//------------------------------// // Two Flare (6) // Story: Super Pony Roomies Season 2 // by TheManehattanite //------------------------------// 20 “And then what happened?” Spike asked enthusiastically. “Lemme guess,” Rainbow drawled, laying the disinterest on extra thick to cover up how jealous she was the dragon had never been that pumped about her autograph, “he shot an arrow at it.” “That was the plan,” smirked Arrowhead, levitating Spike’s autograph book back into his paws. “Please don’t encourage him,” an unmasked Mockingbird half pleaded. “Bad enough he insisted on turning up in costume.” Across the room Peter Trotter’s ears pricked up. “What,” Dash scoffed, “you threw it a parade instead?” “Actually, it got in a lucky shot and fried my quiver. Had to ditch the whole thing before it went up and took yours truly with it.” “Wow,” Spike cooed, eyes wide. “So then you had to take on a Shepherd with no arrows?!” “Here we go,” Mockingbird sighed. She took off her blue long-coat, revealing the simple navy turtleneck she had on underneath. Other than a hind leg holster for two billy clubs she’d come without any overtly super-heroic accoutrements. A silver bird shaped pendant clipped to her collar probably didn’t count. “Love you too, Codi,” Arrowhead chuckled. He was dressed to the nines, an indigo winter wrap up style vest with light violet padding down the front, tapering appropriately into an arrowhead shape. His full head cowl was the same shade of violet, contrast provided by his royal lilac mask, a wing-tipped domino number that had an impish, carnival air. All that plus holes for his cornflower blue ears and horn. It shouldn’t have worked but, much to Rainbow Dash’s current annoyance and Rarity’s professional curiosity, Arrowhead had the exact right attitude to carry it off. “Uh huh,” Mockingbird, or just Morse Code since she was off duty, muttered as her partner nuzzled her. She began looking around the apartment, holding up her blue coat. “Is there anywhere I could…?” Peter stepped up, waving a hoof to take it. “I got it, make yourself at home.” “Thanks,” Codi smiled, then squinted slightly. “Sorry, have we met?” Peter froze mid-turn towards the corner where one of Johnny’s portable towel racks was serving as a coatrack. She must’ve recognised Spider-Pony’s voice, even if she didn’t know it yet! “Peter here works at Damage Control,” Pinkie Pie declared, bouncing over. “You might’ve met him cleaning up after one of your things, now you’re in his apartment, small continent. Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie! I work at Party Control.” Codi began to stutter something but half jumped along with everypony else in the vicinity when Spike and Rainbow Dash let out a mutual cry of, “NO WAY!” “A vacuum cleaner,” Dash almost spat derisively. Codi put her head in a hoof. “That’s what I said, speedy,” Arrowhead said casually. “And it tore itself apart?” Spike asked, awed. “Like you wouldn’t believe.” Arrowhead placed a hoof on the drake’s shoulder, leading his newest fanboy deeper into the party, and pointedly away from an indignant Rainbow Dash, as he elaborated. “Y’see, as our pals in the Hex-Ponies’ll tell ya, Shepherd’s weren’t just built to destroy anyone certain rich ponies hate an’ fear but with an equally psycho obsession with hygiene. So, once the metallic meathead figured it had even one spec of grit somewhere inside it, all your dear Brier Arrowhead had to do was sit back an’ watch it try to unscrew it’s own head and sandblast its legs off at the same time.” *** Rarity shook her head as she trotted past, boggling at the so-called logic of the super heroic life, and joined Twilight at the coffee table. “How’re we getting on, darling?” “We aren’t,” Twilight sighed. “Oh, we have a few ways to get to Ponyville, naturally, but they’re all visible. And then there’s coming up with an excuse for Peter to portal there.” “One of us could have forgotten something,” Fluttershy suggested, trotting up with Peter. “That might--” Twilight began enthusiastically. Peter winced. “I already told everypony I had to run an errand out in the city. Plus, they’ll notice if I just step halfway to the centre of the kingdom and don’t come back until Spidey’s gone.” Twilight telekinetically tapped her pencil against her horn for the fifth time tonight. The whole guest list wasn’t here yet, but the living room was already filling up. Even Pinkie wouldn’t be able to keep everypony distracted for the rest of the night. The Elements were already mingling with just about half of Manehattan’s hero population as was. It didn’t help that part of her brain was also focusing on potential punishments she would absolutely be inflicting on Peter and Johnny for this. A flash of light by the balcony! Twilight squawked, her papers flying. “Hope this is the right place or I’m about to be mighty embarrassed,” the light said, fading into a costumed zebra. She was wearing a white and black full body costume, meaning her pulsing blue stripes were glowing so brightly they were showing through the fabric. The Elements, mainly the diplomatic adjacent Twilight, had met the odd zebra with different pigmentation to the black and white (or white and black…?) majority. Zeccora’s own coat tended on a more silver-grey side, and Storm of the Hex-Ponies had cocoa and golden markings Rarity just adored. Stripes made of blue light was a new one though. It definitely said ‘super powered’. “Hey Monica,” Arrowhead called from across the room. He blinked as a purple blur shot from his side, weaving amongst tables and party goers, to skid to a halt in front of her. “Y-you’re Captain Marvel!” Spike declared, vibrating with fanboy delight. “Like, the other one!” Peter winced. The Elements all noticed several other heroes doing the same. “Captain Universe, actually,” the zebra chuckled, looking the dragon up and down. She half turned, smirking, allowing him to see a blonde Pegasus coming in for a landing on the balcony. “Felt it was time to trade up.” “Ha-ha,” the current Captain Marvel retorted dryly. She was wearing a bomber jacket over her red, gold and blue uniform, her trademark red sash trailing just above the hardwood floor as she trotted up to her partner. Her blue eyes landed on Twilight, widening, and she nudged Monica. “Is that a princess?” the zebra said, too caught off guard to keep the shock out of her voice. “Well, you wanted to trade up,” Marvel said. She marched smartly up to Twilight and chums, further bemusing them as she pulled off a salute clockwork figurine makers would kill for. “Oh, there’s really no need--” Twilight tried. “Captain Corona Dancer, your highness, ma’am,” Marvel barked, fully committed to annoying her partner. From the Zebra’s expression it seemed to be working. “Current Captain Marvel, former Wonderbolt, reserve Befriender, and co-founder of the first super pony poker night.” “As am I,” the Beast said, tumbling out of the air to perch on the Captain’s back, “but do you hear me bragging?” He gave her a nuzzle. “How’re you, Carol? It’s been too long.” “Long enough for you guys to expand your roster,” Marvel replied coolly, easily flapping into the air, Beast’s lionesque body still perfectly balanced on top of her, to turn and raise an eyebrow at the Hex-Ponies in the crowd. “How’s Rogue?” “Ah,” the Beast sighed, ears twitching as he turned to Sweater Vest Slim. “She came to us,” Summers said simply. “We’re aware of her past. We also stand by our decision.” “Carol, come on!” Monica urged. No wonder Pete’s twitchier than a rattler in a maracas factory, Applejack thought. This is the fifth turf war that’s ALMOST broken out tonight. These people’re like different parts of one of the weirdest engines in Equestria, an’ this game’s their dang release valve. The background conversation kept going, making those closest to Carol aware of an intense pocket of cold silence around her and Summers. Eventually Monica rolled her eyes and trotted up to Twilight. She held out a hoof, producing three mid-sized gems. Twilight telekinetically took them, the group’s eyes now on Carol to see if the other Captain would take the prompt. Carol looked at her partner and snorted, rolling her eyes as she retrieved her own gems, held together by an elastic band. To a relief Twilight and Applejack hadn’t realised they’d needed to feel she passed them up to the Beast. “See?” Monica smirked. “You can be taught.” “Yeah, yeah, c’mon Captain Universe, let’s mingle. And I want my rubber band back,” she called to the Beast as they headed over to, Twilight was similarly relived to note, the Hex-Ponies corner of the conversation. *** Or tried to, anyway. Zip. “Hey, yo, are you the same Lieutenant Dancer who was in the ’95 Wonderbolts?” “Wh—?” “’Cause if so we’ve gotta talk. Name’s Rainbow Dash!” “Uh--” Boing, boing. “Hi party person, I’m Pinkie Pie, that’s a lotta white in your costume, do you worry about stains?” “Where did you come fro—?” “Because I’d just love-love-love to show you our selection of non-stick snacks! That’s almost as good as stainless, right? This-a-way!” “Carol, help.” “You’re the one who wanted to come to this sun-blasted thing,” Captain Marvel groused, backing away from a questioning Rainbow Dash as Captain Universe was pushed helplessly towards the buffet by Pinkie Pie’s lowered head in her back. “Shut up,” Carol muttered as her backing up took her past Timberwolf, who she shared a Mysterious Past™ with, because who in this circle didn’t. “Did I say anythin’ darlin’?” the Exquestrian smirked *** “Should we…?” Peter trailed off. “Think of it like swimming, darling,” Rarity said, unable to keep a soupçon of amusement out of her voice. “Swimming is a learning process,” Peter countered. “Under controlled conditions.” “While still coming with an understanding that you could drown,” Rarity finished. Her brows wrinkled slightly with concern as she regarded a leonine blue form. “Is anything wrong, doctor?” The Beast had been looking at Captain Marvel, idly weighing her gems in his paw-like pad. He favoured the shorn style ponies of Shining Armour’s generation did, revealing his hooves be cloven and slightly curved. Presumably this, along with his enhanced strength and agility, was what allowed him to scale assorted surfaces almost Spider-Pony style or like his fellow Hex-Pony Nightcharger. Rarity noted that his exposed keratin had an almost burnished quality, like something sturdy and ceramic, and that Dr. McColt’s fine tastes extended to clipping his hooves in the style of Pranceisian goats. Elegant, but she could tell they were probably, um, inclined towards being sharper and wondered why he’d, essentially, blunt them like that. It would make getting a purchase much easier! Then she took in the sheer size of the stallion, the small fangs he couldn’t prevent poking over his lower lip, and the distant melancholy on his face. She had to admit his face had thrown her upon their first meeting because, to her shame, for all its feline features it looked too equine, too normal, to belong to such a body. Dr. Hackney Sheepshank McColt already called himself the Beast. He most likely didn’t need to give people more reasons to think of him as one. There were enough ponies too terrified to take his proffered hoof already. The Beast seemed to come back to himself. “Oh, nothing Ms. Belle, nothing. Just memories. We were on the same Befrienders roster for a while. Rouge is a fine fellow Hex-Breed to add to our hair-raising ranks but…” He trailed off. Rarity was again struck by the incongruity of his features. She’d been greatly enjoying their banter, his tongue in cheek over-articulateness. It should have been at odds with hulking yet agile body, and so may have been to alleviate it. She hoped it wasn’t just that. Dr. McColt’s face was built for his facetious smile. But regret looked sadly at home there as well. Rarity made a decision. “Founded, did you say?” “Mmm? Sorry? Oh, the game! Yes, we--” “I’d love to hear more.” She looked over her shoulder and winked at Peter Trotter’s slight nod of gratitude. “It’s a long story,” the Beast cautioned. “Then I insist you play at my table so it can be told in full.” *** “Sure,” Twilight huffed as Rarity and the Hex-Pony headed back into the throng, “just throw off my entire seating arrangement so far, why not.” “Who’s a rouge now?” Applejack asked. “She’s new,” Peter sighed, watching as Twilight began telekinetically erasing and rearranging things on her chalk board. “Okay, what if I grabbed my mask? Could wear something over it, like a Casual Friday thing!” “It’s Saturday,” Fluttershy pointed out. “A fully body thing?” Applejack squinted. “At this hour?” “You got a better idea?” Peter demanded, whirring around in frustration. “Don’t you snap at her!” Twilight snapped, whirring around from her new seating arrangements. A blast of light through the rack under the door! A heavy landing sound that silenced the rest of the room, leaving only Pinkie’s party mix still going on the stereo. As the Elements of Harmony and half of Equestria’s super heroic community stood staring at the door, frozen mid party activity in mostly fully costume, there was a tentative knock. Followed by a scratching sound. “Lockjaw, no!” whined a familiar voice. “You’ll ruin the fretwork!” “Lockjaw?” Peter squinted, then spun to Twilight, eyes wide. “Crystal,” they said in sync. “The—ah whatcha call ’em?—the Unknown filly?” Applejack asked. “In yellow? With the giant dog?” “The giant teleporting dog,” Peter grinned. 21 They’d been sitting in silence for what felt like forever and if Johnny drank anymore coffee he was going to start sprouting beans himself. So, inadvisable as making sudden moves in front of a twitchy alien with laser powers may be, he sprang to his hooves. Lyja made a startled snorting noise, almost tumbling out of her chair. Johnny had thought she’d been curled up in brooding silence. Turns out she’d just dozed off. “Alright,” he declared, brandishing the cuffs from his utility collar, “time to go.” “Go where?” Lyja grunted irritably, climbing back into her seat. Johnny gestured to her hotel suite in general. “Don’t get me wrong, this place is cool and all…” He trailed off and gave it a more in-character look. “For only three stars, I guess. Anyway!” He clacked the cuffs like crab claws. “Stick ’em up.” Lyja stared at him. “I thought we were…I thought you understood,” she said eventually. “You understand why I can’t just let you run loose.” Lyja looked into his eyes. He wondered what she saw there because he wasn’t really sure what he felt right now. (Other than worried he might need to visit the little colt’s room at some point.) “Where are you even taking me?” she demanded. Good point. “The Stockade,” he bluffed. “They’re waiting for me.” They weren’t, but super-pony crime never slept so the super duper max extension built on Raiders Island was always ready for a late night prisoner delivery courtesy of the Befrienders. Or they had been back when there were Befrienders. After the Spark mess who knew. “I just told you everything,” Lyja said, distantly and incredulous. Johnny shrugged. “That’s all I get?!” “What, you hate your job so you turned it into half stalking, half staycation? You think that changes anything?” Lyja sat up in her chair, eyes flicking to every corner of the living room. Johnny ignited and sped in front of the door, cursing himself as he realised this left her with a straight shot to the still open window behind him. “Lyja, c’mon, where would you even go?” “You think this is my only safe house?” “You think I can’t find you again?” He waved a hoof at Aurora Sheen’s abandoned mail, blue tracking rune still helpfully pulsing away. “Hay, it’s your job to come after me. If I don’t bring you in now I’ll do it eventually, with way bigger stakes!” He gestured to the box again. “I did this in a day, Lyja.” Beat. Both of them perfectly still, the shadows of the room dancing from the light of the Torch’s flames. “I have leverage,” Lyja said, sounding surprised at herself. “Say what?” “The real Aurora Sheen.” Johnny’s gritted teeth glowed in his blazing mouth. “She is real?” “In a manner of speaking.” “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Johnny drifted closer. “Lyja, I swear, if you’ve hurt anypony--” She stepped towards him, eyes glowing purple. “Back off and listen.” The Torch huffed sparks from his nose and did, drifting back slightly without extinguishing. Lyja took a deep breath, her hair tying itself into a ponytail seemingly of its own accord. “Relax tough guy, it’s not what you think,” she muttered, turning towards her closet. “Let me grab something comfortable--” The Torch shot in front of her, blocking the closet. (Which now left the window and the front door within bolting distance, damn it!) “Seriously?” Lyja scoffed. “Hey, you’re lucky I’m following you at all,” Johnny shot back, pointing a blazing hoof. “Besides, you guys can just make clothes out of your skin or whatever. I’m giving you about as much chance to pocket some secret weapon as I am to let you just bolt and shape change into a crowd: absolutely zero!” “You’re not gonna just frogmarch an alien down 5th Avenue,” she retorted. “They’d as likely lynch you along with me. I need a non-aggressive shape.” “So pick one!” *** A handsome that finally pulled up ten minutes later only did so because its driver slowed to a slack jawed halt. Johnny’s mood was a silently whining buzzsaw, just waiting for the universe to push something into it. Sparks would, literally in his case, fly. Lyja kept on looking around and waving graciously at passing ponies. One unfortunate pedestrian was so surprised they didn’t look where they were going and walked into a mailbox. “Uh,” the cabby stammered, “er, uh, that is, do you wanna–? Sh-should…?” “Ah, thou hast read our mind!” decreed ‘Princess Luna’. Oh sun and moon, Johnny thought, trying not to melt the sidewalk beneath his hooves from frustration. She’s doing the voice. At least it wasn’t the Royal Canterlot variant. He pictured Lyja trying and something going horribly wrong in her throat, which made him feel a little better. It was that she’d sprung her Luna shape on him when they were halfway out the hotel door that really gnawed at him. He’d spent the wait feeling her silently milking the comedic effect: Tall, elegant, graciously waving pony princess, next to a lil’ itty bitty, gwumpy Earth Pony. And he couldn’t do anything to retaliate because ‘Luna’ on the sidewalk was probably going to get him in enough trouble already. If he set fire to Lyja-Luna’s mane the real deal would…would… Well, he wouldn’t like it was the point. “Alack!” Lyja-Luna patted herself down and checked both her (non-functional) wings. “Oh, fickle fate. We have forgotten our wallet! Kind Sir Johnnycake, wouldst thou…?” “Whatever,” Johnny muttered, shoving his way into the seat beside her. Lyja used her hammy impression of Luna’s voice to ask for a street. Johnny’s brow furrowed even more as he recognized it as only a short walk from Aurora’s bakery. Did Lyja have the real Aurora tied up in her own basement? That felt way too simple. Lyja continued to wave graciously at pedestrians as their cab took off, making sure her face was regally solemn for the joke. Pedestrians continued to double take and suffer humorous collisions with public infrastructure. One Pegasus even saluted so hard she knocked herself a foot into the air. “She’s gonna come for both of us in our sleep, you do know that?” Johnny pointed out. “She that sleeps feels not the toothache,” Lyja said, grave enough to be the real Luna. “Dispute not with her: she is lunatic,” Johnny countered. Nothing but the clip-clop of the driver’s hooves on Manehattan tarmac as a Skrull in the shape of an Alicorn stared at him. “Private school, state champion theatre class,” Johnny said, smugly settling back into the seat with his hooves behind his head. “Now, see, a dedicated stalker would know that.” “Nobody on this planet is surprised you’d be a theatre kid,” Lyja chuckled haughtily, now miming heart-shapes with her wings to the crowds. She gave them a perfectly white smile, conveniently gritting her teeth as she followed up with a hissed, “And I’m not your ☌⍜⌇⊑ ⎅⏃⍀⋏⟒⎅ stalker.” “Then what are you?” Johnny shot back. Lyja ignored him. She kept up the mugging Luna act even as he sighed and sat up. “Lyja. Things began to change the second you showed up at Yancy Street. Whatever you’re showing me tonight, even if it’s not some slasher movie pucky, it won’t stop that. You run, you fight, I’m not letting you play the same game anymore.” “Then let me have this,” Lyja said without turning around to face him. “Because if you truly didn’t hate me before Johnny Storm, you’d be a fool not to when we’re done.” Johnny settled back into the seat, spine stone cold. Lyja had kept Luna’s shape but delivered that in her own voice. 22 “If you’re busy I can…” Princess Crystal Amaquelin of Attilan offered for the third time. “It’s fine,” Twilight Sparkle countered. She gave Lockjaw a pat as he nuzzled her. A few months ago it would’ve knocked her over, but she’d gotten used to the large Unknown beast. They were out on 616B’s landing, a small (if you didn’t count Lockjaw) circle: the two Unknowns, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Peter and Fluttershy, who was hovering in the air just above Lockjaw, occasionally giving the dog’s tuning fork like antenna affectionate mid-air strokes. “I swear I wasn’t planning on this,” Crystal said, one hoof resting on Lockjaw’s side. She stifled a yawn. “We only ’ported here because the Baxter Barn was empty.” She made a face. “Well. Empty.” “H.E.R.B.I.E.,” Peter said, nodding gravely in sympathy. “Uh, look, if you need a place to crash, I’m sure—” That letting Johnny’s first true love, who needed to move on from him not one tenth as much as the Torch needed to move on from her, was up there with offering free, live toasters at your local swimming pool. “—we could set up the couch?” Peter offered anyway. He winced at a blast of Pinkie Pie party favours from behind 616’s door. “Y’know, after.” “There’s Ponyville?” Spike suggested. “We’d be delighted,” Twilight said firmly before Crystal could half-heartedly object. She indicated Lockjaw with her horn. “We might have to Lockjaw it, or whatever the proper nomenclature is, because, well, it’s poker night and our portal is under a lot of rugs and twice as many hooves right now. But Spike speaks for both of us, our castle is your castle. Or I’m sure the others would be happy to offer their spare rooms if you want something less pretentious!” “It’s more about somewhere for Lockjaw,” Crystal said, nuzzling the dog. “I have plenty of room!” Fluttershy chimed in. Lockjaw reared up towards her, making her giggle. “If that would be alright with you. It’s perfectly understandable if you want to stick together.” “That’d be great,” Crystal sighed. “Since we’re talking about staying over, would a bath or a shower be too much trouble?” She ran a hoof through her orange mane, clearing some strands away from her forehead and further highlighting the black, circular patterns woven into it. The ponies couldn’t tell if it was some sort of headdress of a pigmentation thing. The Unknowns’ appearance varied as mysteriously as their powers did, sometimes combining seemingly incompatible species characteristics. “None,” Twilight confirmed. She gave her recent friend another once over. She’d like to think it was just that Crystal was tired from her time on the roads, but she couldn’t help a sisterly pang of concern. Crystal usually walked around in a yellow and black vest, which Twilight could make out under the jacket she was currently wearing over it. It was fur lined around the collar and waxed, like the kind favoured by Equestria’s more northern explorers and towns/E.U.P. outposts. Crystal’s superpowers were a mastery of the elements at least on par with the Hex-Pony called Storm, which meant she could control her body temperature and even draw sufficient hydration out of water molecules in the air if there was no alternative. But that would take concentration and using a jacket for shelter suggested Crystal might not have a lot of energy for it. “Have you eaten?” Applejack asked, as if reading Twilight’s mind. “Sure!” Crystal said hurriedly, responding on Little Sister instincts the same as AJ had asked the question on Big Sister ones. Beat. “Uh. What day is it?” “It’s Saturday,” Fluttershy supplied helpfully. “Shoot. I’d set ya up with a proper meal on the farm,” Applejack said apologetically, “but it’d take a while and I’m due back in there.” She indicated the game with a nod of her head at the door. “My family’ll be more than happy to look after ya, it’d just be a bit much showing up with, well, Lockjaw and then runnin’ back out on ’em.” “We’ve still got plenty of leftovers,” Twilight said, indicating herself and Spike. She turned to Crystal enthusiastically. “You’ve got to try them, remember when I told you how amazing Apple Family cooking is? It’s even better in person.” “Sounds good,” Crystal smiled, allowing how tired she was to show in her face now. “I can whip up something if you want,” Spike said enthusiastically. Twilight looked at him, surprised, then looked away, trying not to feel too guilty. It wouldn’t be that Spike was running out on her, but that awful box, it’s implications, the fact she hadn’t told him about it… It wouldn’t be fixed tonight. “And I’d be happy to help Lockjaw get settled,” Fluttershy offered. The other two Elements looked up at her. “I’m not playing and the more familiar faces someone as big as him has around the better it’ll be for everypony. I’ll be sure to say goodnight to everypony who showed up before we leave, though!” “They’ll understand, trust me,” Peter assured her, then smiled awkwardly at Crystal. “Uh, speaking of Lockjaw--” The dog’s massive head turned towards Peter at the sound of his name, making the arachnoid back up, almost hiding behind Twilight, but he only panted enthusiastically. “Right…” Peter resumed uncomfortably. “I might have to bum a ride to Ponyville then right back, if that’d be okay?” “Sure,” Crystal agreed. “Is it a friendship thing, or…?” “He needs to grab a spare Spider-Pony outfit so we can get this danged game started already,” Applejack cut in before Peter could stumble through some sort of explanation. “It ain’t a long story but it can wait ’til you’re settled.” “Alright,” Crystal smiled, an almost Johnnycake-esque impish gleam in her eyes. She gestured the three passengers closer. “We can go now if you’re already.” “Let’s do it to it!” Spike actually fist-pumped. Twilight’s ears folded. Applejack put a gentle hoof on her shoulder as Spike bounded up to press a paw against Lockjaw’s leg, Fluttershy dropping gleefully onto his back as Peter carefully pressed a pad to the dog’s left shoulder. In a burst of Kirby Krakle strewn light the giant dog and his passengers were gone, a stream of invisible light-dots speeding towards Ponyville. *** “It’ll be okay, sugar cube,” Applejack said gently. “Lil’ guy just needs some time to figure out whatever he’s figuring out.” “I know,” Twilight sighed. “But I can’t blame him.” “For what? He’s not mad at ya. Y’know that.” “He’s got a right,” Twilight said. Applejack was about to counter when a cloud of magenta, brimstone smelling air punched itself into a twin mushroom clouded existence in front of them. The landing now included five very stunned bodies tumbling out of nowhere and into the two Elements. “Heiliger Strohsack!” exclaimed a velvety voice, smooth as it’s owner’s fur. “We made it!” A groan. “But remind me, Whisper, next time we mix our powers…” “I’ll be sure not to be glowing,” the Scarlet Whisper agreed, struggling to her hooves. “Vision?!” “Here, my love,” came a muffled voice from under the pile. The tangle shuddered as a translucent shape drifted through them, solidifying as it levitated in the air above them. “Is everypony alright?” The Hex-Pony known as Nightcharger doubled over, hacking out a cloud of magenta smoke and some crimson sparks. A Zebra with cocoa and golden stripes finished looking around, assessing the situation as she adjusted the strange headband that she always wore with her glorious snow-white mane. “Applejack? Princess Twilight?” “Storm?” Twilight coughed. She rubbed her streaming eyes, nostrils full of the smell of Nightcharger’s smoke and foreign magic, performing her own headcount: Nightcharger and Storm, the Vision (wearing a sweater vest that reminded her incongruously of her father at Hearth’s Warming) and the Scarlet Whisper. “We appear to have made it back from the Dark Dimension,” the Vision observed, smoothing his ruffled yellow fin-mane. “Was there-owie, owie, owie-eve any doubt?” And-no—, dusting off her cape—no no-, fixing her hat—no no no—, looking at her now-agh-nonononoNo! “Oh Great Pony in the Sky, you’ve gotta be kidddin’ me,” Applejack said. “Nice to see you fillies too,” the Great and Powerful Trixie said tartly. To be Continued