The next day, after a couple hours of strenuous work to repair the bridge, it was finally done.
“See? The magic isn’t so bad,” Sunset said. “Look what you managed to accomplish!”
“Okay, I’ll admit, that was pretty awesome!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Please, please, please can we do a run-through for the fashion show on it right this minute?” Rarity pleaded.
“Thought you weren’t finished with the stitching on your poncho,” Applejack said.
“I am now,” Rarity said, holding up the completed poncho.
“Get started without me. I’ve gotta go find Twilight. Seeing what we’ve been able to do might make her embrace the new magic, too! Uh… not that she has any.”
The girls gave her quizzical looks, but Sunset didn’t want to waste any more time. She quickly dashed off into the woods, leaving the others to prep for their dress rehearsal.
“Hey, Fluttershy. Great work on the bridge.”
Fluttershy turned around to see her handsome boyfriend behind her, immediately making her smile.
“Thanks,” Fluttershy said. “And thanks for your help.”
“Me? I mean, I didn’t really do much,” Coppermane said. “I tried, but I’m not gifted with magic like you.”
“Well, you helped earlier, right?” Fluttershy asked.
“Before Sunset came along, yeah,” Coppermane said.
Fluttershy giggled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “So you did help, and we’re all very grateful!”
Coppermane blushed. “Well, you’re welcome, then. I just wish I could be more useful. I won’t lie… I kind of wish I had magic too.”
“Coppermane, you don’t need magic to be amazing,” Fluttershy said, taking his hand. “I’ve told you that.”
“Yeah… but it still doesn’t change a thing when you and your friends save the world time and time again,” Coppermane said. “I think it’s amazing when you defeat such powerful beings, and I think you’re absolutely gorgeous when you pony up. I just wish I could be as amazing as you. Be the guy you deserve.”
Coppermane tried keeping a smile on his face, but Fluttershy saw through it like glass. The jealousy and longing in his eyes was crystal clear.
“Coppermane, I don’t care if you’re not magical,” Fluttershy said. “I didn’t ask for these powers. It just kind of… happened. To all of us. Sometimes it’s great, but sometimes I wish I could just be a normal girl again. All this magic… it just gets in the way.”
“Fluttershy, you and your friends are gifted in a way that’s unheard of,” Coppermane said. “It’s the stuff of fantasy.”
Fluttershy sighed. “But we can’t control it. I can’t help but think about one of us getting hurt because of it. Like… like you.”
Coppermane felt the warmth of Fluttershy’s hand on his heart. He looked into her eyes, and saw the gift and burden of wielding such an otherworldly force. Especially for such a delicate girl…
“I never thought about it being such a burden to you,” Coppermane said. “Sorry.”
Fluttershy offered a warm smile. “It’s okay. You couldn’t really understand, could you?”
“I guess not,” Coppermane said.
“Coppermane, whether you have magic or not, I will always love you,” Fluttershy said taking his hands and giving him a smooch. “Forever and always.”
Coppermane’s face went rosy red, and he returned Fluttershy’s kiss.
“And I’ll always love you,” Coppermane said. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
Fluttershy felt her face heat up, which she could only assume meant she mirrored her prince’s rosy cheeks. Her vision caught sight of their wrists, adorned with the bracelets Coppermane made for them. A sight that warmed Fluttershy’s beating heart, the words “I love you” spelled clearly for her on her bracelet.
She gave Coppermane a big hug, to which he immediately reciprocated.
No matter what, they always had each other.
“Oh, one more thing,” Coppermane said.
“Yes?”
“If you’re alright with me asking… what did you dream about last night?” Coppermane asked. “You seemed terrified, even for you.”
“Fluttershy, darling! You have to get dressed!”
Fluttershy looked over to see Rarity waving at her.
“We can talk later,” Coppermane said. “Go make yourself look pretty.”
“O-Okay,” Fluttershy stammered, blushing profusely. And with a quick kiss, Fluttershy rushed over to Rarity to get dressed.
Coppermane couldn’t wait to see what Fluttershy would be wearing.
Everyone stood on the runway dressed and ready to go for their rehearsal.
“Wow,” Coppermane said. “You look amazing, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy’s face went bright red, contrasting her green, spring outfit.
“Aww, thank you,” Fluttershy said. She had to remember to thank Rarity later!
“Oh, Coppermane. Fluttershy told me all about the bracelet you made for her,” Rarity said.
“She did?” Coppermane asked, his face heating up.
Rarity nodded. "I think it’s the most adorable thing in the world! And you have matching ones! I simply can’t get over how cute you two are!”
“Um… thanks,” Coppermane said, rubbing his neck. Fluttershy just giggled and gave him a smooch on the cheek.
“Where are Twilight and Sunset? They’re missing our dress rehearsal,” Rarity said. “I guess we can start without them. Whenever you’re ready!”
DJ Pon-3 gave a thumbs-up before starting the music.
“This is only a preview. I’ve got another entire line I’ll debut at the real thing,” Rarity said.
Suddenly, with a sharp record scratch, the music came to a halt.
“Why did you stop the—?” Rarity’s heart dropped, as did everyone else’s. “Oh my goodness!”
Attention, campers!
“It’s Gaea Everfree!” Trixie cried.
“She’s real!”
“We’re doomed!”
“Gloriosa?!” Timber beckoned. “What are you doing?!”
“That’s Gloriosa?” Applejack asked. “Am I goin’ crazy, or are her feet not touchin’ the ground?”
“Freaky-deaky!” Pinkie exclaimed.
I have an announcement to make! Filthy Rich wants this to be the last session of Camp Everfree. But don’t worry. I’ve got this!
Before everyone’s eyes, the entire camp was surrounded by foliage. The ground tremored as brambles erupted from the ground, towering over every structure in the camp, man-made and natural. Gloriosa hovered around, taunting kids as she continued her work. Tearing down a bramble only caused it to grow back in an instant. An evil cackle caused brambles to sprout around many of the buildings, even ensnaring some of the students. A dome of thorns trapped everyone inside the perimeter. Gloriosa remained at the top of the dome, slowly but surely sealing the gap of sunlight.
Fluttershy sighed. “Oh, why do these kinds of things always happen to us?”
“What are we going to do?” Rarity asked.
“What we always do!” Rainbow said, holding her hand out to Rarity. “Save the day!”
“Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh boy! This is gonna be so much fun!” Pinkie cheered. “I only wish we had time to make superhero capes!”
“Oh, me, too!” Rarity said.
“Enough about our wardrobe!” Rainbow shouted. “We’ve got to stop Gloriosa from trapping everyone in here!”
Springing into action, the girls rushed around doing their best to tear down the bramble dome.
“Fluttershy, what can I do?” Coppermane asked.
“What?”
“You’re the one with the superpowers,” Coppermane said. “What can I do to help?”
Fluttershy bit her lip. The look in Coppermane’s eyes was serious. But what could he really do?
“Coppermane… just… please be safe…”
“Fluttershy I want to help,” Coppermane said. “I made a promise. That I’d never let anyone hurt you.”
“Coppermane, please,” Fluttershy pleaded.
A scream from Lyra and Bon Bon pierced the air as brambles attacked them, but Rarity intercepted them with a crystal. The use of her superpowers caused her to pony up. In the blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash zipped through, scooping up Lyra and Bon Bon and carrying them to safety. Rainbow’s powers caused her to pony up too.
Fluttershy spotted some gophers behind her, and knew how she could play her part.
“Um, hi,” Fluttershy said. “Do you think you can give us a hand— um, er, paw? We could really use a way out.”
Her animal-speaking caused her to pony up, earning an astonished look from Coppermane. She blushed when Coppermane gave her a smile, and even more so when he kissed her cheek.
“You’re so amazing,” Coppermane said.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Applejack used her super-strength to hoist a giant boulder up, chucking it at the bramble wall as she ponied up. Likewise, Pinkie used her sprinkle grenades to open a cavity in the bramble wall, and like the rest of her friends, she ponied up too.
But as quickly as they were created, the wall cavities were sealed up by more brambles. The holes created by the gophers were filled with brambles, blocking yet another escape route.
“This isn’t working! Her magic is too strong!” Applejack cried out.
Why are you fighting me?! Gloriosa bellowed. I’m doing this to save our camp! I’m doing this for you!
“Gloriosa, let’s just think about this for a moment, shall we?” Rarity stammered. “I mean, I think Camp Everfree is absolutely delightful, but I just don’t know that I’m quite ready to give up my weekly trips to the spa.”
To the spa…? TO THE SPA?!
“Gloriosa, this isn’t the way!” Timber cried.
I appreciate your concern, Timber, but I got this!
“Agh!” Timber cried out as the brambles tightened around him. “No, you don’t! Please, Gloriosa! What you’re doing is crazy! You have to listen to me!”
“That isn’t Gloriosa!”
The girls looked to see…
“Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed.
“Sunset!” Applejack shouted.
“You’re okay!” Rainbow cheered.
“That isn’t your sister,” Sunset proclaimed. “It’s someone who’s been consumed by Equestrian magic.”
Timber sneered at the magic-consumed entity. “Whoever you are, you have to let my sister go! Please, Gloriosa, come back! I need you!” The entity leered as the brambles smothered Timber. “Gloriosa!”
With one more cry, Timber was completely trapped by the brambles.
“Coppermane!” Fluttershy called out, running up to him. “Please, Coppermane. Get to safety. If you get hurt…”
“No, Fluttershy. I’m not leaving you.”
“Coppermane, I’m sorry, but you don’t have magic!” Fluttershy shouted.
Fluttershy bit her lip, realizing what she just said. She could see the impact of her words in his eyes. A mix of jealousy and hurt.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” Fluttershy said.
A cackle from Gloriosa shook the very earth.
“Go, Coppermane!”
Coppermane stayed put for a moment, gritting his teeth. Fluttershy could see the desire to help in his eyes, but what she said was the truth. He didn’t have the capabilities she and her friends did. With a huff, he began running to the lodge.
Fluttershy just stood and watched, feeling some ice in her heart as she watched Coppermane’s walk to the lodge.
“I-I’m sorry, Coppermane,” Fluttershy cooed.
Coppermane looked back, and Fluttershy could feel the ice in his eyes. But his look turned from frustrated to panicked, and he began dashing back.
“Coppermane, what did I just say?!” Fluttershy yelled.
“Fluttershy, look out!”
Fluttershy looked down to see brambles sprouting at her feet. She screamed and tried running.
“Fluttershy, no!”
She turned around, but was sent tumbling to the ground as Coppermane shoved her out of the way. She landed with a thud, but a yelp from her loved one caused her to look back up. Hoisted into the air by a big bramble was Coppermane, squirming in its grasp.
“Coppermane! No!”
“Fluttershy, go! Save yourself!”
“No, I won’t leave you!”
“I’ll be fine! Just go!”
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow shouted. “C’mon!”
Fluttershy tried to resist, but Rainbow was much stronger than her, and was able to pull her back to regroup with her friends. Her gaze remained fixated on Coppermane as he struggled in the bramble’s grasp.
All Fluttershy could focus on was Coppermane, trapped by the plants. He stopped struggling when he made eye contact with her. Fluttershy couldn’t stop a tear from falling out of her eye.
“Look out!”
A bundle of brambles lashed out at the group, and Rarity formed a crystal bubble around them for protection, officially cutting Fluttershy off from her lover.
“No! Coppermane!” Fluttershy cried, pounding against the crystal.
“Fluttershy, stop!” Rainbow shouted.
“She’s hurting him! We have to save him!” Fluttershy screamed. “Please!”
“If this barrier goes down, we go down!” Applejack said.
“But… Coppermane…”
She gasped when she heard Coppermane yelp, as well as movement from what she could only assume was the bramble that carried him.
How cute. You get yourself captured to save the one you love.
“Gloriosa! Stop this!” he cried. “Leave my friends alone!”
I’m only doing this to save the camp! Why don’t any of you understand?!
“Agh!”
Every scream from Coppermane, every minute of being separated from him, was like a knife through Fluttershy’s heart.
“What are you doing to him?!” Fluttershy yelled.
“You won’t get away with this, Gloriosa!” Coppermane said.
Oh, I will. I can do whatever I want! So much power... I'm unstoppable!!!
Suddenly, Coppermane cried out, piercing the air of Camp Everfree before it ended with a loud crash. All that followed was silence.
“Coppermane... no. No! NO!!! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!!!!” Fluttershy screamed, pounding against the crystal barrier.
“I can’t keep this up forever!” Rarity yelled. “Fluttershy, please!”
Applejack pulled Fluttershy away from the barrier, whom was drowning in her own desperate tears.
Sunset turned to Twilight. “It’s up to you. You can use your magic to pull the brambles apart!”
“No,” Twilight said. “There’s too many of them. It would take too much magic. I can’t!”
“It’s the only way!” Sunset said. “You have to embrace the magic inside you!”
“What if she takes over?” Twilight cried. “What if instead of saving everyone, Midnight Sparkle only makes things worse?”
“That won’t happen! We won’t let it,” Sunset said.
Twilight looked around, and her friends gave her smiles. Even Fluttershy, despite her state.
Taking a deep breath, Twilight went deep inside, calling upon the spark of magic within her. And Midnight Sparkle was right there waiting for her.
“You will never control me! I will always be a part of you!”
“NO!”
“Twilight, listen to me!” Sunset commanded, appearing before her. “You are in charge!”
“You are a light, darling!” Rarity called out. “A force for good!”
“Yeah!” Rainbow shouted. “You can kick the darkness’s butt!”
“We’re here for you, Twilight!” Pinkie said.
“And we’ll be here, no matter what!” Applejack said.
“We believe in you!” Fluttershy said.
All her friends… they were here…
“You are not Midnight Sparkle!” Sunset cried.
Twilight summoned all her strength, fighting with every fiber of her being, embracing the light within her.
“No! I am Twilight Sparkle! And the magic I carry inside me is… the Magic of Friendship!”
In a flash of light, Twilight ponied up, and flew around, clearing the brambles.
What?! No! Stop!
Twilight tapped into her magic, and used everything she had against Gloriosa. The burst was enough to shatter the necklace around her neck, freeing her from the clutches of Equestrian magic.
The necklace shattered into seven fragments, each of which levitated to one of the girls. They reached out to them, and formed a circle hand in hand. The magic surrounded them, and gave them new forms, gaining new outfits, growing ears, ponytails, and crystal-like wings. A field of energy surrounded them, and with another flash, the remaining brambles were eradicated. The girls descended to the ground, each with a new necklace around their necks with their respective fragment.
The campers in the lodge all cheered as they ran out to the girls.
“Gloriosa?” Timber said, emerging from his bramble prison to his sister, whom laid on the ground.
“What… what happened?” Gloriosa groaned.
“it’s okay,” Timber said. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“You did it!” Spike cheered. “Whoa. Nice bling.”
“What… what are these?” Applejack asked.
“I’m not sure,” Sunset said. “But clearly we have some kind of connection to them.”
“I almost don’t care what they are,” Rarity said. “They are gorgeous!”
"Never mind the necklaces, look!" Rainbow called out.
In middle of the tent area, the earth was severely mangled, still shrouded by dust from the battle. The dust cloud dissipated with the breeze, and everyone went silent when they saw a fellow camper lying in the middle of the torn ground.
"COPPERMANE!!!" Fluttershy screamed, sprinting to her loved one. Tears drenched her face as she knelt next to him. His body was severely bruised, covered in dirt and cuts. "No... no... NO!!!"
Fluttershy held his limp body close as her tears soaked his clothes. Her wailing echoed through the woods as everyone gathered around. The Rainbooms gathered closer, all in tears. Rarity hugged Pinkie as she cried, as did Sunset with Twilight. Even Applejack and Rainbow Dash found themselves in each other's embrace.
Fluttershy embraced her true love tightly. "Coppermane... I... I..." she trailed off when she felt something thumping lightly against her chest. She gasped, and time seemed to stop. She took his hand and felt around a key spot on his wrist. Her eyes went wide when she felt the same thump.
"He... he's alive..."
"Gloriosa..." Rainbow fumed, marching up to the counselor. "I swear, if it's the last thing I do--"
"He's alive!!!" Fluttershy screamed.
"What?!" everyone exclaimed.
Principal Celestia rushed up and felt the same area on Coppermane's wrist, and she gasped.
"She's right! He has a pulse!" she cried.
"Well, don't just stand around!" Rainbow yelled. "Call 911!"
"I'm on it!" Vice Principal Luna yelled, quickly dialing.
A commotion exploded amongst the campers. Some of them were shocked, all were excited, but it was just noise to Fluttershy. All she cared about was keeping her lover safe in her arms before help arrived.
"It'll be okay, Coppermane," she said, tears running down her cheek. "I'm here for you. It'll be okay."