The Paradise cruised through the sky, its sleek, elongated form slicing the air and leaving twin vapor trails in its wake. The ship flew so smoothly and naturally that anypony catching only a glimpse of it from the ground could have mistaken it as a floating whale. It leveled off at a gentle cruise as though sighing in contentment from having been underground for so long.
Pinkie Pie set the controls to autopilot and turned around to her compatriots. “That went great! Way better than I thought it would.”
“Swell…” Stardust drawled. He and the rest of the group weren’t in a position to appreciate this monumental event, having been thrown back and clumped together during takeoff. Slowly, the bodies began to untangle.
Once everyone was sure all their bits were in place and took a moment to enjoy the scenery, a collective silence befell them. Unsure glances and idle mutterings past between them. Finally, all eyes turned to Trixie.
“What?” Trixie inspected herself, going so far as to feel her muzzle. “Is there something on Trixie’s face?”
Applejack gave a loud snort. “Oh for the love of… Where’re we going?”
“Oh.” Trixie tapped her chin before nearly smacking herself and brought out the map. “Well, we’ve been through most of the north. Trixie supposes we should—”
“Wowie! What a big bird!”
The Returners blinked then turned towards the source of the voice. There, flapping hard to keep pace with the ship, flew Derpy Hooves. A satchel hung at her side, a few white envelopes poking out from the top. The grey pegasus waved at the blimp. “Hello, Mr. Bird! Where you off to?”
“Down here!” Applejack called up to her.
Derpy tilted her head. “Down? Is there a nest nearby that you roost in? It’s gotta be as big as a mountain to fit you.”
“Derpy!” Applejack yelled.
Derpy’s front hooves shot to her cheeks in shock. “Oh my gosh, you know my name! Have we met before?”
Any further conversation was interrupted by a lasso snagging her hind leg and yanking her down to the deck. Derpy landed in a heap, her eyes swirling in their sockets. “Oh, not so rough… Hope you don’t treat your chicks this way.”
Applejack sighed and came up to the poor pegasus, helping her get to her hooves. “Derpy, it’s us. You remember right? Your friends?”
A shake of the head cleared Derpy’s swirling vision back to normal, sans one eye. Her expression lit up on seeing the earth pony. “Oh, hey, Applejack! It’s been a while. Are you helping Mr. Bird?”
Reigning in another sigh, Applejack shook her head. “No, Derpy. This isn’t a bird. Take a closer look.” Applejack swept her hoof to encompass the entire airship. Derpy followed the hoof, taking in everything around her. Once her vision settled back on Applejack, the farmer said, “You know now what this is?”
Derpy nodded. “Yeah, this bird has a really big belly. It must be ready to lay some eggs soon.”
Applejack facehoofed.
A low chuckle built up, causing Applejack to stare at its source. Derpy’s cheeks and mouth were puffed out as though holding in a breath. All at once, Derpy exhaled and began laughing with wild abandon. “You should see the look on your face!” Unable to control herself, Derpy fell to the deck, cackling madly. It took a minute for her to regain control and when she looked up she nearly burst back into laughter. “Ha! Got you good!”
Despite herself, Applejack gave her own chuckle. “Eeyup, ya did.”
Derpy, still smiling, lunged forward and gave Applejack a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe! It’s been so long.” She released Applejack and beamed. “And the airship’s back, too! This is the best day all year!”
“Actually, the one you’re thinking of is gone,” Applejack said, some of her cheer evaporating. “This is a new one, courtesy of Pinkie Pie’s old friend.”
“Oh, well that was nice of her. Where is she?”
Before Applejack could correct her again, Pinkie Pie stepped up and gently put a hoof to Derpy’s mouth. “Okay, I’m going to let that one slide because you’ve got a good sense of humor. Short story, my friend’s gone and we’re borrowing her airship to help battle Discord. You with us?”
Derpy blinked, processing what she had been told. She gave a nod, giving a muffled, “Shurr.”
Pinkie pulled her hoof back. “Great! Now that that’s all cleared up, where were you off to?”
Derpy gasped. “Oh, right! I got a delivery to make!” She turned and readied for takeoff but Applejack stepped on her tail, keeping her pinned to the deck.
“Whoa, there. Delivery to where?”
Yanking her tail free and giving Applejack a sour look, Derpy said, “Mareanda. I’ve been helping a few ponies get some mail delivered in this area.”
“Really? That’s mighty kind of ya. Anypony we know?”
Derpy looked away, one hoof pawing at the deck. “Well… I kinda promised I would keep it a secret.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. “Okay. How ‘bout we help ya? We can give you a lift.”
“Um, okay. I suppose that’ll make it quicker. Just, one thing.” Derpy swallowed and motioned for all of the ponies and chocobo to come forward. The others gave her odd looks but Derpy increased her urgent movements to get closer. Slowly and reluctantly, the group clustered around the pegasus. “Okay, so, we gotta be careful when we fly around. You see, there’s this really big and nasty black thing that’s taken over the skies. Anything that gets too high or too close, it attacks. I’ve stayed low but I’ve had a couple close calls where it nearly saw me.” Derpy shuddered. “I don’t even want to imagine what it would do to me if it ever caught me.”
A grim look passed between the Returners. Trixie nudged Derpy and said, “Do you know what it is beyond a ‘big black thing’?”
Derpy shook her head. “I never dared get close to it. I’ve only seen it from far away but I could still feel just how mean it was.”
“Probably one of Discord’s minions, then.” Trixie turned to Pinkie. “Does this ship have any weapons?”
A shake of Pinkie’s head was the answer. “There’s a few cargo hooks attached to the bottom, but nothing like cannons. I suppose we could get some, but it will take some modifications to fit them in. Which reminds me…”
.o.O.o.
“Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh girrrrrrrrrrrrllllllllllllls!”
“... We’ll get our stuff. Ma! Pa! Watch over the store! We’re going to help Pinkie save the world!”
“Doth, take care! Pray, do not do unto others that which you do not want done unto yourselves!”
.o.O.o.
“There, that little sidequest is done,” Pinkie said with a satisfied nod.
The party blinked as they watched Maud, Limestone, and Marble Pie settle into their positions as crew members as though they had never stopped.
Pinkie slammed her her hooves together. “Now, let’s put this baby to work. Next stop, Mareanda!”
.o.O.o.
With a new destination, the Paradise sped over land and sea, heading south. Mindful of Derpy’s warning, Pinkie Pie kept the airship as low as she could and kept the speed at a moderate pace. Even with the ability to fly, the going was slow as landmasses no longer looked the way Pinkie remembered them. Many times, Trixie’s map had to be referenced to keep on track. Derpy’s insistence that they were going the right way helped, but the unease of flying over strange lands kept Pinkie from truly letting the Paradise show its stuff. Hours of flight later, the parched landscape changed as bountiful forests and farms began to pass underneath them. No sign of chaos tampering could be spotted, which quickly gained Trixie’s attention.
“So you’re more familiar with this part of the world than we are,” she said as she watched a particularly well kept farmhouse and groomed fields streak by. “What has Discord been up to here?”
Derpy cocked her head. “Huh, good question. I mean, all the ponies that live around here know of him, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of him doing anything mean. He’s hardly ever around as far as I know.”
“Which only makes it more suspicious,” Trixie grumbled. “Just when I think I have him figured out, something like this shows up to mock me.”
“Don’t worry! You’re going to like Mareanda. The ponies there have really fixed the place up! They say it’s even more beautiful than it was before the Empire took it over.” Derpy smiled, reached over, and nudged Applejack in the side. “Hey, remember when we tried kicking out all the soldiers? We almost did it, too!”
Applejack’s face scrunched up. “Yeah, I remember.” Her mouth formed a deep frown. “I also remember why we failed.” She abruptly turned and headed down into the ship quarters, her movements stiff and forceful.
Derpy watched her go, her smile turning upside down. “Oh dear.” She turned back to Trixie and saw the unicorn also had a frown. “Not you too? Why do you look so bummed?”
A verbal answer didn’t come, but Trixie did send Derpy a sideline, half-lidded glare. The pegasus wilted under the look and decided she needed to be somewhere else. Once she was out of sight, Trixie went back to staring at the ground passing below and sighed.
.o.O.o.
An hour later, the airship landed on a large patch of tall grass that waved and rippled like the waters of the sea. Ponies landbound all stopped what they were doing and watched as the mechanical wonder set down just outside Mareanda. A group of them quickly gathered together and discussed this new development, nodding as one as a decision was made.
Aboard the Paradise, Pinkie Pie and her sisterly crew got to work securing the ship to the land. Despite it being a new ship with a year’s worth of being out of practice, the Pies expertly tied down the Paradise as though the time away from their passion hadn’t happened at all. It wasn’t long before the Returners disembarked down an extendable set of stairs built under the cabin. They were immediately greeted by the locals, but the looks on their muzzles made it clear this party was anything but welcoming.
“You have ten minutes to get back on that thing and clear out!” one of the ponies in the crowd shouted. The others, a mixture of earth, pegasus, and unicorns all yelled in agreement.
Pinkie Pie bounced to the front of the crowd and gave a chipper, “Hi!” She stood on her hind legs and waved. “You all miss me? I know I haven’t been by in a while but let me make it up to you by throwing the biggest party of the year!”
“Didn’t you hear?” a pegasus mare said. She thrust her hoof towards the airship. “Get out of here!”
“Now what’s with the attitude, huh?” Pinkie Pie crossed her forelegs and gave the ponies a cross look. “This isn’t a nice way to make a good first impression. Derpy? A little help?” Pinkie Pie reached back and yanked Derpy to her side while wearing a confident smile. “Tell the ponies here we are just looking for a little help.”
Before Derpy could get a word out, the same mare exclaimed, “You brought them here?!” Her wings shot out, making her appear twice her normal size. “You idiot!”
“Now wait a minute, there’s no need for tha—”
“You’re going to ruin everything!” The crowd behind the mare all shot Derpy looks that could kill. “Get them, quickly!” The mob roared and stomped, sending small tremors through the ground. The Returners, unprepared for this, began to teeter on their hooves. Several ponies broke off from the mob, horns, wings, and hooves readied to attack.
A combo of fire and ice magic blasted in front of them, sending the ponies neighing and rearing back. As they recovered and readied to charge again, a pair of figures stepped through the smoldering and mist filled grass, stopping them instantly. Ears drooped and jaws dropped as Trixie, flanked by Sunset, strode up, her eyes flashing with contempt. “Tr-Tr-Trixie the Terrible…” one of them blubbered.
Trixie kept up her march, forcing the ponies back. She looked down her nose at them, eyeing them with a mixture of contempt and tired resignment. “Hello again, Mareandians. Trixie has returned. She and her companions have a little business to deal with here and then we’ll be on our way.”
A stare down ensued, the Mareanda civilians glaring and pawing at the ground while Trixie kept her poise cool and composed. At length, Trixie harrumphed and said, “Don’t be wasting both of our time. Let us pass and we’ll be out of your manes.”
“We… we won’t let you,” an earth pony replied, digging his hooves into the ground. “We finally have our town back and we won’t let you burn it again.”
Trixie’s ears drooped slightly. Having the good grace to look down at the ground, she said with no hint of haughtiness, “Would it help if I said I was sorry?”
The Mareandians gave a collective blink. They stood and stared as Trixie prostrated herself before them, her horn digging into the ground. “I apologize for what I did. Trixie was a different mare back then and I now deeply regret it. If you don’t want me to enter your town, that’s fine. But please let the others by. They have business here that has nothing to do with me.”
Nopony said anything. Trixie stayed in her position, not moving a muscle or twitching an ear. A full minute went by until a magenta earth pony mare broke off from the crowd and marched over to the unicorn. The mare bent down and lifted Trixie’s chin up until they could look each other in the eye. The mare twisted her head, searching every bit of the pony before her. She reached down and pulled Trixie up so that they stood face to face. The mare gave a small smile.
She then cocked a hoof back and slugged Trixie in the cheek.
Trixie went down, her world spinning and the worst pain she had felt in a long time. She barely even registered the mare talking to her. “Call me crazy, but I believe you. I just wanted to give a little back for what you did.” She backed off as Trixie’s friends rushed up to her, Stardust with a medical box at the ready. It took a few minutes but they got Trixie back on her hooves, a large red and purple welt beginning to swell over her eye. She stumbled and hocked out a tooth.
“I probably deserved that,” Trixie said, wincing at the pain the movement of her mouth gave.
“You definitely deserved it!” the mare shot back. “You and the Empire came into our homes and destroyed everything we built and then shipped us off to fight your war! We are finally getting our lives back together and we won’t let anything ruin it again.”
Trixie fought back the pain as she said, “Discord won’t allow it.”
The mare and the crowd behind her paled and frantically looked around in fear of the chaos creature appearing. When he didn’t, the mare gave Trixie a half crazed look. “Have you gone mad? Don’t say his name!”
Shaking her head, Trixie pushed away her fawning companions and stood before the mare again. “Don’t be stupid. He’s letting you get away with this. He’s probably waiting for you all to lower your guard and then he’ll come in and mess things up even worse than I did.” Trixie worked her mouth, choosing her words carefully. “We are going to stop him. Any help you can give will be appreciated.”
“Stop him?” The mare looked back as though Trixie had truly gone insane. “How?”
Before Trixie could respond, Applejack stepped forward, gently pushing Trixie back. “I’ll handle this from here.” She looked back at the mare, who had paled even further than before. “Howdy, Cheerilee. Mind if we talk?”
.o.O.o.
While Pinkie Pie took Trixie back to the airship for more medical attention, Cheerilee led Applejack, Derpy, Sunset, and Big Macintosh into the town proper. Ponies grumbled at the sight of the newcomers but didn’t press their grievances further. The trip was made in silence, though both Applejack and Derpy made the occasional comment and low whistle at all the repairs that the Mareandians had made in the past year. Even the central fountain where Applejack had faced off with Zecora was rebuilt, its ornate fish statues spraying out crystal clear water. Their journey came to an end as Cheerilee opened up her house and ushered the Returners in. Once the group settled into the living area, Cheerilee faced them and lowered her head.
“I’m truly sorry for what I did. I was afraid you all would cause even more Imperials to come to Mareanda. I… I thought that if I turned you in that the Empire would ease up on us, maybe even leave.” She sighed heavily. “Nothing really changed, though.”
Applejack nodded. She shuffled her hooves, looking to Derpy and Macintosh, though no inspiring words came from them. Taking a breath, she said, “Look, I ain’t gonna lie and say that it’s all water under the bridge. I was mighty upset, though I suppose it’s been so long since then that much of my anger has slipped away. I just wanted to help, though I guess help wasn’t what y’all were looking for.”
“Applejack, please understand that we had been occupied for over a year before you came. The Empire didn’t just burn our town down, they took advantage of us and then stomped out anything they thought would threaten them. We learned quickly that as long as we followed their rules, they tended to ignore us. Well, most of the time, anyway.” Cheerilee swallowed, a faraway look in her eyes. “We were scared that anymore trouble would be the end of us.”
“I suppose you got a point. I’m… sorry too.”
The room grew silent for a time, nopony willing to break it. That is, until Derpy raised a hoof, answering before anyone could call on her. “But things changed, right? The town’s better, so things worked out in the end!” She smiled, but quickly frowned and tilted her head. “You guys never did tell me how that happened.”
Cheerilee scrunched up her face. “Well, that’s because nopony here really knows what happened. Over the past year, we all slowly felt more alive than we’ve ever felt before.” Her voice rose, excitement taking over her previous gloom. “It’s the most amazing feeling! I feel like I could do anything. Ponies all over town said the same. Then, a nasty storm came in, but a couple of pegasi were able to blow it away. Pegasi have never been able to do that before.
“After that, the unicorns found out they could do more than just levitate, and us earth ponies have been able to build much better houses and grow crops larger than they’ve ever been. It’s been paradise the past few months!” Her enthusiasm died down as she regarded the group. “Please don’t ruin it for us.”
Applejack sighed and shook her head. “Cheerilee, I can’t promise ya anything. You heard what Trixie said. You may not like her much but she’s had more experience with Discord—” Sunset clenched her teeth while Cheerilee cringed—”than any of us. From what I’ve seen, she’s gotta be right. He’s gonna pop in here any day and mess everything up.”
“But he hasn’t!” Cheerilee protested. “Maybe he isn’t aware yet or—”
“No,” Applejack said with finality. “He knows. I’ve seen firsthoof what he can do. He nearly got my orchard stuck a second time because he was impatient with how fast it was going.” Applejack walked up to Cheerilee, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, but that’s the truth of it. That’s why he’s gotta be stopped.” She pulled Cheerilee close, staring her dead in the eyes. “And trying to get rid of us won’t help, either.”
Cheerilee gulped, though if it was from the threat of Discord or feeling the muscles ripple through Applejack’s leg, nopony could tell. Applejack pulled away, giving Cheerilee her personal space back. “I don’t mean to frighten ya. It’s a pretty bad situation all around, but we’re doing what we can to help.”
“Do…” Cheerilee hiccuped. She took a few moments to compose herself and tried again. “Do you really think you can stop him? We… we’ve only heard rumors, but it does sound pretty bad.”
Looking back at her companions, Applejack smiled. She turned back and said, “If anypony can do it, it’s us.”
Cheerilee shivered and looked away. “Even with all the changes we’ve had, we’re no match for him. I suppose you are the best hope we’ve got.”
A long silenced followed, nopony sure what the say next. Just as Applejack was about to suggest they head out, Derpy shot to her hooves and smacked her forehead with a hoof. “I almost forgot!” She dug a hoof into her pouch and pulled out a white envelope. She held it out towards Cheerilee. “Here you go!”
The earth pony blinked before her face lit up and she took the offered envelope. “Oh, thank you. With all the excitement today, I completely forgot I was expecting this.” She ripped the top off with her mouth and fished out the folded letter inside. A quick scan of the letter later, she nodded her head and beckoned the others to come closer. “Well, it sounds like you all could use all the help you can get. It just so happens that I’ve been in contact with one of your friends, Applejack.” At Applejack’s expectant look, Cheerilee continued, “That stallion you were with when you tried saving the town? He’s in Chozo.”
“Are… are you talking about Shining Armor?” Applejack asked.
Cheerilee tilted her head. “Yes, that sounds about right. He never signed his letters, but it was obvious who it was. The things he talked about were things only he could know. Plus, his penmanship is impeccable.” She held out the letter for all to see. Every letter was in cursive and the line structure neatly laid out. “If I was a school teacher, he’d get an A+ for sure.
“Anyway, he somehow learned of me and our town and has been having Derpy deliver letters between us. I keep him informed on what’s happening and he’s… well, he’s been encouraging me to make the most of the gifts we’ve been given. He seems to be a very forgiving stallion.”
“Sometimes,” Applejack said, her tone wistful. “He has a protective streak when it comes to his son, though. Huh, hope Spotter’s with him.”
“He hasn’t mentioned him, so I don’t know.”
Applejack nodded, her features firm. “Then we’ll need to visit him and find out.”
Cheerilee held up a hoof, forestalling Applejack from leaving. “Wait, before you go, could I trouble you to take another letter?” She rushed over to a desk, pulled out a quill and paper, and began to write furiously. A minute later she finished, fanned the paper to dry the ink, then folded it up and placed it in a clean envelope. She trotted back over and hoofed the envelope to Derpy. “This will probably be my last one. You’ve been a great help to us.”
Puffing up her chest, Derpy gave a crisp salute. “I’ll get it to him even if my life depends on it.”
Cheerilee frowned. “Now don’t be doing anything like that. Your safety isn’t worth a letter.”
“Don’t worry,” Applejack said. “We’ll all help get this to him.” She turned to the others, giving a confident smile. “Well y’all, let’s get packin’ and get back to the airship. We got ourselves a friend to find.”
.o.O.o.
The Returners returned to the airship, relaying everything they had been told. Trixie, laying on a set of blankets and holding a cold compress to her face, hmmed to herself. “I don’t know what’s going on with the ponies around here.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Probably need to get Twilight to look into it.” She stood up and removed the compress. She clicked her mouth together a few times and worked her tongue along her teeth. She nodded towards Maud Pie. “Thanks for saving my tooth.”
Maud returned Trixie’s gratitude with a flat stare. “No problem.” She held up a bottle of pink liquid. “You should take this one more time tomorrow just to be sure.”
“What is that?” Sunset asked, following the exchange with a raised eyebrow.
“Tooth regrow. We eat a lot of rocks on the farm. Not good for the teeth, so we bought the formula off of a traveling zebra.”
Sunset stared while Stardust looked on with unmasked interest for this new form of healing. Trixie ignored both, addressing Pinkie Pie. “How long before we can reach Chozo?”
“Well, as long as it’s in the same place as before—”
“It is!” Derpy chirped.
“—Then tomorrow morning at the latest.”
Trixie nodded. “Good. Let’s hope we can slip in and pick him up. There’s a dragon there that Trixie is in no mood to meet again.”
.o.O.o.
“So you want me to fight them?”
“Yep! Give it all you’ve got, too. They’ve gotten a teensie bit stronger than the last time you met them.”
The Storm Dragon scoffed, a motion that sent a gust of wind to crash against his cave chamber. “You make it sound as though you expect me to fail. I am one of the eight chaos dragons. Ponies are as beneath me as the pigeons my griffons feast on.”
Discord sighed and waved his lion paw. “Fine, don’t listen to me. Your funeral.”
A hiss of a thousand snakes rattled the rocks dotting the cave.
“Oh?” Discord looked up, grinning widely. His next words came out more high pitched. “Strike a nerve?” A bulbous mass formed within Discord’s stomach and traveled up his neck. His eyes bugged out as the mass forced its way through his mouth, stretching it like a snake dislocating its jaw before swallowing its prey. Instead of food though, a female griffon head poked out from Discord’s maw.
“Deal with it, buster,” the head of Gilda said, her eyes gleeful. “You have to do what I say from now on.”
The Storm Dragon snarled, its tail thrashing against the floor.
“Yeah, sucks, doesn’t it? Having to do what you’re told, just like you used to do to me. I may be stuck like this but I’m thinking the perks make up for it.
“Oh, and I heard about that little hit you put out on me. Too bad Trixie’s stooges didn’t follow through, huh? Heh, at least now you can beat them up for it.”
“If you weren’t a part of my mast—”
“Yeah, yeah, threaten, kill, and all that. I’ve heard it. Now stop that and—” Gilda jerked, her face flinching as though she had been pinched. The misshapen lion and eagle hands of Discord clamped down on his upper and lower jaw and began squeezing them together. “You got your orders—!” Gilda managed to get out before Discord’s mouth snapped down, silencing her. He swallowed the mass in his mouth, sending it back down to his stomach, and let out a loud belch.
Discord smacked his mouth together a few times as though trying to work out a bad taste. “Phew. Sorry about that. She’s a bit temperamental, but I’m sure you already know all about that.” He dusted his hands off and turned to walk away. “Anyway, I’m sure you can handle it. Ta ta!” A snap of his fingers and a flash of light signaled his departure.
Now alone, the Storm Dragon stomped on a nearby boulder, crushing it to pebbles. “Gabby!”
A few seconds passed, then a light grey female griffon flew into the cave and landed before the great beast. She bowed and said, “Yes, my lord? How may I serve you?”
“We shall be having more guests soon. Prepare the appropriate lodgings.”
Gabby grabbed her head between her talons and gasped. “Do you mean more ponies?!”
“Yes.”
The high pitched squeal that resulted from the griffon reached the entirety of Mt. Chozo.