//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Magicland // Story: Equestria Girls: Fallen Canterlot // by Feather Book //------------------------------// The demon erupted from the portal. Its dark scales glinted in the sickly green light that seeped from the hive-like tunnels in the sinkhole’s wall. It rocketed to the surface, passing broken sewer pipes and subway lines before it burst out above the former central park of Canterlot. It spread its wings wide and soared by the skyscrapers of central Canterlot, whose steel skeletons groaned under the weight of the demon’s magic. From atop the demon’s back, the Regent smiled when she felt the cool night wind against her scales. She took a deep breath, savouring the taste of fresh magic and clean air that wafted through her helmet. There were so many sweet scents and smells, a far cry from the stagnant air of Meridian; some were curious enough to be worthy of her interest, though she'd have to investigate later. She relaxed her grip on the demon and stretched her wings wide. It had been far too long since she had a good flight, and there were few better places than Earth. The air here was free of the crushing weight of constant magic and the slaves to her fellow champions where few and far between. It was just her, her voladoran and the wide-open night sky with the city far below. She looked down at the beast and a small smile crossed her lips. Perhaps they could even have a race— She frowned; the other Champions would laugh at such thought. “Subjects are only to serve,” as they would say, although she had no idea who said those words. Still, she remembered hearing them as clear as Meridian’s endless day. “You can’t have favourites; you can’t grow attached. They’re disposable tools, nothing more.” She ran a hand over the pulsing scales of the demon, her voladoran. He was by far the greatest specimen of all her subjects; large enough to eclipse the Lord himself. The other Champions feared him. They would try to hide it, but she could tell. Nothing is stronger than the scent of fear. But she didn’t fear him or her subjects; why would she? She was their regent and they would obey her every command. They would never hurt her. They would follow her to the ends of the universe and back. Especially the one she rode. The smell of rot, musk and ozone caught her nose. It was strong and reeked of magic. A greater nightmare was somewhere, a few hundred miles away at least. Yes, it would be a good fight. She grinned and licked her fangs at the thought. “Hey!” she called. One of the demon’s many mouths growled a response. “How about we go and hunt something after this?” The demon rumbled in agreement and spread its wings wide against the moonlight. “Thought you’d like that. But first we’ve got work to do.” They flew north, over the suburbs and into the mountains that surrounded the city like a great basin. The demon descended and circled a large observatory perched on a mountain’s summit. A few dim lights flickered in the broken windows and the forgotten telescope glinted in the pale moonlight. The demon swooped down and landed in the parking lot. Cars crumpled under the cold pressure of the its magic. The Regent hopped off and pet his side. “Stay here, boy. I won’t be long.” She crossed the sand-covered ground towards steps of the main planetarium, passing a dead fountain and broken statues of stars and planets. The planetarium’s doors burst open and a lone figure ran out: a young man, with frazzled rusty hair and a matching goatee. A pair of round, cracked glasses sat on his nose and a torn cape decorated with stars fluttered behind him. He kowtowed before the Regent. “E-Eternal blessings of the Lord be yours, oh Great One! I am Sunburst, head researcher for Our Mistress. How can I help you, most Beneficent One?” The Regent rolled her eyes. “I’m here to see your boss. Take me to her.” He looked up. “M-My boss? You mean the Scholar?” “Yes. That one,” she growled. Sunburst squeaked and bowed his head again. “A-A thousand apologies, your Greatness! But—” The Regent let out a displeased sigh as she stepped past him and marched towards the doors. Pathetic. Were these really servants of the Scholar? Any of her subjects could eat them for a snack! Although she hoped they knew better then to each such junk. “W-Wait, please! Oh, Great and Magnanimous One!” Sunburst called as he ran after. She turned to face him, jabbing a fighter into his chest. “Take me to her or stay out of my way.” Sunburst quivered and was about to speak when the scent of the Scholar’s magic drifted by. A small device over his ear flashed red a few times. He gulped and nodded. “T-The Scholar will see you.” He quickly ushered the Regent inside. The exhibits and displays had long been moved, replaced by a maze of tables covered in test tubes and machines. A group of humans in filthy white coats stood around a whiteboard covered in some scientific nonsense. They threw cautious and curious glances at her, but cowered when she met their eyes. “So, this is what the Scholar gets you lot to do,” the Regent said. “W-We’ve been hard at work following the Our Mistresses’ plan,” Sunburst replied from her side. “Every experiment we do in her name with her blessing: To further progress the study of magic; to dissect and understand it.” “Looks like a waste of time to me.” They passed by a tank of green liquid where one of largest humans the Regent had ever seen floated. He was a wall of pure muscle, grown even larger by the liquids being pumped into his body. If all humans were like him, they would be so much more fun to crush. “We’ve had to move to human test subjects after our rats escaped,” Sunburst said with a slight shudder. “I do hope they don’t come back to get revenge…” “Whatever,” the Regent said with a dismissive wave. “So, where is she?” “Ah, of course. Right this way.” He led her down into the cold depths of the observatory. The stench of bleach and decay hung in the air, almost causing the regent to gag. They rounded several dark corners and came to a plain wooden door. “The Scholar shall see you inside.” The Regent gave him a glare before opening the door, only to be met by a small janitor’s closet. There was magic here—the Scholar's magic. The room reeked of it. It clung to every inch of wall, discarded shelves and abandoned tools. The room was bathed in a dim, purple glow for the many runes carved into the walls and floor. The only thing missing was the Scholar. The Regent growled in annoyance and turned to the door only for her brow to furrow in confusion. The door was gone, as was the wall and the rest of the room. She stood alone in a void, empty except for the ribbons of purple light that danced through the darkness like an aurora in a starless sky. An icy chill constricted around her, passing through her armour and pressing tight against her scales. Her eyes narrowed as an all-too-familiar magic crawled its way up her spine. A deep chuckle echoed through the darkness. The Regent turned back around to see a ball of cold teal flame floating in the void. Sparks of fire fell from it like wax and vanished into the endless abyss below. With a dazzling flash, the ball expanded, twisting like an inferno into a slender, female form. A pair of large crow’s wings extended from the figure’s back like a bird of prey preparing to strike. The flames pooled themselves into her eyes and burned outwards like a mask. A small smirk crossed the newly-formed woman's lips as she looked down on the Regent with all the grace of a headmistress thinking of some new delightful punishment. “Well, if it isn’t the Regent. This is a surprise.” “Scholar—” “I’ve told you before, just call me Midnight Sparkle. I much prefer our own names over those titles the Lord gave us,” Midnight said with a disinterested wave. She paused for a moment, hummed to herself and then smirked. “Oh, I’m sorry. You don’t have a name, do you, Regent?” The Regent’s hands clenched. Her too? I bet one of the other Champions put her up to it. Regent wasn’t just her title, it was her name. The Lord himself gave it to her. It was an honour to bear. “That’s fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’ll just keep calling you Scholar then.” Midnight rolled her eyes. “Why are you here, Regent? I’m very busy, so this better be worth my time.” “One of my subjects saw you yesterday. You came out of the portal to the prime and had a new journal on you, but the Lord doesn’t even care. I want to know what’s going on.” A shadow fell over Midnight’s face. “Princess Twilight,” she spat. The Regent raised an eyebrow. “Princess Twilight?” Midnight nodded stiffly as her magic pushed out around her and slammed into the Regent like a brick wall. The Regent grunted and pushed back with her own magic, creating a bubble of energy around her to keep the crushing force a bay. She was almost impressed by Midnight’s raw magical strength. “Princess Twilight,” Midnight repeated. “She’s a pretty little pony princess from the magical land of Equestria.” She growled and glared down at the Regent as the flames around her eyes grew wilder. “And if she’s here then she’ll just… She’ll ruin everything!” “So… This Princess Twilight—” The Regent snorted “—She’s from the Prime, I get that. But why is she so special? That Sunset Shimmer was also from there but the Lord—” “She isn’t special to the Lord. None of them are! But Princess Twilight, she’s… She’s just a thorn in my—our side. Besides, it was the portal that was important. Something that those monstrosities of yours messed up.” “Monstrosities?” The Regent growled. “Yes,” Midnight snarled. “That pet demon of yours closed the portal to the Prime! Don't you get it? It was my chance to study it! To find a way to rip open reality. If I could do that, then anything would be possible! But those demons you call subjects broke it, and now I’ll have to wait another two years for it to open again!” Midnight panted; her face red and her fists clenched. “Not my problem,” the Regent said with a dismissive shrug. “And don’t you dare call my subjects demons again.” “Or what?” Midnight glared down at her for a moment longer. The Regent held her glare, meeting Midnight’s eyes. Midnight was the first the break off the glare. She took a deep breath and regained her composure. “Anyway, why do you care?” “What do you mean?” “Why do you care about the portal, the Princess or the journal? You never cared about any of it before.” The Regent opened her mouth but froze. Why did she care? She rummaged through every corner of her mind for a reason but found none. As much as it pained her to agree with Midnight, she was right. Other than being from the Prime, this Princess Twilight was utterly unremarkable. But that alone wasn’t enough to warrant constant surveillance from her voladorans. “Well, are you going to answer?” Midnight asked, knocking the Regent from her thoughts. “I don’t care,” she said with a shrug. “I was just curious.” “Just curious?” Midnight said with a small twitch of her eye. She groaned and threw her head into her hands. “Look, just stop wasting my time. If you want to make yourself useful go and kill the Princess or something.” “I don't waste time killing pathetic stuff.” The Regent shrugged. “Then why are you even here?” Midnight snapped. “Just get out of here before I… I do something!” “Fine. I’ll go.” The Regent rolled her eyes before slamming her foot against the ground. There was a spark of purple magic as a broken rune fizzled and sparked. The void flickered for a moment and fell away, allowing the dull walls of the closet to rush back into existence like a rapidly dissipating cloud of fog. Midnight grumbled something inaudible as she popped out of existence, leaving the Regent alone. The Regent closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Why am I here? There was something about that Princess Twilight; something she couldn’t put her finger on… She clenched her claws and threw the door open, startling Sunburst as she stormed passed him. The winding hallways rushed quickly by as she pushed shocked scientists aside. Soon she had reached the entrance, and what little glass remained in the doors shattered as she burst out into the night. Princess Twilight. She reached for her spear—a golden cylinder on her hip—and tightened her hand around it. The compressed crystal blade hummed as if begging to be released. “Who are you? Why do I even care?” The Regent groaned. It must have been something about the journal. Was it cursed? She didn’t feel cursed. She groaned harder and kicked a car out of the way. “I need to kill something—” Regent. She froze. Every muscle in her body tensed and every nerve erupted with pain. Her eyes shot open and the breath caught in her lungs. Regent, the voice said again. Each syllable stabbed at her mind like a hot blade. Where are you Regent? What are you doing? She managed to gasp as she crumpled under the Lord’s power. Her claws dug into the tiled walkway, shattering the stone under her as her armour cracked from the pressure that threatened to crush her like a can. My Lord… she thought with all her willpower, I was just— Did I give you permission to leave, Regent? Her lungs burned as the air was squeezed out of them. No, my Lord. But— Everything stopped. The air froze in her lungs and her watering eyes bulged from their sockets. An ice-cold grip had wrapped around her heart and squeezed tight. Her vision began to fail her, the last image was her voladoran letting out a startled cry before she was pulled a cold, silent darkness. There was a tug at her heart, willing it towards the city. You will return to me, Regent. Y-Yes… My Lord. The pressure relented. The world around her returned as she gasped for air and fell against the ground. She lay there, gasping and spluttering. Her body felt numb, and she wished it remained that way as a sharp burning sensation grew in her muscles. She jumped at the feeling of her voladoran nuzzling her side. He let out a concerned growl. She took a few more deep breaths before raising a claw and placing it against his scales. It took all her strength to force herself upright, but her servant leaned into her, offering his support. “I… I’m afraid there won’t be time for a hunt today,” she said between laboured breaths. Her voladoran let out an understanding growl and carefully lifted her onto its back. She fell against his scales and closed her eyes. It was foolish to show such weakness in front of her subjects. But she no longer cared. She had always found something comforting about him. “We’ll hunt another day…” she sighed and curled into a ball. She felt the cool air wrap around her once again. This time she shivered and bit tightly on her lip. Yes. One day we’ll get to hunt, she thought. And I know just who to start with. Twilight sighed as she pulled the sheets tightly around herself and sank into the heavenly bed. Not even Rainbow Dash's clouds compared to how tenderly the bed cradled her heavy limbs. How long had she been sleeping? However long it was, five more minutes wouldn’t hurt. The only problem was the nearby voices that kept her from falling back into the welcoming embrace of sleep. “It ain’t my place to say, Sunset,” Applejack said, slightly muffled by the bed sheets. “If Fluttershy doesn’t want to talk ‘bout it then Ah won’t either.” “I just want to know why you kept this from me, Applejack,” Sunset replied. Her voice was soft and tired. There was a moment of silence. “If ya knew she was sneaking out of the town at night, would you have tried to stop her?” “Well… Yes. It… It just isn’t safe, Applejack.” “Yeah, I get that… You don’t need to tell me,” Applejack sighed. Twilight yawned as her eyes fluttered open. White curtains surrounded her bed. A hospital? The bed certainly wasn't a normal hospital bed; it still felt like something from a five-star hotel. With another yawn, she pushed herself and let out a hiss of pain as every muscle in her body burned with the effort. “Twilight?” Spike asked, looking up at her from a chair beside her bed. “Are you okay?” Twilight winced and pushed against the pain until she sat on the edge of the bed. Someone had taken the time to wrap her arms and legs in soft bandages and the faint feeling of ointment against her blistering skin brought a cooling relief. “Y-Yeah. I think I am. Where are we, Spike?” Spike hopped up onto the bed. “A hospital. You were carried here after you passed out. They wouldn’t let me in at first, but I have my ways.” Twilight smiled and pulled her assistant into a hug. “Well, I’m glad you are here, Spike. Are the others okay?” “See for yourself,” Spike said and looked up at the curtains just as Sunset threw them open. “Twilight!” her friend cried and rushed to her side with Applejack and Fluttershy close in tow. “Are you okay?” “Oh, we were so worried about you,” Fluttershy added. “Yeah. You sure did seem to be the worst off out of all of us,” Applejack sighed. “Well, except for Big Mac, that is.” “I’m much better now, thank you,” Twilight said with a smile, but it quickly faded as she looked up at the farmgirl. “How are they?” “The doctors say they’ll be fine.” Applejack grimaced as she twisted her hat in her hands “Apple Bloom just has some cuts and bruises, but Big Mac… He got hurt bad.” “Fortunately, nurse Redheart has healing magic,” Sunset added, glancing sympathetically at Applejack. “Trust me, Magicland is the best place for treatment. And it’s nurse Redheart; you know how good she is.” Applejack just nodded and chewed on her lip. Twilight gingerly attempted to stand, only to fall as her legs gave out under her. Applejack dived forwards and wrapped her arms around Twilight. “Woah, easy there, sugarcube.” “I’m fine. Really,” Twilight said between heavy gasps. He legs might as well have been jelly—the extra wobbly kind Pinkie Pie liked. Holding tightly onto the edge of the bed, she lifted herself upright. “I just need a moment. I can’t remember the last time I ran that much.” “We were lucky, that’s all,” Sunset said as she slumped back against the wall and shook her head. “We shouldn’t have been out there. We were lucky that we didn’t have every nightmare in the city after us.” “Lucky or not, we’re safe now, right?” Safe. The word lingered in her mind. Safe. She replayed what that girl with the mint green hair said to her before she passed out; the same girl who now quickly approached Twilight’s bed. “You’re all awake! About time,” the girl said with a bubbly grin. She looked the same age as Twilight. Her hair was unkempt and cut short at the shoulders. She wore a hefty black vest over a white shirt. ‘Police’ was spelt out in faded letters sewn to the front. “We were getting worried.” “Oh… I’m fine, thank you,” Twilight said with an awkward smile. “I’m sorry but…” “Oh, of course, you’re the out-of-town Twilight.” The girl smiled and held out a hand. “Lyra Heartstrings. Deputy Head of Security and former CHS student.” “Lyra?” Twilight’s mind connected the dots. The hair, the eyes, the small golden harp she wore around her neck. This must have been her old friend’s counterpart! She grabbed Lyra’s hand with her fists and shook it in much the same way one would shake hooves. “Of course, I recognise you now.” “It’s awesome to see you too, Twilight.” Lyra gave the handshake a quick confused glance. “Same goes for the rest of you.” “How are things in the town?” Sunset asked. Lyra’s smile faltered for a moment. “Not so good. There’s been… trouble.” “Trouble?” Applejack asked. “What kind of trouble?” “The Witch Hunter kind.” She humphed but then flashed a smile. “But no need to worry. You’re safe inside the walls. There isn’t anything those hobo rednecks can do, not while I’m on duty at least. And you’re lucky I was—if I hadn’t recognised Sunset’s heartstring then we may not have saved you in time.” Twilight frowned for a moment, wondering what Lyra meant by “heartstring”, but let it slide when Applejack spoke. “Ah can’t believe it.” Applejack shook her head and sighed. “They’re a problem up here too?” “They’re probably more of a pain here then they are down in Apple Creek. I know it's not the best news to hear when looking for a new home, but relax. We can handle them.” “So, what’s the news on us getting a place here?” Sunset asked. “I’ve set you girls up with a meeting with the mayor at three. She’s the one hope you’ve got at grabbing some digs. So, don’t worry about it. Until then, enjoy the town! Just try not to cause too much trouble.” “We’ll see,” Applejack grumbled. “Anyway, I’ll see you all later, have fun,” Lyra gave them a cheery wave as she walked away. “So, what now?” Twilight asked. “First, get changed,” Sunset said, pointing to a neat pile of clothes by the bed—a pale blue shirt and purple trousers. “Then, I don’t know. Explore I guess.” “I would like to check up on the others first.” “They’re still sleeping at the moment,” Applejack said. “But I know Granny Smith would be relieved to see you.” Twilight quickly got changed before they crossed the old bed store to where the rest of the Apples were resting. Applejack pulled back the curtain to reveal Apple Bloom sleeping soundly on a bed with Granny Smith at her side. A small, tired smile crossed Granny Smith’s lips. “‘Bout time you girls woke up.” Twilight glanced to where Big Mac slept. His chest was wrapped tightly in bandages that and his skin was darkened from bruising. “How are they? “They’ll be fine,” Granny Smith said wearily. “We, Apples, are tough. It’s good to see you up, Twilight. How are you feeling?” “Tired,” she said. “And my legs feel like jelly.” Granny Smith nodded. “Well, ah’m glad to see you’re alright.” She looked to the others. “Now, ya’ll don’t need ta worry ‘bout us. Go an’ have fun. Ah’ll keep an eye on stuff up ‘ere.” “But Granny—” Applejack began only to pause as the elder Apple gave her a harsh glare. “You go and enjoy yourself, Applejack. Same goes for the rest of ya. Ah ain’t havin’ ya mope around here all day.” No one could say no to Granny Smith. Twilight simply wished them the best before following the others out of the hospital. The light dazzled her for a moment as she stepped out of the hospital and onto the high walkway. Her eyes widened at the sight of the mall and she shot to the railing to get a better look. Either side of her, the hallway stretched out seemingly endlessly as it curved around. Along its walls, many of the old stores had been repurposed into homes and facilities; each with their own personal flair in decoration. It was the colours that stood out. Bright, vibrant fabrics had been hung over the railings and the cushioned benches. Plants and flowers, real ones too, the first Twilight had seen outside of Apple Creek’s farm, had been planted in flower pots and hung from the banisters. Even the walls had been covered in paintings, murals and other such artworks. “It’s good to see this place again,” Sunset said as she leaned against the raining. Applejack whistled. “It sure is something.” Fluttershy softly nodded and smiled until a group of townspeople passed by and she quickly pulled her hat over her head. “Hey, Sunset, AJ,” one of them said, a man with a shaggy bead and a green bandana around his head. “It’s awesome to see you again.” “You too,” Sunset replied with a wave. Twilight watched them leave and then turned to Sunset with a curious glance. “They went to CHS. In fact, quite a lot of the people here did so.” “Huh, that’s mighty odd,” Applejack said. “Ah wonder why?” Sunset shrugged. “Beats me. But most of the people here are about our age or younger.” “At least they’re friends,” Fluttershy softly added. “Now yer mention it, most of those kicked out of Apple Creek were our age too,” Applejack added. “Really?” Twilight rested her chin in her hand and hummed. “I wonder if the younger you are the more likely you are to develop magic? After all, Apple Bloom and—” She paused and shared a pained look with the other girls. “Anyway, if this town is full of magic users, then someone here must know how magic works. And that means I can study it. If I can work out how and why magic has messed up your world so much then I’m sure we can find a way to fix it.” “You sure about that, Twi?” Applejack asked. “Ah don’t think it’s even possible to do that.” “Besides,” Fluttershy added, “wouldn’t you rather find a way home?” “W-Well…” Twilight glanced away for a moment and met Spike’s eyes. Her assistant flashed her a smile and nodded. Twilight gave him a smile of her own and turned back to the others. “I will find a way home. I don’t know how long it will take but I will find one. But your world needs help too and I’ll do anything to help it.” “That sounds like a great idea, Twilight,” Sunset said. “Maybe we could start in the library.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “There’s a library!?” Sunset wrapped an arm around Twilight’s shoulder and started walking. “Lucky for us, the mall had a fantastic book store. I’ll take you to it. But first, I think we should all get some breakfast.” Twilight was about to argue when her stomach suddenly grumbled. “Breakfast? Yeah, that does sound good.” “How are you feeling?” Fluttershy asked as she lifted a small bowl of water for Mr Owl. “Like I had a run-in with a monster,” he grumbled before taking a sip. “But I should be asking about you, Fluttershy. Are you all right?” “Oh… Um… I…” Her throat went dry and she turned her gaze to the familiar tiles of the animal shelter floor. When was the last time she had been here? It must have been months before the burning days. She was more familiar with her local branch of the animal shelter then the mall’s. She looked up at the counters and cabinets, finding a sense of comfort in their familiarity. If only Doctor Fauna was still— Her hands tightened around the counter, cracking the lining while she clenched her eyes. She turned her mind to anything else in an attempt to hold back the tears. After a moment she forced the lump in her throat down. “I’ll take that as a no, then?” Mr Owl said. Fluttershy sighed. “I’ll be safe now…” she said in a quiet voice and then met his eyes. “All thanks to you.” Mr Owl just nodded. The door to the clinic swung open. Fluttershy yelped and dived behind the counter, quickly crawling into a shivering ball. “Who’s there?” the newcomer demanded. Fluttershy gulped and slowly peeked around the corner. Her eyes widened. “S-Sugarcoat? “Fluttershy?” the girl replied, equally shocked. She closed the door behind her and adjusted her grip around a chicken she held in her arms. “Is that really you?” “Y-Yes,” Fluttershy said meekly as she wilted under Sugarcoat’s iron glare. “I-I can go if you—” “No. You can stay. I’m sorry for startling you.” Sugarcoat waited for a moment and then added, “You can come out now.” “Oh, right.” Fluttershy took a calming breath and stood. She glanced over at the chicken and smiled. “Oh, and who’s this?” The chicken turned to her wide-eyed. It let out a fearful cry and fluttered its wings wildly, almost knocking Sugarcoat’s glasses from her face. “Ah! What’s got into you?” Sugarcoat clamoured as she struggled to restrain the bird. Fluttershy once again threw herself behind the counter and clenched her eyes shut. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” After a moment of struggling, Sugarcoat had managed to settle the chicken down and placed it in a carrier box. She whirled around, her fiery glare returning. “What did you do to it?” Fluttershy shrunk deeper into the corner and held her head in her hands. It was always the same when she met a new animal. It had taken her months to gain the trust of the ones in Apple Creek. She sniffed and held back her tears. No, Fluttershy. This isn’t your fault… You can do this. “An owl?” Sugarcoat said. Fluttershy looked up. Sugarcoat was standing by her side, looking down at Mr Owl. Her glare had fallen as she looked at the bird with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “H-He’s a friend of mine.” Fluttershy stood and gulped. “He was badly hurt and I was helping him.” Sugarcoat stared at Fluttershy with a look of a parent trying to stare the truth out of a child. Eventually, her expression softened and Fluttershy let out a small sigh of relief. “You did a good job,” she said. “It will take a while for him to heal, even longer to fly again. But thanks to you, I’m sure he will.” “You know about animals?” “My mother was a vet,” she said curtly. “Oh, well… Thank you.” Fluttershy smiled gently and brushed her hair out of the way of her face— “You still didn’t answer my question.” —only to retreat back behind it. “Oh, um… I… I didn’t do anything.” She gulped and glanced up at Sugarcoat. Her cold, purple eyes board deep into her own. “It’s just that… Sometimes animals don’t like… strangers. But, I can talk to him if you want.” Sugarcoat’s frown remained for a moment, but she nodded. “Go ahead.” The weight of her piercing glare didn’t let up as Fluttershy quickly crossed the room to the chicken. It took a bit of work, but after a few reassuring words the chicken was happy enough to eat out of Fluttershy’s hand. “You really do have a way with animals.” Fluttershy twisted around. She hadn’t even heard Sugarcoat walk up behind her. Sugarcoat grimaced slightly. “Sorry. It’s good to see you again Fluttershy.” “Y-Yes. It is nice to see you too, Sugarcoat.” She took a few steady breaths and considered grabbing Mr Owl and making a run for it. But she bit her lip and gulped down the nervous knot in her throat. “S-Sunset never mentioned you lived here.” “I only got here a few months ago,” Sugarcoat said. “But it’s nice to finally see a familiar face. Even if your hair is in the way.” Fluttershy now took a good look at her. Sugarcoat’s hair was thin and lifeless, but was still tied into two pigtails like before. Her cracked glasses had been repaired by tape and her sunken eye were harsher than Fluttershy remembered. Even her skin looked rough and worn, adding some years to her age. It was like a permanent look of exhaustion had been carved into her. “How are you?” Fluttershy asked in concern. Sugarcoat frowned again. “What do you mean?” “Well… Um… I was just trying to be polite.” “I’ve been about as well as I could be.” She walked over to some cabinets and began searching through the bottles of medicines. “What about you?” “Oh… I’m fine. Just… looking for someone nice to stay with my friends.” “Your friends are still with you? That’s good. Sunny Flare would love to see them.” “Oh? She’s here too?” A small glimmer of hope flashed before her eyes. If her friends are here… “What about anyone else?” Sugarcoat’s expression hardened to the point of being unreadable. “No. It’s just us.” “Oh…” she glanced away and rubbed her arm. “Well, at least you have that.” They stood in silence for a few moments, only broken by the chicken gently clucking to herself as she pecked at her small bowl of feed. “Do you want to help?” Sugarcoat eventually asked. “Help?” “With the chicken.” “Oh.” Fluttershy smiled. “I’d love too.” Twilight flipped from one book to another, carefully scanning the contents of the page and then scribbling down thoughts in her notebook. The pen felt awkward in her hand, and it showed in the foal-like scratchings on the paper. Even her mouth-writing was better than that! She put the pen down and shook the cramp out of her hand with a sigh. “It does take some getting use to,” Sunset said as she placed a stack of books down on the table. “But after a while it just feels natural.” “I’m sure it does,” Twilight said. Sunset leaned closer. “Is something wrong?” “Well, as much as these books are interesting, I was kind of hoping that a town full of magic users would have more on how magic worked.” “Twilight, it’s only been two years since the world ended. People have had more on their mind then working out how magic works, let alone write it down.” “But that’s just it, Sunset,” Twilight said as she pulled over her notebook and showed it to her friend. “All the magical problems in this world started when you stole my crown—” “Thanks for reminding me.” “—and ever since my counterpart damaged the statue, it had just been growing out of control.” She pointed to a few crudely drawn diagrams. Sunset furrowed her brow. “Are you saying this is Twilight’s fault? This world’s Twilight?” “Oh, no. I would never pin it on her. But the portal is the gateway to Equestria and this world didn't have magic before we messed with the portal. There must be a connection of some kind” “I don’t disagree, Twilight. But that’s an easy guess to make. How can it help us?” Twilight frowned. “Well, I could work out a way to study the portal and its connection to everything that’s going on. But, at the moment I’m in the dark. I have no idea where to even start.” “Well, you’ll figure something out. You always do.” Sunset gave Twilight’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, if anyone can work out how to fix magic and get us home, it’s you,” Spike said as he looked out from his small pile of comic books. Twilight smirked slightly. “Thanks you two.” She looked back over her notes as her smiled faltered. How? she asked herself. There had to be a way home, but even if they found the journal how would they open the portal again? “Of course,” Sunset said, “we will be here to help you.” Twilight nodded. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned being the Princess of Friendship, it’s that with friends by your side, things always work out in the end.” “It is good to have you back, Twilight. Even if it’s under not the best circumstances. I really did miss talking to you.” Sunset turned away from the table for a moment and chewed on her lip. “What if, well, suppose we never see our other friends again. Would that make us bad friends, Twilight?” “What? Of course not, Sunset,” Twilight said, curious as to where such a question came from. “You’ve been trying to find them, haven't you?” Sunset didn’t move. Her shoulders fell as she stared at the floor. “They must be out there somewhere,” Twilight continued. “And if we can’t find them then it isn’t our fault. Just so long as we don’t give up.” “Right,” Sunset said. “But what if it gets too dangers out keep looking? What if you don’t want to give up but...” Sunset left the sentence unfinished. She didn’t need to finish it. Twilight closed her eyes and sighed lightly. “To be honest, I don’t know. Back home my friends and I have faced so much together, but nothing like this before. But I do know one thing; if any of them were in danger, I wouldn’t stop until I found a way to help them. They’re all probably doing the same for me right now...” Twilight blinked and leaned back in her chair. Her friends must have gone through every book in the library by now. She wouldn’t even be surprised if they went after Starswirl to figure out a way to reopen the portal—he did create it after all. But what if Starswirl couldn’t do it? Or the Princesses? Or even Discord? Being trapped for thirty moons was a pain. But what if the portal didn’t reopen? What if she couldn’t find a way to open it? What if she couldn’t figure out how to help fix this world? The world was so broken already, how could she even fix a small part of it? No. Don’t think like that, Twilight. She told herself and ignore the urge to crawl into a ball. She turned her mind back to her notes as her fingers dug tightly into the table. There’s always a way. Think, Twilight. Think! There had to be an answer, she knew it. If only I knew how magic worked here! “Twilight, please don’t get stressed about this,” Sunset said softly as she forced a small smile. “We’ll figure something out.” “I’m…” She was going to say she was fine, but the words caught in her throat. She wasn't fine. She was anything but fine. She had to find a way to help the world and find a way home, everyone was counting on her. She was jolted from her thoughts when Sunset pulled her into a hug. “Sunset, what—” The hug tightened. “Nope. No worrying, okay?” Twilight froze, unsure of how to respond. She tried to turn back to her notes, but Sunset kept her firmly locked in place. Twilight let out a long sigh. She hadn’t even realised how tense she was until her shoulders sank and she wrapped her arms around Sunset, allowing herself to enjoy the warm comfort of the hug. “Better?” Twilight nodded. “A bit.” “It will be okay, Twilight. You said so yourself.” Sunset released her. “How about we take a break for a moment and go for a walk?” A walk? Twilight’s eyes widened and she lurched upright in her seat. “That’s it, Sunset!” “Uh, what is?” “They don’t have books on magic, so we need to find someone who knows magic! We can ask them for the answers.” Sunset rolled her eyes but smiled. “Well, we are in a town surrounded by people with magic.” “Exactly!” Twilight smiled widely as she stood and pulled Sunset to her feat. “Let’s go and find someone to teach us about magic!” “So,” Lyra crossed her arms and looked between Twilight and Sunset. “You want me to teach you how my magic works?” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “If it isn’t too much trouble.” Sunset merely shrugged. “Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt,” Lyra said as she rubbed her chin. “Hey, I’m not doing anything now—” A crack of static as her radio came to life interrupted her. She sighed and rolled her eyes before answering. While Twilight couldn’t make heads or tails of the cracks and squawks coming out of the radio, the fact that such a device could exist without magic was truly fascinating. Still, despite the wonders this world had, studying its magic had to come first. As Lyra listened, her expression quickly turned grim. “All right, I’ll be right over.” “Everything okay?” Sunset asked. “Probably not,” she sighed, but then gave the girls a small smirk. “But you wanted to see my magic at work, huh? How ‘bout a real-world example? C’mon, follow me.” Lyra had already started jogging through the mall before Twilight could answer her. She glanced at Sunset briefly who shaded a look of curiosity before they both quickly followed. “Where are you going?” Twilight called. “The main gate. Keep up, Princess.” Lyra led them down through the mall and almost leapt up a dead escalator. Twilight did her best to keep up, but her legs quickly began to burn from the pain. She hissed and stumbled, only for Sunset to quickly catch her. “Take it easy, Twilight,” she said and flashed her a reassuring smile. They continued to the atrium and up to the main gate of the mall. It was built into the old main entrance that had fortified by metal, bricks and sandbags. Several windows had been removed to allow access to the ramparts that jutted out of the mall like a large rusting jaw. Several guards stood cautiously behind the cover of the crenulations, looking out across the parking lot. Twilight squinted as her eyes adjusted to the harsh light of the mid-day sun. The canvas cover over the ramparts provided no relief from its piercing light. “Yeah, that’s them alright,” Lyra sighed as she stared down a pair of binoculars. She lowered them and turned to Twilight. “While you’ll probably be safe, things may get a bit heated. You sure you want to stay?” Twilight nodded. “What’s going on?” Lyra handed her the binoculars. “See for yourself.” Twilight frowned and squinted out across the parking lot. The ground shimmered like the surface of a lake, with the rusting wrecks of cars like rocks. At the far end of the lot, a group of shadows stood by a trio of ramshackled pickups. She peered for the binoculars for a better look. There was at least ten of them. Each were wrapped in long shawls, coats and hats. They had guns too, even a large one strapped to their car much like the one they had back in Apple Creek. “Who are they?” “Witch Hunters,” Lyra growled. “Don’t worry. We can handle this.” “Lyra, why did you bring these two here?” a new voice asked. Twilight looked over to see a girl with bubble-gum pink and blue hair glaring at them from behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. She wore a back uniform with a large vest lined with many pockets. “Oh, Sweetie, these two wanted to see my awesome magic. Besides, they can handle themselves.” “Hi,” Twilight said with a nervous smile. “I’m—” “I know who you are Twilight.” She flashed them a smile and she lifted her sunglasses for a moment. “I’m Sweetie Drops if you didn’t know. Still, if you’re out here then keep your head down. I don’t want you two to get hurt.” “They’re moving,” a guard said. In an instant both Lyra and Sweetie Drops had pressed themselves against the wall, glaring out over the parking lot. Sunset followed their lead and dragged Twilight behind a thick steel crenulation with her. “You still want to see some magic, Twilight?” “Well, study it.” Lyra shrugged and turned to Sweetie Drops. “Sweetie, do the thing.” “You got it, Lyra.” Sweetie Drops smirked and reached into one of the many pockets in her jacket before pulling out a green gummy bear. She quickly threw it into her mouth and swallowed. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but quickly pulled her notepad from her pocket and scribbled down some notes. Sweetie Drops grabbed Lyra’s hand for a moment before reaching over and offering her hand to Twilight. “You’re about to see some crazy stuff, Princess.” Twilight hesitantly reached forwards and placed her hand in Sweetie Drop’s. Her eyes widened as a ribbon of red and purple light appeared from out her chest. It danced in the air with the grace of ballerina as it reached out to Sunset and vanished into her chest, right where her heart would be. Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking at?” Twilight was too captivated by the light to answer. More strands appeared, both from herself and from all of those around her. Each where different colours as they criss-crossed in the air. Some danced softly whilst others buzzed like the wings of an angry Parasprite. “I call them heartstrings,” Lyra whispered. “Uh… Not after myself or anything, I just thought the name fitted.” She looked back over the wall and frowned. A new heartstring appeared from out Lyra’s chest and reached out to another loose string floating over the parking lot. Twilight followed it down to the head of a group of four Witch Hunters. The Witch Hunters walked at a leisurely pace over the cracked concrete. One of them knocked a loose mirror off a car with his baseball bat while two more brandished their guns like they were trophies. The woman at the front had no weapons, but walked with a predatory stride. She stopped just short from the wall and looked up at the wall. Her hawkish eyes scanning over each guard. A gleeful smirk crossed her face. “Time’s up, Lyra. We’re here to collect.” “Why’d you come? You know this is a waste of time.” Lyra said as she glared down at the group. The Witch Huntress removed her hat and ran a gloved hand through her short, white hair, spiking up the purple highlights on the fringe. “All we want is some food and water. Is that too much to ask?” “You don’t deserve it. Besides, you’re a day early. The deadline is tomorrow.” “Listen, witch, go and tell that pathetic mayor of yours that if the town doesn’t pay up then history will just repeat itself.” She cracked her knuckles and smirked. The ribbon between her and Lyra grew stronger and more violent with each passing second. “Either way, I don’t mind.” Lyra’s hands tightened around the edge of the wall. “Go away,” she growled. “Why don’t you come out and make us?” Lyra glared for a moment before her shoulders fell and a smirk crossed her face. “Well, if you want to stand out in the sun all day, that’s fine. We can just go back inside.” “Listen, I know it’s hard for your simple mind to understand this, but if you give us what we want, then we’ll leave you alone.” “For the last time, Gilda, you’re getting nothing!” “Gilda?” Twilight peered out over the wall and narrowed her eyes at the witch huntress, “Gilda the Griffon?” “Yeah, and what’s it to you, dweeb?” She scowled. Twilight moved out from behind her cover. The air in front of her shimmered as a new ribbon of light began to weave itself together in the air, reaching out and connecting to a similar bronze ribbon from Gilda. “I… Um…” She glanced to Lyra who give her a small smile and two thumbs up. Twilight nodded and looked back to Gilda. “You want food and water, right? Have you offered anything in return?” She scoffed. “Who’s this, Lyra? Your trainee doormat? Listen, witch, the deal is you give us what we want and we won’t burn this disgusting town down with all you scum locked inside.” Twilight’s eyes widened. “What?! Why would you do that?!” “Look around you.” She threw her arms wide and gestured to the ruined parking lot. “See all this. It’s all the fault of you no-good magic users!” Gilda pointed an accusing fighter at them. “We’re trying to be reasonable here. Just give us what we want or you’ll regret it.” “Gilda,” Lyra growled, “there is no way we are giving you or your gang of thieves and murderers anything from us. If you want a fight, then just do it. Otherwise, get lost.” Gilda snarled before placing her hat back on her head. “Fine. If you want to do it the hard way, then we will. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Later, losers.” She turned and started to walk away, her companions following her. It was only now Twilight noticed that they each had their own set of ribbons connecting to each other. A devious smirk crossed Lyra’s face. “Watch this, Twilight.” She reached out a hand and placed it on her own ribbon that connected to Gilda—a mixture of lime green and bronze that buzzed with energy. There was a soft glow from Lyra’s hand as the ribbon settled down to a gentle wave. The light travelled along the ribbon until it reached Gilda and then suddenly shot across another ribbon into one of her companions. Gilda tensed, her hands curled into tight fists. She spun around. Her fist slammed into her companion’s cheek, throwing him to the ground. The others stared at her from a moment before backing away. Gilda took a few heavy breaths before letting out a frustrated yell and stormed back to the trucks. “What just happened?” Sunset asked. “Quiet. It’s not over yet,” Sweetie Drops said. She gave Lyra a disapproving glare before peering through a pair of binoculars. The rest of the guards had lifted their weapons and pushed themselves against the wall. Twilight held her breath. Would they attack? She couldn’t make out the distant shouts, but there was a flurry of motion as the gang of Witch Hunters quickly jumped back into their trucks. The engines roared to life and slowly they turned and drove away. There was a chorus of sighs as the guards lowered their weapons and stumbled back into the cool shade of the mall. All apart from Lyra and Sweetie Drops, who continued to watch the road with frowns on their faces. “They’re gone, right?” Twilight asked. “For now,” Lyra muttered. “They’ll be back,” Sweetie Drops added with a hint of nervousness in her voice. “They always are.” “Hey, it won’t be like last time,” Lyra added as she wrapped an arm around her friend. “We’re ready now.” “Nothing will ever get us ready for that again.” Twilight frowned in thought, the ribbons of light still danced around her. “Why are you fighting? You and the Witch Hunters? Why hurt people just because they have magic?” “You heard Gilda, Twilight,” Sunset said. “They hate anything to do with magic. So much so that they… Well, I just hope you don’t have to see what they do.” “Spot on,” Lyra sighed. Her eyes absently scanning the metal of the wall. “They’re worse than the mad.” She shook her head. “Anyway, you wanted to know about my magic, right? What do you think?” Twilight looked at the purple and green ribbon that connecter her and Lyra. She reached out to touch it, only to frown as her hand passed right through. “It's like some kind of… magical link?” “Pretty much. I don’t quite understand it myself, but it appears to work off emotions.” “Yeah, it’s scary stuff,” Sweetie Drops added. “She can seriously mess people up.” “Good thing I’m not a villain then,” Lyra chuckled. “But yeah, I can manipulate the emotions in the ribbons. I can even break them if I want…” She trailed off and glanced away for a moment. “So, uh… Anyway. You know Gilda?” “Well… Not exactly. It’s an out-of-town thing,” Twilight said with a nervous chuckle. She poked again at one of the ribbons. “They really are fascinating. I’ve never heard of magic like this before.” She looked inside the mall at the hundreds of ribbons that criss-crossed the air. “They’re everywhere. How can you understand them all?” “You get used to it after a while,” Lyra said with a shrug. She looked back over the wall and stared at the road. “They’re a good warning sign too. Anyway, if you want, we can talk about magic for a bit longer. I’m no egghead like you, so I may not have any answers.” Twilight smiled lightly. “If you have time, that would be nice.” “Cool!” she wrapped an arm around Twilight and pulled her inside. “It all started on the second Burning Day.” Twilight smiled and began to scribble down in her notebook eagerly. “This sure is a nice farm you’ve got here,” Applejack said as she wiped the sweat from under her hat. Rows of carefully laid out plant boxes lined the roof of the mall, each one was full of healthy fruits and vegetables. “It’s hard work to keep them in good shape, even with magic. But we manage it,” Carrot Top said with a smile. “I bet it’s different to what you had in Apple Creek.” “Well, it ain’t no Apple orchard.” “True, your farm sure was a sight back in the day,” a sentimental smile crossed her lips. “Still, we’re going to have it so much better now that we’ve got the one and only Apple family around. Well, a good part of it anyway.” “Aw, shucks, we ain’t nothing special,” Applejack said. “What? You’re kidding, right? You won, like, every prize at the county fair for as long as I can remember. The only thing we got was the prize for the largest carrot.” Applejack chuckled lightly. “It’s good ta see ya again, Carrot.” Carrot Top also laughed, her mess of ginger hair bouncing as she did. “Same to you, Applejack.” “So, how do you go about keeping all these beauties alive and happy? I can’t imagine you have much water here.” “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong,” Carrot Top said. “I’ll show you.” She led Applejack across the roof to a set of large tubs lined up in neat rows. Each tub was full of clear water, glinting in the sunlight. Pipes slowly siphoned the water and carried it inside the mall. “Ah can’t remember the last time Ah saw this much water…” “Really?” Carrot said. “It’s that bad in Apple Creek?” “It sure is. But how do you get this much water?” “Well, it’s all thanks to her.” Carrot pointed off to a tent in the corner. Inside, a girl with soft white hair sat cross-legged as if she was meditating. Applejack’s eyes widened. The girl wasn’t sitting. She was floating a meter off the ground. The girl let out a deep breath and raised a hand in front of her. A pale blue light formed in her palm and expanded outwards as thin white wisps began to circle around it. It took a moment for enough of the wisps to gather for Applejack to realise what she was doing. She was making a cloud. The air in her hand grew heavy as layers and layers of soft white cloud began to form. It expanded quickly and changed to an ominous grey. The girl gritted her teeth and sweat fell from her brow, only to be quickly whisked up by the growing car-sized rain cloud. She reached out with her hand and the cloud moved—gliding over the edge of a bathtub before sinking inside. Then, the cloud burst, leaving a pool of fresh water in the basin. The girl gasped and took several deep breaths as she fell back onto a pile of cushions. Carrot Top clapped. “You’ve sure been busy today, Vapor Trail. Great job.” “Oh, thanks Carrot,” she said, helping herself to a small water canteen. She looked up at Applejack and smiled softly. “Hello. I don’t think we’ve met.” “No, ah don’t think so,” Applejack said. She held out a hand and introduced herself. Vapor Trail gently shook it. “It’s nice to meet you.” “Indeed, it is. Ah ain’t never seen anything like that before.” “Oh, well… It was nothing, really.” “Nothing? Ya created a cloud outta thin air!” “Well, clouds are just thin air… I just made it all come together,” she said. Her eyes darted away and she let out a nervous chuckle. “Thanks.” “So, Applejack, what can you do?” Carrot asked, nudging Applejack’s side. “Me? Oh, well, I’m just a bit strong, that’s all.” “A bit?” a new voice chuckled. Applejack looked over to see a young man with long green dreadlocks hanging out from under his beret approaching. “Dude, you’ve like got super strength! I remember seeing you lift a rock the size of a house! Not to mention that pony-up thing you and the other girls used to do.” “Now, hold up there, Sandalwood,” Applejack said. While she wouldn’t have considered herself friends with one of CHS’ premier eco-kids, she couldn’t help but smile at yet another familiar face. “It’s mighty great to see ya again, but Ah ain't never lifted a rock that big before. A car, yes, but not a house.” Sandalwood chuckled. “True, true. But, it sure is great to see you too, AJ. It’s totally awesome to have some more friends here.” He threw his arms out wide. “Welcome to the best town in the world!” “How many others from CHS are here?” Applejack asked. “I bumped into a few already.” “That’s right. We’re all over the town,” his grin faltered for a moment. “Of course, there are many of us who aren't. Like your friends, for example.” “Yeah, Ah gathered that.” Applejack sight slightly. She knew that the chances of meeting Rainbow, Pinkie or Rarity where slim, but she still couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She looked back up to Carrot Top and a small smile crossed her lips. “Well, the others might not be here, but familiar faces are always nice to see.” “Too right it is,” Sandalwood laughed. “Say, how about we celebrate?” Carrot asked. “We should have a ‘Welcome to the Town’ party or something.” “Heh, that sounds like a great idea. But you don’t need to do such a thing for us.” “Oh nonsense, Applejack.” She laughed. “It’s nothing, really. Besides, this place might as well be parties every day. We’ve all got to keep our spirits up with, well, you know, the end of the world and everything.” “Yeah, that’s great and all, but, Ah don’t think mah family will be up for such things anytime soon.” Applejack’s smile fell as she sighed. Carrot glanced away for a moment. “How’s Big Mac? I heard he…” “He’ll be fine,” Applejack said. He had to be, after all. This was Big Mac they were talking about; it would take more than one pesky nightmare to keep him down. She could always count on her big brother. “He has to be.” Carrot offered a weak smile and gently patted Applejack on the shoulder. “I’m sure he will be. We can wait until they’re up and about.” “Thanks, Carrot,” Applejack said with a sigh.  “If ya don’t mind, Ah want to go and check up on them.” “Oh, not at all. Please, go and see them. And tell them I said hi.” Applejack hurried back into the mall, passing small store rooms half-full with food. She entered the main walkways and swiftly past by the homes and abandoned stores as before entering the hospital. Nurse Redheart gave her a polite hello, and she quickly replied in kind before making her way through the maze of beds and curtains. She placed a hand against the rough fabric of the curtain that separated her from her family. Her heart pounding in her chest. They’ll be okay. They've got to be. She took a deep breath and pulled back the curtains. Apple Bloom sat on her bed next to Granny Smith. Both of their heads shot up to meet Applejack. Off to the side, Big Mac continued to sleep on his bed. “Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried as she all but fell out of her bed to wrap her arms tightly around her sister. “Shh, it’s okay, Sugarcube,” Applejack said as she returned the hug. “I’m so glad you’re awake.” She held her sister tight as Apple Bloom gently sobbed into her shirt. She held on a bit tighter and closed her eyes. “Ah promise ya, Apple Bloom. Ah won’t let nothing hurt you or Big Mac again.” Twilight stared at her notebook, overflowing with an afternoon’s worth of notes and observations. Lyra and Sweetie Drops had gone above and beyond to help Twilight understand their magic; even Sunset chipped in at times too. However, despite her relentless cross-checking and re-cross-checking, she still was no closer to figuring out how magic worked in this world. It was almost like an entirely different kind of magic to Equestria’s. While any unicorn could learn any spell with enough time and practice, here everyone’s magic appeared to be absolutely unique. Twilight was only able to see Lyra’s ‘heartstrings’ thanks to Sweetie Drops’ own magic, but seeing the hartstrings was all it could help with. By the time the clock struck three, Twilight found herself walking along the upper walkways with the rest of her friends. Lyra had once again taken the lead and turned to them with a cheery smile. “Now, you’ll probably nervous about meeting the mayor, but relax. She’s… we’ll you’ll know when you see her.” Sunset chuckled slightly. “I’m sure they will. It’ll be great to see her again.” “Ah’m guessing you’re not gonna tell us who the mayor is?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow. “That will spoil the surprise,” Lyra laughed. “This way.” She led them down the narrow service corridors of the mall, each lit by small lanterns containing magical lights that floated in the glass like miniature suns. They came to a door painted deep blue with silver moons and starts. A frosted glass window let muted daylight pour out into the corridor and on it, in neat calligraphy, the words “Mayor’s Office” were written. Lyra knocked twice and the door was opened by a girl with long golden hair in a neat purple outfit. Twilight frowned as she let them inside. There was something familiar about the girl, but she couldn’t quite put her hoof, no, finger on it. The room itself was a specious office with a large glass window at the far end looking down over the mall. Silver, purple and blue curtains hung from the ceiling whilst the walls were decorated with shooting stars and crescent moons. A large variety of trinkets and knick-knacks of all kinds lined shelves and poured out of chests along the walls. Off to her left, several curtains covered what must have been the bedroom. Twilight sat down on a plush sofa in the centre of the room with Sunset to her side. A large antique oak desk sat in front of them. Behind it was a large leather office chair that currently faced the window. An assistant, different one then before, walked over and whispered something to whoever sat in the chair. A moment later the chair swung around and its occupant leaped from the seat. Twilight’s eyes widened. “I, the Great and Powerful Mayor Trixie, officially welcome you all to Magicland!” Trixie put her hands on her hips and smiled down at everyone's collective fallen jaws. “How can Trixie be of assistance to you, Sunset, and your friends too?” “Trixie?” Applejack gasped. “You’re the mayor? How in tarnation did you manage that?” “Oh, it is a great tale of intrigue and skill, Applejack,” she said, briefly ducking behind her purple star-covered cape. “One that shall amaze and excite you all! But that's for another time. Trixie is, unfortunately, very busy with her mayoral duties.” Sunset chuckled. “It’s good to see you again, Trix.” “Likewise, Sunset,” she said with a bright smile. “Oh, and your friends too, of course.” Twilight held her tongue as Sunset and Trixie laughed together. She knew that this wasn’t the same Trixie that Starlight always hung around with, but she couldn’t help but notice their similarities. If their fate rested in her hands, then Twilight just hoped that Sunset was as close of a friend to her as Starlight was to her Trixie. “Ah suppose we should just get to the chase,” Applejack said. “We need a place to stay, Trixie. All of us. We’re happy to help out with whatever we can to make up for the roof over our heads.” “Well, of course Sunset and her friends are more than welcome to stay,” Trixie said. Twilight crossed her arms waited patiently for the “but”. “But, there is one slight issue.” Twilight sighed. “And what would that be, Trixie?” For her credit, Trixie’s mood genuinely did turn sincere as she looked Applejack in the eyes. “This town has some rules. I have no doubt that Sunset has already made you aware of them.” “It’s mah family, ain’t it?” Trixie nodded. “Do any of them have magic?” Applejack stared Trixie down and like a pair of dullest waiting to see who would make the first move. She chewed on her lip before finally gulping down the lump in her throat. “Apple Bloom does but… Big Mac and Granny don’t.” “Then I’m afraid that they can’t—” “No,” Twilight sapped. She shot to her feet. “No, Trixie. You can’t kick them out. They have nowhere else to go.” After recovering from her shock, Trixie turned her nose up at Twilight. “Oh, and who are you to tell the Great and Powerful Mayor Trixie what to do in her town? The rules are the rules, Twilight Sparkle. I thought you of all people would understand that.” She scratched her chin. “Come to think of it, you look like the out-of-town one. I don’t recall you ever using magic either.” Sunset placed a firm hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Hey, no need to fight. I’m sure we can work something out,” She glared at Trixie, “right Trixie?” She huffed. “Despite what you might believe, Trixie is not without a heart. She cannot just stand by and watch a poor family suffer. But as mayor, she has her citizens to consider. And the will of the citizens is clear—Magic only.” “Gosh darn it, Trixie!” Applejack snapped slamming her fist down on the table, almost breaking it in half. Trixie recoiled in shock and fell back into her chair. “You know mah family ain’t no threat to you or this town! All we want is a place to stay. We’d pay for it if we could.” “W-Well,” Trixie said. She stumbled to her feet and straightening her cape. “I suppose that if the citizens wanted your family to stay then an exception could be made.” “Darn right.” “Your family are skilled farmers, even Trixie knows that. While our farms are the envy of the world, very few of us can match your skills.” “There ain’t no place we’d rather be than on a farm,” Applejack said. “See, a compromise. Isn’t this great?” Sunset said. “I still feel like you’re holding something back,” Twilight said. “For that you’ll need to impress the town.” She cupped her chin in thought. “Although, I can’t think of anything at the moment that you could do. And with tomorrow being—” She paused and frowned. “What is it?” Twilight asked. “Well, it is a matter of some importance. You see, Trixie…. Needs your help.” “You know us, Trixie,” Sunset said with a smile. “We love to help.” “Oh, Trixie knows, Sunset, and that’s why…” She pushed for a moment and scrunched up her face before taking a deep breath and meeting Sunset’s eyes. “That’s why I know you’re the best ones for this job.” “Help with what?” Sunset asked, she left Twilight’s side and moved a step closer to Trixie. Trixie turned to the window and looked out over the mall. “Tomorrow is an important day… I’ve got to travel away from the town for it but I cannot go alone. I would normally take some guards with me, but with the threat from those Witch Hunters—” Her fists clenched as she snarled those words, “—I cannot risk them this time.” “So you want us to go with you?” Twilight asked. “Yes. Trixie knows you girls are highly capable, what with the saving the school and stuff from magic, so Trixie will be in safe hands. Not that the Great and Powerful Trixie actually needs protection! No foe would dare harm her, lest they face the wrath of her magic!” She clasped her fist in front of her, striking a proud pose as several firework-like sparkles suddenly fizzled in the air around her. Twilight shook her head and glanced to Applejack who was turning as red as an apple as she glared down at Trixie. Trixie let out a small sigh as she slumped down. “Sunset, I’m sorry. But, please; this is important to me.” She stared pleadingly into Sunset’s eyes. “I have to do this.” Sunset’s expression softened and she uncrossed her arms. “Okay, Trixie. We’ll help you.” “We don’t even know why she wants our help yet,” Twilight said. “Humph, well, I am glad that Sunset has better manners than you,” Trixie said, all traces of pleading quickly disappearing behind a facade of extravagance. “Rest assured, Trixie will let you know all you need to help in this quest!” “Quest?” Sunset asked. “Yes, a quest! Trixie must make a perilous journey, fraught with dangers and horrors beyond comprehension to deliver a package of great importance!” She swooned. “Alas, the journey must be completed before sunset tomorrow, and those who would usually accompany her cannot, for they must defend the town from those vile Witch Hunters.” She smirked at the girls. “That is where you come in. Help Trixie in this quest, out of the kindness of your own hearts, and she shall see to it with all her power that Apples can stay and live in safety and comfort!” She paused for a moment and then added, “Providing the rest of the town is fine with it, of course.” Twilight and the girls looked to each other. None of them needed Sunset’s mind reading powers to know what the others were thinking—The troubled frowns said enough. Trixie was right, if she needed their help on such an important task, then they would do their best. Even if they didn’t have any real choice in the matter. Twilight would have thrown her head into her hooves if she still had them. No matter the world, Trixie was always the same.