The whirl of emotions that Sweet Tune was going through was a lot to keep up with. Fear, curiosity, even a bit of excitement, but the one that kept coming back was confusion.
“Why is this happening?” was the main question that went through her head as she ran after her mother through the castle. She eventually stopped when she found D.J in the throne room, frantically writing letters.
She’s never seen her mother in such a panic. From what she could remember, her mother was very calm and cool, almost laid back. Many ponies told her the same thing when they were describing the queen. Now Sweet Tune knew something was wrong. Big time.
All she could do was stare at her mother until she looked up and they made eye contact. Both of them shared the same look of fear. It was then that both of them made a silent agreement on something.
Sweet Tune had questions.
D.J had answers.
D. J finished the last of her letters and stacked them in a neat pile before putting them off to the side. She looked at her daughter who was standing across the room.
“I never really expected our reunion to be like this. Then again, if this never happened, we might’ve never even had a reunion,” she said.
Sweet Tune was tired of not knowing anything. She’s put up with it for ten years. Well not anymore.
“What’s going on?” she finally asked.
“They’ve returned,” D.J responded.
“What?! Who?!” Sweet Tune didn’t know who her mother was referring to, but it didn’t seem all the less frightening.
“The essence in this bottle can sense when there are others like it more nearby than usual and it glows like this to alert its host.”
“Wait, others like it?” Sweet Tune paused for a bit, then came to a sudden realization, “You mean the others who have access to the other essence? You mean-“
“Yes, I mean the ponies who attacked us all of those years ago,” D.J finished.
Sweet Tune couldn’t believe it. The ones who were responsible for all of this. They’re back and Sweet Tune already knew why. They wanted to finish the job they started ten years ago.
“What do we do then?” Sweet Tune asked, “How do we stop them?”
“As far as I’m concerned, you play no part in this,” D.J responded.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just too dangerous and you’ve never even been outside-“
“Yeah, and whose fault is that? Sure, I might not have been outside for a while but that doesn’t mean I don’t know about it. I’ve read almost every book and studied every map on Equestria. I know about the dangers out there. Plus, this essence is calling out to me. I should be the one handling it, shouldn’t I?”
D.J looked at her daughter in shock. They’ve only started talking again for a little over five minutes and Sweet Tune’s already talking back. It reminded her that her daughter wasn’t a little filly anymore and that she’s gained knowledge about things over the years that she’s been inside the castle. She was right. The essence was calling out to her specifically. While the idea was dangerous if they didn’t do anything about it soon, who knows what trouble they could find themselves in.
“Fine.”
Sweet Tune looked back at her mother. A small smile slowly crept up on her lips. She tried to hide it, but she was extremely happy about this. She’s dreamed of going outside for so many years, but she never expected that day being the result of her home being in danger.
“Really?” she responded.
“Yes, but go it’ll have to wait for a few hours. You’re not the only one going and it’s best if you get some more sleep before you do this. Meanwhile, I have to deliver some letters. Go get some rest and we’ll talk about it more in the morning,” D.J said while grabbing the letters.
Sweet Tune nodded and turned to go back to her room. Sure, she would rather go now, but it was better than not going at all. She didn’t realize how tired she was until she laid her head on her pillow and went to sleep in almost an instant.
“Explain to me why we’re going to the throne room? I thought we weren’t allowed there,” Orchard Drop said as she and her cousins walked towards the big doors that opened to reveal the said room.
“I already told you. We’re needed for something special,” Sweet Tune started, “I feel like today is the start of a completely new chapter in our lives!”
“Don’t say that. New can be frightening,” Sour Patch chimed in with a worried expression on his face.
Sweet Tune's facial expression softened, "All I'm saying is that we've been laying around this castle for 10 years now without doing anything about it. Now we have a chance to finally do something with our lives. We can see new places, meet new ponies, feel new feelings. There is no way we're missing out on that."
As she said that, she pushed the doors behind her wide open. They opened to reveal the three queens- D.J, Rainblossom, and Sugarhearts. They were sitting on their thrones and seemed to be in the middle of a conversation before they were interrupted by Sweet Tune opening the door. The room fell silent.
“Um... hi?” was all that Sweet Tune could get out. Orchard Drop couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. Sour Patch tried to smile, but it came out a bit wobbly.
Sugarhearts waved happily, and Rainblossom formed a small smile on her face. D.J’s serious expression remained.
“I assume Sweet Tune informed you both about the task at hoof,” the queen said. Both Orchard Drop and Sour Patch nodded.
D.J stepped down from her throne and joined the younger ponies, her sisters followed.
“Good,” she started, “follow us.”
The six of them exited the throne room and roamed through the halls of the castle. While D.J was leading them, the other two explained more about the situation.
“Your journey will begin in Ponyville, where you will meet the other six children of the Element Bearers. Their mothers recommended which one to take, as some of them have more than one child. You will be provided with a list of their names and addresses,” Rainblossom began. The three cousins listened attentively.
“From there, you will head to the Everfree Forest. We have received information that the enemy set up there. We’ll give you a map with the coordinates of their hideout,” Sugarhearts continued.
“You forgot an important detail,” D.J added, “the map will also contain directions to a camp in the Everfree. The ponies who lost their homes in the attack decided to band together and create a new civilization in the Everfree. They’ve done nothing wrong and aren’t a real threat, so we’ve let them be. We’ve agreed that that will be a good place for you and the others to rest because this trip will take at least two days. The camp’s leader will also be of great help if you want to learn more about the essence and where it comes from, she knows more about ancient magic than anyone in Equestria. Her name’s Fortune Teller and I’ve already informed her about everything that’s been going on.”
The group eventually got to the entrance of the castle where a flying carriage was waiting. Inside the carriage were three bags. The three cousins realized what was going on.
“Wait! We’re leaving now?!” Sour Patch exclaimed.
“We’re sorry, but you must know that a threat like this has to be taken care of right away. We would go ourselves, but with the word spreading that Equestria is in danger, ponies will need us to explain. They wouldn’t trust anyone else,” Sugarhearts said.
“Well, what are we waiting for then? Let’s go!” Sweet Tune said as she boarded the carriage, the other two followed.
As the door to the vehicle closed, D.J approached Sweet Tune, “This is your last chance to back out if you think this is too much for you. Don’t think you have to do this because there are no other choices. After all, trust me, there are.”
“We’ll be fine. I’ve been waiting and preparing for this day for ten years. I’m pretty sure the others have too. We’ve got this under control. Don’t worry about us,” Sweet Tune responded.
“I’m a mother. Worrying about my child is what I do.”
With that, the older mare turned away and signaled for the barrier to open. The dome around the castle fell away in one swift motion. It was like a breath of fresh air surrounding everyone.
The carriage started to move as the pegasi who drove it started to run forward. It wasn’t much time before the vehicle started to lift off the ground. Soon, they were airborne and leaving the castle.
Sweet Tune looked back at the queens to find them staring back at her. D.J’s face started to show fear. To try and help, Sweet Tune smiled, hoping it would calm her down. D.J must’ve seen it because she did something Sweet Tune hadn’t seen in the longest time.
She smiled back.
The carriage was just leaving Canterlot as Sweet Tune decided to break the silence between the three ponies on board.
“So, who’s on the list?” she asked.
Orchard Drop got up and opened her bag. She found a piece of paper. On that paper was a list with seven names and she assumed they belonged to the ponies who would join them.
“Look for yourself,” she said as she handed the paper to Sweet Tune. Sweet Tune held it as the two other ponies approached behind her to look as well. They all read the words on the paper in silence.
North Star
Apple Crisp
Aviator/Hurricane
Diamond Glow
Jupiter
Cream Cheese
“Have you ever heard of these guys?” Sweet Tune asked.
Sour Patch shrugged, “No. If someone did mention them, it happened so long ago that I can’t remember.”
“Neither have I,” Orchard Drop added, “I just hope they’re able to work with us.”
“More like you have to be able to work with them,” Sweet Tune said.
“And what do you mean by that?” Orchard Drop asked.
“Let’s face it, Droplet, you can be pretty stubborn when it comes to working with other ponies... and strict... and a little rude-“
“Alright, I get it! I’ll try to be a little nicer for the next few days, but only because I have to. If we don’t get along, I highly predict that this entire mission will fail. Also, don’t call me ‘Droplet’ you know how much I dislike nicknames.”
Sour Patch, slightly anxious at the thought of them failing, said, “Way to sugarcoat things, Orchard Drop,” rather sarcastically.
He looked at Sweet Tune, “Do you think we’ll fail?” he asked.
Sweet Tune smiled, “Of course not. They’ll definitely like you. You just need to open up a bit and not hide in the corner.”
Sweet Tune knew how Sour Patch got. He’s been very anxious since the attack, and it’s incredibly difficult for him to talk to new ponies, let alone become friends with them. She grew close to him because of his constant need for comfort and relaxation. He can almost get too worked up at the drop of a hat. He returned these favors by helping her with some anger issues she had.
Then there was Orchard Drop. Everyone thought of her as rude, strange, and very unlikeable. To be honest, she can be that way sometimes, but there’s another side to her that she can show if she likes you enough.
She did have some interesting habits as well. She couldn’t turn off the lamp in her room before pulling on the string a couple of times (Sweet Tune counted and learned that it was seven times, every time). She had to sit at the same chair every time she was at the dinner table (she didn’t care if anypony was already sitting there, she’s going to sit there whether you like it or not). She also can’t leave her lab without putting every single little test tube, pencil, and pipet back to where she found them. It’s almost like she thinks the world will end if she breaks this routine she’s in.
Sweet Tune folded the list and gently placed it in her bag. She then looked down and saw that they were approaching a new town. According to the maps she read, it was their destination: Ponyville.
“We’re here!” she said happily as the carriage started to lower itself.
The three of them gathered their things while the vehicle landed and came to a halt. They stepped out onto new land. One they’ve never been in before.
There were new buildings, new ponies, and a completely new atmosphere. This place seemed a little smaller and quieter than Canterlot. It was quiet. It was different.
The big pro about living in a small town is that you know everyone. There are so little ponies there that you’ve run into every one of them more than once. Everyone’s your friend.
The big con about living in a small town is everyone notices when something changes, no matter how small that change is. Everyone stares at this change, almost like it’s not welcome here. Everyone thinks you’re weird.
Certainly, everyone noticed the three newcomers in town. It didn’t help that one was an alicorn, it didn’t help that one had crystal-like fur, and it certainly didn’t help that one was a freakish hybrid. They were the change, so everyone was looking at them.
Though Sour Patch knew he was the one who people looked at the least, he couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the attention. Both Sweet Tune and Orchard Drop grew more annoyed by the second, but they tried not to.
They’ve been stared at all their lives. They’ve learned to get used to it. They might’ve just forgotten that everyone at the castle knew them, so they’ve grown used to them. This is a new territory.
Sweet Tune couldn’t take it anymore, she wanted to last out. Both of her cousins saw that and gave her a look that meant to say, “I know what you’re thinking, and stop before you do anything stupid.”
Instead, she chose to distract herself. She spun on the other two.
“So! Who’s first on the list?”