Twilight groaned as the morning sun seeped in through the roof of the treehouse Apple Bloom seemed to sleep in. Her and Applejack were shoved in with their lack of free houses. She sneered at the new wood, pulling the thin blanket over her eyes. The wood didn't do much to block the sun with the cracks between planks but it was also just a big reminder she was in Equestria and not the Empire.
As much as the Empire's crystal judged her and insulted her for her choices and failures, the deep, Ponyville wood only urged her to find the warmth Zecora's cult held. It encouraged her to fight and reminded her she was home, but her home wasn't hers anymore. It was her enemies and those enemies were the most dangerous threat Equestria had faced, none of the princesses had battled them and succeeded, and Twilight didn't think they could alone.
She peeked under her blanket and saw Applejack on the floor snoring loudly as Apple Bloom slept silently on her bed. Applejack had one blanket draped on her, and Twilight could only assumed Applejack was drunk and got pushed off. Twilight sighed as sleep failed to return with her new surroundings, her mind only thinking back to what horrors they encountered when they returned.
They partied as if they won.
Celestia and Luna didn't even fight it as Zecora's entire cult demanded celebration, they simply cried and accepted it as they were too happy to see their citizens smiles to fight. The Elements didn't fight either as they were pushed to their dining table and served an entire buffet they ate with the rest of the cult.
Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash pounced Thunderlane and Rumble, happy to see old faces. Thunderlane even dared Rainbow Dash to a race, ensuring he had got faster over the years, faster than her. Of course, she accepted the challenge, and won with incredible speed Thunderlane didn't even come close too. Scootaloo didn't get to gush over the fact that they met Rumble along their way and couldn't catch up with him, she was overwhelmingly happy she could show him that she could fly now.
Pinkie Pie never let go of Mrs. Cake or Pound and Pumpkin Cake the entire night as tears always filled her eyes at the sight of them, she had asked about Mr. Cake but Mrs. Cake distracted her with the twins' Cutie Marks. The two stood awake as long as they could about what Cheerilee taught them and what they could do with their abilities. Mrs. Cake smiled and took them to bed, telling Pinkie Pie where they slept just in case the mare wanted to sleep with them that night.
Pinkie bounced with a 'yes!' and continued to party, somehow finding streamers, confetti, and banners to set up all around the camp over the night. She danced with everypony as Fluttershy and a few other ponies sang and stomped their hooves to create a beat.
Lyra and Sweetie Drops arrived in the middle of the party, ecstatic about the celebration and the news that the Elements were back. They talked and waltzed for a few minutes before Thunderlane and Scootaloo carried them to the infirmary so they could sleep.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle danced together as the singers played a more somber song at the news some ponies were going to sleep, though it didn't last long before Pinkie Pie jumped up on stage. And just as Sweetie Belle changed their pace to match the music, Apple Bloom noticed a mare with a pink coat and short, blue hair pulled into bouncy curls. She was going to go after her, not remembering a pink mare with a blue mane in their cult, but Applejack pulled her into another dance before she was thrown to a laughing Rumble. She lost the mare.
Rainbow Dash challenged Applejack to shots, dragging Fluttershy with her as Applejack brought Pinkie Pie. Mrs. Cake gave them a strong whiskey Lyra and Sweetie Drops had brought back a year or two ago. Fluttershy took one and felt horrible, grumbling about Rainbow pulling her away from singing for the rest of the night.
Applejack and Rainbow dropped around the same time as Pinkie continued and bounced away as if it was nothing as they groaned and tried to ignore their growing headaches in a silent challenge. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were victims of their antics for the rest of the night.
Sweetie Belle tried talking to Spike, even if it wasn't much of a private conversation on a balcony under the moon at a gala. But the dragon followed Rarity around like a puppy, especially after Discord revealed what had happened to Starlight. She ignored her failed mission and tried to avoid Rarity and Spike so she could enjoy the party.
Celestia and Luna challenged each other to some party games Pinkie had somehow set up without anypony knowing. The two cheated to ensure they would win and argued until they challenged the other to another party game. And they did this all while forcing Flurry Heart to stay by their sides.
Discord spent the night unbelievably glad and enthusiastic to see everypony else so happy and enjoying themselves, even as he watched over everypony else under the façade that he was pranking others. Rarity acted as if she was at a gala, only to fall apart and get all giddy, just to clear her throat and act as if she was at a gala again, she continued until she ended up drinking with Pinkie Pie and draped herself on her sister, crying that she hadn't seen her in forever.
Twilight hid away in the woods, unable to watch her friends enjoy themselves when danger lied just past too many trees or just past a rock wall. Her mind flooded and teemed with horrible memories of their enemy and terrifying thoughts of what could happen.
Her mind played out her walking back to a massacre and Electricity buzzing with a maniacal laughter as she had done it all on her own. Her mind remembered what her look-alike promised her, what her look-alike stole from her-- Her night continued like that until she walked back, finding her friends were all asleep in either their sisters or friends treehouses, shoved onto the floor or climbed into bed.
She sighed and walked through the open field they'd created, unexpectedly finding Zecora and the zebra telling her she could sleep in Apple Bloom's tree. And she had added her apologies, something Twilight didn't understand until she walked into the room and settled into bed. Apple Bloom and Applejack both snored horribly, her only savior being that Apple Bloom, for some reason, didn't snore the entire night.
Twilight stood up, walking across the tree with no care if she woke up the two. She was almost upset she didn't as she slowly closed the creaky door behind her before she continued down to the ground, only to find half of her friends groaning and Pinkie playing with the Cakes as she ate and helped Mrs. Cake cook.
Celestia approached her with bags under her eyes, Flurry Heart fighting to get out of her magic. Twilight huffed an amused laugh as she stared up at the Princess, Celestia giving her a sense of 'everything is okay' she had always gotten from her.
"Luna and I are going with Discord to take Flurry Heart back," Celestia yawned, scowling at Luna who walked up next to her with the same scowl and the same bags under her eyes. Twilight smiled and tried to act as if she didn't notice, knowing the two didn't necessarily enjoy when others made their feuds public.
Discord appeared between them with a toothy smile and sunglasses on, a beach shirt also draped over him. "Oh! It's going to be so much fun!" He gushed before snapping the accessories off, ignoring Celestia and Luna's irritated looks towards him. Now Twilight was curious if it was their other sister that upset them, or if it was the idea of travelling with Discord.
Discord booped her on the nose with a devilish grin. "It's going to be an all powerful beings trip," he bragged as a wooden sign appeared in his paw, two wooden pieces shaped like alicorns appeared on it as a rainbow was painted on top of a pink sky. The rainbow changed to shades of pinks and purple as the two alicorns were painted to look like Twilight and Cadence.
"Except you and Cadence, of course. Would you like to come?" He asked and leaned over to be in her face, out of the corner of her eye behind her, she could see Luna and Celestia shaking their heads desperately.
She smiled and pushed Discord away. "Sorry, but I think I'll be fine here," she said, seeing Discord pout as he snapped, standing straight between Luna and Celestia.
"Oh fine, but you'll be missing out," he said as he snapped his claws again, the buzzing, white door stretched up to his height appearing next to him. Her heart jumped as she looked at the Princesses with new worry, ignoring Flurry Heart's flapping wings in glee.
"You're going back there?" Twilight asked worriedly, her stare switching between Luna and Celestia. The two both responded with the warm, soft, and motherly smiles she had always seen from them.
Discord rolled his eyes as Celestia explained, Flurry Heart fighting her magic even more at the sight of the entrance of her new play place. "With the limiting of magic that space holds, it allows us to slip under Electricity's shield undiscovered. Since she can sense balances in magic, she can sense when a pony uses magic, but with so many ponies under her shield..." Celestia said, shooting daggers at Flurry Heart as the filly's fumbling was giving her a worse headache.
"She'll simply see our departure and arrival as a group of ponies using magic," Luna finished, smiling up at her sister as she took Flurry Heart into her magic. "It's the only way to get by."
"But we didn't need it when we snuck into Canterlot before!" Twilight fought, looking up at Discord for a way he could transport a smaller amount of ponies across Equestria.
He shrugged. "I honestly have no idea how she didn't know we were there before, if her shield had the same rules as this one," he explained, making blue question marks appear around him. Twilight rolled her eyes as she looked to Celestia for explaination, seeing Luna starting to get fed up with Flurry Heart.
"Can we go already?" Flurry Heart asked, smiling widely at the tall, white wall in front of her. Luna scowled up at her as Discord distracted her by dangling a crystal in front of her to remind her of home. She grabbed it and stuck her tongue out at him as if he was betting she couldn't get it away from him.
Celestia put a hoof on Twilight's tense shoulder, the mare's worried gaze shooting to her. "We have our magic, we'll be alright," she said soothingly. Twilight swallowed and nodded as she followed Celestia's comforting eyes into the door until she was gone.
The day continued into night, Applejack waking up in the infirmary with a bandage wrapped around her waist. She raised a curious eyebrow as she sat up, moving to get up off the bed when an old face stopped her. Her eyes widened as Nurse Redheart put a hoof on her chest. "Nurse Redheart?" She asked, squinting her eyes to make sure it really was the Nurse she was staring at.
The Nurse smiled before nodding, taking a look down at the clipboard in her hoof. "Apple Bloom said she noticed a bruise on your side on your way here, so she dragged you over here and asked me to check it out for you," Nurse Redheart said, taking her hoof off of Applejack's chest and backing away to allow her down.
"It was pretty bad, but Zecora taught me and some other ponies how to mix some pain relievers from herbs, so if you feel a little funny, that's it," she continued talking as Applejack looked around a room she hadn't seen.
It was big, beds lining the wall up to a long table that filled the back wall with bottles sitting on shelves above it, different medicinal tools sitting on the table along with other tools she didn't recognize. "Uh, where am I?" Applejack asked, interrupting Redheart's talk.
"Oh!" The mare jumped and laughed as she turned back to Applejack. "You're in the infirmary! It's the only building we have on the ground. I always betted the next one would be the kitchen, but I don't think we'll need it," she said with a wink as she walked towards to long pieces of fabric.
Redheart pulled one back and revealed a warm orange light mixed in with blue at a fire lit night. "The pain relievers and medicine to help speed up the healing we gave you earlier sort of knocked you out for a day, but you're free to leave if you want," she said as Applejack walked towards the door. "You don't feel any pain, do you? We only checked the bruise..." Redheart asked worriedly looking over Applejack now.
Applejack grinned softly as she shook her head and walked out of the door, hearing Redheart's sigh of relief and her mumbling about how much Lyra and Sweetie Drops had gone through.
The field was much less crowded than the other night, making Applejack assume it was much later in the night that she previously thought. Pinkie Pie carried the Cake twins on her back as she talked with Mrs. Cake, the two heading towards the tree houses. Rarity played tic-tac-toe with Rainbow Dash, gloating as Spike added one tally to her side, making it one to five. Fluttershy cheered for both of them as Scootaloo explained a better technique to Rainbow Dash.
Sweetie Belle watched them from a distance, a somewhat depressed look on her face as her stare lingered on one of them, though Applejack couldn't tell who. Apple Bloom paced in a circle around Zecora, the zebra smiling down at a book as Apple Bloom worried.
Applejack noticed Lyra and Sweetie Drops clinking cups together, both laughing and smiling despite the many bandages that covered them. Applejack wondered how they partied at all last night, they were only taken to the infirmary because they were tired.
A pink unicorn walked up to Apple Bloom, something about her was oddly familiar, but Applejack couldn't place it. And she wished she could as Apple Bloom was thrown into an even bigger panic, drawing the other mare into it as she bounced on her hoofs.
Zecora tapped Apple Bloom on the shoulder, smiling knowingly as she pointed at Applejack. The two were thrown into a spastic worry as Applejack approached with curiousity. As she got close enough to hear what they were saying, Apple Bloom cleared her throat and the two smiled at her with fake smiles.
"Okay, what's goin' on?" Applejack asked, her stare switching between the two. It lingered on the cowering unicorn when she recognized her purple mane now long and straight instead of curly. "You were from Starlight's old village!"
The unicorn laughed nervously and avoided her gaze. "Yeah, um... yeah. My-- um, my name is... uh..." she fumbled, slipping in nervous giggles to fill her silence. Apple Bloom stepped in front of her, but not fast enough to keep Applejack from noticing the silver ring on a necklace.
"Her name's Sugar Belle, and, uh, it's great to see you're better!" Apple Bloom diverted the conversation with a more genuine and less fake smile.
"Wasn't nothin' wrong in the first place," Applejack said as she rolled her eyes, remembering she lost an entire day to her sister's worries. She shook her head. "Why were ya pacin'?"
Apple Bloom jumped. "Discord, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna left earlier to take Flurry Heart back, but they ain't back yet. Just a little worried," she said with upturned eyebrows and wide eyes on her sister. But before Applejack could comfort her like she used to, she stood up with a high head. "But I know they'll be back. I was just rantin' to Zecora, that always helps me think of how good the situation could go," she said with a hoof pointed at Zecora.
Zecora nodded. "Yes, it is a method Apple Bloom learned helped a while ago, so I assist her with it, and it helps her grow," she said with a soft smile. Applejack felt her heart sink as Apple Bloom beamed.
"Oh, that's great," Applejack said as she forced her ears to sit up and not droop to hide her sadness that Apple Bloom was older, and grew when she wasn't there. She jumped as she looked around. "Oh yeah, where's Granny?" She asked happily, eagerness fueling her at the idea of seeing her old parent-figure.
Zecora looked to Apple Bloom with worry, only for Apple Bloom to give it to Sugar Belle. Zecora was going to speak up, but a buzzing, white wall appeared in the center of the cult, interrupting her as Celestia and Luna fell out of it, scuffs and growing bruises showing through turned and roughened fur.
Twilight appeared at their side with wide eyes. "Celestia! Luna!" She cried, staring at the two urgently. Nurse Redheart peeked out from underneath the infirmary's curtains, gasping when she saw the state of the Princesses. She and other ponies ran over to the two.
Discord walked out of the door with the same injuries, though he was standing with a nervous smile as the wall disappeared behind him. He wasn't standing for long as he fell backwards and smiled up at Fluttershy's worried smile. "Starlight... decided to stay and help the Empire... in case of an attack," he said.
"What happened?" Twilight asked harshly, watching as some of the ponies with Redheart picked the Princesses up in their magic, Nurse Redheart and some other ponies looking over their injuries as the rest of the Elements surrounded them, the Crusaders and Spike following.
Celestia scowled. "Discord failed to tell us that the space becomes more threatening and limits more magic the more frequently it is used," she said, her and Luna sneering at what was most obviously the thought of Discord.
"I already told you... it slipped my mind," Discord hissed back weakly as the unicorns and ponies with Nurse Redheart took them to the infirmary. The Elements and Spike complained about Discord as Twilight and Pinkie Pie worried about the Princesses, Fluttershy and the Crusaders worried for Discord and whatever backlash he would get from this.
Nurse Redheart walked up to them a while later, a frown on her face as she timidly approached them. "Are they okay?" Twilight asked frantically. Nurse Redheart nodded, the group collapsing in relief.
"But, they are severely injured. They won't be moving for two weeks at least," Nurse Redheart said, already seeing the worry shower over the group. She smiled. "But with their magic, they'll heal quickly. They'll just need some time to recover."
The group smiled slightly as Twilight's panic seeped into her hooves and caused them to shake. Only one day back in Equestria and someone was already hurt, and they hadn't even done anything. Apple Bloom looked to Zecora, "So, we gotta wait for 'em to recover before we can start?"
Zecora shook her head. "No, my plan is for a certain date, this inconvience only changes the state," she said as she walked over to a post with a dark green fabric for a roof. The Elements, Crusaders, and Spike followed her, all looking down at the map of Equestria with 'x' marks surrounding the border and an 'x' sat next to a number over some towns. Some didn't have numbers while others had multiple 'x' marks and numbers written on it.
Canterlot simply had a 'x100+' written on it. Thunderlane was already sitting there and called Lyra and Sweetie Drops over, who dropped their shenanigans and walked over next to him. "My plan can still work, though it might be a bit berserk," Zecora said.
Rainbow Dash noticed another piece of paper sticking out from underneath the huge map, she picked it up and looked to Zecora. "What's this?" She asked, expecting a map of the Everfree or a list of some sort. Zecora nodded at Lyra who used her magic to roll up the first map, revealing a map of Equestria and Beyond. The Elements gasped, seeing what lied beyond Equestria. Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Okay, now what's this?"
Zecora smiled. "Much has happened in your absence, others have stepped in to fill your presence," she explained, her hoof finding a mountain in the middle of the Sparkling Sea right to Equestria. "Here is a civilization that was long lost, but was revived with paths crossed."
Sweetie Drops stepped in, already seeing Rainbow Dash and Rarity tilt their heads in confusion at Zecora's strange speech. "That's Mount Aris, it held the kingdom of Seaquestria."
"Seaquestria?" Applejack asked, staring down at the map. "I ain't never heard of that before."
"It has seaponies there. And it's a lost society, of course ya wouldn't have heard of it," Apple Bloom smiled up at her sisters nervous chuckle and pink cheeks. She nodded at Sweetie Drops to continue.
"A villain named The Storm King terrorized the previous civilization of Hippogriffs, so their Queen, Queen Novo, turned them into seaponies to keep them safe," Sweetie Drops explained as the Crusaders smiled at their sisters confused faces.
"A cat and a pirate joined forces with a rebelling unicorn who was working under the Storm King. As they took a journey for a way to stop the Storm King, they came across Mount Aris and used the Princess to convince the Queen to assist them," Sweetie Drops continued.
"Then! Then, they all found the Storm King on that side of the map," Apple Bloom stepped in eagerly, pointing at the right side of the map. "And took him out, reviving the hippogriffs and lettin' them actually be hippogriffs again!" She buzzed with excitement as Applejack tilted her head.
She stared down at the map in an attempt to understand as Rainbow Dash pointed at nothing in the air to try and keep track of the characters. "Ooh! What's that?" Pinkie Pie bounced, pointing at the north-western corner at a small civilization in the snowy north. She squinted as she tried to read the tiny text. "Yakyakistan?" She asked, looking up at Sweetie Drops for comfimation, though Zecora stepped in.
"Yes, it is home to a group of Yaks, they think they are the best at everything, even wisecracks," Zecora explained, pouting as Lyra pushed her out of the way at Fluttershy's raised eyebrow.
"When we found this map in a library somewhere we found out about them, and after researching them, they really just think they're the best at everything," Lyra said, pointing at the part of the map that used to be marked as the Undiscovered West now replaced with a crude drawing of a kingdom that was just as crudely taped down. "But that... that is something interesting," she smiled devilishly.
"What is it?" Rarity asked, trying to read past the crude drawing and failing at the hideous writing.
Lyra smirked. "The Changeling Hive," she said, basking in the gasps of the group around her. "Though they aren't led by Chrysalis anymore... oh no... they're led by..." She continued soaking it with suspense before Sweetie Belle jumped in.
"A good changeling named Thorax!" Sweetie Belle jumped, joining Lyra in her basking of gasps.
She hadn't expected Spike to lean forward against the table. "Thorax?" He asked as if he knew who she was talking about, insistent eyes on her. Sweetie Belle cowered with red cheeks as she nodded, though it was hidden by the dim-lit surroundings.
"You met Thorax?" Lyra asked, sitting back in thought at the nods she got. "Hmm, interesting. Well, Trixie found out all of Ponyville was taken over by Changelings acting like everypony else, but before she could go to Canterlot to try and fix it, Thorax showed up and begged her to help him for some reason. Now that I think about it, it was probably since he knew you guys came from Ponyville!"
Lyra sat back with a mischievous grin on her face as everypony could hear the gears working in her mind. Thunderlane shoved her aside, "Ignore her, ever since we found out about all this other than pony stuff she's been even more insistent about finding out that 'humans' exist."
The rest nodded and were ready to hear another story about different saviors taking their place around Equestria when a pink pony with light blue curls walked up next to Zecora. She looked down at the map. "Oh, golly! I haven't seen this map in a while," she said, staring down at it as the others investigated her.
Apple Bloom recognized it as the mare from last night, she had a satchel on her back as if she had just returned from outside their camp. She'd never seen the pegasus before.
"Oh, Cozy, I'm glad you've returned, you were somepony for which I was concerned," Zecora turned to her with a smile, seeing as the pegasi's wings ruffled in excitement. She noticed Lyra and Sweetie Drops confused faces on her, along with her fellow Crusaders.
Zecora noticed their stares and smiled. "Oh, it almost slipped my mind, you five have not seen this new pegasus that has been assigned," she said, taking the scroll Cozy had underneath her wing.
Cozy turned to them with a wide grin and a wave. "Hi! I'm Cozy Glow! It's so nice to have some new friends," she said sweetly and innocently, definently not something that matched her looks. Despite her childish hair style, she looked to be about as old as the Crusaders. She turned back to Zecora. "And don't you worry about me! It was easy to get the wedding date."
"Wedding date?" Rarity asked before gushing. "Oh! Is somepony here getting married? I would be happy to make a dress for them, I--" She was cut off but Sweetie Belle's magic on her mouth. She pouted at the obvious sign that she couldn't make the dress.
Zecora shook her head as Cozy Glow stepped behind her, making Apple Bloom raise an eyebrow. Zecora and Cozy were both acting as if she had just arrived, but Apple Bloom swore she saw her last night. "I'm afraid it is not an allies big day, for it is the enemy who is on display."
Rarity pouted as Sweetie Belle looked up at Zecora with the same question every pony else was having. "Which one of them is getting married? And why do we need the date?"
Zecora avoided the gaze of Rarity and Spike as she spoke. "I fear it is Rarity and Spike who are the wedded-to-be's, and this celebration is something we must displease if we want Harmony to hang over Equestria again with ease," Zecora revealed, not reveling in the gasps as much as Lyra previously did. Especially since Rarity fainted.