//------------------------------//
// Castle - PropMaster 
// Story: Operation Westhorse 
// by PropMaster 
//------------------------------//

The ocean stretched behind Rainbow Dash, now, having been finally left behind in favor of white sand beaches and palm trees. The air was humid and hot, and sweat stung Rainbow Dash's eyes as she flew. She grimaced and wiped her brow, brushing back her forelock with one hoof. She was getting tired, and hungry, so a stopping place was definitely warranted. "There's gotta be... somewhere?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes had swept a little bit south, and they widened. "What the buck? Is that...?"

Red brick outlined lush, green lawns around a cavalcade of buildings of different colors and architectural styles. There were hundreds of specs of tiny people, far below, filling these pavillions and walkways. That, however, wasn't what drew Rainbow Dash's gaze. The focus of her attention was the castle. White brick that shone like ivory, with blue and gold tower peaks and minarets. It was stunning, instantly striking a chord deep in Rainbow Dash, because it looked so very much like home. She banked hard, her westward flight forgotten, and went south like it was winter wrap-up. The peaks and towers of this place beckoned to her, and within moments she was circling overhead, taking in the view.

It was a theme park, of some kind, but big; Bigger than anything they had in Equestria. Around this castle's grounds, set away from this central park, was a massive tree surrounded by what looked like different, displaced terrain of various biomes, and a huge, round sphere. Rainbow Dash's eyes were drawn, briefly, towards the other two odd constructions, but the castle called to her. She flew in closer, taking in the building, eyes wide with wonder. Soon, she found herself on the red brick walkway, surrounded by people. She had a few brief moments of peace, before suddenly flashbulbs were going off around her. She whirled in place, startled, and people clapped, laughing. They were taking pictures of... her? "Cool, a new costumed cast member!" she heard somebody say.

"Is it the pegasus from Hercules?"

"Maybe? Wasn't it white?"

Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, "Uhh, yeah! I'm... a new cast pony! So, uh, nothin' to see here. Move along!"

That got a lot more laughs than she'd anticipated, and another burst of flashbulbs. She was about to turn around and ignore the people, her gaze drifting up towards the castle, when she was confronted by a tiny, tiny person. A little girl, with pigtails and a blue dress with a white smock. She looked shyly up at Rainbow Dash, and her arms spread open in a universal gesture for 'hug'.

Rainbow Dash glanced around. There were a number of people watching with interest, and a man with a baseball cap held a camera ready. Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, c'mere, squirt."

Rainbow Dash gave the tiny girl a hug, which got a happy giggle in return and a flash of lights, before the girl ran off into the crowd. Rainbow Dash smirked and turned to face the castle, looking up at it with interest. It was so familiar, in many ways, but... not, at the same time. It just reminded her of home.

When was the last time she'd thought about Canterlot? It had been a while. Princess Luna lived there, since Celestia was displaced in Ponyville, dealing with the mess she'd left behind. Rainbow Dash sighed and trotted down the lane, pausing every so often as pictures were taken of her or small children waddled up for hugs. It wasn't her favorite social camouflage, but it'd have to do. She trotted along in a meandering path that took her near to the groups of buildings. They were tight-packed, and all manner of shops filled the area. There were souvenier shops and clothing shops, and a half-dozen restaurants, bakeries, and candy shops. Rainbow Dash's mouth watered, and she found herself inside a shop selling baked goods.

The person behind the counter, dressed in a clean white smock and chef hat, smiled and eyed her as she came in. "Wow! They're getting so good with the animatronics."

"Uh, yeah! So, I'm a new cast pony... and those cookies look awfully good..." Rainbow Dash looked up at him and waggled her eyebrows in an encouraging manner.

"Oh, do you need a break?" the man asked.

"Uh... yeah!" she replied.

"Sure, come on back. We've got water and some food for cast members," he said, leading her around the inside of the bakery and behind a counter to a door. Rainbow Dash pushed it open and found herself in a little back room. There were chairs around a circular table, and a water cooler was set up on the side. A plate of cookies and some sandwiches sat out. The man gestured her inside. "I have to man the counter. Grab what you need and get hydrated."

With that, Rainbow Dash was alone in the little room. She exhaled slowly, allowing some of the nervous tension she'd built up to dissipate. She grabbed a few cookies and a cup of water and munched contentedly, hopping up onto a chair and sitting there happily for several minutes. Before long, she was feeling energized. "This is... pretty cool. I wonder if there are any rides?"





One of the perks of being a "new cast member", it seemed, was being able to trot through long lines and nobody would stop you... except for pictures. But that was easy. She got a few questioning looks from a few of the ride operators, but a quick word or two of reassurance about "debuting a new costume" usually got her a seat on a ride.

And what rides there were!

"AHHHHhahahahaha!" Rainbow crowed, her hooves in the air, as she rocketed through the darkness while blaring, epic music played. A roller coaster was sweet, but a roller coaster in the dark? "This is awwwesome!"

She hopped off the ride at the end, waving to people and laughing. As she approached a group of buildings, she was approached by two older women. Both of them wore black suit pants and black vests over white collared shirts, and red bow ties. They both had lanyards around their necks, and were frowning slightly. Rainbow halted in front of them and they stopped before her, looking her over. "Uh, hey!"

"Are you lost? We only let certain costumes out into this area. Are you assigned to fantasy land?" one of the women asked, reaching for a device on her waist.

"No, she's a pegasus. Maybe she's supposed to be in the Greek pavilion?" The other woman said to her partner, before turning to Rainbow Dash and addressing her directly, "You must be new. Were you supposed to be assigned to the MK for a debut of some new costume? Do you remember what park you were assigned to?"

"Uh... yeah. Totally a new costume, debuting it today!" Rainbow Dash flared her wings and stood up on her hind legs, giving her some needed height. "Pretty sweet, yeah?"

"Those animatronics are impressive... anyway, where were you supposed to be working?"

"Uhhh..." Rainbow tried to recall what they'd said earlier, "... the... Greek pavilion?"

Both of the women stared at her, aghast, before shaking their heads. "Wow. You are lost. That's in Epcot, not here. You're a whole park off."

Rainbow Dash frowned, and decided to play it cool. "Oh, uh, yeah, well, they told me to go by the castle first to show off the new costume, and then head to the Greek palindrome. So... here I am."

One woman began speaking into a device, which appeared to be some kind of soundstone or radio, based on the voices that responded to her. The other shook her head. "Well, we need to get you to your park, then. Come with us, we'll take the back ways. You can probably catch a ride over to Epcot on one of the people movers."

"Yeah, sure!" Rainbow Dash smiled, and one of the women lead her off to a side doorway that was tucked behind some light poles.

Within minutes, she was lost, deep in the labyrinth-like underbelly of the park. Employees and costumed people rushed to and fro, and Rainbow had to trot to keep up with the woman. She lead the way with confidence, taking a set of stairs down to an underground roadway. There were buggies here, and long vehicles that held a dozen seats. She pointed to one of the buggies. "Tom will take you out to Epcot. Just head up to the Greek pavilion when you get there."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Uh, okay!" With a wave and a spry jump, she leapt up into the front seat of the buggy, next to an older gentleman with a thin beard and a black baseball cap on.

"Hey. Uh, so, I'm going to Epcot?" Rainbow said, glancing at the driver.

"Mm. All right. You sure you're not supposed to be up in the magic kingdom? You look more... fantasy-ish," the driver said.

"Uh, no. Pegasus. Greek pavillion. New... uh... cast pony?" Rainbow Dash ventured nervously.

"Mm, okay then," Tom said, and he hit the pedal on the floor of the buggy.

Rainbow Dash leaned back in her seat as the vehicle accellerated, and she grinned. "Cool."



 

Rainbow Dash exited one of the back areas, heading out into this different park. They'd called it Epcot, and for some reason it struck a chord with Rainbow Dash, though she couldn't quite pin down why. The massive sphere structure dominated the landscape of the park, always visible. It wasn't a smooth sphere, Rainbow Dash discovered, but rather a strange geometric construction. It was definitely fascinating. The place that she'd been directed to, the 'Greek pavilion', was a little area with unique architecture, surrounded by all manner of strange buildings. There were pagodas, castle-like edifices, more standard architecture, and all sorts of other things. It was fascinating. There was food everywhere, all different types, more food than she'd seen anywhere. People walked around the parks and fountains and ponds between the buildings, strolling at a leisurely pace. There were less people, here. It seemed like a quieter place than the area surrounding the big castle.

Rainbow Dash peered around and let out a sigh, before trotting over to a bench to sit down. The sun was starting to set, and the park was lighting up in response. The massive sphere was lit from beneath, making it appear even more impressive than it had during the day. Lights dangled from strings along lightpoles, fountains glowed, and the place transformed before her eyes as the darkness started to encroach. She attempted to take it all in, sitting quietly. She found a serene smile on her face, and decided to let it stay there for a while longer. "Well. Where am I supposed to go from here?"

Rainbow Dash felt warmth bloom around her neck, and she glanced down. The Element of Loyalty had lit up, brighter than it had ever been. The red light bathed the area around her for a moment, before growing dim. Rainbow Dash blinked as her night vision slowly restored itself, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Wow. So, there's... something about this place, then."

"Huh. I didn't know the Big Mouse had a deal with that toy company," said a voice nearby, drawing her attention.

A man in a blue t-shirt with a lady in a ball gown on it stood in front of her, a wry smirk across his stubbly face, and he ran fingers through his short, dark hair. "Hey. Can I get a picture?" he asked, holding out a glowing device with one hand.

"Uh, yeah, sure!" Rainbow Dash said, grinning and hopping up on her rear legs, striking a pose with her wings out.

"Damn. That suit is really incredible. I have a few friends that I'm sure would get a kick out of it," the man said, chuckling to himself.

Rainbow Dash laughed nervously, "Oh yeah? Are they... uh... pegasus enthusiasts?"

The man smirked, "Aren't we all?" 

Rainbow paused, taking stock of the man before her. He looked... tired. Like somepony that stayed up long nights. She was instantly reminded of Twilight Sparkle, whenever she would get too focused on some nerdy thing and stay up studying. He had an air of somebody that was perpetually amused by the things around him, but an ease that said he wasn't a new visitor to this place. Rainbow Dash realized that she was staring, and chuckled, sitting back down on the bench. "Pegasus enthusiast... yep, that's me. Big fan."

"No joke. Do the wings work?" he asked, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

Rainbow Dash cast him a sidelong glance, rising to the challenge. "I dunno. You tell me."

She flapped a few times, and jumped into the air, and did a quick somersault loop, before hovering back down to land on the bench. Right away, she knew this was a mistake. The man was frozen, eyes wide, staring at her. He'd dropped the little glowing device, but hadn't stooped to pick it up. Rainbow Dash swallowed hard, and managed a nervous laugh, "Yeah... uh... animatronics?"

The man recovered slightly, rubbing at his eyes, before stooping down almost automatically to pick up his device and pocket it. "... That's impossible."

Rainbow Dash glanced around quickly, before leaning closer to the man. "Dude, don't blow my cover. Please? I'm having a really good time, and I'd hate to have to run off now," she asked, giving him a plaintive look.

The man glanced around, before shuffling over to slump down on the bench next to Rainbow Dash, rubbing at his temples. "Well, that's it. I've obviously, finally cracked."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, focusing on the distressed man, "So, are you gonna be cool, or am I going to have to fly out of here?"

"Yeah, yeah, no, I'm fine. Just talking with something that's probably the beginnings of a psychotic break. No problem," he muttered.

"Uh, okay. Cool, I guess," Rainbow Dash said, settling back on the bench.

The man kept casting glances her way, examining her with one part curiosity and one part trepidation. Rainbow Dash sighed after a moment. "I'm not a figment of your imagination. I promise. Here, hoofbump?" She extended one hoof towards the man.

The man stared at the hoof. "I'm really, really terrified that I'm going to reach out and touch you, and you're going to be solid."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Rainbow Dash asked, her hoof still held out.

"Lots of things..." the man said, but he reached out, extending a clenched fist to bump lightly against her hoof. His hand jerked away as it made contact, and he stared at her openly.

"See? I don't bite. You gonna be okay?" she asked, smirking at him.

"Probably not, but I think I can cope. At least, until more pastel ponies start showing up. God, what if Lyra is next? She'll probably give me an earful. I haven't exactly been kind to her."

"Lyra?" Rainbow Dash said, staring at the man, "You mean... Lyra, from Ponyville?"

"God, that just clinches it, doesn't it? I'm losing my mind," the man said, standing up as if to walk away.

"Woah! Woah! Wait! Hold up, guy! What if I could prove to you that I'm real?" Rainbow Dash said, standing up and leaping off the bench to bar his way. He knew about Ponyville, somehow, and maybe he knew how to get her back to the edge of the world.

The man stopped. "It's impossible. You can't be real. You're Rainbow friggin' Dash."

"Listen, this might be crazy, but you're the first person here that I've talked to that knows... knows me. I've been flying around this world and looking for a way back home, and I've been lonely, and scared, and..." she swallowed, emotion making her voice crack, "lost. I thought maybe I was dreaming, or hallucinating, or that Seraphimus had caught me and killed me and I was in some kind of pre-death fuge state, and it wouldn't be the first time something awful like that has happened to me! So can you give me a second of your time? Please?!" The last word was a hoarse shout, and she felt tears at the corners of her eyes.

The man was frozen, staring down at her with something like fear in his eyes. Rainbow Dash wiped at her eyes, growling to herself. "Look. Just... just, look, okay?" She trotted away from him, quickly, to a nearby group of people, and shouted, "Hey! Come take a picture with a pegasus!"

The group turned, cooing and gasping in surprise.

"Wow! They get more advanced every year!"

"It's so cute!"

"They must have some kind of new thing going on."

"The wings move!"

The crowed ooh'd and ahh'd, taking pictures and chattering excitedly as Rainbow Dash posed and gave hugs, and then she trotted back to the man. "So?"

The man stared at the group of people as they waved at the retreating pony, and then looked down at her. "So... I'll admit that I have a really good imagination."

"Well, tough luck, buddy!" Rainbow Dash said, giving his stomach a shove that nearly doubled him over, "Because I'm real, and we need to talk, because you're obviously important or something!"

The man stood up, rubbing his stomach and muttering something about hooves under his breath, before he turned around and sat down on the bench again. She eyed him, and he gave an exaggerated shrug. "What do you want, Rainbow Dash?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Doesn't matter. I know who you are. I think I know exactly who you are."

"I never told you anything about me. We've never met. I've never seen you around ponyville. How is it possible that you know me?"

"Austraeoh," the man said, suddenly.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened, and simultaneously her pendant glowed with a red light, illuminating the area briefly before extinguishing again. Rainbow Dash stared at him. "Okay... now I'm the one that doesn't believe this is real."

"Join the club, sister," the man said wryly, looking up at the night sky.

They were both quiet for a long time, the man staring contemplatively at the sky, Rainbow Dash watching him with intensity. "Who are you?" Rainbow Dash asked, finally.

The man chuckled. "I don't know if I should tell you. It's like... indulging the part of me that's gone insane? But, sure, since we're playing this game, I guess I'll go all-in," the man leaned forward, considering something briefly, before smirking. "You can call me Lower Case. Or just 'Case', if you prefer."

"Lower... Case? That's like..." Rainbow Dash's face screwed up in a confused scrunch.

"A pony name? Yeah. It is. I figured it would be appropriate," the man, Lower Case, said. "Also, just a side note, since I'm indulging in this fantasy of mine, you look totally adorable when your face scrunches up like that."

Rainbow Dash scowled at him. "Whatever! So, tell me, 'Lower Case', what's the deal? Why am I here?"

"Theoretically? A chemical imbalance in my brain has caused a schizophrenic break, and I'm hallucinating," the man said, idly poking at the glowing device in his hands.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and trotted over to the bench and hopped up on it, sitting next to him. "Yeah, okay. Let's indulge the fantasy, then, because the 'I'm crazy' thing is getting really boring. Why else would I be here?"

"I don't know, Rainbow Dash. You tell me," Lower Case said, looking up at her briefly before retreating his gaze to the surface of the device. Rainbow Dash could see text and little pictures on the device, lit from within.

"Well, so, I was... I was at Bleak's Plummet. I'd been getting ready to face down the whole friggin' army of baddies and idiots that were after me because they thought I'd killed their goddess... it's a long story."

"You don't have to tell me," Lower Case said, his gaze drifting up from the device to fix on her.

"Anyway, I was flying... and suddenly I was in the ocean. But, like, not the ocean at Bleak's Plummet, right? I was here, on a shoreline, with ocean to my east. It was night, and nopony else was around. My Element wasn't reacting, the girls were gone, and... well, my only clue was that the Element of Loyalty started glowing when I faced west."

"So, you flew west?" Lower Case asked.

"Yeah. Flew west, following the glow of the pendant. Crossed two continents and two oceans, and ended up here," Rainbow Dash said, gesturing out at the theme park.

"You went west... and crossed two continents and two oceans, and ended up here?" Lower Case asked, squinting at her.

"Yeah. What's with the look?" Rainbow Dash asked, glancing down at the pendant.

"It's just, if you crossed two oceans and two continents, and ended up here... you probably flew around the world to get right back to where you started," Lower Case said.

Rainbow Dash stared at him for a moment, trying to see if he was making a joke, before she rolled her eyes, "Mnff, isn't that just the story of my friggin' life? Of course I went around the world to get back to where I started."

"Yeah, that's pretty much your job," Lower Case said, chuckling at her exasperation.

"Yeah. Pretty much. So, what... is this some weird Austraeoh thing? Are you my Eljunbryo, then? Or what?"

"I doubt it. I'm frankly not good for much, these days," Case said.

"Well... you're here, talking to me, aren't you? So that's something. And my Element reacts to you, too. It's never done that for anypon—er, anybody else," Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Yeah, well, your magic necklace is probably wrong. I'm just a fat, lazy guy puttering around and indulging himself in one of the few places that still feels magical in this world," Case said, looking up at the stars again.

Rainbow Dash stared at him for a long moment, before she gave him a light shove on the shoulder. "C'mon. Cut the crap. You're important. I wouldn't be here if you weren't. And, even if I'm not real, like you think, you're probably important to somebody. You said you have friends, right? Pegasus enthusiasts?"

Case shrugged, not meeting her look, but he rubbed at his shoulder absentmindedly. Rainbow Dash frowned. "Dude, everypony brings something to the table, and right now, I need you to get out of whatever bad place your head is in right now and help me out. I'm sorry you're feeling... I dunno, existential?... but you're looking like the only shot I have of getting home."

"It's going to be awful," Case said, suddenly, his tone somber.

"What?" Rainbow Dash said, blinking.

"Getting home. You're the Austraeoh. It's going to be hard. Really, really hard. Is the world... worth it? I mean, you know how much of a shit show it is. You've seen the darkness, spreading. Bad ponies in power, doing bad things, and you... you're so small. Your effect is so tiny, even if the ripples are big in the long run. Why... why don't you quit, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash stared at him, feeling a lump form in her throat, before speaking quietly. "Why should I quit?"

"Because you're going to suffer. You're at the edge of the darkness, looking over, and you know that everything you've faced is nothing compared to what's on the other side. Everything in your way... it's bad stuff. Why not turn around? Why not fly back, snuggle up with Roarke, make a life of it? The girls, they'd understand. It's so much to ask one pony. It's a weight that I can't believe you choose to bear. You could stop and be happy, for what time there is left before chaos takes over and swallows up everything harmonious. You probably wouldn't even see it happen in your lifetime, Rainbow Dash. You could... quit."

Rainbow Dash sniffled, audibly, drawing Lower Case's gaze. She pawed at her eyes, wiping away tears, and gave him a fierce grin. "You... you s-sure know how to hit a girl where she lives, dreit?"

"I—I'm sorry, but," Lower Case said, but she held up a hoof, stopping him.

"I made a promise. I know it's going to be hard... but I'm loyalty. I'm the Austraeoh. I have so many ponies, so many beings, depending on me to see this through to the end. I couldn't ever let them down, even if it's going to be hard. After all, it's the hard stuff in life that's worth doing, right?" Rainbow Dash said, smiling through the pain.

Lower Case stared at her for a long moment, before giving her a slow nod. He spoke, voice gentle, "It's a stupid thing to do."

Rainbow Dash laughed, wiping the last tears off of her muzzle. "I'm good at stupid."

"You really are, though, aren't you?" Lower Case said, reaching out suddenly and wiping a tear off her nose. It was an affectionate gesture, almost parental, and Rainbow Dash didn't flinch away from it.

Rainbow Dash chuckled and sighed, looking up at the stars. Lower Case joined her, and both were silent, taking in the atmosphere of the park and the deepening darkness. Across the park, fireworks began to blossom in the sky, exploding in time to distant music and cheers. Lower Case spoke, softly. "Have you tried taking off the necklace?"

Rainbow Dash stiffened. "No. That's a really stupid idea."

"Yeah, it is. But I can't think of anything else, and if it goes bad, well, then I can probably get it back onto you before you... you know."

Rainbow Dash turned to look at him, her eyes reflecting the fireworks. "... Yeah. I guess, maybe, it's worth a shot."

Lower Case turned to face her on the bench, watching with consternation. Rainbow Dash reached up, placing both hooves on the Element of Loyalty, and brushing her mane aside to reach for the clasp. She paused, hooves on the clasp, to look at Lower Case. "This is a monumentally stupid thing to do."

Lower Case snorted. "It's okay. I'm pretty good at stupid, too."

Rainbow Dash took the Element of Loyalty off. 

She winced her eyes closed, feeling a wash of dizziness pass over her, and she closed her eyes, her hooves trembling as pain sprouted from her forehead. She felt blood, running down her muzzle, and she whimpered as she fumbled with the clasp, but numbness overtook her hooves and she felt the Element of Loyalty begin to slip from her grasp. Her hooves, suddenly, were joined by hands, fingers nimbly finding the clasp, securing the necklace with a shove. The Element of Loyalty flared, bright and ruby red, lighting the area like a rogue firework that had flown off course, and she heard Lower Case grunt. The clasp closed, and suddenly the pain was gone, replaced by a headache and woozy feeling that left her breathless and gasping for air. She felt hands supporting her, helping her sit up and lean back on the bench, and the warmth of the Element of Loyalty on her neck.

"That was way scarier than I ever imagined it," Lower Case said, his voice shaking.

"Ughhh," Rainbow Dash ugh'd, swallowing back bile as she struggled to control her breathing. She winced one eye open, and was greeted by the ruby glow of her Element, lighting the area around her and Lower Case. She smirked through the pain. "Well... you did something."

"I think I almost killed you... not that it would be the first time," Lower Case said, some measure of humor returning to his voice, though it still trembled slightly.

"I'm gonna ignore that comment," Rainbow Dash said, rubbing some blood off of her forehead and nose as her breathing came easier. She sat up straighter, and tapped a hoof to her pendant. It glowed brighter in response, but nothing more.

"Well. You got your mojo back, right?" Lower Case said, scratching at the back of his head.

"I... guess so?" Rainbow Dash frowned, and shifted position. It glowed brigher when she moved nearer to Lower Case. She looked up at him, slowly. "I think you need to do something to it."

Lower Case sighed. "What more could I possibly do? Haven't I done enough?"

"I'm not the important one, here, dude. You are. You seem to know all about this stuff. What's your gut tell you?" Rainbow Dash said.

Lower Case stared at her. "My gut tells me I need a Doctor Pepper," he said.

Rainbow Dash scowled. "Come on. Think! What do you need to do?"

Lower Case muttered something under his breath, staring at her for a moment before nodding. "I know how I would write it."

"How's that?" Rainbow Dash said.

"Friendship is magic, right?"

"Right."

"Well, c'mere and sit close," Lower Case said, and he pulled out the glowing device, tapping on it a few times, before he pressed a button.

The device made a ringing noise a few times, and Rainbow Dash stared at it. A telephone? After a moment, a voice picked up on the other end. "Yo!"

"Hey," Lower Case said.

"What's up, man? Isn't it a little late for you?" said the voice.

"You know me. I'm a night owl. I'm actually out at Epcot right now."

"Rad. Thinking up pony stuff?"

Lower Case cast a glance at the prismatic pegasus sitting next to him and chuckled, drawing a confused look from Rainbow Dash. "Yeah, you could say that," he said.

"See any princesses?"

"A few. You know how it goes. Anyway, I just wanted to call and say hello."

"Ah, well, hello! Hope things are goin' well. I'm just about to start dinner, but I'm glad to hear from you."

"Yeah, I appreciate it. Anyway, you have fun, I'll let you go."

"Ya sure? I've got a minute."

"Nah. I appreciate it, though. You're a good friend."

"Pssh, whatever. We're all excited, by the way. About the new stuff. You getting your head in the right place?"

Lower Case laughed, a genuine thing, and said, "I think so. This trip might have been what I needed."

"Cool. Well, we're all excited! Take your time, though. You do you."

"Thanks. Catch you later?"

"Take it easy!"

The screen dimmed. What did not dim, however, was the Element of Loyalty. It positively burned with energy. Rainbow Dash smirked at Lower Case. "Sounds like you have good friends."

"I really do," Lower Case said, looking at the Element of Loyalty.

"So...?"

"I think... I think it's time for you to go back, Rainbow Dash. A lot of people are counting on you, and you've got a promise to keep. You've got a world to save," Lower Case said solemnly, staring at Rainbow Dash.

The Element of Loyalty responded to his words, brightening further, almost blinding. Rainbow Dash stood up and gave the man before her a smile. "I think it's working!"

"Yeah. It is. But, before you go, I just... I just want to say sorry," Lower Case said, standing up.

"Sorry?" Rainbow Dash said, frowning.

"Yeah. You said some stuff that... resonated, ya know? And I was doubting you, but I think I might be past that, just a bit. I've got things to work on. It'll be hard."

"The stuff that's worth it always is."

Lower Case chuckled, "Yeah. Okay, Rainbow Dash. Give me that devilish smirk, and go save the world. Go be stupid."

Rainbow Dash mustered the most devilish smirk she could manage, her wings flaring out as the light of the pendant enveloped her.

Lower Case looked away, and when the light dimmed, Rainbow Dash was gone. He stared at the spot for several long moments, before scratching the back of his head. "...Friendship is magic? That was the best solution I could muster? C'mon, you're a better writer than that."

He paused, than burst out laughing. "Who am I kidding? I'm totally not!"

Lower Case turned, still laughing to himself, and headed for the exit to the park, while the fireworks burst overhead in the sky.