Twilight was spending her day as she spent most, her nose in a book as the afternoon quietly drifted by; the book flew from her hooves at the sound of her front door bursting open followed by a piercing call of her name.
"What in the world?" Twilight stood and teleported herself downstairs, finding Rainbow Dash awaiting her. "Rainbow Dash, what's the matter?"
"Believe it or not, it's Zephyr." She began.
"What?" Twilight giggled. "Need another excuse to get out of a..."
"No." Rainbow Dash cut her off. "This is serious."
Twilight's smile faded as she saw the urgency in her friend's eyes. "What's going on?"
"I don't know." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "He showed up at the Wonderbolt Compound earlier, flying faster than anything I've ever seen."
"Even you?" Twilight asked in surprise. "How is that possible?"
"Something is wrong with him... or, some pony did something to him." She detailed. "His eyes were all glowy and he was giving off a weird magical aura. He flew circles around me, bragging about how 'she' was right."
"Did you get a name?"
"No, he clammed up after that. But it wasn't just speed, he got really violent when Soarin insulted him." Rainbow Dash sighed. "He may be annoying, be he's never been a bully. I think he's under some kind of spell."
"Okay." Twilight laid her hoof to her. "Do you know where he went?"
"No, but he said he'd be back to see me soon." She informed.
"First thing is first then, we need to find out what kind of magic is affecting him." Twilight began leading her to the library. "What can you tell me about what you saw?"
"Well, his eyes and body were glowing blue." Rainbow Dash worked to recall the encounter in full detail. "And it flared up the more agitated he got."
"It sounds like the spell is reacting to his emotional state." Twilight thought hard. "Plus, there are only certain kinds of magic that can enhance a pony like that." She gave Rainbow Dash a knowing look. "We're going to have to do some research."
"Normally, that would make my stomach churn." Rainbow Dash admitted. "But this time, I'm all for it."
"Does Fluttershy know?" Twilight asked.
"Not yet. I didn't want to go to her without some kind of explanation."
"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this." Twilight vowed as they entered the library.
Not two hours into their work, more voices began ringing out for Twilight. Stepping out into the hall, the pair saw the CMC galloping towards them.
"Twilight!" Applebloom shouted as the trio skidded to a halt. "We've got a big problem."
"Literally." Scootaloo added.
"Rainbow Dash and I are looking into something very urgent." Twilight began. "Can this wait a while?"
"No way." Sweetie Belle shook her head. "The Buckball stadium was just wrecked."
"What!?" Rainbow Dash gasped. "Who could possibly have anything against Buckball?"
"Snips." Applebloom informed.
"Huh?" Twilight cocked her head in confusion.
"It's true." Sweetie Belle continued. "He grew to like twenty times his normal height and started smashing the place."
"Hold on." Twilight waved her hooves to calm them. "You're telling us Snips did this?"
"Uh huh." Scootaloo confirmed. "He was acting really weird; eyes glowing and everything."
"Wait, glowing eyes?" Rainbow Dash came in. "Blue?"
"Yeah." Scootaloo nodded. "How did you know."
"Oh no." Twilight looked to her grimly. "Whatever this is, it isn't just affecting Zephyr." She paused in thought. "I think you need to get the others, this is starting to sound like a real threat."
"On it." Rainbow Dash nodded. "Be back in a flash!" She blew past the girls and out of the castle.
"What's going on, Twilight?" Applebloom asked
"I don't know, girls." She admitted. "I think something or some pony is causing this; how or why though, I have no clue." She gestured for them to follow. "While we're waiting, tell me everything that happened."
"Okay." Applebloom led her friends as they returned to the library with Twilight.
Sugar Belle hurried down the back roads and into Sweet Apple Acres. Her eyes rapidly panned around in search of Big Mac, ultimately seeing him loading feed grain into the silo.
"Big Macintosh!" She called his attention as she finally neared the end of her long run.
"Sugar Belle?" He let his cart fall and accepted her into his forelegs as she was upon him, he could feel the cold sweat on her body as he held her. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." She panted. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked.
"It's Marble." She pulled away from him with frightened eyes. "Something has happened to her and she's looking for you."
"Marble?" Big Mac repeated. "What happened?"
"She showed up at my store." Sugar Belle began. "She said she wanted me to break up with you because she has feelings for you."
"What now?" The already shy stallion was taken aback by the dramatic news. "Sugar Belle... nothing has ever happened between Marble and I."
"I was surprised to hear her say such a thing." She admitted. "That isn't the problem though. The more upset she got she... started glowing. There was some kind of really powerful magic coming off of her."
"But... she's an Earth Pony." Big Mac noted.
"I know, and her voice... it was so loud... she was cracking the walls with it." Sugar Belle recalled. "She was so angry, especially when I mentioned that I had never heard about any history between the two of you. She said that you knew she liked you." Concerned curiosity filled her eyes. "Is there truly nothing between you two?"
"I swear." Big Mac said hurriedly. "I mean... when we first met I admit I was a little interested; but she talks even less than I do and nothing happened by the time we left. I only see her around the holidays and she's never said anything to me about liking me any." He looked down at her worriedly. "You believe me, right?"
"Of course I do." Sugar Belle rested her hoof to his cheek. "But she said she was on her way here to see you; I don't know what's happened but Marble is dangerous right now and we need to tell Pinkie Pie and the others."
"Okay." He laid his hooves to her shoulders. "I'll get Applejack and we'll get this sorted." He hugged her. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Big Mac!" Applejack's voice reverberated around the barn; she came galloping around with Rainbow Dash above her. "There you... Sugar Belle?" She paused as they came to a stop.
"We were just coming to look for you." Big Mac went to them.
"I was coming to tell y'all we're heading out. " Applejack continued. "Twilight says we've got a heck of a problem on the horizon and she needs our help."
"We've got a problem of our own." He countered. "Sugar Belle says that Marble is on her way here and something is wrong with her."
"Marble?" Applejack thought back to the shy little Pie sister. "What's wrong with her?"
"It's some kind of magic." Sugar Belle detailed. "It's..."
"Blue eyes, magic aura, weird powers?" Rainbow Dash rattled off. "Great, another one. That explains what Pinkie and her sisters were talking about."
"Another one?" Big Mac looked to her questioningly.
"Zephyr and Snips and apparently under the same spell." She carried on.
"What's causing this?" Sugar Belle asked.
"We don't know, but you'd better come too if you've got info." Rainbow Dash pointed back. "Let's get back to Ponyville."
Rainbow Dash led them all back to Twilight where the rest of their friends were already gathered. Once assembled, everyone shared what information they had gathered. Sugar Belle recounted her encounter with Marble once again, the Pie sisters taking the news hard.
"I can't believe our sweet little sis could do something like that." Pinkie sighed with heavy eyes.
"We need to find her." Limestone insisted.
"And do what?" Maud added. "We don't know what we're dealing with."
"Maud is right." Twilight scratched her horn. "We need to track down this mystery mare that Zephyr mentioned, but we don't have anything to go on."
"I can check around town." Rarity offered. "Surely some pony has seen a new face out and about."
"That's a start." Twilight nodded in agreement to her idea. "But we need to be careful, if she is powerful enough to give others those kinds of abilities then there is no telling what she can do herself."
"You know what I want to know." Applejack came in. "Why Marble, Zephyr and Snips? What the hay do they have to do with each other. They hardly even know one another."
"That's true." Fluttershy concurred. "Zephyr tends to keep to himself. I can't imagine him just joining up with some stranger."
"Same with Marble." Pinkie added.
"I think the answer to that question is going to be the key to all this." Twilight surmised. "They must have something in common, I don't believe our perpetrator is just picking ponies at random."
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash gestured around the group. "I mean, if she wanted strong ponies to fight for her or something, any of us would have been a better target."
"Well... maybe that's the thing they have in common." Sweetie Belle spoke up.
"Whatever do you mean?" Rarity asked.
"Maybe she's looking for ponies who aren't strong and making them that way." She elaborated.
"Zephyr is pretty naïve." Twilight pondered the idea. "Marble is so innocent and Snips is young, that may make them easier to manipulate than ponies like us."
"But why?" Limestone inquired. "What would she have to gain? If Marble went after Sugar Belle, Zephyr went after Rainbow Dash and Snips after the stadium... that all sounds like personal stuff, not some pony's agenda."
Twilight slowly stood from her seat. "We just keep winding up with more questions. At the most, we know that whatever has happened to them, they're posing a danger to others. Rarity and I will try to track down whoever is behind this. Fluttershy, you and Rainbow Dash go back to Cloudsdale and try to locate Zephyr. Big Mac and Sugar Belle, take the Pies and go after Marble. Applejack, take the CMC and find Snips. If you find them, see if you can talk to them... worst case scenario try to contain them."
"Right." Applejack nodded. "Y'all heard the Princess, let's get a move on."
Having traveled to the farm and finding no pony, Marble angrily skulked back towards the outskirts of the Everfree Forest where a large tent had been constructed.
"Ah, Marble." Renaissance greeted. "Did your first excursion go as planned?"
"No." Marble sat beside Zephyr and Snips. "I went to talk to Big Mac but he wasn't home... Sugar Belle must have beat me there." She grit her teeth. "She makes me so MAD!" The tent puffed up from the shock of her yell.
"Whoa." Zephyr twisted his hoof in his ear. "Indoor voice, girl."
"It is alright, child." Renaissance assured. "The important thing is that you were able to express yourself and confront one of the sources of your angst." She smiled in a motherly manner. "I am so proud of you, all of you."
"Today felt great." Snips grinned. "I feel like a new pony."
"Yeah, you should have seen the look on Rainbow Dash's face." Zephyr said proudly. "Needless to say, she was stunned." He put his foreleg around Marble. "You'll get yours, little lady."
"Thanks." Marble smiled lightly. "That's more encouragement than I usually get."
"Never forget." Renaissance looked them over. "You not only have your new confidence, you also have each other. The three of you understand each other's pains more then any pony else." Her calm eyes shimmered in the fading sunlight that seeped into the tent. "Now though, you should rest." She advised. "Your bodies are still adjusting to your new ability and pushing too hard is not a sound idea."
Snips yawned. "I am kind of tired."
"You may remain here." Renaissance offered as she stood. "I will return later." Her three proteges settled as she left, making her way into the depths of the forest.