A few days later, the celebrations were officially concluded, and by the time the morning sun had kissed the earth beneath everycreature. Just about everyone was… party pooped, to put it politely, and completely hungover to put it truthfully.
Yaks were sprawled across the streets, in their homes, or somehow ON their homes. Snoring contentedly. The barrels of alcohol were finally depleted, and the stews and pastries were eaten. Now came the traditional post-Yicksluberfest day of rest, or Hviledag as the yaks called it.
The calves and anyone sober dared not to make a sound as the once rowdy children carefully crept through the village. The only sound uttered were the snores bellowing from the yaks who slept.
But unlike the many creatures in the village who were asleep from an alcohol-induced slumber, Thorax lay dormant on the wagon floor. Unmoving for the past few days. Occasionally twitching his left back leg as he slowly inhaled and exhaled through his snout.
Nothing could wake him, not shouting, screaming, or even shaking, and Starlight and Trixie were starting to get worried.
Trixie, having experienced ailments on her travels, had begun trying to concoct treatments for the poor changeling. She attempted numerous soups and stews, spooning a portion down his gullet, hoping he would take it. He would eventually cough it back up, leaving another thing for Trixie to take care of.
"I just don't understand; he must be starving now! Why won't he wake up??" Trixie turned to her fellow unicorn, genuine fear in her eyes. "Could it be the cold?"
"What if that magic really took a number on him? What if he's starving and too weak to wake up!?" panicked Trixie.
Starlight would shake Thorax, "Wake up, you little idiot, wake up!"
Thorax would grumble, "Pharynx… it's early…."
Starlight would continue to shake him, "C'mon, Thorax wake up!.... Queen Chrysalis is here!"
Thorax quickly opened his eyes as he shrieked," Pharynx I-...oh hey guys," he'd yawned, "Is Yicksluberfest still on?"
"You little idiot, you had us worried sick!" Trixie knelt down and wrapped the changeling up in a hug, "How are you feeling? Are you hungry?"
Pulling away, she sighed, "Things are different now. Apparently, Princess Twilight and our friend Starlight here came to an agreement. We can return to Equestria; we would simply have to help rebuild the portion of the Crystal City that 'we' destroyed and... probably pay some fines. But we'd be free."
Thorax slowly embraced Trixie, looking around excitedly at the mares, "Oh my gosh, you two are actually friends? I'm so happy! I knew this would work if we just stuck together!"
"This is fantastic news; we can finally start a life together with this newfound friendship... I-I… I'm really, really hungry."
His stomach would growl loudly, "Ompf… yeah… that really hurts…."
Starlight slowly trotted to Thorax, "Do you need our love?"
Thorax quickly reared back as he pressed himself against the wall, "Oh nonononono, it's too dangerous-" his stomach growled loudly as he winced in pain, "If I feed on you now, I'd… I'd kill you. We need more creatures or something bigger to give me love, so I don't hurt anybody."
"Is there anycreature willing to help us...?" Starlight sighed.
Thorax slowly tapped his hooves together, "There is… one pony I know who can help us, I uh… I was talking to Pinkie Pie the other day, the pink one, and we kinda became friends? Behind your backs… but it doesn't matter now because everybody's cool, right?"
Starlight face hoofed, "... Let's go get Pinkie Pie…."
"Well, then, let's not waste any more time! Thorax, just wait here; we don't want you tiring yourself out any further." Trixie turned to Starlight and nodded, throwing a blanket over the changeling before opening the wagon doors and stepping outside.
"Don't you move from that spot, or I'll know!" The showpony warned the changeling.
Thorax, rumbled as he wrapped himself snugly in a blanket, "O-oh, okay! Thank you!"
Starlight hopped out the back and seemed extremely uneasy, "... How in the world are we going to convince them to give us Pinkie Pie?"
Trixie rolled her eyes, "We just ask for help? I thought this would be obvious. Now, teleport us over to their settlement."
Starlight grimaced, lighting up her horn. After teleporting, Trixie trotted to the wagons, knocking on the door. Rainbow Dash poked her head out, giving the two a glare.
"What do you two want?"
Starlight sighed, "We need to borrow Pinkie Pie, Thorax needs her love to survive. Apparently, if he feeds off of us, we wouldn't survive the amount of energy taken out of us."
"What?! We're not gonna let him feed off our friend!" Rainbow spat, offended by the request.
"What are you guys arguing about out here?!" Pinkie Pie stuck her head out of the door, curious at what Rainbow was shouting at.
"Nothing, Pinkie, go back inside!"
"Oh, come on, Thorax said she could help!" Trixie stomped her hoof, "He hasn't done anything to you!"
"Oooh, Thorax needs my help?! Well, why didn't you say so?" Pinkie climbed over Rainbow Dash, popping out of the door.
Rainbow grunted at the weight, "Hey!"
"We can't wait another minute, he hasn't eaten in days, and that dragon form put him out cold." Starlight quickly teleported the group to their wagon.
Rainbow threw up her hooves as the three disappeared. "Urgh!"
Back at Trixie's wagon, Thorax idly drummed his hooves against the floor, perking his head up at the sudden noise, "Are you guys back!?"
Trixie opened the door, gesturing for Pinkie to come in. "Pinkie's here; let's hope she's got enough love, so you don't suck us dry." The showpony tried to keep it sarcastic, although she couldn't help but be reminded it was a real danger.
"Yeah, I heard you were suuuuuuper hungry, so I came to help!" Pinkie Pie bounced up, a cheery smile on her lips.
"Starved… worse than when I was in the storm drain back in the Crystal City… Pinkie Pie, I know we haven't been friends for very long, so I understand if you have second thoughts. I want you to know that you can walk away from this, and I won't blame you at all!" assured the changeling.
"He's so humble," Starlight nudged Pinkie forward, "Don't let him dissuade you; he needs that love, so think about whatever you love, and I mean it, with all of your heart!" ordered Starlight.
"Don't worry; I always make sure all of my friends are full! I'm not gonna let you go hungry!" Pinkie gave the changeling a smile paired with a wink. "Alright, something I love..."
"Well, I love a lot of things; I love sunshine, clouds, sweets, and sugar... I love baking, cakes, cupcakes, muffins, The Cakes, my sisters, my Mom, my Dad and I love my friends, of course!" Pinkie Pie was beaming as she listed off everything and everypony she cared about.
"I love making ponies smile, and not just ponies, but everycreature! I love brightening every creature's days. "
The more she talked and thought of everything she loved the most, the more and more her bubbly energy seemed to intensify, becoming something of an aura around her. Even Trixie could feel it.
Thorax erupted into a fit of animalistic hissing and howling as he began to devour the love surrounding Pinkie Pie, the changeling lapping up each tasty morsel given to him. But despite him consuming the love, Pinkie kept going on and on about the things she loved. Even the most mundane or seemingly unimportant things like pebbles or glitter.
Starlight stared at the display, horrified yet intrigued at the feeding, like watching a carriage crash in slow motion.
Thorax quickly sighed as he smacked his lips, "Is everyone alright?... I didn't mean to scare anypony."
Pinkie Pie jumped up and down, not seeming to be any worse for wear, despite the heavy feeding the changeling had performed. She barely seemed to notice at all, a broad smile on her lips.
"I'm feeling great! And you're looking a lot better too!" Pinkie gave Thorax a side hug, "Don't worry; you couldn't scare your Aunt Pinkie away even if you tried!"
Trixie rolled her eyes, "Yeah yeah, good work."
"How… how? How are you...?" Thorax was completely dazed at Pinkie still on her hooves, he ate enough to feed an attack swarm, but the mare was still standing on her own four hooves? And talking and bouncing, no less.
"Thanks, Pinkie… Uhm… don't let Queen Chrysalis find out about that boundless love of yours…she might uh… nevermind, thank you. If you uh… need anything, just ask; I'm in your debt."
"Okey-dokey-lokey!" Pinkie gave the changeling a charming smile and a nod, although it was unclear if she actually understood what he said or not.
Starlight smirked, "One debt repaid, another gained, huh… thank you, Pinkie Pie, you can uh... go back to your friends, I guess." Starlight said awkwardly.
"Awww, we can't hang out for a bit? I heard you and Twilight were friends now!" The party pony gave Starlight a frown and a big pair of puppy dog eyes.
"I wouldn't say that." Trixie cocked a brow.
Starlight stared in disbelief at Pinkie Pie, quickly dismissing the possibility she was referring to hanging out with HER, "If you want to hang out with Thorax, I don't mind…."
Starlight would slowly nod in agreement with Trixie, "More like… uh… former enemies would be more accurate."
"Well, former enemies are just one step closer to becoming friends, and I don't think you're so bad now that you're not trying to get revenge against Twilight!" Pinkie gave the lilac unicorn a cheerful grin.
Thorax quickly buzzed over to the ponies, "Come on guys, what's the problem? I mean, this is the first big step for pony-changeling relations, not to mention a big step for equalism!"
"Yeah, haha… equalism." Starlight coughed into her hoof awkwardly.
"Why are you laughing?" Trixie cocked a brow.
"Well, I guess I also believe in Equalism, as long as nopony is taking cutie marks away!" Pinkie shrugged, "Everycreature is equal in my eyes, so long as they're willing to be a friend!"
Thorax looked over to Starlight, "Wow, Starlight; you've been doing a great job spreading your message since you decided to stop pursuing violence. It's like creatures are more receptive to kindness or something!" Thorax said without a hint of sarcasm or irony.
Starlight stared at Thorax, unsure whether to applaud Thorax or belittle him for his unintentional insults levied against her.
"....Fine, let's hang out, I guess. To equalism!" proclaimed Starlight.
"To friendship!" cheered Thorax.
"To confetti!" Pinkie raised a kuska from out of nowhere, filled with liquor.
"Confetti?" Trixie cocked a brow.
Pinkie pointed up, and when Trixie turned her head, a cloud of confetti fell on top of them, fluttering through the air. "How did you...?"
The party pony winked, taking a sip of her drink.
"Wait, did I miss the party? How long was I out for!?" Thorax said quickly, peeking his head out from the wagon.
"Three nights and two days. You collapsed on the ground after you freed Twilight and me."
"Oh… that would explain all the yaks laying around on the roads… and roofs." chuckled Thorax.
"I can't believe you missed out on so much fun; I'll have to tell you everything you missed!" Pinkie replied, "Well, first we--"
"Let's not." Trixie put a hoof on Pinkie's mouth, not wanting a complete recap of the last few days.
"So, Pinkie Pie, what's your plan?" Starlight sighed, feeling unsure about the pink mare's pursuit for her friendship.
"My plan? Well, I suppose we could still be pen-pals if you don't come back to Equestria! I know it might take a while for the letters to show up, so maybe we could just send them in bulk!" The smile never left the mare's face.
"I was referring to your proposal of 'hanging out, not a long-term plan." Starlight said with an eye roll.
"More friendship!" enthusiastically suggested Thorax.
"... What does that even mean?" replied Starlight.
Pinkie giggled, "Well, we could talk about our day or maybe get something to eat. I'm feeling a little peckish! Or we could tell each other stories or make some snow ponies or snow pegasi!"
Trixie shook her head and snickered, "Been a while since I've done that."
"... Whatever the group wants, I guess." Starlight said finally, completely thrown off by the sudden reality she was thrust into.
"We could do breakfast and then play in the snow," suggested Thorax as he happily trotted in place.
"I could eat, I guess." Trixie shrugged, glancing at Thorax's gleeful trotting with a small smile.
"Sounds great!! Let's go and see what we can whip up; I make some meaaaaan pancakes!" Pinkie beamed, "C'mon, gang, let's go!"
Starlight sighed as she gave Trixie an unsure expression before following Pinkie Pie out of the wagon. Thorax stayed right by the pink mare's side as he trotted alongside her. Trixie simply shrugged and walked beside Thorax.
"So what's Equestria like? I only ever visited Canterlot… and it really wasn't the best experience, all things considered." nervously chuckled the changeling, "Gosh, it's weird to talk like this without feeling so… trapped."
"Hey, you could have asked me about Equestria!" Trixie wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or not.
Thorax shrugged, "Sorry Trixie, I kinda forgot you were from Equestria." he'd chuckle. Trixie huffed and rolled her eyes.
"Equestria is great; there are tons of ponies I know who would love to be your friend! I mean, of course, there would be a bit of a... um, learning curve, but I'm sure ponies would come around!" Pinkie replied thoughtfully.
She'd continue, "Well, don't worry, Thorax-ey, you're gonna make many friends! You could go to Canterlot, Manehattan, Baltimare, Las Pegasus... ooh! You should come visit me in Ponyville; I could show you around!" exclaimed Pinkie pie.
Starlight stared at the ground in front of her saying nothing with a sour expression pinned to her face.
Looking over, Pinkie noticed the look on Starlight's face. "Hey, are you okay? I'm sorry if I said anything bad! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Starlight perked her head up as she forced a smile on her face, "Oh uh, sorry. It's okay, yeah, all of that sounds great." she said dismissively.
Thorax took a deep breath, just barely containing all of his excitement, "Trixie and I can travel across Equestria with magic shows. Ou, Starlight, do you want to come join us? All three of us put on that magic show the other day and it went really well!"
The showpony perked up at being mentioned, a smile slipping into place at the thought that he still wanted to travel with her.
Starlight nodded, "Sure…maybe, I'm not sure."
"Well, whatever you choose, Starlight, you'll have friends to help you along the way, and isn't that great? I'm sure you'd even make friends along the way!" Pinkie practically sang, "And I'm sure all that rebuilding wouldn't take long; you're a pretty powerful unicorn!"
"I'm flattered you think I'm powerful, Pinkie Pie," smirked Starlight.
Thorax gently nudged the group, "Do creatures eat at taverns?" gesturing to the tavern ahead of them.
"Yes, yes, they do!" Pinkie replied, plonking up to the front door.
Stepping inside the cozy tavern, the group saw a lone yak tending to his bar, with a few elderly and sober yaks sitting across the dozen or so tables.
Pinkie plonked to the bar, "Helloooo and good morning, I was hoping me and my friends could get some grub?" Pinkie rested her hooves on the counter. "And I mean food, not literally grubs, hehe!"
"I'll take some porridge with honey, please." Trixie raised a hoof.
The yak, a gentle-looking elder, flicked his head to reveal his blue eyes magnified by a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his muzzle, smiling warmly at Pinkie. Pinching her cheek with his hoof, "Aren't you sweetest little gumdrop I have ever seen."
"Why, thank you! You're sweet as honey!" Pinkie giggled, allowing the pinching good-naturedly.
"Let me get those for you…." He'd march into the kitchen behind him before returning with porridge.
"Do you have any of those drinks?" Thorax chimed, licking his maul greedily.
"Oh… we're out of alcohol; we need to make more," grumbled the old yak.
Starlight tapped her hoof, "Thorax, it's not even lunchtime."
"There's a time when you can drink?" he tilted his head curiously.
She'd sigh, "Oats and two glasses of water…."
The yak nodded as he quickly lumbered off.
"No more drinking, you thirsty bug. If you drink too much too often, you'll make yourself dependent on it, and I'm not traveling with a drunk." Trixie sniffed, "Now come on, let's go sit down."'
Thorax sighed, "Fiiiine, I think you're overreacting, though."
The group settled down at a wooden table near the hearth of a fire, basking in the heat.
As they sat down at the table, Starlight quietly stared at the crackling fire ahead of them before adding additional kindling with her magic, allowing her mind to wander for a moment as the table began to chatter about the future, friends, and family.
She'd seem to get lost in the flames' flickering dance before thinking about what those topics meant to her personally. The future… she would make up for her crimes and slights against her new friends, yes. But what then? Would she return to her exile in Yakyakistan?
She could help the creatures here with her magic and talents. Yona was proving herself more and more knowledgeable in potion making; perhaps she could teach her how to read Ponish and become a teacher.
Or maybe she should busy herself with a newfound crusade; perhaps she should light the flame in her heart again against some new enemy to distract from the emptiness inside her. Surely Equestria and The Crystal Empire could forgive her for her crimes if she was a defender, a hero. Or, better yet, she could prove to her little village that she was worthy of their adoration and love.
Her thoughts would be interrupted as the older yak from the bar placed her oats in front of her, giving her a gentle pat on the head. It seemed this elderly yak confused these ponies for calves, his vision and hearing failing him at his old age.
"Thank you!!" Pinkie waved a hoof to the elder yak before turning to her oats, not hesitating to dig in. "Mmmm mm! That's good!"
"This is acceptable." Trixie sniffed and nodded, daintily taking a spoonful.
Thorax sighed, "I wish I could eat food…."
"Don't worry, you're not missing too much." The showpony snorted.
"So Starlight, what were you thinkin' about while we were talking?" Pinkie turned to the unicorn, her ear twitching.
"... Nothing," Starlight said finally, "... no… Actually, I want to join your expedition," she said firmly.
"You want to join them?" Trixie blinked, taken aback by her statement.
"Really?!" Pinkie gasped, stamping her hooves on the table, "Oh my gosh! That'd be great!! We could get to know each other better, and you could make friends with the others. Ooooh, I love it; you're a genius, Starlight!"
Starlight slowly nodded, pressing her hooves together, seeming to be surprised by the suggestion herself, "So it seems."
Thorax shook his head, "I know you had a heart-to-heart with Twilight down there, but what the heck happened? You went from wanting to destroy her to assisting her on her journey?"
Starlight nodded, "If they don't mind."
"Well, if Twilight and the others don't mind, I don't see why not! Although... some of them might need time to warm up to the idea..." Pinkie chuckled nervously, rubbing her hooves together, "But I'm sure they would!"
Starlight had a blank expression on her face, seeming to be disconnected from the world at that very moment, "If you say so."
"Are we sure she didn't bump her head on the way down?" Trixie whispered over to Thorax with a snicker.
Thorax seemed to be a little uneasy at Starlight's demeanor as he slowly looked over to Trixie, "Maybe… we should tag along too? I mean, it'd be an extra wagon, and we'd be able to help too. Not to mention it'd be a great way to perform and spread the message of friendship and equalism."
"Oooh, I think it would be great if you all came along; the more, the merrier!" Pinkie smiled brightly, not entirely reading Starlight's mood.
Trixie glanced between Pinkie, Starlight, and Thorax. "Well... I suppose, so long as I was properly paid... or it counted as community service. I'm not doing a bunch of work just to come home and do more!"
"Princess Twilight could easily arrange the expedition for Community Service hours; the only issue we face is with the Crystal Empire… frankly, we technically could just ignore them if we wanted. With little risk to us aside from being banned from the Empire." Starlight said coldly.
"Maybe we can work that out?" Pinkie shrugged, "I have no idea."
"Whatever works…" Starlight said firmly.
"Honestly, I could probably live with a ban." Trixie shrugged, "I wasn't making much money there anyways."
"Well, then it's settled! I'll talk to Twilight and the others and see what we can do!" Pinkie nodded, "Now, let's eat! I'm probably gonna get seconds and thirds!"
Meanwhile, Twilight and the rest of her friends had their own breakfast. The alicorn held a warm cup of tea in her hooves, thanking Applejack for the beverage. She took a deep gulp, relishing in the heat it provided.
"Ah..." Twilight sighed contentedly, closing her eyes. "Now, this is nice, just being able to relax without worrying about what might happen. Don't you girls think so too?"
"Yeah, I guess it's alright." Rainbow Dash ripped a piece of toast in half, slathering it with butter. "Still, I hope we can leave soon. This frigid air is too much, even for me."
"If everyone is ready to move on, I wouldn't mind..." Fluttershy replied, sipping at her own cup of tea. "Where do you think we should go next?"
"Well, the next closest location the map pointed us to would be Griffonia." Twilight nodded, "And it definitely wouldn't be as cold."
"I'm in." Rainbow held up a hoof.
Applejack glanced at their map that sprawled across the wall. The mare bit her lip as she realized the map was taking them across the sea to another continent. It was one thing to trek across the mountains of a nation that was close to home, but to take a boat across The Equss-Griff straits and to foreign lands made her uneasy.
"Griffonia is fairly big… where exactly are we going? Griffinstone or the eastern pony kingdoms?" she asked with a mix of intrigue and fear.
"Well, I suppose Griffinstone would be a good first stop. Oh goodness, I could finally witness Griffinstone with my own two eyes!" The alicorn giggled with glee, her wings spreading out. "I can't wait! There are so many things I want to record for prosperity."
"Griffins? Rainbow Dash, didn't you and Pinkie Pie go to Griffinstone to solve a friendship problem about a year or so ago?" inquired Rarity, "Something about helping those Griffins with a lost idol and rekindling an old friendship?"
"Yeah, Pinkie and I went there. We met Gilda there too. It's actually, well..." Rainbow rubbed the back of her head, glancing over at Twilight, "It's kind of a dump, to be honest."
"What?! Rainbow, how could you say that? What about the library?" Twilight replied, flabbergasted that Rainbow could say such a thing.
"I told you, Twilight, after they lost their idol or whatever, it's like they just gave up," the pegasus crossed her front legs, "I can't help that they let themselves go!"
"It's still rude, Rainbow," Fluttershy pulled the pegasus down into a seat.
Rarity shoved her snout to the air, "Well, I can see why Twilight and I are going to Griffinstone; clearly, our organizational and beauteous touch is needed over there."
"Well, I guess if it really is that bad, we can help out... perhaps that's why we're being sent there," Twilight replied optimistically. She was hoping it wasn't as bad as Rainbow described...
"Tch, speaking of Pinkie Pie, it's been a while since Starlight' borrowed' her… you think we should be concerned?" Applejack looked over to Twilight.
"It has been a while..." Fluttershy murmured softly.
"Want me to go look for her?" Rainbow zipped out of her seat once more, eager to do something.
"I don't think it would hurt, but... I have a feeling that she's going to show up any second now," Twilight could practically feel it as if simply mentioning the party pony would make her appear.
Just then, there was a knock on the wagon door.
"Hellooooo?" Trixie's voice called from the other side of the door, "Anypony in there? Your friend is back."
"I hope they didn't fall asleep!" Pinkie piped up from the other side.
Starlight sighed, "It's not a problem if they are; I only need you to deliver the message."
"C'mon, guys, I mean, we aren't enemies anymore. What's stopping us from having a second breakfast with new friends?" beamed Thorax.
"Thorax, you don't even eat food," grumbled Starlight.
Rainbow Dash opened the door, with Twilight getting up to join her.
"Well, I'm glad you brought her back in one piece." Rainbow sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, it wasn't a big deal; Thorax just needed something to eat." Pinkie replied casually, waving a hoof in the air as if it were no big deal. "It kinda tickled, actually!"
Twilight cocked a brow, completely taken back by that statement. Shaking it off, Twilight couldn't help but ask, "What message was Pinkie supposed to give me?"
"Ooh, ooh! Starlight wants to join us on the expedition!" Pinkie grinned, hopping in place, "Isn't that a great idea?!"
"What?" Twilight's eyes widened, "You want to... come with us?"
"Yeah, it was shocking for me too." Trixie held up a hoof.
"Consider it a compromise between my…friends and my obligations to Equestria and The Crystal Empire. They follow behind your caravan and give you access to additional ponypower and another wagon for supplies. I help you with your expeditions as a substitution for my 'community service." Starlight said rather lamely.
"I am extending an olive branch, you understand that my magic is extremely powerful, and Trixie and Thorax are… diplomats of sorts. They can both perform and provide entertainment to help break the ice, perhaps. Either way, the choice is yours."
"Well, that's..." Twilight considered it; it would make sense; she was a powerful unicorn and highly knowledgeable. Then again, everything Starlight had said in that canyon could have been a trick, just like Applejack had said, "We'll... consider it. I'll have to talk to my friends first."
"Well, of course, you will," Trixie replied airily, making the purple alicorn narrow her eyes.
"If you'll give us a moment..." The princess pulled Pinkie Pie inside, snapping the doors shut. Trixie sniffed and walked away, pulling Thorax along.
Starlight bowed her head before trotting away from the wagon, "I don't want to intrude any more than I have; good day."
Thorax looked to Trixie, "I think that went well; now, is it an appropriate time to drink?"
"No, no, it's not." Trixie sighed, shaking her head as she led him away from anything that might possibly have alcohol in stock.
"Does that kooky unicorn really think that we need her and her little entourage?" Rainbow sniffed, settling down on a pillow.
"Rainbow!" Pinkie piped up, "That's mean! Trixie's just a little kooky!"
Applejack huffed, "I think this is a trap; we're inviting wolves to watch over our flock, is how I see it."
"She has a lot of nerve to think we'd even consider allowing her gang of thugs to partake in this important mission of spreading friendship! It's almost laughable to think she had a chance into our ranks!" hooted Rarity as she let out a breathy posh laugh.
"I'm not exactly sure what Rarity just said, but I agree with Applejack!" Rainbow huffed, crossing her front legs, "How can she ask to come along with us after what she did?! You can't just say sorry and make everything magically better."
"Aw, c'mon, girls! Starlight just feels bad about what she did, and she wants to make up for it, that's all!" Pinkie Pie replied optimistically, "Can't we give her a chance?"
"I think letting her even stay in Yakyakistan is too nice!" Rainbow spat back.
"Calm down; we should think of this rationally." Fluttershy put a hoof on Rainbow's leg, pulling her down. "Maybe Pinkie is right; maybe she just wants to help or be useful."
"Maybe..." Twilight rubbed her chin. She was extremely unsure about this. In her gut, she felt that Starlight was being truthful, that she simply wanted to repay her dues and aid in their travels. But the logical part of her brain was telling her this would be Starlight's perfect opportunity to get her revenge.
"Maybe... we should put it up to a vote?" timidly suggested the alicorn.
Spike climbed into the wagon, a cup of coffee in his claws, slamming the door behind him, "What's all the commotion?"
"Starlight Glimmer wants to help us by tagging along on the expedition," replied Applejack.
Spike slowly sipped his black brew as he eyed the ponies around the wagon, "Oh wow… sounds like a scheme."
"That's what I'm saying!" huffed Applejack.
"We were just about to put it to a vote, and I vote that we firmly but politely refuse her help," smirked Rarity.
"Forget the formalities. I say no. She is as wiry as a barrel of snakes and about as trustworthy as one too!" huffed Applejack.
"Well, I vote yes! I think that we should give her a chance; who knows, maybe we'll even become friends!" Pinkie Pie beamed brightly, squirming in place. Otherwise, she would be bouncing the wagon up and down. "C'mon, girls, do you think Discord would be our friend if we never gave him a chance?"
"Weren't you the one to say he was being mind-controlled back in Ponyville?" Rainbow cocked a brow.
"Well... I think Pinkie Pie has a point," Fluttershy murmured, pressing a hoof to her muzzle, "Sometimes ponies just need a helping hoof, and maybe this is Starlight's way of asking for help? I... I vote yes."
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow sighed, "Well, I don't know... I don't trust Starlight, or Trixie, or that bug either! But... I guess I'll go with whatever you guys choose. Twilight, you haven't voted yet."
"Well..." Twilight rubbed the back of her head, "I'm not sure either, but... I want to give her a chance. She really could have hurt me back in that cave, but she didn't. I think she's just really confused and maybe needs a guiding hoof? Like Fluttershy said, maybe she just wants help."
"So, is that a yes?" pressed Rainbow Dash.
"I... guess it is."
"Well, that makes it… a tie." Applejack said finally, "Looks like it comes down to you, Spike."
Spike slowly sipped his coffee as he eyed the ponies around him.
"Ooh, ooh, choose me!" Pinkie piped up.
"Pinkie, that's not how this works." Rainbow sighed, face hoofing.
"It's okay, Spike, whatever you think is best," Twilight nodded, trusting him to make the right decision, "I won't judge you, and neither will the girls."
Spike took a long sip of his coffee before he smacked his lips as he turned to Twilight, "You said yes to Starlight joining us, right Twilight?"
"Yes, I did..." Twilight nodded, surprisingly becoming nervous at what his response might be.
Spike smirked as he raised his claw in the air for a moment as he took a looooooong sip from his mug. He toyed with the anticipation that hung in the air like a cat, "... Well, obviously, I'm going to support YOU Twilight through and through. Even if I feel like Starlight Glimmer is Tartarus on earth ponified… I say yes."
"Boo!" Rainbow called out, Fluttershy quickly tugging the pegasus back down by the tail.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief, surprised by her own anxiety at that moment, "Well, it's settled then; Starlight, Trixie, and Thorax can come with us."
"WOOHOOO!!" Pinkie Pie jumped up, "I'm gonna go tell them the news!"
"Hold on there," Twilight lit her horn, stopping the earth pony from zipping off, "We still need to discuss this further."
"Are you sure the guards that we brought with us are going to like that?" Rainbow cocked a brow.
"Well, now that we no longer need the guard..." Twilight began.
"Oh no, no, no, we're not going to let them tag along and NOT have some sort of armed escort," Rainbow Dash waved her hooves, turning to the others, "Right, guys?!"
Applejack huffed, "Rainbow Dash, those guards were given to us by Shining Armor, and you remember how Twilight said those Crystal Ponies felt about sending guards across the mountains NEAR their home country. Can you imagine how'd they feel if we had guards come with us on another continent!?"
"Yeah yeah yeah..." Rainbow looked away, huffing.
"Well, I don't think we should trust her right away, but a platoon like we brought along? All the way to Griffonia? I'm not so sure that will be possible," Twilight replied, uncertain, "Maybe Celestia could spare us a few guards..."
"We'd still run into a problem, Twilight; even if Celestia gave us a small platoon, we're going off to lands that aren't filled with Ponyfolk for miles. Wouldn't that look a little…bad on our end if we just marched into somewhere like Griffinstone and swung our weight around?"
"That's... a good point. Although I meant maybe just one or two guards..." Twilight replied, thinking it over, "But you're right; I'm not sure there would even be guards who would volunteer for such a long expedition."
Rarity sighed, "As much as I'd like a bunch of handsome stallions to escort us around on our journey, I just don't think it's in the cards for us. Besides, since we're bringing Starlight along, we might as well deal with her ourselves. It's six against three."
"Seven." corrected Spike as he crossed his arms.
"R-Right, seven against three, we have the numbers, is what I'm saying! We can take care of ourselves. Besides Rainbow Dash, aren't you supposed to be a Wonderbolt in training? You'd think a future Wonderbolt could protect us from danger… are you saying that's no longer the case?" Rarity said accusingly, giving Twilight a small wink. She had Rainbow by the tail now.
Rainbow gaped at the unicorn, flying to get straight in her face. "Are you calling ME weak?! Of course, I can defend us. That Starlight won't be much if she can't see me coming, and I'm faster than the pony eye!"
As an example, Rainbow flew out of the wagon and returned a flower in her mouth in a few seconds. She spat it out and offered it to the fashionable unicorn.
"See? A mountain flower for m'lady." Rainbow snapped sarcastically.
Rarity hmpfed as she took the flower and stuck it in the blue mare's mane, chuckling to herself. Too easy.
"My hero," fawned Rarity jokingly.
Applejack sighed, shaking her head, "Rainbow, give it a rest…."
"Whatever…" Rainbow rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to shake her head aggressively to remove the flower.
"Then I suppose everything is in order," Twilight replied, trying to hide the smirk on her lips.
Spike sat down as he slurped down the rest of his coffee, "Is there anything left to discuss?"
"Yeah, who's been leaving scales on the floor," grumbled Applejack.
"Hey, I'm growing over here! It's pretty hard to do when it's below zero out here; I can't help that the only warm place to shed is inside the wagon." Spike said defensively.
"Keep your scales to yourself, Spike! You'll get them all over my clothes!" whined Rarity.
The wagon would soon erupt into a petty argument about scales, dresses, and the natural process of shedding.
"Oh, well, I think your scales are nice, Spike. It reminds me of the snakes and lizards I took care of at home," Fluttershy attempted to ease the argument, "Maybe you could make something wearable out of them, Rarity."
"Welp, I'm gonna go tell them the good news; save me some teaaaa!" Pinkie Pie plonked off, "I'll be back in a jiffy!"
Twilight sighed and shook her head, hoping that this issue would be solved by the time the party pony returned. Sighing, the princess took another sip of tea, imagining what was yet to come.