Amber Wood
"So let me get this straight.
About a week after the changelings attacked a place known as the Crystal Empire reappeared in The Frozen Wastes up north after a thousand years along with the evil king who caused that situation.
So your sister and her friends had to save it."
After placing a collected herb in her bag Apple Bloom nodded and said, "Eeyup.
Hey do you think we will see that nirik again?"
I had been sure to set up a few nirik sightings so that they would all think that the nirik had settled in somewhere around the edge of the Everfree.
The smoke bombs Zecora taught me how to make really helped me with that.
"Well...
...maybe.
I don't think they will be up for much conversation.
You think we have enough herbs?"
Apple Bloom examined each of our bag and nodded, "Ya that should be enough. Let's drop them off at Zecoras' place and head back to Ponyville."
As we walked out the Everfree Forest the silence was broken when Apple Bloom asked, "So why do you avoid spending time with the crusaders as a group?"
Memories of the various cutie mark crusaders shenanigans flashed through my mind.
"While I do enjoy spending time with each of you, but your crusader shenanigans are a bit to much for my taste."
Apple Bloom looked genuinely confused and asked, "Like what?"
"Just this week you three have set the spa on fire, set a bakery on fire, set the fire station on fire, and somehow set the lake on fire which was more impressive than anything.
How did you even do that?"
Apple Bloom looked embarrassed and said, "We were trying to fight the kraken."
"I'm not sure if I want to know or not."
We continued in silence until I asked, "Do you ever feel bad for those Pinkie clones or is it just me?"
Apple Bloom gave me a dead pan look and see, "It's only you...
...but knowing Pinkie then I'm sure that a few of them are still wondering Equestria.
So you think you could teach me an the girls all your cool tricks?"
"Maybe another time."
When returning home through Ponyville I saw a familiar face.
Diamond Tiara was out with her friend Silver Spoon.
While my interaction with her as a nirik was short I noticed that there was a bit of a personality shift in her.
Given the magical nature of the world I now found myself in I was worried that she may have been replaced with a shape shifting monster.
With the attack on Canterlot by the changelings I became suspicious.
So I began to spy on her, but I found something else.
Her mother had been the one to cause her to change.
While her father was a decent guy but when it came to his wife he was a complete push over.
It appears that while she left a majority of raising Diamond Tiara to her husband that is until...
...she got her cutie mark.
In Spoileds own words, "If she had the cutie mark of a business pony than her father could continue to take charge in raising her, but her cutie mark is that of a socialite so it is my responsibility to ensure that she lives up to her potential."
Honestly I get the idea of forming and using social connections to get ahead in life, but Spoiled was going about it all wrong.
I mean really having Diamond Tiara bully the younger sisters of national heros is the exact opposite of what she should be doing.
Spoiled should be ordering Diamond Tiara to literally kiss the ground they walk on it would help her get close to Princesses Celestia and Luna.
Then again what do I know about high society.
Actually what do the nobility even do?
When I was traveling with Trixie I encountered a few nobles but none of them appeared to actually be in charge of anything.
Rather towns and cities all appeared to be lead by elected officials.
If the nobility were not actually in charge of anything then what did they actually do?
Do they just have a lot of money or something?
Well I can't get anywhere without asking.
As Apple Bloom and I went our separate ways I noticed Pinkie Pie hopping by saying fun over and over, so normal Pinkie Pie.
Then I started to notice more of them and I realized that this was not going to be a normal day even by Ponyville standards.
I walked into the Sweet Treats' Ice Cream and Soda Bar.
Sweet Treat looked towards me as the bell rang and asked, "Hi yu Amber, what can I do you for?"
I slouched into one of the bar stools and with a sigh, "Slide me a float and keep them coming I want to forget what's about to happen today."
Sweet raised an eyebrow at me and said, "That's not how it works?...
What is even going on?"
After looking out the window Sweet returns and says, "Forget the tab it's on me, I'll join you."
And as it turns out, it does work that way...
...funfunfunfunfunfunfunfunfunfunfun