopony is perfect. We just have to keep moving."

Tears started flowing down Scootaloo's cheeks. "But a pegasus that can't fly?" she sobbed. "That's just not right, Tombstone!" She shoved her face into his chest, her tears thoroughly soaking his coat. The brony gently stroked her mane, humming to Scootaloo in an attempt to calm her down. Sweetie Belle and Dustykatt stood side by side, the sad touching scene affecting them so that they too shed a tear.

Tombstone lifted Scootaloo and held her in front of his face, his grayish-brown eyes staring into her purple ones. "Listen to me now, Scootaloo. You and your friends have completed many feats and faced many challenges. Sometimes you felt like giving up and turning back, but you didn't. We bronies go through the same things. We face problems in life and we try to solve them. If we get knocked down, we get up and keep trying. There have always been ponies who make it their job to cause us trouble and strife, but together we can overcome any hardships. As long as you have your friends with you, there is nothing you cannot do."

Scootaloo sniffed, then smiled. She wrapped the Earth brony in yet another hug. "Thanks for everything, Tombstone."

"Your welcome."

Sweetie Belle walked slowly over to her friends. "I'm happy for you guys too, but what are we going to do about our mission?"

"What we need," mused Dusty, "is another pegasus.

"And it wouldn't hurt to have another pony who knows how to work these things," added Scootaloo, nudging the floodlights with her hoof.

"Maybe we can be of service."

The four friends turned to see who spoke. Standing at the edge of the roof was a white pegasus stallion in the armor of the Canterlot Royal Guard, and beside him was a brown Earth colt with a helicopter beanie, lazily sipping a box of apple juice.

"Button Mash!" squealed Sweetie Belle, running over to hug her friend. "How've you been? What'cha been doing"

"I'm fine, Sweetie Belle," he admitted, trying to pry the filly's hooves off his neck. "Playing games, drinking shakes. It's really not the same without you."

"Aww, thanks."

But it was Scootaloo who's shock was most apparent. She stared at the white pegasus, who slowly walked over to her until he was standing right in front of her. He bent his head down and took off his helmet. Scootaloo couldn't contain herself any longer.

"DAD!"

For the second time in five minutes, Scootaloo committed a mushy act of fondness towards another pony, this time family. She hugged her father fiercely, ignoring the fact that he was wearing armor and just tried to enjoy his touch again. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too."

Dusty held out his hoof for the pegasus. "Dustykatt Rhoades, the manliest brony in the world."

Scootaloo's father took Dusty's hoof and shook it. "Blizzard Storm, Royal Guard."

"Nice to meet you," said Tombstone, shaking Blizzard's hoof.

"What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked.

Blizzard put a hoof on Button's shoulder. "I was in Ponyville earlier, looking for you, only to find most of the town deserted. After asking around, I managed to find out that a lot of Ponyville's residents, and quite a few ponies from all over Equestria, had left for the city. I thought you and your friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, would want to see what was going on so I came. On the way I ran into Button here, on the run from his mother for skipping school-"

"It was a day off!" Button groaned.

"-and decided that adult supervision was necessary, so I brought him along. And now I find you, on a roof with a pile of equipment and a couple of friends. Care to tell me what's going on?"

Button's excitement grew. "Yeah, tell me too!"

With Dusty's help, Scootaloo explained their plan to her father and Button Mash. After she had finished, Blizzard nodded and said, "You've got a point there. I was recently released from service, but I don't recall being told about all these attacks."

"Maybe because the Princesses didn't think it was important because it's not true what everypony's thinking!" Sweetie yelled, everything coming together. "That's why we have to show everpony what's really been going on."

"But to do that," explained Tombstone, "we need to hook up half of these spotlights on the other side of the street."

"I can help you with that." Blizzard bent down and picked up a number of lights, along with a hoofful of cables. "You comin' Button?" he called to the colt. "I'm gonna need somepony with electrical experience to help me."

"You got it, Mr. Storm sir!" Button leapt onto the pegasus' armored back.

"I'm coming too, dad!" cried Scootaloo, climbing up beside Button. "I know where we're supposed to set up the lights and also, I want to be with you." She hugged her father's neck, gaining looks of d'aaw from her friends behind her.

Blizzard smiled round the cables. "Alright, hang on tight!" He launched himself into the air, his load of lighting instruments and little ponies not slowing his flight in the least. He carefully dodged the tussling pegasi that flew through the air after each other and, once they made it to the other side, he waved to Sweetie Belle and the bronies, signaling their being ready.

"Okay, Tombstone, Dusty," Sweetie announced, "let's get to work. Everypony is counting on us."

"Too bad they don't realize they need it," muttered Tombstone, dragging several cable over to the outlet on the roof.


*


The fighting was getting intense, yet still nopony had succeeded in inflicting so much as a bruise. They'd recognize each others moves and attacks, would dodge out of the way and then counter-attack. This is uncanny, Twilight moaned to her self. I've been throwing everything I've got at them and I haven't hit once! Or that or my attacks just slide off of them. Why can't I hit any bronies? She looked at the general chaos around her. Rainbow Dash was starting up a tornado with a few Wonderbolts, trying to suck in some pegasi bronies but their whirlwind deteriorated when Pony 1 Kenobi, General Mumble and D. Notive flew through the top and busted the cyclone from within. Applejack had gotten into a hoof-wrestle over a closed trashcan with Pen Stroke. Fluttershy's animal friends had come to help her, with Angel leading the attack against Omnipony and A Blu Skittle, but couldn't get within reach of the two bronies, who blew them backwards with a few whips of their wings. Rarity and Trixie had collaborated and were flinging everything around them - garbage bins, loose paving stones, fellow ponies - at Sethisto and Mage, who spent their magic reinforcing the magical shield surrounding them. Pinkie and Cheese were firing their Party Cannon at every brony they saw, confetti draping over their wings and getting stuck in their manes, but the two party ponies attacks were widely ignored. Twilight rolled out of the way as two ponies crashed into the road, leaving a five-foot crater where the alicorn had been standing. From her new position she could see all the fighting and the sight was awful. What's going on here? she wondered helplessly. How did we end up like this? Why did they start destroying Equestria? We used to get along so well so what reason would they have to take on a destructive purpose? Twilight watched the horrible, heart-breaking battle of friends fighting friends, finally realizing it was wrong.

No. It can't be the bronies who are behind this. Their hearts are pure and their purpose is good. They have believed in us since their world learned about Equestria's existence and they were the first and only to come here and befriend us. But if that's the truth, then who DID launch all those attacks? Twilight scanned the battlefield, hoping to find a clue, a hint, anything to prove the bronies innocence. All she found were fighting friends. Who's behind this?! They must be a bunch of heartless beasts to pull a stunt like this. Thank Celestia nopony got hurt yet. She looked up at the full moon, its shining white surface reflecting brightly upon the battle.

"Please," she whispered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Somepony. Anypony. Help us."

"STOP!"

The voice echoed from the tall building and across the city, reverberating in the ears of the fighters. Every single pony and brony stopped in mid-attack, pegasi hovering in various battle-stances, unicorns levitating an assortment of ammo, Earth ponies holding their adversaries in a number of ways. Twilight looked up to the roof of the building, surprised to find floodlights illuminating the top, and  managed to make out two sparkling figures. At first she thought they were Crystal ponies, but she found these ponies solid rather then transparent and couldn't see the moon through them. After a little more squinting up, she managed to recognize the smaller of the two.

"Apple Bloom?"

Yes, it was Apple Bloom. The filly stood at the edge of the roof, dressed in a black sequined jacket and hat. Beside her was a grey pegasus stallion with the same kind of outfit, but in black.

Rina-chan craned her neck to see better, stumbled and toppled over next to Twilight. The Princess of Friendship was quick to help her up. "Is that Black Gryphon up there?" Rina asked in a faraway voice.

Way up high, above the ponies and the herd, Gryph grinned. Their plan was working. It was a good idea to wear our jackets. Now we're even more noticeable in the spotlights. Apple Bloom handed him the megaphone. "Go fer it, Gryph."

"Thanks AB," he said. He flicked the settings and faced the crowd far below. "Alright everypony, listen up!" he called down to them, his voice magnified several times. "We've been friends for years, sharing in each others pleasures and comforting one another in times of grief. Together, we have faced many a crisis and come out smiling. We had friendship. But then something happened, something wrong, and now you're all fighting! What has come over you all?"

He had meant it as a rhetorical question, but quite a few ponies below found it as an opening. "I'm good with friendship, but not when they go around causing trouble!" Rainbow Dash hollered up.

"Excuse me!" bellowed Jaxblade, a large muscly pegasus brony. "You bucking messed up that art exhibition we set up!"

"We didn't do that!" yelled Applejack.

"Well, same here!" Orchestral Design shouted.

"There we go," Gryph pointed out. "You yourselves are finding out the truth, just by talking about it."

Everypony was in shock. Now that they thought about it, there really was no denying the fact that their friends couldn't have committed all those horrible acts after everything they've been through. Some of them had even started hugging. But something was still bothering Rainbow. "But if we didn't destroy everything, then who did?"

"Ah'm glad you asked, Rainbow!" came Apple Bloom's voice, leaning on Gryph so she could reach the megaphone. She reached into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out a small drawstring bag. Gryph jumped onto the low wall ringing the roof and held out a leg, which Apple Bloom grasped hard. With the megaphone in his hoof and the filly in tow, the brony musician descended.

"Careful, bro!" yelled Baasik.

"Don't let go, sis!" urged Applejack.

Once he had reached the middle floor of the building, Gryph began to hover above the pony crowd, flying circles in the air. "I'm sure you all remember the attack on Canterlot." Murmurs of agreement floated up. "The changelings came and threatened, not only to ruin the wedding of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, but to control the ponies of Equestria and feed off of their love and emotions. It's the changelings who have been sabotaging all our events and monuments."

One look at the ponies below made Gryph begin to regret some of the things he'd said. Now it was fear that spread among the crowd. The minute they learned what was behind all their problems, they realized just how much trouble they were in. For every pony and brony knew that changelings could shape-shift, thus hiding its true form behind that of another, a pony you would trust with your life actually being an insect-like creature with a taste for affection. "How can we find the changelings if they disguise themselves as one of us?" Galaxyart asked.

"Ah'll show ya," Apple Bloom promised. "You're all gonna see who's behind it all, but first: who the hay is that over there?"

Everypony turned heads to look at where Apple Bloom was pointing. What they found was Commander Firebrand, the leader of FOB Equestria... Or, to be more precise, two Commander Firebrands, each one with the exact same coat color and wearing the same black leather jacket.

"What the-" the left Firebrand spluttered. "Who're you?"

"Who am I?" inquired the right Firebrand. "The real question is, who are you?"

Confusion spread through the ponies and bronies. Now they had a real head-scratcher on their hooves: which was the real Commander Firebrand and which was the changeling? Some of the ponies backed away from the brony and his doppelganger, not knowing which was which and too afraid to try anything to avoid hurting the real one. Saberspark flew over to Apple Bloom, still hanging from Gryph's leg, and asked "What do we do now, guys?"

"This," Apple Bloom replied simply. She loosened the string around her bag and spilled some of the contents. A small cloud of bright-green, sparkling dust floated out of the bag and drifted down towards the crowd. All they could do was stare in wonder as the powder descended upon the two twin bronies. One Firebrand smiled as the soft dust collected on his horn and shoulders, but the other one seemed nervous and jittery. Finally, he leapt away in an attempt to escape, but was quickly stopped by Psy Guy and Silver Quill.

"Hold it right there, buggo!" ordered the hippogryph. "You're staying right here."

"GRAAAAAARGH!" the Firebrand duplicate hissed, then put a hoof over his mouth.

"Gotcha."

The two bronies released him and everypony watched in amazement as the unicorn transformed before their eyes. His moderate red coat melted into a hard black carapace, his mane and tail becoming webbed and dark. Holes appeared in the creature's legs and its horn bent forwards, while its angry eyes filled with a light blue color and insect wings and fangs appeared.

The changeling snarled at the crowd surrounding it and was about to take off when it got dog piled by numerous ponies and bronies. By the time they had gotten up, the changeling was wrapped thoroughly in chains. It hissed, buzzed and bucked, trying to escape its bonds, but couldn't shake of the chains.

"That's one down," Gryph announced. "Have a look around, see if you missed yourself somewhere." All of them, ponies and bronies alike, began searching for possible doppelgangers. High above the crowd, positioned on opposite buildings, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Button Mash, Dustykatt, Tombstone and Blizzard Storm swept their spotlights over the crowd, focusing their light on suspects until their mirrored counterparts was discovered. Several were spotted, and were pinned down until the GryphBloom copter swung around and dusted them with Apple Bloom's powder blend and reverted back to their true forms. Once all the duplicates had been found and captured, a pile of chained changelings sat in the middle of the Square.

Everypony cheered, old friends running to find each other with a hug and an apology. Twilight and Rina stood side-by-side, watching their friends 'kiss and make-up'. "I'm sorry for everything, Rina," Twilight apologized, her head hanging down. "I forgot everything I had learned in my studies of friendship and made a hasty decision that endangered us all."

Rina wrapped a hoof around the Princess. "Don't blame yourself, Twilight. We too forgot all we'd learned from you and your friends. We, the most loving people in our world, returned to our old ways because of a low trick pulled by a couple of bugs. We owe you an apology as much as you do us."

Twilight hugged the pegasister, tears falling down her face. "Thank you, Rina. You're such a great friend."

"You too Twilight," she said, hugging her back. Rina looked out on their friends, watching the ponies and bronies mingle as they once did, happy and carefree. From the building opposite the now-empty DJ stand (Vinyl and Glaze had gone to dance with the other musicians), the peaceful community members flooded the already-full streets. Two dragons rushed towards them.

"Spike!"

"Twilight!"

"Rina!"

"Dave!"

The four friends came together in a group hug, each one happy to be together, the threat abolished. "I'm so glad you guys are okay," said Twilight.

"We were hoping the same thing," Spike replied. "What with you all going to fight each other just like that."

Dave nodded. "We knew something was amiss, but we never would have imagined it would be the changelings. After all, Shining Armor and Cadance had blasted them out of Equestria right before their wedding."

"There's just one thing that's still bothering me," Rina confessed. "Why would the changelings try to destroy our friendship? And how did they get back here?"

"I believe I can answer that."

Twilight and her friends turned around, looking for the speaker. Standing right behind them was a tall, white alicorn. Her royal regalia glinted in the moonlight and her multicolored mane floated in a non-existent breeze. There was no denying who it was.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried happily, running over to her old mentor.

"Princess Twilight, my faithfuls student." Celestia bent down and nuzzled the smaller alicorn. "I'm so glad you and your friends have discovered the truth. Even though at first you came to make an impulsive and rather reckless choice, you and your friends managed to come out no more than a couple of bruises."

"Um, your highness?"

Celestia turned towards the pegasister. "Yes, Rina?"

"I was just curious about, you know, if it's not too much trouble..." She seemed to be having a hard time finding words to express herself. "Getting back to my questions, you said you knew what the changelings were up to."

That's right! remembered Twilight. She did say she knows something. Maybe she can tell us how this all happened.

The Princess of the Sun looked down at the four curious, hopeful faces, eager to learn the truth behind the conflict they had accidentally brought upon themselves. She took a deep breath and said, "'Alright, I shall tell you. But first, I have to say one thing."

Twilight was concerned. "What?"

"Goodbye."

"TWILIGHT, MOVE!"

Everything happened so fast, Twilight could barely register it. Celestia's horn glowed with a brilliant green aura and shot a beam of magic at her. She was so frightened and confused she couldn't move. Thankfully, Rina-chan jumped and pushed her, Dave and Spike out of the way, the beam blasting a smoking crater in the road. When Twilight looked back, she saw Gryph diving towards Celestia, Apple Bloom holding her bag from the bottom. Celestia shot numerous magical lasers at them, but the brony managed to evade every one. When they were right above her, Apple Bloom emptied the entire contents of her bag over Celestia's head, showering the alicorn in green powder.

"Whoa, did you guys see that?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Let's get some light on it!" said Tombstone.

The two spotlights were focused on Celestia, or what was Celestia. Rings of green fire surrounded the white pony,  a column of flame shooting towards the sky and engulfing her. Through the fire, everypony could see the transformation. White feathers shredded off, revealing clear, pitted wings. Her legs and horn lengthened, also becoming full of holes. Her mane shortened, the colors fading into a dark cerulean. On top of all that, the creature also shot up five extra feet, now towering over every pony in the city.

Twilight shuddered at the sight of the tall, black creature, but memories began flooding back, along with a name. "Queen Chrysalis."

The changeling queen laughed evilly, the sound echoing across the streets, filling the ponies and the bronies with fear. "Right you are, Princess Twilight Sparkle. We have returned. And this time, you're fate is sealed."
> The Power Within Us
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What did you do with Princess Celestia?" Rainbow shouted.

Chrysalis merely chuckled. "Still as impertinent as before, are you? Don't worry, I haven't done anything to them. Not yet anyway. Your Princesses are not the reason we returned to Equestria. Ever since Twilight's insufferable brother and her fiance-" she shot a look of pure hate at Twilight. "-blasted us out of Canterlot, we were too weak to reorganize and counterattack, so we waited, slowly regaining our strength. Soon after, we learned of your friendship with the bronies, and found an opportunity to strike back! Ever since we recovered from our defeat at Canterlot, we have been hiding among you all, slowly growing stronger as we fed off of your bond. It is hard to admit this, but to say that friendship is the most powerful magic of all would be no less than the truth. Yours is so strong, so powerful, that we have at last gained the strength we need to take over Equestria!"

In the middle of the Square, the captured changelings buzzed excitedly. "Ah yes," Chrysalis continued, "my faithful subjects." She walked over to the prisoners, the ponies and bronies hopping out of her way to avoid getting hurt. One brony stood his ground, gritting his teeth as the tall changeling drew nearer. Chrysalis brushed him aside, leaving the poor stallion shaking as he was dragged back into the bulk of the herd. "They'd so kindly volunteered to go undercover within your ranks, following everything you do, attending your silly celebrations, learning all they could and relating the information to me. Once we'd gained a sufficient amount of power and were no longer hungry, we decided it was time to attack. It was my minions who-" Her sentence was interrupted by Fluffle Puff, who ran over to her despite the warnings the bronies were whispering to her. She hopped excitedly in front of Chrysalis.

"Who are you?" the changeling queen demanded. "What do you want?"

Fluffle Puff held up a hoof-drawn picture of her and her friend Chryssi, a good version of the changeling queen. Fluffle thought that Chrysalis was actually her best friend (even though everypony was Fluffle Puff's best friend). Needless to say, Chrysalis was not impressed or interested.

"Get away from me, you furry abomination!" she screeched at the fluffy pony, giving her a shove.

Fluffle's mouth dropped open, the picture fluttering to the ground. Her eyes grew wide and tears started to from. She rushed up close to Chrysalis, stroking her hoof and blowing hopeful raspberries in a final attempt to gain her love and appreciation.

"I said, LEAVE!" Chrysalis beat her wings and her horn flashed, sending Fluffle Puff crashing into the crowd of ponies. She lay there, her eyes filled with tears that flowed steadily down her cheeks. She took one last longing look at the creature she thought was her friend before running down the road, sobbing silently.

The bronies were in shock. "Did you see how she treated Fluffle Puff?" Nurse Redheart whispered.

"A heartless monster, that's what she is," Delta Brony muttered back.

Chrysalis smirked contentedly, her evil deed pleasing her to no end. "As I was saying, it was my minions who carried out my orders, destroying several monuments in Equestria and crashing the bronies' parties. And if that wasn't good enough, you all blamed each other! Your bond deteriorated from within, weakening your power so much that we became the dominating ones. All that is left to do now is seize control of Equestria!"

All through Chrysalis's terror-take over speech, Twilight and Rina examined their options. "Could we fight her and the changelings head on?" asked Rina.

Twilight frowned. "I don't think so. She probably wasn't lying about the changelings gathering strength from our friendship."

"But we have to stop her!" Spike hissed. "Otherwise, they'll take over Equestria!"

"Not just Equestria," Dave realized. "World domination is a greed that only grows. Soon after, they'll try to take our world too!"

Twilight gasped. "They wouldn't dare!"

"Who's to say?" Rina shrugged. "It'll be tough, but if they can take Equestria, fighting a couple of human armies would be like Pinkie Pie versus a cupcake. We all know the outcome of that."

"Then let's change the outcome." The quizzical looks her friends gave her only inspired Twilight further. "We can stop them and we will. Like Chrysalis herself said, friendship is the most powerful magic of all and together, we can prove it! Rina, you and Dave spread the word: get ready to fight. Me and Spike will do the same."

"Are you sure Twilight?" Spike asked concernedly. "I feel like there's something wrong."

"Don't worry Spike," Twilight said reassuringly. "It's just Chrysalis and a couple of changelings. We can take them."

"Right, right...." But the little dragon didn't sound very sure of himself. Rina and Dave slipped into one side of the crowd while Twilight led Spike through the other. All the while, Chrysalis continued to speak.

"Since you're all here now, it will be so much easier to destroy you, or just imprison you for eternity." The changeling queen burned through the chains holding her captive minions with blasts from her horn. The freed changelings bowed before their leader before taking to the sky.

"Oh, no you don't!" Rainbow Dash flew so fast she was little more than a blur. She punched one of the changelings in the stomach, while more pegasi flew up to help her recapture the escaping changelings.

"ENOUGH!" thundered Chrysalis. Her horn flared, and she fired rounds of magical beams into the air, striking the ponies and bronies with deadly accuracy.

"Rainbow!" Applejack cried, sliding to catch the falling pegasus.

"Saber!" Race rolled under the legs of his herdmates to break his friend's fall.

Chrysalis chuckled. "I'm more powerful than you think, you fools. I have the power to move both the sun and moon. I have the strength to move the entire city of Canterlot. You are nothing compared to me." She gestured towards the sky, which was suddenly filled with a loud buzzing. Everypony looked up in horror, for an enormous swarm of changelings had just flown into the city. Numerous, never-ending and countless, they filled the sky and blocked out the moonlight. "And now, my subjects and I shall force you into submission, or will you surrender peacefully?"

"No." Twilight hovered in the air above her friends, her wings spread wide as she flapped them. "You come here, bursting with power, stolen magic, with threats of pain and imprisonment for me and my friends. but you still fail to grasp the true meaning of friendship. Only then will its magic assist you."

Rina-chan was boosted up on the backs of Brony Dance Party and Vector Brony. "Friendship is gained through trust, proving yourself to your friends with acts loyalty and kindness. We give generously, laugh about are mistakes and are always honest with each other. Thus, we are able to unlock the true meaning of friendship and the magic within."

Chrysalis stared at them, dumbfounded, and burst out laughing. "Oh, you really think you have the power to defeat me and my subjects?" The changelings above them buzzed menacingly and Twilight had a sneaking suspicion they were laughing. "Well then, why should we stall any further. I believe-"

"ATTACK!"

From both sides, ponies and bronies alike charged towards Queen Chrysalis. Slightly taken aback by the sudden stampede of pastel-colored equines, she stumbled backwards before taking to the air.

"Begin the assault," she ordered a changeling wearing dark-blue armor. "Don't show any remorse, not even if they surrender. Beat them all into submission."

"Yes, your majesty," hissed the changeling Captain. He dived towards the mass of ponies below, closely followed by the rest of the swarm.

"Here they come!" shouted Twilight over the battle cries of everypony around her. The changelings browsed their targets, each one looking for a pony to impersonate. Just before they collided, every changeling assumed the form of a pony or brony from the throng below. However, the swarm attained quite a few losses before the fight had even started for their opponents had organized themselves, whether it was unicorns charging magic missiles, pegasi slapping with their wings or Earth ponies bucking with all their might, a number of changelings were defeated almost immediately. Then the battle began in earnest.

Twilight looked around, trying to find the place where she would be the most useful. That reminded to be seen though, because everywhere she looked, her friends were holding out by working together. Applejack lead a band of Apple Family members and Earth bronies against a gang of doppelgangers, doing their best to avoid hurting each other. Rainbow Dash and Commander Firebrand, leading both the Wonderbolts and the military bronies, plowed through the changeling ranks like a hot knife through butter. Vinyl, Glaze and every Bass Cannon owner wheeled their artillery pieces into the Square, stacking them one on top of the other. Mando Pony and Acoustic Brony hooked up their instruments to the tower of a modified amplifiers and played a riff, the sounds of their strumming magnified a hundred times, bowling over their arthropod enemies. Rarity and several other unicorns were pooling their magic to preform higher-level spells, such as group-binding spells which immobilized multitudes of Changelings every time it was cast. Fluttershy was using the Stare on the changelings, her mesmerizing power intensified through the glasses of Buc, AnY and Paleo, which they held in front of her eyes. Pinkie and Cheese, their Party Cannons set to maximum, were dishing out their ammo like snowflakes in winter, blasting the changelings with hardened spheres of cake, confetti and variously shaped piñatas , which actually hurt more than it sounded. Discord and John de Lancie had knocked out a knot of of changelings and were trying to figure out the best way to thread a string through the holes in their legs.

It looks like everything is taken care of, Twilight thought. But then, where should I go?

A loud zapping caught her attention and Twilight whirled around. Chrysalis was hovering above the battlefield, picking off ponies and bronies at her leisure. Whenever a Wonderbolt or a pegasister would fly up to attack, the changeling queen blasted them with no problem, sending the assailant falling towards the ground where a friend would break their fall. Chrysalis clearly wasn't tiring at all.

She needs to be stopped, decided Twilight, and I'm probably the only one with enough magic to face her. Flexing her wings, the Princess of Friendship took to the air, avoiding the flying combatants as she made her way towards Chrysalis. Twilight summoned her magic, firing a multicolored beam of energy at the changeling queen.

"Oof!" Chrysalis groaned when the beam hit. She hadn't been looking and couldn't avoid Twilight's attack, but she brushed it off as if it were nothing. Looking down at her flawless shell-like coat, she grinned at Twilight and said, "Nice try, but you're magic is far too weak to harm me. But here, let me show you how it's done." Chrysalis charged up her own horn and fired a bolt of flashing green energy at Twilight.

"Gah!" cried Twilight, throwing up a hasty force field. She could feel Chrysalis' energy beam against her shield, slowly wearing it down. I can't hold it up much longer! Just when her force field was about to collapse, a dual-colored bolt of energy hit Chrysalis from the side, forcing the queen to end her attack.

Twilight turned to look for her savior. Standing on the roof across the street was her brother and sister-in-law, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Both their horns were glowing. "Hey there, Twily!" Shining Armor called. "Need some help?"

Chrysalis was taking her time, recovering from the surprise attack, so Twilight flew over to them. "I sure could," she replied, hugging them. "Chrysalis and the changelings have been feeding of off our friendship with the bronies."

"Why would they start feeding on friendship instead of love like they always did?" Cadance wondered.

"Chrysalis herself admitted that friendship is the most powerful magic in the world," Twilight recalled, "but even without unlocking it's true power, she's still very strong."

"Then will just have to take her down," Shining said.

"Alright then," Cadance said, nuzzling her husband. "Let's go blast some changeling plot."

Twilight beamed. "Great, but I have just one question: how did you know the changelings were here?"

"Forest Rain stopped by the Crystal Empire on his way to Canterlot," answered Shining Armor. "He said he'd also sent out for extra help, but flew off before he told us what he meant."

"Whoever he was talking about, I just hope they can help us."

"Me too. Now let's go blast Chrysalis again!"

Twilight and Cadance lifted Shining Armor into the air, splitting his weight evenly between the two of them. Chrysalis had recovered from the crystal rulers' sucker-punch and was now watching them approach. "Hello again, Shining dear," she said lustfully. "How nice to see you again."

Shining Armor scowled and his horn began to glow. "Don't even think about it, you monster."

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Chrysalis asked incredulously. "All I wish is for us to be together agai-"

"Oh , no you don't!" Cadance blasted the changeling with a beam of light-blue magic. Chrysalis ducked and the beam flew over her head. "Now, that's not very nice at all. Why would you do that?"

"Because you trapped me and Twilight in the Canterlot crystal caves, hypnotized my Shining Armor, ruined our wedding  and tried to take over Equestria!"

"As before," Shining Armor finished, "we will use the power of our love to defeat you."  The two spouses connected their horns and a bright-purple sphere of energy spread out from their point of contact, washing over the battle. Chrysalis cringed as the wave of love rolled over her, but opened her eyes when she realized nothing had happened. Looking around, Twilight found that the changelings had suffered no harm whatsoever and were still fighting her friends with the same ferocity as before.

"I don't understand it," muttered Shining Armor. "Why didn't it work?"

"Oh, don't you see?" Chrysalis laughed. "Since we no longer feed on love, it's no longer a threat to us. You're power is useless here."

"But ours is not."

In a flash of blinding light from the moon, Celestia and her sister Luna appeared, both with magical auras around their horns. "Sorry we're late, Twilight," Celestia apologized. "We'd only just got the message from Forest Rain."

"However," added Luna, "we are now here and ready to fight Queen Chrysalis to keep her from conquering Equestria."

Twilight smiled. She loved the royal side of her family the same way she loved her friends: with all her heart. "Then let's get right to it."

"You fools!" shouted Chrysalis. "Even with your combined power, you cannot defeat me! You may as well surrender now lest you be destroyed."

"And allow you to rule our fair land and those beyond it as you wish?" Celestia asked rhetorically. "I think not."

The four alicorn princesses, with the Crystal prince in tow, rained down beam after beam of magical energy on their foe, leaving the changeling queen with no choice but to take on defensive maneuvers and end her attacks. The more they fought, the more Twilight began to realized just how strong Chrysalis was. Not only did their attacks leave barely a scorch mark but in comparison to Celestia, who was the tallest pony she knew, Chrysalis was at least twice her height, not including her pitted horn. Unfortunately for Twilight, her pondering was getting her into trouble. Her attacks became less accurate and Chrysalis took it as an opening, firing her own green magic at the smaller alicorn Princess.

"Twilight, move away!!" Celestia ordered.

"I'm not leaving you!" Twilight called back.

Chrysalis heard the commotion. "Not that way, you aren't!" She charged her horn, firing a large beam of energy brimming with destructive power towards Twilight. The lavender alicorn had no time to conjure a shield or dodge and resorted to the most primitive way of protection: throwing your hooves up in front of you.

Twilight watched the green blast through a gap between her legs, waiting for the final blow. However, she felt nothing. Lowering her hooves, she found her view taken up by a fifth alicorn. This one had a coat comparable to Celestia's, but her mane was a moderate amaranth color. She wasn't wearing any type of regalia and her cutie mark was a quill and a purple inkwell. She was also slightly taller than Celestia. On either side of the new alicorn's right side were two ponies, a mare and a stallion. On her right was a light-grayish-brown unicorn mare wrapped in a long-white scarf pinned with golden 'T' with a cutie mark of a heart-stamped stand-up microphone, and a male bat-pony wearing blue armor, his cutie mark reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock. On the mystery alicorn's left side was a bald, white stallion wearing a red-and-black checkered shirt and glasses, sporting a blank comic panel cutie mark, and a pale-amber pegasus mare with a cutie mark of a blazing wheel.

A grinning Forest Rain shot into the air above the new arrivals. "I did say I'd bring help and this is some pretty good help."

The red-haired alicorn nodded, regarding the changeling queen sadly. "I never should have left the crew. It's depressing really, seeing what has come of our great thinking minds. It's as much my fault as it is that of Megan's and Rob's. Now we must fix our mistakes and make things right. Jim, Mitchell, Tara, Sabrina," she called to the ponies on either side of her.

"Yes Lauren?" they replied.

"Go assist our fans and subjects. Your presence among the herd will reinvigorate them and restore their fighting spirit."

"What about you?" Tara asked.

"I'll be joining the Princesses of Equestria in the battle against Queen Chrysalis herself. Good luck everypony."

"You too, Lauren," Jim said. Sabrina and Larson grabbed their crew-mates and carried them down to the battlefield, where they began to make dents in the changeling ranks.

"Hey look!" shouted Mane Event over the buzz of combat. "Jim Miller and Tara Strong are here!"

"So are Sabrina Alberghetti and M.A. Larson!" Blank Canvas shrieked excitedly.

"Brony on!" yelled Hoof Beatz.

BRONY ON!" the other bronies chanted together, resuming the fight with renewed strength, pushing the changelings back. Chrysalis glanced down at her forces as they were forced to retreat. She turned to look at the new arrival. "Who are you?" she demanded.

Lauren sighed. "It would make sense that you don't know me. Most everypony give me full credit for my work, even though there are a few who fritter it away to Cosmos and Galaxia, which is funny because they are merely nonentities in the backs of their minds. However, since you focused on feeding off friendship, you forgot to learn the full history of your opponents, and as a result you have no idea what you're up against."

"Don't give me your fancy talk, you harpy," Chrysalis hissed, drawing gasps from Twilight and Cadance. "You show up, in the middle of a war-zone, keeping me from my conquest and spouting rubbish all the while. Now who are you?!"

The alicorn drew herself up to her full height of four-and-a half feet, barely half of Chrysalis' current height, and said. "I am Princess Lauren Fausticorn, creator of Equestria and mother of all ponies. I am the guide of the herd, the head of the bronies. My children and subjects revere and admire me and are more than willing to risk their lives for what they believe. Now, I shall return the favor and vanquish you, Queen Chrysalis of the changelings, for you have tampered with a force you can't control and breached the borders of a land you were banished from, as a punishment for your crimes in Canterlot. You may be strengthened by the magic of friendship, but you don't have the means or ability to unlock its full potential and use it properly."

Chrysalis cocked her head to one side in confusion. "Whatever. It doesn't matter what you say, I will still rule Equestria and take the world beyond it. All I need is-" She was cut off by a puffy white object, which flew into her face at MACH 3, knocking her backwards.

"What was that?" Twilight wondered.

Lauren looked down, then smiled. "It looks like somepony has the right idea."

Twilight followed Fausticorn's gaze to the street below, where the most unusual battle-craft stood in the midst of the battling ponies. It was white and poofy, with a large cannon made out of the same material as the rest of the tank. It took Twilight a moment to realize that the entire vehicle was made out of pillows. And sitting in the hatch, her hooves on the controls, was Fluffle Puff, her usually-smiling mouth slashed in a frown across her muzzle with her tongue sticking out. She glared at the pillow-kisser-smacked Chrysalis, nodded to the five alicorn Princesses above and rolled her tank back into the fray, firing a barrage of cushions at a cluster of changelings with a push of the POMF button.

Twilight smiled too. "So, we'll fight her together?"

Igniting her horn in preparation for the combat ahead, Lauren answered, "No matter what, no matter when, we won't let evil have its way."

Celestia, Luna and Cadance glided over and hovered beside the other two alicorns. "It's time we showed Chrysalis the true meaning of friendship," Celestia announced.

"Agreed," said Luna.

"With the support of both the ponies and the bronies, our power will be far greater than anything we've ever dealt with before," Cadance warned. "We'll have to work hard to direct it."

"Don't worry!" Shining Armor called from the street. "I'm sure you can handle it! Meanwhile, I'll take command down here. There are quite a few ponies who are in need of a bit of guidance." As he spoke, two young ponies, a filly and a colt, galloped out of the violence around them.

"Mr. Shining!" cried the pale-yellow filly, her dark-brown mane swishing around her. "We want to fight some bad guys!"

"Don't rush him, Kiki," requested the light-cobalt colt. "He's just wishing Twilight and the others good luck."

"Alright you two, that's enough." Shining waved to the flying Princesses. "I'm going to have my hooves full down here, watching Kiki Havivy and Michael Morones."

"At least you're not fighting a 10-foot power-hungry changeling queen," Twilight reminded.

Shining shrugged. "Just do me a favor and knock some sense into Chrysalis for me!" With that, he dove back into the battle, Kiki and Michael staying as close to him as possible.

Chrysalis had finally gotten the pillow off her face and was now fuming. She rose high into the air, her horn crackling with power. "This is it for you, Princess!" she thundered.

"Which Princess?" Lauren asked, a smile crossing her face. "There are five of us. Who were you referring to?"

"What? No! Don't you mock me!" Chrysalis fired her pent-up energy at the alicorns. Together, they cast a shielding spell that covered not only their group but also split into individual force-fields, protecting their friends and subjects below. The changelings were shocked to find their attacks glancing off their opponents without leaving a mark. The ponies and the bronies herded the swarm directly below the match between the five alicorn Princesses and the changeling Queen.

"This is the end for you!" Chrysalis roared, pushing her magic to the limits, causing loose sparks and beams to fly out of her horn.

Twilight grunted, sweat beginning to from on her face. Could it be that Chrysalis was overpowering them? She quickly glanced at Celestia, Luna and Cadance. The three of them were also beginning to tire., which made sense since they all used up their energy in the previous exchange with the huge changeling. Lauren, however, was running hot, her magic at its fullest, and was dishing out as much energy as she could into supplying protection for everypony. She really is amazing, Twilight sighed, but it's not enough. If she tries to keep this up, Chrysalis will eventually weaken us to the point were she'll blow us away. Carefully hovering over to the redhead alicorn's side, she said "We're running out of magic. We need to stop Chrysalis now. Do you have a plan?"

Lauren was silent, her horn still shooting a steady stream of magic. For a moment, Twilight was worried that she didn't have any ideas and that they were all doomed, but then Lauren looked up at the sky, her eyes sparkling. "There is one thing left," she said quietly so Chrysalis wouldn't hear, "but it will require the awareness and focus of everypony. We need to unite them all under one banner again, so to speak."

Her eyes wide, Twilight too looked up at the clear night sky, the stars twinkling brightly far beyond the moon. Finally it hit her. The one weapon they still had that could save them, but as Lauren had said, they would need all the ponies and all the bronies to give their full, undivided attention to it. Without another word, Twilight slipped out from behind Lauren, whispering words of support. She fluttered down to the battlefield where Equestria had pretty much won, the changelings all corralled beneath the dueling royals. Shining Armor, who was overseeing that no changeling escaped, unnoticed or at all, trotted over to her. "We've got them all," he informed, "but everypony's worried. Chrysalis is still fighting and isn't showing signs of giving up."

"Don't worry," Twilight assured him. "Lauren's got a plan. But we need to show how powerful our friendship really is. We have to join together, in body and spirit, to call forth the true power of friendship."

Shining wasn't the least bit surprised. Rather, he was looking forward to seeing the full might of unity in action. "Let's spread the word, then." The two siblings hurried through the crowd, alerting every pony, brony, draconequus and creature. They organized circles, rings of unbroken contact. Together they stood, acknowledging the thing they valued together above all else: friendship.

Twilight, pleased with the quick organizing of her friends, rose up to where the other Princesses were still fighting Chrysalis, and not a moment too soon. Celestia was clearly exhausted, as were Luna and Cadance. Twilight slipped in beside Lauren as the three Equestrian rulers drifted behind, catching their breath. Carefully adding her own magic to Lauren's beam, Twilight told her, "They're all ready. I can feel the power of our friendship coming from them, like an aura of sorts."

Lauren nodded. "I can feel it too. It means we're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Watch."

The two still-fighting alicorns raised their eyes to the heavens, as if searching for an alternative. As they watched, something appeared from within the inky blackness of space. It was made out of highly-durable metal sheets and possessed several rocket boosters, as well as numerous antennae. On the back of this floating machine was an operating cabin and on the front was a set of six separate yet connected cannon barrels. From inside the cabin, a light-raspberry pegasus with a blue mane examined the dashboard instruments.

"Firefly." Lauren used her magic to call the operating cabin. "You there, Firefly?"

"I'm here, Lauren," Firefly answered, "and the readings are incredible! I've never seen the friendship levels so high before, not even at last year's BronyCon. This is going to have some serious effect on those changelings"

"I'm glad to hear things are still running smoothly, but we need you to charge the Cannon."

"Not a problem. Surprise?"

A white pegasus with a poofy yellow mane popped up beside the command chair. "On it." She whizzed around the cabin, pressing buttons and pushing switches while from her seat, Firefly did the same.

"Changing weapon settings from 'Love and Tolerate Beams' to 'Lethal Blaster'."

"Maxing out the Rainbow Power Receiver."

"Switching from 'Elements of Harmony' to 'Unification'."

"Beginning to absorb power... now."

A ray of rainbow light shimmered into view, centered on the ring of friends below. The beam shot up into the air, entering through the receiving tube on the back of Firefly's booth. Friendship energy burned through the machine's inner workings, steadily flowing into the front of the Cannon. From the streets of the city, everypony could see the multicolored glow of the six large barrels. "Ready to fire, Firefly?" Lauren asked.

Back in the cabin, Firefly shook her head even though nopony could see her. "No can do, Princess. Even with everypony showing their friendship to the world, it's gonna take a while before the Cannon's charged."

"Okay, that's okay," Twilight said nervously. "We can hold out a bit longer, right?" Right about then, she noticed that Lauren's energy beam was weakening, slowly dwindling in size. "Lauren, what's wrong?"

"I don't... I don't think I'm gonna make it," Lauren replied slowly, her face drenched in sweat.

Twilight paled. "You can't stop! You're the most powerful alicorn ever and we need you."

Chrysalis could feel Twilight's emotions and Lauren's doubt through their attacks and came in for the kill. Several feet above, Apple Bloom watched the queen dive at the two defenseless alicorns. "Come on!" she yelled at Gryph. "We gotta help them!"

Gryph lowered his hat over his ears and stuck out his leg. "Hold on. This is gonna be a bumpy ride." Apple Bloom wrapped a hoof around Gryph's leg and he jumped off the roof, heading straight for Chrysalis. Using gravity to gain further momentum, Gryph manged to overtake Chrysalis, Apple Bloom swinging off his leg and onto the changeling's back, while Gryph himself went flying straight through Lauren and Twilight's force-field, absorbing the loose energy and crashing into them.

Twilight righted herself in the air, trying to regain her balance. beside her, Lauren was doing likewise. "You didn't have to go so fast, Gryph," she scolded the pegasus. "You could have hurt somepony." She looked around for him, ready to continue criticizing, when she discovered the creature hovering in front of her. It was a dark-grey gryphon. Twilight stared in shock. "Gryph?"

The gryphon looked down at himself, examining his new form. "Concept art. Wouldn't you know it? Guess your magic shield left some stuff lying around, ran through my head and plucked this out." He shrugged. "Might as well use it."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "And quick too. Look!"

Gryph swung around, corkscrewing just as a bright green magic-missile shot past him. Chrysalis was floundering through the air, shooting magic randomly, Apple Bloom astride her back and holding on for dear life. "How dare you!" roared Chrysalis as she bucked in the air, trying to remove the filly from her back.

"Yeah right, whatever you say!" chuckled Apple Bloom, clearly enjoying the job of keeping Chrysalis occupied. She pulled on the changeling's mane and slapped her wings, causing her to tumble to and fro.

"THAT'S IT!" Chrysalis swung her head around, and Apple Bloom was flung off her back and onto her head, where her hooves fell in front of the queen's eyes. Chrysalis grinned maniacally as she felt the filly's head beside her horn. "You've caused me quite enough trouble for one evening. Now it's time to say goodnight." Her horn began to glow threateningly. Apple Bloom could feel the heat of changeling magic washing over her, the high temperature becoming too much to bear. She loosened her grip to wipe her forehead and Chrysalis threw her head back, tossing Apple Bloom into the empty air where she began her descent.

Ponies everywhere looked up from their fight at the falling yellow filly, not one of them able to help her. Apple Bloom also looked up helplessly at the laughing changeling, her life flashing before her eyes. Ah just wish ah could've found my special talent and earned mah cutie mark with Sweetie Belle an' Scootaloo, she thought, tears forming in her eyes. I just hope it doesn't hurt too much. She closed her eyes, waiting for the final impact.

It was softer than she imagined, a lot like Applejack's warm hugs. She opened her eyes, wondering what it looked like, but her surprise was enormous when she saw a gryphon's smile taking up her view. "Gryph?" she asked.

The gryphon sighed gratefully. "Thank Faust, you're okay." He rose into the air, taking Apple Bloom further away from the ground. Twilight and Lauren flew over to them, and Gryph passed Apple Bloom over to Twilight. "Hold onto her for a minute, please?" he asked the Princess of Friendship.

Twilight smiled. "Go for it."

Gryph nodded grimly, then turned towards Chrysalis, his claws flexing menacingly. The queen stared at the gryphon, wondering why one of them was siding with the ponies. "What is your argument with us, gryphon?" she demanded of Gryph, not knowing who it really was.

Flapping his wings rhythmically, Gryph drew closer to her with every reason he gave. "You threaten Equestria, you attack my friends, you endanger the lives of thousands, and you nearly kill my B.F.F?" He was now mere feet from Chrysalis. "I'd say I've got more than enough reasons so that I have no regrets for what I'm about to do." He pulled back his claw and raked it across her face.

"AAAAAHH!" Chrysalis shrieked as she flailed through the air. Gryph followed her, clawing every visible part he could reach with his sharp talons. Apple Bloom watched her friend fight from atop Lauren's head. "He's really brave, isn't he?"

"Very," Lauren agreed.

"But it takes more than just guts to win a fight," Twilight announced, then called through Lauren's contact spell, "Firefly, is the Cannon ready?"

"All fired up and ready to go," the pegasus reported. "Just get that gryphon guy out of the way, the beams might get him if he's to close."

"Ah got this," Apple Bloom said. She stood up, leaning on Lauren's horn for support, then launched herself towards the fight, cutting through the air. She landed on Chrysalis' head and whispered into her ear, "How ya been? Ready for another spin?"

"WHY AM I CURSED WITH SUCH FOES?!?!?" the queen screeched as she attempted to knock the filly loose once more. Before she thought to relight her horn, Gryph and Apple Bloom had flown out of range.

Gryph hovered over to where the Princesses' were. "All clear."

Twilight smiled. "Ready?" she called to the Firefly through Lauren's contact spell.

"Ready."

"Aim?"

"Aimed."

Lauren was about to give the order, but Chrysalis flying towards them interrupted her command. She leapt forwards, firing a series of magic bolts at the changeling queen, forcing her back over her chained minions. She began to circle her, keeping Chrysalis right where they wanted her with short bursts. "Would you care to do the honors, Twilight?" she called, wafting a small, magical orb at her.

Twilight caught the glowing sphere in her hooves. She glanced at Lauren, who nodded and returned to herding Chrysalis. She looked around her, at Celestia and the other Princesses, at the ponies in the street below, at the little filly and the gryphon whose back she was on. Together, they would prevail. "Firefly?" she said into the ball.

Back up in the operating booth, Surprise rushed over to the dashboard as Firefly replied. "Yes, Twilight?

"Fire the Orbital Friendship Cannon."

Firefly and Surprise slammed their hooves down together on the large, multicolored button on the dashboard, activating the flying space weapon. The barrels flared, and a great rainbow laser blast raced towards the city, leaving bright tails of light in its wake. Twilight, Apple Bloom and Gryph(who had turned back into a pegasus) looked up at the glowing machine, already feeling the warmth from it. Chrysalis spared a glance at the floating trio, while at the same time trying to counter Lauren's barrage. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "You are about to lose everything you hold dear and you're smiling?!"

"We're not the ones who are about to lose," Twilight revealed. "You are."

Seething, Chrysalis tapped into her final reserves, depriving herself of her new height, adding the last of her magic energy into her horn and loosening it at Twilight. Lauren leapt into its path, calling on her own magic to block the attack. Before it reached them, however, Chrysalis was drowned in a blinding cascade of friendship in the form of high-velocity rainbows, which slowly fell upon everyone in the city. To the changelings, it felt like Cadance's and Shining Armor's love blast magnified a hundred times. But to everypony else, it was like a light rain of peace and tranquility. The fighting had left them all tense, but they felt their stress washing away, along with all the fatigue of battle. Twilight looked behind her at the other Equestrian Princesses who, thanks to the Orbital Friendship Cannon, had regained their magic. She found herself feeling immense happiness, which she could sense coming from her friends around her, all of them lending their strength to maintain the power of the O.F.C. Chrysalis, on the other hoof, was feeling nothing of the sort. She watched in horror as her minions were lifted into the air by a magic which she knew nothing of, flinging them and herself out of the city on a wave of rainbow light. The seemingly endless stream of friendship power sent them far beyond the borders of Equestria, leaving nothing behind but their cries of defeat.
> Return of the Dream Come True
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was quiet. The roar of the Orbital Friendship Cannon faded away and the battle-worn friends looked around at each other, trying to comprehend what just happened. The five Princesses landed in the middle of their friends and subjects, still standing in circles around them. Twilight looked at her friends, who managed to be a part of the center ring. They looked back at her and galloped over, squeezing the Princess of Friendship in a hug. With that, all Tartarus broke loose. Ponies everywhere were shouting and crying and singing while the bronies were running all over the place, trying to find somepony to embrace. Twilight herself stayed with her friends in the center, where they were joined by Cheese and Trixie, who were both bruised but otherwise okay. Rina-chan and her team of bronies collected on the edge of the middle circle, enjoying the feeling of a well-earned victory. Pinkie Pie reached out towards them with an unbelievably long hoof, wrapping around the eight fans and adding them to the hug. The sounds of jubilation and celebration rang throughout the city, notifying everypony of the end of a crisis.

Once most of the noise had died down, Lauren trotted over to the raised platform where the DJ stand previously stood, now cleared for use as a stage. Everypony gave her their attention as she began to speak. "We stand here tonight, not because of our individual contribution to the fight which is now past, but because of our combined efforts, where we helped each other against our enemies while they fought alone, ignoring the accomplishments of their own allies as they pursued success on the field of battle. Once again, the changelings have failed in their attempt to conquer Equestria, thanks to all of you."

"Wait!" Twilight cried. All eyes were on her as she climbed up beside Lauren Fausticorn. "It wouldn't be right not to give credit where credit's due. I would like to thank personally, as I'm sure a lot of you would like to as well, Apple Bloom and Black Gryphon, for pursuing friendship in the face of hate and distrust and their determination to remain true while the rest of us strayed from the path." Twilight searched the sea of ponies for the two friends but couldn't see them so she used a tracking spell and found that they were sitting on the edge of the crowd, trying to stay unnoticed. Too bad for them, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Dustykatt and Tombstone had left their posts and hoisted them into the air, everypony supporting them with their hooves as they floated over the crowd towards the stage. Apple Bloom was pushed up on Twilight's left while Gryph found himself beside Lauren. "You're the reason we've survived the changelings' plan of conquest as well as the battle and I say that the real heroes today are you."

Apple Bloom wiped her eyes on her glove. "Th-thanks Twilight." She leapt onto the alicorn and wrapped her hooves around her neck.

"D'aaaaaaw!" rang out the ponies and bronies. The feels were becoming too much to take so they all turned towards Gryph, who looked up at Lauren with a curious look. "Well done, Black Gryphon," she began. "Today, you've successfully employed what you've learned from the ponies of Equestria and shown us all what true friendship can really do. To say I'm proud of you would be belittling it so much. Thank you Gryph." She bent down and embraced the pegasus musician who returned the gesture, the light from the abandoned spotlights glancing of his jacket.

The ponies and the bronies were silent once more. The scene before them was so happy, so calm and loving that they didn't want to jinx it. However, there was somepony who decided that it was time to raise to the next level. Pinkie Pie directed Cheese Sandwich to one side of the platform while she took the other, their Party Cannons switched to non-lethal. "You know what this calls for?" Pinkie's whisper drifted up to the stage where Twilight, Apple Bloom, Lauren and Gryph were standing.

"What?" Apple Bloom whispered back.

"A PARTY!" Both Party Cannons fired at once, shattering the silence with a wave of confetti, streamers and party-blower sounds. The crowd exploded back into a festive mood and Lauren quickly herded the other three ponies off the stage, while Vinyl Scratch and Glaze remounted it from the other side, equipment slung over their backs. Musicians everywhere switched the setting of their Bass Cannons to 'Basic Amplifier' to spread the music to every corner of the street.

"Alright everypony," Vinyl called over the microphone. "Who's ready to party?"

"YEAH!" The music came on and the party began. Pinkie galloped down the streets, returning with the entire Cake family, a cart full of food in tow. Fluttershy also disappeared for a minute, returning with Daisy, Lily and Roseluck, each of them carrying baskets of flowers. Tables and chairs were brought out from the houses and set up along the pavement, where everypony could access them. Requests were made by musicians and fans alike, turns being organized for performances and karaoke. Ponies and bronies danced in the street with one another, glad to be together again.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Octavia asked Elie Monty as they swung around the Square in a combination of waltz and break-dance.

"Oh yeah. The changelings are gone, everyone's happy, we're all together again. All we need now is-"

POMF! Elie swung Octavia around as Fluffle Puff barreled through the space she was just standing in, a frantic look on her face. She lowered her nose to the ground, sniffed the asphalt, then raised her head, her eyes wide. She pushed through the dancing throng towards the dessert table, which was placed in front of an alley. On one end of the table, Berry Punch and Silver Quill were having another drinking game, taking a swig every time they saw a potential ship. On the other end was a large fresh-out-of-the-oven apple pie.  The smell was intoxicating and more than enough to catch Fluffle's eye. She stared at the steaming dessert, her eyes widening further and her mouth drooling slightly. She was just about to pounce on the pie when it was lifted into the air in an emerald green aura. Fluffle Puff was about to jump for the pie when a figure stepped out of the alley. A tall, very familiar figure wearing a small black crown topped with pink hearts.

"Hello there," Chryssi said cheerfully, hovering the pie in front of her. "How was your evening?"

Fluffle Puff's eyes sparkled with joy as she leapt on her best friend, smothering the pie between them. The sound of chuckling floated out of the dark alley, adding to the merry spirit. Makeshift thrones were brought out for the Princesses and more ponies began to show up, even some more crew members. Twilight and Rina were discussing the outcome of the battle with the other Princesses.

"Shining Armor counted twenty-six ponies with a variety of bruises, burns and broken bones," Twilight reported. "Nothing too serious, according to nurse Redheart."

Rina nodded. "We've got thirty-one bronies having a lie-down while good old Redheart and a couple of temporary assistants are looking them over. They'll be fine."

"I'm overjoyed to hear that our wounded are so few," Celestia said thankfully.

"The results of this battle could have been catastrophic," Lauren said, "but thanks to everypony's watching each others back, they managed to prevent many an injury."

Cadance sighed peacefully. "Those wounded soldiers, those brave ponies. They were willing to give their lives to protect the ones they love."

"A truly noble sacrifice," Luna summed up.

"Not that this conversation isn't interesting," said Rina, "but I'm gonna go find some of my friends to hang with. There's a whole lot of party going around and I'd like to be a part of it."

Twilight stood up from her makeshift throne. "I think I'll be going too. Not that I don't want to stay, it's just that I feel like I should be with my friends right now."

The four Princesses exchanged looks and nodded in agreement. "Alright," Lauren said at last. "Go have some fun."

"Yay!" Twilight and Rina bounded away into the crowd, splitting up to find their separate groups. It took some time before Twilight managed to catch sight of Rarity, Fluttershy and Spike sitting at a table for seven, watching events unfold. Twilight slipped into the chair beside them. "How's it going?"

"Just smashing, darling," Rarity said, taking a sip from her cup. "Everypony is having a marvelous time."

"Yes," Fluttershy agreed. "Even though were not joining in, it's still fun to watch."

"I saw Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash grab a bite to eat then rush back into the crowd," Spike said, munching on a carved ruby.  "They said something about dancing but I didn't see them yet."

"They're probably waiting for some really good song to play so they can get a good workout or something," Twilight figured, grabbing a plate of cookies. The four friends continued trading information and enjoying their food, when they heard somepony's voice over the microphone. It was Vinyl Scratch.

"And that was Mandopony and Acoustic Brony with 'Loyalty', let's give them a hoof!" The crowd applauded and stomped and the two musicians took a bow before hopping off the stage. Vinyl moved into the center, dragging the mike along with her. "Now, we've got a special little treat for you all. As some of you may know, a certain duet was supposed to be preforming at the Baltimore Convention center next week but, as all of you probably know, the changelings had to go and destroy the center, postponing all performances until further notice." Several ponies groaned and mumbled sadly. "But don't worry, everything is gonna be alright. The duo has agreed to do their song right here, right now, for all of us!" Smiles reappeared and everypony cheered loudly. "Let's welcome our next performers: Apple Bloom and Black Gryphon!"

The crowd went wild as the two ponies mounted the stage, their outfits bouncing tiny circles of light everywhere. Rarity sighed. "I really should start a line of sequined gowns for ponies who spend time in the spotlight."

"Shh," Twilight whispered, "they're going to start soon!"

"I can see Rainbow!" Fluttershy pointed over the heads of the ponies, where a multicolored mane was bouncing up and down on the head of an excited mare. She flew over the crowd to where her friends were sitting.

"Come on!" she said, pulling Rarity's leg. "We gotta be there for them!"

"What are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Saberspark and Rina wanted to do a little reenactment of the fight we had, and since we were the ones who started it, we have to be in this too!"

Twilight looked at Fluttershy and Rarity, stopping at Spike, who shook his head. "Don't look at me. I didn't get involved."

"You're right Spike. But won't you get lonely?"

"Not likely. Look." Twilight and the others followed Spike's finger and were surprised to see Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Lauren walking towards them, everypony within twenty feet looking at them and making quite a scene.

"What are you doing here, Princess?" Twilight asked them all, not specifying.

"We decided that we'd like to be closer to where the action is," Celestia admitted. "Keeping an eye on Spike will be an added bonus."

"And we'll be able to keep your table for you too," Cadance added, taking a seat.

"Works for me." Twilight got up from her chair, shoving a cookie into her mouth on her way. "Okay Rainbow, we're coming."

"Very well," Rarity said. "I shall come too."

"This is gonna be awesome!" Rainbow Dash cried happily.

"Yay." While the four Princesses took control of the table, the four mares hurried through the crowd to get to their set location, where Pinkie Pie and Applejack were already waiting.

"Good timing," Pinkie said as Twilight and the others joined them.

Vinyl stood beside the two preforming ponies. "Alright you two. Before we start, why don't you share your song's history with everypony?"

"Okay Vinyl." The DJ hoofed over the microphone to Gryph, then climbed off the stage and joined Glaze behind their stand. "It all started way way back, when the bond between Equestria and the herd were still new. Apple Bloom and I didn't even meet each other face-to-face until the Bronies React team was invited over to the Apple Family Reunion." He turned to the filly. "I forget Apple Bloom, why were we invited?"

Apple Bloom grasped the mike and pulled it closer. "Me, Applejack and Big Mac wanted the rest of our family to see just how cool the bronies were. Granny Smith okayed it so we went for it. That was a great reunion."

"The first one I ever attended, that's for sure," Gryph commented. "Anyways, since then me and Apple Bloom have been an inseparable team. We got together every now and then to discuss updates and just have a good time. Recently, we decided to take on a project. Namely, doing a song together. Me and my brother Baasik have been doing music for a while, but this would be my first performance with Apple Bloom. We spent weeks on it, making sure we had everything down, until it was ready. As Vinyl just said, we were supposed to preform in Baltimare but the changelings went and blew up the Convention center."

"That was a bummer," Apple Bloom said. "We had to delay our public appearance for a while longer, so we were a might surprised when everypony got all moody towards each other, just like in our song. But that's enough talk, it's time you heard just what we did together."

"What's the name of your song?" various ponies called from the crowd. The answer came from the two friends in unison.

"Beat It."