On Paraddock, the adults and the pirates were in the castle foyer, waiting for something to happen, whether it’d be good or bad.
Steven swam back and forth in his waterway in worry until he moaned, “Ohh, what is taking so long? From what you’ve told me about Discord, he should’ve been able to free her by now!”
Flurry soothed the sea serpent, “I know, I know. But we must be patient.”
“I am patient!” He covered his mouth and then apologized, “I’m sorry. My nerves are getting the better of me. It’s just been so long since I last saw Capri. I want to see her be free of the amulet more than anything.” He sighed, “I want my bestest friend back.” His head fell to the floor in despair.
Blaze said, “Well, don’t you worry. Discord can do anything, even free another draconequus from an amulet. That is, assuming no disasters happen.”
Just then, they heard and felt a faint rumbling. Distant panicked screams followed.
Nova scolded Blaze, “You and your big mouth!”
Before anyone could leave the foyer, Sky Stinger, Vapor Trail, Silver Tongue, and the kids all rushed in.
Vapor cried, “The castle is collapsing!”
Sky also cried, “We need to get out now!”
The others followed the second group down the hallway until Steven started sinking in the waterway. The ponies and various creatures looked over to see him at the bottom of the now-dry waterway!
“Help!” he cried. “I’m stuck! I can’t move when there’s no water!”
Mischief called to him, “Don’t worry! I’ll carry you to the entrance!”
Skater cried, “What entrance?!”
They all watched as the paraphernalia floating on the ceiling vanished, the colors turned gray, and the stone structure of the hall in front of them collapsed. The same happened to the hallway behind them. Mischief’s antlers began to glow green as he closed his eyes to concentrate on teleporting his friends and himself to safety. Before he could perform the spell, however –
Vapor shrieked, “Eek! Look out!”
The group looked up to see the arcading above them collapsing. Mischief, Flurry, Blaze, and Nova combined their magic to make a powerful force field that surrounded the entire group, including Steven. They all closed their eyes and waited until the crisis was over.
Corona Shine opened her eyes and looked up, only to gasp at the amazing view. “Look, you guys! Look!”
The group obeyed her and also looked up. They, too, gasped at what was happening: the stones that were about to fall on them were floating! They watched in astonishment as the large stones rose back up towards the sky and repaired themselves as part of the arcading. The hallways in turn were also being restored to their former chaotic glory. After the force field disappeared, the water returned to the waterway and Steven rose up to meet the group again.
Steven chortled, “Oh-ho! She’s free! He did it! She’s free!”
Roller remarked as he wiped his brow, “Thank goodness for that! Phew! Talk about a near-death experience!”
Turquoise chuckled, “Yeah. And I think Paraddock had one, too.”
Jamboree then got an idea. He gasped happily, “Hey, why don’t we see Pairaduck come back to life?”
The sea serpent agreed, “An excellent idea!”
On cue, Flurry and Mischief combined their magic to teleport everyone to the observation deck surrounding the room of the highest tower. Though only the stairs were what remained of the deck, the tower room and outside balcony magically pieced themselves back together. When the balcony that encircled the tower wall was restored, the group raced out of the three doorways and leaned over the railing to admire the view. The castle walls and towers surrounding them rebuilt themselves underneath the nearly-dark sky. After the castle was finally restored, a wave of color raced up the walls and shot up to the sky above through the flagpoles on the tower roofs. The colors exploded into vibrant waves of aurora borealis and swept through the sky above.
Everything that was dead on the ground below suddenly sprung back to life when the lights of the aurora washed over the land. The fountains once again flowed with water filled with shimmering fish, the plants sprouted back up and revealed their wild colors, and the candy jungle that had been so barren moments before was now thriving with all sorts of greenery and sweets. The northern lights raced into the distance, restoring everything to the way it was. Paraddock was now alive and teeming with chaos once more! The kids cheered and the adults were filled with amazement at the beauty of it all.
Zealot breathed, “We did it. We saved Paraddock.”
Nova corrected with a smile, “No. Discord did. We just saved the kids and our friends from a crazy river, sand monsters, an elephant stampede, a tidal wave…”
Blaze playfully rolled his eyes, “Okay, Nova. We get it.”
Apple Butter pondered, “I wonder what it’s like for Discord to meet another draconequus after so long.”
Mischief suggested, “Let’s go to Las Pegasus and find out.” He pointed to Steven and said, “Steven, take us there.”
The sea serpent saluted, “Aye, aye, captain.”
Foxhelm scribbled down the last of his rather extensive notes as he summarized, “Okay, I think I’ve got everything. So Gladmane is behind the Dark Riders…” Blackthorn nodded. “…and he sends them to terrorize neighboring kingdoms so war erupts between them…” Skyla nodded. “…only he terrorized the Crystal Empire so Canterlot and its allies have reason to ally themselves with him. Right?”
Sunset nodded, “That should be it.”
“But there’s one thing I don’t quite understand. If Capricia was on the brink of extinction, then how could she have the strength to fulfill Discord’s wish to free her?”
The female draconequus answered, “Well, here’s the thing. When I first felt my essence fading, I created a failsafe. If I wouldn’t be able to grant the wish to set me free, the failsafe would automatically do it for me.”
Discord remarked, “I have to admit, that’s pretty clever.”
“Not as much as your protection spell loophole. Now that was clever.”
Her brother smirked, “Are you saying I’m smarter than you?”
She playfully tapped his arm, “Shut up.”
Foxhelm stood up as he said, “Okay, now that I’ve got enough evidence, can either of you teleport me to Princess Luna?”
Pinkie Pie suddenly shouted, “WAAAIIT! We forgot to mention Paraddock!”
Capri grew confused and concerned, “Paraddock? What does Paraddock have to do with this?”
Screwball tapped her head, “Oh, right! You don’t know how the kids are taken! Okay, quick recap: the Dark Riders come into a kingdom and scare the living daylights out of everyone. Then, in the dark of night, Paraddock comes in and takes the kids before vanishing without a trace. That’s how the kingdom thinks the other kingdom took their kids.”
Capri face-palmed and groaned, “Ugh, Steven…”
Soarin asked, “You know who’s running Paraddock?”
“You’re looking at her.”
Discord gaped, “Say what?! You mean to say you created an entire cloud land way up in the sky?!”
“Yep. I left Steven in charge when Captain Hoof threatened Pony Pan’s life, only I got stuck in the amulet as a result.”
“So that’s how you got there in the first place. I thought it was Gladmane.”
Spike asked, “So, wait. Captain Hoof and Pony Pan are actually real? They’re not made-up?”
She shook her head, “Nope.”
Everyone stood in silence until they let out an excited “WHOA!”
Discord chortled, “Ha-ha-ha! Capri, your cloud wonderland truly is amazing! I wonder how many more secrets you’ve got up there.”
Capri suddenly shook like a noodle before abruptly stopping. “You won’t have to wonder long. It’s here. I can feel it. Come on, everyone.”
She snapped her fingers and everyone was on an open field of grass with a giant cloud hanging over a gingko tree sitting on a gentle hill. A jolt of pain ran through Capri’s body and she hunched over until the pain faded.
Discord grasped her arms as he asked in worry, “Are you all right, Cap-Cap?”
She nodded as she slowly regained her straight posture, “I’m fine. I was stuck inside the amulet for so long. My powers need to recover from my 70-year adventure. I’m afraid I won’t be able to teleport you all up there. I don’t think I can teleport at all for a good while.”
Whirl Wind pointed upwards and said, “I don’t think you need to.”
Everyone looked up to see a beam of blue light shining down from the cloud and landing in front of the group. There was a large figure with several small ones descending the beam.
Discord conjured up binoculars and said, “Okay, okay, I think I’m getting visual contact.” He then gasped happily, “It’s Flurry! And she’s got the kids!”
The group cheered in celebration of the news.
“Our baby’s coming home!”
“Yay!”
“Our baby!”
“I knew she could do it! Along with the others.”
Suddenly, everyone realized that the other Guardians weren’t with Flurry.
Skyla asked, “Say, where are Mischief and the others?”
Cotton put her hooves to her face in panic and gasped, “What if something awful happened to them?! Maybe they got captured by a giant! Maybe the giant ate them!”
By now, Flurry and the children were only three yards from the ground. The alicorn chuckled, “Don’t worry, they’re fine.”
When she and the kids landed softly on the grass, the beam disappeared. The younglings raced towards their parents and they all embraced in joyous hugs.
Flurry smiled, “We figured you wanted the kids back as soon as possible.”
Skyla inquired, “So, sis, how was the trip up there?”
The kids chattered in reply to her question.
Applejack smiled, “Well, aren’t we excited to share our adventures?”
The alicorn chuckled, “They sure are. We should sit down, though. It’s going to be a long story.”
Discord spoke up, “I’ll do the teleporting this time.”
Before the draconequus could snap his fingers, Blackthorn asked, “When we get back to the castle, could I ask something of either of you?”
After much discussion and catching-up, the group formulated a plan to arrest Gladmane. First, Foxhelm would wait until morning when his shift was over to deliver the word to Princess Luna. The royals would then confront the portly king in the throne room and apprehend him. In the meantime, Blackthorn and his comrades would wait for their signal. Once it was given, the deer would run around the crowded plaza in their Dark Rider armor. The plaza was where Gladmane had planned to make an announcement that morning. After the crowds were startled, the deer would reveal their identity and Gladmane’s evil machinations to the public.
Outside the nature-themed quarters of the deer guard, Skyla said to Blackthorn, “I hope your comrades will agree to the plan.”
He smiled, “If anything, they’d want to be free from Gladmane’s control. Thankfully, Capri was kind enough to undo the curse.”
“Since she was forced to do it under Gladmane’s will.”
He took her hoof and said, “I am eternally grateful for your strong determination and extraordinary understanding. Without you, we would’ve been stuck as Gladmane’s slaves.”
“Well, if it hadn’t been for you, we never would’ve known what Gladmane was up to. Okay, sure, we would’ve suspected something, but if we had found out on our own, I’m sure Gladmane would’ve done something terrible to us to keep the truth from getting out. At least with this way, we have an advantage over him.”
“Which I’m very glad for. Once this is over, no more being a Dark Rider. My comrades and I will be free to roam the land again, helping those in need.”
Skyla’s heart dropped a bit in disappointment, but she knew she wanted him to be happy, even if it meant losing him. “Oh. I hope you come by the Crystal Empire sometime.”
“I promise. And when our home returns, you can come visit me in Thicket. I’m sure the deer will love you once they get used to you. Here’s to a bright future, my princess.” He kissed her hoof.
“To a bright future…” She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, leaving him dazed and blushing. “…and good luck.”
She then left for the castle and Blackthorn felt his heart beat furiously with ecstasy as he saw her go.
Dawn came. Now was the time to initiate the plan. Foxhelm showed the guards a sealed scroll and told them it was the official pact of alliance with Canterlot that needed the queen’s signature. Luckily, he got away with his ruse and was given permission to head for Canterlot. In truth, Foxhelm flew towards the Crystal Empire with his report for Princess Luna. When he was a good distance from Las Pegasus, he touched the amulet Discord gave him and disappeared in a flash. Meanwhile, the Canterlot royals sent a notice to Gladmane, which said that they would take breakfast in their guest rooms and meet him in the throne room to discuss arrangements for their alliance. After all, they were “worn out from the excitement of last night”.
When the time soon came, the children were sent off to play while the adults headed for the throne room. The guards opened the doors and let the royals in. When Discord saw Gladmane wearing the decoy amulet, he summoned the strength to keep from chuckling. He fell for it! He absolutely fell for it!
Gladmane rose from his extravagant throne as he suavely welcomed his guests, “Why, there y’all are! Shame I had to miss y’all for breakfast. Didja get enough rest after that whole fiasco last night?”
Skyla answered as she and her sister stepped forth, “As a matter of fact, we did. It was quite refreshing.”
“Princess Skyla! And Princess Flurry Heart! I’m mighty glad you’re both all right, Your Highnesses! Was your mission a success? Did the deer guard bring ya back to the castle alright?”
Skyla nodded, “Yes, they did. They were very brave to come after me and take on the Dark Riders.”
Flurry then said, “Our mission was a Grade-A success. I brought the kids back to their parents while the other Guardians dealt with their kidnapper. We came back while you were sleeping. We didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Aww, that’s mighty sweet of ya.” He sat down on his throne again as he said, “Now, let’s get on with the business of forging our alliance.”
Starling said as she magically unfurled a medium-sized scroll, “Actually, we came to expose your crimes of malfeasance in office, blackmail, terrorism, miscarriage of justice, bribery, fraud, and misuse of a magical object.”
Gladmane put his hoof to the decoy amulet as he chuckled nervously, “Magical object? Whatever are ya talkin’ about?”
A voice then spoke up, “Don’t play dumb with us. I’m an eyewitness.”
The bird perched on Fluttershy’s hoof flew up to Gladmane before she flashed back to her normal self. Gladmane yelped and pushed back against his throne in fear of the terrifying close-up of her powerful glare.
Capri taunted, “What? Don’t recognize your own genie when you see her?”
“G-genie?!” he exclaimed.
She turned towards Starling, “I think we can add ‘extortion’ to his list of crimes…” She peered down at Gladmane again, “…isn’t that right, Gladmane?”
He uneasily smiled as he stuttered, “Now, now, hold on there. See, I didn’t know you were in there and I –“ He spoke into a hand mirror he had pulled out from behind his cushions, “ – wish the doors are locked!”
A click was heard and a green wave of light washed over the throne room.
He smirked as he rose from his throne again and walked towards the group, “See, that light show ya just saw was a depowering spell that activated when the doors became locked. Go ahead. Try to use your powers. It won’t do ya any good.”
Discord sputtered, “But how?! You don’t have the amulet! Capri is free!”
“True, but I also wished for a magic mirror as a backup in case I couldn’t use my little amulet.”
“Capri!”
She said embarrassedly, “Oops. It must’ve been so long ago I forgot about it.”
Gladmane nodded suavely, “Indeed it was. And to answer your question, yes. I did know something was in my amulet, but as long as it – meaning you – granted my every wish, well, I wasn’t gonna give it up for the world. I mean, when you have nigh-unlimited power in your hooves, you’re willing to do everything to keep it, including some misconduct here and there. I take it you blabbed about my plans, then.”
Sky Blitz crouched down and scowled, “We’re going to stop you before your plans see the light of day.”
He looked into his mirror and slid a hoof along its rim, “Oh, I don’t think you will.” He held the mirror towards the group and commanded, “I wish y’all are trapped in this mirror!”
A large blue-green beam of light shot out of the mirror and enveloped the group. Before anyone could react, they were lifted off the ground and sucked into the mirror. As the green rim of magic disappeared from the mirror’s surface, a streak of blue light weaved up Gladmane’s arm and into his eyes, which flashed green for a moment.
He gave a wicked chuckle, “You see? You can’t defeat me so easily. I’m always one step ahead. After I grab your little ones, I’m gonna pay a visit to some dear friends of mine.”
The deer were in position to race for the doors as soon as Calvin came back with the go-ahead. They were clad in their black armor as planned, though there was some resistance at first. As the minutes dragged on, some of the deer got antsy.
Rootstock asked with impatience, “Where is the signal? Have they apprehended Gladmane or not?”
Blackthorn calmed him, “Patience, Rootstock. When they arrest Gladmane, they’ll give us the word.”
Redwood pointed to the window, “Look! There’s Calvin now!”
The small orange bird landed on the windowsill and chirped frantically as it hopped in a panic.
Conifer said in confusion, “That doesn’t sound like a signal.”
Blackthorn’s eyes shrunk as he realized, “No. It’s trouble. We have to go now!”
The doors of the stable-like quarters burst open before the deer guard skidded to a stop. To their shock, Gladmane and his guards were in front of them…with the children in the guards’ grasp.
The king mockingly sulked, “Aww, leaving so soon? I thought y’all liked it here.”
Blackthorn scowled, “We’re no longer under your control, Gladmane. Our curse has been lifted.”
“By that goody-two-shoes genie, no doubt. See, I know everything. I know you’re part of their plot to catch me red-hoofed, I know you blabbed about your little jobs as Dark Riders, and I also know about that precious gingko tree of yours. The one you planted on a nearby hill and go to see every night because it reminds ya of home sweet home.”
Admittedly, the fact that Gladmane knew about his nightly pilgrimage got to Blackthorn. However, the deer remained ever calm with tranquil fury.
“I also happen to know that if you break this itty-bitty little mirror, everyone trapped inside will never get out.”
Blackthorn demanded, “Who’s in there?!”
“Why, only the royals, of course, and soon the children you see before you.”
Blackthorn drew in a breath of surprise at the revelation that Skyla was in the mirror. Although he couldn’t let on that he was sweet on Skyla, he wanted to prevent the same fate from happening to Gale Force and the other children.
His eyes slit as he angrily said, “You dare not put innocent ponies in danger!”
Gladmane responded, “Oh, can’t I? Mirror, I wish to trap the kids with their family.”
Obeying his command, the mirror sucked the screaming children into its depths.
Blackthorn shouted, “No!” He then glared at Gladmane, “Release them all at once!”
“Oh, of course, but I’d like something from you first. Mirror, I wish for an anvil.” The mirror glowed and an anvil appeared next to him. He held the mirror over it and said to Blackthorn, “I need that magic potion from you, all of you. The one that makes plants grow and such. Do that and I’ll free everyone. If ya say ‘no’, no one ever gets out. Going once –“ he raised the mirror a bit “ – going twice…” He raised the mirror again as if preparing to strike it against the anvil.
Blackthorn suddenly conceded, “All right! We’ll do it. Just don’t break the mirror.”
The king smirked evilly, “That’s what I thought.” He then ordered his guards, “Grab the barrel collars!”
The guards went into the quarters and retrieved the tiny barrel collars. Some of the deer frowned at having their precious possessions taken forcibly.
Gladmane said, “Now that I got what I wanted…” He held the mirror out and commanded, “I wish y’all unconscious!”
In an instant, the deer guard fell to the ground.
One of Gladmane’s guards dared to ask him, “Are you sure you should’ve done that? You promised to –“
The king waved his hoof, “Ah-deh-deh! In due time, my trusty friend. But first, I gotta get ready for a public announcement…”