Peach Stone frowned as he hurried through the streets of Maretime Bay. His head was turning this way and that as he searched for his daughter. A feeling of worry building inside of him.
Peach Fizz hadn’t come down to breakfast that morning. When he’d gone to her room, she hadn’t been there either. Now he was making his way through town looking for her or her two friends, Seashell and Glory.
Finally, he spotted Glory and Seashell as they made their way towards the school. However, his frown turned to a look of concern as he realised Peach Fizz wasn’t with them.
“Morning you two,” he said as he approached. “Have you seen Peach Fizz this morning?”
“No, Mr Peach Stone,” Seashell answered as they stopped. “We’ve not seen her at all.”
“We thought she was grounded,” Glory added.
“She is,” Peach Stone replied looking at them gravely. “But how do you know? I hope you’re not covering for her?”
Seashell and Glory looked at each other with confusion whilst Peach Stone studied them carefully. All three completely missed Nightmare Shimmer along with Lava and Jade flying overhead as they headed towards the Brighthouse.
“She sent us a message,” Glory explained. “We’re not covering for her, honest.”
“We’ve not seen her this morning. Actually, we’ve barely seen her at all recently,” Seashell added. “Not even at school.”
“You…You haven’t?” Peach Stone blinked as he looked more worried. “Whenever I’ve asked her, she said she’s been with you. She came home very, very late last night and said she had been with you.”
Glory and Seashell looked at each other with confusion and shook their heads.
“We weren’t with her last night,” Glory responded. “We were both at home.”
“When we’ve seen her, she kept saying she had things to do at home,” Seashell explained.
“We’ve not seen much of her since we got lost in the mist,” Glory added looking worried.
Peach Stone looked at the two fillies with concern. “We need to speak to Sheriff Hitch,” he decided. “Peach Fizz has sneaked out this morning and what you’ve told me has me worried. We need to find her.”
“But school is starting soon,” Seashell gasped.
“We need to find Peach Fizz though,” Glory reasoned. “I’m worried too, none of this is like her at all.”
“Don’t worry about school, I’ll speak to your teacher,” Peach Stone reassured. “Let’s head to the Sheriff’s Office.”
The two fillies agreed and with that, all three started walking together.
As they neared the Together Tree, Glory suddenly stopped as she spotted something.
“What’s that doing there?” Glory gasped pointing to the base of the tree.
A large purple seed sat at the foot of the tree, behind the two blooming flowers. It was as large as a watermelon and had a sickly purple aura around it.
Before Peach Stone nor Seashell could say anything, a vein of purple energy suddenly shot through the ground between them. All three shouted in surprise and shock as they jumped back and away from it. Then, they watched in surprise as it headed straight towards the seed.
Glory whipped out her phone, pointed the camera at the tree and put it on record. When the vein reached the seed, it immediately began to glow bright purple, like it was absorbing energy from the vein.
After a few moments, the seed melted into the ground. Suddenly, a flash of purple streaked through the bark of the tree. From the base all the way to the tips of its branches. As it did so, the tree took on a sickly purple aura, its flowers wilting and the foliage becoming brown and lifeless.
“This can’t be good,” Seashell said worriedly.
“I’m posting my video to Princess Pipp's feed,” Glory replied. “She’ll know what it is.”
“Or Princess Zipp will,” Seashell agreed.
Suddenly they heard voices heading towards them from around the corner. All three gasped as Peach Fizz appeared with a large number of ponies in tow.
“Look, I told you,” Peach Fizz said. “Something’s happened to the tree.”
“And how exactly did you know that, Young Lady?” Peach Stone demanded as he walked towards his daughter.
“I...I saw it happen, Poppa,” Peach Fizz replied.
“No, you didn’t,” Peach Stone responded crossly. “It’s only just happened, and you weren’t here to see it. You also couldn’t have found all these ponies in such a short amount of time. What is going on with you lately? Where have you been this morning? I’ve been worried sick!”
“I...I....I,” Peach Fizz stammered as she cowered under her father’s accusing gaze.
“Peach Stone, maybe you should take her home and deal with this in private?” Phyllis suggested.
“No,” Peach Stone responded. “She sneaks out of the house. She tells me she’s with her friends but tells her friends she’s at home. Peach Fizz, honey, I’m worried about you. What have you been doing? Where have you been going? Please, tell me. Whatever it is we can work through it together.”
Peach Fizz stared back at her father with wide eyes, her bottom lip trembling as she struggled to form a reply. She looked around, realising she was cornered. Sprout stood behind her, a questioning expression on his face. Meanwhile, the other ponies were also all watching and waiting for a response. Peach Fizz gulped as she felt the pressure on her to reply growing by the second.
However, everypony’s attention was suddenly diverted as there was another flash from the tree. Multiple veins of purple energy shot through the ground from the base of the tree, spreading out all over Maretime Bay. Cries of confusion and panic quickly spread through the gathered ponies.
“E...Everypony stay calm, d...don’t panic.” Sprout shouted. “Nobody form an angry mob!”
The others looked at Sprout with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. He looked just as panicked as the rest of them. Even if his guard training was starting to kick in.
Suddenly, there was an ominous rumbling sound before vines of purple energy began sprouting from the ground. They burst through the pavement and cobblestones along the path of the purple veins.
Ponies screamed and cried as the vines whipped around towards them. They tried to run. However, the vines were very fast. One by one they found themselves slapped on the flank. As the vines touched them, each felt a tingling sensation before they felt extremely weak.
Phyllis groaned as she looked up at the vine that had just slapped her. To her shock and dismay, she saw her cutie mark trapped within a ball at the tip of the vine.
Sprout meanwhile had been one of the first to lose his cutie mark. However, despite his weekend state, he was trying his hardest to protect the other ponies. Bucking at the vines and trying to put himself between them and the others.
Glory meanwhile was doing her best to avoid the vines. Flying around, phone in hoof whilst she livestreamed. “Please help us Princess Pipp,” she said. “We need you and your friends.”
Meanwhile, at the Brighthouse, Starlight and Sunset had just been helped onto the large sofa. Starlight sat at one end whilst Sunset lay on her side at the other. Everypony suddenly jumped as Pipp started screaming. They looked over to see she was looking at her phone.
“Pipp, if the screen’s cracked you’ll just need to get a new one,” Sunny sighed.
“It’s not cracked,” Pipp exclaimed, turning to them with wide eyes. “It’s Maretime Bay, it’s under attack! Everypony’s in trouble and we need to help them.”
She turned her phone so the others could see. Glory’s stream was still playing as she desperately tried to avoid the purple vines. They all gasped as they saw Peach Stone’s cutie mark being taken as he tried to protect Peach Fizz.
Then, Glory shrieked in surprise before the phone tumbled to the ground and the feed went dead.
“Nooo!” Pipp gasped in dismay. “We need to help them!”
“But we can’t leave Starlight and Sunset like this,” Sunny replied worriedly.
“Yes you can,” Starlight responded. “You need to go and help everypony. You’ve got everything you need now.”
Sunny looked down at her necklace, her element. However, she then looked around at her friends and smiled.
“We’re going to defeat Opaline,” Sunny said resolutely. “Not because I’ve got my element. Because we’re friends and we’ll do it by working together in unity.”
“Sparky!” Hitch called. “Stay here little buddy and look after Sunset and Starlight.”
Sparky smiled and gave a salute. “Kay,” he squeaked.
“We know we can count on you Sparky,” Misty smiled as she rubbed his head affectionately.
With a final nod between them, Sunny and her friends ran out of the Brighthouse and towards Maretime Bay.
After watching them go, Sunset groaned and let her head flop onto the sofa before closing her eyes. Sparky looked at her, then he looked at the flask, the cup, and finally back to Sunset again.
“Straw,” he squeaked. “Need straw.”
With that, he scurried off towards the kitchen as fast as his little legs would go.
Starlight meanwhile grunted as she tried to make her leg more comfortable.
“Trust me to get hurt again,” she muttered.
“A fine pair we are,” Sunset groaned. “Is this what being Princess Celestia is like?”
“What? Waiting around for Twilight to save the day with her friends?” Starlight snorted with laughter. “Unlikely, we actually put up a fight.”
“I don’t remember putting up a fight,” Sunset moaned.
“Well, what do you remember?” Starlight asked with concern.
Sunset opened her eyes as she frowned, trying to remember.
“The Night Market,” she said at last. “Splitting up to find Misty. I’d suddenly gotten a headache, so I went to the portal to return to Maretime Bay.”
“Why?” Starlight asked looking confused.
“So I could become a pony again and use my pain relief spell,” Sunset smirked. “I don’t remember casting it though. I went through the portal, then the next thing I remember was being in Opaline’s throne room. Trapped in a huge sphere.”
She closed her eyes again and grimaced.
“You don’t need to say anymore,” Starlight advised.
“I couldn’t get out,” Sunset continued, ignoring Starlight. “I tried, I really tried but she’d thought of everything. I played right into her hoofs too. I completely exhausted my magic reserves trying to escape. Then she…she…”
Sunset trailed off, her face screwing up in pain at the memory.
“It’s okay. It’s okay Sunset, you don’t need to tell me anymore,” Starlight reaffirmed. “It’s over now, you’re safe.”
“There isn’t any more anyway,” Sunset answered. “The next thing I remember is waking up here. Seeing them stood with their elements,” she opened her eyes and smirked. “I presume rainbow lasers were involved in saving me.”
“Maybe,” Starlight replied with a small smile. “The most important thing right now is, they saved you. It’s all okay now.”
Sunset sighed and closed her eyes again, snuggling her muzzle into the soft cushioning. She remained silent, seemingly processing what had happened. However, after a short time, her eyes snapped open with a start.
“Peach Fizz!” she cried.
“Peach Fizz?” Starlight echoed. “What about her?”
Starlight gasped as Sunset tried to get up, grunting with exertion.
“We...we have to help her,” Sunset grunted as she pushed upwards with her forelegs.
“No, Sunset rest!” Sparky squeaked as he hopped onto the sofa with a straw in his claw. “No go, stay.”
Sunset panted and panted as she looked at Sparky in both confusion and amazement.
“Seems I’ve missed a lot,” Sunset chuckled.
“Well, whilst I missed the ruins of Canterlot, you missed out on the Dragon Lands,” Starlight responded. “Now, lay back down and tell us about Peach Fizz. What’s wrong?”
“She didn’t escape Opaline,” Sunset clarified as she laid back down. “Opaline did something to her. I don’t know what, all I know is it made her loyal to her. That was why there was static when I read her memory. That’s….That’s how Opaline captured me too.”
Starlight frowned with thought. Meanwhile, Sparky had been struggling with the lid on the flask. He whooped with joy as it finally loosened, and he was able to insert the straw.
“Drink,” he squeaked as he offered It towards Sunset. “Sunset drink.”
Sunset smiled, accepted the straw, and started drinking. Starlight meanwhile sighed with resignation.
“I think this is all up to Sunny and the others now,” she sighed. “I suspect Peach Fizz will be the least of their concerns for the moment. We’ll have to help her later.”
Sunset suddenly smiled. “Maybe there is one thing we could still do...”