"Hurry up!"
"Diamond, you can't rush perfection," Rarity made clear. Pink diamond hadn't been in Ponyville for more than a few days, and as it stood, she was already getting a bit of mixed feelings about it. not that she didn't enjoy it, surely, but when Rarity got her stuck as her mannequin for her latest work, she would much rather do ... anything else. ANYTHING else other than standing still. And it was one of her complaints some could actually agree on, as she spent about an hour doing just this.
"But I don't want to just stand here! There's a million things I'd rather do than just stand still like a Pearl," Pink complained, but didn't budge much.
"Now, dear, don't be like that. I know it's a long process, but I swear, when Canterlot sees the latest Diamond fashion wear, they'll simply adore it!" Rarity said, feeling very excited to show off this product of hers as she continued to make measurements on Pink. She would handle the other diamonds, but Pink was the only one that can actually fit inside her boutique, so she was the only option as of now (much to Pink's annoyance).
"And I'm your model because ...?"
"Because it'll be in your name. I may be a fashion designer, but even I have to give credit where credit's due. Besides, don't you want to see Canterlot with me? I promise you, it's the perfect place for any diamond to be in," Rarity reassured. She did want to see Canterlot, amongst so many other places, but be that as it may, it just wasn't fun the method to get there first. Rarity continued her measurements, and adding cloth and sparkles, sewing them in with grace and ease.
"Fine ... but then we can see my colony, right?" Pink reminded.
"If we find Peridot, surely," Rarity promised.
"Again? Why do we need Peridot, just find that Warp Pad you were talking about. I'm not going on some wild search for her," Pink stated.
"I know," Rarity said through gritted teeth, before calming down a little. "But none of those Warp Pads are working, remember? Peridot's the only transit right now."
"But I don't wanna wait ... *poke* OW!" Pink's complaints and pouting stopped when Rarity accidentally poked her with her needle, making the diamond jump and tear her outfit by mistake.
"Sorry, Pink Diamond," Rarity quickly said, Pink rubbing her hip where she got poked. She would turn and gripe again, but ... as it was, something else caught the Diamond's attention, looking off towards the Unicorn. She may not be too familiar with the particular customs or working of ponies, but she looked to Rarity with a sort of confused expression. One of those "what-the-heck-are-you-doing?" looks.
"... What?" Rarity asked. Pink Diamond didn't really give her a response much, but the unicorn did end up following her eyes towards what she was looking at. Turned out her eyes were focused on her flank. A bit odd in a regular sense, but what Rarity saw left the unicorn kinda speechless to say the least.
Her Cutie Mark was flashing! And she had no idea why!
"W-Wha?! Oh my, uh, uh." Rarity's mind was a blank, staring in worry and shock as she tried to scramble her mind for some explanation. Did she get sick or something? did somepony cast a spell while she was sleeping as a joke?
"What's going on with your mark?" Pink wondered, going over to investigate, she got down in a squat, and got to eye-level with the Cutie Mark, poking it curiously. Rarity honestly had no idea on what was even going on with it, and didn't know how to answer. No pony she ever met, EVER had a Cutie Mark with a calling light on it. And for this unicorn, it wasn't the only little catch, as her horn began to glow ...
"Oh, not again," Rarity said. just as she suspected, suddenly her horn's magic aura began to pull her from her head, far too strong for the Unicorn to stop. She trued using her hooves for some sort of traction, but it clearly wasn't working. Pink diamond didn't know what was going on either, but it was FAR more interesting than some dress getup, so she tore off Rarity's dress and began to follow the Unicorn as the magical aura dragged the mare outside her own boutique. Here we go again.
Rarity tried time and time again to get this to stop, but no matter the struggle, it just wasn't going to happen. Many a pony in Ponyville simply watched in confusion as the Unicorn was dragged on through town with a diamond following her, trying to keep up. Rarity was not only annoyed and bemused with her horn doing this to her (again), but embarrassed that this was in front of everyone in town. Where was she going, who knows. Pink diamond even managed to grab her by her back hooves, and the pull was so strong it even dragged her along! Of course, Pink Diamond released her when she noticed a good twenty feet of a set of dirt streaks from her own feet. Whatever's got a hold on Rarity was stronger than she could handle, and all she could do was follow. and follow she did.
Eventually, Rarity flat out gave up, and simply stayed quiet with a ... very lack of amusement on her face, her hooves dragging in the dirt as she was dragged outside of Ponyville and into the Everfree Forest. Not exactly the first guess for anyone, but who knows at this point where Rarity was even going? At least her magic had the decency to avoid the flora and stuck to the path instead, so no risk of any Swamp Fever or Poison Joke on this trip. Rarity had only dealt with this once before when she was a filly, but the Unicorn knew that this wasn't without reason. But, what was the reason? For a moment, she felt a little curious on the subject, now that she thought of it ...
And then she fell.
"OOF! AH! OW! EEK! OW! ... mmm ..."
Not the most graceful tumble down stairs ever, and the Unicorn was left in a bit of a daze from that. Hurt, yeah, but at least the horn stopped glowing, so she had power to go somewhere now. That though didn't stop her Cutie Mark however, which was still flashing a bit after she checked. Pink Diamond hopped down the ravine to Rarity's level, seeing Rarity get to her hooves.
"Wow ... and you're still flashing," Pink Diamond said, looking to her Cutie Mark again.
"What in Celestia was that all about?" Rarity groaned, fixing up her mane from the tumble. Rarity and Pink Diamond took a look around the area. ...
~~~~~~
"Alright, hold on, hold on," Jasper stated, pinching the bridge of her gemstone. The orange Gem took a long, deep breath, both hands running through her hair as she did so. "Pink Diamond's In Equestria?!"
It took a while for the ponies to properly get this information out to the rest of the Crystal Gems, in some shape or form, but eventually Twilight sparkle got this information out to the group after Peridot got her back to Beach City. Much of the Gems were at the Temple, and while Steven still didn't have a house yet, he still considered the Crystal Temple a decent place to visit, at the least of it. Sure, it was dim, and not much of his stuff was around, but all the same he practically grew up there, and he wasn't gonna leave it permanently.
"Believe me, I was shocked when I found out," Twilight made clear.
"You were shocked? Who got carried half way through the Crystal Empire at light speed? Do Gems always move that fast? Because I'm never gonna get used to it," Lars said, who was also present for this little chat. In fact, the main group was made up of most of the Crystal Gems and Off-Colors, the exception being that of Garnet for the moment.
"No they don't," Peridot simply answered.
"I predict that our once-deceased Diamond has returned to life, and is residing in Equus," Padparadscha said.
"Already happened," Lars commented through gritted teeth.
"W-Wha? Pink Diamond? BACK? ALIVE?! O-Oh my stars, I-I-I need to sit down. S-Someone have a chair or something?" Rhodonite shuttered, on the verge of fainting. Amethyst got her covered and turned into a couch just before she fell onto her.
"How did she get to Equestria? We thought she was with the Diamonds," Fluorite said, pondering in her slow, usual way.
"Cadance told me that they dropped her off for her safety," Twilight replied.
"And if you ask me, it sounds like White's really out for Pink," added Steven.
"Why wouldn't she? I mean, wasn't Pink Diamond one of her "experiments"?" Fulgurite asked, quoting "Experiments" with her fingers.
"Everything's gonna be fine. White Diamond may have been to Earth, but she hasn't been in Equestria ... extensively, before. Maybe she doesn't even know she's there," Twilight figured. It was a rather vague idea for White Diamond, and with half of their group, or even more, gone in outer space they were not in full strength to be fighting against her again. Rhodonite though couldn't stand that answer.
"MAYBE? We all nearly got shattered by her, and you put all our fate on a "maybe"?! This isn't some random cut Gem we're talking about, this is WHITE DIAMOND: the strongest, and most powerful Gem in all of history! She's not going to just stop because her little Gem's flown her Space Station, she will not rest until she's got us all! Do you understand?! WILL, NOT, STOP!"
"Are you done?" Tiger's Eye asked, covering her ears at this point. Rhodonite's panic quickly turned to annoyance with Tiger's Eye and her comment.
"Eh, now that we're caught up with that bit of crazy news, where's Garnet?" asked Peridot, looking around for her, but not seeing her anywhere.
"Beats me. Last I heard she was working shifts at the Big Donut. Don't ask, I have no idea why," Tiger's Eye stated, scratching her ear. That was a bit ... odd.
"... O ... K ... Anyway, want a ticket back yet?" Peridot asked, pulling out her Portal Key from her hair. Her expression wasn't any excitement about this, and at this point, she wasn't gonna wait.
"Oh. Uh, sure, thanks," Twilight replied. Peridot grumbled under her breath as she walked to the Temple cave wall, the key going into it and opening up the portal doorway.
"Alright, your highness, here's another portal back through, you can pay on the way out," Peridot complained. It seemed like a good thing at the time, but this was just getting degrading for her, if anything. As she was going on with her monologue though, another figure stepped out from the portal, and Peridot ended up walking right into the figure's legs. Peridot looked up, and sure enough madam Pink Diamond was right in front of her. Talk about timing.
"EEP! D-Diamond!" gasped Peridot, jumping back from her as she and Rarity came in. Rarity's Cutie Mark still was going off, even after her horn stopped, so she had no clue what was going on. It quickly got the other's seeing it too.
"Rarity? Everything okay?"
"Oh, I'm alright, but I believe there's something you all need to see."
.......
Soon, it was from the Crystal Temple Cave, and off to the Everfree Cave. This wasn't no ordinary cave either, but actually a rather nostalgic area for many of the Mane Six. In particular, this cave held the Tree of Harmony. ... Or rather, it used to. The tree of harmony itself didn't seem to be anywhere in the cave, but that didn't mean this cave was completely empty. No, there was something else that Rarity wanted to show the others, and it wasn't just some tree. There was something far more intriguing than just some crystalline tree.
Within the clearing of the cave itself, something else crystalline was presented there. It was large, shaped much like one of those infinity symbols, with a flattened surface, smooth as the floors of the Temple cave, and rooted down into the earth underneath it. As for the top surface however, it presented a hologram. A hologram of a map. And this map had both Equestria, and Earth on with it, with Equus to one side, and Earth on the other. It was like a 3D model had been imprinted on this piece, and everyone there took the time to look it all over.
"W-What is that?" Rhodonite questioned nervously.
"Is this ... Earth?" wondered Steven. He took the time to study it a bit more closely, and finding that the details of Beach City, Bayburgh, Ocean Town, and many other places from his homeworld were down in pure detail. They may not be able to see much of his friends amongst the details, but it all sure looked very good for what it was. The same thing can be said for Equestria as well: Canterlot, Appleloosa, Ponyville, The Crystal empire, the Kirin Empire, all of these places and more were mapped out in detail just as well.
"Looks like an observation screen," Peridot wondered, poking at what would be the Moon Base, which itself was floating in the hologram. However, on touching it, it didn't fizzle or glitch, but instead simply fazed through Peridot's hand, as if it was just nothing but light. Pink Diamond was a bit curious, and began poking around the numerous areas of the Equestria side of the map. One that they caught attention of though was Rarity's Cutie Mark floating over one of the areas of Neippon.
"Neippon. The Kirin Empire?" Rarity wondered. A rather interesting spot to place her Cutie Mark, though it was still a bit questionable. Her magic brought her here, and it showed this. Either it wanted to show what her Cutie Mark was doing, or perhaps something more was involved. Whatever it was, it had to be for something. As they continued to examine it, they began to notice something else too: Twilight's Cutie Mark was glowing! In a visual demonstration, a hologram of her Cutie Mark moved from her flank, and moved over to the similar spot Rarity was at. Strange, but intriguing all the same.
"Wow. This has all of Equestria AND Earth," Steven said.
"But where's Homeworld? I don't see it, do you?" Pink Diamond asked.
"I don't know. Maybe Celestia and Luna would know what this is about," Twilight suggested. It was a bit of a stretch, but they weren't sure at all what this was even about. The others continued to look over this sort of map, but before any of them could go, the map began to turn a bit more active again. It was as if the map was telling them to stay, not leave, and try to pay attention to what it was trying to say. Soon, Rarity and Twilight's Cutie Marks started to change a little bit, as if merging together. After a quick spin, the Cutie Marks turned into what appeared to be a flower. A beautiful, yet small, pink flower presented in a sapphire pot. It might be a bit disturbing for a Gem, but to a pony, it was simply divine. Rarity studied on the flower a little more closely, but she began to recognize the flower, and when she looked down a little closer, her eyes grew wide.
"Oh my Celestia. It can't be ... I-I think it is!" Rarity said in excitement, leaning over the edge of the map in anticipation.
"What's it?" asked Fluorite.
"Yes, YES I'm sure of it! Everypony, that is the very same flower that belonged to the most beautiful unicorn in all the land! Mistmane!" Rarity said, a bit of flair in her voice on the name itself. Though she did forget for a moment that most of the others weren't even aware of this Mistmane of hers, whoever that was.
"... And, this is big because ..." said Jasper.
"Oh, I forgot, not everyone's from here. Mistmane is my most favorite legend!: A pony who saw the beauty in absolutely everything," Rarity explained.
"Everything? Eh, I don't know. I mean, this cave's not really uh ..."
"Oh, no no no no. Here, I'll prove it to you," Rarity said, as she trotted over to the rock walls of the cave. She took a moment to check them before she continued explaining.
"See, these blah rocks aren't really blah. If you just look into them -" she paused to scrap some bit off with her hoof, and actually revealed some shiny pieces that glistened from the light outside. "- you'll find that there's fragments of gold in them." Rarity walked on over to the front of the cave as Rhodonite and Pink checked out the gold she found. Rarity sat down by some good light and began to work her hooves.
"And the way the light dances on the cave wall, oh so gorgeous," Rarity said, as the shadows from her hooves actually began to form a Pearl doing a beauty dance, much like their Pearl.
"... How'd she do that with no fingers?" Amethyst quietly asked. No answer was given, but Rarity's point was made clear.
"Wow. Mistmane sounds a lot like ... my mom. She saw the beauty in everything too," Steven said, as Rarity walked over to him.
"Well if the two had met, I'm sure they both would be great friends," Rarity said.
"You said she was a legend. What's her story?" Fluorite asked, a bit intrigued by this Mistmane.
"Yeah! Anyone apart of pure legend had to have done something big. You know how it went, Rarity?" asked Steven. Rarity sat down over by the map, a smile on her face.
"Oh, I was hoping you'd ask. Well, Mistmane was a promising young sorceress ..."
---(Start flashback)---
Off in the mountains of Neippon, springtime in its prime, there was a small village that lived off in Neippon. Much of the village itself was quiet, but had it's nicer details from time of dedication of its locals, and time of warmth and natural beauty to blossom. The town was bordered by a stone wall, and many of the buildings were truly that of what you'd find in the Kirin Empire today: many buildings made up of stone and wood with arches and shrines abound. Plant life flourished here: bushes, small trees, patches of flowers too, many looking like the flower that Rarity recognized. Typically the ponies in town would either be off working on the plants, or relaxing in the spring air, but today there was something special going on as all of the villagers gathered at the front gate.
One pony was the center of the attention. A beautiful Unicorn stood at the edge of the town, right by the gate, as everypony was saying their goodbyes to her. She had a thin build with lavender fur, her horn and ears ending at a point. Her mane and tail, seagreens, turquoises and blues like the mist of the mountains, flowed on behind her in a river current, just like that of Celestia and Luna. Her hooves faded from lavender to a cream white, and on her flank, a Cutie Mark of a seagreen cloud. This creature was Mistmane. And today, it had made known that this Unicorn had places to go to. Everyone amongst her village, some pony, some Kirin, all made sure they were heard at least once before Mistmane began to go. Even the finest of sorceresses had magic school to go to, and she was sent off to the finest one. Everyone waved their goodbyes, and Mistmane, all smiles, went off on her way.
For Mistmane, she was doing fairly well during her time at the Magic School. While her own magic was pretty good, much of these were less involving Unicorn magic, and more focused on the remedies of the natural world. Berries, leaves, that sort of thing. And many of the students, including her, took the time to make sure they all got it right. Mistmane was doing one of these sessions with a mixture of grapes and red leaves, grounding them up in a pot, when another pony came up to her. This pony wasn't her teacher, but more of a guard, and he had a message for her rolled up in a scroll. The message she was given brightened up her day more than anything else.
While she was gone, she was delighted to find out that her best friend, Sable Spirit, was crowned empress. She couldn't wait to return home once she finished her studies. But once she arrived, she was devastated by what she saw.
And devastated she was. Her studies had ended, and she got to the frontal archway of her old home, but when she took a good look around, the town was a mere shell of its former self. It looked completely worn out to say the least. No flowers, no bushes, no trees, nothing that signified the beauty of spring was anywhere here. Any tree that did remain had no evidence of any life: not a single leaf stayed in their skeletal branches. The support beams on some of the buildings, due to lack of any care, now stood in risk as many had cracks in them. The few ponies that she did see were no better off. They were all tired, worn out, dirty and working. Mistmane didn't know what to say, other than ...
"What happened here?"
Her answer came from one of the locals whom was raking some leaves.
"The empress happened," he answered, a hoof pointing over to the archway on the otherside of the village, going to a palace of sorts. Mistmane could see trees a plenty and they all looked fine compared to the town. "She makes us work day and night on her palace. We don't have to take care of anything else."
"B-But that can't be, I know her! She would never do this ..."
But there was no denying what was in front of her.
Nearby, Mistmane and the pony then saw a very young Kirin start to gallop towards the front gate, his magic holding what appeared to be a young, healthy flower. compared to the town it was a beauty to behold. She looked very nervous as her magic held the flower in a warm yellow hue, the Kirin hoping in vain that nopony would take it away. However, the flower turned its aura from yellow to red, and in a small gasp the Kirin found her flower taken. Nearby, a carriage with the same guard ponies pulling stood side, the flower disappearing behind the curtains before they too began to go off, this time towards the palace. The Kirin galloped after them, but she knew she couldn't do much against the empress, and sadly walked away. Mistmane simply stood there in shock and dismay at what was being seen here. Sable Spirit was doing this? She had to see for herself.
In little time, she went out of the village, and towards the palace to see what the problem was. In comparison to the worn off village just outside, the palace was indeed the most beautiful display many a pony would ever see. By the throne itself was everything one would see as beautiful: sakura trees in bloom, finely crafted pots with all sorts of flowers and plants, artifacts everywhere. The throne itself was decorated with a set of peacock feathers, several bouquets of blue flowers, a green chandelier hanged above it, and many other objects that signified beauty. Two of those same guards stood at attention right by the empress, who had her face covered by a black flair. she wore a dress of black with red rimming, along with a crown of similar colors. It was painfully clear where all that beauty had gone to, and at first Mistmane couldn't believe it.
"Sable? Is that you?"
"It is. Don't tell me you don't recognize your old friend, Mistmane," Sable said. Mistmane though had her doubts on the situation altogether.
"I don't. My old friend would never work our friends and family to the bone for something as silly as a palace."
"Silly?" Sable questioned. "My palace is a beacon of beauty! Any creature that passes will be in awe of its majesty!"
"What's the point of beauty when it just hides the misery of it's villagers?" Mistmane asked. Sable moved her hoof gently by the same flower she took from the filly, admiring the flower's colors.
"Beauty is everything. ... You taught me that!"
"What?!" Mistmane gasped. Sable went off her throne and walked over towards her friend. Mistmane wasn't sure, but could start to make out something different in the way her old friend moved. As if she was being weighed down by something.
"You were always the pretty one, more beautiful than even those Kirins. You got to go to the best magic school. Everypony missed you. Everypony loved you! I admit I was jealous," Sable explained, as she started to circle her friend. "So I tried to perform a spell that would make me beautiful ... You can see how well that went!"
And then she pulled away the blind over her face, and Mistmane was shocked at her friend's state. Her memory remembered her as a pony, and one of a nice beauty, but now she saw someone not even close. Her face was very old and aged, and this spell apparently had a Kirin involvement into it because she now had scales on her face, and even then the scales looked old and shedding slightly under her eyes. Not only did she try to make herself beautiful, she tried to become a creature naturally more beautiful than her, and both backfired hard.
"I vowed that if I can't have beauty, I would take it. I wasn't chosen to be express you know. I took it! ... Just like how I'll take everything else," Sable said, proud in her accomplishment. The guards were unfazed by this news, as if they already knew about it, which made Mistmane even more troubled.
"I can't let you do that," Mistmane said, ready to fully confront her. Sable though didn't really feel too threatened.
"Let me?"
So it began: Sable laughed and made the first move onto Mistmane. Her magic casted a spiked vine right at Mistmane's hooves, which quickly grew into a cocoon around her. The thorns stung Mistmane, but this mare had been in practice, and with a flash, she was out of her prison. Sable Spirit wasn't gonna give up without a fight, and through her horn stem a magical line, sprouting upward into a magic dragon. The beast roared down at Mistmane, who in turn did the same thing and summoned a blue dragon to fight.
With magic in focus, both mares went at eachother, focus and strain as both dragons clashed. Sable Spirit was struggling to keep up this fight, but Mistmane stayed calm and collected. The red dragon didn't stand a chance, and like a coiling snake, the blue dragon wrapped around its foe, and the red dragon disappeared. Then it made a B-line towards Sable, who managed to dodge it as it struck a nearby pot. Sable moved in on Mistmane, but the same plants she had used now worked against her, and next thing she knew, Sable found herself concealed within the same plant cocoon. Mistmane paused, and she even heard the guards cheer her praises ... but, seeing her old friend now in the same prison Sable tried putting her into, it didn't feel right at all. Thinking back at what she said. In a way, this was her fault. Her influence anyway. Mistmane looked over to the throne and saw the flower again.
With some gentle lift of her magic, Mistmane went on outside of the palace. With some gentle digging with her hoof, she planted the flower right in the center of the village. It may be a nice spot, but Mistmane felt in her heart and soul, that there was more she could do. It was something she felt needed doing, something she wanted to do. Mistmane looked down to the plant, and her horn began to glow. The aura from her horn landed down onto the flower, helping it grow big and strong. Some smaller flowers bloomed around it, and with a flash of energy, the entire village was given anew. Springtime had returned to the village once again. Skeletal trees turned to blossoming beacons of life, and every bush bloomed the most beautiful flora one could ever see.
And as for Sable, the flash reopened her cocoon, and like a caterpillar to a butterfly, Sable was returned to her young, youthful, pony self. Sable was stunned by this transformation, but even more so was the pony who did this for her. After the spell, Mistmane returned to the palace to see her friend, only now she no longer had the physical beauty she once had. Almost like time caught up to the now elder-looking mare. Mistmane didn't feel bad for what happened to her though, and simply gave Sable a smile.
"Y-You did this for me? Even after I was so ... cruel?" Sable asked. Mistmane's answer came in a warm hug. It was all the answer that the empress needed to hear, and she went into tears of joy.
Sable Spirit was so touched, she vowed to be more like her friend in the ways that mattered. From then on, she ruled with kindness and compassion. Even though she gave away her physical beauty, she dedicated her life to spreading beauty all over Equestria. Any time you go out of your way to brighten somepony's day by doing something like giving them flowers, you're following in the hoofsteps of Mistmane.
---(End flashback)---
"I predict this story will have a happy ending," Padparadscha said.
"That does sound like one person we know of, doesn't it?" Amethyst said, fluffing Steven's hair. Rarity looked back to the flower.
"She was amazing, wasn't she? But now this map's showing us that spot. You think the flower's still there?!" Rarity wondered excitedly.
"I highly doubt it. The life expectancy for a average Earth flower is approximately from three to four days to about several weeks. ... But then again, we're technically not on Earth, so ..." Peridot pondered a little bit more, but then the map began to flash a little bit more. Twilight worked her mind together, and she did find one particular conclusion. It was a long shot, but it could explain this.
"I ... I think it wants us to go there," Twilight concluded.
"Can we?!" asked Steven.
"Well this cave was where the Tree of Harmony was. And this does look like it's connected to it in some way. I don't see why we shouldn't follow it," Twilight concluded. Pink Diamond all the while was simply staring at the flower in awe. A pure pink flower on display for Pink Diamond.
"It's settled then. We're going."
"Wait, we are?" Rhodonite questioned.
~~~~~~
"We are," sighed Rhodonite.
Well arriving there wasn't too much hassle for the group to get from the cave to the village in question. It wasn't exactly everyone. The group that went included: Rarity, Twilight, Steven, Pink Diamond, And the Off-colors respectively. Peridot went on with them as well, mainly as their quick line off back home whenever they would need it ... again. The path leading up to said village was a bit of a long one, but no big hills to climb as it was mainly a straight path after a while.
"Hey, Raroty, how'd you learn about Mistmane? Legends sounded more like Twilight's forte," Tiger's Eye asked.
"Well, we visited the old library once before, at the Castle of the Two sisters. They did mention a bit about Mistmane while we were looking, remember Twilight?" Rarity explained.
"Oh yeah, just before we left to see Starlight Glimmer. Didn't realize she was amongst those books," Twilight said, Rarity trotting ahead. Good time too, as the group all began to see sight of a village front gate not too far ahead. It did look a little old and rusty, but that's the price to pay for the test of time. Rarity was surely excited, giddy as a filly, as she went right to the front gate.
"This is it! Everyone, you're about to see the very same home where Mistmane grew up. Oh, this is so exciting," Rarity said, doing the honors of opening the front gate.
What they saw next though turned Rarity's excitement into shock, her smile gone in an instant. This was indeed Mistmane's old home, but the place was a mess! While Mistmane's village on her return had little to show, the village now looked overrun. Leaves, bushes, vines, weeds, all sorts of plants either looked unkept, overgrown, or spread all over the place. Even the Gems found it difficult to see passed some of these plants. All of it simply looked awful!
"Is this some joke? You said it was beautiful," Pink Diamond said, not believing it herself. Not the nicest way to say it, but it was as bad as it looked, maybe more so.
"... You sure we're in the right place? This surely doesn't look like somewhere Mistmane would live," Rhodonite questioned, trying to move passed the plants without any of them hitting her.
"W-Well, I'm sure of it, this was where the map said ... right?" Rarity said, though seeing all of this she really wasn't sure of it either. They kept going on through passed the bushes and shrubs growing around them, trying not to trip over stray vines and roots along the way. Eventually, Steven then saw something. Walking passed a bush, he looked on and saw a lone flower sitting in a pot on a small rock, on display. Unlike so many of the other plants, this small pink flower didn't look too bad at all. In fact, it looked very pretty, like a gem in a pile of rocks. Steven could recall the flower from the one shown on the map, so this had to be right.
"I think we're in the right place. Look!" Steven called, the others soon seeing the flower. Rarity gasped.
"Is that the ..."
"The very same flower Mistmane had. It looks in perfect health too," Twilight realized. Pink Diamond moved passed the others to see the flower a bit closer, impressed by the small beauty. It may not be very big, but it still beckoned her in some way, her finger reaching out and gently touching its petals -
*SLAP!*
"Ow!" Pink yelped, quickly moving her hand back.
"Keep your digits to yourself, dearie!" snapped a voice. The whole group looked over to one of the homes, and they saw that this town was not abandoned as it seemed to be. The old mare didn't look too pleased with them trying at the flower. She had a grey coat, pink mane and tail tied in a bun, and her cutie mark looking like a similar sort of pink flower. And this unicorn was not having it.
"This place has been in my family for generations, and I'm not about to let some whippersnapper take the last good piece of it!" she stated firmly, walking down to them while pointing her small garden spade at them.
"Whippersnapper?" Rhodonite asked.
"Time was, ponies came from far and wide to see these gardens. But that flower's the only worthwhile thing left!" The gardener snapped, her spade digging into the platform. She didn't really care much what the visitors were, she wasn't having anything take it away.
"Whoa, whoa, sorry, we're not here to take anything," Steven said, hands raised and backing up.
"Good!" the gardener made clear. she did calm down though, and sigh. "That flower is the very same one Mistmane herself used to purify this place. I don't think she would ever want it to just be taken away."
"So that IS the same flower!" gasped Rarity.
"That's right: the spell she left on that flower kept its beauty for years, even after she disappeared. Without that flower, nopony would even - ... HEY!" the gardener paused when Pink Diamond actually picked up the flower in the pot. The gardener pulled out her spade and whacked Pink Diamond in the head. Pink Diamond dropped the pot, but luckily Steven caught it just before it could hit the ground, saving both flower and pot.
"I was just holding it!" Pink diamond quickly insisted, acting like she wasn't going to go off with it. Steven gently placed the flower back on the platform.
"You were saying?" Twilight asked.
"I said, nopony would even bother to come by. And they surely ain't gonna come by if you take that away from here!" The gardener made clear.
"Lady, it's just a flower! A pink ... pretty, flower."
*smack!*
"Hooves off!" the gardener stated again. This clearly wasn't going anywhere, and Pink diamond was pulled away by Twilight.
"W-We're sorry, we'll be going. Right?" Rhodonite asked.
"We just got here. Look, are we allowed to hang around here if we don't take the flower?" Steven asked. The gardener took a look at everyone else.
"Just keep your digits to yourself, and you can stay long as you like," the gardener said. Though personally she didn't know why they would stay around if the flower truly was the only worthwhile thing left. The gardener went off to her own duties, as the others took their own time to check out the gardens. Though admittedly, that flower was probably the best thing there was to say the least.
"So, what exactly are we here for again? We found your uh ... flower, let's go," Rhodonite suggested. She was in no mood to get hit if the gardener got ticked off at her.
"Well, yeah we did, but I don't know ... I feel like there's something we're not getting. I mean, the map called us here for something."
"Yeah, it called us to see that flower," Peridot said.
"Really, that can't be the only thing. Why would a crystalline map that possibly belonged to the Tree of Harmony want us to come here just to see -"
"MY FLOWER!"
Well that was quick. The whole group stopped and turned back on the sudden noise. The same gardener was back at the pedestal, but now the old Unicorn was looking rattled, frantic as she looked around where the flower stood ... or rather, where it did stood. The flower itself was now gone! No pot, no petal, nothing left. The unicorn looked freaked out, but when she saw the group again, she looked furious with one in particular.
*smack**bam**whack*
"Knock it off!" Pink Diamond demanded, whacking the spade away.
"Give me back my flower, you thieving hooligan!" the gardener demanded. Considering she was just admiring and holding the plant, suspicions were kinda high. But Pink Diamond didn't have any flower in her hands, so what was she supposed to do? The spade whacked her in the head again, this time Pink Diamond grabbing the spade and throwing it out of the village.
"I'm a Diamond, stop it!" Pink Diamond demanded.
"I don't care who you are, give me back my family's prized treasure! NOW!" the gardener yelled. Pink Diamond was furious, but Steven jumped in the way.
"WAIT, stop! Let's not fight, please! Why don't we just get along and try to find the flower?" Steven suggested.
"NO!" both gardener and diamond yelled. This wasn't getting anywhere with them, and that response made Steven shiver.
"I predict that a strange creature would take the flower away, and race off outside of the village before we could stop it," Padparadscha stated. ... Well, late as usual.
"You wait until after it's gone to tell us that?" Pink said sourly, hand to forehead. Well on the bright side, it wasn't any of them. but the bad news was that the flower was taken by this "strange creature" or whatever. They took the time to try and find some sort of clue, but there was nothing there to say where it had gone to, or what could've taken it. No footprints, no plants disturbed, and no sound either. Someone would've heard something come by if they were on the ground somewhere, but no clue whatsoever.
"Padparadscha, can you tell us what this "strange creature" is?" Twilight asked. Padparadscha thought it over a little bit.
"....... it looked like a pony. But with two legs. And a big tail. ... And it made footprints like that over by the gate."
Padparadscha pointed off towards the front of the gate, and while no footprints were left off right by the entrance. They saw their own footprints and hoofprints, but a single set was seen going off the trail and into the forest. The older mare looked to the hoofprints, and while they were indeed that of some horse of some kind, cloven hooved, they weren't made by a four-legged animal, but more rather a two-legged one. The mare stepped forward, and her hoof felt the ground, feeling how it turned to mud.
"DANG IT! That Punga had to come in when my flank's turned!"
"Who?" Steven asked. The mare suddenly looked a bit spookier with dramatic lighting, as if ready to tell a scary story.
"Long ago, the empress tried practicing her magic to make herself beautiful. And in her endeavor, she tried it on a lonesome creature, turning it into ... The Punga!" she said the last part in a sort of ghostly tone before continuing "A disgusting, and foul beast that roams the forests. She left it alone, and ever since then, it has been pillaging those who pass through, stealing anything and everything that was beautiful to them, and then attacking them. Everypony had escaped from it so far, yet ... And now it has my only worthwhile thing left!" The old mare looked miserable by the end, and whatever this Punga was seemed to be the blame of it. But there was one bright side to this little incident.
"Looks like we found our problem," Twilight concluded.
~~~~~~
"All this fuss over a flower," Pink Diamond groaned. She wasn't enjoying this at all. Going off the path and following the hoofprints into the forest of Neippon. Much like the gardens back in Mistmane's town, the forests off nearby looked pretty bad as they continued through, even in autumn. They kept an eye on where they were stepping as they continued on, any paths no longer appearing as accessible or as easy to travel through.
"Can't we just leave the flower? I mean, we're doing so much already, and we're not even close," Rhodonite asked, pushing away a branch from her head.
"Ok, maybe this wasn't the ... first idea, but perhaps this was why the map called us here," Twilight said.
"Well that map sucks! This is disgusting! I'm a diamond, I don't travel through all this organic goop," Pink Diamond complained, lifting her foot to show the mud on her shoes.
"Will you two get a grip already? Come on, you're both acting like a bunch of children," Tiger's Eye stated.
"SHUT UP!" they both snapped.
"... AND I'm gonna move on ahead before I say something I'll regret." Tiger's Eye paused a minute to adjust her hair before moving on ahead. Her two-legged walk turned into a four-legged trot as they continued following the tracks. However, Tiger's Eye didn't get too far before she suddenly fell into a mud pool! Of a pony would've fell in there, they would be over their heads in mud, and Tiger's Eye could just keep her head above the mud. She pulled herself out and she was completely covered, head to toe in mud. Not really the best sight ever for anyone to see.
"Nope! no way, I'm not going any further," Pink Diamond stated firmly, finding the cleanest rock to sit on, and crossing her arms, keeping her gaze away. She will NOT go any further with stuff like that abound.
"Pink Diamond, it'll be fine if we just -"
"NO, I made up my mind! This whole place is disgusting, and I'm not going anywhere! You can't make me," Pink snapped, pouting in a huff as she refused to move off of her rock. She even made sure her feet were off the ground as well so they wouldn't get even dirtier.
"Well, is one of you going to clean these shoes or what?"
"It's. Just. Mud," Tiger's Eye groaned.
"Don't talk down to me, I'm a Diamond I'm above you! now one of you clean this up, and let's get out of here before - ... I ..." Pink paused when she realized that she was moving. She checked her feet, but they weren't moving her, nor was any Unicorn lifting her off the ground. Instead, the rock she was on turned out to be apart of a creature. And the creature simply flicked her off of it, making her fly into that same mud pool. Funny, sure, but they were a bit more focused on the animal in question.
The creature pulled itself out of the mud, its entire body completely covered in the stuff. It appeared like some large snake at first, but as some of the mud got off, they could make out a fin in the tail, a set of horse legs, and an elongated snout resembling that of a seahorse. It shook off some mud off its head, showing that it actually had a lazy eye, staring off like those of a doll. It had a good eye, but on the otherside of the head. As the gardener said, this creature sure didn't look very pleasing to see. Seeing the creature made Rarity and Twilight scream, and the Off-Colors back up a little bit.
"Punga?" Fluorite wondered. The animal itself was fairly large, about the size of Fluorite when fully extended, though it was hard to tell in the mud all over it. When it turned to fully look at them with both eyes, they all them saw the same flower in the same pot inside its mouth, somehow not wrecked by the mud around it nor the teeth.
"The flower!" gasped Steven. The creature groaned, placed the flower down and, as if swimming through water, it quickly began to move at them. It moved very fast, and quickly got its frontal hooves on Rarity! Rarity screamed, but then it ... kissed ... her? ...
"THAT WAS WET!" she shouted, and only then did the beast release her. It waited a minute before it turned to Pink Diamond not too far away, and rushed at her next. Pink Diamond was just getting up from the mud itself, feeling disgusted with herself before she found her lips meeting up with horse lips. She was surprised of course, but with the taste of horse breath and mud in her mouth, she looked almost sick.
"How dare you! Insult a diamond will ya!" Pink Diamond pulled herself out of the mud bowl, shook off the mud, and raced off at the beast. It was gonna try the others, but with Pink Diamond after it now, it couldn't stay around to get any of them even if it wanted to. Punga was grabbed by the tail, and with her strength, Pink Diamond swung it around about three to five times before she launched it clear out of the park! No one kisses a diamond like that and gets away with it.
"There. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to return that flower," Pink Diamond made clear, picking up the flower in the pot left behind. They did get their reward sure, but that was a bit excessive. That, and Punga surely didn't look like he wanted to attack any of them (not to give pain anyway). And only one of them really noticed this ...
"Well, we better get this back before it wilts," Twilight said.
"So that was the Punga? What kind of creatures do you have in this world?" Rhodonite asked.
"Compared to what it could be, that wasn't too bad. We got what we needed," Twilight concluded, her magic levitating the still pretty flower.
"Finally!" Pink Diamond said, still trying to get the mud off of her. The whole group was about ready to head off, but there was something that made them stop briefly. A question came up as they were counting eachother out.
"... Padparadscha?"
~~~~~~
"I hope he's okay."
Little Padparadscha had gone off alone. After seeing Punga fly off like that, she just had to go off to see if he was alright. The forest itself grew dense as she went along, going down through the path as if it was apart of the trail still, not very fazed by the mud, plants, or whatever else could be lurking around her. He little stroll continued on a bit more, as she walked out into a clearing. She didn't stop moving until she felt water brush up against her feet, turning out to be the banks of a pond. Despite the murky area, the pond was crystal clear, like that of a mirror. Padparadscha paused and after a bit looked around until she began to see something off along the river.
"....... *GASP*"
Punga. He looked alright despite the throw, but he didn't seem to notice Padparadscha there just yet. He appeared too distracted in the pond's reflective surface to really worry about that, and unlike before, he seemingly had on some flowers he plucked from the forest nearby, and was adjusting them on his head. Padparadscha moved in a bit closer and could see that Punga was simply trying to make it look good. As he stared into his reflection, the flowers fell off of his head and into the pool in front of him. He saw some birds nearby, getting the flowers back onto his head to see how they'll react. All they did was squawk in fear and flew away much to his dismay. For a monster, he sure looked miserable. A tear escaped his good eye, as she sat there by the side of the pond, the rest of the flowers shaken off his head. Guess those flowers weren't going to work. Punga simply laid back down on the bank, Padparadscha moving up right next to him. Punga didn't even notice her until his tail brushed against her.
"....... Hello. I'm Padparadscha," she introduced. Punga didn't answer at first, recognizing her from the group he encountered earlier. Punga looked her over, starting to move in closer Padparadscha didn't move right away, though probably it was for her delayed reaction time, giving Punga a chance to give Padparadscha a kiss right on the lips. The kiss lasted three seconds full, and the little Gem grew flustered sometime afterwards. But Punga didn't look too happy with the end results after checking himself. Punga felt miserable, a tear falling from his good eye as he looked back to the pond. Padparadscha began to wonder a little bit about what this creature wanted, before they started hearing some rustling.
"Padparadscha! There you are! Where have you - AAHH!"
Rarity. She was joined by Steven and Twilight, and the unicorn was quick to react on seeing Punga there. Quickly, Rarity grabbed Padparadscha and took off back to the others at a safer distance. Punga meanwhile felt even more miserable on that reaction. He didn't bother going after them though, his head lowered, and a few whimpers escaping his muzzle.
*aroooo* *arooo*
Before any of them could go, Punga began to howl a little bit, but these howls weren't anything threatening or scary. In fact, they almost sounded ... sad. Almost like mourning howls, or even crying.
"N-Nopony loves me," he said in between howls.
"....... He's not really a bad creature," Padparadscha finally said, which summed up what the others were beginning to feel about him. After all, Punga didn't really try to hurt any of them. It took some effort, and some bravery, but eventually they began to move in closer to him.
"Oh ... It's you ... from earlier, right?" Punga said. His voice didn't sound too threatening either.
"Yeah. You're Punga?" Twilight asked. Punga just nodded, and kept his gaze to the pond. Punga looked around for some more flowers, and got them in his mane again after adjusting what mane he had on his head. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea, but with an audience maybe it can work for him. After getting a small flower crown going, he fully turned to the others.
"How do I look?" he asked. With the lazy eye, and mud, it admittedly was a bit hard to keep honest with him.
"Um ... you look ... dazzling?" Rarity said, trying to give a fake smile. Punga though was a bit smarter than that, and just sighed.
"Dazzlings. ... It's no use. No amount of flowers is ever gonna make me pretty," Punga sighed, shaking off the flowers from his head. He slithered off back to the pond, and laid down by the bank.
"Is that why you took Mistmane's flower? To help you look pretty?" Twilight asked. Punga looked back in surprise.
"T-That was Mistmane's flower? Oh my Celestia, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't know! Where is it, where is it?" Punga frantically looked around for the flower, but he couldn't find it anywhere. Bad enough he wasn't looking any good, he didn't want to end up as a thief of something so valuable!
"Don't worry, our friends are returning it right now," Steven reassured him. Punga gave a sigh of relief, but still felt guilty.
"It's bad enough that I'm no prettier than a weed. But now I'm a thief too. ... Nopony would ever love me now," Punga stated. It didn't need much to figure out what problem was going on here.
"No, no, Punga you don't look that bad. Whatever curse the empress put you under, we wanna help," Steven reassured. Punga looked to Steven with an expression to match a sad puppy. Next thing Steven knew, Punga was suddenly on him, holding him in a hug with his front hooves.
"Thank you. You're very kind to bother yourself with a ugly creature like me," Punga said, tears of joy streaming down his face. Steven tried to stay cheerful, but it was a bit hard with the mud and now tears on him. Steven gave a big breath once he got enough room to do so.
"A-Any time," Steven managed to say. Punga released him, but now Steven was covered in mud. Well, if they were going to make him pretty, then they got a lot to do.
"Come now darling, you're not ugly. I mean yes, you are a bit uh ... less-kept," Rarity insisted, as she got some mud off of Punga's scales. "But we'll help you look charming in no time at all."
"You really think so?" Punga asked, looking down to the unicorn.
"I know so! ... Now, the first thing you need is a bath."
.......
"I predict that we'll be helping Punga become beautiful," Padparadscha said.
This statement was said not long after it got started. Punga stayed still as they all got to work on him, starting off with getting rid of all the mud on him. Being in such a wet place didn't make that very easy, but removing more of the mud revealed his scales as a dullish grey, much like that of a fish. It wasn't disgusting, but it was dull. Rarity and Padparadscha were in charge of the details (accessories mainly), as Twilight and Steven got the cleaning job done. With Rarity on making him pretty, they were in pretty great hooves, and as time went by Punga wondered if this was going to actually work. After all, in his memory, anyone who did see him would either beat him down or run for the hills. Punga didn't fight them at all, as he was the canvas for whatever painting they were working with on him. If it could make him feel better about everything, then why should he complain?
"And THERE!" Steven said. He used his shield as a mirror for Punga to look into. He looked plenty good, better than before with a clean mane, now smoothed out and similar to Twilight's hair. Punga looked himself over in the mirror shield, amazed by what he was seeing.
"I ... oh my, I look ... good?" Punga gasped, his hooves on his cheeks and eyes wide. It was as if he never seen himself like this before.
"You look lovely, Punga. See? With some work you can find beauty in everything," Rarity said with a smile. Punga smiled back, and moved over to the river for a full look on himself. He wanted to go off and show everyone, but he only needed to see some of the animals nearby his pond to see what true results this was. Punga saw some frogs and a few birds about, and Punga moved closer, wondering if they would be scared of him now. Padparadscha actually had her fingers crossed. ...
And all the birds flew out of sight, squawking in a panic. The frogs saw him and leaped into the pond, their only source of sanctuary. Punga lowered his head.
"Eh, n-now Punga, they're just birds, they would naturally get scared of -"
"Oh, what's the point? Nopony's ever going to love me. No Dazzling, no Unicorn, no one could get this curse off of me. Well ... thanks for trying to make me beautiful anyway," Punga sighed, before moving on down the river bank. It seemed he would never be loved by anyone, or anything for that matter. While that was a bit of a miserable, his statement did begin to make them all think a little bit. Yes, a curse was placed on him by the empress according to the gardener. ...
You were always the pretty one, more beautiful than even those Kirins. You got to go to the best magic school. Everypony missed you. Everypony loved you!
it has been pillaging those who pass through, stealing anything and everything that was beautiful to them, and then attacking them. Everypony had escaped from it so far
That, accompanied by the so-called attacks, and it all clicked.
"Punga!" called Rarity. Punga sniffed and turned around.
And Rarity gave him a kiss ...
*FLASH*
~~~~~~
It sure took a lot of effort for them to get themselves all done, but eventually they got him just enough to make him more presentable. He kept himself off out of sight as the others went towards town, the rest of the group waiting for them. Rhodonite of course looked very panicked (as usual), until she did see Padparadscha came up with them.
"Oh, thank the stars! What have I told you about wandering off?" Rhodonite asked.
"....... That I shouldn't do that?"
"Well, YEAH! Twilight, what happened?"
"Everything's fine. In fact, we got someone we'd like you all to meet," Twilight said.
"Someone friendly I hope," Pink Diamond commented. Twilight, Rarity, and Steven nodded to eachother, and Steven gave a whistle for Punga to come out.
"Introducing the brand new, and improved: Punga!" Steven introduced. Punga took a bit of courage to bring himself out to show everyone, but what they all saw next took them by surprise.
To say Punga now looked different was an understatement. Like a caterpillar to a butterfly. That morning, Punga was a grey-scaled half-pony half-fish, and all sad and miserable. But now all that had shed away into what almost looked like a draconic horse! His messy mane now flowed behind him like Mistmane, a coloration of lime green to seagreen flowed behind him. His back, which was bare, now held a magnificent, shining fish sail resembling that of a swordfish. Extra fins could be seen on his cheeks and his hooves, and his tail grew thinner with the fin extending into a stripe display of green and white. He no longer had the lazy eye on him, and both eyes glistened in emerald colors.
They all stayed quiet for a minute, even the gardener stared with mouth agape, her watering can overflowing the flowers she was trying to attend to. Was this the same Punga she knew about?
"... Didn't you say he was cursed to look horrid or something? Look at him, he's hot amongst ponies!" Tiger's Eye pointed out to the gardener. Punga blushed on the "compliment". Being called hot surely meant that he looked much better.
"Wait, hold on hold on," Pink Diamond said, trying to process things. The Punga, the same thing that assaulted her lips now looked like a dragon in prime, the exact opposite of what he was before. "... PUNGA? Wait, what?"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm sorry for earlier, I kind of ... jumped ahead of myself there. I didn't want to hurt anypony," Punga said.
"... You're Punga."
"Uh ... yeah," Punga replied. Pink Diamond thought back to the animal that knocked her in the mud, and what kissed her, and tried to connected it to this beast in front of her, but she couldn't compute with it. It was probably for the best though, and Punga moved off towards the other Off-Colors and gardener pony.
"I'm very sorry about stealing the flower, mam. I was just trying to find a way to make me feel beautiful. I didn't know it belonged to Mistmane," Punga said. The gardener glanced to the flower in its pot.
"Well, you didn't hurt anypony so I can't blame ya too much. I'm just glad to have my flower back. It's all this place has left nowadays," the gardener told him, her hoof gently rubbing the rosebud. Rarity, and Steven both began to look around the garden. ...
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Rarity?"
"I believe I do," Rarity answered, as her own magic levitated a nearby garden spade and watering can. Steven tapped Punga, and whispered his idea to the animal, and Punga smiled and nodded before he too began to follow through.
Soon, Steven, Rarity, and Punga all began to get to work on the gardens. With Punga's appearance transformation, he actually began to fly around as if the air was water, which helped him out in sprucing up the place. Any weeds, vines, and thorns were plucked, trimmed, and moved away from any and all plants within the gardens. Their involvement really made the difference, and it really only took half an hour to complete. And the end result? ...
Beauty. All the bushes, trees, leaves and shrubs looked in their pure prime, green as the spring sun. Rose trees, violet bushes, buttercups, daisies, and many more blossomed in blood as beautiful as the flower that started it all. A few shrubs were styled in pony respect, and one even looked like a bunny, and another like an elephant. The removal of all the vines showed a clean, and pretty fountain with lilies. Vines were still evident, but they added to the beauty instead of taking it, like a fairy tale decoration. The gardener couldn't believe her eyes, and while Steven and Rarity were a little dirty themselves from the work, they and Punga could agree it was worth it.
"Perhaps it just seemed like your gardens were worthless. But a little pruning can work wonders. Of course you will have to look after more than just one flower now," Rarity replied, gently placing the gardening tools down as she trimmed one more branch on one more bush. Mistmane and Rose would be proud of them. Punga then began to see the Gardener shed a few tears of her own with a smile on her face. They were about ready to go, but the gardener actually levitated something over to them.
"Mistmane's flower? Oh, but I couldn't," Rarity insisted. But the gardener gave a soft smile.
"You and your friends had given me back my family's legacy. The flower you wanted seems like a fair trade for that," the gardener said. Rarity smiled back and her own magic happily took the flower. But as she did, something else happened to her and Twilight: their Cutie Marks began to flash again.
"Does that mean that the map is calling us somewhere else?" Rhodonite asked. Twilight looked around and smiled.
"I have a feeling it means our work here is done."