//------------------------------// // Wherein There's a Little Soul Searching // Story: Filly Fantasy VI - The Return of Magic // by The Wyld Stallynz //------------------------------// The skies around the Paradise were clear, not a bird or scary dark alicorn in sight. The airship resumed its course towards Neighshe, coasting by on the agreeable winds. Minutes turned to hours and the land below sped past. At her station, Marble Pie busied herself with scanning the ground, looking for anything notable. A dark shape stood out as the airship passed by and she motioned for Pinkie to come over, pointing at the landscape below. “What's up?” Pinkie asked, looking at where Marble was pointing. She cocked her head at the medieval style castle that sat all alone with no signs of life surrounding it. “Huh, don't remember that place.” “It's Domare.” Both Pinkie and Marble yelped, swinging around to see Shining Armor standing next to them. He looked down on the abandoned castle, his gaze forlorn. “That's your home, right?” Pinkie said. Shining nodded. “It was.” Pinkie fell silent, puffing out her cheeks. She looked back and forth between Shining and the castle, her head becoming a blur until Marble reached over and held it place. “Um, do you wanna visit it?” Sighing, Shining wrenched his gaze away. “I probably shouldn't. It's all bad memories anyway.” A cry of delight drew their attention. Autumn Blaze was leaning over the railing a short way down, Spotter laying on her back. The colt pointed down at the castle, a joyful smile on his muzzle. “That's where I grew up! See that tower? My room’s at the top!” “Amazing!” Autumn’s long tail swished in delight. “The only thing in the esper world to top that is the Crystal Palace.” “Hey, let's go down and see it!” Spotter twisted his head until he found his dad. He waved at him. “Hey! Land so I can show Autumn around.” Shining Armor walked over, an apologetic smile already forming. “Sorry, Spot, we don't have the time.” “Ah, but I'm bored! I wanna do something than lay down all the time.” Autumn gave him a shrewd look. “Oh? I recall you trying to sneak out so you could pester the chocobos for candy.” “You promised not to tell!” “I promised nothing. You just asked me not to tell.” She stuck her tongue out playfully. Pouting, Spotter readied himself to argue further but Shining beat him to it. “Spotter, we really shouldn't. There might still be poison in the water. I wish things were different, but we gotta focus on Discord.” Shining patted his sullen son on the head and turned to leave. Zecora stood in his way, evoking a high pitched whinny of surprise from the stallion. Spotter and Autumn snickered behind him. Zecora bowed her head. “Actually, I would like to visit your home as well. It would allow me check the water and get off this airship for a spell.” Shining Armor blinked. “What?” “She said she's getting air sick and wants an excuse to get off,” Autumn said, smiling slyly. “Oh.” Pinkie Pie grinned and hopped over to the wheel. “That settles it. Let's check it out!” She began the landing cycle, picking out a suitable spot and descended. The change in altitude did not go unnoticed. “Why are we landing?” came Trixie’s voice as she trotted up on deck. “Is there something wrong?” “Nope! Just making a pit stop.” “We’re going to see my room!” Spotter helpfully supplied. Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Trixie thinks there are a few steps missing here.” A few minutes later, Trixie was filled in on the plan. She huffed just as the Paradise made landfall. “Well, seems you timed this just right so that Trixie couldn't put the kibosh on this. Fine, you can go, but as soon as you're off, we're continuing on to Neighshe. We'll pick you up on the way back.” “Deal,” Shining said. “I'll go with ‘em.” Everypony turned to see Applejack trotting up to them. “It'll be better with some more numbers. Ya never know if Discord’s left a nasty surprise behind. Besides, last time I was at Domare I was a prisoner, so this gives me the chance to see it all proper like.” Shining Armor grimaced and looked away. “Whatever, fine,” Trixie said, shooing them away towards the gangplank. Minutes later, the small troupe of Returners disembarked and watched as the Paradise lifted off and sped away. Once the airship was a dot in the sky, they headed towards the castle. It only took a few minutes for them to reach their first hurdle. “Dad, are those…” Spotter swallowed. “Headstones?” Shining didn’t answer. He walked up to the nearest stone, noticing that the ground near it was raised a bit. Stubs of grass grew irregularly over the raised part, indicating that it was more recent than the ground around it. Lifting his head, he gazed over the landscape, counting over a hundred tombstones. None had names etched into them. “This was a mistake,” Shining said, his voice hitching. “W-we shouldn’t have come h-here.” He turned and looked to his companions, keeping his back to the mass graveyard. “We need to leave.” “But to where?” Autumn asked, pointing a hoof over her shoulder. “Our ride just left.” “We’ll make camp in the woods over—” The ground next to Shining Armor erupted, a decayed hoof bursting out and reaching for him. With a strangled cry, Shining unsheathed his sword and lopped the hoof off, the limb sailing through the air and landing several hooves away. It began to twitch, wiggling its way back towards him. That quickly became the least of their concerns as all around them, dead bodies began to pull themselves out of the earth and shamble towards them. A collection of ponies, chocobos, and griffons wearing Domare uniforms and Imperial armor filled their ranks. Zecora followed after Shining and twirled her own blade, creating a column of heat that incinerated anything not living. “Such horrors of neither flight or fancy; to use the dark magic of necromancy!” “This way!” Applejack cried out. She shot an aurabolt through a group of undead, completely obliterating them and creating an opening for her to run through. “Keep close! Get to the castle!” The others followed her lead, Shining and Zecora cutting down anything that got close while Autumn carried Spotter. A running battle commenced, even after they cleared the graveyard. Uncountable undead rose out of every dead bush and grimy hole. Applejack lost count of how many she kicked or blasted, her sights locked on the looming form of Domare. Just as they reached the iron gates, her senses screamed at her to move. Applejack dove out of the way in time for a metal colossus to crash down from the castle ramparts. She twisted and cursed to see a magitek suit adjust its position, its iron maw opening to expel heated death. Applejack tensed and jumped up, a powerful fire beam singeing her tail hairs. Coming down from her leap, she aimed herself for the cockpit, touching down and ready to clobber the pilot. To her dismay and confusion, it was empty. The magitek thrashed and bucked in an attempt to throw off the pony mounting it. Applejack held on to what she could while the undead below were crushed and trampled by the machine’s wild lashing. So focused on keeping her hold, she missed Shining Armor rushing in below. Moments later came the sounds of metal being ripped to shreds, parts and plating flying off the magitek in huge chunks. A rush of wind blew her mane back, followed by the magitek giving a mighty shudder before collapsing into a heap. The giant mecha gave one last twitch and then lay still. Applejack waited a few more seconds before hopping down. Her reprieve didn’t last as more undead came barreling towards them, unfazed by the loss of their magitek. Shining and Zecora did their best to fight them off but the sheer number of foes pushed them back. Soon, they would be completely overwhelmed. Letting out a fierce cry, Applejack bucked, her powerful legs striking the gates of the castle. The heavy double iron doors swung open as though they didn’t weigh anything at all. “Inside!” Applejack hollered. Autumn Blaze and Spotter ran in first. Moments later, the magic sustaining Autumn faded out, causing Spotter to flop down onto the ground. Applejack couldn’t spare the time to help him up, too busy kicking away any undead that got close to the entrance. “Hurry, ya idgits!” Out on the battlefield, Shining scooped up Zecora in his levitation and dashed for the castle. His magic flared again, creating a protective cone over the path to the entrance. Undead beat against the shield on all sides, creating a cacophony that rang Shining’s ears. The moment he passed through the gates he shut off his magic, allowing the undead freedom to attack. That is until Applejack kicked the doors back into place, then pressed her back hooves against them. The entire horde of undead pushed back, the force growing by the second. Applejack gritted her teeth, her front hooves slowly sliding against the ground. “I could use some help here!” Zecora answered the call. She twirled her crystal sword, creating a zone of intense heat around the blade until it glowed red hot. Running forward, she leapt up into the air, bringing her sword down between the doors of the gates. The sword partially melted through the metal, cooling down rapidly as the sword passed. Once Zecora reached the bottom the doors were already melding together. With one final push from Applejack, the doors slammed completely shut. Seconds later, the gates no longer needed her as the two iron doors were now sealed together. Applejack stepped away. The gates held even as the monsters outside rammed against it, the metal clanging but not yielding. Heaving a sigh, Applejack turned to her friends. “Everypony all right?” She received a few nods, though their eyelids were heavy and ears pinned back. “Guess we’ll need to wait it out until the others get back. We should check around to make sure nothing else is hidin’ here.” No sooner had she said that when Shining Armor let out a pained moan and fell to his knees. His sword clattered to the ground as his magic sputtered out. “Dad!” Spotter got up despite the protests to his back and ran up to Shining. “What’s wrong?” Before Spotter’s eyes, Shining Armor’s coat began to take on a green tint. Applejack and Zecora rushed up to him, checking him over with potions at the ready. It wasn’t long until they found a bite wound on his back leg oozing sickly green liquid. Applejack reached to pour a potion over it but Zecora held her back. “This is more than a potion can cure. It will need a special brew, this I am sure.” “What’s happening to him?” Spotter asked as he held his gasping father’s head in his hooves. “He’s becoming one of them, isn’t he?” Applejack said. Zecora confirmed with a nod. “What do you need?” Zecora made to speak but a hacking cough from Shining interrupted her. “He’s not going to make it!” Spotter wailed. Applejack took hold of Spotter, making the colt look her in the eyes. “Do you know where the infirmary is? We’ll check there for anything that can help.” “I told you he won’t make it!” Spotter slipped from Applejack’s grasp and stood over his panting father. “I gotta save him now! Autumn, please help!” “Wait, you gotta rest before—!” Too late, as Spotter’s cutie mark and horn began to shimmer and magic sprang forth from his body. Applejack and Zecora recoiled from the sudden light. Through squinted eyes, they saw Autumn Blaze’s form appear over Shining Armor’s body. The kirin closed her eyes and a wave of green magic washed over the stallion. The next instant she faded away. Spotter let out a shuddering breath, then fell over. .o.O.o. “I’m never going to get over this magic stuff.” Applejack finished tucking in Spotter in an empty bed they had found in what she presumed was the infirmary, given the abundance of beds and cabinets with rags and gauze. Shining Armor lay in a bed next to him, his complexion improved. Whatever Autumn was able to do, it had stabilized his condition. Zecora confirmed that he wasn’t completely healed, though, and was now rummaging around to find anything she could use to complete the job. As far as either could tell, the castle was abandoned. No monsters harassed them as they searched the castle and none had made it through the sealed gates. The Empire had done what it had promised to do and cleaned up all the poison before pulling out. Now the castle was completely empty, save for the three ponies and zebra resting within its walls. “So what now?” Applejack asked to her only remaining conscious companion. Zecora paused in her search for ingredients, a small pile of potential items stacked on a counter nearby. “I suggest we rest while there’s still time. There may be more battles to come and we’ll need to be in our prime.” “Great…” Yawning, Applejack walked over to the door and checked to make sure it was locked. “Well, since you’re still looking for stuff, mind if I snooze for a while?” “That would be wise. I will stay awake and look for supplies.” “Thanks.” With no further preamble, Applejack climbed into an empty bed. Within minutes, she was fast asleep. .o.O.o. “Oooohhhh, they all look so delicious. I don’t know where to start!” “Idiot. The choice is obvious. We go for the male.” “Umm, not that I’m picky, but he’s kinda tiny, isn’t he?” “Not that one, doofus! The big one!” “Both of you, shut up! You’re going to wake them up.” Applejack mumbled and stirred in bed, blearily blinking her eyes open. “Zecora, izzat you?” “Shoot, I told you! Hurry and dive!” In an instant, Applejack fully woke up and sprung out of her bed. Her head whipped around but she didn’t have to search long to find the strange voices. Three creatures hovered over the beds, their appearance a combination of dragon and fish. Hard scales covered their bodies while long tails ending in fins lashed about in the air. A larger transparent fin sprouted from their backs. Their dragon like snouts also had smaller fins where their ears were located, but the rows of sharp teeth within their clenched mouths where far from fish like. A pair of legs ending in cloven hooves dangled from their torsos. Each was colored differently: one blue, one purple, and one yellow. The yellow one reared back and dove for Shining Armor. “This stallion’s soul is ours!” Before Applejack’s shocked eyes, the creature flashed and disappeared within Shining’s body. “This stallion’s soul is ours!” the red one proclaimed next, diving into Shining like the one before it. “This stallion’s soul is—ouch!” The blue one flinched back from Applejack’s flying kick, shrinking back from the pony. “Hey, you broke the trend!” “The hay are you?!” Applejack roared. From the corner of her eye, she could see Spotter and Zecora rousing from their slumber, but she kept her glare on the blue creature. “What are you doing to him?!” The creature waved one of her cloven hooves at her. “Oh, chill out, would you? We’re just going to feast on his soul. It’s what we sirens do.” “What?!” Spotter lit up his horn, the beginnings of a spell forming. “Sorry, can’t stay and chat!” With that, the siren rose up and zipped around the room faster than anypony could track. However, everypony knew where she would end up. As one, Applejack, Spotter, and Zecora launched themselves at Shining Armor, each latching onto the siren as she dove for the stallion. Unfortunately, her momentum was so great that the ponies and zebra were pulled in along with her, disappearing from the room in a flash of light. .o.O.o. “Spot…” Spotter squeezed his shut eyes tighter, shaking his head to and fro. “Spot.” “Go away…” Spot mumbled. “Sleeping.” “Spot! Wake up!” “What?” Spotter yawned and opened his eyes, blinking the weariness from them. Autumn Blaze stared down at him, her muzzle etched with worry. He felt her hoof on his side, followed by his body shaken by that hoof. “Leave me alone.” Autumn narrowed her eyes and shook him harder. “No, you have to get up. Now!” “Okay, okay.” Groggily, Spotter pushed himself up, giving a mighty yawn. “I’m up. Happy?” “No.” Autumn grabbed his cheeks and twisted his head to the side. “Look around you.” Spotter’s sleepiness rapidly faded away as he took in his surroundings. The sky was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Instead of the gentle blue of a sunny day, all around a kaleidoscope of colors twisted, undulated, and swelled. It was hard to stare at any one spot as nothing remained still. The sight made him dizzy so he wrenched his gaze away to stare below himself. He blinked, seeing himself standing on white tiled flooring, its sturdiness and unchanging stature completely at odds with the chaos everywhere else. Looking back up, he searched Autumn’s face. “Where are we?” “Not a clue. Last thing I remember was casting regenerate on your dad. Next thing I’m here with you next to me.” Spotter shook his head. “Wait, how are you here? I shouldn’t have enough magic yet to summon you.” Shrugging, Autumn said, “Sorry, Spot. I don’t have any answers for ya. What’s the last thing you remember?” Spotter cocked his head, his brow furrowing. He suddenly jerked, his eyes wild. “Dad! Something was after my dad! I tried to stop it but then everything went weird and now I’m here.” He twirled in place, his head darting around. The tile flooring extended several hooves all around him, ending in a drop off into the swirling chaos. One feature stood out, though. A white door sat at the end of the platform, a handle sticking out of it. Spotter started heading for it. “Hold up.” Autumn stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You can’t just wander off. Besides, aren’t you still hurt?” “C’mon, we can’t just stay here. And my back’s fine.” Before Autumn’s shocked eyes, Spotter rolled over, wiggled on his back, then rolled over onto his hooves. He lifted his chin in defiance. “See?” Autumn facehoofed. “You’re going to be a pain about this, aren’t you?” “Yup! Whatcha going to do about it?” “This!” Autumn snatched up Spotter and rubbed him to her cheek. “I haven’t done this in so long!” Spotter reacted like any young colt would. “Ack! Stop! Lemme go! This is embarrassing!” “Not an excuse! Nopony’s around to see!” Autumn kept up her nuzzling for another minute before relenting and setting Spotter down. “There, that’s out of my system. All set to go!” “Hurray for you…” Spotter grumbled, stomping towards the door. Autumn trotted along side him, a happy grin on her muzzle. Reaching out with his magic, he tugged down on the handle and pushed the door open. A dark void lay on the other side, completely at odds with the tempest of colors churning around it. Spotter and Autumn looked to each other, their ears pinned back. Autumn held out a hoof towards the door. “Well, you’re the one that didn’t want to stay.” Turning back to the door, Spotter gulped. “Yeah…” Taking a deep breath, he stepped through. .o.O.o. A door that exactly matched the one Spotter entered opened. Seconds later, it spit out a colt and kirin, depositing them unceremoniously on the floor. It slammed shut behind them. “Owie…” Spotter picked himself up, shaking the stars from his eyes. “What?! What are you doing here?” Spotter’s senses returned and he looked up. A siren like the one he saw attacking his dad hovered above him, except this one was red. She bared her teeth and lashed her tail. “That doofus Sonata screwed up again. I gotta tell Adagio.” The siren twirled and disappeared in a swirl of air and water. Spotter turned to Autumn, the kirin having recovered now. “Do you know what those things are?” “Not a clue,” Autumn said with a shrug. A figure dropped down from above, startling them both. Spotter prepared to run but the figure’s voice stopped him. “Do not fear, little colt! I do not wish for you to bolt.” “Zecora!” He ran up to her, hopping happily. “Did you see that big monster? Where are we? Look! My back’s okay!” Zecora waited for Spotter to finish his rapid-fire barrage of questions. “I don’t know where we are or what that was. This whole place gives me pause.” “No kidding,” Autumn said, trotting up to them. “It’s like we’re in a dream or something.” Furrowing her brow, Zecora looked around their current whereabouts. The constant undulations of the environment made it difficult to focus on anything. However, the platform they were on did have something that stood out. “There, a door against the flow, but where it leads, I do not know.” Spotter followed her gaze and saw another door, this one colored blue. “Me and Autumn went through one like that and it kicked us out here. Wanna try it?” “Let’s go and see what wonders will be.” Both Spotter and Zecora stared at Autumn, who grinned wide, flashing her teeth. “Hey, who says I can’t rhyme too? It’s fun!” She trotted for the door and pushed it open. Another pitch black expanse lay behind it. Autumn extended a hoof, inviting them in. “Shall we?” Spotter and Zecora looked to each other, shrugged, and took the plunge. .o.O.o. Elsewhere, a blue door swung open. Out came a zebra who cantered with delicate ease. Next came a kirin who hopped out and landed sure of hoof. Lastly, a young colt came flying out, landing on his back and rolling several hooves before coming to a stop. “Ugh… why?” With help from Autumn, Spotter got back to his hooves. “Guess this place doesn’t like ya,” Autumn said with a pat to his head. Suddenly, Zecora was next to them, her sword unsheathed and levied upwards. She swung, batting aside a blast from above that sounded like a gong when struck. “Curses!” That was their only warning as another siren, this one yellow, came hurtling towards them. It opened its mouth for another attack but a kick to the snout from an orange hoof sent it flying away. Applejack touched down next to Zecora, the two equines ready for mayhem. “Scram, ya varmint!” The yellow siren sneered. “Just wait until my sisters are with me.” With that, she vanished in a tornado of sparkling musical notes. With the threat gone, everypony turned to the new arrival. Applejack smiled and tipped her helmet. “Nothing like a good scrape to bring us all together again, eh?” She let out a whoosh of air as Spotter nearly tackled her with a hug. Applejack returned the embrace, though with much less force than the colt’s. She lost her smile as she took in her surroundings. “Wherever this place is, anyhoo.” “Have either of you seen Shining?” Autumn asked, looking between Zecora and Applejack. Both mares shook their heads. “Then I guess that’s what we need to do next.” The four didn’t have to search long to find another door set into the floating platform. Black in color, the group gathered before it, letting Spotter do the honors of opening it up. As with the others, a void greeted them. Taking a breath, Spotter hopped in, followed closely by his comrades. .o.O.o. Atop a white tiled platform floating in nothingness, a black door opened on its own. Spotter came barreling out, but a quick roll along the floor followed by a hop landed him on his hooves. “Made it that time!” Behind him, the others exited, each coming to a smooth landing. Autumn grinned and nudged Spotter. “Daddy would be proud.” “Look there,” Applejack said, pointing at a door shimmering with a wide assortment of colors at the far end of the platform. “This is just a guess but I think that might be our ticket out of here.” With no other options presenting itself, the four Returners marched forwards. Halfway there, a screech shook the air, forcing them to pin their ears down. Three forms flew up from under the platform and hovered in front of them. The yellow siren sneered down at them, her sharp teeth gnashing. “That’s as far as you’ll get!” “We are the three Dream Sirens!” the red one spoke next. “And this stallion’s soul is mine!” the blue one finished. She cringed back from the twin glares of the other two. “I mean ours. Ours!” “This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t screwed up, Sonata!” the red one snapped. “How was I supposed to know that they could follow us, Aria?” The yellow one whipped her tail, slapping the bickering pair across the snouts. “Both of you, shut up! Let’s deal with these ones first, then we’ll divvy up the stallion.” “Hey!” The sirens looked down at the little white colt that had shouted at them. “What did you do to my daddy?! You better leave or you’ll be sorry!” Aria snorted. “Let me eat this one, Adagio. He’s starting to annoy me.” “What doesn’t annoy you?” Adagio, the yellow siren, said. She lazily waved a cloven hoof. “Fine, he’s all yours.” Licking her scaled lips, Aria lunged forward, her jaws opened wide to snap Spotter up in one gulp. Her target stood stock still, his eyes wide with terror. Aria gasped as the vision of Spotter was replaced by a pony and zebra launching themselves at her. The combined impact drove her back, her chest now sporting a noticeable dent. She doubled over, hissing in pain. “Y'all better do what he said or y’all’re fish bait!” Applejack yelled up at them. Spotter blinked, coming out of his fear-induced stupor and pointed up at the sirens. “Hey, I can see their weaknesses!” He pointed at each one in turn. “The blue one hates fire, the purple one is weak to ice, and the yellow one doesn’t like lightning!” He beamed up Applejack with a smug smile. Giving a half-lidded stare back, Applejack said, “Do we look like Twilight and Trixie to you?” Spotter’s face fell. “Oh.” Autumn patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, kiddo. Happens to the best of us.” “Eeyup,” Applejack said, smacking her greaved hooves together. A resounding clang resulted. “Looks like we get to do this the old fashioned way.” Above, the sirens reassessed their situation. “Great, just our luck we get stuck with a bunch of heroes,” Adagio grumbled. “We’re not taking chances. Hit them with everything!” She and the two other sirens opened their mouths and let out a shrill screech that rocked the very environment around them. The Returners covered their ears tightly with their hooves but that did nothing to reduce the assault. Ears began to bleed as the sensory attack continued, the pain so intense that they fell to their sides and curled up in tight balls of agony. Action and thought were impossible due to their brains slowly being turned to mush. Then, just as their minds were on the brink of no return, a new sensation washed over them. Somehow, a soft melody with a gentle voice pushed back against the onslaught of noise. How it was able to be heard above the ear shattering din of the sirens, nopony knew. They were grateful, regardless. Letting out twin moans of pain, Zecora and Applejack struggled to get their hooves under them and pushed. Though the misery had lessened, the sheer pressure of the sirens sound attack pressed down on them with unrelenting force. Applejack cracked an eye open, seeing Zecora close by. Putting one hoof in front of the other as the musical clash raged around her, she managed to stomp her way next to the zebra. Bracing her front hooves, she let out a mighty yell and bucked with all her might. Her hind legs lashed out and found her target. One moment Zecora was struggling to keep upright, the next she found herself propelled skyward at an alarming rate. The pressure and assault on her ears suddenly vanished, allowing her to finally process the world around her. She immediately spotted the sirens below her and it looked as though they weren’t aware of her new height advantage. Firming her features, Zecora drew her crystal sword and began to twirl it. As her upward momentum faded and she began to fall, she cried out, “Shock!” The sirens were completely taken off guard. So focused on their attack that the wall of supercharged energy that crashed down on them blasted them from the sky. As one, they slammed into the platform, the tiled surface cracking from the impact but remaining intact. The deafening voice attack immediately ceased, creating an eerie silence. Adagio hissed, her body screaming at her that everything hurt. Wearily, she blinked open her eyes. Those eyes widened as a beam of white energy headed straight for her. One final thought went through her head before impact. Sonata, you idiot. .o.O.o. Applejack’s aurabolt blasted through the helpless sirens, obliterating them to ashes. “Dang varmints.” She winced, her head splitting as though a thousand tiny bells were ringing constantly. Through the misery, she saw Zecora heading for her. The zebra’s mouth moved but no sound came from her. “What?” Zecora grimaced, feeling her head swim. “I said your aim was true but my booty is now sore so shame on you.” Applejack leaned forward, swiveling her hears outward. “What?! Speak up!” Autumn trotted between them, smirking at the pair. “I’m going to stop this tired bit right here.” Her horn lit up and a green wave of magic passed over them. The trails of blood leaking from their ears dried and faded away. “There, now give it a try.” “Try what?” Applejack said, then drew back. “Whoa, I heard that.” Zecora nodded, rubbing her ears with a hoof. “My hearing has returned and with it a victory well earned.” She looked to Autumn. “Was it your voice that repelled that wretched noise? I can not imagine how you were able to keep your poise.” Autumn smiled and shrugged. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy. Whatever crazy stuff is happening to keep me around longer that I should be also let me use more magic than normal.” “What?!” The trio turned to see Spotter walking up to them, his muzzle scrunched up in anguish. Autumn rushed over to him, her magic quickly repairing his hearing. The colt sighed in relief. “Thanks.” “No problem,” Autumn said and patted him on the head. “Remind me later to work on your healing spells and then you can do that yourself.” “Well, now that that’s sorted out, any idea where to next?” Applejack felt a hoof poke her side. Swiveling her head, she saw Zecora pointing at the end of the platform past where the sirens once lay. A door that shimmered in a rainbow of light now stood there. “Boy howdy, this place is weird.” Spotter was already running towards it. “C’mon! Dad’s probably waiting behind it!” The others ran to catch up, watching as Spotter pulled the door open and revealing a white void beyond. With no hesitation, the colt jumped through the door and whatever lay beyond it. .o.O.o. The moment Spotter exited the door, he felt nothing but air. The next moment, he fell. He didn’t even have time to yell as he plummeted towards the ground below. “Gotcha!” Spotter’s downward plunge stopped as something yanked on his tail. His nose nearly kissed the speeding tracks that sped by below him. Wait, tracks? His ponderings were put on hold as he was hauled back, flopping down on a hard metal surface. “Ow,” he wined in protest. “Dagnabbit Spotter, ya gotta stop taking off like that!” came Applejack’s voice from above. “And now I’m starting to sound like your dad.” Autumn helped Spotter to his hooves and dusted him off. “He’s a hooffull, isn't he?” She looked around, finding her and the others standing on a platform while trees surrounded by eerie mist sped by. “What the hay?” Recognition began to enter Spotter’s eyes. “Wait, Applejack, isn’t this the…” “Phantom Train,” Applejack finished. “Wonderful.” Autumn snapped her head towards them. “Wait, isn’t that the train that takes the dead to the other side?” “Eeyup. Nearly got sent there, too.” “Wow, you ponies live exciting lives.” “Not the words I’d use to describe it. Anyway, last time we had to get to the engine to get off but looks like we’re at the caboose.” Applejack grunted and turned towards the door that had led them here. It looked nothing like the sparkling door from before, just a standard metal door that fit the aesthetic of the train. Pushing it open revealed a room and not the morphing nightmare they had come from. “Hope y’all are up for a walk.” She stepped through the door and past the room beyond, thankful for the lack of ghosts or creepy conductors. Opening the exit, she was greeted with the sight of Shining Armor scrambling up the ladder to the roof of the next cabin. “Dad!” Spotter cried. The stallion didn’t seem to hear. Forgoing caution, Applejack and the others rushed after him, climbing up the ladder and spotting him running full tilt to the end of the car. Despite the speed of the train, there didn’t appear to be any wind rushing past them. So focused on Shining that they didn’t notice and ran after the retreating Returner. Shining reached the end of the cart and looked over his shoulder, a look of terror adorning his face. “Stop! Dad!” Spotter called again. Again, Shining Armor didn’t respond, his eyes facing towards them but gazing as though looking through them. The colt yelped as something entered his field of vision as though appearing from thin air. He reared back and saw a tall pony completely draped in white robes stalk towards Shining. The only noticeable characteristic was a long pink horn protruding out from the blackness of the pony’s hood. This time, Shining Armor did react. He mouthed a few words but no sounds came from him. He backed up as far as he could go on the cabin roof, shouting something that only he could hear. The draped pony trotted closer, unfazed by his silent words. Facing away, Shining Armor hurled himself towards the next car. He missed, falling between the opening and disappearing from sight. “No!” Spotter ran forward, pouncing on the ghost but falling through it as though it wasn’t even there. The ghost ignored him, dropping down to the level below and continuing its pursuit at a steady trot. It phased through the door of the next car. “After it! It’s going to get Dad!” “We’re on it,” Applejack said. She hopped down to the walkway connecting the train’s cabins and charged through the door the ghost had walked through. She screeched to a halt as she found herself in a room full of levers and switches. The others piled in after her, wildly looking around but finding no sign of Shining Armor. “It’s the engine room. How the heck did we get here so fast?” “This world is not what it seems,” Zecora said, inspecting the room. “It’s as though we are trapped in a realm of dreams.” “Dreams?” Applejack repeated. “Yes. We are but spectators within Shining Armor’s mind. To everything else including us, he is blind.” “So what can we do?” Autumn asked. Zecora didn’t answer, her brow furrowed in thought. Growing impatient, Spotter swiveled around and opened the door they can come through and blinked. “Guys, look.” Everypony turned, their jaws gaping at seeing the medical room of Domare castle on the other side. Spotter looked up to them. “Think that’s where we need to go?” Applejack huffed, walking forward. “Doing no good staying here. Don’t want to risk fighting the train again, either.” “But that was so cool!” Spotter cried, his apprehension fading away to be replaced with a gleeful smile. “Suplex it again! Suplex it again!” Autumn raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” “Tell ya later,” Applejack said, pushing a bouncing Spotter through the door. “Let’s find Shining and get out of here.” .o.O.o. The medical room was just as they had left it, save for the absence of Shining Armor. The ponies, zebra, and kirin searched around but found no evidence of where he might be. As one, they decided to try the door that brought them here again in hopes of it sending them someplace more useful. Just as Spotter reached for the door to open it, a sound like magic being cast came from above. “Spotter.” Everypony looked up at where the voice came from. Jaws dropped as they saw a pink pony with wings and a horn appear in a sparkle of white magic. The pony floated down to the floor next to Spotter, smiling beautifully. “It’s so good to see you again, my son.” “Mom!” Like a rocket, Spotter rushed forward and grasped the pony in the biggest hug he could give. Unlike with Shining Armor, this pony was corporeal. She reached down to gather up Spotter and returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. “Oh, I’ve missed you. You’ve gotten so big!” The pair lapsed into a tearful silence, no words exchanged but none needed. The others watched on, smiling at the sight of mother and child reunited. They stayed back, letting the moment last as long as it needed to. The moment finally ended as the pink pony rubbed at her eyes with a hoof and nodded her head at the watching Returners. Still holding Spotter tight, she said, “Thank you all for looking after him. I’m Cadence, Shining’s wife.” Applejack froze. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but only half finished words tumbled out. Swallowing back the questions she desperately wanted to ask, she said, “H-howdy.” Cadence smiled, a sad smile. “I know what you’re thinking, and no, you’re not dead.” She stroked Spotter’s mane and kissed him on the forehead below his horn. “We’re in his soul. Somehow, we were all brought here. Unfortunately, we don’t have much time. You have to help my husband.” Sniffling, Spotter looked up at his mother. “What? What’s wrong?” “A lot of things, dear.” Cadence sighed, turning back to the Returners. “Shining’s hurting. His soul is heavy with regret and bitterness. He couldn’t save the citizens of Domare, the world is teetering on the verge of chaos, and he blames himself for failing me.” “But I told him not to do that anymore!” Spotter cried. “He promised me he wouldn’t.” “I know, Spotter, and you being with him has done a lot of good. But he can’t help but feel responsible. You know he puts a lot of worth in his faith to our country and his duty to it. It’s not easy for him to just cast that aside.” She looked away, sadness wearing on her lovely features. “And now our daughter is taking advantage of that.” A collective blink followed. “Beg your pardon?” Applejack said. Cadence heaved a heavy sigh. “I was pregnant when I died. Shining didn’t know. I was going to tell him once the fighting with the Empire was over, but then you all know how that turned out. But my unborn daughter’s spirit managed to cling to this world and is now working to keep Shining all to herself. She used dark magic to animate the dead and created the Dream Sirens to put him in this state so that she could latch onto him. She needs to be stopped and put to rest.” A tense silence followed, nopony willing to voice their disquiet. Zecora pawed at the floor, putting words to their feelings. “A terrible thing of us you ask. I am not sure we are up to the task.” “Please,” Cadence whispered. “Neither of us belong here. It’s better this way.” “What?” Spotter looked to the adults and their long faces. “What?” Cadence patted Spotter’s back and stepped away. “Head to the throne room.” Her body began to shimmer and fade. “Wait! Mom!” Spotter lunged forward but he passed through her and landed hard on the floor. In the next instant, she was gone. “Mom!” He got up and whirled around but no sign of his mother remained. “Mommy!” His breathing heavy and erratic, Spotter bolted for the door. “Wait!” came the frantic cry from the others but Spotter either didn’t hear them or care. The door sprung open with no resistance and he galloped down the hallway. The rest piled out of the room to chase after him. The pursuit didn’t last long as Spotter came to a stop next to a set of large iron double doors. Using magic, he tugged and strained, cracking one door open enough for him to slip through. A shove from Applejack opened it completely, revealing a large room beyond. A red silk carpet lined the floor, leading to a dais with a single throne. At the base of the throne lay Shining Armor, curled up as though he were sleeping. Above him, sitting on the throne and gazing down at the stallion fondly, sat a small pink filly. The filly looked up sharply from the sudden entrance of the Returners. “Go away! He’s mine!” Spotter snarled, sticking out his tongue. “No he’s not! He’s my dad!” “You,” the filly said with such venom that the very air shook. The filly hopped down from the throne and stood in front of Shining Armor protectively. “He’s mine now!” From her back, two large wings snapped out, making her seem twice her normal size. A horn set in her forehead, surrounded by a swirl of purplish blue hair, glowed a deep yellow. “You’ll never take him from me!” With a cry of pent up emotion, Spotter reared back and charged. An armored hoof stomped down on his tail before he could take a single step. “That’s enough out of you, mister,” Applejack said and pulled Spotter tightly against her. The colt thrashed, bit, and wailed, but Applejack’s armor protected her from his tantrum. With Spotter secure, she looked up at the filly. “As for you, missy, Shining’s in a lot of trouble, and if he’s not healed up then he could die.” “Fine! Good!” the filly spat back. “He’ll be with me then! Forever!” Applejack’s features fell. “How can you say that about your own father?” “Shut up!” A beam of light shot out of the filly’s horn, striking the spot Applejack stood mere seconds before as the mare sidestepped out of the way. “It’s my turn! He can’t have him anymore!” Zecora and Autumn Blaze came up next to Applejack, flanking her on each side. “It is a shame you never knew your sire,” Zecora said, keeping her voice level. “But for your father to die would lead to paths most dire.” The filly answered by firing another magic blast, forcing Zecora to deflect it with her sword. “Enough!” The magic around the filly’s horn grew brighter. “Go away!” She aimed and let loose a huge column of energy. The group scattered, the floor they vacated tearing up like a child scooping out a hoofful of sand on a beach. She pivoted and fired again, aiming for anything equine shaped. The Returners scrambled out of the way as shot after shot erupted from the filly. Her magic came fast and powerful, forcing them on the defensive or else take a hit that was sure to put them out of the fight. It was as Applejack landed on all fours after back-flipping away from an attack that she noticed that something was missing. “Oh, horseapples. Spotter!” The filly continued her ruthless assault, her magic bottomless as blasts one after another tracked the infuriatingly nimble targets. So focused on hitting anything in front of her, she missed the smaller pony hiding along the side of the room. Under the cover of the heavy red drapes hanging from the ceiling, Spotter crept forward, getting as close to the dais as possible. He looked down at where Shining lay, a sliver of energy leaking out of him and into the filly. His sight could tell it wasn’t life energy, but something more ephemeral. Thoughts and feelings, of happy times spent with his son and wife, were seeping out and entering a void within the filly. Spotter peered harder at that empty place, seeing a desperate need to be filled. If he could fill it up, maybe there was a chance to stop her. He waited, looking for the right moment to strike. When the filly’s back was turned to him, his horn lit up and he made his move. Somehow, above the cacophony of magic blasts and crumbling stone, the filly heard hoofsteps from behind her. She whirled, her horn charged for another strike, and saw red at the sight of Spotter leaping for her. She fired. Their horns touched the moment the filly let loose her magic. A titanic surge of power exploded from where the two ponies connected, obliterating everything around them and bowling over the Returners. They managed to look up but couldn’t move any closer to the magic that continued to churn. Within the center of the maelstrom, two small silhouettes could be seen. Soon, even they faded away. The magic sphere suddenly collapsed in on itself and the onslaught of energies disappeared. The all encompassing silence that followed felt unnatural after the last few seconds of fury. “Spotter?” Autumn called out. She raised herself up and cautiously trotted towards the remains of the dais. “Kiddo?” No answer came. Applejack groaned and hoisted herself up next. She looked around but didn’t see anything that could tell her where Spotter had gone. Just the same boring rock that was now reforming itself from its destroyed state. Wait, what? Before their eyes, pulverized stone and fabric restructured to recreate the once grand throne room, as though time itself had reversed on everything except the Returners. Within moments the room was back to its former glory. Before any of them could wonder aloud what was happening, a bright white light from in front of the dais flashed then disappeared just as quickly. In its place were four ponies, two adults and two fillies, all smiling. “Applejack, mind if I steal one of your countryisms?” Autumn asked. She spoke before Applejack could respond. “What in tarnation is going on here?” Applejack shook her head. “Personally, I plum stopped askin’ those types of questions ages ago.” She, Autumn, and Zecora walked the short distance to the dais where the ponies were conversing softly together. The filly was gone, replaced by a foal within Cadence’s forelegs that gurgled happily. They all turned to the approaching ponies, Cadence giving a bow. “Thank you, all. We couldn’t have done it without you.” Zecora cocked her head. “We are glad for all the help we could provide. However, perhaps the events that took place could be clarified.” “Daddy’s all better now!” Spotter helpfully explained. Cadence giggled. “That he is, Spot.” She reached down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “And it was you that did it.” Spotter rubbed his cheek clean. “Well, I just saw that she was all empty inside and tried to fill her up. Looks like it worked.” Cadence turned to the others. “He’s speaking about memories. Flurry Heart didn’t have any since she was never born, but Spotter planted enough of his own memories into her that she grew calm. She’s happy now that she’s gotten a glimpse of what having a father means.” “Flurry Heart?” Applejack repeated. “Our daughter.” Cadence lifted up Flurry slightly. The foal yawned and settled into her mother’s embrace. Shining Armor came over and nuzzled Flurry. She giggled, her hooves pawing over his muzzle. He let her play with his face for a few moments before lifting away and staring longingly at Cadence. “She’s beautiful. Like her mother.” Swallowing the emotions welling within her, Cadence kissed Shining lightly on the lips. “She would have been quite the hoofful.” She stepped back, smiling at them all. “Goodbye.” “Mom, wait!” Spotter lunged, but Shining Armor scooped him up before he could reach her. “I’ll make you proud,” Shining said, keeping a tight grip on his son. “I’m going to make the world right for Spotter and everypony else. Can you wait for me until then?” Cadence nodded. “No need to rush. When it is time, we’ll meet again.” Her form shimmered and she and Flurry Heart faded away in a cascade of sparkling motes. Spotter made one last push for her before the world went blank. .o.O.o. The next thing Spotter knew, he was laying at the foot of the throne. He jerked to his hooves and whirled around. Applejack and the others were also coming to, Shining laying next to him, his complexion once again pale and sickly. “Mom! Come back! Please! Dad still needs you!” His head whipped around but there was no sign of her or Autumn Blaze. The sudden movements sent searing signals of pain across his back, proving without a doubt that he was back in the real world. He gasped and fell to his side as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. A pair of hooves gently cradled his body, propping him into a more comfortable position. “Easy there, Spot. Just take it easy, ya hear?” Applejack’s soothing voice did little to help Spotter’s turmoil. “But… but dad’s still sick. We won, right? He’s supposed to be better.” Sighing, Applejack glanced over to the stallion in question, fighting back the urge to wince at how ugly the bite wound on Shining’s leg looked. “Zecora, is there anything you can do?” Zecora, standing over Shining, shook her head. “This castle has little for us to use to heal. I would need to venture outside and that will be quite the ordeal.” “I’ll summon Autumn again,” Spotter said and shut his eyes tight. He strained with all his might but no magic would come from within. Gasping, his body finally gave up, leaving him panting for air. Snarling, Applejack slammed a hoof into the floor, causing the entire room to shake. “Dagnabbit! We went through all that and it still wasn’t enough!” Teeth clenched, she sat down heavily, giving Spotter a mournful look. “I’m so sorry…” They fell silent, nopony making a move and letting the seconds drag on. Shining’s breathing became more labored while his fur began to turn a tint of green. Dragging herself back to her hooves, Applejack walked over to Zecora. “He’s not going to make it. Should we?” Zecora closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. “If we had more time, I would say no. Let us decide who will deal the final blow.” “What are you guys talking about?” Spotter mumbled, his voice slurry from exhaustion. “Let me do it,” Applejack said, keeping her voice low. “I’ll make it quick.” She stepped over Shining Armor, eyeing the prone stallion with a heavy face. She paused to collect herself, finding her center. A flexing of leg muscle unsheathed her hidden fangs and she raised her hoof above Shining’s chest. “So long, partner.” Applejack aimed and thrust. A tinkle, like the sound of glass hitting the floor, stayed her strike before her fangs could penetrate. Applejack looked up at the dais, her jaw dropping. A green crystal with a red core teetered over the edge of the throne, wobbling precariously before gravity asserted itself. It fell, bouncing down the steps, rolling across the floor to stop with peculiar finesse next to Applejack. “What in blazes?” Applejack reached over and picked up the crystal, holding it up for Zecora to see. “Magicite?” Zecora eyed the magicite, smirked, then took two quick steps backwards. Her timing was impeccable. The magicite glowed white, and before Applejack knew what was happening, her world went blank. Zecora shielded her eyes against the intense light that surrounded Applejack. The pony lifted off the ground, her entire form obscured by the power flowing around her. As soon as it began, it was over, the light fading away and Applejack floated gently back down to the floor. Now able to see, Zecora trotted over to a dazed Applejack and lifted the back flap of her armor, revealing her rump. A trio of pure white apples now adorned her flank. “It appears that fate has chosen to intervene. Your new cutie mark is quite pristine.” “Wha?” came Applejack’s drowsy voice. Blinking away the last of the haze to have settled over her, she craned her neck, seeing the marking stamped on her rear. “Whaaaaaaaa?” “No time to stare, my fortunate mare. His life is in peril and you must act before he becomes feral.” Bending down, Zecora unbuckled Applejack’s greaves with her mouth, tossing them aside once they became loose. She then directed a completely befuddled Applejack towards Shining Armor and laid her bare hooves over the stallion. “Wait, you just expect me to know what to do?” Applejack said, looking at Zecora with confusion and a touch of desperation. “If you do not, then he will die. For his sake and his son, you must try.” “But—” “Do what comes natural, as you have always done. Do not let defeat fall upon us after we have won.” Applejack’s mouth formed a thin line, her eyes darting between Zecora and Shining Armor. The stallion gave a wet cough, followed by a low growl. Frustration, desperation, and fear mixed within her as she willed her new powers to do something. Anything. Autumn Blaze’s presence would have been extremely helpful to guide her, but there was nopony save her and the sick pony losing his battle. The emotions built up until she felt to bursting. She gritted her teeth and pushed them all down into her hooves. A sensation similar to launching an aurabolt tingled at the tips of her hooves. Applejack latched onto that feeling, using whatever advantage she could get. Channeling power, she fired, praying that her instincts hadn’t doomed Shining Armor from becoming a smear on the floor. White light washed over the stallion, obscuring his form. Applejack pressed on, unknowing if her efforts were doing any good. The light over Shining grew and grew more intense until a final flash swept over both of them. When it faded, Applejack stepped back. She wobbled on her hooves and was kept from falling over by Zecora rushing in and holding her up. Applejack blinked rapidly, spots in her vision keeping her from seeing straight. “Did… did I do it?” A masculine groan, the kind that comes from sleeping in an awkward position, reached her ears. A voice soon followed. “Ohhh… that’s the last time I train without my padded armor…” Next to her, Zecora smiled and nodded. “The worst is over. He will likely have to deal with a nasty hangover.” Applejack let out a small laugh. “Swell. Glad things worked out. Imma collapse now.” She promptly did, falling into a pleasant, dreamless sleep.