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// 4 Just Like Old Times 
// Story: A Hearth's Warming to Remember 
// by Bronyxy 
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About an hour and a half later, the Royal Sisters wearing battle armour dismounted Luna’s chariot and strode towards the main entrance to the Castle of Friendship while a large contingent of Bat Ponies and Thestrals landed soundlessly within the castle grounds.

Luna led her sister up the stairs leading to the main door of the castle and was met by Rarity rushing to welcome her.
“I could not bear to be parted from you” said Luna light-heartedly, although there was a large slice of truth behind her greeting.
“My, darling” replied Rarity, admiring her marefriend’s battle armour “The look is a little severe, but you carry it off so well!”
Celestia stood back while the two lovers kissed briefly before announcing her presence too.
“Celestia” greeted Rarity, giving her sister-in-law a hug “When Luna said ‘we’, I thought she was speaking in olde Canterlot; I hadn’t realised she meant that you would both be coming.”
“I’m afraid to say the situation is potentially that serious” replied Celestia.
“Oh, and I really like your armour too” Rarity commented as an afterthought.
Celestia smiled; only her sister-in-law could look at battle armour and think of it in terms of a fashion statement!

“Princesses!” called out Twilight, emerging from a door at the other side of the entrance hall, “Would you like to come through?”
“May we bring our senior officers, so they can brief the guards?”
“Of course, Princess” replied Twilight, “We have plenty of room in here for a briefing.”
A Thestral stationed respectfully at the doorway acknowledged and led a dozen guard’s officers through to join their Princesses.
“Come, follow me” invited Rarity, and the Royal Sisters fell in as she led them through to where the others were waiting.

Once the Princesses and their senior officers were seated, Twilight began the briefing, explaining what had happened with The Dazzlings during the Battle of the Bands. She then went on to describe the events on the train earlier in the evening drawing on support from Rarity and Sweetie Belle who sang the siren’s song that she had heard.

“Twilight?” Luna enquired, “Your knowledge of the sirens is more recent than ours. I propose to take you up on your offer of leading us where you can.”
“Thank you Luna” she acknowledged, “I suggest we start searching where the suspects were last seen entering the Everfree, and hope we can follow their tracks to find them. We beat the sirens during the Battle of the Bands by singing together as friends using the Magic of Friendship. I’m not sure what to do this time.”
“Could you bring together the other Element Bearers?” asked Celestia.
“Yes, that’s a good idea, but we would need somepony who knows how to look after animals or we wouldn’t be able to spring Fluttershy. Do you have anypony among your guards?”
“I have somepony in my platoon who may be able to help” replied one of the officers. Two others also offered possible animal lovers, so Luna requested all candidates be mustered to follow Twilight to Fluttershy’s Cottage where the most appropriate could take over her duties. Twilight and Rarity divided up which of their friends each would rouse, and Rarity set off first to find Pinkie Pie and Applejack while Twilight waited for the three guards to arrive before going to round up her two Pegasi friends.

Once the three guards had reported, Twilight took them to see Fluttershy and knocked on her door. Harry the bear answered and grunted a smile of recognition at the lilac alicorn, then looked sideways at the Bat Ponies, sniffed the air, growled a little, shrugged his shoulders and went to fetch his mistress. The demure primrose pegasus stuck her head tentatively round the door shortly afterwards.

“Oh hello Twilight, I was just in the middle of putting the critters to bed and reading bedtime stories. How can I help?”
“Sorry about the time Fluttershy, but we’ve got a bit of an emergency and could really use your support. I’ve brought some trusted friends along, and I was hoping you could choose one or even all of them to stand in for you?
“Oh, I don’t know about that. The critters are very sensitive and I know exactly what each one wants. Can’t we do this tomorrow?”
“Uh, no. Sorry about this. Do you remember we researched the sirens that Star Swirl the Bearded banished a thousand years ago and suddenly appeared at Canterlot High School …?”
“Oh yes, they sounded awful ...”
“Well, I think we’ve got some of our very own and I believe we stand the best chance by taking them on using the Elements of Harmony.”
“Oh. Oh I see …”

“Sooooo” said Twilight awkwardly, “How would you like to meet my animal loving friends?”
“Just so long as they’re nice and kind, then they can come in” acquiesced Fluttershy reluctantly, “I don’t want them frightening my critters.”
She pulled the door a little further open and her visitors traipsed in under Harry’s watchful eye.
“Oh” whispered Fluttershy as an aside to Twilight once she had a close look at the Bat Ponies, “They don’t drink blood, do they?”
“No Fluttershy” reassured Twilight, “And I’m pretty sure they won’t eat any of your critters either.”

“Oh. Oh I see …” repeated Fluttershy moving closer to Twilight and suddenly becoming more assertive, “Because if they do, I’ll get to hear about it!”
Twilight was taken aback at her friend’s sudden change in character and hoped they were as trustworthy as she had promised.
“Gooood” said Twilight, giving her friend a distinctly uncomfortable smile and then adding optimistically, “We’re good to go then?”
As Fluttershy fixed her with a stare, Twilight felt the corner of her eye begin to twitch and hoped her friend hadn’t noticed.
Once Fluttershy turned to assess the suitability of her babysitters, Twilight stayed frozen for a moment with the faux smile starched in place, an expression that looked so insincere, if not downright creepy, that it made a pair of otters tumble over each other as they ran for safety.

Although dwarfed by the three strangers, Fluttershy was on a roll, motivated by her protective nature towards her critters, especially as it was their bedtime and they were at their most vulnerable. She ripped into each of the three in turn, asking tougher and tougher questions, her eyes bulging as she pointed and prodded with her forehoof, making the points she felt needed to be made. Forcefully.

By the time she had finished, each of the Bat Ponies was quivering, their initial impressions of this petite pegasus having been totally inverted.
“They’ll do” she confirmed sweetly to an open-mouthed Twilight, who was unable to do anything except stare at the emotional destruction she had unleashed.
“Okayyyy” said Twilight still reeling internally, before turning to the guards and confirming “You’ll be alright here will you?”
They stared back, their eyes begging her to take her friend with her so they could start to rebuild their lives, even if it meant reading stories to injured hedgehogs all night long. Harry saw the two friends to the door and bade them farewell with a wave of his paw, before turning his scrutiny to the three pressganged volunteers inside.

Twilight next flew on to Rainbow Dash’s Cloudominium, apprehensive of what she may find.  She knew Rainbow worked hard and liked to play just as hard too, and although she had heard the same rumours that everypony else had, she wasn't entirely sure what form her friend's relaxation took, and had never wanted to ask. Feeling more than a little awkward, she gripped tightly onto what courage she could muster and knocked tentatively on the door, praying that her friend wasn't in the middle of anything too personal. Before her heart had the opportunity to skip another beat, a familiar voice rang out from inside, "C’mon in. Door’s open.”

Twilight obliged and walked in to find Rainbow kicking back with two Persian blue mares she recognised from the Wonderbolts; Flitter and Cloud Chaser. They were all chilling out with a selection of wine and cider bottles lying casually around, bearing testimony to the fact that they had clearly been going some time already. The two Wonderbolts were seated close together on the sofa while Rainbow was stretched out languidly on the floor, a mixture of full and empty bottles of cider within easy reach.

“Oh, hey Twi” she greeted with a nonchalant wave of her forehoof, “Want to come join us? There’s plenty of cider to go round. Oh wait, let me guess, you’re more of a wine mare?”
“Just like me” said Flitter eyeing up the new arrival and squeezing a little closer to Cloud Chaser before patting a spare place next to her on the sofa.

Something told Twilight that she was definitely imposing far further than she had intended into Rainbow’s personal space. It wasn’t any shock that she felt, but just a severe sense of embarrassment that she was here to drag her away from whatever well-earned relaxation she may have had in mind with her friends.

“So what’s happenin’ Twi? Books out of order on the shelves again?” she chuckled, shooting her friend a crooked smile.
“Um, no” she replied, awkwardness rising inside her, “It’s just something we found in one of those books a little time back. Remember the sirens?”
“Yeah, they sounded pretty awesome in a scary sort of way. You sorted them out in that other world you travel to, didn’t you?”

The two Persian blue mares now started looking at Twilight in a new light; as expert fliers, they automatically assessed every pony with wings by their own flying standards and although Twilight had wings, it was obvious to every pegasus that her flying ability was barely beyond that of a filly. However, she was a Princess with a reputation for sorting out wrong-doers and would be sure to have a lot of interesting stories to tell, especially if she travelled to other worlds too. They stared up at her in rapt attention, their eyes begging her to stay.

“Well, I’m truly sorry to have to ask you right at this moment ...” she agonised.
“… but you want me to come and save the day, don’t you?” replied Rainbow.
“Well … um … yes … rather …” she smiled awkwardly.
“OK Twi, why didn’t you just come out with it? Rainbow Awesome Dash is at your service!”
“But we do look forward to seeing you again Princess Twilight” said Cloud Chaser as Flitter nodded in agreement.
“Thank you Ladies” replied Twilight, who was still not at ease being referred to by her proper title even though it was well meant, “Another time I’m afraid. So sorry to bust up your evening.”
“No problem - we understand” replied Flitter with a palpable hint of sadness in her voice.
“OK Twi, let’s go kick some butt!” exclaimed Rainbow who had managed to convert from fully relaxed to fully alert in a matter of a few short seconds.
They said their farewells, Rainbow assuring her houseguests that they were welcome to stay while she went off to save the universe.

As they flew back to the Castle of Friendship, Twilight kept apologising for taking Rainbow away from her friends, but all the cyan pegasus wanted to know was what was going on with the sirens and how she could give them a sound kicking. Had the flight been any longer, Twilight’s curiosity would have overcome her reserve to ask about Flitter and Cloud Chaser, but that question and indeed the answer would have to wait for another day as they lined up to land at the castle’s main entrance.

They walked in together to find everypony discussing strategy and tactics, and Twilight took the opportunity to get the four newly arrived Element Bearers up to speed with what was happening; Rainbow getting increasingly enthusiastic while Fluttershy became progressively more apprehensive. 

Once she had finished, she made a beeline for the Royal Sisters who were at the centre of the planning process and confirmed the Element Bearers were mustered and briefed.
“Very well” confirmed Celestia, “I believe we are ready to go. Would you care to give a final briefing please, Luna?”
“Thank you Sister” concurred Luna facing the assembled officers and Twilight, 
“Phase 1: Those guards providing air cover to get airborne immediately.
Phase 2: Twilight to lead the chariot to its first destination, Celestia and I will also accompany the chariot.
Phase 3: Those guards tasked with providing ground support take off immediately the chariot is airborne.
Phase 4: One unit of ground support to land where indicated by Twilight and secure the area.
Phase 5: Chariot to land and Element Bearers to conduct their business. All guards not in the unit designated to secure the area to continue flying air patrols; air cover units high, ground support units low.
Phase 6: Once the Element Bearers have conducted their business, the chariot takes off, followed immediately by the ground unit.
Phase 7: The specialist Thestral trackers break off in groups of two to scour the area for the sirens accompanied by units of air cover and ground support while the chariot circles accompanied by four units each of air cover and ground support.
Thank you and good luck!”

Immediately, the officers turned and left to relay the plan to their guards, followed closely by the Royal Sisters, while Twilight strode over to the other Element Bearers.
“Right girls, follow me” she ordered, leaving no room for dissent.

As they stepped out into the chilling air, they could see guards already taking off in formation and flying criss-cross patterns across the sky as they climbed to altitude. Celestia and Luna were talking to the charioteers and as Twilight drew closer she ordered, “Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity, into the chariot; Rainbow and Fluttershy with me up front.”

Twilight turned to look at Luna, waiting for her to confirm that the air cover was in position before she could start. After a few minutes, Luna looked in her direction and nodded.
“OK girls” she announced, “Here we go!”
Twilight sprang into the air flanked by Rainbow and Fluttershy while the chariot built up speed behind them, flanked by Luna and Celestia providing the best possible cover to protect the high value Element Bearers.
She looked behind to confirm that everything was in order behind her and saw the chariot following on with her three friends in and the last remaining Night Guard units rising to join them in a high value aerial armada protected on all sides.

It wasn’t a long journey, but walking it, especially with the necessary guard support would have cost valuable time they didn’t have. It wasn’t long before they saw the Castle of the Two Sisters rising up as Twilight’s reference point, indicating the start of her descent into the Everfree. She lined up next to a small winding canyon and signalled she was about to break formation before flying down to do a touch and go, indicating where she wanted the chariot to land, in a clear space next to the canyon rim. She rose up again and rejoined the chariot as it circled, watching the allocated Night Guard unit land and spread out, securing the area.

Next, the chariot made its descent and landed safely where she had indicated, and she followed it down with her pegasus friends, lining up next to the chariot and flaring so perfectly that her legs barely felt the landing, desperately wishing that Rainbow had seen her improved flying skills.
“Hey, good landing Twi” conceded the familiar rasping voice she longed to hear at that precise moment, and felt her cheeks colour up with the praise as she turned to face her rainbow maned friend, offering a shy smile.
“I credit your highly talented teacher!” declared the extravert weather pony with a cheeky smile.
“I’d have to agree” confirmed the novice alicorn, returning her friend’s smile.

Twilight turned back to watch as the last of the Element Bearers stepped out of the chariot.
“Right girls, we all know the way” she declared, directing the earthbound ponies to the stairs in the canyon wall while the three winged ponies flew down to the glowing mouth of the Cave of Harmony and looked inside at the silvery splendour of the Tree of Harmony. As the Bearer of the Element of Magic, Twilight knelt in front of the tree and gave thanks, requesting she and her friends may be able to borrow the Elements, but promising to return them at the first opportunity. The tree seemed to understand her and that such a request would not be made lightly, so when she reached out with her aura, it released its magical hold on the bright magenta six point star and mounted it into her tiara, placing it on her head. Then it released each of the other Elements in turn, returning them to their Bearers in their golden necklaces. Twilight remained a moment longer to offer thanks and keep peace with the tree before rising to join her friends and make their way back to the chariot.

They took off once more and watched as the Thestral trackers set off in expanding circles trying to get the first whiff of creatures that had not knowingly been seen in Equestria in a thousand years. They had little to go on, but the stakes were high; their motives were unlikely to be benign, and the longer they were left unchecked, the more powerful they would become.