Two days have passed since the night the dragon attacked Sweet Apple Acres. Normally, the towns in Equestria receive warnings of dragons to take the proper precautions, but this didn't happen this time, and the letter Twilight sent to the princess was never answered, this woke up Twilight's concern and decided to visit the princess at once, and find out what was happening.
In Ponyville's train station, a small group of ponies reunited to wish Applejack and Twilight a safe journey. "I feel bad for leaving you when you most need me" said Applejack to her family, "but we'll be back in a couple of hours, then back to work!" Granny Smith and Big Macintosh were there, but Applejack's sister was nowhere close to be seen.
"Well, It's time to go" said Twilight while the train to Canterlot stopped by the station.
"Twilight! May I have my job back, please? I promise to take good care of the library!" asked Sweetie Belle, shouting at Twilight from the distance just before she could take a step inside the train.
"Ummm, ok. But this is your last chance, got it?" answered Twilight, the young unicorn and got in the train while a Yay! could be heard from behind her.
Meanwhile, in Canterlot, a white unicorn with a stylized purple mane was in the judge's table of what it looked like a private fashion runway, she had a boring face and yawned frequently. Next to her, there was an earth pony with a gray mane wearing a pair of sunglasses, "Next!" she exclaimed in a German-like accent, she looked impacient and unsatisfied.
"No, no, no, NO!" she yelled at the models, "You don't have what it takes, you don't have what we need, you don't have... the magics!" exclaimed the earth pony while putting one of her front hooves in the air, and paused for a second while everypony else watched her with anticipation. "Now leave!" she suddenly commanded. The models couldn't help but leave the stage dissappointed and upset for not pleasing what the judges were looking for.
"Photo Finish, how are we supposed to reveal this dress if nopony has ummm.... the magics?" Rarity sighed.
"We need, somepony with class, somepony with grace, we need somepony... like her!" very excited, Photo Finish described the perfect model for the dress, picturing a certain pegasus that had worked with her in the past.
"You mean Fluttershy? I'm sorry, but that will not be possible. Even if I knew where she is, she has already told me that being a model isn't her joy at all", Rarity informed the overly excited photographer.
"What?!" Photo Finish asked in a shocked way, "has she gone missing? We must find her! And maybe she'll work with us."
"I don't think that is going to work. You'll see, she..." Rarity tried to stop her, but it was too late, Photo Finish had already raced towards the exit of the building leaving no sign of her presence. Photo Finish can be a complicated partner, sometimes, she thought, while rolling her eyes, and just before she could leave the building, a couple of royal guard pegasi stopped her.
"Miss Rarity, the princess requires your presence. Please come with us" one of them said with an authoritative tone. Rarity gasped with excitement and her eyes were so shiny that everypony could notice them, even in daylight.
Back in Ponyville, in Applebloom's workshop, she was reunited with with her friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with other two friends they made by putting their differences behind as they all grew up together. Discusing what Diamond Tiara has called in her mind as The craziest crusade a Cutie Mark Crusader has ever thought in history.
"You are going to what?!" Diamond Tiara quickly questioned with a surprised and scared look on her face.
"Chase that dragon" answered Applebloom with confidence, "I'm going to make him pay for the apple trees that he burned."
Scootaloo then, fluttered with excitement and shouted, "yeah! Let's show him that no dragon messes with us ponies!", but Diamond Tiara almost suffers a heart attack.
"I just got my job at the library back" said Sweetie Belle, she frowned while she was beside Applebloom in a seated position, "If Twilight finds out I left to chase a dragon she'll fire me again. Not to mention she might tell Rarity."
Diamond Tiara perked her ears up, and then she stomped the floor and stated "she's right! And what about your sister?" she said, doing everything in her hooves to make Applebloom reconsider.
"I'm an independent mare now!" Applebloom stomped her own hooves against the floor, "and you are too, Sweetie Belle! Don't let your sister scare you now, we're all grown up!"
"You're right, I'm independent!" Sweetie Belle stood up and replied Applebloom with a defying tone, "and I remember that you were the one who told me that I can't be irresponsible anymore, so I'm sorry, but I'm keeping my job this time!"
"Well I'm chasing that fire-breathing lizard with or without you!" Applebloom also defied the young unicorn.
"Easy there, let's think things first, shall we?" Silver Spoon suggested while she was cleaning her glasses, "Applebloom, how are you planning to find this one dragon?" she asked with a calm posture and her eyes mid closed.
"I'm glad you asked" Applebloom smiled at Silver Spoon and pulled a lever behind her, suddenly, a subterranean hangar showed up behind the workshop, and inside it, a huge machine that looked like a vessel. A gigantic wooden ship equipped with wings made of some kind of metal that could bend as if made of thread. There was three masts, one on the center, one on the rear and one on the front just behind the helm, and each one had on top a huge helix, the one on the center was the biggest. And below the hull, there was yet another helix, as big and wide as the ship. The ship's sails were made of a white robe, and the main sail portrayed the emblem of a big red apple with green wings.
"What is that?" all of her friends asked, while gazing at the huge vehicle and leaving their mouths and eyes wide open.
"You like it?" Applebloom proudly said while jumping on the machine, "It is called the Sky Wanderer. I've been working on it for years."
"You built a weapon of war?!" Diamond Tiara asked surprised, gazing at the cannons set at the sides of the vessel.
"It was supposed to be only for traveling, but that dragon really crossed the line! I couldn't help but create weapons to hunt him, and the idea just hit me, so I installed them on the Sky Wanderer. So are you in, or out?"
"Count me in, of course!" Scootaloo was the first to answer anxiously, "this is gonna be great!"
"Sorry but I'll be out of this, ponies will go crazy if I close the cafe one single night" said Silver Spoon still in shock of the huge vessel.
"Alright! I'm in too!" Sweetie Belle made her mind, "this is so exciting!"
"WHAT?!" another what?! question coming from Diamond Tiara, "Sweetie Belle, you're supposed to be the voice of wisdom among the three of you! What about being responsible and keeping your job?"
"I know, but I really want to do this!" Sweetie Belle replied with an ear to ear smile, "It's like being crusading again, but instead of just Ponyville, we'll go all around Equestria!"
"Well, count me in too..." Diamond Tiara included herself too, with a notable fear in her voice and eyes, "somepony has to take care of you three."
"Hold on a minute!" a young male voice shouted from the front door, it was Spike not so happy to see her partner about to leave her job.
"Spike! How did you know?" gasped Sweetie Belle, very desperate.
The dragon just mid closed his eyes and pointed with one of his fingers at the gigantic vessel that suddenly appeared in Applebloom's workshop, "that thing really attracts anyone's attention."
"I-I can explain! Please don't fire me!" Sweetie Belle begged the young dragon while bowing down to him as if he was the ruler of Equestria.
"Ok, ok. But I'm going with you!" Spike set the condition, "I don't want to be alone in that boring library, but we need to find somepony who is up to the job."
Then Sweetie Belle suggested, "Silver Spoon can do it, right?"
"Fine, but I'll take half of your salary" Silver Spoon nodded with a little of annoyance, rolling her eyes.
"I can live with that!" said Sweetie Belle who was all ready to go.
Silver Spoon waved her hoof while the Sky Wanderer began to take off, her friends, waving their hooves back at her while everypony in Ponyville watched them go as if they were watching an UFO.
"So... where are we going?" Spike asked defeated by his curiosity.
"We're taking down the dragon that burnt Sweet Apple Acres!" answered Scootaloo, with a brave and confident gesture.
"What?!" the dragon was shocked, for it was obviously too late to turn back as the Sky Wandered gained more and more altitude and the ponies in Ponyville started to look like ants.
A few hours later, Applejack and Twilight reached Canterlot's Palace, escorted by royal guards, they were guided to the Magic Court Chamber, "please wait for the princesses" said one of the guards, leaving them and closing the doors. Twilight and Applejack looked around the chamber and found a big number of serious and important looking ponies everywhere.
"Oh! Twilight! Applejack! Over here!" a pink cheerful pony jumped tirelessly, her smile stood out from the sea of frowning faces around her. "I can't believe you're here!" she said, "It's been like one hundred years. No! Like one thousand years! I've never been this excited before, well, except for when..."
"Pinkie!" Applejack interrupted, "it's so wonderful to see you again, and you haven't changed nothin' at all!" she replied with the same excitement.
"Pinkie Pie, it's been only thirty years" said Twilight with a huge smile and her eyes wide open with joy, "look at you! One of the most important party planners for Canterlot and Equestria."
Pinkie Pie blushed and nodded, "yeah! Thanks Twilight, making parties was more of a hobby to me, but thanks to the princess, I see that planning parties is a real job. Even those... Ugh! Sofisticated parties for royalty" Pinkie said with disgust on her face and showing up her tongue.
"What's the matter, Pinkie?" asked Applejack while Twilight giggled, "too much class and rules for you?"
"Too much?" Pinkie began to complain, "It's sooo boring you can't even call that a party! No balloons, no games, and that music, well, it's good, for the naptime! Weddings are more like my style!"
"Yeah, by the way. We have to talk about the guests list for that last wedding you planned" Applejack suddenly remembered.
Just before Applejack could start saying anything else, the doors opened again, this time, Rarity was the one escorted in to the chamber, "thank you, gentlemen" she said to the guards while walking inside the chamber.
"It's my pleasure, miss Rarity" one of the guards blushed.
"Rarity!" all of Rarity's friends jumped towards her. "Oh my! What a pleasant surprise!" Rarity contemplated at her now more mature friends, "It's been so long that is simply a blessing to find you all here!" Rarity cleaned some tears from her eyes while smiling.
With no time for more talking, the Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadence along with General Shining Armor, walked in the chamber from the back door and took a seat in their respective spots, each one giving a smooth smile to Twilight and her friends, except Twilight's brother. However, Princess Celestia had a serious gesture all over her face.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked to Pinkie who was the first of the friends to be in the chamber.
"I don't know, but the princess asked for an urgent audience with the council and the Elements of Harmony, I mean, us" Pinkie whispered to Twilight's ear, as confused as all of her friends.
With everypony silently watching at Princess Celestia, the front doors opened once again, a sky blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane walked in, wearing a golden aerodynamic armor decorated by silver pads and hooves, and a golden helmet. Upon her entrance, the aura of the chamber suddenly changed, her imposing presence announced that a very important pony had just arrived.
"Rainbow Dash!" all of her friends greeted her, grinning and admiring her.
"Hey, girls" she just smiled back without any surprise or any other reaction towards her friends, and kept walking forward.
"Rainbow Dash, captain of the Royal Elite of Equestria" announced Princess Celestia, "do you have any news about these events we have witnessed lately?"
"It is just as you suspected, princess" Rainbow Dash frowned, "this dragons' attacks weren't simply a wild rage. They were planned, all the most important farms and factories were all attacked and devastated." Every pony in the chamber gasped in shock, specially Applejack. "I'm afraid the dragons have declared war to us, your highness" the pegasus concluded.
"Prepare the defense line" the princess commanded with preoccupation in her eyes, "do we know where they may attack next?"
"No. But the dragons seem to be attacking from the Badlands southwest" Rainbow stated and proceed to suggest without losing her cool, "we don't know why they attacked, or what they want, but we better take some action now, your highness."
"We know where they are" Princess Luna stood up, "let's launch a counter attack now and end this before it gets worse, sister!" she suggested.
"These are dragons, aunt Luna" Princess Cadance also intervened, "we can't just attack and expect to win, can we?"
"But we have the Elements of Harmony, on our side" said one of the unicorns and was inmediately supported by his fellows.
"Not all of them" Twilight frowned and made Rainbow Dash realize that, in fact, Fluttershy was not in the chamber.
"What is this? It is an insult that one of you, ignores a direct audience with the princesses!" one of the unicorns madly exclaimed.
"Watch it, gramps. You're talking about my friend" Rainbow Dash quieted down the unicorn with a calm but unhappy glare.
"Twilight Sparkle, it looks like hard times are approaching Equestria" Celestia talked directly to Twilight, the alicorn wasn't surprised to see Fluttershy was missing, "I summoned you and your friends to ask you to stay out of this."
"But princess..." Twilight questioned the princess.
"You are my student, not my soldier" the princess explained, "I'm not willing to send civilians to war, not even the Elements of Harmony."
The princess then stood up to give her final command.
"General Shining Armor, prepare the defense lines, and tell the civilians to stay in doors. Luna and I will take care of the offensive. Captain Rainbow Dash, escort Twilight and her friends to the guests bedroom, and meet us in the throne room."
"Yes, your highness" Rainbow Dash nodded, "this way, girls."
After a walk through the hallways of the palace, they arrived one of the guests tower's bedroom. "This is it" said Rainbow Dash, she let her friends in with an apparent indifference to her friends. But upon their entrance in the bedroom, Rainbow Dash locked the door and suddenly let all her feelings out.
"Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh! You're here!" Rainbow Dash jumped at her friends and flew around the bedroom while her confused friends were wondering about the sudden change of mood.
"Isn't it a little too late for that Rainbow?" Twilight asked.
"Hehe, yeah, sorry. As captain of the Royal Elite, I must always keep calm and cool."
"That's a very amazing armor you're wearing" Applejack contemplated with awe due to how shiny it was.
"Of course! Rainbow Dash always dresses in style" Rainbow Dash nodded and showed off, "actually, it's Rarity's design."
"Why thank you! I'm just glad you appreciate a piece of art" Rarity proudly stated while fixing her mane, "it was hard to find an elegant, yet light, yet aerodynamic style, but as always I was able to..."
"We're finally all reunited! Isn't this wonderful?" Pinkie suddenly bounced around the place, interrupting Rarity's profesional explanation, "you know what this calls for? A huge PARTY!".
"Maybe some other time, Pinkie" Rainbow Dash stopped Pinkie's excitement, "I have orders, so..." when suddenly, a loud roar echoed from across the hallways, the dragons were now attacking Canterlot's Palace, "oh no! The princesses!" Rainbow Dash flew out from the window to rush to the throne room.
"Hurry girls!" Twilight ran to the hallways also rushing to the throne room with her friends behind her, "what about what the princess said, Twilight?" asked Pinkie.
"I know! But I can't leave her alone in this hard times."
In the throne room, Princesses Celestia and Luna were fighting five huge dragons, when Rainbow Dash appeard breaking through the door. "Princesses! I'm on my way!" When another red dragon came to stop Rainbow Dash. "Out of the way!" Rainbow Dash warned the dragon before charging at him. When Twilight and the other ponies also appeared while breaking through groups of smaller dragons.
"You!" Applejack noticed the red dragon that Rainbow Dash was facing, it was the same dragon that burned Sweet Apple Acres.
"It's payback time!" shouted Applejack while she and her friends joined the battle, but the red dragon set a fire wall preventing the ponies to advance anymore. However, Rainbow Dash flew through the fire, but the dragon kept the fight up, not allowing the pegasus reach the princesses.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna joined their horns to perform one of their almighty spells, "now, sister!" Luna exclaimed while Celestia nodded.
"Stand back, everypony!" Celestia commanded while focusing her magic.
"We got you!" said a purple and green dragon, while crashing in through the roof, making now six dragons in the chamber, he spat some kind of purple flame just before the sisters could finish their spell, Celestia pushed her sister away to save her from the flame, but it was too late to save herself, she was caught in the purple flame wich became crystal in wich Princess Celestia was now trapped.
"Nooooooo!" Everypony screamed in panic.
"Do not worry, ponies. It is dragon's magic, she is still alive, but we will take her with us. Ha ha ha ha!" said the purple and green dragon with a fiery voice, while he and the others made their quick escape leaving the palace with Princess Celestia as their prisoner.
"THOU SHALL NOT TAKE OUR SISTER!" Luna exploded with wrath in every inch of her being, summoning a powerful storm of rays, lightnings and thunders. She flew chasing the dragons, and throwing bolts at them, but the green dragon, with a form like a snake covered by shiny feathers green, blue and used his magic and summoned a hurricane that blew the storm away along with Luna who crashed on one of the citiy's walls.
"I am sorry alicorn. But your sister is a bigger threat than you" said the green dragon with pity in his eyes before leaving.
General Shining Armor was too late in reaching the throne room. "Where are the princesses, Rainbow Dash?"
"I'm sorry general, we failed..." Rainbow Dash frowned, "they took Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna was defeated, she is somewhere in Canterlot..." Shining Armor then, commanded to look for Princess Luna.
The city of Canterlot was invaded and devastated, royal guards and elites ponies fighting back, the dragons retreated after the big ones escaped, but it was anything but a victory for the ponies, with Princess Celestia imprisoned by the dragons, and Princess Luna injured, it was Cadance's turn to take on command while Princess Luna recovers from her injuries.