“So, did I surprise ya?” Pinkie Pie inquired, the pony now without her suit, though her mane remained in a tight ponytail.
“You sure did,” Twilight declared. “I haven't had a surprise party thrown for me since…”
“Five years ago, when Celestia threw you a party for graduating highschool,” Spike pointed out before walking past the unicorn and making a beeline for the snack table.
“Yeah, then,” Twilight murmured.
“Well that sounds nice. I’ve always wondered what Celestia is actually like,” mused Pinkie Pie.
“Well it seems as though she is every bit as wonderful as we have been led to believe,” added Rarity, the high templar sporting a different, but still somehow nearly identical gold and blue set of robes.
“Yes, she is,” Twilight replied with a little more force than intended.
Rarity nodded. “I believe you wholeheartedly, darling. There are so very few accounts of her being intentionally mean that I’ve largely disregarded the reports regarding her apparent hidden cruelty.”
Twilight blinked, her retort dying on her lips the second she realized that it wasn't actually needed. “Yes, well. There are certainly a lot of ponies trying to discredit her these days.”
“That is unfortunately quite true,” Rarity agreed.
“Oh! I didn't take you on the tour yet,” Pinkie Pie declared, the earth pony trotting over to Twilight and extending a hoof over the mare’s shoulder. “Over here we got my favorite games, some of which are my own personal creations. And on that table we have the snacks, and of course the tunes.”
Pinkie Pie hopped past the small pile of activities and over to the long table of party food, at the end of which sat a record player. Quickly turning it on, the party pony placed the pin at the right spot and grinned as a jaunty, upbeat tune emerged from the clearly aged device. Twilight smiled and quickly cast her attention to Applejack, suddenly realizing that all of this commotion may have put the mutated mare on edge.
Calling upon the connection they shared, Twilight found that her worries were unfounded, as the hydralisk hybrid was upstairs, hiding just out of sight. Though Applejack’s closeness bothered Twilight slightly as the unicorn didn't want to reveal the farm pony’s presence quite yet, Twilight ignored that worry. Applejack had spent a good majority of her life locked in a hole, and Twilight wasn't about to rob her of what little pleasure that listening brought her.
Looking around the room, Twilight discovered that both Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Silver Bulwark were chatting and eating desserts. The sight made Twilight’s stomach rumble, but she put that out of her mind for now, focusing on the conversation. Just in time to catch Rainbow Dash asking for more details on one of the missions Silver Bulwark had gone on during her time under Celestia’s personal employ.
The guard was in turn lapping up all of the attention, spinning grand tales that were only slightly exaggerated. Her armor and disguise remained on so there wasn't much to worry about there, other than Silver’s head getting too big for her shoulders. Thankfully Spike was quick to butt in whenever Silver’s story delved a little too far into the realm of fantasy, so that worry wasn't totally necessary.
Twilight had been about to turn to Pinkie Pie, when the party pony hopped over to her with a small bucket of mini-donuts in her hoof. “Here! I saw you eying them up, so I got you a bunch,” she announced with a small smile.
“Thanks. But why the tiny bucket?” Twilight asked as she took it.
“‘Cause it's cute. I mean look at it, it's so tiny,” Pinkie Pie replied, shaking the bucket in emphasis.
Twilight couldn't help but smile. “You know what? That is kind of cute. It wouldn't even make a very good sand castle bucket.”
“I know, right?”
Twilight grinned as she chewed on one of the tasty confections, the simple powdered donut making the pony briefly shudder. This was exactly what the doctor ordered, and already Twilight was beginning to relax as she stood silently with Pinkie Pie. Though Twilight’s thoughts were still marred by the threat that loomed over all of Equestria, it was nice to know that she had managed to gather almost all of the Elements. All that was left to do was to contact Fluttershy and invite her to the library, but that could wait until Twilight was done with her donuts.
“So what do you think?” Pinkie Pie asked, poking Twilight in the side.
Twilight swallowed. “It's a great party. Not too many people and some really wonderful snacks.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “I was worried about the turn out, because despite my frequent attempts at throwing parties, it always seems like nopony wants to come.”
“Well, the atmosphere around town isn't exactly… conducive to a party,” Twilight remarked.
Pinkie Pie sighed. “Yeah. I’m kind of new to the whole party thing, and I think I’m getting good, but the whole town just feels so… blah. You know?”
“There is a lot of fear and mistrust these days,” Twilight acknowledged.
“No kidding. When I first got my cutie mark, I wanted to set out into the world and find my own path right away, but obviously I was still a little young for that,” Pinkie Pie began, her gaze growing distant. “When I grew up and was ready to go out on my own, my ma and pa made sure to find me a job at a rock farm near town.”
“It's sad to see such hostility infect even a small town like Ponyville,” Twilight remarked.
“Yeah…” Pinkie Pie grinned suddenly and gave the larger mare a brief squeeze. “Hey, at least you and your friends all showed up. It's rare that I get even seven ponies to come to one of my shindigs.”
“And I appreciate it, Pinkie Pie. I can already tell I’m going to have fun,” Twilight declared.
Pinkie Pie smiled. “That's great! Oh, and I hope you got room in your fridge for leftovers ‘cause I maaaay have had too much fun making mini-donuts.”
Twilight chuckled as she glanced over at the small mountain of powdered treats waiting for her. “I can tell. I’ll join you in a second though, I just need a moment to think, if you don't mind.”
“Okey dokey,” Pinkie Pie replied before trotting over to the snack table and joining the other’s conversation.
Now alone, Twilight turned and walked over to the window, gazing out over the quiet, barren streets of the small town. Her attention quickly turned inward however, and she focused on the connection between herself and Fluttershy. Bringing it into focus, Twilight was able to reach out and gently touch the other infested pony’s mind.
M-my queen! What do you require? Fluttershy thought excitedly.
Pinkie Pie has thrown a welcome party, and I would like it if you joined us. The other Element bearers are here, and I had hoped to bring them in on my plan before the night was out, Twilight replied while munching on more sugary treats.
Oh um, I got her invitation, but well… Fluttershy’s thoughts petered off.
You’ll enjoy it, trust me. Plus I need you here in order to cast the spell which will allow me to locate the physical manifestation of the Elements, Twilight explained.
Oh, yes of course. I’ll just finish up the last of my evening chores, and I’ll be right over, Fluttershy hastily replied.
How long will that take? Twilight questioned.
An hour or so? That's not too long, is it? Fluttershy nervously replied.
That's more than enough time. I’ll see you soon, Fluttershy, stay safe, Twilight stated.
I will, thank you, my queen, Fluttershy exclaimed before the connection between them was allowed to fall away.
Now relatively alone in her mind once more, Twilight considered her course of action carefully. The time between now and Fluttershy’s arrival wasn't a lot, but it should be enough to get a good feel for the other bearers. After all, Twilight still had to convince them that an old mare’s tale was true, that they were destined to become the embodiment of harmony, and that Celestia was personally counting on them.
“Easy,” Twilight whispered before chuckling to herself.
She sighed and turned back to the group just as Spike finished a joke, causing the other ponies to laugh aloud. All save for Silver Bulwark, who had heard the same bit of humour a few dozen times already. The sight made Twilight’s chest swell with pride, and she began to walk in their direction, determined to accomplish the job set out for her by Celestia.
Don't worry, Princess, you can count on me, Twilight thought to herself.
Twilight, Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all sat around a table, cards held in their hooves. Each one looked at one another closely, several mounds of candy of various sizes sitting before them while one mountain of the stuff resided in the center of the table. While the players remained silent and were busy trying to stare one another down, Silver Bulwark and Rarity sat near the bottom of the stairs, sipping from wine glasses as they conversed quietly.
Twilight smirked and pushed her pile of colored treats into the center. “I’m all in,” she declared.
Spike stared at the infested pony, their connection temporarily disabled, forcing the dragon to trust his ability to read facial expressions. “I call,” he replied, pushing his own pile into the center.
“Oof, that's too rich for my blood. I’m cashing out while I’m ahead,” Rainbow Dash announced before dumping her sugary snacks into a bag and taking a step back.
Leaving Pinkie Pie to stare at the dragon and then the unicorn. “I’ll call your bluff,” she declared.
With the central mass of candy now the size of a small foal, Twilight flipped over her cards. “Four of a kind, read ‘em and weep.”
Spike smirked and flipped over his own cards. “Straight flush. Now come to papa.”
Pinkie Pie smacked the dragon’s claw before he could reach for the pile of candy however. “Ah ah, you haven't seen what I got yet.”
“Oh uh, right.” Spike leaned back. “Go ahead.”
Pinkie Pie eyed her opponents carefully before dropping her cards and erupting with laughter. “I got nothing. I’m just messin’ with ya.”
“You were one off from a royal flush though,” pointed out Twilight.
“Ah oh well. I should probably stop eating so many sweets anyway,” Pinkie Pie replied with a shrug.
Spike laughed as he dumped his loot into multiple paper bags. “Well, it was nice playing with you girls, now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to eat myself into a food coma.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “You are not eating all of that. You can have ten, mister.”
“Aww, come on!” Spike whined.
“No way. I saw you pig out on chips earlier,” Twilight retorted.
A knock made everyone’s attention turn to the door, and Pinkie Pie leapt up from her spot. “I got it!” she shouted.
Twilight and Spike stood next to her, both creatures already aware of who stood behind the door. Sure enough, when the portal was pulled open, a familiar hooded figure could be seen standing nervously on the other side. Fluttershy wore the same cloak from earlier, and though she appeared a little nervous, Twilight could tell she was also a little excited.
Upon seeing who was standing there, Rainbow Dash perked up, her eyes going wide. “Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” asked the pegasus.
“She’s here for the party of course! I’m so glad you could come,” Pinkie Pie excitedly proclaimed.
“Really, you're coming to a party? I’ve been trying to get you out of the house for years!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, clearly stunned by this sudden turn of events.
“Yes well, I um, thought that it m-m-might be g-good to get out,” Fluttershy muttered while shifting from hoof to hoof and glancing at Twilight.
A look that grabbed Rainbow Dash’s attention, who eyed the infested mare curiously.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in!” Pinkie Pie shouted before grabbing the cloaked pony and all but dragging her into the room.
Unfortunately for her, that action looked a bit too much like she intended to choke the shy mare, prompting her tiny defender to erupt from the ground, yelling a frenzied battle cry as she did so. Both Twilight and Spike were too shocked to move, and Fluttershy was so baffled by what had just happened that she didn't think of telling Scootaloo to stand down, giving the screaming zergling hybrid time to fly at Pinkie Pie’s face, claws and hooves outstretched.
Pinkie Pie nimbly stepped out of the way, giggling as she did so. “Oh, and you brought a plus one, wonderful!” she proclaimed with a grin.
“Taste claw, meanie pants!” screamed the filly before flinging herself at the pink pony once again.
Rather than be surprised or offended, Pinkie Pie batted aside each of the smaller pony’s attacks. “Don't you think you're a little old to play patty cake?” asked the pony as she continued to easily rebuff each swing of the zergling’s limbs.
“What in the hell is that?” shouted Rainbow Dash.
Rarity levitated into the air, her eyes going wide. “Hold still, darling, I’ll get it!” yelled the templar.
“Wait, she doesn't mean anyone any harm,” Twilight interrupted, grabbing Scootaloo’s back end while she continued to try and attack Pinkie Pie.
“Good thinking. Hold it still and I’ll deal with the creature,” Rarity muttered, her eyes glowing brightly as she raised a hoof towards the zergling.
“You will not hurt her!” shouted a new voice from atop the stairs.
Rarity hardly had a moment to process the newcomer’s shout before said individual slammed into her, knocking the wind out of the templar and pinning her to the ground. Her spell fizzled, and the templar lay on the ground panting as her eyes rolled around in their sockets. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, jabbing a hoof at Applejack as the hybrid held Rarity against the ground.
“What the fuck is that?” screamed the pony.
“Oh, there she is! I was wondering when you were going to come out. Donut?” Pinkie Pie inquired, offering a sugar treat to the confused hydralisk hybrid.
“Come on, Fluttershy, we gotta get the guard. Something screwy is going on here,” Rainbow Dash urged while pulling the other mare towards the door.
“W-wait, this is p-p-part of the plan,” Fluttershy urged.
“Well, I wouldn't say that,” muttered Spike.
“Get off of me, you brute!” shouted Rarity, eyes glowing dangerously.
Twilight sighed as Scootaloo sat motionless in her grip. “Uh, sorry?” muttered the filly.
“It's fine. Just give me a second here,” Twilight replied.
Applejack began to glow, and Rarity seemed ready to toss the zerg hybrid aside, while at the same time Rainbow Dash had nearly pulled Fluttershy out the door. Silver Bulwark was attempting to put herself between the two combatants, and Spike was shoveling candy into his mouth. Pinkie Pie was the only one unbothered by the circumstances, holding a plate of food which she was trying to use in order to bribe Applejack away from Rarity.
“Quiet!” shouted Twilight, her horn glowing brightly as did her eyes, inadvertently shattering the illusions placed upon them.
A powerful force both magical and psionic suddenly pinned the panicky ponies to the ground. Rainbow Dash found herself facefirst against the floor, unable to move an inch, as did Rarity, and Applejack, though the two had been pulled apart first. Spike calmly walked over to the door and closed it behind them, the dragon taking position next to his mother.
“Now that I have your attention, I only need to say this once. Calm the fuck down. Got it?” Twilight barked, glaring at each party before settling on Rarity.
Each one nodded as much as they could.
“S-sorry, Twilight,” muttered Rainbow Dash.
“Sorry, my queen,” murmured Applejack.
“I have no idea what's going on, but it appears as though I am in the wrong,” Rarity regretfully added.
“It's fine, you guys. Now I’m gonna let you up, and we are going to have a long conversation, at the end of which I will answer any questions, okay?” Twilight stated.
Everyone nodded.
“Alright.” Twilight sighed and released the hold she had on everyone.
“Just uh, one question first. What's with your eyes? Are you like Rarity?” Rainbow Dash inquired while dusting herself off.
Twilight blinked and looked over at a window. “Ah, horse apples.” The unicorn tugged the blinds closed before turning back to Rainbow Dash. “And to answer your question, it's something like that.”
“I doubt that, but regardless, go ahead,” Rarity muttered.
Twilight breathed deeply. “Alright, so here's the thing, we are the Elements of Harmony and--”
“--that's pretty much the gist of it,” Twilight finished.
The room was silent, the various inhabitants now seated before the mare, some on the ground, others on chairs, while one stood to the side, eating popcorn.
“Wow. That's quite the story,” Pinkie Pie muttered through a mouthful of salty goodness.
“That certainly is one way to put it,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
“You speak with such conviction, and after what I’ve seen and heard, I’m inclined to believe you,” Rarity admitted with a hint of reluctance.
“Which is why we gotta go with her to wherever these Element things are, so we can save Equestria,” Applejack stated.
“I normally wouldn't buy such a farfetched story, but…” Rainbow Dash glanced to Fluttershy. “If Flutters is convinced it's real, then I’m coming to. Even if it's just so I can look after her.”
“T-thanks, Rainbow,” Fluttershy whispered while blushing profusely.
“Right, and Pinkie Pie, what do you say. Are you gonna help us save the world?” Twilight asked, turning to the party pony.
Who gulped down the last of her popcorn and tossed the bowl aside. “Yupper doodle. If Equestria is in trouble, then Pinkie Pie is on the job. Though I’d like to be able to run home and get my stealth suit first.”
“That could come in handy,” pointed out Silver Bulwark.
Twilight nodded. “It's imperative that we move as soon as possible, but if we have the time to grab it, then I suppose it's possible that it may end up saving our hides.”
“Now hold on, darling. I haven't agreed to anything yet,” Rarity pointed out, the templar standing from her pillow and gazing down on the gathering of ponies and zerg hybrids. “If what you say is true, we should at least acquire additional allies or at the bare minimum hire a guide.”
“Pffft, why bother? I know most of that forest like the back of my hoof,” Scootaloo declared.
Fluttershy frowned. “What did I tell you about g-g-going in there? It’s d-dangerous.”
Scootaloo blushed. “Oops, sorry.”
Twilight stood as well, facing the other unicorn fully. “Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but trust me when I say that this is the best possible course of action. All I need to do is use the spell one more time.Now that we are all together, I should find out where the Elements are. After that we just need to get them and then use them on Nightmare Moon.”
“Why don't you use it now, so we can start planning? They might be in Vanhoover or something,” Silver Bulwark pointed out.
“Yeah, good thinkin’. We should use it now, just in case,” Spike added.
“It’d assuage my worries, if you did,” ddmitted Rarity.
Twilight nodded and lit her horn, casting the spell in mere moments. This time when it finished, the magical energy didn't dissipate immediately, and instead a rainbow of lights erupted from Twilight’s horn. Each one of the colors connected with the six Element Bearers before rebounding and meeting once more in the middle, where they shot up through the roof and into the sky where the rainbow exploded in a shower of light, briefly illuminating the small town.
“Woah, neato,” Pinkie Pie remarked while peeking out the window.
“That certainly was quite the lightshow,” Rarity muttered.
Twilight’s eyes remained closed as information began to pour into her mind. “That's… odd,” she whispered, her eyes flickering open. “It seems like they’re in a dilapidated castle, likely in the Everfree.”
“The Castle of the Two Sisters! I know where it is!” Scootaloo proclaimed.
“I guess Celestia’s hunch was right, after all,” Silver Bulwark exclaimed.
“That's not far either, we could get there tonight. Which would give us at least a little time before old moony makes her return,” Spike pointed out.
“That's good, right?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Any advantage we can get against an ancient evil alicorn is a good thing,” Twilight replied.
Rarity’s frown deepened. “I still don't like this, but if I’m wrong, the entire world may be plunged into darkness. That is something I cannot allow.”
Silver Bulwark smacked the unicorn on the back hard enough to almost knock the wind out of her. “Atta girl! I knew there was a brain in that head of yours,” exclaimed the guard.
“Yes, well.” Rarity coughed. “I would at least like the opportunity to change out of my vestments at least. I would hate to ruin them.”
“Yeah, that would be terrible,” Spike mocked.
Rarity sighed. “It is my only demand. Surely if Pinkie Pie is getting her ridiculous suit I can at least shed my clothes in the comfort of my own home.”
Twilight nodded. “That does sound fair. Does anyone else have anything to contribute?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Right, then let's get moving,” Twilight declared. “We’ll start by splitting up and meeting at the edge of the Everfree next to Fluttershy’s cottage.”
“I would advise that if you are trained in any manner of weapon or have experience wearing armor, that you bring them with you,” Silver Bulwark added.
“But if you aren't, don't grab any as you’ll just end up hurting yourself or others,” Spike exclaimed.
“Pfft, of course, everyone knows that,” Pinkie Pie remarked.
Rainbow Dash blushed and quietly pretended as though she wasn't planning on going home and grabbing the katana that hung over her mantle. “Yeah, totally. I’m ready when you are,” muttered the pegasus.
“Thank you, by the way,” Twilight proclaimed with a soft smile. “I know that was a lot to swallow, and I promise your trust in me is not misplaced.”
Applejack smiled. “Course, now let’s go kick some bad guy’s butt!”
“Here here!” Rarity added, prompting the rest of the gathering beings to add their own shout of excitement to the mix.