> Earthbound Journey 2: Reign of the Magic Queen
>  by ShadeJak
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Peaceful Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Sweetie Belle!" a white filly's eyes snapped open from the loud knocking at the bedroom door. "Hey, Sweetie Belle! Ya gonna wake up or what?"

The young unicorn filly sat up and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. "What is it, Apple Bloom? It's still so early!" she protested.

"Early?!" the voice behind the door shouted indignantly before opening it and entering, revealing a frowning yellow earth pony filly, her cherry-colored mane tied back with a large pink bow. "It's already past noon! Everypony told ya not ta stay up all night!"

"But I wanted to help Rarity with her work!" Sweetie Belle replied, rubbing her eyes again as she tried to adjust to the light in the cabin bedroom. "How else am I gonna learn how to be a seamstress like her?"

Apple Bloom facehoofed. "Have ya forgotten? We were gonna try mountain explorin' cutie marks after lunch! Ya shoulda been up an hour ago so ya ain't draggin' yourself around like a slug!"

"Okay, okay. Gimme a moment," Sweetie Belle muttered as she climbed out of bed and stretched herself out.

"Ah'll be outside. Big Mac, Twilight, and Spike're already out there gettin' ready fer our picnic." With that, Apple Bloom, turned and left, bounding down the stairs and seconds later Sweetie Belle heard the front door close. Sighing and slightly embarrassed that her stubbornness cost her some sleep, the filly trudged downstairs and into the main room, where a white unicorn with a well-styled purple mane was humming to herself at the stoves.

"Morning, Rarity," Sweetie Belle said, managing a smile as she fought off the last of her drowsiness.

"Don't you mean afternoon, Sweetie Belle?" the older unicorn asked with a hint of sternness. "You were close to missing lunch!" The moment she turned, however, a look of utter horror appeared on her face and she let out a shudder.

"Rarity, what's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused.

"Sweetie Belle, you get right back upstairs and brush out that mane! You're not going outside looking like a porcupine got stuck to your head!"

Looking over at the mirror on the wall, Sweetie Belle blushed in embarrassment, realizing her sister's critique was pretty true. Rushing back upstairs, Sweetie Belle floated a brush from the vanity table and brushed out her mane till it was presentable enough that she was certain it'd pass her sister's approval and returned downstairs.

"Much better!" Rarity said with a smile. "Now do run along while I finish preparing our lunch."

Relieved by her older sister's satisfaction, Sweetie Belle rushed outside to go find her friend.

~

"Over here, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom called out. "We're gonna have a real doozy of a story to tell Scootaloo when we get back!"

"I just wish she could have made it," Sweetie Belle replied as she walked over and joined her friend.

"You know she's got that crazy explorer trainin' goin' on an' all, Sweetie Belle. Her aunt's been really workin' her!" Apple Bloom replied. "An' then there's Applejack..." The filly rolled her eyes. Despite Big Mac's best efforts, Applejack had been insistent it was her turn to handle harvest and stubbornly refused to let him just take care of everything instead, so in the end it had been him who had joined them to visit Twilight's mountain retreat. And then there was Scootaloo's aunt, who wouldn't budge about scheduled explorer training so the crusading trio was down to two.

Luckily a replacement was available there as well.

"So... uh, girls... what did you need me for?" Spike asked, nervously approaching the two fillies.

"If we're gonna be mountaineers, we gotta be ready ta conquer anythin' that comes our way!" Apple Bloom said with a big smile.

"Which means...?" Spike got more uneasy, having a feeling what this was leading to.

"We're gonna try an' wrestle ya down!" Apple Bloom finished.

"...Is Rarity sure she doesn't need any help inside?" Spike asked.

"Come on, Spike. Just humor the girls for a little while," Twilight said with a smile as she and Big Macintosh approached the small group.

"Aw, okay," the young dragon said, sighing as he took several steps away and assumed a fighting stance. "Grrr. Come at me." he deadpanned halfheartedly.

"Charge!" Apple Bloom cheered as she galloped at the dragon, leaping into the air and tackling him to the ground. The two tumbled a few feet away before coming to a stop, with Apple Bloom on his back pinning him. "Ha! Ah win!"

Twilight chuckled in amusement while Spike just groaned, drumming his claws on the ground impatiently.

"Wow! That was great, Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle cheered.

"You next!" Apple Bloom said, climbing off the dragon and looking over expectantly at her friend.

"Alright, I'm ready this time!" Spike declared, smirking as he took a more defensive stance but was immediately tackled again, this time by Sweetie Belle.

"Eenope," Big Mac remarked.

"Yeah, well the sun was in my eyes!" Spike muttered as Sweetie Belle climbed off of him.

"So, anything?" Sweetie Belle asked as she and Apple Bloom both turned and inspected their flanks. A moment passed and both were as blank as before.

"Awww..." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom sighed in unison.

"Not even something for dragon wrestling," Sweetie Belle remarked.

"Well, there's probably more to mountaineerin' then just goin' up against tough critters," Apple Bloom said.

"So long as none of it involves me again," Spike said.

"Now, now, Spike. It was a valiant effort!" Rarity said, announcing her presence as she emerged from the cabin levitating two picnic baskets and a blanket with her. "Now, I believe lunch should be ready!"

"Smells delicious, Rarity!" Twilight said.

"I aim to please, darling. My talents aren't solely restricted to fashion, after all!" Rarity replied as she let the blanket unroll itself. "And of course, something for little Spikey-wikey for playing nice with my dear little sister!" she added, floating out a nicely-sized sapphire gemstone from one of the baskets.

"Oh, thanks so much, Rarity!" Spike licked his lips and grabbed the gemstone, devouring it instantly and memories of his previous embarrassment long gone.

"I wish you could stay longer," Twilight said as she helped Rarity float out the different meals that had been prepared and lay them out, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle wasting no time to gorge on theirs.

"I know, darling, I know," Rarity replied. "But we do have a long trip back, and honestly you should consider moving into the village with us."

"I know, but I like it out here," Twilight said. "It's peaceful, and quiet and there's a lot of gems in these mountains so somepony needs to help get some for the village and save you all the trips when you have your own business."

Twilight's ears drooped in embarrassment. "Th-that is to say it's not that I don't like seeing you girls, it's just... well we all got our own places we're comfortable with. I love seeing you whenever you have time for the trip. And then there's Fluttershy... she's always so busy watching over all the forest creatures we hardly ever see her these days."

"Yes, we will need to sit her down and convince her to come and join us as well the next time she comes by the village," Rarity mused, rubbing her chin with her hoof.

"Well, at any rate, these grilled sandwiches look delicious!" Twilight said with a smile. "Why don't we eat up before it gets cold?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

~

Dear Applejack...
Oh, where ever to begin?

Rarity sat on the front porch as she tapped her chin with her quill, thinking over how to word the next part of her letter.

I suppose I'll simply be blunt about this. You missed out on a simply divine picnic and some delightful time with Twilight, myself, and Spike. You need to outgrow that stubborn streak and be a little more flexible with your activities. Big Macintosh is happy to cover for you if it means spending time with friends you don't see often and expects you to take it easy for a while when he returns. Your little sister was quite distraught not to have you here to teach her some more roping tricks as she wanted to attempt mountaineering of all things to earn a cutie mark. Fortunately, Sweetie Belle and her have been able to have enough fun that it hasn't gotten to her. But please do have a word with Scootaloo's aunt about letting her join us next time. 

Anyway, we are all doing well, and Twilight sends her regards and looks forward to the chance to catch up with you again. She hopes we can all make it up here one day, and enjoy some time together.

We will be on our way back to Tazfilly Village this evening as soon as we finish loading the new gem supply for the trip back.

See you soon!
Your friend, Rarity

"Oh, Spike! Be a dear and send this to Applejack?" Rarity called out, the young dragon rushing over and giving a salute.

"Anything for you, Rarity!" Spike said with a smile, taking the letter and giving a deep breath and immolating it in a puff of green flame, sending it away to its intended recipient.

"Thank you so much, Spikey-wikey!" Rarity said, nuzzling the dragon and causing him to swoon to the point of nearly toppling off the porch.

"Aww, it was nothing!" Spike said with a nervous laugh as he turned and began to walk away.

"Wherever are you going, Spike?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to check the spot where we got those gems. You know, see if there's any more I can grab for dessert! I'm a growing boy, after all!" the young dragon said proudly.

"Very well, do be careful, darling," Rarity replied as the dragon nodded and rushed off down the path.

"Well, better go check on Twilight and Big Macintosh, make sure we're ready to go..." Rarity mused as she got up and prepared to go back inside.

The unicorn paused, however, when she heard an odd humming sound. Turning and looking off in the direction she'd heard it, Rarity cocked her head and noticed an odd shape hovering up above, high in the sky. As its shadow crept across the ground and it drifted ever closer, Rarity got a better look at the peculiar shape it had; that of a gigantic, silvery pointed hat with a wide brim, and the strange music that seemed to be blaring out of it as it passed by overhead and off into the distance...

> Night Interrupted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It had seemed like another quiet evening in Sandalwood Forest. The sky was clear with the moon hanging overhead.

Sandalwood was a vast forest, bridging Tazfilly Village and much of the land around it including the old Eclipse Castle and the mountains framing the edge of the island. Numerous fauna resided there, some asleep and others preparing to pursue their nightly activities, dismissive of several dark figures slipping in and out of the shadows of the thick woods leaving several strange devices on the ground that began to glow brighter and brighter as they ran off.

South of the forest lay Tazfilly Village itself. The place had a rustic charm to it, with its simple wood cottages and humble stores. The ponies living there enjoyed the calm tranquility of the beach to the west of town, and the farms where crops were grown dotted its eastern and southern boarders. One such farm located in the latter part of town belonged to the Apple family, renowned for its orchard and its hardworking siblings. With Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom visiting the mountains, Applejack had a great deal of extra work on her hooves and had decided to turn in early.

Her early slumber was disturbed by a sudden and excessive knocking at her door, causing the farmpony's eyes to snap open as she sat up and nearly fell from her bed.

"Big Mac? Apple Bloom? That you?" she asked, recalling she'd barred the door that night.

"Applejack! Get up!" a male voice shouted urgently outside. Applejack cocked her head, recognizing the voice but knowing it to not be her brother.

"Mr. Cake? What in tarnation ya doin' over here at this hour?" she asked as she nudged the bar lock aside and opened the door, finding herself face to face with the local baker who looked panicked out of his mind.

"Applejack, this is no time for that! Sandalwood Forest is on fire!" the lanky earth pony replied.

Any grogginess Applejack had been feeling quickly faded and was replaced by a sense of urgency. "Well what're we waitin' for? Let's get a move-on!"

She paused when she heard a sharp bark. Turning, she saw her dog Winona cocking her head at her in concern.

"You stay right there, Winona. In case Big Mac an' Apple Bloom get back while ah'm away," she ordered. The collie seemed reluctant at first, but then went back into her doghouse and lay down.

"Good girl," Applejack said, managing a smile before returning her attention to Mr. Cake. "Alright, let's get to town. Ah just hope Amethyst an' Dinky made it out okay."

~

"Hoooooo boy," Applejack muttered as she saw all the ponies of Tazfilly running about in a panic. Cloudchaser, Flitter, Derpy, and Thunderlane were flying in circles around the well drawing water into clouds, Button Mash was crying while his mother attempted to keep him calm, Cheerilee was ringing the school bell in alarm drawing several of the townsponies who lived further from town square to them, while Redheart, Berry Punch, and the young buffalo Little Strongheart were gathered around Mayor Mare at the well rushing to get buckets brought out for the pegasi to turn into rainclouds.

"Pegasi, hurry up with those rainclouds!" Mayor Mare shouted, trying her hardest to keep calm amidst the chaos around her. As soon as she spotted Applejack she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Applejack! Glad Mr. Cake found you," the mayor said, managing a smile.

"What's this about a fire?" Applejack demanded. "Did Amethyst an' Dinky make it out alright?"

The mayor shook her head. "Nopony's seen them yet. I'm worried they may still be in there!"

"Then ah'm goin' in to look for 'em!" Applejack replied.

"We'll get the rainclouds finished up, here," Mayor Mare said. "Mr. Cake, can you go with her? I don't want her going into that fire by herself!"

"Y-yeah, sure." the baker replied, obviously uneasy but not about to argue. "J-just let me go tell the missus. She's got the foals right now!" he explained, rushing off to the bakery.

"Any idea what started this?" Applejack asked.

"Nopony knows!" Thunderlane replied, setting a cloud above a water bucket for the other pegasi to handle. "But I head some loud explosions earlier..."

"Big Mac an' the others're supposed to be on their way back," Applejack said, growing concerned.

"I'm sure they'd have taken the path by the river, they should be alright." the mayor replied, putting her hoof on Applejack's shoulder.

"I'm back!" Mr. Cake declared, galloping over to the small group.

"Alright, you two go find Amethyst and Dinky, once we got some clouds I'll send the pegasi in to find you," the mayor said.

"Already on it!" Applejack replied, rushing off north towards the forest, Mr. Cake trying as hard as he could to keep up.

~

"Roseluck!" Applejack rushed up to the cream-colored earth pony standing by the entrance to the forest, keeping watch over a pair of sulking fillies; one pink with a lilac mane and one gray with a silver mane and glasses "What's goin' on 'ere? Why're the foals out?"

"Because Berry Punch couldn't keep an eye on them so they decided to come and start rubber-necking the moment she went to help get water!" Roseluck said with a scowl. "Ah-ah! Hey!" she snapped, holding her hoof out and blocking the silver one with the glasses from sneaking by. "Don't even think about it, Silver Spoon!"

"Awwww," the gray filly grumbled, scowling.

"But Berry Punch let us out!" the pink filly protested.

"Sure she did, Diamond Tiara," Applejack said flatly, knowing she was lying. "Ah swear, sometimes ah wonder if those two little trouble-makers're really her daughters." she muttered to herself.

"So where exactly are you off to?" Roseluck asked.

"She's with me!" Mr. Cake shouted, out of breath as he suddenly came rushing towards the small group. "Mayor Mare... sent us to check up on... Amethyst and Dinky... have you... seen them?" he asked between breaths.

"No, I haven't," Roseluck said, worry appearing on her face. "You two go on and bring them back here!"

"Can we go?" the pink filly, Diamond Tiara, asked.

"Absolutely not!" Roseluck snapped. "Hurry, alright? I don't know how long I'm gonna have to hold these two back."

"Will do!" Applejack immediately galloped off ahead again, Mr. Cake taking a deep breath and following behind.

As the two ponies got further into the forest, the smell of smoke grew all the more evident. Animals of all kinds were running and flying off this way and that in a panic, Applejack waved her hat to get some of the smoke away before placing it over her mouth to breath.

"Alright, Amethyst an' Dinky's place shouldn't be too far," she said.

"A-Applejack! W-what's THAT?!" Mr. Cake suddenly cried out.

"It's burnin' wood, ah know it ain't the prettiest smell, but believe me-" Applejack began, only for the stallion to turn her head to the left.

"NO! THAT!" he cried out, Applejack's eyes widening in disbelief at what she was seeing.

Hovering in front of them was a creature unlike anything she'd ever seen, resembling a rat with its legs replaced by several insect-like ones, and a spinning propeller somehow attached to its back. The creature's eyes glowed and it let out a hiss as it flew at them.

"Don't let it get me!" Mr. Cake protested, flailing his hooves in a panic and managing to swat it out of the air. The odd creature fell to the ground and hissed again, rushing at them on its many spindly legs as its propeller wound up again and it took to the air once more. Overcoming her shock, Applejack spun around and gave it a crisp buck, striking it head on and sending it flying out of control into a tree. Sparks flew out of the creature's back as it impacted and fell to the ground, motionless and its lit up yellow eyes dimmed out.

"Okay, seriously, what the hay was that thing?!" Mr. Cake asked, approaching the strange creature and looking down at it. "There's something on its chest... looks like a tiny gem..." he explained, turning the body over.

"We'll worry 'bout it when we find Amethyst an' Dinky!" Applejack ordered, proceeding further down the path ahead with Mr. Cake following close behind.

Reaching the next clearing, the two ponies were greeted by an inferno. Trees and bushes were ablaze everywhere, smoke rising all around and still no sign of Amethyst or Dinky. Applejack felt a knot in her stomach as she grew more worried for their safety. "Fires, weird creatures with mechanical parts in 'em... what coulda caused all this?" she asked aloud.

"Look!" Mr. Cake whispered, spotting a figure in the clearing by some bushes that looked like a pony.

"Amethyst?" Applejack called out as she drew closer, hoping it was one of their missing neighbors.

The pony paused and turned towards them and it was quickly evident it was not Amethyst Star, unless she'd decided a forest fire was the perfect time and place to play dress-up. The pony wore a purple cloak and pointed hat with a wide, flat brim. Underneath it wore a dark blue bodysuit with a strange purple utility vest of some kind and matching purple wrappings over its hooves. Its face was covered by a gas mask and a pair of goggles that glowed a bright purple.

"Who are you? Did you cause all this?" Applejack demanded, glaring at the costumed pony with suspicion. 

The pony did not respond, instead looking at an object set on the ground next to it that looked to be some kind of metallic top hat, though it was upside-down. The pony reached into its cloak and pulled out what looked like a wand with a star over it and tapped the inverted hat with it before running off into the trees.

"Hey, come back here!" Applejack shouted, preparing to chase after the strange, costumed pony but paused when smoke suddenly belched from the top hat and three spherical shapes with wings emerged from it and flew towards her and the baker.

They were small, maybe the size of an apple, with glowing red eyes and round, spherical metal bodies, supported by four large insectlike wings. In place of a mouth was a small spout of some kind.

"What in the world..." Applejack barely had time to react as the one in the middle suddenly shot a puff of flame at her and Mr. Cake, causing the farmpony and the baker to recoil. Gritting her teeth, Applejack regained her composure and leaped at them, slamming her forehoof into the one that had attacked and knocking it to the ground.

"Applejack, look out!" Mr. Cake shouted, leaping into action as well and swatting another out of the sky as it let forth a jet of flame, narrowly missing Applejack as it spun out of control and crashed to the ground. He watched as the third one looked them over for a moment, as if considering its next course of action, and suddenly turned and flew away further into the woods.

"You alright, Applejack?" Mr. Cake asked. "Whatever those things were, the last one was heading towards Amethyst and Dinky's home!"

"Well, let's go after it, then!" Applejack said, rushing down the trail leading up to her friend's home and stopping dead on her tracks moments later when she was treated to another sight; the flames had reached Amethyst and Dinky's home, and the lower portions of the building were now ablaze. "Oh no... Amethyst! Dinky!" the farmpony cried out, pausing when she heard a soft moan from a nearby bush.

"Amethyst Star!" Mr. Cake shouted, pulling the pink unicorn from some bushes she lay in. She had clearly seen better days, her coat had been singed in a few places, and she looked reasonably bruised up as though she'd been in a fight. "Where's Dinky?" he asked.

"Mr... Cake...?" Amethyst muttered, shaking her head as she woke. "I... oh no... not that thing again!" the unicorn cried out, looking past Applejack, who promptly turned and saw the bug-like thing that had escaped them earlier. The odd metal creature's eyes glowed brightly as a humming sound built up in it and it let forth a burst of flame. Applejack pushed Amethyst out of the way and ducked, barely avoiding the fire as it flew over her, singing the top of her hat.

"Alright, you, that's gonna cost ya!" Applejack snapped, leaping at the metal bug but it zipped out of the way and flew up into the window of the cottage's upper floors.

"D-Dinky!" Amethyst cried out. "Sh-she's in there!" she sat up but fell back over from a coughing fit. "I... gotta... Dinky... I..." she coughed heavily, barely staying conscious.

"Ah'll go get 'er!" Applejack said. "Mr. Cake, you get Amethyst outta here back to Roseluck an' the others!"

"Please... Dinky, she..." Amethyst struggled, but was stopped by another coughing fit.

"Ah'll get 'er back, ah promise!" Applejack said firmly, rushing to the burning house and smashing down the door with a great leap.

The inside was an inferno, fire filled the kitchen and dining area and along the walls, threatening to take the place down in minutes or possibly less. Seeing no sign of the filly, Applejack lay low, took a deep breath, and rushed up the stairs and into the upper floor's hallway. "Dinky?" Dinky, are you here? Answer me!" Applejack cried out, but getting no response. She peered into one of the rooms but found it empty, presumably Amethyst's bedroom, and moved onto the next one, which had a closed door. Turning and bucking the door down, the farmpony peered in, keeping low to the ground.

There, laying on the floor was a small pink unicorn filly with a blond mane, and circling around above her was the runaway metal bug. It paused and faced Applejack, its eyes glowing as it prepared to let loose another blast of fire at her. Applejack leaped out of the way, barely avoiding it and crashed into a small table, breaking it. The metal bug turned and faced her again, preparing another blast of fire for her. Thinking quickly, Applejack grabbed one of the broken table legs in her teeth and swung it like a bat, striking the creature just as it let loose a jet of flame that sent it spinning into the wall and crashing to the floor shortly after. Catching her breath as best she could with her surroundings, the farmpony rushed over to the unconscious filly and nudged her a few times.

"Dinky! Dinky! You alright?" she asked, noticing the filly was breathing but did not show consciousness. Looking around she could see the flames the metal bug creature had made in its death throes had set the room completely ablaze, now, including the door itself and leaving only one option.

"If you can hear me, ya hold on tight, got it?" Applejack said as she picked the filly up and rolled her onto her back. Standing at the wall opposing the window, Applejack ran as fast as she could and leaped out into the open air, turning to her side and hugging Dinky tightly in her forelegs as they landed in some bushes.

The farmpony groaned a little as she stood herself up, noticing that aside from being covered in soot, she seemed to be okay. A soft coughing next to her confirmed Dinky was okay as well, as the filly slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Applejack.

"Uhhh..." the filly rubbed her forehead. "What happened... Applejack? Where are we?"

"It don't matter right now. You're safe," Applejack explained. "Ah reckon your sister's gonna wanna know ya got out okay, too, so let's go find the others."

~

"Applejack! Oh my gosh, she's okay!" Mr. Cake shouted, spotting the two ponies emerging from the woods.

"Wow, you're pitch black and covered in soot!" Diamond Tiara said, her and Silver Spoon bursting out laughing.

"Hey, you're right!" Dinky said, shaking off and spattering the two other fillies with flying soot and leaving them both looking noticeably dirty.

"Better go see your sister, Dinky, she's worried sick about you," Roseluck said. "Thanks again, Applejack."

"No problem," the farmpony replied as she followed Dinky over to where Amethyst lay on a stretcher, being tended to by Redheart.

"She's gonna be fine," Redheart said with a smile.

"Thank goodness," Applejack replied. "Hey, Amethyst, ah think somepony here would like ta see ya."

The pink unicorn stirred and opened her eyes. "Huh?" she looked over at her sister and her expression quickly lit up. "Dinky! Oh, thank the stars you're safe!" she said, putting her foreleg around her little sister and giving an affectionate nuzzle.

"Yeah, Applejack saved me!" Dinky replied with a smile, looking back at the farmpony then back at her older sister. "Are you gonna be alright? You look like you got hurt pretty bad!"

"Pfft? This? Just a twisted leg here, bruises there, nothing big. I'll be back on all fours in no time, see?" she said, turning to try and stand only to let out a cry of pain as she fell back on the stretcher. "...Or not..."

"Take it easy, Amethyst," Redheart said firmly. "And Applejack, thanks for handling this."

"Yes, thank you, so much... I'm seriously in your debt, Applejack... soon as I'm standing again," Amethyst said with a weak smile.

"It's all fine, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Right now we better getcha back to town an' make sure you're properly tended to!"

"Still, it's not over yet, unfortunately," Mr. Cake said, approaching the group.

"Yeah, there's still a forest fire that needs to go out," Roseluck explained.

"And we need a shower," Diamond Tiara muttered, her and Silver Spoon trying to shake the soot Dinky had gotten on them out of their manes.

As if on cue, rain immediately began to fall all around them in a mighty torrent, leaving everything and every pony soaking wet in the moments of stunned silence that followed.

"Youuuuuuuu're welcome!" Derpy's voice shouted down cheerfully to the small, drenched herd of ponies below.
> Desperate Search
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"I think that should do it for now," Redheart explained as she finished tending to Amethyst Star.

"Thanks, I guess I'm stuck here, whether I like it or not," Amethyst Star muttered, rolling to her side on the soft bed she lay on and scowling at her twisted ankle.

"It's alright, Ammy, we'll be comfy here at the inn till we can get our home repaired!" Dinky said with a smile.

"Don't worry, we'll get that done tomorrow." Thunderlane said, gaining nods of approval from the other ponies in the room.

"Ah reckon it shouldn't take too long," Applejack explained. "Once my brother gets back with Apple Bloom an' the others ah'm sure he'll..." Applejack paused, struck by realization as her eyes turned towards the clock mounted on the wall of the bedroom.

"Applejack, is something the matter?" Redheart asked, concerned.

"Ah... should probably get back home, now. Ah'm sure 'e's waitin' for me. Probably will wanna know about the fire an' all the crazy stuff that's happened!" Applejack said, managing a smile as she immediately left the room and headed outside.

"Hey, Applejack!" a voice suddenly called out the moment the farmpony got outside. Looking over to the side she spotted Cloudchaser flying down and landing next to her under the inn's awning. "The rain's got the fire taken care of, pretty amazing what happens when ponies work together, huh?" the wild-haired pegasus asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, it's really somethin'," Applejack replied, forcing a smile. "Look, ah'm glad everythin' worked out but I gotta go back home now an-"

"Oh! Right! I remember what I wanted to tell you!" Cloudchaser said. "While I was going around grabbing up clouds by the mountains to get the thunderstorm prepared... I mean, I am the fastest pegasus here, so of course they counted on me to get the far away ones and-"

"Uh, you're dronin' on, Cloudchaser. There a point yer tryin' ta get to?" the farmpony asked.

"Oh, yeah! Anyway, I was grabbing some cloud patches by the mountains and I saw your brother!"

Applejack let out a sigh of relief. "Great news, ah was worried they'd gotten in the forest while that fire was goin' on an all," she said.

"Well, it was only for, like a second... but suddenly they stopped and looked back, and immediately started running and I lost sight of them!" the pegasus explained.

"Well, the fires an' all ah wager would-" Applejack began, growing increasingly worried.

"No, no, that's the thing. The fire wasn't near where they were, besides they were by the river. Then I heard this roar in the distance... whatever it was it sounded big, and I think that's what they were running from..." Cloudchaser looked down at the cobblestone ground and pawed it a little with her hoof. "Applejack... I... I didn't see them when I came back here... you think they made it back alright?" she asked, worry in her eyes as she traced her hoof along the ground.

The moment she looked up, Applejack was already gone.

~

They're fine, they're fine. They made it back, they're waitin' at the farmhouse it's all fine! Applejack's thoughts repeated to herself as she hurried home in a swift gallop as fast as her hooves could carry her. The harsh rain beat against her face, soaking the farmpony completely as she rushed through the cold mud forming in the crop fields and leaving her filthy as she reached the front door of her house. Winona, noticing her owner was home, immediately stirred and began barking.

"Seen anypony else, 'sides me, Winona?" Applejack asked urgently, knocking on the door but getting no response. Winona whined softly before approaching, nuzzling her master in an attempt to comfort her.

"Thanks, girl," Applejack said, patting the collie before turning and noticing something laying under the awning of the stables. Cocking her head, the farmpony approached and noticed it to be a rolled up and bound letter. Pulling the string away with her teeth, Applejack unrolled the letter and began reading.

"Musta not noticed when Mr. Cake was gettin' me," Applejack muttered, looking out over the horizon of the hilltop leading to the rest of Tazfilly. Worry crept over the farmpony once more. "This musta gotten here hours ago! Ah was... Cloudchaser saw 'em when the fire was goin' on... nopony saw 'em come into town when..." Chills ran down her body as her worry quickly became overwhelming terror. "They shoulda been back by now!"

"Applejack?" Cloudchaser called out, prompting Applejack to turn and see the pegasus land next to her.

"You just ran off, what's going on? Are they back?"

Applejack looked down at the letter and shook her head.

"They're not?" Cloudchaser asked, agape. "Well, all this rain, they could have just decided to take shelter, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are still pretty young and nopony would want them to catch a cold, right?"

"M-Maybe..." Applejack's ears perked in alarm as memories of her experience in the forest fire returned. "Cloudchaser, when we were in the fire, we saw this strange pony, they had these... things that were startin' fires an' some kinda... ah dunno... flyin' rat thing that attacked Mr. Cake an' I!"

"You saw somepony? Nopony we know?" Cloudchaser asked.

"No, he... or she... dunno, couldn't tell the pony was wearin' this weird getup ah couldn't tell what they were but ah know they weren't up to any good! I gotta make sure Big Mac an' Rarity an' the foals didn't run into 'em!" Applejack insisted.

"I see, well, look... I'll go tell Mayor Mare, we'll get the town together and find them. It's getting pretty late after all and if they are in trouble..." Cloudchaser said, concerned.

"D-don't... don't say that till we found 'em," Applejack said, trying to hold back images of the worst possible outcome. "Just get the rest'a the town an' we go lookin! We'll start on the path by the river leadin' to the mountains."

"On it!" Cloudchaser said with a small salute as she flew off back towards town. Once the pegasus was out of sight, Applejack let out a sigh.

"They're fine... they're fine... stay calm, Applejack... your family, your friends... they're fine," she said softly, straightening her hat and preparing to head back to town.

Winona suddenly let out a bark, prompting Applejack to turn around. The collie looked up at her with sad, worried eyes.

"You're worried too, aincha, girl?" Applejack said, managing a faint smile. "Ah reckon you can come along if ya want."

Winona let out a happy bark and immediately left her doghouse, following Applejack back into town, the bell from the school ringing to gather the other ponies in town to help.

~

"What's going on?" Berry Punch asked as she approached the gathering crowd under the awning of the schoolhouse, the ringing bell finally slowing down as Cheerilee stepped away and allowed Mayor Mare to address the townsponies.

"Cloudchaser says Applejack told her that Big Macintosh, Rarity, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle aren't back yet!"  Mayor Mare explained. "This is the second problem we've had tonight, but it's understandable, with the fire and the storm we used to put it out they could have gotten sidetracked or sought shelter."

"I saw them earlier, by the river," Cloudchaser explained. "I... I think something was chasing them," a cacophony of worried murmurs could be heard among the concerned ponies.

"So we're gonna search along the river path till we find 'em!" Applejack declared, stepping in front of the crowd.

"Yes, precisely," Mayor Mare replied. "I know you're worried, Applejack, but you must remain calm."

"Ah'll be calm as a daisy once we find 'em, Mayor!" Applejack replied firmly. "That's my friends an' family out there that need our help an' the longer we wait here the longer they wait for us!"

"Well, you heard her, everypony. Let's start looking," the mayor said. "Foals, stay inside until we get back. Miss Daring, if you could just-"

"Don't even think about leaving me out of this one, too, Mayor," a yellow pegasus with a gray mane and tail said firmly, stepping forward. "You know I've headed the village's exploration and path-finding teams since we settled down here!"

Mayor Mare facehoofed at the pegasus' stubborn streak. "I'm sorry, Daring. You've been grounded ever since that wing injury you got last week! You know you're no good in the air now!" the mayor replied.

"Like it's stopped me from training my niece!" Daring protested.

"She's got a point, Daring. We don't know what's out there and we can't put an injured pony in danger," Cloudchaser insisted.

"Ugggh whatever!" Daring snapped, leaving the group and heading back to her cottage across the creek.

"Alright, ah think the best course'a action is to send the unicorns and earth ponies to the path through the woods. Pegasi fly overhead an' go in teams. Find any trace of 'em one'a you come find me, the other lead 'em back to the village," Applejack explained.

"And if...?" Flitter asked, afraid to finish her sentence.

"If... if somethin's happened to 'em... you come an' find me... an' lead me to 'em." Applejack said. "But that ain't gonna happen. Not with all'a us lookin' for 'em. Now let's get goin'!" she ordered, Winona barking in agreement and the herd of ponies immediately headed back into Sandalwood Forest.

~

"Yeah, there's no doubt they went this way," Little Strongheart explained to the group of unicorns and earth ponies as she looked over some water-filled tracks.

"They can't be too far, then," Applejack said as Winona sniffed the tracks.

"Whoa! Hey, check this out!" Thunderlane's voice shouted from up ahead, prompting the three to rush further along the path to where the pegasus had called from. Entering a small clearing, they quickly saw what had alerted him.

"What in the world...?!" The young buffalo stared agape at a pair of trees that looked like something had smashed them apart and left them littered on the path.

"What could have done this?!" Applejack asked, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at the large, fallen trunks that lay blocking the path.

"Whatever it was, it was big... really big," Little Strongheart said, noticing three massive clawmarks in one of the trunks, as well as a set of massive three-toed footprints that had lead towards it.

"You think it may have...?" Thunderlane began.

"No, we don't know that!" Applejack replied sternly. "You take the other pegasi an' head down that path. Little Strongheart, you an' the unicorns try an' move this debris outta the way an' look for 'em on the ground," she explained. "Ah'm gonna look fer another way around this path."

"Well, I think Roseluck is already down that way," Flitter explained. "Go meet up with her and see if she found anything!"

With a nod, Applejack galloped down the path and found the the red-maned earth pony standing in front of a rock formation that made up the path down from the mountains.

"I've never seen anything like it..." the florist said, staring up in disbelief. The entire side of the cliff had been torn away, as though something very large and heavy had scaled it. "What could have done this?"

"Whatever caused all that damage over by the path, ah reckon," Applejack said. Her attention turned to Winona when the collie suddenly propped herself up along the side of the cliff and began barking frantically. "Winona! What's wrong? What is it?" Winona let out a howl and Applejack squinted her eyes as she noticed something glimmering near the top of the cliffside. Lightning struck suddenly, and Applejack immediately noticed whatever it was had been surrounded by something square-shaped attached to a broken tree, hanging by a broken strap.

"Is that...?" Roseluck began.

"Rarity's saddlebag?!" Applejack asked, frightened for her friend's safety. "She might still be up there! She might be hurt!" the farmpony cried out. "Ah gotta get up there!"

"Applejack... Rarity... the others, too... that thing, whatever it is had to have chased them through here!" Roseluck explained. "I haven't seen any of the forest critters anywhere! Heck, even that hippo pod in the river is missing and it takes a lot to scare creatures that big! Now there's something that's rampaging through here? Oh, the horror!" she shuddered. "Something very bad is going on, Applejack..."

"An' ah got a feelin' ah know what, but ah'll explain it later! Right now ah gotta make sure Rarity an' the others're alright!" Applejack paced back and forth in front of the cliffside, trying to find a way up now that the path had been torn away but found nothing; the side now too sheer and damaged to safely climb without any equipment. "Great, now what..." she muttered, sitting down on her haunches and trying to think through the worry and sense of panic forming just under the surface.

"What happened here?" a new voice demanded, causing Applejack and Roseluck to turn.

"Hmm, I'm gonna guess that you need a way up that cliff?" Daring asked, glancing upward and noticing the object the other two ponies were staring at.

"Daring? What're you gonna do about this? You can't even fly right now!" Roseluck replied.

"Who says I have to?" Daring asked. "So look, my gear's back at home since I didn't want to lug it here for nothing, I brought a little backup though where I can have my niece bring it to us, though, before you know it!"

"That's mighty helpful, but how're we gonna get 'er over here?" Applejack asked.

"Good thing you brought Winona, by the way," Daring said as she reached into her poncho and took out a small red cape with a blue and gold emblem on it. "Here's her cape, from that silly club her and your sister are in. I'm sure Winona will be able to track her down easily."

The crippled pegasus tied the cape around the collie. "It's got her scent on it. She brings it back to my niece she'll figure out what's going on. I was letting her sleep in since she was tired from our trip out earlier." Daring shook her head. "So much for sleep, now..." she mused.

"Think ya can handle this, Winona?" Applejack asked.

Winona let out an affirmative bark and gave a sniff of the cape before immediately sprinting off down the trail back to Tazfilly Village to find its owner.
	
> Found And Lost
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	An orange pegasus filly lay sprawled out on her bed, sound asleep and blissfully unaware of the barking, soaking wet collie standing right next to her bed.

Winona let out a howl, pausing after to see if it had done any good. A moment passed and the filly let out a soft mumble before rolling onto her back. With an annoyed growl, Winona approached the bed and grabbed the slumbering filly by the tail and dragged her from her bed, the young pegasus still somehow sound asleep.

Peering outside, one last idea came to mind as the collie, with a firm tug, tossed the filly out into the rain.

"Whoa! Wha... Aunt Daring?!" the filly cried out, snapping awake and discovering she was no longer in her warm bed but now out in the cold rain as a familiar collie ran up to her and started barking. "Winona? What's wrong?" the filly asked, before noticing her cape was tied around the dog. "Did Aunt Daring give you this?" she rubbed her chin with her hoof, recalling her aunt saying something about borrowing the cape for some reason the filly was far too sleepy to remember.

"Well, whatever's going on, her super-cool niece is here to help!" the filly declared, thrusting her hoof in the air dramatically before realizing she was still standing in the rain. "Just let me grab my stuff real quick!" she said, heading back inside and grabbing her scooter and a wagon with a small sack loaded onto it and tying them together.

Hopping on her scooter, she slowly wheeled it back out into the rain and slid her helmet on. "Alright, Winona. Lead the way!" she said with a proud smile on her face.

~

Applejack's ears perked up at the sound of barking, and shortly after she saw Winona rushing towards her, followed by the orange filly on a scooter. "Oh, thank the stars ya made it alright!" she said, tipping her hat to the filly. "How ya doin' Scootaloo?"

"Eh, still a little groggy but Aunt Daring taught me to always be ready!" Scootaloo said with a big smile as she hopped off her scooter.

"Good to see something stuck, though I'll bet the dog had to drag you out of bed first," Daring replied flatly. "You brought the gear, right?"

"Of course I did! My stuff's right here!" Scootaloo said proudly.

"...And mine?" Daring asked.

"You don't have it?" Scootaloo asked, cocking her head.

Daring let out a heavy snort and facehoofed. "If I did, why would I need you here of all ponies?" she asked, annoyed.

"Oh, right..." Scootaloo muttered, her ears drooping in embarrassment.

"Well, maybe this isn't a total loss, actually," Daring replied. "It gives you a chance to put everything I taught you on our exploration trips to the test, starting with that cliff right there," she said.

"Ooh, the wall-spiking technique?" Scootaloo asked. "Wow, this'll be the first time you let me do it!"

"Yes, very observant of you. Now why don't you demonstrate this to Applejack and help her up this cliff?" the older pegasus asked.

"Oh, on it!" Scootaloo said, eager to impress her aunt as she reached into the sack and took out her saddlebags, and reached into them with her hooves, drawing out a pair of staple-shaped grappling claws. "Watch and be totally blown away!" she declared as she hooked one into the wall, followed by the other, repeating the process with more and more of them that she drew from her saddlebags as she brought herself up higher and higher, and flapping her wings as hard as she could to maintain altitude and eventually reaching the top.

"Wow... you taught that filly well, Daring," Roseluck muttered, staring agape at what she just saw.

"Don't let her hear you, Roseluck," Daring replied. "Alright, Applejack, scaling that cliff should be a synch, now!"

"Great, on my back an' hold on tight, Winona!" Applejack ordered, leaning down so Winona could climb on as she wrapped her hooves into the rungs of the makeshift ladder and began pulling herself and the collie up the side of the cliff and eventually joined the orange filly waiting at the top.

"Nice work, Applejack! Maybe Aunt Daring can teach you our tricks someday, too!" Scootaloo cheered. "...Soon as I show 'em to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle!"

"You'll have your chance once we find 'em," Applejack said as Winona hopped down and sat by her. "We're actually lookin' for 'em right now," she explained, approaching the tattered saddlebag that hung from the broken tree and looking it over. It was indeed pink, with a single blue diamond embedded into the side where the button would have been placed.

Scootaloo's ears drooped and her cheerful demeanor faded. "That's Rarity's... what happened to her? Do you think they're hurt?" the filly asked, looking up at Applejack with worried eyes.

"Ah'm sure they're alright, we just need ta find 'em!" Applejack said, giving Scootaloo a small hug as the heavy rain suddenly began to let up and finally stop altogether.

"Well, at least it's not raining anymore," Scootaloo observed, suddenly looking down the path ahead a second later. "Hey, did you hear that?" she asked, whispering.

"You an' Winona wait here. Ah'm gonna go take a look," Applejack replied, walking slowly and carefully down the path where she soon heard more noises that sounded like whispers and strange beeping.

"What in the world..." Applejack mouthed as she stared at the strange spectacle before her.

Two ponies, wearing costumes identical to the ones the pony she'd seen in the forest had on, were standing before some kind of purple and blue podium with a curtain placed over something. Surrounding the podium were four glowing crystals that illuminated the place in a blue light. One of the ponies suddenly turned, its goggles glowing brightly as it stared at the farmpony and a second later the other pony turned as well.

"Alright, who are you varmints?! Ah ran into one'a your friends in your little forest fire earlier now ah want answers!" Applejack demanded angrily.

Neither pony responded, letting off only low, raspy breaths from the gas masks they wore over their faces as they began to back away, bumping into one another and causing something to fall from one's cloak. Glancing at one-another for a moment, the two costumed ponies both drew star-tipped wands from their cloaks and advanced to the podium, tapping the figure covered under the sheet several times as powerful shocks fired from the wands as they made contact with whatever was underneath.

"Applejack, what's going on?" Scootaloo asked, rushing in with Winona and stopping on her tracks when she saw what the farmpony was looking at. "Who are those ponies? Are they even ponies?"

"Ah dunno, Scootaloo, but ah know they had somethin' to do with what's been goin' on all night!" she said. The two costumed ponies looked down at the form under the curtain again, then at one-another, then back at Applejack and the two new arrivals before tapping the shape again, shocking it multiple times. This time, however, whatever was underneath began to stir, standing up to about twice the height of any pony and the curtain fell away, revealing what they had awoken.

It resembled a hippo, one much like one of the ones Roseluck had mentioned living in the river that Applejack had seen from time to time. It had none of the friendly disposition it once had as its one normal eye now had a savage glare to it. Its body was now a dull gray with half its face and both of its tusks replaced with metal, and three spouts puffing steam were grafted to its back.

"Proto Hipprobo, engage!" One of the costumed ponies shouted, before both did some kind of salute and backed away from the monstrosity.

"I got a bad feeling about this, Applejack" Scootaloo said, trembling as the creature began to stomp towards them, letting out a fierce grunt, steam puffing from its metal nostrils and out of the spouts on its back.

Applejack immediately charged forward, flipping in the air and turning around to give a buck to the beast's face. As her hooves met metal with a resounding clank, she turned just long enough to see that the creature did not appear particularly phased before it swung its massive head and sent her flying into the rock wall that framed the pathway.

"Applejack!" Scootaloo cried out before noticing the Hipprobo had turned its attention towards her, its false eye glowing a bright blue as it glared right at her.

"Remember what Aunt Daring taught you, remember what Aunt Daring taught you," Scootaloo repeated to herself, finding new resolve as she charged forward.

"Scootaloo, wait!" Applejack cried out, but the filly began flapping her wings as hard as she could, gaining altitude and avoiding the Hipprobo's massive jaws and landing on its back. The creature let out a bellow as it shook its body, but the filly clamped a pair of staple hooks into the fleshy portion of its back and held on tight.

Applejack stared in amazement, as much as she didn't want Scootaloo in danger, she had to admit Daring had trained her rather well after all.

"Alright, and..." Scootaloo suddenly let go, landing behind the Hipprobo and hooking one of her staple hooks into its left hind foot, followed by its right. "Oh yeah! Check that out!" she declared proudly as the beast struggled to free itself.

Winona barked at the Hipprobo, drawing its attention before she lunged at it, leaping onto its back and biting into one of the three crude metal tubes that was occasionally puffing steam from its back. The collie tugged and pulled with all her might, eventually breaking it off and leaping back to the ground to where Applejack lay, dropping the pipe in front of her owner.

"Thanks, girl," Applejack said with a smile, grabbing the pipe up in her teeth and getting back up. Scootaloo dashed around the Hipprobo while it still struggled and quickly rejoined Applejack's side.

"What now, Applejack?" Scootaloo asked, noticing the Hipprobo beginning to free itself from the staple hooks.

"Ah finish this!" the farmpony declared, rushing forward and jumping at the Hipprobo, and with a great spin, swung the pipe as hard as she could into the side of the creature's face. Sparks flew from where she'd hit, the creature's false eye dimmed and faded out as its body began jerking all over. The Hipprobo, staggering now, pawed the ground, thick clouds of steam puffing from its remaining spouts as it immediately charged forward at the three opponents before it. Quickly, Applejack, Scootaloo and Winona jumped out of the way and the half-blinded creature rushed right past them and over the edge of the cliff, a loud crash could be heard as it impacted somewhere in the woods, followed by a burst of fire and crackling magical energy.

"Ah reckon it's gone, now," Applejack said, breathing a sigh of relief and turning towards the two costumed ponies who had been watching the entire time. Despite both of the strange ponies being completely concealed in their odd costumes, it was obvious both were extremely panicked now. "Feel like givin' me some answers, now?" Applejack asked as she began to advance on them, Winona growling as she approached by her side.

The two costumed ponies looked at one-another, then at Applejack before giving a quick salute and throwing tiny pellets at the ground, creating thick clouds of blue smoke. Applejack and Scootaloo coughed and waved their hooves to try and get rid of it, and Winona immediately began barking again. Opening her eyes, Applejack saw the two ponies fleeing down the path and immediately galloped after them.

"Oh, no ya don't! Yer comin' right back here an' yer both gonna start... ...talkin?" Applejack's angry threat quickly faded as she found herself face to face with another strange display. A gigantic, metallic pointed hat on tripod stands stood at the end of the path, the two costumed ponies climbing up a small staircase that lead into it. As soon as they entered, the hatch underneath immediately closed up and the tripod stands folded and receded underneath it as the giant metal hat took to the air and began hovering away. As it rose higher and higher into the sky, an odd music blared from it before it flew off into the distance.

"Consarnit!" Applejack cursed angrily, slamming her hoof into the rocky ground in frustration as her only apparent source of answers escaped.

"Applejack! Over here! I think one of those ponies dropped this!" Scootaloo said, rushing over with Winona following behind, a book of some kind in the collie's mouth.

"Let's see that," Applejack said as her dog set it down and she looked it over.





Opening it, Applejack flipped through the pages with her hoof and found only the first page to have any writing on it. Flipping back, she decided to read what was written in the rather stylish writing.



"I cannot abide such mundane creatures, so horribly lacking in any form of awe-inspiring splendor! It is for this reason I demand they each be remade into something that will really wow the crowds! I hereby name this "The Great and Fantastical Chimera Project"! Get to work on mixing and matching the best of the best, at once! The stage waits for nopony!"



"What do you think that means?" Scootaloo asked, peering over to read the message.

"Ah dunno, but ah suspect it's got somethin' to do with that thing we just fought," Applejack replied.

"Think that's the thing that caused all the trouble?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ah doubt it, Scootaloo. Whatever came through the forest an' down this cliff was much bigger. At any rate, we better go tell the others what we found," Applejack said, heading back to the cliffside and letting Winona climb on her back before grabbing up the remains of Rarity's saddlebag in her teeth and scaling back down, Scootaloo following shortly after.

"Hey, they're back!" Roseluck shouted, getting Daring's attention as the two ponies climbed down.

"So, did you find anything up there?" Daring asked.

"What was that thing that we heard fall earlier?" Roseluck asked.

"There's a lot to tell, but we'll discuss it later, alright?" Applejack asked. "Point is, we didn't find my brother or any of the others up there, they gotta be past that path that was blocked off."

"Well, let's head over there and see if the pegasi found anything!" Roseluck replied.

"Way ahead'a ya," Applejack answered, leading the way back down towards the path to resume their search.

"Hey Applejack!" Cloudchaser's voice called out up ahead.

"What's goin' on, Cloudchaser? You find 'em?" Applejack asked.

"Yes and no, we found the foals near the river, Redheart's tending to them right now. Still no sign of your brother or Rarity, though," the pegasus replied. "W-we're still looking, though! Thunderlane and Flitter are still checking further upstream!"

Applejack sighed, she was still worried about her friend and her big brother, but it was a relief to know the foals were okay. "Lemme see my sister, an' Sweetie Belle, ah'm sure she's mighty scared for Rarity," she said before looking over to Roseluck. "Go find the others'n head back to town, we'll catch up later!" she said, the other earth pony giving a nod and head off down the path leading to town.

"They're right this way," Cloudchaser said, flying off ahead and leading the group further into the woods.

~

"A-Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried out weakly, shivering under the blanket she was wrapped in.

"Oh, Apple Bloom! Ah'm so happy you're alright!" Applejack said, nuzzling her little sister as she held her in a hug.

"They're still pretty cold from the trip down the river but they'll be alright after a couple more minutes in front of the fire," Redheart explained.

"Heya, girls," Scootaloo said sheepishly as she approached. "Guess I missed out on a pretty cool adventure, huh?"

"T-trust me, y-you..." Apple Bloom let out a sneeze and began shivering again.

Sweetie Belle whimpered a little, snuggling up to Applejack and Apple Bloom.

"It's alright, Sweetie Belle, ah'm sure your sister'll be along right soon," Applejack said, putting her foreleg around her reassuringly.

Sweetie Belle did not respond, instead she continued to shiver, as though something had scared her badly.

"Sweetie Belle? It's gonna be okay... Rarity... she can handle herself, and Big Mac's out there, too," Scootaloo said, hugging her friend and trying to comfort her.

"Look, girls... did ya... see anythin' unusual 'fore you were found?" Applejack asked.

"Th-there... s-something... something... big... it..." Apple Bloom stammered, trying to finish her sentence but then froze up completely.

"Listen, there's somethin' bad goin' on, Scootaloo an' I-"

"Applejack, please! We don't need to scare them anymore! They're frightened enough as it is!" Redheart protested.

"Sorry," Applejack muttered. "We'll discuss it later. For now, let's just wait till Thunderlane an' Flitter get back,"

"Good, in the meantime, I made some hot tea, we should all warm up now that the rain's finally gone," Redheart replied.

"C'mere, girls. It's gonna be alright," Applejack said softly, laying down by the fire and the three fillies and Winona lay snuggled up to her while they waited for news about their missing family.

~

"Applejack!" Thunderlane's voice called out a half hour later, causing the farmpony to stir in her sleep.

"Thunderlane! You're back!" Applejack immediately stood up, waking the fillies nestled up to her. "Where's my brother? Ya find him an' Rarity?" she asked.

Thunderlane grew silent as he landed, staring down at the fire for a moment. "AJ, look..."

"What's goin' on? Out with it already! Ah got two fillies here who're waitin' to hear news about their families!" Applejack replied impatiently.

Thunderlane sighed, Flitter landed beside him and put her hoof on his shoulder, a distressed look in her eyes.

"W-we got... we got kind of a good news-bad news situation, here, Applejack," Flitter explained.

Applejack cocked her head in curiosity. "Whaddya mean?"

"Well... the good news, first," Thunderlane began. "See, Flitter and I went upstream along the river, and we found this tooth, I think it belonged to whatever's out there... it might make a good weapon if we ever run into it..." he explained, managing a small but forced smile.

"Ah don't care about some stinkin' tooth!" Applejack snapped, snorting. "Where's my brother an' Rarity?!"

Thunderlane grew quiet again, he mumbled something but no words seemed to be coming out. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to speak again. "Uhmm... yeah... Th-that's... that's where it was..." he said softly.

Applejack regarded the stallion, a look of confusion on her face. "...Whaddya mean "That's where it was"?" she asked.

Thunderlane took a few breaths before speaking. "Applejack... He's dead. That fang was jabbed through his heart."

Applejack stood there, frozen in place as Thunderlane's words replayed through her head.

"......What?" her response was weak, barely above a whisper as her body began to tremble all over.

"And Rarity... wasn't too far from him," Thunderlane continued. "She was covered in deep cuts and her entire ribcage was caved in. Looked like it was some kind of enormous claws..." he paused as he saw Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom staring at him in shock. 

"R-Rarity... sh-she's... she's... dead?" Sweetie Belle stammered, her eyes tearing up as she collapsed to the ground, struggling to hold back sobs as Redheart rushed over and held her, Scootaloo and a tearful Apple Bloom joining her.

Looking back at Applejack Thunderlane saw the farmpony's still, horrified expression had now become a cold glare. "A-Applejack?" he asked nervously.

"Outta' my way," Applejack said, her voice dangerous and low.

"A-are you okay?" Thunderlane asked, taking a step back.

"Ah will be when you stop wasting my time when ah could be searchin' for my brother an' Rarity!" Applejack yelled furiously, her face now inches from the pegasus'

"Applejack, i-it's the truth, Flitter and I, we saw-"

"My brother wouldn't just die!" Applejack shouted. "He's not dead! Ah know you're lyin'..." she could feel tears forming. "You... y-you have to be lyin'...!" Her voice began trembling. "P-please... Please tell me you're lyin' so ah can just yell at ya an' get back to lookin' for 'em..." she struggled to keep a strong face, but it was crumbling rapidly with this horrible news she didn't want to believe.

"I'm... sorry Applejack..." Thunderlane said, his tone soft and cautious. "I'm... I'm sure they gave their lives to protect Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle... and..." he couldn't finish, realizing nothing he said was likely to do any good for his friend.

Applejack didn't respond, turning around, she staggered towards the fire, collapsing to her haunches as tears began flowing down her cheeks. Her sister's and Sweetie Belle's sobs behind her made it all the more real to her; that her big brother she'd known her whole life and one of her best friends were gone and she'd never see either of them ever again... Letting out an anguished growl, Applejack slammed her hoof into a nearby branch in the fire, splintering it and sending sparks flying at the other ponies gathered around.

"Applejack! Calm down!" Cloudchaser pleaded, approaching the farmpony.

"DONCHA TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Applejack shouted, her grief turned to pure rage as she grabbed up a branch from the fire with her teeth and swung it at the pegasus, causing her to stumble backwards as she attempted to avoid it and fell to the ground, Flitter immediately rushed to her sister's side and held her, staring up in fear at the enraged farmpony.

"Applejack, please, put that down, now!" Thunderlane insisted, jumping in her path and trying to swat it out of her teeth with his hoof, only to immediately be struck in the face with it.

"Shut up! Get outta my way now! Ah gotta find my brother an' Rarity!" the farmpony snapped furiously.

"Big sis! Please! Stop it!"

Applejack turned around instinctively, the fury on her face fading as her angry eyes met her little sister's frightened stare, causing her to drop the burning branch from her mouth and distracting her long enough to suddenly feel something strike her in the back of the head. Applejack, dazed, turned just in time to see Cloudchaser holding a branch of her own in her teeth before everything went black.
> Day of Remembrance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"We're heeeeeeere!" Rarity sang as she and Sweetie Belle arrived at the orchard.

"Howdy, girls!" Applejack replied, tipping her hat as she carried a basket of apples over to the stables. "Y'all ready for that trip to Twilight's?"

"Honestly, Applejack, you need to take some time off and just come with us! You know she's not seen you in quite some time, now!" Rarity said.

"No can do, Rarity. Ah got my hooves full harvestin' apples. Besides, Big Mac'll be with ya, you'll be fine."

"Ah still don't agree with this," Big Macintosh said, walking out from behind the stables carrying a wagon with few suitcases. "Ah don't mind coverin' for ya."

"Don'cha start again, Big Mac!" Applejack replied. "Ah had ya pullin' double when ah got sick two weeks ago, ain't no reason ya need ta do that again."

"Honestly, big sis, you're too stubborn, sometimes!" Apple Bloom said as she came out of the farm house. "It's what gotcha sick back then in the first place!"

"Woncha reconsider?" Big Macintosh asked. "Twilight's your friend, you been plannin' this fer a month, now."

"She'll understand, Big Mac. If anypony deserves a weekend off, it's you," Applejack said. "Now go on. Y'all don't wanna be keepin' her waitin'!"

Rarity sighed a little. "Whatever you say, Applejack. But you really need to give yourself some time to take it easy with friends."

"We'll see, Rarity. For now, ah got a lot more trees to deal with 'fore it gets dark. Say hi to Twilight for me when ya get there, alright?"

"We will," Rarity replied. "Come along girls!" she told the two fillies, who were already caught up in a conversation on what kinds of crusading they'd be doing for cutie marks while they were up in the mountains.

"Seeya later, little sis," Big Mac said, a small but sad smile on his face as he turned and left.

Applejack shook her head as they left. "Welp, these apples ain't gonna harvest themselves!" she said to herself as she headed back to the orchards.

Tears flowed from Applejack's eyes as she watched her memories play out before her.

"...It's all my fault..."

~

"Applejack?"

The farmpony's eyes fluttered open as she found herself in a small cell surrounded by bars. Thunderlane stood outside, looking down at her.

"It's time to get up. What you did last night was completely uncalled-for... but we all understand," he explained, a look of sympathy in his eyes as he turned and headed towards the door. "I don't know what could have attacked them, but your brother and Rarity are being given the highest honors at the Green Pastures Cemetary. You'll be free to visit them when you've calmed down a bit."

Applejack sighed as Thunderlane left, staring down at the wood floor. "Gotta face it now... He's gone. They're both gone," she muttered softly.

A moment later she heard the sound of small hooves approaching.

"Hey big sis. It's me. Apple Bloom. Ah just came to give ya a snack," Applejack turned and saw her little sister standing there, nudging an apple through the bars for her. "Thought ya might me hungry, ah mean... ya probably haven't eaten all night."

Applejack turned away, the shame of her outburst from the previous night returning she couldn't even look at Apple Bloom right now. The young filly frowned and looked down at the apple for a moment. "...Just... make sure ya eat it all... It might get kinda hard, but be sure to eat the whole thing, okay?" she asked. "Applejack... ah'm gonna make this better, okay?"

Applejack hung her head, her eyes snapping open when she heard her little sister sniffling and running off. "A-Apple Bloom, wait...!" When she turned, however, Apple Bloom was already gone.

"She deserves an apology, too..." Applejack got up and approached the apple her sister had left, her stomach immediately growling. "May as well," she said with a sigh, picking the apple up in her hoof and taking a big bite out of it.

Her teeth stopped on something tough and she immediately pulled back, taking a chunk of the apple with her and finding a small metal object embedded inside it.

"My hoof file?" she asked, "Why would she...?" Applejack noticed the flimsy, rusted old lock that had been used to keep the jail door shut and all the pieces came together. Finishing her apple and taking the file in her teeth, the farmpony set to work.

~

"Hey, Applejack," Daring said, a sad smile on her face as she greeted the farmpony that emerged from the town jail. "Thunderlane asked if I could come by and wait for you. You know, in case you got out on your own."

"Just be glad ah didn't buck the door down," Applejack replied, "Where is everypony?" she asked, noticing the town looked rather empty.

"Probably still at the cemetary," the pegasus replied. "Twilight's come by to visit as well soon as she heard. Your brother and Rarity's burial went without incident but... Sweetie Belle's been grieving ever since. I can't imagine what she's going through, but then again Rarity was the only family she had..."

Applejack hung her head dejectedly. "If ah'd just gone with 'em, instead'a stayin' home, maybe she'd still have a sister," she muttered.

"That's not gonna change anything, now, Applejack," Daring replied. "For now, just go visit your brother and your friends. It might do you some good,"

"Maybe you're right..." the farmpony sighed and headed down the path leading to the cemetery, pausing for a moment when she saw Diamond Tiara talking to a pony she'd never seen before. Curious, she drew closer to get a better look at the strange visitor.

"Really? The whole bush? I mean, we usually just give the fruits, but the bushes?" the pink filly said.

"Give? Oh, you silly filly!" the pony replied with a laugh. It was a sky-blue mare, though her species was unclear to Applejack due to the sand-colored cloak and the matching turban she wore that sported a bright pink feather held in place by a red ruby gem. "I was planning to buy them, and I'll be more then generous with what I'll let you have for them!" she explained as she reached into her cloak and dropped a sack in front of the filly.

Diamond Tiara's eyes widened in awe as she peered in on whatever the pony had offered her as though it were a surprise birthday gift. "Wow! They're so beautiful! A-and they're really mine?"

The pony took out a bottle with an apple printed on it and chugged it down, tossing it over her shoulder after. "Oh, absolutely! I'll send somepony to pick up the bushes later... assuming we have a deal, right?"

"Oh, yes! Thanks so much!" the pink filly said with an excited squeal of glee as she rushed over and gave the pony a big hug. From her vantage point, Applejack felt a bit of concern. Whatever Diamond Tiara had just given up Berry Punch's crop for hopefully would make up enough not to upset her too much. Still, she had other matters at hoof to deal with that prompted her to resume her delayed trip to where the others were.

~

A few minutes of walking later, Applejack found the townsponies gathered at a grassy hilltop to the east of the graveyard, with Twilight, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo at the front of the crowd, standing before two gravestones.

"They were the first we've lost in this village," Twilight said, looking over at Applejack. "I came as soon as I heard the news..." she approached her friend, her eyes filled with grief but also worry. "Are you doing alright, Applejack?"

"As well as ah can be," the farmpony replied, looking at the other townsponies. Thunderlane had his little brother Rumble with him, the pegasus colt nuzzling his brother's side as he looked sadly at the gravestones. Cloudchaser and Flitter held eachother silently as they looked over at Applejack.

"Cloudchaser?" Applejack asked. "Ah'm... ah'm sorry about last night," she said, noticing the bandage on the pegasus' forehead.
"I-it's fine, Applejack. You gotta know, it's not right to take your anger out on others, but... I understand why you did," she replied, glancing over at the gravestones again.

"Losing them affected all of us, you're not alone, Applejack. We all loved them," Flitter said, looking over at Cheerilee, who'd not said a word but looked truly heartbroken as she held a lingering glance at Big Macintosh's grave before turning to leave, the other townsponies following.

Applejack gave a quiet nod and noticed something missing. "Hey, girls?" she asked, getting Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's attention. "Do ya know where Apple Bloom is? Ah haven't seen 'er since she visited me."

Scootaloo gave a shrug. "I've been busy with Aunt Daring all day. Last time I saw her was around the same time you probably did."

Sweetie Belle's ears drooped and she looked away nervously.

"Sweetie Belle? Do you know where she is?" Twilight asked.

"N-no..." Sweetie Belle muttered, not making eye contact with her or Applejack.

"Sweetie Belle, it's no good to keep secrets like that," Applejack said with a hint of sternness. "She tell you where she went?"

Cornered, Sweetie Belle backed away from the two older ponies. "N-no! She definitely didn't say she was taking Applejack's lucky slicing knife into the mountains to kill the monster to avenge Big Mac..." the filly 'eeped' and quickly covered her mouth with her hoof.

Twilight's eyes widened in terror. "What!? By herself?! That's suicide! Please tell me you at least tried to stop her!"

Before Sweetie Belle could reply, Applejack bit down on Twilight's tail and began to drag her away. "Twilight, we're leavin', right now!"

"H-hey! No need to pull!" Twilight protested as she used her magic to free herself.

"Every second we spend here is a second the last family ah got left could get killed!" Applejack snapped angrily.

"Applejack, be reasonable! We have no idea what we're up against or where it even is!" Twilight said.

"Ya reckon you're good on your Somemare Island creature knowledge?" Applejack asked. "'Cause ah got an idea where ta start! Now c'mon!" she ordered, leading the anxious unicorn down the hill and back into town.

~

"This is bad, Applejack. Really bad," Twilight said, examining the tooth as they left Thunderlane's home.

"Tell me somethin' ah don't already know, Twi," Applejack replied.

"This looks just like one of Spike's fangs, but a lot bigger," Twilight explained.

Applejack froze, her eyes widened. "Ya mean ta tell me a full-grown dragon is runnin' loose on these here islands?!"

"This island's really big, Applejack," Twilight explained, floating the large tooth into her saddlebag. "There's a lot of it ponies haven't fully explored. There's even supposed to be a volcano to the west, and with the gems hidden in the mountains, it doesn't rule out the possibility they live here, and one's come this close to civilization."

Twilight stopped in her tracks. "Applejack..."

The farmpony stopped and looked back at her friend. "Yeah, Twi?"

"...I haven't seen Spike since yesterday. Like, before Big Mac and Rarity left with the foals..."

"What was he doin' last you saw 'em?" Applejack asked.

"Rarity had said he went off to go find some more gems, he was hungry," Twilight said. "Applejack... you don't think if there's an adult dragon in the area...?"

"He could be in danger, too. If that thing was willin' to kill my brother an' Rarity, ah wouldn't put it past it to come after Spike if the little fella ran into it."

"Then we need to find him!" Twilight pleaded, more frightened then ever, now.

"There is the chance, but Spike ain't that reckless, ah doubt he got any reason ta go messin' with somethin' like that! Apple Bloom's off lookin' for it right now, so our first priority is findin' her before it does!" Applejack said sternly.

"Hey, uh, Applejack..." Twilight looked down for a moment. "I don't exactly go looking for dragon's dens, so I can't say I'm an expert on where exactly to look and I'm sure Apple Bloom isn't, either..."

"What're ya gettin' at, Twi?" Applejack asked impatiently.

"She had to ask for directions if she wanted any hope of finding her way through the mountains! There's only one who knows this island well enough for her to ask if she didn't want anypony in the village to know what she was doing!" Twilight explained. "We need to go see him, he'll be able to tell us where Apple Bloom may have gone!"

Applejack hung her head, a bitter scowl forming on her face as she realized who Twilight was implying they visit. "Ya better not be suggestin' who ah think you're suggestin'..."

~

"Well, well, Twilight and friend looking all down!" the grinning Discord said cheerfully as he looked over the two ponies that now stood before him, a bizarre, jazzy tune playing from a bright blue record player that hovered next to him.

"I'm not going to lie, I normally I expect a certain other introverted equine companion to come looking after me!" he explained, taking a drag of an oversized pipe that appeared in his lion paw and puffing out a pink cloud that smelt of cotton candy that drifted above Applejack and Twilight's heads. "So, tell me ladies, what brings you two to Casa del Discord?" he asked, his neck stretching longer then it already was until his face leaned uncomfortably close to theirs'.

"Ah can not believe ya talked me into this, Twilight." Applejack muttered, shooting a glare at her friend.

"Oh, what's the matter, dear little Applejack? Are you implying I'm not someone you'd look forward to seeing more regularly?" Discord asked, trying his best at puppy-dog eyes.

"Bear with him Applejack. He may have some information we need, and more importantly he may have seen Apple Bloom," Twilight said.

The draconequus immediately perked up, stroking his beard for a moment. "Hmm? Apple Bloom?" he asked. "About, say yay high" he held his eagle claw at about average filly height. " ...Pink bow, yellow coat, red mane?" he asked, his black mohawk turning red with a bow and his coat turning bright yellow as he listed off his description.

"YES!" both ponies replied instantly.

"Nope, no one around here like that!" Discord said with a chuckle as he instantly resumed his original appearance in a flash of light and reclined in his polka-dotted beanbag couch.

Applejack facehoofed in annoyance. "Wouldya stop toyin' around with us?! This is serious!"

"For you, maybe! Me, on the other claw..." Discord replied with a laugh.

"Honestly, how could you be so thoughtless?" Discord's voice asked from behind Twilight and Applejack, prompting them to turn and see a second Discord standing there, arms folded and scowling in disapproval at the one that was on the beanbag couch. "These two ponies need your help and this isn't the time for jokes!"

The first Discord waved his lion paw in a dismissive manner. "Well, who asked you?"

"Come on! What would she say if she found out you let her friend's sister run off to the mountains alone?" a third Discord asked as it appeared in another corner of the room leaning against the wall.

"I personally don't see what the big deal is!" a fourth Discord remarked, standing upside-down on the ceiling. "SO many favors and what do we get? More of them!"

"Why, Discord! You should be ashamed for thinking that way!" a fifth draconequus declared, sitting on a bright blue table. "You want to feel like you let this all happen?"

"Pickles!" a sixth Discord declared as it materialized standing on the first one's head.

"Ugh! Would you five go away!" the original Discord protested indignantly as he flung the one standing on his head into the wall on the opposite end of the room, the other four nodded and walked out the door single-file, muttering amongst themselves while the one that had been thrown slid down to the floor and followed. "Honestly, I can be such a pain sometimes!"

"Ah never woulda guessed," Applejack deadpanned. "Now can ya at least tell us about a dragon?" Applejack asked, trying her hardest to keep calm.

Discord's eyes immediately widened again. "Oh, you mean the big gray one that claimed the cave at the peak of the northern mountains that's easily accessable through the path just northeast of here that Apple Bloom may have taken?"

"Yes!" Twilight replied immediately.

"Nope, can't say I've heard of such a thing, either!" Discord replied, laughing out loud. "Now run along, I have a party of seven to attend to!" he explained  as the five other Discords immediately reappeared, four of them wearing bright floral shirts while the sixth one donned a leather bikini as it danced on a pole that was now in the center of the room. "...Unless you'd like to stick around a little longer?" Discord asked with a grin.

"Nah, we're a mite busyniceseeinyaagainbytheway!" Applejack said hurriedly as she pushed Twilight out the door as fast as she could, closing it behind her.

"Alright, we got what we need," Applejack said, heading towards the path Discord had implied Apple Bloom had taken and going into full gallop, Twilight running after her as fast as she could manage.

Applejack only hoped she'd find her sister before it was too late...
> Long Shadow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Applejack, slow down! I can't run as fast as you!" Twilight protested, trying to keep up with her friend.

"Ain't my fault you're a shut-in, Twi," Applejack replied as she reached the mouth of a cave at the end of the path into the mountains. "Apple Bloom's already got a good head-start on us, ah can't sacrifice any more time!"

The unicorn took a moment to catch her breath. "Well, you might not have much of a choice, Applejack. That cave's pretty dark inside."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Fine, just don't hold me up too much," she said.

Charging her magic, Twilight's horn glowed brightly and provided some illumination for them as they entered the dark tunnels before putting her hoof to her chest and letting out a deep breath.

Rolling her eyes again but deciding to humor her friend, Applejack followed Twilight's example. "There, can we get movin'?"

"Sure, Spike and I have been through this cave plenty of times collecting gems, so it shouldn't be a problem!" Twilight replied. "Just do as I say and we'll be out in no time!"

"Great," the farmpony replied. "So, which way, first?" she asked, looking back and forth at a fork in their path.

"Turn right. It'll lead us upward. The other way's a dead end," Twilight answered. Complying, Applejack led the way, followed by Twilight as she kept their path lit.

"Hey, Applejack?" Twilight asked a few minutes later.

"Yeah, Twi?"

"When we find Apple Bloom... you're not going to punish her, are you?" the unicorn asked.

The farmpony sighed as she paused a second, then continued as they began to head further and further upwards on the sloped path. "Twi, a part'a me wants to, like really wants to for runnin' off like that. She should know better then doin' somethin' so stupid!" she explained. "But at the same time... ah ain't got the heart to. Not after everythin' that's happened... last thing ah wanna do is push her away any further then ah already have."

"Turn left," Twilight said as they reached another fork. "...What do you mean?"

"If ah weren't locked in jail last night... ah'd have probably wanted to do the same thing," Applejack replied. "Ah wasn't right in my mind at all last night... probably scared her half to death when she was already frightened enough..."

"I guess I can't blame you," Twilight replied, gesturing right and following Applejack as they kept going. "I just hope Spike is okay, too..."

"We'll find 'em, Twi," Applejack said, moving a little faster and coming face to face with a vine-covered wall leading up to higher ground.

"Well, this overgrowth's a major vined on our progress, right Applejack?" Twilight asked, prompting the farmpony to facehoof.

"Twi, this really ain't the time for puns. Especially ones that bad," Applejack muttered.

"Sorry, just trying to keep our spirits up," Twilight replied sheepishly. "I've been trying to keep myself from letting worry get to me so easily... you know how I get when that happens."

"Just get us up this 'ere wall, alright?" Applejack asked.

"Sure, right away," Twilight said, putting her hoof around Applejack and focusing. The two vanished in a flash of light and reappeared atop the vine-covered wall. "The way out should be just up ahead."

"Good, let's..." Applejack froze when she heard strange noises. "Ya hear that, Twi?" she whispered.

"What do you think it is?" Twilight whispered back.

"Dunno, let's go see," Applejack said, moving along quietly to the source, which was behind some large stalagmites just near the exit. Peering around them, she saw two ponies wearing costumes just like the ones she'd seen the other night sitting in front of a strange metal device with a glowing screen. One of them was pressing buttons on a device in their hooves while the other seemed to be quietly cheering them on.

"What are...?" Twilight wondered aloud as Applejack grit her teeth in anger.

"Ah know them. Ran into those ponies the other night when Rarity and Big Mac died. They gotta have had somethin' to do with the dragon rampagin' around, ah know it!" the farmpony snapped.

"Applejack, wait!" Twilight cried out, but was too late as her friend leaped onto the screened device, smashing it and glaring viciously at the two costumed ponies.

"Alright, you two varmints! Ah got a few questions for ya and ah got a feelin' there's gonna be a serious whuppin' involved, too!" she yelled, snorting angrily as she pawed the ground.

The two costumed ponies looked at one-another for a moment and backed away, only to be cut off by Twilight, who fired a bolt of magic at the ground and stopping them in their tracks.

"You guys brought that dragon 'round these parts, didn'cha?" Applejack asked through grit teeth as she approached. "Ya don't wanna be wheeled outta here ah suggest you two help me find my little sister! ONE..." She began counting down. "TWO..."

Before she could continue, one of the ponies reached into their cape and threw a small blue sphere at the ground, setting off an explosion of smoke and causing Twilight and Applejack to collapse to the ground, coughing uncontrollably as the sound of hooves rushing off could be heard around them.

"Oh, no... -hack- you... -cough- don't!" Applejack shouted, struggling to overcome her coughing as she dashed towards the exit of the cave and finding herself on a wide ledge, another of the giant metal pointed hat-vehicles she'd seen the other night parked on the edge.

Not wasting any time, the two costumed ponies rushed up the metal stairs into the strange vehicle and closed up the door behind them, the stairs and feet of the vehicle retracting into it as it immediately took to the air and flew off into the distance.

Letting out a scream of rage, Applejack slammed her hooves on the hard ground and bucked angrily at the air.

"Applejack?" Twilight asked, emerging from the cave.

"They got away... those ponies... whoever they are... they got away, Twilight! Ah know they're behind all this!"

"I was wondering what you meant by that, Applejack..."

"Twi," Applejack began. "Last night, ah saw 'em settin' loose these... things ah ain't ever seen before that caused the forest fire. Then when Scootaloo an' ah were lookin' for Big Mac, Rarity, an' the foals we ran into 'em an' they..." Her eyes widened when she saw something up ahead and ran towards it. "Right here, Twi!"

The unicorn approached and found Applejack standing in front of a strange metal platform surrounded by empty sockets and a box on the side that had several buttons and switches, though it looked damaged. "What is that?"

"It looks like this thing they used to... wake up this hippo they put a bunch of metal parts on. Like bringin' it to life with some kinda dark magic or somethin." Applejack explained.

"Like trees, maybe?" Twilight asked.

"Dunno, Twi. Why'dya ask?" Applejack asked, confused.

"Because a tree is walking towards us right now!" Twilight shouted in alarm, firing a blast of magic past Applejack. The farmpony turned to a creaking noise followed by a loud groan and saw of all things a tree stumbling backwards from her. Its roots were moving freely like legs, its branches flailing about and a crudely-carved face on its front had an eerie, glowing green light coming out of it.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me!" Applejack muttered in disbelief as she jumped out of the way, barely dodging a wild swing from one of the tree's branches as it toppled over.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," she mused as the animate tree flailed its limbs about in an unsuccessful attempt to get up.

"Uh... Applejack? Why's it glowing red?" Twilight asked, noticing cracks beginning to form on its bark before violently exploding in a burst of magical energy.

"That was close," Twilight said with a sigh, lowering her barrier she'd summoned around Applejack and herself.

"Don't count yer blessings yet, Twi! We got two more of 'em!" Applejack shouted.

"Be careful, Applejack!" Twilight warned as the farmpony galloped towards their attackers and leaped in between them, delivering a crisp buck she normally reserved for apple harvesting at one, then the other and sending them both tumbling onto their backs.

"A-Applejack..." the unicorn stammered as the two trees began to glow brightly as the first one had, signifying two more explosions were on their way.

"Ah got this, Twi!" Applejack declared, bucking one and causing it to roll into the other, causing them both to roll off the side of the cliff before she turned back towards Twilight without any reaction to the two loud explosions from down below.

"Well, that takes care of that. Now to just figure out which way to go next," Twilight said, breathing out a sigh of relief as Applejack walked past her, her attention fixed on something snagged on a small bush.

"Ah think ah may have a few theories," Applejack said, showing her discovery to be a torn, filly-sized red cape before looking at a path further ahead that had several claw marks torn into it and immediately breaking into a full gallop.

Apple Bloom... your big sister's comin', she thought to herself. Just... please be alright,

~

In moments, the two ponies found themselves nearing the summit of the mountain that overlooked a vast gorge. Before them stood a large, foreboding cave.

"We've... Finally... made it," Twilight uttered between gasps as she sat down to catch her breath.

"Not quite used to this type'a exercise are ya Twi'?" Applejack asked, looking back at her friend.

"Is it... that obvious?" Twilight asked, panting heavily.

"C'mon Twi, we haven't seen my sister yet, so she's gotta be up here!" Applejack replied. "Apple Bloom! Where are ya'!?" she called out loudly, hoping her sister would answer.

"Apple... Bloom...!" Twilight called, though much weaker as she looked around, something finally catching her eye. "Hey, Applejack? What's... what's this?" she asked, noticing something laying near the mouth of the cave. Approaching and using her magic, the unicorn floated it over to look at.

"Applejack...?" Twilight asked.

"What'd ya..." Applejack froze as she immediately recognized the pink fabric floating in her friend's aura. "A-Apple Bloom's bow..." she whispered.

"Applejack, do you think...?" Twilight began.

"No. She's... she's gotta be here somewhere! Ah ain't leavin' till ah find her!" Applejack said firmly.

As if to answer her words, a deep, bone-chilling growl suddenly echoed from within the cave, causing both ponies to freeze in terror. 

"Wh-what was that?" Twilight asked, forgetting about her exhaustion in panic and trembling as she and her friend looked into the dark recesses of the cave before them. Her answer came as a pair of glowing green eyes suddenly appeared within, glaring at them from the shadows. Powerful, heavy stomps that shook the very ground they stood on told them their owner was drawing closer.

Twin wisps of smoke drifted from the cavern as the creature within let out a low, menacing snarl and stepped out into the light, revealing itself to be a massive gray dragon with a crest of dark crimson scales running from the top of its head and down its back and a strange red and black gem that seemed to be embedded in its chest. The dragon craned its long neck as it narrowed its slit green eyes at the two ponies that barely reached its knee.

"I-is this the..." Twilight began.

"I can tell ya what it's about to be..." Applejack said lividly, pure hatred in her eyes as she stared down the towering beast, which responded with an ear-splitting roar that revealed one of its fangs to be missing.

"...Dead."

The dragon immediately lunged forward, snapping its huge jaws at the two ponies who barely leaped out of the way in time. Snarling, the dragon slammed its foot down with a mighty stomp, shaking the ground and causing Applejack to roll dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

"Applejack!" Twilight quickly used her magic to grab her friend and pull her to safety. "W-wait, Applejack!" she immediately cried out as the farmpony charged straight at the dragon, leaping into the air and attempting a fierce buck.

Applejack immediately fell to the ground, feeling as though she'd just tried to buck a solid rock wall. "The hay?!" she cried out.

"Applejack, a dragon's scales are meant to withstand high temperatures, so they're really tough!" Twilight said, barely teleporting away in time to avoid a powerful sweep of the dragon's tail.

The dragon let out a roar and drew in a deep breath. "Applejack! Behind me!" Twilight shouted, her friend complying as Twilight quickly cast a barrier that narrowly saved them from being incinerated by a jet of flame. As soon as the dragon was finished, it lunged forward in an attempt to catch them in its jaws again.

"Whoa!" Applejack cried out, her and Twilight rolling out of the way and leaving the dragon with a mouth full of rock and dirt.

"Wait, I have an idea!" Twilight said, floating the dragon fang from her saddlebag. "Dragons gotta defend themselves from other dragons, so they have to be vulnerable to their own natural weapons!"

"It's worth a try!" Applejack said, taking the long fang in her teeth and rushing at the dragon while it was still trying to spit out dirt. With as much force as she could muster, Applejack leaped into the air onto the dragon's back, prompting the beast to flail angrily in an attempt to throw her off. Keeping her balance, Applejack slid down its left side right towards where she figured its heart would be and lodged the fang in, piercing its tough hide.

The dragon let out a pained cry as Applejack immediately slammed her hoof into the fang as though hammering a stake, plunging it further into the ferocious creature's body before tumbling to the ground.

"Didn't like that, did ya?" Applejack snarled, righteous fury in her eyes as she got back up. "Ah bet you're feelin' what my brother felt when you tore him apart!" she yelled, watching as the creature flailed about, attempting unsuccessfully to remove the fang from its body. The dragon let out a cry of rage as it took in a deep breath, letting out another burst of flame, though weaker than the last at them. Applejack ducked behind a boulder and the flames blew around her. "Or how about Rarity, huh? Or my sister? Did you kill her too, you monster?!"

The dragon snarled as it attempted to stand back up despite its wound, its tail lashing out and shattering the boulder apart and sending Applejack flying. As she tumbled across the ground, the dragon glared down at her and began to draw breath again. The attack never came, as it was suddenly hit in the side, right where it had been wounded by a blast of magic from Twilight.

"You killed two of my friends! I'm not letting you take anymore!" Twilight snapped, the dragon paused, looking at her for a moment in curiosity. Twilight's resolve faltered, wondering why it had not attacked her right away when it was already in danger.

Whatever curiosity it had faded, however as it let out a growl and lashed its talons at her, swatting Twilight into the cliffside. The unicorn's barrier took most of the impact, but still hit hard enough for her to cry out in pain and once more gain the dragon's notice as it looked at her once more for a moment, as though it felt something from its actions.

Why did it...? Twilight wondered. That look in its eyes, almost as if it...

Applejack seized the opportunity from the dragon taking its attention off her and leaped on her opponent again, hitting the fang lodged in its side over and over and causing it to cry out and topple onto its side in pain as blood spurt from its wound.

...knew me? Twilight's eyes widened in horror as realization came over her.

"Now to make you pay for every life you took!" Applejack shouted out, her fury and desire for revenge at its peak as she tore the fang from the dragon's body and prepared to plunge it in once more.

"Applejack! Stop!" Twilight cried out, causing her friend to pause. "It's Spike! ...T-that dragon... that dragon is Spike!" she shouted.

"Excuse me?!" Applejack asked, her eyes wide in disbelief at what the unicorn had just said.

"That look he gave me... it was like he recognized me..." Twilight explained, her tone desperate as she used her magic to pull Applejack away from the prone dragon. "I don't know what's happened to him, Applejack, but we can't do this! He's our friend!' she pleaded.

Applejack glared at her friend as she struggled against Twilight's magical pull. "Lookit him, Twilight! Lookit what he's done!" she shouted. "Even if you're right, that... THING ain't Spike no more! Would the Spike we knew have killed Rarity? Or my brother?"

"No..." Twilight hung her head, downcast as she saw the dragon's breathing grow more and more rapid. "...But... would killing him bring any of them back? Hasn't there been enough death already?" she asked.

The full weight of what she'd nearly done, how she'd felt from it all came onto Applejack's shoulders, causing her to collapse to her haunches. "N-no... A-Apple Bloom.. ah need to find her... sh-she might still be around here," she stammered, her body trembling as she looked at what she had done to the creature that now lay before her.  "Apple Bloom... ah gotta find her..." finding the strength to stand, she began to back away towards the path again, noticing that Twilight had remained where she was.

"Go without me," the unicorn said softly, her eyes not leaving the fallen dragon that lay before her. "He's dying... please, just... let me stay with him while I still can..."

Applejack lowered her head. "A-alright, Twilight... I'm gonna... I'm gonna keep on lookin' for 'er..." Without another word, Applejack continued further along the path, leaving Twilight alone with the dying beast that was once her best friend. 

Tears flowed from the unicorn's eyes as she struggled in vain to hold them back. The dragon's breathing began to slow, and Twilight could hold it in no more. "Oh Spike... I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, curling up next to the dragon as its scales regressed from metallic gray to a light purple. The dragon's eyes turned towards the unicorn snuggled up against it, and shed a single tear before they slowly closed with its final breath.




Neither Twilight, nor Applejack were aware the filly they had been searching for lay at the bottom of the gorge..
> The Little Thief
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Applejack hung her head dejectedly. "If ah'd just gone with 'em, instead'a stayin' home, maybe she'd still have a sister," she muttered, the guilt from leaving Sweetie Belle without the only family she had evident on her face.

"That's not gonna change anything, now, Applejack," Daring replied. "For now, just go visit your brother and your friends. It might do you some good,"

"Maybe you're right..." the farmpony sighed and headed down the path leading to the cemetery.

Daring shook her head as Applejack left. After last night, and everything Scootaloo had told her, it was clear the time had at last come. Tonight would be the most important night of their lives...

~

Night had fallen, and Daring woke from her nap on the couch. She heard small hoofsteps upstairs above her. "Hm, guess she's back," the pegasus mused. Scootaloo had been visiting Sweetie Belle at Sweet Apple Acres all day.

"Scootaloo! Come on down here!" Daring ordered sternly, and immediately the filly rushed down and stood alert in front of her.

"Yeah, Aunt Daring?" Scootaloo asked, a smile on her face.

"I take it Applejack and Twilight have gotten back home?" Daring asked.

"Uh... nope. They still haven't come back yet. Amethyst offered to foalsit Sweetie Belle till Applejack returned, figured she owed her one for saving Dinky the other night."

"I guess they still gotta figure out what's going to happen to her," Daring muttered to herself. She shook her head. "Either way, that's not important right now... at least not compared to what comes next."

"Oh? What's that?" Scootaloo asked, cocking her head.

"Kid, I've been training you for a while, now. The exploration trips weren't just to see more of these islands, but because of this specific mission... one I wish never had to come, honestly," Daring explained as she began pacing back and forth.

Scootaloo blinked, still as unclear as before what her aunt was getting to.

"Scootaloo, this is going to be your big chance, to try out everything I taught you!" Daring said. "What you told me about those costumed ponies, that... thing they sent on you and Applejack, the message whoever's controlling them left... we still don't know enough about this enemy yet, or what it'll mean for us in the long run, but starting now we'll need to change the way we live if we want any chance of fighting back."

"But... Aunt Daring..." Scootaloo looked downcast, her normal cocky demeanor diminished by memory of that fight. "Applejack and I barely handled that monster together! I dunno if I'm ready for this."

Daring sighed. "Well guess what, kid? Something out there killed Big Macintosh and Rarity and I'll bet my wings this enemy you ran into is responsible for it!" she snapped, stomping her hoof on the wood floor to emphasize her point. "Waiting's not an option, and everypony's gotta grow up sooner or later! I'm so sorry it came sooner then you would have liked!"

Her words did nothing to raise the filly's spirits, instead Scootaloo looked all the more worried. The older pegasus sighed and facehoofed in frustration.

"Scootaloo... maybe we'd have been better off in another time and place... a less... stressful era then this. I put all this training on you and you're only a filly," she said, her tone becoming softer. "You didn't get to spend much time with the friends you made in school, you missed out on things Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom did together. If you resent me for that... well, honestly I don't care because it's not important. What is important is this mission, understand?"

Scootaloo gave a silent nod.

"Good," Daring replied, and she began pacing again. "The mission is that you will sneak into the Eclipse Castle just north of this village, where a valuable treasure that has been kept there for a very long time lays hidden, and bring it to me."

"Oh, okay," Scootaloo replied, trying to muster some confidence and get her aunt to show some towards her again. "But what is this treasure? What's it look like?"

Daring snorted. "Kid, if there's anything I've learned in my adventures... at least as I recall, anyway..." she rubbed her chin with her hoof as the cloudy recollections distracted her for a moment. "Well, point is, kid, if you're a real treasure-hunting explorer then you'll know. Somepony calling themself a treasure hunter that can't tell the value of what they take on their adventures is a disgrace to the title, and as my niece I like to give you more credit than that. Still... I guess since you're still a filly it won't hurt to give you a little guidance if you want to know a little bit about it."

"If that's okay," Scootaloo replied.

"It's very valuable-looking, and really shiny. Hidden away in a place that took a lot of effort to get to. That's all you get" Daring answered. "Also... that little second-rate explorer pack I let you practice with isn't going to do you an ounce of good on this mission, so I'm letting you use my stuff, I got it all stashed down in the basement. Get packed and hurry up." she said firmly, getting a quick salute from the pegasus filly who rushed downstairs and returned moments later with a saddlebag sporting a compass rose on its clasp.

"Now, this bag's special, made with an enchantment so you'll have no problem carrying all the tools you'll need and whatever else you may find. Lay the stuff out and let's go over each of my special tools." the older pegasus ordered, the filly complying. "Okay, what's this one?" she asked, tapping a small copper medal with a swirl on the front.

"The hypno-pendulum!" Scootaloo said with an enthusiastic smile. "An enchanted medallion that will put my enemies to sleep when I sway it in front of them, allowing me to sneak away!" she said, proud that she'd memorized her aunt's teachings. Daring then pointed to a bone whistle carved to resemble a bug.

"The siren beetle," Scootaloo answered. "I blow on it and it lets out a loud shriek that distracts my enemies so I can get 'em with a surprise attack they won't see coming!" she explained with a wide smile. Daring nodded and put them, along with a stick with a blank white screen atop it, a box full of small black pellets, and stick with a feather on it into her bag.

"I trust you already know the rest," the older pegasus said, closing up the saddlebag. "Scootaloo, what's hidden inside that castle is a treasure that can change the world as we know it... the ones who once ruled that castle... yes, that was when I hid it there, a long time ago, they requested me to put it someplace where nopony else could find it... at least that's what I remember, it's been so long, really," she mused, shaking her head again. "The point is, though, Scootaloo, this enemy, I'm sure they'll be looking for it, too, so there's a chance you may run into them."

"Can't you come with me?" Scootaloo blurted out before realizing she'd said her thoughts aloud.

Instead of getting angry, though, Daring just sighed and placed her hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Normally, I'd handle this all myself, but a broken wing and everypony's insistence I stay at home... infuriating as it is..." she grit her teeth a little, "...means I can't. You're faster then anything in town on that scooter and you're stealthy and careful when you need to be, and if you'd just believe in yourself I'm sure all the tricks I know are hammered into you. Try to handle this mission yourself, have a little faith in yourself and you may be surprised."

"O-okay..." Scootaloo nodded and headed for the door. She knew she should be excited about this, being able to go on an entire mission on her own and impress her aunt, but at at the same time she was a little scared after what she'd seen those costumed ponies had been capable of. She wouldn't have Daring or Applejack watching her back this time.

"If you're still feeling unsure, there's a mini-storm cloud in the box behind the house, take it along and it should be more then enough to get you out of a tight spot," Daring said, getting a smile from the filly as she headed out the door.

Circling around the cabin, Scootaloo opened a wooden box and took out a dark gray cloud, tucking it into her bag. Managing a smile, Scootaloo put her helmet on, hopped on her scooter, and with a quick kick and buzz of her wings, she bolted down the path leading into town.

Back inside, Daring winced from the sharp pain caused by her injured wing and sat back down on the couch. "Scootaloo..." she muttered to herself. "...Don't make me regret this..."

~

Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped open when she heard a knocking on her hotel room door. Drowsy and noticing it was night out she climbed off the bed and to the door, opening it and finding Scootaloo outside with what looked to be a bag that belonged to Daring judging from the image on the clasp.

"Scootaloo? W-what's going on?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused why her friend would be here this late at night. Even odder still was how alert she looked.

"Oh, hey!" Scootaloo said with a cheerful smile. "Guess I forgot you were asleep!"

"Yeah, Amethyst and Dinky are in the other room, they offered to let me sleep in their room with them but... I kinda wanted to be by myself for now," the unicorn filly said softly, looking downcast and watery-eyed. Scootaloo immediately gave her friend a tight hug.

"Sweetie Belle, this wasn't your fault. We both know your sister loved you and she wouldn't wanna see you this way," Scootaloo said softly, drying her friend's tears. "Rarity was wonderful, she was sweet and generous, and you gotta remember that!"

"I know, I know," Sweetie Belle replied, "But it's so hard... the last time I saw her, was when that monster came! Sh-she told me and Apple Bloom to run as fast as we could to the river..." She returned the hug, sobbing. "Scootaloo, I miss her so much! And what if something happens to Apple Bloom because I let her go off by herself?"

"Applejack's gonna find her! One way or another, I know she will!" Scootaloo said gently. She wanted to cry, too, but she knew she had to be the strong one right now; both for her friend and for everypony else now that her aunt expected such an important mission out of her.

"She loves her sister just as much as she loved Big Mac... just as much as Rarity loved me..."

Scootaloo sighed a little. "I gotta admit I'm a little jealous. I kinda wish Aunt Daring was like that with me..."

"Scootaloo, she cares about you a lot!" Sweetie Belle replied quickly, her grief fading for a moment. "She just... she just wants you to be the best you can be. How many ponies can say they got an aunt as awesome as her? How many of the kids at school can say they go on adventures all the time?"

Scootaloo smiled. "I guess you're right. But now I've got a chance to prove I'm not a screw-up and make her proud!"

"Oh?" Sweetie Belle asked, cocking her head.

"Heh, right, kinda supposed to keep this to myself. That reminds me, why I came here!" Scootaloo said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "You got that zompony paper you, me and Apple Bloom came up with when we got scared of those stories about the cemetery?"

"Uh... back at home... why?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Ehhh..." Scootaloo laughed nervously. "Look, Aunt Daring's got me doing something that sorta requires crossing through there, I'd just feel a little less... uh... I mean a little more prepared if I have it, so can I go get it?"

"I guess..." Sweetie Belle looked concerned, but decided not to question what her friend was up to. If Daring wanted this kept secret and felt sure Scootaloo could handle this then she wouldn't press... she had already learned how bad she was at keeping secrets today, after all.

"Well, I should get going, then! Goodnight, Sweetie Belle! Remember, I'm always here for you!" Scootaloo said, smiling again and giving her friend another hug. "Cutie Mark Crusaders to the end!" she declared before heading back out the hotel doors.

"Goodnight," Sweetie Belle said softly as she slowly closed the door and looked out the window at the starry skies, hoping her friends... both of them... would be alright.

~

Her and her friends' personal invention tucked safely away in her bag, Scootaloo hummed to herself as she rode her scooter through town square and towards the exit that lead north to the Eclipse Castle, her next destination once she made it through the scary graveyard that stood between it and the town.

Seriously... how could a place that looks so peaceful in the day be so spooky at night? How does Zecora manage there... she wondered, only for her thoughts to come to a halt when she crashed into something, or more precisely somepony.

"Oh sorry about that!" Scootaloo said frantically, getting up and getting a look at the pony she'd run into.

It was a mare, around Applejack or Twilight's age, with a sky-blue coat. The turban and cloak she wore were certainly eye-catching, but she didn't seem like anypony Scootaloo recognized from Tazfilly. "It's alright," the pony said. "I wasn't watching where I was going!"

Scootaloo cocked her head. The pony's tone seemed friendly, but there was something off about it, something that sounded almost... forced.

"I was in a terrible hurry with my precious little angel Lulu here! She's just soooo tired!" she said, gesturing to a small darker blue unicorn filly about half Scootaloo's age with a crystal collar of some kind around her neck, a small engraving on the front of a star-tipped wand and a trail of smoke on it. The younger filly kept quiet, with a smile that looked as forced as the other pony's friendliness. "You wouldn't happen to know where a hotel might be, would you?" the mare asked.

"Oh, uh, sure!" Scootaloo said. "Right down that way!" she said pointing with her hoof. "We've had quite a day but there should be a room left!"

"Oh, thanks so much!" the mare said with a grin. "Come along, little Lulu! We have a lot to take care of tomorrow!" she said, walking to the direction of the inn. The unicorn filly slowly followed in silence, then paused for a moment, looking back at Scootaloo before running off to join her companion.

"Huh... well that was weird," Scootaloo mused, preparing to resume her trip to the castle.

"Pssst! Hey! Scootaloo! C'mere!" the pegasus filly paused as she turned to the source of the voice calling her and saw Diamond Tiara hiding behind the arch gateway leading into town.

"Diamond Tiara? What're you doing up this late?" Scootaloo asked, approaching.

"I could ask you the same thing, you know..." Diamond replied dryly. "Anyway, I gotta show you this!" she explained, sticking her head into a nearby bush and dragging out a bag with her teeth, laying it out in front of herself.

"Uhhh what is it?" Scootaloo asked, cocking her head.

The pink filly grinned and opened it, revealing a big pile of shiny yellow disks inside. "It's called "money"! Pretty awesome, don'cha think?"

"Uh, sure!" Scootaloo said with a smile, deciding to humor her classmate. "What's money?"

"You don't know what money is?!" Diamond Tiara asked indignantly, a silent pause later she rubbed her chin inquisitively with her hoof. "Well... honestly I don't know either. I've never seen anything like it before, but that pony said it's gonna start being in Tazfilly soon, and when she bought Berry Punch's fruit bushes she assured me that I'd not only be the first pony to have this "money" but I'd have more than anypony else, so I'm sure Berry Punch will get over it."

"So wait, you just... gave up somepony else's crop for those?" Scootaloo asked, growing concerned about the other filly's behavior.

"I mean, yeah, she seemed a little weird at first, but she was nice to me so I decided to trust her!" Diamond Tiara explained. "I mean, friends should trust one-another, right?"

"Yeah... I guess," Scootaloo replied, unsure how to respond.

"Good! Because now that I showed you this, we're obviously friends so I've decided to trust you with one more thing!" the pink filly said cheerfully, motioning for Scootaloo to follow as she took up the bag of money in her teeth and slung it onto Scootaloo's back and began leading her back into town square towards the well.

"Diamond Tiara? What's this all about?" Scootaloo asked as the other filly took the bag off her back and dropped it into the well bucket.

"Isn't it obvious?" Diamond Tiara asked. "That pony gave it to me! So it's mine, right?"

"Uh, if you wanna get technical it's Berry Punch's, those were her bushes you gave away for this stuff, so-"

"Fine, fine, whatever!" Diamond Tiara snapped, taking Scootaloo by surprise as she'd never seen her act this way before. "Mine! Hers! Mine! Point is, it's nopony else's! I can't let somepony run off with it while I tell Berry Punch about it! So, as my friend, can I trust you to keep this a secret between the two of us that it stays here until then?"

"O...kay," Scootaloo said with a nod.

"Great! I knew I could count on you!" Diamond Tiara replied, giving Scootaloo a quick hug and running off to her house.

"What is going on around here?!" Scootaloo wondered aloud as she returned to her scooter and got on, giving herself a boost and riding closer to the castle in the distance, only to come to an abrupt halt when she heard the sounds of an odd music. Looking up, Scootaloo noticed a large flying object hovering over her intended destination, and several small shapes descending from it...
> Spooks And Scoots
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Phew... that was close!" Scootaloo said to herself as she maneuvered her scooter past a few tombstones, leaving behind several zombie ponies stuck on sticky sheets of paper she'd left around. Aunt Daring would have to credit her for her initiative back there!

She had always been afraid zombie ponies would come out of the cemetery at night, what with it being so spooky and all, and the rumors of Eclipse Castle being haunted, she just hadn't expected them to be real! "Where are these things coming from?!" she wondered aloud as she flung another sheet of Zompony Paper at another partially decomposed pony that emerged from its grave.

"Scootalooooo...!" the zombie moaned, struggling in vain to get itself off the sticky paper, freezing the pegasus filly on her tracks.

"Y-yeah?" she asked nervously, looking back.

"You're... soooo mean...!" the zombie wailed in despair, flopping on its back in another failed attempt to get loose from the paper.

"How did that pony know my name...?" Scootaloo wondered to herself, not recalling any deaths in Tazfilly before Big Mac and Rarity. Wanting to get away from the zombie before it had the chance to successfully free itself, Scootaloo rushed her scooter further down through the cemetery to find her way to the castle.

A little further down, she heard the sound of fighting and getting closer, she saw a hooded figure fending off zombie ponies with a staff. Scootaloo's eyes widened as she recognized the figure.

"Zecora?!" Scootaloo cried out, covering her mouth when she realized her outburst got the zombie ponies' attention as well.

"This is no night for you, little child! The dead are getting rather wild!" Zecora called out, swinging her staff and decapitating a zombie pony. As its body collapsed to the ground, the zombie's head rolled away, purple ooze seeping from its mouth.

"Hang on!" Scootaloo rushed forward, reaching into her pack and throwing a smoke bomb out, blinding the zombie ponies while Zecora ducked away, taking advantage to strike another to the ground while Scootaloo leaped into the air, taking a pair of staples out and anchoring the last one into the ground, landing in front of it and smashing its face in with her scooter.

Zecora took a few breaths and looked around. "I am grateful young one, but you best leave. It would do no good to make Daring Do grieve."

"Aunt Daring sent me out here, Zecora!" Scootaloo insisted. "What's going on out here, anyway?!"

"I could not believe my eyes, purple ooze, then the dead began to rise!" Zecora answered, looking around for any signs of more walking dead.

"Wait, purple ooze?" Scootaloo asked, confused.

"Yes, strange ponies are the reason why, they came down from the hovering thing in the sky!" Zecora replied, gesturing to strange broken glass jars with an odd symbol on them.

"Hey, this symbol! It's just like the one on a book Applejack had found the other day!" Scootaloo said.

"Before I let you pass, why are you here, may I ask?" Zecora asked, looking Scootaloo over in confusion.

"I told you, Aunt Daring sent me! I gotta get into Eclipse Castle and find something she needs me to get!"

Zecora gave the filly a skeptical look. It seemed rather rash of Daring to put this much faith in a child, especially after all that had happened. If Daring Do had sent her, the explorer must have been pretty confident the filly could handle whatever errand she put her on, or she was very desperate. "Very well, the bridge is out, but follow me. We'll take my passage and be there in a hurry."

Grinning, Scootaloo followed the zebra into the small hut at the edge of the cemetery. Opening the door, Zecora let the filly inside and took one last look around before hurriedly closing it behind her.

"This way," Zecora said abruptly, pushing her bed aside and revealing a stairway leading down into a dimly lit corridor.

"Thanks!" Scootaloo replied with a smile, eager to proceed.

The zebra looked down at her for a moment before giving a slow nod. "This will take us to Eclipse Castle. Follow me..."

~

"This is so weird, who are these ponies? What do they want with us?" Scootaloo suddenly asked as she followed Zecora through the dank tunnel.

"Odd things have happened before now, I have heard," Zecora said simply, not bothering with a rhyme.

"Yeah, some ponies in weird costumes, they made one of the hippos from the river into some kinda monster! And we found this book, somepony wants them to do that to more animals! And then... whatever got Big Mac and Rarity..." Scootaloo flinched, remembering how heartbroken Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were. "And now those jars with that symbol! They gotta be the ones who made that happen, too! But what did we ever do to them? Why are they doing these things?"

"Daring trusting you to go to the castle is rather strange, I'd have thought it past your range," Zecora said.

"That's not true!" Scootaloo snapped indignantly as she continued to follow. "I can handle this! I..." she paused and looked down at the sludgy ground. "...I don't get it, either. She usually thinks I'm a total screw-up. I know she's still got a broken wing, but... trusting me with this?"

"Desperation, perhaps it's true... or what she asks, is also important to you," Zecora said, stopping and holding her hoof out, urging Scootaloo to do the same. "Before we go, there are things I wish to know,"

"Whaddya mean?" the filly asked.

"How have you been, with all that has happened?" Zecora asked. "Your friends, have you spent time with them since the funeral? Or even before?"

Scootaloo paused, having not expected the question or that Zecora would speak normally. "...Not a lot, I mean, I've been with Aunt Daring most of the day because she wanted me ready for this. I saw Sweetie Belle when I was leaving and I haven't seen Apple Bloom since before the funeral..."

"Indeed, Applejack and Twilight went to look for Apple Bloom, they still have not returned," Zecora said.

"Do you think...?" Scootaloo began.

"I don't know what to think, child. I can only hope she will be alright. Two dear friends is far too many losses for anypony," Zecora said. "How was Sweetie Belle?"

Scootaloo pawed the floor a bit, looking down at it dejectedly. "She's still..." the filly sighed. "I wanna help, I really do, but I don't know how that's like. I don't even remember my mom and dad so I don't really think about them, but Sweetie Belle... she lost her sister who was the only family she had!" Scootaloo fell to her haunches. "I feel bad I can't really get what that feels like. Aunt Daring just tells me not to think about it, because more important stuff is at hoof."

"You've barely had time to mourn our loss, your friend needs you but your aunt sends you on a mission like this by yourself?" Zecora asked.

"She had no choice, though! With her wing broken and bad stuff happening before she can get better she needed to count on me! I know I can do this!" Scootaloo protested, stomping her hoof and putting on a bold look. "I'm alright, I promise, I--"

Scootaloo could not hold back her tears much longer. Collapsing to her haunches again, the filly began to weep. "Sweetie Belle can barely handle herself now, I gotta be the strong one for her, and I gotta do this mission for Aunt Daring but I don't know for sure if I can... but I can't let her down, too!"

Zecora came over and put her foreleg around the filly, hugging her. "Sweetie Belle is very fortunate to have you for a friend, Scootaloo. Be happy for that," she said, brushing away the young pegasus' tears. "As for Daring Do, she is a remarkable explorer, but she is not very good at handling emotions, both her own and those of others. Perhaps she means well, but I feel she is expecting too much of you right now."

"Well... whether she is or not, I can't mess this up. She acted like... like it'd be the end of the world for all of us if I didn't get this done!" Scootaloo insisted, wiping away the last of her tears.

"When you can, you'd do well to speak with her. She is stubborn but if she cares, I'm certain she will listen. I hope you are free to recover after it is done. " Zecora looked down the tunnel ahead. "For now, let us proceed, so you may get whatever it is you need."

Scootaloo hugged the zebra, smiling and giving a nod before she resumed following her through the tunnels.

~

"Whoa... it's a lot creepier up close!" Scootaloo said, staring at the dark, dreary castle that now loomed over them.

"The gates are closed, I fear. Perhaps, however, another way is near?" Zecora asked with a small smile, looking past Scootaloo at a nearby wall.

Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo walked over to the wall, tapping it with her hoof and glancing up. With a smile, she took out some staples and began anchoring them into it, pulling herself up as though they were claws. Reaching the top, she turned and looked down at Zecora, realizing she'd have to leave her behind.

"Hurry now, little filly! Do not worry about me!" Zecora called up, looking over in the distance, where the strange floating object hovered with several more shapes descending from it.

"Uhh... Zecora?" Scootaloo asked, pausing as she looked at an open window ahead. "I-is it true the castle's haunted?"

"Very much so, little one!" Zecora replied back. "But do not be scared, some are quite fun!" she said with a small chuckle before heading back to the tunnel.

"Why does that not make me feel much better?" the filly wondered aloud as she slowly headed to the dark window and climbed in.

~

The inside of the castle was dark, only a few candles and the moonlight shining through some of the other windows giving it any illumination. Columns and arches held cracks and missing chunks, cobwebs lined walls, dusty curtains, and old statues left behind and neglected for who knew how many years by Scootaloo's account. The filly could hear a faint organ music echoing from somewhere within the castle's walls but she wasn't sure where, and the lit candles gave even more indication that somepony had to be living here despite it supposedly having been abandoned for so long... if anything a good deal longer then her Aunt Daring could have recalled.

"Heh, it's okay, Scootaloo! Zecora was just pulling your leg! There can't be any-- G-GHOSTS!!!" Scootaloo wailed when a white, translucent pony suddenly emerged from the wall and loomed in front of her, its blank empty black eyes staring down at her as it let out an ominous moan.

"D-don't hurt me, Mister Ghost!" Scootaloo pleaded, cowering and struggling to find something, anything in her bag that could help and yanked out the first thing she got her hoof on and held it out in front of her.

The ghost paused and suddenly cocked its head. "Ohmygosh! It's you! I've heard so much about you I'm such a fan!" it boomed, rearing in excitement.

"Huh?" Scootaloo wondered, opening her eyes and realizing she was holding the Scary Mask in front of herself.

"Wow, I didn't expect the Headless Horse herself would come to our little abode!" the ghost said. "Come on! I'll take you to the kitchen! Do you like rotten eclairs? We got loads of them!"

Scootaloo gagged at the thought of eating anything rotten. "Uhhh no thanks," she said sheepishly. "Sounds... great, though! Actually... I was sorta wondering if there's any special treasures here in the castle?"

The ghost pony paused and looked back at her. "Depends. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just... I want a souvenir! Plus what pony's gonna try and steal from me, right?" Scootaloo replied, making sure the blank sheet of paper on the end of the stick continued to hide her head from the phantom's sight.

The ghost pony rubbed its chin in thought. "...Maybe if the Princess says it's okay."

"Princess? You have a princess?" Scootaloo asked, almost dropping the Scary Mask in confusion. Daring had said nothing about any princess. The idea of these ghosts having a boss she'd have to talk to made her shiver a little.

"Sorta. I mean we don't really talk but she's cool, you know! We haunt the place, she hangs out, everypony wins!" the ghost replied.

"So... where can I find her?" Scootaloo asked. "I... uh, bet she'll be really excited to meet a ghost as famous as me, right?"

The ghost pony laughed. "She hangs out on the upper floors, gotta keep the treasure safe, right? Still, you're gonna need a way up there, it's a bit tricky. Come on down and hang with us, there's a ghost who sells stuff for food, he may have something."

"Uhhh..." Scootaloo paused, shivering a little at the idea of being around a lot of ghosts.

"Rotten eclairs, Headless. Rotten. Eclairs!" the ghost pony said as though it were the greatest thing ever and gliding down the hall towards some stairs leading down.

~

"Okay, you guys have been great, really! But I really gotta go!" Scootaloo insisted, struggling to hold up the Scary Mask and carry the rotten eclairs no less then nine other ghost ponies had insisted on sharing with her in the mold-ridden, messy kitchen. Their foul odor combined with the piles of food way past its expiration was becoming far too much for the filly and all she wanted to do was get as far away from this party as possible and resume her search.

"Aw c'mon, Headless! You have no idea what an honor this is to us!" a ghost pony insisted, hovering sadly in front of her.

Scootaloo laughed nervously. "Guys, I appreciate all you've done. Really, I do! Just... I really need to go, now and talk to the Princess!"

The ghosts all moaned in disappointment, frowning and turning away.

"Fine, just go find Sure Sale in the next room up, he can give you a way to get up there," the ghost pony Scootaloo met in the halls said.

"Thanks!" the filly replied. "I... had a lot of fun, really I did! I'll... be sure to eat these on the trip back home!" with a quick wave, Scootaloo hurried up the stairs and out of sight.

"...You know that was just some foal hiding her face with a piece of paper, right?" one of the ghosts asked the first one.

"Oh, I know. Had a bet going with the others over how long till she lost her lunch!" the first ghost said with a hearty laugh.

"You're horrible!" the second ghost chuckled, playfully shoving his friend. "...Now c'mon! Let's have ourselves a toast!" he declared, gesturing to the other ghosts who held up glasses of old wine before drinking it up, staining the floor even more in the process.

~

Scootaloo stared in disbelief at the ghost pony before her that ranted about a red snake sleeping on a blanket with several other wares he was selling. "You're... kidding, right?"

"Not at all, missy! For a limited time only we got this Rope Snake, guaranteed to help carry you wherever you need to go!" the ghost explained, before leaning in as if telling a secret. "And just between us, he was a pet of the bearer of the Element of Kindness, so I'm talking authentic stuff, here!"

"Pfft! I got wings what do I need it for?" Scootaloo asked indignantly.

"Those tiny things? Riiiiiight, kid. Don't need you joining our ranks that young from trying to cross the gap up ahead," the ghost said.

Scootaloo frowned at the ghost, a little hurt even though he had a point.

"Eh, sorry kid. I'm sure you'll bloom into a great flyer one day, but it's clearly not this one. And just for you, I'm throwing in a special deal!" the ghost pony explained.

"Yeah, what?" Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"I can smell those rotten eclairs at the bottom of the stairs there, kiddo! How's about you carry 'em up here and this little guy's all yours!"

Scootaloo grimaced, not wanting to be near those smelly things again. "Can't you just go get them?"

"I could but then what's to stop you from robbing me blind, hm? I'm dead, not stupid!" the ghost responded, narrowing his black eyes in suspicion at the filly.

"Fine! I'll get them for you!" Scootaloo replied indignantly, rushing back downstairs and returning moments later with an old sack filled with putrid, foul-smelling rotten food and dropping it in front of the ghost with a sickening splat. The ghost pony grinned from ear to ear and yanked the bag open, marveling at its contents. "Sold, kiddo!" he said, the red snake yawning and looking over at Scootaloo.

Scootaloo managed a smile as the snake looked at her lazily and extended her hoof out to it. "Hey, I'm Scootaloo, guess we're gonna be--GAH!!!" the filly cried out as the snake suddenly, quick as a flash slithered up her foreleg, around her barrel, and snuggled itself into her pack.

"He likes you already, kid! Good luck, just be ready when you reach the top floor!" the ghost said, already stuffing his face with rotten eclairs. Shaking her head in disgust, Scootaloo went into a full gallop and charged up the stairs, heading deeper into the castle.

~

"Phew... this must be what they were talking about!" Scootaloo said as she looked ahead of her. A decent chunk of the floor ahead had collapsed in on itself, leaving a hole that went down at least four or five floors. The distance ahead was too far for her to jump, even with the limited flying that she could manage, and the hole reached both walls, making it impossible to walk around it. Noticing a chandelier above that seemed to be attached to the ceiling, the filly knew what she had to do. "Hey, Rope Snake! You ready?" she asked, looking into her bag. Movement followed by the snake's head poking out confirmed it had heard her. "Think you can help me get across here?"

The snake flicked out its tongue and looked up at the chandelier before slithering out of the bag it had deemed its home and wrapped itself around Scootaloo's right foreleg. Turning its head to the chandelier then back to Scootaloo, it stared at her expectantly. Realizing what it wanted, Scootaloo took a step back, reared onto her hind legs and thrust her foreleg out. The snake loosened its grip around her and lashed out, biting down onto the chandelier while keeping its tail tightly wrapped around the filly, using her momentum to swing them across and letting go after Scootaloo landed on the other side.

"Wow! You're so awesome! Thanks!" Scootaloo said, nuzzling the Rope Snake affectionately before it returned the gesture and slithered back into her pack. The moment was interrupted, however, by a strange clanking sound. Scootaloo turned and yelped at the sight of one of the suits of armor in the hall, surrounded by an aura of blue magic, that had come to life and began to approach her.

"Oh no! What do I do what do I do what do I do?!" Scootaloo fumbled in her bag and pulled out the Scary Mask, holding it in front of her face, struggling to slow her breathing and hoping it'd work. The haunted suit of armor paused a moment, staring at her before suddenly swatting it away and lunging for her. Scootaloo jumped out of the way, barely dodging it and trying to find something else to use. Fishing out the hypno-pendulum, Scootaloo struggled to sway it back and forth in front of the armor, where she assumed its eyes had to be. The animated suit stood there for a moment before swatting it away as well. Teeth chattering, sweat running down her neck, Scootaloo swung her hoof out as hard as she could and smacked the armor suit's helmet clean off, the rest of the suit collapsing immediately after and the magical aura fading from it.

"What the...?!" Scootaloo stared at the smashed armor, inside there was a small piece of paper with a goofy pair of eyes and a tongue drawn on it.



Gotcha!



Before Scootaloo could process this odd discovery, she heard a filly's laughter down the hall. Looking in the source of the laugh, she saw what looked to be a figure in a blue hooded cloak, pointing and laughing at her.

"You shoulda seen the look on your face! Priceless!" the hooded figure said, snickering.

"Who are you?!" Scootaloo asked, a little annoyed after what she'd just gone through.

"None'a your business." the figure replied, pulling back her hood and causing Scootaloo to gasp in surprise.

It was a pink unicorn filly, maybe about her age, with a spiky purple mane with a blue stripe running down the middle. Her eyes were a brilliant sky blue. The filly smirked mischievously at her then suddenly galloped off down the hall.

"Hey! Come back here!" Scootaloo shouted, rushing after her. The other filly looked back at her then ran through a door, closing it behind her. Catching up and opening the door, Scootaloo found a winding staircase before her. Her ears perked at the sound of whistling and she looked up, seeing the pink filly already at the top, waving down at her before disappearing into a corridor the stairs lead up to. Gritting her teeth, Scootaloo rushed up the stairs as fast as she could, only to stop dead on her tracks at the door when something that shined in the moonlight from the skylight above caught her eye.

Leaning down, Scootaloo picked up the small, shiny trinket and looked it over. "Some kinda necklace?" she wondered aloud. "Is this what Aunt Daring wanted?" Looking at the door ahead, Scootaloo shook her head. This was way too easy and she didn't want Daring to get mad at her for bringing back the wrong thing.

Nudging the door open, Scootaloo was greeted with another dark hallway, and she quickly noticed the organ music she'd heard earlier was much louder, now... its source possibly behind the large, wooden doors up ahead. Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo marched forward, her thoughts returning to the filly she'd seen earlier. She wasn't anypony she'd seen before, and she didn't look like a ghost, either...

"Who is she?!" the pegasus wondered. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she realized she now stood right in front of the door, the music booming from the other side. If she was going to get answers, and make sure she found the treasure Daring wanted, she'd have to keep going.

Pushing the doors open, Scootaloo found herself in a large room, bare of furniture because whatever had filled it was now currently spinning in a whirlwind at the center of the room, which the music she'd been hearing seemed to somehow be coming from. Hovering at the top of the whirlwind was a pegasus ghost pony, swaying his hooves back and forth in rhythm to the music. His mane was styled in long white curls and he wore a black tailed coat, a content smile on his face as he seemed completely unaware of the filly's presence as she drew closer. Through the whirlwind she could see a door ahead, but as soon as she tried to get closer she felt her hooves leave the ground and she found herself spinning out of control in the air.

"HELP! STOP! STOP! PUT ME DOWN! STOP! PLEASE!" the filly cried out, flailing her legs and flapping her wings helplessly as she tried in vain to escape. This seemed to catch the ghost pony's attention as he suddenly looked down at her and the winds died down.

"What is the meaning of this, interrupting my illustrious music?" the ghost pony practically sang out in a dramatic, cultured tone that would make Rarity sound uncivil, glaring angrily at Scootaloo who now lay on her back, smiling up at him in embarrassment.

"Sorry... uh... sir... I was--" Scootaloo began.

"Hut-tutututututttt!" the ghost pony cut in, shaking his hoof in a silencing manner. "I am no mere "sir", I happen to be the legendary, renowned, and adored composer Passionario Concertio!" he declared, raising one hoof up into the air with the other over his chest as he gave the most dramatic pronunciation of his name.

"That's... great, look, I'm sorry I interrupted you, I just need to--"

"You are not wowed by my spectacular music?!" the ghost protested, clearly offended.

"I-I am! Just, I need to--"

"Then you have no business interrupting iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit~!" he declared, singing out the final word.

"I need to go through here, alright?" Scootaloo asked, worrying where this was going.

"Im-possible! A second longer delays my arrrrrrrrrrrrt~! I can't, neigh, I shan't be derailed by your cacophonous warbling and philistine convictions any longer, foal! Prrrrrrrrrrepare yourself!"

Raising his hooves, the whirlwind began to form again, surrounding the ghost and creating a haunting classical music in the process. "Passionario Concertio has no tolerance for your lack of appreciation for true art! Allow me to perform an lesson for youuuuuuu~!"

Scootaloo ran as quickly as she could to a corner of the room, barely avoiding a flying piano that swept narrowly past her. The ghost belted out a proud, operatic note as he raised his hoof up, and aimed at the cowering filly, who quickly fished into her bag and flung several smoke pellets at the ground. Several instruments flew straight at the cloud of smoke as it was sucked away, revealing nothing within.

"Whaaaaaaaat~?!" Passionario sang out in confusion as he directed his whirlwind away and looked around the room, searching within the debris for any trace of the filly. "Come out, come out, wherever you are, Passionario Concertio knows you cannot have gone faaaaaaaaaaar~!" the ghost musician sang in a majestic tenor as he increased the power of the whirlwind beneath him, sucking up more debris into the musical funnel.

From within a fireplace, propping herself in the chimney to avoid falling down the hole at the bottom, Scootaloo shuddered, unsure of what to do, now. That storm was way too dangerous to get near, and she didn't know how she'd be able to hurt a ghost... the filly's eyes widened when the thought of a storm came to mind and she remembered what she'd brought from Daring's house just in case.

A smile spread on Scootaloo's face as an idea came. Taking out the small bug-shaped whistle Scootaloo blew as hard as she could. The piercing noise echoed through the fireplace and all around the room, causing the ghost pony to cover his ears in disgust, his cyclone growing all the more erratic.

"Stop this! Stop this horrendous screeching at once! I cannot forgive such an offense to the fine arts!" Passionario shouted in a rage, only to be met with another piercing whistle that caused him to look around more frantically for Scootaloo. "Prepare yourself, filly! For I shall obliterate you with everything but the kitchen sink!" he shouted, letting out a furious whinny and the winds build up, taking everything in the room into it.

Quickly, Scootaloo dropped out of the fireplace and flung a small gray cloud into the tornado and immediately ducked back in. The moment the cloud was sucked into the vortex the entire cyclone suddenly turned a dark gray like the cloud had been, lightning crackling all throughout it.

"Wh-whaaaaaa?! What is this?!" the ghost pony protested as currents of lightning erupted from the funnel and blasted him. Passionario screamed out as lightning bolts electrocuted him over and over again, managing one last beautiful tenor note before suddenly dissolving away into thin air, the tornado and the music it created fading along with him.

As soon as everything went silent, Scootaloo cautiously emerged from the fireplace and let out a deep sigh of relief. With the ghost gone, the way ahead was clear. Pushing a discarded kitchen sink out of the way, Scootaloo galloped down the hallway ahead and into the next room.

~

"OHMYGOSH! This has to be it!" Scootaloo beamed as she entered a small room, a pony's face and odd, tiny carvings of ponies in various, peculiar poses on the opposite wall. This was not what had gained the filly's attention, however. Rather, it was the shining, silvery urn in front of her. Beautiful topaz and sapphire gems adorned its sides, framed by glittering gold strokes. It was so gorgeous that the filly couldn't help but stare at it for a moment. There was no doubt in the world that this had to be what her aunt had sent her for. Picking it up, Scootaloo marveled at how it sparkled in the dim light. there was a carving of the sun on one side, the moon on the other, with writing on either end though it didn't look like any she had seen before.

"Wonder what it's for? Guess I'll have to ask Aunt Daring when I get back!" Scootaloo said, stowing it in her backpack and heading back into the other room to the fireplace she'd found the hole in. "Let's hope you're a shortcut!" she said, taking out more staples and preparing for the trip back down.

Reaching as far down as the hole went, Scootaloo emerged from another fireplace in a large room with a double door in front of her. A worn, tattered rug lay spread across the floor and an unlit chandelier hung above, two halls leading left and right on either side. "Must be the way out!" Rushing forward with excitement at ending her mission, the filly charged the doors and bucked them open, greeted by sunshine and a green courtyard outside. It was already morning.

"Good morning, little Scootaloo! Have fun making it through?" Zecora asked from one of the corners of the courtyard, where she was plucking herbs off a bush.

"Wait, were you there all night?" Scootaloo asked, cocking her head in confusion.

"It may have been a bit lonely, but it beats seeing another zombie pony!" Zecora said with a laugh. "I hear no noise they're probably gone. Perhaps they do not like the sun."

"Good to know!" Scootaloo said, trotting with excitement. "I found what Aunt Daring wanted, so I should probably be heading back, now!"

"Take a way that is more fast, so you can return to her at last!" Zecora replied, approaching the drawbridge of the castle and taking a key from her saddlebag, placing it into a lock and immediately with a grinding, creaking groan the drawbridge lowered and opened the way out from the castle.

"Wow! Thanks so much, Zecora!" Scootaloo said, rushing over and giving the zebra a hug and then running across the bridge at a full gallop back to Tazfilly Village. The filly had a lot of questions on her mind from what she'd seen, and about what she'd retrieved, but one thing she knew was certain...

"Aunt Daring's gonna be SO proud!"