Kera sighed, trying her best to stay awake as Bellesmith continued a lecture on writing. Writing sucked because, for whatever reason, Belle wanted her to learn to write with her mouth. No horn. It was lame and the quills tasted like dust and the room was very warm, and the whole thing was making Kera sleepy. Kera felt her head begin to nod downward as her eyes closed. She shook her head, yawning, and shifted her hindquarters on the firm pillow beneath her.
Just a few seconds. She'd feel so much better if she closed her eyes for a few seconds.
As her head began to tilt back and she began to lean away from her desk, there was a deep, bass rumble that rattled the building and set Kera's teeth to chattering. Belle stopped mid-lecture, glancing out a window. "Hm. That's odd. The Tarkington isn't due for a visit for another week."
Kera gasped, leaping up from her desk and running to the window. She normally wouldn't be so excited, because she was a cool, mature filly who didn't get excited, but any excuse to get out of one of Belle's lectures was worth a little damage to her image. The massive manaship, the Tarkington, flew to a halt over the building and settled into a hover, engines shifting and manacrystals humming. A blonde-maned, orange-coated mare leapt from a lower hatch, landing with a bounce that sent her careening into the street. She righted herself, grabbing a half-dozen tools that had fallen from her belt, and scampered over to the door, knocking several times.
Belle trotted to the door and barely had time to get it open before Props, the erstwhile engineer and sort-of aunt to Kera, pounced on her, embracing her in a huge hug. "Eeeeeeee! Belly-belly!" Props squealed, squeezing Belle.
"Ngh! H-hello, Props. What brings you and the Tarkington in so early?" Belle asked, gasping for breath as Props released her from her bear-hug.
"All kinds of crazy things have been going on, but there's been a real doozie of a woozie!" Props exclaimed, her blonde mane flouncing.
"Oh?" Belle asked, looking moderately confused.
"Yeah! We were working with Roarke to help goblins clean out an old mineshaft, and we found that they'd pierced a hole into an ancient piece of buried machinery, over some kind of super duper huge containment battery! And it's leaking chaos energy into the environment and slowly tearing apart the fabric of reality around it!" Props said, still looking happy despite the incredibly dire news she was delivering.
"Goodness! That's awful!" Belle said, one hoof going to her mouth.
"Well, we were trying to figure out a way to fix the hole, and we found out that only a harmonically energized, pure metal that was made before the first Chaos Rift opened up on this plane is the only metal that can patch the hole and stop all the icky chaos whatsit from leaking out!" Props continued to explain, and she then gestured to Kera, "And Xonan magic is the only kind of magic that can seal the hole without getting overloaded by the chaos leak!"
Belle looked over to Kera, who stood on the tips of her hooves and was leaning forward with excitement at the news. Kera grinned a massive grin at Belle. "Belle! Can I go save the world?"
Belle frowned. "It sounds really dangerous. I don't know."
Props bounced in place, "It's gonna be super crazy dangerous, but we need you, too, Belle!"
Belle blinked. "Why's that?"
"Because we're going to have to go back in time to Equestria to get the metal we need to save the world! It's the only way."
"B-back in time?!" Belle said, staring at Props incredulously. "That's... that's not even possible!"
Props rolled her eyes. "Pfft, yeah, it totally is possible! Time magic is apparently something the Xonans know a bunch about, but it's totally dangerous, so they don't mess with it. Only Xonan Royalty are permitted to use those spells..."
Kera's eyes widened. "A-and...?"
"And so we went and picked up Princess Lasairfion!" Props said, grinning, "And we need our tiny little princess powerhouse, here, to complete the crew, and we need your harmonic connection to Rainbow Dash to get the spell focused enough to pull the Tarkington through time and to..." Props paused for dramatic effect, before pointing with one hoof and exclaiming, "The Sisterhooves Social!"
Kera's nose scrunched up. "The sisterwhat whoseit?"
"Sisterhooves Social! It's like a big party for sisters, and they play games, and compete for prizes, and the winners get a blue ribbon with a solid gold medallion in the middle! And that medal is full of pure, harmonic metal, and should be able to be spread over the hole since gold is, like, super-duper malleable!"
"So, if you have Lasairfion, why do you need Kera?" Belle asked.
"Because it takes two members of Xonan royalty to power the spell, and it takes a pair of sisters to compete in the Sisterhooves Social... and since Kera and Lasairfion are both Xonan princesses, that practically makes them sisters!" Props explained.
Belle bit her bottom lip and looked between Props and Kera. Both stared at her with big, wide eyes that practically wobbled with barely contained moisture. Belle exhaled slowly. "All right."
Props leapt into the air. "Pizz fah whizz!"
Kera danced in a excited circle, and then contained herself, her waggling tail the only hint that she was super-duper excited. "Great! When do we go?"
"Riiiiiiiiiiiight now! We're gonna have an adventure! Come onnnnnnn!" With that, Props grabbed Belle and Kera, threw them onto her strong earth pony back, and galloped to the lowered gangway onto the Tarkington.
As they entered the ship, a half-dozen Xonan guards stood to attention. Princess Lasairfion, her incredibly massive mane floating ethereally around her like an onyx halo, spared them a nod and approached Kera. "Trenna'hen masa'thulin'dros kolatoren, Kera Tin Mehjj."
Kera blushed under the scrutiny of the older unicorn princess, her ears flattening slightly. She waved one hoof. "Uh, hello, Princess Lasairfion." She'd learned a lot about royalty since she'd started studying in Val Roa, and she wasn't really sure how to feel about the elder monarch.
Princess Lasairfion stared at Kera and Bellesmith for a moment, before simply nodding her head and returning to her seat. In the meantime, Props deposited both Belle and Kera on the deck of the Tarkington and slapped a lever, closing the gangway. "C'mon, ponies! Lassie, you too! We need you all in the engine room so we can get this ship into the time stream and back to the Sisterhooves Social!"
Kera followed behind Props, Belle and Lasairfion flanking her, as she made her way through the halls of the Tarkington towards the engine room. Props stopped at a bulkhead door and threw it open with the press of a button. Beyond was the cockpit of the manaship. A familiar red-coated, red-maned, bearded earth pony spared them a glance as he worked the controls. "Uncle Prowse, we're ready to go!" called Props.
"Aye, lassie! I'll keep 'er straight an' true, and you work yer magic!" Prowse said, grinning through his scraggly beard at his niece. He spared a wave for Kera, "Hoy, wee lass! Ready to do a lil' time travel?"
"Heck yeah I am!" Kera said, grinning.
"Somathom'lien goruna'sur'en moshesh!" Lasairfion barked in her native Xonan.
Props nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, we need to get a move on! Every instant we wait, the more chaos spills into the world!"
The group of ponies left the cockpit and crowed down into the engine room. Props giggled as she bounced among the humming energy cores of the manaship's engines, caressing a series of pipes with one hoof. "Hellooooo, beautiful. Ya miss me?"
"Mff? Miss you? You were gone for two minutes!" called a voice from somewhere in the engine room. From behind a reinforced bulkhead strolled Zaid, one hoof clenched around a grilled cheese sandwich. He finished off the sandwich in a single bite, his eyes rolling appreciatively. "Mmm, that's the stuff."
Props rolled her eyes, patting the beige stallion on the cheek. "Not you. I was talkin' to my main squeeze, here," she said with a giggle and a wink.
"Oh. Right. Of course," Zaid said, smirking.
"Turanahom'lein kolshoranoy moshesh!" Lasairfion said insistently, her mane spiking out around her briefly to punctuate her displeasure as the arcane tattoos on her body began to glow.
"Lasairfion is right, we don't have time for chit-chat! Kera, pay attention, because we're only gonna get one shot at doing this right!" Props gestured, "Go stand there!"
Props turned and pointed to a cleared section of the engine room floor. A complex pattern had been painted onto the floor, and Lasairfion stood on one side of the pattern. She stared at Kera with hooded eyes, her face an unreadable mask. She nodded to the opposite point of the pattern in the floor. "Shorun'an thriul, Kera Tin Mehjj."
"Uh, sure!" Kera trotted over and stood on the indicated spot. "So... what now?"
"Komallen'shia le'arindani'eil masothul'mien doshar'torel, balasheard yorurien'liel somarche'sah maromatua'an." Lasairfion explained, gesturing to different points of the symbol. She pointed to Bellesmith and tapped the center of the symbol with one hoof. "Shorun'an thriul, Belle, kamanna'sur nahkk."
Kera's nose scrunched up as she listened to the princess. "Uh... okay. I think I got it. So... whenever you're ready, Princess Lasairfion."
Belle trotted over and stood in the center of the symbol. "Okay, so, do I need to do anything?"
"Nope! Just stand still. Like... really still," Kera said.
Belle nodded, planting her hooves in the center of the symbol. Together, Princess Lasairfion and Kera began the time travel spell. Kera lent her incredible magical strength to Lasarifion's practiced technique, and the two together wove the spell around Belle. After a second, the arcane scrawl on the floor began to glow and hum with power. Props grinned and adjusted the engine's output, channeling the spell into the ship's engine. The engine began to hum with power. Kera shouted, at the apex of the spell, "Belle! Remember Rainbow Dash! And remember the Sisterhooves Social!"
Belle closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the memories implanted in her of Rainbow Dash... thinking back to a bright, sunny day in a far-away town called Ponyville. A frustrated filly, trying to convince a sister to go to a contest. Rainbow Dash's day wasn't particularly interesting, but she'd been on a cloud, watching the competition. Feeling a little... left out.
The hair of Belle's mane stood on end briefly as magical energy coursed through her, seizing upon these memories, finding their place in the world and in time, and there was a peculiar shifting sensation that Belle felt beneath her hooves and in the base of her broken horn. "Is it working?" She cried.
"Sure is! Haaaaaaaaaang onnnnnnnnnnnn!" Props shouted, and she pulled a lever on the engine.
The whole ship lurched, and glowed with arcane light. Kera and Lasairfion's eyes exploded with brilliant light, and the arcane symbol pulsed with bright energy, and then burned away in a burst of green flame. The emerald fire suffused the ship, burning but not-burning, coating every living being inside and every surface of the manaship. The engines roared, the ship shuddered, Props let out a happy squeal and Zaid fell over and vomited into a conveniently placed bucket.
The ship finally came to a stop, the engines powering to a lower setting. Kera and Lasairfion stepped away from the magic circle simultaneously, their eyes briefly meeting. Lasairfion gave Kera a subtle nod, but said nothing. Kera shrugged, and turned to look at Belle. "We're here."
"Oh!" Belle shook herself, straightening up from the slight crouch she'd assumed during the whole ordeal.
"Ugh, I think I'm... timesick," Zaid said, still clutching the bucket close.
"C'mon, Zaidy-waidey! No lying around feeling barfy! We gotta get a peek at the scenery!" Props declared, bouncing her way out of the engine room.
Kera shrugged at Belle. "Meh. Sure, let's go do this thing. C'mon, Lasairfion."
Princess Lasairfion strode confidently across the engine room, pausing only long enough to crinkle her muzzle in disgust at Zaid and his bucket, before she followed Props out, Belle and Kera trailing behind her. Zaid weakly looked up from his bucket, wiping his muzzle with one shaking hoof. "I'll... urp... be along soon... don't worry about 'ol Zaid..."
Outside on the lowering ramp, Props, Prowse, Belle, Kera, and Princess Lasairfion and her guards stood, taking in the picturesque landscape. All around were rolling green hills, covered in apple trees that hung heavy with fruit. In the distance, a mountain loomed, and a shining white city clung to its slope. Belle gasped. "It's just as beautiful as I remember."
"Uran'kelmor trenoamansul..." Lasairfion murmured, her eyes wide.
Prowse snorted. "Eh. Apple trees. Maybe they have good cider?" He said, hopefully.
Props pointed towards the edge of the orchard, where happy music and the sounds of ponies filled the air. "Wowie-zowie! That must be the Sisterhooves Social!"
Kera nodded. "Okay. So, all we gotta do is get Princess Lassie and I into the contest, win everything, and get back here with the medal?"
Props nodded. "Yupperoni! In the meantime, I'll get set on re-calibrating the engines with Zaid's help, so we can make the trip back!"
Kera grinned as she surveyed the crowds of ponies, and cracked her neck. "Those lame ponies won't know what hit 'em. C'mon, Lasairfion!"
Lasairfion picked up on Kera's competetive mood, and she smirked. "Korelana'estea Equumulien trennette'ea morsulan'kortos!"
"Yeah, you said it!" Kera trotted towards the competition grounds, winding her way through the apple orchard, Princess Lasairfion following her.
Princess Lasairfion's guards moved to follow her, and the Princess turned and addressed them. "Molatro'more laquria'aentro, dre't?"
They stopped, glancing at one another uncertainly, and then saluted as one. "Trend't Xon-Nagu'n!" With that, they spread out around the ship, eyes watchful.
Belle bit her lip. "What should I do? Do you need help with the engines, Props?"
Props smiled, "Nah! You go watch your girl be awesome!"
Belle smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Props. I'm sure this will be great fun for Kera."
Props winked. "I'm sure it will be!" With that, the blonde earth pony pronked back into the ship, leaving Belle to follow after Kera and Lasairfion.
Kera led Lasairfion into the competition grounds, trotting towards a big sign that read "Registration". She stopped in front of the desk, looking up, up, up at the biggest stallion she'd ever seen. He was bright red, with an orange mane and green eyes. "Woah. You're huge."
"Eeyup," the stallion replied.
"We're here for the contest. My sister and I. Because... we're sisters," Kera said, glancing over her shoulder at Lasairfion.
Lasairfion wasn't paying Kera much attention. Her eyes were roaming over the huge stallion, and she grinned a predatory grin. "Nah'tolur'emana solshen'gon meiterra'sahk, dreit?" She licked her lips.
Kera rolled her eyes and poked the elder mare in the side. "Stop drooling. So, we just sign up here?"
The stallion leaned away from Lasairfion, a blush coloring his cheeks a deeper scarlet. "E-eyup."
Kera grabbed a quill and quickly wrote down her and Lasairfion's name, and nodded. "Great. Thanks. Where's the first contest?"
The stallion pointed behind himself, towards a line of picnic tables laden with pies. An enormous mountain of pies. Kera's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. "That's... a contest?!"
The stallion nodded. "Eeyup."
Lasairfion grinned, leaning across the table, her mane swirling around her to flick the stallion under the chin teasingly. "Yorshuen'enn jarash'senta'sa, Equumulien solshen'gon..." She cast the nervous stallion a saucy wink.
Kera used her magic and grabbed onto Princess Lasairfion's tail. With a firm grasp, she physically dragged Lasairfion away, eliciting an indignant yelp from the Xonan mare. "No! You don't get to eat the stallion. We're gonna need room for pie."
Lasairfion pulled her tail from Kera's magical grasp, frowning, and trotted after the filly, casting a final look over her shoulder at the red stallion. The stallion waved nervously at her, unable to meet her gaze. Lasairfion smirked, her tail swishing like a satisfied cat. Kera, meanwhile, arrived at the mountain of pies. Ponies were gathering near a stage, and an orange earth pony mare that looked oddly like Props was chatting up the crowd, getting them hyped up for the competition. Kera looked up towards the stage, noting the tables and chairs arranged carefully. "Two chairs per table... looks like we both have to eat as much pie as possible to win."
Kera smirked, turning to look at the pies. "Time to win one for the future."
Bellesmith arrived at the contest grounds just in time for a contest of some sort. She trotted into a crowd of ponies gathered around a stage. Kera and Lasairfion sat at a table along with several other groups of sisters, easily identified by matching articles of clothing each pair wore. Coincidentally, though they hadn't prepared for the event, their Xonan tattoos gave Kera and Lasairfion an undeniable connection.
An orange mare with a blonde mane wearing a cowboy hat—Belle felt herself blush slightly as she remembered the name 'Applejack'—stood in front of the gathered crowd. "All right, y'all! The pie eatin' contest is about to begin!"
The crowd cheered, hooves stomping the earth, and Belle joined in, smiling up at Kera. Kera spotted her and waved, a devilish smirk on her muzzle. Applejack hollered, "Y'all have five minutes to eat as much pie as ya can! On yer mark! Get set! Eat!"
It was immediately apparent to Belle that Lasairfion and Kera had very different strategies. Kera dug into the pies face-first, devouring them. Lasairfion took the pies on a slice at a time, chewing thoughtfully. Kera cast Lasairfion a glowering scowl as she finished her first pie and grabbed another. Lasiarfion shrugged, finishing off her slice and grabbing another. The next team over, two sisters with matching green hair bows, were well into their second pie when the younger sister froze up in horror. "There's... grasshopper in my pie!"
Kera smirked, pulling a third pie into her mouth as, all around her, the other competitors discovered green, long-legged bugs inside their pies as well. Kera chewed, swallowed, and pulled a grasshopper from the inside of her pie. She examined the bug, smiling, and then popped it into her mouth with obvious relish. "A little extra crunch never hurt anypony."
A few minutes later, the contest was done. Kera sat with a satisfied grin and rotund belly, finishing off her eighth pie. The rest of the teams sat at one or two, most quitting after discovering the infestation. Lasairfion had barely finished one pie, and she primly wiped her muzzle with a napkin as she polished off her last slice. Applejack approached the contestants, frowning. "Ah'm sorry, everypony. I guess some critters managed to find the pies. We'll have to call this one a draw."
"Oh, come on!" Kera complained.
Applejack shook her head. "Sorry, sugarcube. Ain't fair to the others."
Kera huffed, crossing her forehooves across her chest. "Meh."
Lasairfion smirked and patted Kera on the head. "Yorlun'korsa retenasal'mor Searen'ese mul'en, Kera."
"Don't patronize me," Kera grumbled, crawling off her seat and heading for the next contest.
Bellesmith approached them as they walked away from the contest stage. "Kera!"
Kera smiled at Belle. "Hey! Did you see us?"
Belle frowned at Kera. "I saw."
Kera blushed. "Y-yeah. We did really well!"
"You cheated, Kera. Grasshoppers? You may have these ponies fooled, but you can't fool me," Belle said, shaking her head.
Kera winced. "Well, it's for the good of the future! We have to win the gold medal to save the world, remember?"
Belle scowled. "Yes, but you could have won without cheating. You're better than that, Kera. You're a tough filly, who has had to work hard for everything she has. Cheating isn't like you."
"Cheating is sorta like me..." Kera said, scuffing one hoof on the ground.
Belle nodded. "That may be so, but you know you can beat these ponies. You don't need to cheat. So, at this next event... I want you to do it fair and square."
Kera frowned. "But Belle!"
Belle glared at the little filly. Kera sighed. "Yes, Belle."
An ancient-looking green mare with a white mane hollered into a megaphone. "All right, y'all! It's time fer th' big race!"
Kera and Lasairfion trotted to the start line with the rest of the sisters, and they stood together. The old mare explained, "First ponies across the finish line together after completing all the challenges wins! Now get yerselves ready!"
Kera looked at Lasairfion. Lasairfion smiled, "Kera, tostruas'ehnra arlerntashiel?"
Kera sighed and shook her head. "No, Princess Lasairfion" she straightened up, glaring at the obstacle course ahead of her, "we're gonna do this fair and square."
Lasairfion raised one regal eyebrow at this, but nodded. "Dreit. Tren'toralan Xon-Nagu'n!"
"Yeah, yeah, for the glory of Xon-Nagu'n," Kera said, crouching down and preparing for the first sprint.
"On yer mark! Get set! Goooooooooo!" shouted the ancient mare.
And they ran. Kera and Lasairfion pulled ahead immediately, running for the first obstacle: a massive mud pit. Kera grit her teeth and leapt, clearing the mud pit in an epic jump. Lasairfion was right on her heels, jumping over the mud pit with ease and grace. They worked their way through a line of barrels, jumping from barrel to barrel without issue. They hit the next obstacle, stacked boxes, and leapt again. Lasairfion's mane swirled behind her and nearly snagged on a splintered wooden edge, but Kera grabbed her mane and pulled it away before it could catch and trip the Xonan princess. They leapt from the top box together, clearing the lower boxes and slamming as one into the hay bales they had to push. Two earth pony sisters pulled ahead of them, their brute strength a boon in this case. Lasairfion growled something unintelligible and put her back into the bale of hay, and they pushed it through the line. Together, Kera and Lasairfion continued to the next obstacle.
They both halted in front of a massive barrel of strange, sweet-smelling fruit, glancing around in confusion. They spotted the earth ponies that were ahead of them. One had leapt into the barrel and was crushing the fruit, while the other collected the juice in a jar below. Kera nodded and turned to Lasairfion. "Gimmie a boost!"
Lasairfion frowned, and her mane reached out like a web, grabbing onto Kera and hoisting her into the barrel. Kera began crushing the fruit, stomping with wild abandon. "Stupid past fruit! Future fruit is way better!"
"Kera! Nahkk'aht!" Lasairfion shouted, hoisting a full jar of juice onto her back and galloping it towards a stool, where she carefully placed it.
Kera leapt from the top of the barrel, tucking and rolling like Roarke had taught her, and rushed after Lasairfion. Together, they arrived at a strange set-up: a catapult-like structure loaded with apples, with an empty barrel a few yards away. The earth pony sisters arrived simultaneously, and they split up, one heading for the empty barrel and the other manning the catapult. Kera raced for the barrel, and Lasairfion stepped up to the catapult. The Xonan Princess sneered at the crude war machine. "Yotoran'erlanta, morater'shen."
"I know we make 'em better back home! Now fire!" Kera hollered, watching as two other sister groups pulled ahead of them.
Lasairfion stomped the catapult, sending the fruit into the air, and Kera grabbed the barrel, adjusting it to catch the falling fruit. One errant apple went off-course, and Kera leapt into the air, catching it with her teeth and tossing it down into the barrel. "Let's go!"
Lasairfion and Kera raced ahead, rushing towards a chicken coop. Two other groups of sisters were emerging from the other end, balancing eggs on their noses. Kera snorted. "This race is dumb."
"Dreit," Lasairfion agreed.
They entered the chicken coop. Lasairfion's mane whirled around her, gathering two eggs quickly and balancing them perfectly on her and Kera's muzzle. Lasairfion simply strode with extreme grace, walking through the coop with a ethereal glide that Kera attempted to mimic, but she found the egg wobbling and uncooperative. Kera's egg fell to the floor with a splat. Lasairfion, however, delivered her egg to the basket outside, and turned, gesturing to Kera. "Kera!"
Kera rushed after her, noticing that only one egg needed to be delivered. The last part of the course loomed ahead: hurdles. Kera and Lasairfion broke into a full-on gallop, pulling neck-and-neck with the other two groups of sisters. Lasairfion smirked at Kera, and then her tattoos began to glow with fierce, burning light. "Tren'toralan Xon-Nagu'n! she bellowed, her voice amplified to several times its normal volume.
One of the other teams of sisters faltered as the booming voice rang across the course, and they hit a hurdle wrong, stumbling. Kera and Lasairfion leapt over the downed ponies and the hurdle, clearing both, hot on the heels of the final team. They moved as one, leaping the final hurdle, and they broke into a sprint. Kera dug deep, remembering all of her training with Roarke, remembering all of her years spent fighting for her life, and she pulled ahead. Lasairfion grit her teeth, her mane flowing behind her like a great, black banner as she sprinted all-out. They neared the finish line and leapt for the end just as the earth pony sisters did.
Lasairfion's lengthy mane, however, proved her undoing. As she leapt, her mane snagged on a rock, and she stumbled. Kera and Lasairfion landed in their jump just inches behind the finish line, and the earth pony sisters landed ahead of them. Kera gasped. "No!"
The crowd cheered, descending on the winning pair, and they hoisted the blue ribbon with the golden medallion in victory. Kera and Lasairfion stood up, panting, heads hung low from exhaustion. "We lost! What are we gonna do?" Kera said, looking around in worry.
"Kera!" Belle arrived, leaping onto the filly and grabbing her into a warm hug. "You did so great!"
Kera clung to Belle, her eyes filling with tears. "B-but! We lost! Now how are we going to get that golden medallion to save the future?!"
Belle smiled. "We'll figure something out. But you should be proud. You almost won, and you didn't cheat."
Kera growled, pulling away from Belle's grasp. "I don't feel proud."
Lasairfion cleared her throat and placed a hoof on Kera's shoulder. "Kera..."
Kera looked up at the elder Princess. Lasairfion smiled briefly, before her brow furrowed in concentration. "You... did well. Xonan Princess must learn... grace in defeat. Searonese friend, Roarke, would be... proud. I am proud, too. We fight... as Xonan warriors. Honorable. This is good."
Kera sighed, her ears drooping. "Thanks, Princess Lasairfion."
Lasairfion nodded, patting her on the shoulder, and trotted away. Belle put one foreleg around Kera's shoulders, pulling her to her side. "Come on. Let's go back to the Tarkington and see if we can come up with a new plan."
Kera sighed. "Yeah, okay."
Together, they both trotted back across the orchards to where the large manaship hovered.
"Heya ponies! We're ready to take off!" Props said cheerfully as Kera and Belle approached.
"Not quite... we didn't win the medal," Kera said, her head hanging low.
Props frowned. "Oh. Well, then what the heck does Princess Lassie have with her?"
Kera and Belle turned, staring behind them. Princess Lasairfion approached, a smug smile on her face, the blue ribbon with a golden medallion pinned behind one ear. Kera gaped at the elder princess, eyes wide. "H-how?"
Lasairfion winked. "Xonan warrior... honorable. Also crafty."
"Woo! Great job, ponies! Let's get this show on the road and go... back to the future!" Props declared!
Princess Lasairfion barked an order at the Xonan guards, and they trooped up the ramp and into the Tarkington, followed by a smug Lasairfion and a stunned Kera and Belle.
Within minutes, Kera, Lasairfion, and Belle were back in the engine room, and they worked together to cast the time travel spell once more. With another flash of light and not-burning emerald flame, the manaship was thrown forward in time, back to their present. Uncle Prowse brought the ship into a hover over the goblin mine, and Kera, Belle, and Lasairfion arrived at the gangway. Roarke, her re-built armor shining in the light of the setting sun, met them at the ramp. "Hm. Took you long enough."
"We had some problems... but Lasairfion saved the day," Kera said, hoofing over the golden medallion to the Searonese warrior.
Roarke examined the medal, her brass irises shifting and whirring in their sockets, and she nodded. "This is plenty of material. We can spread it thin over the hole to create a harmonic seal, and trap the chaos magic. The area should stabilize within a day or two."
Belle smiled at Kera. "See? It all worked out."
Kera shrugged. "Meh."
Props trotted out from behind the group of mares, and nudged Princess Lasairfion. "So, how the heckadoodle did you get that medal, anyway?"
Lasairfion smirked. "Equumulien trentte'sehn morshora'lenha Buch Tania Lasairfion!"
Props squinted at the Princess. "...What?"
Berry Punch and Berry Pinch trotted down the road towards Ponyville, their faces aglow with smiles. "I can't believe we won, sis!" squeaked Berry Pinch.
"I know! You did great!" Berry Punch giggled, nuzzling her little sister, "But, we don't need this medal to prove how great of sisters we are!"
Berry Pinch laughed, hugging her sister and staring at the medal on her back. "Yeah, but it's still pretty cool."
Berry Punch was about to reply, but she was interrupted by a strange voice. "Equumulien trentte'sehn, korlana'rea orshoro'men Buch Tania Lasairfion Xon-Nagu'n!"
The two sisters turned as one, eyes wide, and faced a imposing brown unicorn mare with a black mane that writhed around her like living pythons. Deep blue tattoos glowed with a sinister inner light, and her eyes burned with sapphire brilliance. She reared up on her hind legs, her forelegs kicking out, and silvery, winged snakes exploded into being, swirling around the two sisters with hissing calls. Berry Punch screamed, grabbed Berry Pinch, and took off at a full sprint. The medal fell from Berry Punch's back as she escaped the insane pony.
Princess Lasairfion settled back onto her hooves, dismissing the silvery snakes. She trotted over to the medal on the ground and picked it up, tucking it into her mane, and trotted away.
"Dreit."