//------------------------------// // 033 - A Third Party // Story: Songs of the Spheres // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash of Equis Vitis flew in formation with the rest of the Wonderbolts. She kept herself to the left of the lead, Spitfire, her blue face determined. The five pegasi rushed the form of a dark female centaur. With her purple magic, the centaur knocked the pegasi to the ground. She tried to absorb their power, but Spitfire was too quick – she leaped up, delivering an uppercut to the purple opponent’s jaw. Rainbow Dash followed this up with a burst of rainbow color to the side of the centaur’s head, forcing her to the ground. The centaur tried to stand up, but Spitfire put a hoof on her head between the horns. “Your reign of terror in this universe is over, Twirek. You’re going to Tartarus for this, as soon as we figure out which version has an opening.” Twirek tensed, trying to think of a way out - but she eventually sagged, admitting defeat. The crowd started cheering. The Wonderbolts turned to the people in the stands and bowed. ‘Twirek’ revealed herself to be a reformed changeling, bowing along with them. “And that’s how we defeated Twirek!” Spitfire called out. “One of the harder missions the Princess sent us on, but also one of the most rewarding.” “It was, to put it bluntly, awesome,” Rainbow Dash emphasized. Spitfire nodded. “Show’s over folks! Hope you enjoyed!” The five pegasi spread their wings and flew into the air, quickly returning to the hotel they were staying in. The changeling didn’t go with them – he stayed around on the ground to talk to the crowd. “Great show everypony,” Spitfire said. “I almost believed we were back in the middle of it myself!” “I didn’t feel anywhere near as stressed out, though,” Soarin said, “it felt kinda cool actually!” “That’s just because we cut out the part where you cowered behind a rock,” Fleetfoot muttered. “Hey, don’t go giving Soarin a hard time,” Rainbow Dash said. “He came through for us in the end.” “Fine.” As they walked through the hotel lobby, they were flagged down by three Pinkie Pies. “Heeeeey Wonderbolts!” Spitfire sighed. “Look, Pinkies, we don’t need any of your antics right now.” “Just hear us out!” the frontmost Pinkie said, adjusting her glasses and pulling a clipboard out of nowhere. “I have a business proposition for you!” “Seriously?” “The three of us work for the Pinkie Emporium – the best amusement park in the entire multiverse! Run by Pinkies, for everyone! We’re located in the Ponyville and were wondering if we could book an appearance? It’d be good for everypony involved! Think of it, the best fliers from the Vitis world, combined with the attractions built by dozens of perfect party ponies plotting together! Doesn’t that sound amazing!?” Spitfire rolled her eyes. “While it does, you still have to go through the regular scheduling procedure just like everypony else.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, we’re pretty popular.” “Oh, we’ll be willing to wait, we just wanted to make sure you understood who was asking.” One of the other Pinkie’s produced a pie. “There will be an entire stand devoted to pie.” Soarin’s mouth watered. He was given the pie without another word. “...Sweet,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ll be there eventually, unless for some reason your park explodes.” The third Pinkie blinked. “Did she jinx it?” “I dunno, I’m not the aware one!” the second said. “Girls,” the first said. “We’re fine, the Pinkie Emporium’s destiny has not changed.” “What if the rules subversion-“ the third began. “Ash-sh-sh-sh! Inkie! Blinkie! Trust me, I’ve got the knowledge up here in my noodle brain.” “But Clyde…” “No buts.” Clyde turned back to the Wonderbolts. “Thank you for your time. Looking forward to seeing you there!” She pulled a strange green pipe out of her hair and threw it into the floor. The three Pinkies vanished, and then the pipe sank into nothing. Fleetfoot shook her head. “Rainbow Dash, why do your friends have to be the ones that show up the most often? Why don’t we ever get to meet, I dunno, another Fleetfoot?” “We did,” Spitfire said. “She ate memories.” “…Oh. But that was only once-“ “Twice.” “-and we’ve met around a dozen Rainbow Dashes and see troops of her friends moving all around!” “Elements of Harmony, probably,” Rainbow Dash said. “We just get around more. Sorry Fleetfoot.” “Hmph.” The five of them walked to their rooms. Spitfire turned around before anypony could actually get to their rooms. “Soarin, Dash, in my room for a minute. Have to talk to you about something.” Spitfire trotted into her room, gesturing for Soarin to close the door behind him. She narrowed her eyes. “So, I’m just going to come right out with it. I’m getting a little old for this Wonderbolt thing. I’ve received an offer to work as a higher officer for the Hub Forces – mostly a desk job, but definitely worth my time. So I’m retiring as your commander.” Rainbow Dash gasped. “But… But Spitfire! You’ve been the commander as long as I can remember!” “That gives you some idea how long I’ve been at this, doesn’t it?” “…Yeah.” “Plus, I’ll personally find actual army work more satisfying compared to what we do lately. Even if I think that the Wonderbolts will become a force to be reckoned with in the coming years, that’ll be too late for me. I’m passing the baton to somepony who’ll be better suited for it.” Soarin nodded. “I see.” “Soarin, I have to ask you first, seeing as you’ve been my second for most of my time here. But I think you and I both know that you’re not that much younger than I am.” Soarin smiled. “Psh, I don’t need to lead anyway.” “Good, this makes this move a lot less questionable. Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow Dash was staring blankly at Spitfire because she had reasoned out what the Wonderbolt was going to suggest. “How would you like to lead the Wonderbolts into this new age?” Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. “Are you kidding? I would gladly take the job if you aren’t going to do it, ma’am.” OhmygoshohmygoshOHMYGOSH. “Knew I could count on you, Dash. You take these ponies and you treat them well, got it? They won’t be stunt ponies at all in a few years, there’s too much out there that needs great fliers. You need to be the one to get them ready for that.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “I will make sure they’re ready for the end of the world if I have to!” “Good to hear that. Now, Clipper, Crash? I need some sleep. Everypony to bed.” “Righty-O. …Shitfire,” Rainbow Dash saluted. “You aren’t in charge yet, Crash, don’t push your luck,” Spitfire cautioned. “Eheheh… Right.” Rainbow Dash quickly backed out of the room. When the door was closed, she grabbed Soarin. “I never, in my wildest dreams, thought this day would come Soarin! I… I… I’ve won life itself.” Soarin chuckled. “Just make sure I don’t get left in the dust, okay?” “You kidding? You’ll be my second as well. I’m going to need somepony to help me through the early years. I hope you’ll take that job.” “Definitely.” “Thought so. No-“ Rainbow Dash’s sentence was interrupted when her cutie mark started glowing. “Huh. That hasn’t happened in a while.” “Looks like a higher duty calls,” Soarin said. “Try to be back for the show next week.” “You can bet on it!” She spread her wings and flew out of the hotel’s front doors. ~~~ Applejack was suddenly struck by how much Ponyville had changed. She was just doing what she did every week – walking back from the market – but for some reason today it hit her. While the old buildings were still there for the most part, surrounding them were high rising structures composed of pearly white substances and magical circuitry, giving the town an appearance of Canterlot almost. The main difference was that it was more advanced, more varied. Applejack knew Ponyville could hardly be called a village anymore – it was a crescent-shaped city that creeped around the edge of the Everfree Forest. She even got lost sometimes, despite her good sense of direction. Hardly a day passed where she didn’t see some version of herself in town, not counting the ‘Galajack’ that currently worked at Sweet Apple Acres since her universe’s one had burnt down. However, even with all this obvious change, it still didn’t hit her until today. The attitude of Ponyville had changed. It wasn’t the friendliness – everypony was still friendly, happy, and welcoming. Ponyville was, and probably always would be, famous for this aspect. No… It was that they were more adventurous. Before, ponies were rather set in their ways – they liked their lives, and they didn’t care to look beyond. Now? Now everypony was eager to try new things, to look at things from another perspective. She saw several ponies looking at data pads and others reading news from newspapers reporting events from many different universes. She saw large screens with ponies debating how to deal with many multiversal events, making Applejack more informed on the state of the larger cosmos than she would have ever been on her own. Books on the customs of other universes were extremely popular as well. Ponyville had dropped the mentality of a town that didn’t care where it ended up to a place that sought out new and interesting ways of thinking. It was a bit much for Applejack to take in, but she managed. She glanced at Reverend Glimmer’s church – perhaps one of the better examples of the mentality change. The religious places were doing surprisingly well, filled with ponies curious about the meaning of everything. Applejack herself had little patience for it, since she mostly cared about what was in the tangible here and now, but even she had to admit the existence of such places was feeding into what ponies wanted right now. She wondered if it would stay that way. Ponies might settle down in their ideas eventually and stop flocking just to see what was going on. Further thought was interrupted when she recognized a pony entering the church for a service. “Flutterfree!?” Flutterfree flared her wings. “Appleja- Oh no! I’m not Flutterfree! I’m… Pearcilla. Sorry.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Flutterfree, Ah know it’s you. What’re you doing here?” Flutterfree bit her lip. “Okay, so I may be attending Rev’s services in secret, okay? Don’t tell the girls. Especially don’t tell Nova. She hates Rev.” “…Why?” “Did you know that Nova used to be a Star servant? Very devout. She moved past that, and I think she views Rev as a version of herself she never wants to see again.” Applejack frowned. “Ah won’t tell, but you know Ah’m horrid at lyin’, and Ah still think you should tell them you’re doin’ somethin’ like… this. Why are you don’ it anyway?” “Oh! I just… I like what Rev says, what she teaches. I… Well, I actually don’t know that much yet, but I know we’ve all felt like we’ve done things wrong that we can never, ever make up. She talks about forgiveness and grace, and why we shouldn’t need to feel too ashamed or trapped by what we’ve done. There’s also a push for everypony to be kind, even to people who are mean…” “Don’t we already do that sort of thing normally?” “I… Guess so? I don’t know, really. Maybe it’s because it lines up so much with what I already believe that I like it.” “Do you believe Rev?” Flutterfree frowned. “I’m not sure yet. But I wouldn’t be believing her, I’d be believing her Word. She tries to make it as obvious as she can that she’s not supposed to be the master of us, just a friend to guide.” “Glad to hear that somepony got the memo,” Rev said, walking past toward her church. “You’d be surprised how many ponies want to worship me as some kind of angel.” She turned to Applejack. “Applejack! Will you be joining us today?” “Er, no.” “My doors are always open. Even if they seem closed, just knock and the door will be opened.” Flutterfree smirked slightly, but said nothing. “Look, Ah don’t really have time for this sort of thing, Rev. Ah’m a bit busy with the farm,” Applejack said. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull pony.” Applejack raised her eyebrow. “Is that another thing from that book of yours?” “Eh… No. It’s just a saying. If you want something from that book... what about ‘It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.’ Admittedly, it doesn’t apply exactly, but you can see the point that it’s important not to overwork yourself.” “Ah wouldn’t exactly consider sittin’ in on one of your ‘sermons’ restin’.” “Definitely not,” Rev admitted. “But the invitation is still there.” Applejack nodded. “Mhm. Ah want you to know, if Ah get any sense that you’re brainwashing Flutterfree here, Ah’m going to take action.” “As you should, if such a thing were taking place.” Applejack nodded. “Ah’m watchin’ you.” “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, excuse me, I do have a sermon to teach. Coming, Flutterfree?” “What’s it on this time?” “What exactly is meant by holy, and how it’s different from ‘divine’ magics we see around the multiverse.” The two trotted into the church. Applejack stood still for a few minutes, contemplating what this would mean. Flutterfree was probably right, Nova wouldn’t be happy about Flutterfree’s curiosity. Applejack had a feeling she was going to end up between a rock and a hard place eventually… Already she was going to have a hard enough time not spilling the beans when she went out with Rainbow and Scootaloo for drinks next Friday. As she trotted back to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack found herself thinking about Scootaloo. With Sweetie Belle out exploring the multiverse with her League and Applebloom consistently busy on the farm, the orange pegasus was the only one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders truly devoted to her job of helping ponies find their destiny. For whatever reason this had translated to her hanging out with Rainbow Dash and Applejack more often, though Applejack couldn’t pin down why this had happened, or why Applebloom was never invited… Applejack was startled out of her thoughts by Galajack, a mirror version of herself aside from the yellow coat. “AJ, got all the apples in the northwestmost field sorted by color and indexed by quality. This should increase profits by a 0.3 percent margin if we can get them out on the stands by the end of tomorrow.” “That’s… great, Gala. Ah’m not exactly prepared for math right now.” “Oh, Ah already showed it to Applebloom, we just need your approval to move the schedule ahead since Granny’s taking a legendary nap right now.” “Right, right… If Applebloom says it’s fine Ah trust her. Go ahead and do your thing, so long as it doesn’t interfere with the work Ah’ve got to do today.” “Trust me, it won’t.” “Good. With Granny sleepin’ more and more each day and Big Mac otherwise occupied, we can’t afford to mess up the farm’s organization right now.” “Ah won’t let you down!” Galajack ran off, a smile on her face. Applejack rolled her eyes – at times Galajack seemed like a twin sister, and others an alien. It was a weird sensation. Applejack trotted into the house to find Big Mac and Applebloom. Big Mac she expected to be in here, but Applebloom was supposed to be working. “A-hem!” Applebloom whirled around, her bow flapping in the air. “Ah’m sorry Applejack, Ah just wanted to look at him again! For a bit?” Big Mac smirked with pride. “Eeyep.” Applejack rolled her eyes, walking up to the crib the two were leaning over. Inside was a newborn foal with the red coat and green eyes of Big Mac. “Ah know little Junior here is a welcome addition to the family, and Ah know you’re beyond excited to be an aunt, Applebloom, but we do have work to do. Harvest season is upon us.” Big Mac nudged her. “Applejack, let Applebloom have a moment. She’s been workin’ hard today.” Applejack let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah… Your kid’s pretty cute. But we can’t let him steal away all our workers with adorable charm.” Big Mac rolled his eyes. “When you have a kid, you’ll understand.” “You’ve only had him for a week!” “And you’ll understand the moment you have one.” “Have you talked to your wife about this? Ah’m pretty sure mares and stallions have different instincts about this sort of thing. Ah notice she ain’t here, doting over the little thing.” “She’s restin’. And Ah know she feels the same way Ah do.” “You probably won’t have to wait long, Applejack,” Applebloom said. “Pretty sure Barley’s thinkin’ of proposin’.” “He’s been thinkin’ of proposing for well over two months,” Applejack said with a soft smile. “Ah kinda wish he’d just get on with it, but no, he’s waitin’ for the ‘right moment’. Psh. But, come to think of it, at least he’s out workin’ instead of gawkin’ over the baby.” “Pretty sure you’ve been around Lil’ Fuji long enough to qualify as ‘gawkin’’,” Applebloom commented. Applejack stopped short. “Good point. Applebloom, with me, we’re taking on the pigs. Unless Gala had somethin’ for you.” “Nah, she’s got it. Lemme grab the pig potions…” “What’s the brew this time?” “Sweet apple surprise. It’ll make them fall asleep while thinking they’re in a party.” “Why can’t you just make a ‘pigs do what Applejack says’ potion?” “Cause that’s borin’, duh.” Applejack rolled her eyes, ready to set out – but her cutie mark started glowin’. “Well, this is certainly a bad time, but Ah can’t exactly refuse the call.” “Ah can take care of the pigs,” Applebloom said. “And if all else fails Ah can force Big Mac to work with a brew.” Big Mac poked his head around the corner. “You can’t actually do that, can you?” Applebloom smirked evilly. “You do not know the true extent of my power.” “Eeyep.” “Ah think Ah’ll just let you worry about if I can or can’t. Hopefully you never have to find out at all!” “…Great.” ~~~ The map displayed Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s cutie marks on the northern hemisphere of a planet. “So, sugarcube, which planet is that?” Applejack asked Twilight. Twilight stared at the map, unable to see Applejack’s comment due to her rapt attention. Rainbow Dash tapped her on the shoulder. “Equis to Twilight.” “Huh? Oh. Uh, did you ask something?” “Ah asked where that was,” Applejack reiterated. “Right. That’s why I was staring – that’s… Well, that’s the remaining Binary world, specifically Port S-1. A world with a… lot of problems.” “The one Majora tried to destroy but only corrupted?” Applejack asked. “Yep. It’s not a nice place.” “So…” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re saying it’ll be dangerous.” “Definitely. Even the ports are in danger of attack by the deadly monsters. I’m sure you two can handle yourselves, but…” she bit her lip. Then she shook her head. “Sorry, we need to keep moving. The Feldspar’s here right now, it can get you there in a couple minutes. I’ve also got an operative there who can meet with you, an expert on the evils of that world. I wish you two luck, solving whatever friendship problem this place has.” “Ya sure we need your operative?” Applejack asked. “Applejack, I don’t mean any offense, but you almost never leave Equis Vitis. This is a world more alien than most. I think you do need a guide. They’re already there so it shouldn’t be a problem.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “They better not slow us down!” “They won’t.” Twilight cast a spell, sending a message to Princess Luna. “You two should be teleported shortly.” ‘Shortly’ turned out to mean ‘in less than a second’, since they were suddenly in Luna’s private room on the Feldspar. The room was currently dimmed to evening lighting, and the Princess of the Night herself was madly pressing buttons on a controller, blowing up ponies and people in a video game clearly based on the Red and Blu war of Esefem. “The Feldspar should be transiting to the Binary would in a few minutes,” Luna said, not glancing at them. “I would offer you a controller, but we wouldn’t even have time for one round before we arrived.” “You playing against someone important?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I’m connected to the E-sports server in Canterlot. This is only the initial round, so there’s nothing to really worry about. Hopefully the FTL connection maintains…” Rainbow Dash sat down, analyzing the events happening on the screen. “Wow, you’re good at this Luna. How do you find enough time to practice?” “Despite my role as commander of this ship, I actually have less to do than you think. Deep space explorations are a lot of waiting in most universes, and I fill my free time with these games.” “Huh. Yeah, can’t do that in the Wonderbolts. If I could though, I’d totally kick your flank.” “Big words for such a little pegasus.” Applejack rolled her eyes. She never really understood the whole ‘video game’ craze that had popped up in the last few years. It all seemed horribly violent to her. She suspected the images she was seeing onscreen were desensitizing her to the pain and suffering the real people in Esefem were experiencing. The round was completed quickly. Luna threw her controller in the air and cheered. “Victory!” “Great going, Luna!” Rainbow Dash whooped alongside her. Luna checked her phone to look at the listings. “Oooh, looks like I’m up against Trixie and Discord’s little group next. The amateurs are going down.” Something beeped. “Oh, we’re here,” Luna said. “You’ll be teleported to the surface. It was nice seeing you two out here. You should try it more often.” “Don’t plan on it,” Applejack said. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Depends on where the Wonderbolts go.” Luna waved to them, and then they were elsewhere – specifically, Port S-1, which was a town situated under a large, floating, metallic disc. The town itself was composed of largely Binary constructions, meaning they were egg-shaped things riddled with one-way windows that made the exteriors of the structures appear uninterrupted. The town was surrounded by a large red forcefield, through which the corrupted wastes of the world could be seen. The land beyond was completely purple and largely dead. Aside from the occasional mutated plant, the earth was bare. The only green to be seen was within the walls of the force field, carefully tended by earth ponies for food production. Binaries, ponies, humans, and no small number of demons walked around the streets of the town, almost all of which looked like they were barely holding onto life. Most of them had scars of some kind, especially the Binaries. A missing arm or leg was not an uncommon sight. Applejack and Rainbow Dash materialized underneath a large floating disc, the technological center of the town, and the source of all its power and connection to the outside worlds. “Y’know, usually we have to look for a friendship problem…” Applejack said. “Ah think here we’re gonna have a hard time figurin’ out which one we need to solve.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “Yeah… Do we talk to those Binaries? Those ponies? Those demons?” “Why not me?” Siron said, approaching them. “Oh, hey Siron,” Rainbow Dash said. “Been a while, huh?” “Indeed it has. A message told me you are here on Tree business.” “Eeyep. Got any particular problem in mind?” Applejack asked. Siron folded two of his hands together and twirled his staff around with a third. “From what I can see, this entire town is on the brink. Tensions are high and most of the people here don’t know how to deal with each other like warriors. But, apparently, I am to let Twilight’s little friend explain ‘better’ what’s going on here. A real demon.” “…Whaddoyamean, real?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Clearly, you have not been around Sweetie Belle enough,” Thrackerzod said, stepping out from behind Siron. “I am Thrackerzod, from a plane beyond your mortal comprehension. I am the ‘little expert’ on all things eldritch.” “…Huh,” Applejack said. “Ah was expectin’ somethin’ else, but now that Ah’ve seen you, Ah have no idea what I was expecting.” “A common sentiment. I find myself on a similar train of thought. Why would the nigh-omnipotent Tree deem you necessary for this place? You two rarely leave Equis Vitis! This is about as far of a frontier as you can get besides the Static. You’re ponies out of your element, and this place will remove your faces for it.” “…You’re not joking, are you?” Rainbow Dash asked. “No, I am not. There are creatures out there that prowl the wastelands that exclusively eat faces.” Applejack sat down. “Maybe you should explain how all this works to us.” Thrackerzod glanced through the red forcefield at the edge of town, eyes narrow. “We have an entire planet here corrupted with unhinged eldritch energy. Eldritch energy is different from the arcane and spiritual powers you know in a very fundamental way. Eldritch energy, when ‘used’, has a mind of its own. Almost always, the power of my kind is channeled through a higher will of some kind. My power comes from Azathoth. Majora’s power was her own. She was the conduit that bestowed power to servants. But when she was sealed away and destroyed, all the energy she had unleashed had no direction, no goal. It became wild. Eldritch energy does not exist properly in an unanchored state such as this. It should be fading away rapidly, leaving behind only strange mutants and leftover darkness shunted into arcane and spiritual powers. That’s how Ardent works, why there are so many dark creatures because of Majora but outside her control.” “That’s not how it works here, is it?” “Not in the slightest. For an as-of-yet undetermined reason, the wild energies here are sticking around. Somehow, without the will of Majora, they just continue to twist and torment the landscape into increasingly more accurate reflections of hell. The prowling beasts get worse, the geography becomes more extreme, and chaos reigns. I’m positive there has to be some line sewing all the wild energy together, but I am unable to pinpoint it at this time. There needs to be a higher deity of some kind controlling it, and I have yet to detect or find one.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Think the solution is part of a friendship problem?” Thrackerzod rolled her eyes. “Doubtful, unless the entity tying the energy together lives among us and needs to be convinced to stop. You have likely been sent here by that overly empathic Tree to deal with the tensions between the people, a thing that I have apparently been assigned to assist you with. I wish to make it known that we will play hopscotch at some point during the investigation.” “…Hopscotch?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes. It is an enjoyable and carefree activity that no pony in this starved village is willing to engage in. I want to jump over the numbers.” Applejack smirked. “So you are a filly. I was wonderin’.” Thrackerzod narrowed her eyes. “Adults can enjoy frivolous activities as much as they wish.” “I have a question,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “You said you were a real demon. Are you, like, evil then?” “Rainbow Dash!” Applejack chided. “What! I’m curious!” Thrackerzod rolled her eyes. “I am neither truly Divine or Demonic. Most beings of my kind fall on the neutral spectrum, sometimes referred to as Deviant, though I myself will never use that term. So, in that regard, I suppose I am not a true demon, but I am certainly more of a demon than these red-carapace pansies.” Siron pointed the staff at Thrackerzod out of habit. “Do you want another duel where you get beaten into the ground by forces you don’t understand?” Thrackerzod asked. “No? Thought not.” She turned back to the two Elements of Harmony. “Hope you never run into a true Demonic presence.” “Why not?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We’re getting off track. We need to find this ‘friendship problem’, solve it, and get you two home so I can continue my work on this planet.” Applejack nodded. “Ah do have a question about the people here. Why don’t they just leave?” Thrackerzod facehooved. “They’re all idiots. The demons think this place can be their salvation and proof of power, the humans and ponies are generally relief, and the Binaries who stay have some sort of bizarre mental block that makes them refuse to leave their ‘district’. The fuzzy creatures are unable to comprehend that their government has completely fallen.” Applejack nodded, looking up to examine the town once more. She saw ponies growing food, humans working on crafts, and Binaries lining up everywhere for all the support they were being offered. The demons stood at attention near the forcefield, guarding. They were watching a giant creature composed of tentacles, leaves, floating teeth, and magical crystal shards prowl around in the distance. They were preparing to face it should it near the forcefield “Let’s go talk to some folks,” Applejack said. ~~~ Mlinx glanced nervously over his shoulder. Yep. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were here. Oh, why did they have to come now? Why did they have to come at all? Thrackerzod was bad enough, but she was horrible at picking up on context clues. But those two… Those two were going to poke their noses around. And what they found probably wasn’t going to look good. It doesn’t look good to me either, Mlinx thought. Maybe I should just go up and tell them? They’re not Renee… They aren’t even a part of her team. Maybe that’s why they were sent here… Without really thinking it through, he found himself walking up to the two ponies, barely noticing they had Thrackerzod with them. At the moment, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were mediating between a demon named Narraz and a human woman Mlinx didn’t recognize. The dispute was apparently over how to distribute the crops, but by the time Mlinx got close enough to be part of the conversation it was resolved. “Glad to be of service,” Applejack said, checking her cutie mark. It didn’t glow. “Well, that wasn’t it.” “Your expectation that it should be something simple and easy is curious,” Thrackerzod noted. “Is it normal for the mission to be an in-and-out thing?” “Never,” Rainbow Dash said. “Fastest was a couple hours, and even that was an ordeal.” “Ah wasn’t on that one,” Applejack said. “Me, Pinkie, and Nova. There was some freaky monster that played games and would only stop if a team won. We didn’t win, but we discovered he was cheating, and eventually convinced him maybe he should only play games with willing participants.” “Ah. Y’all did that in a couple of hours?” “It was a very high-stakes fast-paced game.” “Ah.” “Hello!” Mlinx said, far louder than he should have. “Uh… Hey, Mlinx! Siron brought you over?” “Yep! He certainly did! Righty-O!” Mlinx made a gesture with his hands that was supposed to be reassuring but just ended up being confusing. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Right. So, Mlinx, by chance are you aware of any friendship problems ‘round here?” Just tell them just tell them just tell them. “Nothing really comes to mind right away…” Darnit Mlinx! Get over yourself and just say something. “I mean, there’s a lot of stress from constant monster attacks, the entire planet wants to kill us, and everyone’s really angry at everything.” Mlinx, you get out of your horrendous cowardice right now and spill the beans. “Beans.” AGH. “…Beans?” Rainbow Dash said, cocking her head to the side. “You know! Beans! Like, uh…” he scratched the back of his head. “I dunno. I guess Lieshy rubbed off on me a little while she was here.” Applejack blinked. “Really,” she deadpanned. “I don’t know!” “Ya sure you can’t think of anything specific?” “Er…” Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. “Well, I guess Mistress Luna has been acting a bit withdrawn as of late.” That isn’t it! “I know she’s here but I haven’t seen her interact with anyone in a while.” Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack and shrugged. “Worth a shot.” “Thanks, Mlinx,” Applejack said. “If you think of anything else though, we’re here to help.” “…Where is the Mistress, anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked, “She generally spends her time on the disc,” Thrackerzod said, pointing above them. “She is a mysterious star looking down on us all from on high, judging the disgust with her piercing light. She also won’t play hopscotch.” “You chose the wrong town to want to play hopscotch in,” Applejack said. “No fillies at all. Only young’uns I see are the Binaries, and they’re… Secluded.” “This is no excuse for a refusal to partake in the activity! Or any activity for that matter! They won’t even try board games. Considering how much they like boredom this surprises me.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “I can’t tell if you’re completely serious or trying to make a joke.” Thrackerzod didn’t dignify this with an answer. She just teleported them all away, leaving Mlinx alone again. Mlinx gulped. He had just sent them on a wild goose chase. Great. That was a horrible move. What was he going to do now? He should have told them… Or maybe he shouldn’t have. He wasn’t sure anything was wrong there, and the thought that something was… well… it seemed so surreal. It didn’t make logical sense to his mind. Siron was a bold, wise, capable, and understanding leader. He couldn’t have been plotting anything. He was a good demon, perhaps the best out of everyone Mlinx knew. He was a leader. He couldn’t be… Yeah, he really couldn’t be. Mlinx realized he must have just misheard something… Probably. But how could he be sure? He needed to gather more information before he told anyone… He needed to be sure. Because if he was wrong, that made him a traitor, the worst thing. He would not fall into the trap Renee did. He would not condemn someone without proof. Wouldn’t even consider it – he couldn’t believe he almost did that. Mlinx was going to investigate Siron. ~~~ Mistress Luna looked out from her perch at the lands beyond the forcefield. “Mlinx isn’t wrong,” she said, speaking to the ponies behind her without shifting her gaze. “I have been going out less and less. I suppose it’s because Siron and I are always so busy working through how to keep this place afloat.” “Ah was wonderin’ about that,” Applejack asked. “Why are y’all here? What ever happened to Republic City?” “Our culture was being stamped out by proximity to such a powerful nation’s growth,” she explained. “Some of the demons prefer that life, but Siron – and myself – can’t stand to lose our identity. I came to them as an uncertain alicorn with repentance, and now… I have learned how to be a warrior. I understand their way of life, and I see it vanishing. So Siron moved here, a place where warriors thrive. Where warriors are needed. We are appreciated here for what we are.” “Huh. Ah suppose that makes some sense,” Applejack said. “Though all this danger might be a bit much, don’t you think?” “Perhaps,” Luna said, “but Siron made the call, and Siron’s the one best suited to make the call. Is it better to let our culture vanish or put ourselves into danger? He decided the latter, and I stand by him.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “You should still get out more, talk to these people you’re protecting and turning into ‘warriors’.” Luna smiled. “You are right, of course. I will go out among the people right now, because it seems to be an opportune moment. Perhaps I will even find Mlinx, to put him at ease.” “That’d be great,” Applejack said. “Thanks for your time, Mistress.” Luna nodded, then vanished with a teleport, leaving three ponies alone on the top of the disc. “Well, now what?” Rainbow Dash asked. “That wasn’t it either!” “Ah think we need to go talk to Mlinx again,” Applejack said. “There was something else on his mind.” Thrackerzod blinked. “Really?” “You don’t act like he acted unless you are tryin’ to say somethin’ but can’t bring yourself to say it. He’s got something else going on. Though at this rate, it won’t be the friendship problem either.” Rainbow Dash facehooved. “Ugh, why is it never obvious?” “Rainbow, it’ll be obvious when we see it, as always. Thrackerzod, take us back to the surface.” Thrackerzod teleported them to the ground, in the middle of the market. Currently, it was food distribution time. A handful of ponies and humans were operating a counter filled with baked goods and handing the foodstuffs to a long line of Binaries. Applejack noticed something odd. There were no Binaries working behind the counter at all. It was all other races – the native hairy people were all in the line. “Why’re there no binaries workin’?” Applejack asked. Thrackerzod blinked. “I have no idea.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Aren’t the Binaries the ones that need the aid? They’re in trouble, the other people are here to keep them alive with food and other things.” “Don’t you think it a mite odd that none of them are workin’ there?” She glanced around – at the farms, at the construction sites, at the distribution centers for material goods – not a single Binary actually working – just in the lines. Always in the lines. “This is a little weird…” Rainbow Dash commented. Applejack trotted up to a random Binary. “’Scuse me, sir?” “I’m a woman,” she half-heartedly called to her. “Right, my apologies. Ah was just wonderin’ if you could explain why none of you Binaries are helpin’ with the distribution or construction?” “...Because the ponies do it.” “Right. But don’t you do anything?” “Why? We can’t survive here. We have to rely completely on them for everything.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “If you know that, why don’t you leave?” “I don’t want to move districts. …I don’t want to know anything more than I already do.” “Listen, lady, your entire government has collapsed in the most spectacular way. There’s no more secrets based on location!” “Right,” she said with a tone that suggested she really didn’t believe Rainbow Dash’s words, but she felt like she was supposed to. Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack. “Help me here.” Applejack shook her head. “Ah barely understand how their kind think, Rainbow. Ah don’t think we’re here to change that.” “Then what are we here to do? This is clearly the problem. They’re just… Moving through life like ghosts! They don’t do anything!” “Wait, this is the friendship problem?” Thrackerzod blurted. “How does the inherent laziness of a race of hairy apes relate to friendship?” Applejack sighed. “The problems don’t always relate directly to friendship. Sometimes it’s more about relationships or attitudes in general. Personal problems that hinder connection and harmony.” “You need a new name then. May I suggest social problems?” “Ah dunno, doesn’t have the same ring to it.” Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow. “But how do we fix that? They do need the aid they’re getting.” She gestured a hoof toward the horizon, where a different giant monster could be seen approaching the forcefield. The demons and unicorns were ready to drive it back, but it was likely going to be very loud when it did hit. “Do they? They need protection, for sure,” Applejack said. “But do they need all this food given to them? All these houses just maintained? They need to understand what hard work means, Rainbow Dash. Ah’m pretty sure this aid is actually hurtin’ them.” “I still think they need it,” Rainbow Dash said, crossing her front legs. “And being a little lazy isn’t really a bad thing, Applejack.” Applejack furrowed her brow. “Maybe we need to look around more to really understand the situation… Let’s talk to a pony.” She trotted over to a pony stepping out of the food distribution area, breathing heavily. The mare was a version of Coco Pommel, an earth pony with a blue mane and cream coat. She wore a strange crown of crimson metal. “Hey there,” Applejack said. “Oh. Hello!” The mare said, sitting down and stretching. “I’m on break, don’t ask me to do anything.” “No problem,” Applejack said. “We’re Equis Vitis’ Applejack and Rainbow Dash, here to solve a friendship problem. Mind if we ask you a few questions, Miss…?” “I go by Criso,” Criso said. “On account of my crimson crown of the house of Pommel, where I’m from. And you can ask your questions, I don’t mind.” “What sort of thing do you do here?” Criso put a hoof to her chin. “Well… Everything! Our job here is to help the Binaries in every way we can think of. Food, clothing, bedsheets, buildings, the sky’s the limit. Anything they ask us for, we provide.” “Anything?” “Well, yeah. They need it.” Rainbow Dash leaned in. “What’s the strangest thing they’ve asked you to do?” “Hair recycling center.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “While that is strange, not exactly what I meant. I mean things they should be able to do on their own. Do they ask you for anything that, frankly, they should be doing?” Criso furrowed her brow, thinking deeply. “See Applejack? She’s having a hard time thinking of anything. I betcha the Binaries do all sorts of behind the scenes stuff.” “No…” Criso said. “I’m just trying to think of which one to tell you about. I had one Binary mother ask me to discipline her child for her. I had another ask for house cleaning. Then there’s those Binaries who ask for comfy chairs so they can sit all day without getting sore.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “Right, Applejack, I believe you, there might be a problem here.” “This seems absurd,” Thrackerzod said. “Why do you not just make the Binaries do some work, or refuse the demands for extremely comfy chairs at the very least?” “We’re just being nice. It’s not that hard to make a comfy chair, or to clean a house. The kid was a bit hard, but thankfully they don’t ask for that often.” “Have you ever seen a Binary doing work?” Applejack asked. “At all?” “At the start? Sure. But they just slowly… stopped. And we kept doing what we were doing without much of a problem. The demons defend while we work with the humans to keep this place alive on the inside. Oh, there is Lexa though. He works quite a bit. Very grouchy about it though.” “Can you tell us where Lexa is?” “Sure. He should be across the street, actually. I can see him. Hey Lexa!” “Get out of my hair!” Lexa shouted back with his gruff voice. “Hey! Lexa!” Rainbow Dash called. “Got some questions for you!” Lexa, like almost all Binaries, was covered in hair. He did wear a small blue hat atop his head, but otherwise looked just like all the others. Applejack wondered how the ponies who lived here could tell them apart. Lexa folded his arms. “You those ‘friendship problem’ ponies?” “The one and only!” Rainbow Dash called. “I’ve been lookin’ for you. You need to tell that Princess of yours to pull the aid.” “…What?” Rainbow Dash blurted. “You heard me. You need to pull the aid, completely. We only need those demons. We can do the rest by ourselves.” “That’s a pretty strong sentiment, Lexa,” Applejack said. “And while Ah agree that it’s doin’ you more harm than good, taking it out completely seems like a mite extreme of a measure.” “Come. Let me show you something,” Lexa said, waving to them. Applejack shrugged and followed, Rainbow Dash and Thrackerzod behind him. They soon entered a large egg building, one that was completely hollow on the inside and filled with hundreds of comfy chairs. Almost every single chair had a Binary in it, doing absolutely nothing. Only a few of them were talking or reading – most were just staring into space as if their minds were broken. Which, quite possibly, they were. “What in the…” Lexa huffed. “The only Binaries that stick around are either ones like me, who want to screw Majora over, or Binaries who can’t let go of the system. Those who can’t let go of the system are unable to process anything. This is what happens to those Binaries. They sit and stare. If they were you, they’d be thinking existential and philosophical thoughts, but that way of thinking almost doesn’t exist here, at least not in the district these Binaries were originally from. They can’t think like that. They can’t even realize that by doing nothing they’re wasting away. They forget to eat, forget to stand up, forget to go do anything. The ponies think this place is a mental institution, so they dote over everyone here. But more and more Binaries move in every day, Binaries that refuse to leave the village, but also just can’t comprehend their new lives. Taking advantage of the kindness of ponies without realizing it, and corrupting the entire system.” Rainbow Dash stared, jaw hanging open. “How did it take us so long to find this?” “Maybe because nobody is taking it seriously!? Well I’m glad I finally got your attention! You call your Charter-Princess and get her to fix this mess! Right now!” Applejack turned to Thrackerzod. “You have a communicator?” “Of course.” “Good. We need to make a call.” ~~~ Mlinx really wasn’t supposed to be where he was, snooping near Siron’s quarters inside the disc. He could probably talk his way out of why he was in the hallway if anyone but Siron asked him. If Siron asked Mlinx a question directly, well, it was game over. Mlinx would admit to having doubts of Siron’s loyalty to his people and then Mlinx’s head would roll. This was beyond dangerous and against everything he believed, but he had to do something to either prove his suspicions or ease them, or else there might be a different sort of disaster. Something worse for everyone involved… That didn’t matter now, though. Now, Mlinx was completely caught up in his investigations. He approached the door to Siron’s quarters, hearing no demons, no ponies, nobody in the hallway. He approached the door – but then heard the voice of Siron inside. Of course Siron would be in his quarters, stupid Mlinx. Wait… Why would he be talking? Unless there’s someone else in there… There was indeed another voice in the room, and it took Mlinx a while to recognize it. Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo. Mlinx wasn’t all that surprised – he knew that Ganondorf and Siron had a sort of alliance, and there were a few Gerudo walking around the city. …Though he hadn’t seen those Gerudo at all since Applejack and Rainbow Dash showed up. Weird. “And the ponies, they aren’t here because of us?” Ganondorf asked. “They may have been suspicious at first, but I have word that the actual ‘friendship problem’ has to do with the ‘Binary Asylum’. Our plans remain unhindered, and without suspect.” “We still have a long time before the planet is ready to serve us, Siron. If they discover what we’re doing...” “It’s a gamble, I am aware of this Ganondorf. But as far as they are concerned, I only wish to stake out a small claim of difficult land to keep my culture alive, and in the process help those in need.” “I find it amazing they just assume you have a disposition to help others.” “They truly are naïve fools. There are a few who think my motives are suspect, but none have any clue that this is a power grab. Not even that Thrackerzod has figured out that I’m the one keeping this power active, and if anyone were to figure it out, it’d be her.” “I would prefer it if we could accelerate the plans.” “Subjugating an entire planet is no simple task, even with my connection. It’s also tremendously difficult to order the monsters to attack at just the right moment to keep the people believing they’re in imminent danger at all times.” “…You know what disturbs me the most?” “What?” “That Tree of theirs is able to spy out interpersonal problems from universes away and send the ponies that are perfect for the job to fix it. That Tree knows what we’re doing.” “If it hasn’t sent them to stop us, it must agree that what I’m doing needs to be done, or thinks it has no right to interfere. It either has my respect or indifference.” “Or it could just be waiting for the right time to strike.” Siron growled audibly. “…Yes. But it pains me to say we can do nothing to the Tree. We have no mask to seal it in, no way to remove it from the equation. So we have to dance with it carefully.” Mlinx decided he’d heard enough. He took a step back from the door, carefully sneaking away until he thought he was out of earshot. Mlinx didn’t wait around. He took off at a blind run down the hallway, jumping into the transporter pad. The pad materialized him directly beneath the floating disc in what qualified as town square – and he kept running. He needed to find Applejack and Rainbow Dash, they could help… Or could they? Ganondorf and Siron were powerful… But apparently Thrackerzod was as well… He was in such a blind panic that he ran right into Mistress Luna. “…Mlinx? What has you so terrified?” Mistress Luna! Perfect! She was understanding, calm, thoughtful, powerful, and cared deeply about others. She’d understand. She’d be able to help. He told her everything he’d just heard. ~~~ Charter-Princess Twilight Sparkle arrived at Port S-1 in a flash of her magic. She shook her head, glancing around at her surroundings. She saw the corpse of the huge beast at the edge of the forcefield first – riddled with demon weapon-blasts and being cut up into meat by the humans. The second thing she noticed was Applejack and Rainbow Dash playing hopscotch with Thrackerzod. She blinked. “…Girls?” Applejack looked up. “Twi! You’re here. Sorry Thrackerzod, gotta end the game.” “At least there actually was a game,” Thrackerzod said. “I shall return to my research into this world. Good luck.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “Yeah, we’ll need it.” Twilight raised an eyebrow while Thrackerzod walked away. “Interesting response, Rainbow… Applejack, what was so important that I had to come here as soon as possible? And why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like it?” “You probably won’t like it at first, and that’s why you need to be here. So we can show you.” “Just tell me what it is first.” “The aid you and the rest of the universes are giving is going too far. It’s hurting the Binaries.” “Applejack, don’t be absurd,” Twilight said, waving a dismissive hoof. “I was here before the aid came in, me and all the girls. We saw what a horrible place this was. Death was around every corner, eldritch powers ran amok, and Binaries couldn’t live. And what do I see now?” She held her hoof out. “I see a town facing off against the darkness successfully. This place looks clean, ordered, and while not really full of life, definitely not fully of death. This is infinitely better than what it used to be.” “I think that’s why we were sent here,” Rainbow Dash said. Applejack nodded. “We never saw what it was like before, only what it is now. And Ah can tell you, what it is now isn’t good.” Twilight’s expression became angry for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “How will removing aid make this place any better than it is now? It’ll just open everything up to return to the way it was. You’re going to have to explain this.” “Come with me,” Applejack said, leading Twilight into the building with all the Binaries sitting in chairs. “This is what they do all day. Sit. Sit sit sit. They let the ponies and humans tend to every need they have, losing all purpose. They don’t work, they don’t enjoy themselves, they just sit.” “They can’t think, Twi!” Rainbow Dash said. “They can’t leave, but they can’t do anything here. They can’t even realize that it’s wrong for the most part!” “They never ask questions,” Applejack said. “Ah’m not sure if most of them can. Some still think their government of secrets exist, and just can’t deal with it being gone.” “Buuuuuut,” Rainbow Dash interjected. “If we remove the aid – at least the aid that isn’t the demons protection from monsters – they will be forced to do things again, to have some of the awesome experience that is life. There’s already agriculture, construction, and other stuff in place. They can just start using it themselves!” Twilight glanced from her two friends to the sea of chairs with horror seeping into her features. “…I’m not sure that would work…” “You have to try somethin’, Twi,” Applejack said. “Just because this is better than what it was, it doesn’t mean you can just leave it alone.” “You gotta keep trying, and always look for ways to make it better,” Rainbow Dash said. “If you can think of some other way to fix this, that’s fine. But what we’re here for is to make sure you look at this.” “Sugarcube, from the outside, this looks like you’re ruinin’ a culture.” Twilight nodded. “You… You are right. This is why the Tree sent you here. When I come here, all I can see is the horrendous horrors it used to be, the death, the destruction – it looks amazing compared to that. And the people here just see things through their distorted way of thinking, largely unable to realize things could be better or worse. But you… You can see things more or less how they are. Because you don’t know anything about this place.” “That Tree’s really clever, ain’t it?” Applejack commented. “Yeah,” Twilight said, furrowing her brow. “I think I know what to do, girls.” ~~~ Mlinx finished his story, looking at Mistress Luna with wide eyes. “What are we going to do?” Luna let out an long, deep sigh. “That does sound horrible, doesn’t it?” “Of course it does! He’s controlling those monsters, making sure this world stays corrupted! That’s wrong!” “…Maybe we need to look at this from another perspective. He may be controlling monsters, yes, but when was the last death from an attack? There have been plenty of injuries, but deaths come from other sources.” “But…” “And who's to say gathering power is wrong? We are rather weak, Mlinx. We need to compete somehow.” “Mistre- no.” Luna sighed. “Mlinx…” “You’re in on it. You know already!” Luna nodded. “I do, Mlinx. I’ve known about it since we moved here. I know Siron cares very deeply for his demons, and that he wishes us to have a place to say something in the world. We can’t be an afterthought.” “Don’t you see?” “I do see, Mlinx. The way of the warrior is a dangerous one. But it must be done. The ponies, as nice as they are, can be very destructive within their kindness. A world as large as the Elemental Nations can resist their influence, but something on our small scale? We get assimilated into their culture, or whatever culture we place ourselves into. You can see them doing it to the Binaries. Here, they are losing their culture, becoming lazy, ruining their lives, and the ponies just keep trying to help them when it’s the last thing they need. The humans and the other universes are just as guilty, but they are the face of the other worlds. Twilight and her friends, they mean well, but they ruin.” “No. They can back off. They left the Elemental Nations alone. They don’t demand that friendship is the only way. They accept other cultures, even violent ones like our own.” “They do. But the best of intentions don’t matter. They are unwittingly absorbing and molding cultures around them to fit their model. As much as they respect other cultures, the mere fact that they hold friendship in such high regard means they value unity and oneness, and don’t value bitter arguments. By nature, they make friends, and then all the minds mold together toward one ideal. Granted, they blend with the other large universes – such as Earth Tau’ri – but small worlds? Such as this one? They can’t influence the larger collective the way they are. All Siron is trying to do is prevent us from losing ourselves, as we have come so close to doing already.” “It’s still wrong!” Mlinx blurted. “He could talk to Twilight directly about it! Or just, I don’t know, move somewhere the other universes don’t care about?” “Twilight would be able to twist things to her own point of view. And why would we lessen our power to live in the middle of nowhere? That hardly sounds like a thing a warrior would do. It would be surrendering.” “No, Luna… No. We can’t do this.” Luna shook her head. “I’m sorry Mlinx. But we do. We need a say.” She encased Mlinx in magic crystal and sealed the crystal away deep beneath the earth. She then teleported to Siron, who was currently walking around Port S-1. “Mlinx found out,” Luna said. “I took care of him. Permanently.” Siron looked at Luna in surprise. “…I didn’t think you had it in you.” “I tried to talk him to our side. He wouldn’t listen. He needed to be removed. I… It wasn’t easy.” “I liked Mlinx,” Siron said, looking into the distance. “He had a different point of view, a way of seeing the world that made you think. Shame that way of seeing things was what finally got him.” He shook his head. “I’m losing my best all around me, Luna. Lost to the culture, lost to their own failure. I, more than ever, know we have to do this. We have to have power over the others.” He held his staff in his hands, looking closely at it. “I know,” Mistress Luna said. “I’ve tried so many things, Luna. Dealt with so many warriors, so many cowards. All of those plans were dashed to pieces. If this doesn’t work, I may be out of ideas. This staff can only do so much.” “What actually is the staff, by the way?” “It is an ancient artifact, passed down from demon to demon for countless years. There are many legends about it, but as I’ve been out here among the other worlds, I believe I finally understand them. The legends say it was bestowed to the first chief by a green god who was ‘one beyond the stars’. I’m almost positive this means he was a being from a different universe. That girl – Vriska – she recognized it. There was something about it that was important to her, though I never got to ask her. She also recognized me, or had seen another version of me.” He looked into the distance. “This staff is a power from beyond my world, probably from a world far beyond any of the ones we’ve encountered. It has power beyond simple attacks – it allows me to infuse magical artifacts with its essence. And those infusions are now in the very substance of this planet, slowly falling under my control. And even though I can see this great power… I am certain there is more to it. There is power to unlock within this artifact. This Juju.” “Juju?” “That is what the green god originally called it in the legends.” He turned the staff around in his hands. “Perhaps, once this planet is under my control, it will reveal what it truly is to me.” “I will be there to help you uncover the mystery, Siron.” They heard the voice of Twilight Sparkle call across the town in the Royal Canterlot Voice, to ensure all could hear. Luna Teleported herself and Siron right in front of her. “Citizens of Port S-1! It has come to my attention that relief efforts to this community have succeeded beyond my wildest expectations. With the extent to which everything has been developed here, it is my honor to announce the success of the relief efforts! Over the next few months, we will be removing our people from your town so you can return to your normal lives. The demons will stay to offer protection, but other than that, your lives should return to something resembling what they once were. You can once again return to work in your own society, Binaries!” There was only scant clapping from the crowd – most weren’t sure what to make of this. But it was clear from Twilight’s expression that she was expecting this, and that she didn’t really care. “We’ll be here for the transition period, but I expect you’ll be back on your feet soon! I’ll be visiting all the other settlements on the world to see if we can do the same for them, but I expect you’ll all stay here, within your forcefield. This world is yours – we just have to give it to you.” She stepped down, once again only receiving a small amount of clapping despite the emotion of the short announcement. Mistress Luna noticed Rainbow Dash and Applejack’s cutie marks glow, the sign of a job well done. They had been sent here to return the world to the Binaries. A tiny seed of doubt began to creep into Mistress Luna’s mind.