//------------------------------// // Entry 2, Part 2 (Do you know...) // Story: The Poisoned Barb's Tale // by ManlyDerp //------------------------------// There’s a benefit to having friends less filled with mind numbing angst than yourself; they usually have better ideas than your own. Red Gala is such an angst-less friend, thank goodness. Though she’s just as frightened about the status of her missing brother as I am about Dusk, she seems to have a better head on her shoulders than I do right now. Once I explained how Dusk had left the book about the Elements in the library before departing, and how I ‘theorized’ that they went into the Everfree Forest to search for them, the farm mare quickly came up with a battle plan for how to save everypony. Step one was actually kinda obvious in retrospect. Step one was to talk to the Mayor. Riding through the chilly night upon my friend's back, the two of us reach Town Hall and discover in short order that the chaos resulting from the Summer Sun Celebration had never really left this place. In the sunless days that had passed, the whole area had been converted into a sort of command center for both the Ponyville officials and the military ones left behind from the Prince’s personal entourage. Fliers made up of civilians, guards, and even an on duty Wonderbolt can be seeing racing in and out of the many opened windows; providing crucial information about the outside world for all parties present. Unicorn guards work their magic upon arcane circles in the far corner; casting scryer spell after scryer spell until their horns visibly grew black with mana burnout. A collection of earth ponies are coordinating the whole effort where they can, sharing with the guards information pertaining to the lay of the land, while others are galloping in and out of the building with their strong backs being used to transport equipment and supplies. In the center of the whole operation stands Ponyville’s de facto leader. According to Red Gala, his name is Mayor Mustang. The graying, light brown earth pony barks orders to all who would listen; the impossible task of keeping this town running through what could well be a climate disaster unseen since the days of the Windigos has obviously taken its toll on the poor stallion. Bags can be seen under his eyes, and his usually solid white mane has bits of his (supposedly natural) pinkness starting to peek through. Despite these difficulties, however, he remains standing in the face of this great challenge. Even as townsfolk approach him, demanding answers he most likely can't provide, the monocle bearing pony stands firm and expertly addresses the concerns as they come.  He makes his commitment to solving this crisis well known to all. “Wow,” I mutter lowly. “Gotta han-, er, hoof it to him; dude handles himself well under pressure.” “Eeyup,” my steed retorts. “Better than anypony else could in this situation, ah reckon.” I nod my head in agreement, even if Red Gala couldn’t see it while I was riding on her back. “I… I really should have come here first, huh?” “Eeyuuuup,” Gala again replies, though the ending part is extended as if to offer me a follow up remark. Blushing, I take the hint. “A-and I really should stop beating myself over what I should or shouldn’t have done.” “Eeyup,” she chirps happily with my response. We had a… ahem… intense conversation about me blaming myself for everything on the way over here. Specifics were never addressed, thank goodness, but it was pretty obvious that I was starting to go down a slippery slope. Red Gala can be really insightful and caring when she actually feels like talking. One on one conversations seems to be more her speed; she really clams up when it comes to groups though. This begs the question... “How are we going to get his attention, Re-” CRASH!! With a start, I stare wide eyed in surprise as the stack of neatly categorized filing cabinets next to us collapses over in a horrifically loud display. My surprise doesn't stem from the simple act of them falling over, no... Instead it stems from the large red hoof that had applied pressure to the structure and caused said event in the first place. Well… ask a stupid question, I guess. Our wish to have the Mayor’s attention is soon granted as all eyes turn to us. I find myself again cursing lucky Red Gala’s thick crimson coat for preventing her blushing cheeks from being as visible as my own. Her’s is the perfect poker face. Mine is the perfect imitation of a deer in the headlights. “What is the meaning of this?!” Demands Mayor Mustang as he marches his way through the room and pushes his muzzle up to Red Gala’s own. “Do you have any idea how much that’s set our search efforts back, young lady?!” he yells, uncaring of the height difference. “Eeyup,” my friend states completely neutral, refusing to flinch. This declaration causes Mustang’s expression to change. It softens even further as he removes his monocle, breathes into it, wipes it with his tie, and then places it back where it came from. A look of happy recognition soon erases the angry one and changes the overall mood in the blink of an eye. “Ah! The eldest apple sibling!” he greets Red Gala in his new good cheer. “My apologies! The lack of sleep seems to be doing me no favors!” “Nnope,” Red Gala concurs honestly. “Haha! Indeed!” “Hehe..." “...” "..." “... You still need to pick that up though, missie.” With a sigh, Red Gala groans loudly, “Eeyup,” before taking a knee and gently shaking me off to the ground. I raise an eyebrow at her for this, but this just causes Gala to use her muzzle to scoot me closer to Mayor Mustang. “Hmph, how troublesome,” Mustang complains to himself under his breath. “And after all the work I’ve put into trying to find her brother...” He then spots me. “Oh! Er… hello?” After wasting a second by staring blankly at the Mayor, I look back towards Red Gala one last time and spot the motioning of her eyes. It’s at this point that I stupidly catch the hint. Oh. Right. She doesn’t like talking to groups. Guess it falls on me then. Typical. Well… here goes nothing. “Greetings, Mayor Mustang,” I reply as formally as I can. Come on Noble etiquette classes, don’t fail me now! “I am terribly sorry to interrupt you during these troubled times, but I come baring information most vital.” Mustang uses a hoof to rub his chin. “Wait,” he answers after a moment of reflection. “You’re the one who yawned during The Nightterror’s speech. The dragon.” I nod my head in acknowledgement, before reaching into my purse and pulling out one of Prince Solaris’ magical scroll seals. “This is correct, sir,” I answer, flashing the object like a badge. “I am Barbara The Dragoness; Assistant to Apprentice Dusk Shine, Squire to Prince Solaris, Property of House Shin-” “PROPERTY?!” Red Gala’s outburst turns every head in the room towards her, but she ignores them all as her flabbergasted expression is aimed squarely at me. Caught off guard at the interruption, my cheeks soon turn as bright as a tomato. “Oh… d-did I forget to mention that part?” I stutter, shying away from her new hardened gaze. “Oops. It’s just a l-legal definition, so that Noble ponies don’t throw temper tantrums and think they can get away with kidnapping dragon eggs. It really doesn’t mean anything, honest!” “...” “... Dusk’s family loves me,” I try to convince my concerned friend. “I know Gleaming loves me, and you saw that Dusk does too. I know I’m loved. That’s enough, right?” “...” “...” “... Eeyup,” Red Gala eventually relents, allowing me to continue. I should probably rethink how I introduce myself in an official capacity for Ponyville... “Like I was saying, Mayor,” I proceed. “I’m connected to the Prince, and I came here this week with his direct apprentice Dusk Shine. I have information about our current situation that you need to hear.” Having recovered himself from the outburst, Mustang retorts, “Really.” He resumes rubbing his chin. “If that’s the case, my dear, then why have you not approached me earlier?” “The reason is twofold, sir,” I reply, now well aware how quiet the room is becoming thanks to my speech. I have the floor. “Firstly, as you no doubt noticed during the celebrations, I was trapped in the same dream limbo as the rest of the foals of this town. I met the age requirement, because I’m only seven.” “Goodness! You’re quite well spoken for your age!” “Thank you,” I brush his compliment aside without a thought. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have anypony to wake me up from that realm so I was forced to wait for aid.” “How terrifying!” “I-it was.” “You’re a brave little filly.” “Thank you,” again I brush the praise aside. “Once I woke up, I found myself alone in this town and completely lost on what to do... Red Gala encouraged me to seek you out, sir. She informed me that you're trying to locate the Prince, as well as other missing ponies.” “Eeyup,” added Gala around the stack of papers left in her mouth from cleaning. “I see…” the older pony hums, digesting what I’ve so far disclosed. “And your friend is right, little lady. We are trying to locate Prince Solaris as our number one priority at the moment, though quite a number of my citizens have sadly disappeared as well..." He then shakes his head, and narrows his eyes slightly before addressing me again. "Their friends and families are counting on us to return them safely. We may lack the power to fight The Nightterror, but we can at least do this much. "So then, Miss Barbara; what is this so called vital information that you have for me? I'd rather like to get back to our search efforts, post haste.” The grip I have on my purse tightens at this. Well… here we go. Probably the greatest deviation from the show I can possibly do right now. This could potentially change a lot. This could ruin the series premier. This could snowball into unspeakable horror… ... … And that’s perfectly fine by me. I just want my Dusk back. I want Red Gala’s little brother back too. I want Sweepy’s big brother back; I want this town’s number one party planner back, as well as their number one weather pony, and their number one gentle giant. I want my sky back. “Dusk Shine was researching a prophecy connected to the return of The Nightterror before we arrived in Ponyville,” I explain to all those listening as I reach into my bag and present The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide. “He predicted that this might happen, and never stopped his searching even in the final moments. When I woke up, I found this book laying out in the empty library. It details a weapon powerful enough to potentially reseal Nightterror Nebula in the moon.” Murmurs begin to spread amongst the gathered ponies. “It was left behind, a-and I haven’t seen Dusk since I woke up.” I swallow my bubbling fear and finish my speech strongly. “I believe that he must have tried to seek out these Elements in their last known resting place; the ancient castle of the royal pony brothers in the Everfree Forest. I also believe that he didn’t go in alone. The other missing ponies Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Elusive, Butterscotch, and Bubble Berry were slowly becoming friends with him before everything went down. Red Gala can confirm that she saw her brother chase after Dusk, who left after the fleeing Nebula. She could not pursue, due to her other brother’s sleeping state.” “Eeyup,” Gala adds. “I now believe that all six of these ponies are lost in the Everfree Forest, probably scared or hurt or… d… d-dead.” The murmurs stop completely at this. “... That’s quite a theory there, Barbara.” speaks Mayor Mustang after a moment, forcing all eyes to shift to him. “And a little outlandish, if I may comment.” My heart sinks. “But!” I start to protest. “I believe that you are completely correct in your assumptions.” … Huh? The murmurs resume and increase in volume as the Mayor directs his attention to all those gathered. “Eye witness reports have stated that the six, unaccounted for ponies we've been trying to locate were last seen heading towards Golden Oaks Library, shortly after the celebrations were forcefully concluded. Testimonials from their friends, coworkers, and families confirm that none of them returned to their dwellings at any point in the following days. We've not been able to gather any information about what happened beyond this… until now. “I believe this may be the lead we need, everypony," Mustang declares boldly, raising his voice. "The words of the Prince's Squire should be enough for me to push the cabinet into action ... Thank you very much for your assistance in this matter, Barbara The Dragoness.” Caught completely by surprise, I end up falling onto my back as the room soon explodes into a thunderous pony applause full of hooting, hollering, and stomping. It… worked? It worked? ... ... H… h-holy crap it worked! “We will be hosting an emergency town meeting in two hours, everypony!” orders the Mayor in his loudest scream, in order to be heard over the mighty roars of approval. “This is just enough evidence to allow me to authorize a full scale sweep of the Everfree! Spread the word! Gather up as many able body ponies as you can find, and any guards willing to lend a hoof! Nightmare Nebula will not hurt or take another pony under my watch... NO PONY LEFT BEHIND!!” “NO PONY LEFT BEHIND!!” parrots those still gathered, their cry equally as robust. “NOT IN PONYVILLE!!” “NEVER IN PONYVILLE!!” finishes the Mayor as he slashes his foreleg down and grants everypony permission to leave. The timely grab of my tail by Red Gala's teeth saves me from the sudden stampede of departing ponies, as they enthusiastically gallop up and out of this confined room into the chilly Ponyville night. I’m left dumbfounded by the sight, It’s only as the fact that I’m getting actual, real help slowly sinks in do I finally find the strength in me to do something I had not done at all in the last few days. I smile happily. “Red Gala?” I beam joyfully to the pony whose large hairy legs are preventing me from being crushed. “Eeyup?” she asks me in our hold, eyebrow fully raised. “Ponyville is awesome.” “... Hehe.” she couldn’t agree more. “Eeyup.” _______________________________ Two hours for Ponyville pass about as quickly as four days did for me... as in not quick at all. In this lllllooooonnnnggg (For me at least. Remember; technical seven year old here) span of time, a crowd even larger than the one from the Summer Sun Celebration now stands firm in front of Town Hall. Ponies from all walks of life are present here during this frigid night. Earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, townies, visitors, guardmares, and even the few guardsman have gathered in frozen unity in order to lend a helping hoof where they can. There are many faces I recognize from the library party, but many more are unknowns. Red Gala is among the many, as are her kin. From my place on center stage, right next to Mayor Mustang, I can see children lining up next to a stallion with a mixed pink mane. I doubt the foals are here for anything more than motivational support. From my vantage point I can spot Sweepy Belle on one end of the line, Scooteroll on the other, and Apple Buck is actually in the center of the crowd with the rest of his family. So close yet so far; you’ll meet soon, boys. I promise. The whispers and excited energy of the herd grows quiet as the Mayor takes a step away from me, as well as the members of his cabinet, to approach the podium in the center of the stage. He waits until all is nice and still before beginning. “... Fillies and Gentlecolts,” he starts, not unlike how he had kicked off the original gathering all those days ago. His icy breath bellows in the night's air; illuminated fully in many lantern's bright glow. “We are gathered here this night to take stock in what we have. “We have our foals back safe and sound after several grueling days without their presence. “We have enough emergency food rations for years, thanks to several of our town’s families having mastered the art of canning for situations as impossible as this. “We have enough lights in this town to make Manehattan blush!" This grants the Mayor a few chuckles from the crowd. He allows himself a small grin before turning serious again. “And we have the most important survival tool of all; we have each other. We have the light of Friendship. “... We don’t want to dwell on what we don’t have; we shouldn’t dwell on what the monster in black armor has taken from us... But, unfortunately, we must address this fact now and we must address it with one heart and one mind. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Elusive, Butterscotch, Bubble Berry, and the Prince’s visiting pupil Dusk Shine have been missing since Nightterror Nebula’s arrival. We have not heard hide nor hair from any of them in the last four days. Five of our own, and the sixth who was brought into their fold…” The Mayor then steps beside the podium and waves a hoof towards my direction. “Thanks to the aid of Dusk’s assistant, we now have an idea as to where these six missing ponies have disappeared too.” I look away as I blush. This is t-too much attention for my liking... The whispers pick up yet again as this information is made known to all the gathered ponies. With a raised hoof, Mustang silences the crowd once again before he continues. “... I, speaking as your Mayor, believe that they have entered the Everfree Forest.” There are a number of gasps. “I believe that they entered of their own free will, hoping to seek out the lost castle within.” The gasps morph into confused questions. “According to an overlooked book from our own library,” the Mayor explains, holding the book aloft. “Within this forgotten sanctum lies a weapon capable of ending The Nightterror’s reign.” The gossiping turns excited. “I believe these ponies went into the forest to seek this weapon... “... And I believe that this was a foolishly youthful mistake.” The murmurs cease all together. With hard eyes, filled with age and experience, the Mayor sweeps his oppressive gaze over the entirety of Ponyville disapprovingly. “We… are gathered here to save our little ponies,” he declares loudly, further silencing the crowd. “We are not gathered here to run a fool’s errand. If not for the rumors already circulating, I would never have made this information known!” I cringe at this, but ultimately I say nothing. It’s… for the best. The show has clearly failed to start properly. W-we’ll just have to find another way. Focus on the now; the future can wait. “We will be organizing groups to enter the forest, in a coordinated fashion, to insure that we cover the most ground!” the Mayor explains, dropping the book and starting to point his now free hoof at those who have already volunteered to lead groups. “Each party will have one of each tribe present, as well as a trained guard who volunteered to step away from their duties to assist us. We will be rotating groups every two hours and relying on a buddy system to insure that we don’t accidentally add to our missing pony list. “With that said, I must repeat the most important part of this excursion; I will not be tolerating heroes. Any pony present thinking of sneaking off to search for a means to fight The Nightterror will hear from me personally about how they are no longer welcomed in our community.” The buzzing of the gathering becomes toxic as the unified opinion of how this is being handled turns sour. But Mustang wasn’t voted their leader for nothing, it seems, as his judging leer alone is enough to snuff the angry mob out before it can fully form. “... I understand how you all feel,” he admits in a saddened tone. “Truly I do. Our sun has been taken away from us and I’m telling you not to fight back? “Well… yes! That’s exactly what I’m asking from you. I ask this not as your Mayor, your duly elected representative, your leader, or any other title you’ve deemed fit to give me. No… I am asking this of you under only one title, and under one solitary banner. It’s the same banner we have waved since the founding of this town. It is the same banner we have proudly hoisted up since the founding of this nation. “It is the banner of friendship, fillies and gentlecolts. I am asking this of you as your friend. Please, don’t do anything to hurt yourself this night. Please, don’t do anything to hurt this great community with your absence. "Please have faith that we will make it through this night, and see the sunrise again! Have faith in Harmony that goodness and love will prevail, and that evil will falter! Have faith that what is just will be done! Have faith that we will bring justice down upon The Nightterror, and take heart that such plans are slowly being put into place with the help of our neighboring towns... “... But the time is not yet right, and these plans are not ready yet this night. Tonight we are here to save our missing youth. We are here to save them for their friends and family, and nothing more." The earth pony then tips his head low, bowing towards his concerned citizens. “... Thank you, everypony, and may the Sun and the Moon bless us all.” With that, and with a clip and a clop, Mayor Mustang steps away from the podium one last time and exits the stage altogether. He heads towards where the leader volunteers are currently stationed and ready to receive any additional help for the cause. It takes a moment for the stallion’s speech to really truly sink in, but soon large amounts of ponies gather together and form groups. Not everypony gathers, unfortunately; a small collection are now leaving in a huff. Perhaps they were here for the rumors about the Elements, and a way to fight Nebula? I understand their frustration, but as the failure of this world's mane six has proven; Nightterror Nebula isn't somepony to take lightly. A union greater then six ponies must be necessary... but I'll leave that part to the Mayor for now and take his advice in the mean time; let's focus on saving these boys. Thankfully, there's still a large number of ponies remaining willing to help with just that. For those still here, preparations to depart are now underway; saddles are being stuffed with supplies and makeshift weapons are being distributed into every hoof, wing, chompers, and magic aura willing to accept them. Stealthily I leave the stage while everypony is preoccupied, using my minuscule stature to sink into the crowd and move through it without anypony being the wiser. Sneaking through, I navigate my way towards the Apple Family’s group and try to locate Red Gala. Let’s see… where are yo- “BUT AH WANNA GO!!” A high pitched scream jerks my head to the left and aids me in finding my big red friend. In front of her is a clearly upset Apple Buck, crying his little head off. “Big bros in there!” he explains through his whimpers, as if it would magically allow him to go. “W-we can’t lose him, Red!” “Eeyup,” Gala states crossly, glaring angrily at the younger pony. “Ah have to save him!” “Nnooooooppppeee!” the usually stoic pony shouts forcefully, causing her younger sibling to flinch back. “B-b-but,” Apple Buck tries to justify himself one more time, only for his words to get caught in his throat. As a result, he sniffs out weakly, “Ah can’t lose you too...” Softening her expression, Red Gala leans closer to the smaller pony and kisses him gently on the forehead. “Nnope,” she smiles weakly to her brother, trying her best to reassure him. “And you never will.” “Come along, dear,” adds in a rickety old voice. Apple Buck turns around and spots an elderly green stallion shuffling slowly up to the group. “Leave your sister to her work.” “But-” “Butters Buckington Apple!” Grandpa Smith warns gruffly, pointing an aged hoof at his face. “No butts from you, mister! Don’t make me double your chores for tomorrow!” The threat seems to have merit, as Apple Buck recoils at the mere suggestion like he was just slapped. With ears wilting, the small sad pony gloomily follows his elder away from the gathering. He spares his sister one last glance before he departs. “Please come back, Big Sis.” Before she could even reply, the crowd shifts and churns abruptly. This results in the early separation of the two siblings completely. Red Gala exhales depressingly to herself upon discovering that she's now well and truly alone. I decide that this is probably the best time for me to enter the scene. “Hey,” I wave, making myself known. “... Howdy,” she replies, though it’s clear that her heart isn’t in it. “Heading into the forest I see,” I comment, trying to change the subject. “Eeyup,” she nods, still staring at the spot where Apple Buck had disappeared from. “... You know that this line is for the first group to go in, right?” “Eeyup.” “It’s going to be dangerous.” “Eeyup.” “Lots of deadly creatures in there.” “Eeyup.” “Lots of deadly flora.” “Eeyup.” “The Nightterror might even show up.” “Eeyup.” “You might get hurt…” “Eeyup.” “Which is why I’m going with you.” “Eey-” she starts to say, but a quick double-take kills the words right out of her mouth. She simply stares at me after that. I stare right back. “... Nnope,” Red Gala finally responds, shaking her head. Well too bad, Red. I already made my decision long ago. Reaching out with my claws, I grip hard onto Gala’s long orange mane as it waves back and forth, and then I use that momentum to fling myself onto her back. I next wrap my arms and legs around her yoke and hold on for dear life. “B-barb,” the farm pony grunts as she tries to shake me off. “Nnope nnope nnope!!” “Red,” I try to squeak out as I’m given an experience not unlike a bull ride. “Nnope!” “Just l-listen.” “Nnope!” “Please.” “Nnope!” “Listen to me!” “NNOP-” FWOOSH!! A burst of my emerald dragon fire, streaking across her vision, at long last grants me the results I’m looking for. It finally shuts up the most aggressively untalkative pony I’ve ever met. “Now listen and listen good,” I roar, not playing nice anymore. Hot green smoke leaks past my lips as I tell her whats what. “I am going into that forest tonight, understand? I am a walking, talking, flamethrower for Solaris sake! You need me, Red.” Clearly upset, Red Gala tries argue further but I cut her off yet again. “You need me so that I can help you bring your family home!” I point out, going for the metaphorical jugular. “You’re going to let me come and watch your back, so that you don’t disappoint Apple Buck by not coming back at all!” Red Gala’s struggles against me ends with this line. “I know you well enough by now, Red,” I growl, yanking one of her ears so as to turn her head. “I can see it in your eyes; you don’t give a flying feather about the Mayor’s restrictions! You’re probably going to stay in that forest as long as you can, until you find your little brother.” My friend is unable to deny these claims, so instead she remains silent. “... Which is why you’re going to let me come with you,” I finish as I let go of her ear. “Because I want to save my friends and family just as badly as you. And, yes; by friends I mean you too, hay for brains. Capisce?” Though my overall grip starts slacking, I do not find myself being suddenly thrust off my unwilling steed’s back. She contemplates my words with her head down, mulling them over and clearly struggling… ... until with one last sigh she relents. “Fine,” is her answer. “But you’re not to leave my back, ya hear?!” “Understood,” I confirm with a nod of my head. “GROUP ONE WILL BE DEPARTING SOON!” comes a beige colored pony's voice from the front of our pack. “FINISH UP YOUR PREPARATIONS AND BEGIN TO LINE UP! GRAB YOUR PARTNERS, EVERYPONY!” Us two ladies turn our heads to face one another upon hearing this. With a unified nod, we confirm that we’re both ready as can be. Red Gala shuffles off, with me displayed proudly on her back, towards where we’re supposed to gather. A few ponies give us odd looks as we pass, most likely due to my presence, but nopony tries to stop us or tell me that I couldn’t go so I ignore them all. My eyes are set on the road ahead, the one that leads to the Everfree’s entrance, and nothing more. “GROUP ONE DEPARTS IN THREE MINUTES!!” orders the lead earth pony for our gathering one last time, turning to face forward. He brings a whistle to his lips. “Let’s get my brother back, little buddy,” proclaims my usually quiet friend. Her words are meant to convey a sense of importance, a sense of urgency… but I know they are meant just as much as a source of encouragement for herself as they did for me. I offer a small grunt of acknowledgment, and an equally tiny declaration of “Yeah,” in response. My words are filled with the same sense of finality as Red Gala’s own. The two of us are of one mind in this instance. “And let’s get my Dusk back, Red,” I command, the fire evident in my eyes and in my voice. Hell or high water, we're both going to get our families back this night. With a snort of amusement over the situation she finds herself in, and probably over how serious my tone sounds despite my young voice; Red Gala rears up and shouts towards the heavens, for all the ponies gathered, a resounding war-cry of “EEYUP!!” With that, alongside other brave townsfolk and a loud shrill whistle blow, the two of us charge towards the Everfree Forest, heedless of our own safety. The sun rises in the east as we do, blessing our noble quest with its glow. Our stampede can be heard throughout the entire town, vibrating windows and kicking up dirt in our wake. We are like a unified army, galloping into the light. As we pass the marketpla- ... … Wait Rewind that. What… what did I just say a second ago?? Our frontal momentum stops all together as other ponies start to notice this oddity as well. We all turn our heads skywards in unison… … towards the rising sun. My jaw hits the floor alongside countless others. Many of us rub our eyes, many others smack or ask for their partners to pinch them... but it's true. It's all true. Dawn has risen, and the morning is approaching. ... All eyes next turn towards the Mayor. His poker face is almost as good as Gala’s. “... Raindasher!” he calls out a moment later to the nearest pegasus pony he can spot. “Give me a status report of the forest!” “R-right,” cries out the light blue stallion with the white mane in response. With a flap of his wings the pony disappears from sight as he flies over the many buildings of Ponyville. A few minutes pass before he returns in an excited frenzy. “I can see a magic beacon being cast out from the forest!” he happily reports, raising the spirits of everyone present. “It's in the shape of the Prince's cutie mark!” The eyes of the guard ponies left in the crowd grow into the size of saucers at this. Before anything more can be said, each one mobilizes into action by galloping back to their stations for further instructions. For the pegasus guards, this means taking to the air and heading towards this beacon as fast as they could alongside deploying Wonderbolts. The stragglers can be seen carrying a number of empty golden chariots with them, just in case. As more and more soldiers forcefully push their way through the crowds, and as the sun's rays wash us clean from on high, whispers can't help but be spread as theory after theory is thrown out… … but this only lasts for the span of a moment; long enough for Raindasher's next report. It is short, but oh so sweet. "I can see eight ponies!" he shares in glee, letting us all know the fruits of the guard's extraction efforts. "They all look fine!" And with that the crowd's whispers are swiftly replaced with bombastic cheers instead. Nopony wonders about this eighth pony, because nopony cares. All we care about is the other seven. “Well… Change of plans, everypony,” enthusiastically calls out the Mayor, the relief clear in his being. His grin shines brighter then the sun itself. “Let’s get this town ready for the return of Prince Solaris and our friends!!” “YYYYEEEEAAAAHHH!!!” roars a slender, white coated pegasus mare at the top of her lungs. Many more voices join her shortly thereafter... with Red Gala’s and my own being the loudest of all. ... Pretty sure nopony noticed us also bawling our eyes out and hugging each other too… … or at least I hope nopony did. Faster than what I could ever hope to process, streamers and confetti fill my vision as the entire town transforms itself into the same beacon of joy and laughter I had originally found it to be. Music blares as ponies bask in the returned sun’s light, and as children run through the streets unaccompanied for the first time in days. I am soon among their numbers as I depart from Red Gala's side and dash between pony legs aplenty. I push myself hastily through the crowds, to the center of where they’re gathering, in the hopes of catching the sight of the descending golden chariots. My heart leaps out of my chest as I hear a familiar peppy voice cry out cheerfully, “A party!” and the result is the instinctual doubling of my efforts. I trip and fall on several occasions, but I get back up each time with renewed haste. Finally, after a wait that was realistically only a couple of minutes but felt to me like an eternity, I aggressively breach the forest of legs, rubber band my head all around… … and triumphantly lock green eyes with purple. My tears burn hot as I dash forward and wrap my arms around the owner's body the best I can. With tears of his own, a tired Dusk Shine returns the embrace just as lovingly. . ~In another time; in another place~ “Let’s get my sister back, little buddy,” proclaimed the usually quiet stallion. His words were meant to convey a sense of importance, a sense of urgency… but they were meant just as much as a source of encouragement for himself as they did for his rider. The being who sat upon his back offered a small grunt of acknowledgment, and an equally tiny declaration of “Yeah,” in response. Though not even a third of the size of his steed, the drake’s words were filled with the same sense of finality as Big Macintosh's own. The two were of one mind in this instance. “And let’s get my Twilight back, Mac,” commanded Spike, the fire evident in his eyes and in his voice. Hell or high water, they were both getting their families back this night. With a snort of amusement over the situation he had found himself in, and for the young boy’s serious tone; Big Mac rears up and shouts towards the heavens, for all the ponies gathered, a resounding war-cry of “EEYUP!!” With that, alongside other brave townsfolk and a loud shrill whistle blow, both the dragon and the stallion charged towards the Everfree Forest, heedless of their own safety. … And then the sun rose high into the morning sky.