//------------------------------// // Chap. 03: Kniven Vendinger // Story: Night of the Shy (Revamp) // by Raefire //------------------------------// Night of the Shy (Revamp) by Raefire *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* CHAPTER THREE: KNIVEN VENDINGER The hooves stomped over the dirt. The guest looked up. They were still there. Some had slipped off their jagged perches and fallen to their deaths far below, but the majority were still hanging around. “Ah. Right where I left you mutts.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* She was so very, very tired. She was going on almost a full day without sleep. Her body ached with fatigue. She wanted very much to simply stop, lie down, and rest. Nothing more, nothing less. Just rest. But if she did that, they would catch her. And so Zecora ran. Through the bowels of the Everfree Forest, she ran. Over dirt. Over grass. Under huge tree roots. Over giant logs, she ran. Towards Ponyville, she ran. Or, at least, she hoped it was towards Ponyville. She didn't remember any deviation from a straight line course when she followed Fluttershy into the forest in the first place, but as she had chased the pegasus almost all night, there could've been. She'd barely escaped the clear path that had been shattered out of the thick bramble before the plants closed it up on her, and she had chased the pony so deep into Everfree that even the forest the zebra called home was utterly unrecognizable to her. She had never been so far into its heart. There were so many huge trees blocking all outside light, she didn't even know if it was morning yet. None of that mattered at the moment, though. What mattered was the fact that Fluttershy was possessed. What mattered was the fact that whatever had possessed Fluttershy had mind control over animals. What mattered was that Zecora didn't even need to look back to know that the flock of cockatrices ordered to go after her was still on her tail. She could hear their angry wings. Besides, if she looked back, there was a chance one of them would be looking right at her. And of course, looking straight in the eyes of a cockatrice was the last thing anypony – nay, anything – ever wanted to do. What mattered was the fact that Zecora needed to get out of the forest. An Element of Harmony wielder had been corrupted, and the being in control of her had plans for the Summer Sun Celebration. The Summer Sun Celebration that was going to happen in roughly another 24 hours. Zecora needed to reach Ponyville and warn everypony. Whatever was going to happen, the zebra had a fair inkling it wasn't going to be good. Her friends were in grave danger. All Equestria probably was, too. They had to know. And so, despite every muscle in her body screaming that it wanted to stop, Zecora kept on running. Until the the pack of red-eyed timberwolves leaped out from behind the trees in front of her. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* The creatures lunged out of the rock, chomping and snapping angrily at the intruder. It was too close to their nests, and they didn't like it. “I don't like it, either.” The red eyes boiled. “The fact that such beautiful creatures were taken from their rightful homes and stuck in holes in the side of a rock wall. This doesn't suit you gorgeous beasts at all.” The snapping stopped. They were intrigued now. “I remember when your kind were burrowers. Oh, the terrors that used to race through pony minds every time the ground shook! Majestic it was, the way you'd sometimes leap completely out of the ground to catch your prey. You and the Sand Mantas – oh, how I miss the Sand Mantas – you were the lords of the Earth... But a few tremors under the wrong buildings, and the Princess had enough of your kind.” They were definitely interested now. “With a flash of her horn, she punished you unjustly, taking away your burrowing ability and forcing you to resort to catching whatever strays too close to you to survive.” The wings flapped, the sun glinting off them when it hit the right angles. “I can restore you to your former glory – though, as my magic is a bit drained from my most recent actions and I'm saving up for later, I can only restore one of you. The red hair fluttered. “But one is all I need.” The creatures looked at each other – and their chatter resumed. The intruder sighed. “If you don't think I'm being clear enough, let me be more blunt: I will restore one of you and let you take down the Princess.” The chatter stopped. The creatures did something that could only be described as nodding and retreated into their nests. Except the largest one, which stayed. The wicked mouth curled. “That's more like it.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* “Twilight, honey, wake up.” The gentle nudge stirred the young unicorn out of her deep slumber. “Hrm?” Twilight glanced up to see her mother looking down at her, smiling. The sun shone through the long window of the Royal Guest Room with a warm, fresh glow. And then the sudden realization of what day it was sprang the pony fully awake right quick. “Oh! Oh, I've got to pack, look over my list of duties for the Celebration one last time...Oh, I so need to get back to Ponyville!” She raced around, searching for her luggage - but none of it was present. “Hey! My stuff! I can't go home without my books on the ancient pony tongue!” Her mother just chuckled lightly. “Calm down, my little Princess.” “Huh?” As if on cue, Spike opened the door, General Spur right behind him. “All packed! Is Twilight up yet?” “Yes, she is, Spike,” her mother answered. The older mare looked at the younger one. “But I think she wants some breakfast before we head out. Besides, I need to retrieve her father, who's probably eating.” Spike yawned. “Sounds good to me! I need my morning pick-me-up of gems, too.” As they followed Spike out the door, the elder unicorn watched Twilight's panic gradually subside. “Patience is a virtue, dear. Remember that. I know it's an old and stingy line, but ponies keep saying it because it's true. You're going to have to have it learned by the time you're Princess. And I mean a different kind of patience you'll need than the kind that you use to withstand your friend Pinkie.” Twilight was listening intently. “What do you mean, Mom?” “I mean the patience to see the world beyond just your point of view of it. To be able to still negotiate with somepony else even while they're constantly spitting words of venom and hate towards you. To look at each issue a citizen brings before you with a new ear, so you can make a proper judgment based on the facts on hand. And the patience that lets you wake up in the morning and know that, no matter what might happen that day, there's absolutely no reason to panic over it like you just did.” “Unless whatever happens is really bad,” the General cut in. “But in that case, Twilight, just... Panic calmly. Trust your instincts and your training, and you'll be able to get out of practically any situation.” Spike snickered. Twilight's mother rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Well, while I'm not particularly keen on the General's method of giving advice to you, exactly... He is quite right about that, I must admit.” Twilight smirked. “You sound like you could be Princess, Mom... Parents really do know everything.” Her mother sighed. “Honey, if that truly were the case, this world wouldn't need social workers like me. But you really do have the skills to be Princess, dear. Again, you just to need to learn more patience. This world isn't perfect, but if you sat back and observed for a while, you'd see the impact you and your friends are already having on ponies. Take Prince Blueblood, for example. You already know how much he's changed. Or that magician acquaintance of yours who runs the orphanage in Hoofington now – oh, what was her name? Ah! Trixie, that's it! Yes, look at how much you helped change Miss Trixie.” “Trixie? That boasting little fraud?” “She's more than made up for embarrassing Hoofington with that fabricated story, let me tell you. The city has forgiven her and absolutely loves her now. I've visited the orphanage a few times on official business. That boasting fraud is gone now. Whatever you did, you unlocked her motherly side. I believe you might even get to talk about it with her at the Celebration tonight. I heard she was going to bring all the children she watches to come and see it this year. I think it'd be good for you two to reconnect.” Twilight mulled over the information. She hadn't expected to hear that at all. After the incident with the Ursa Minor in Ponyville, Trixie had acted like the whole ordeal had not affected her in the slightest. Though, given the magician's personality, it made sense that she'd kept up her haughty air while the situation had actually affected her inside. Humility - rarely accepted at first by those with big egos. “Trust me, Twilight,” her mother assured, “You and you friends are doing so much more than you even realize. I can't tell you how many times your father has come home from work, absolutely bone tired – but beaming with pride. And when I ask him about why he's smiling, it's always the same answer: 'Another student came up to me and said they wanted to be like our daughter when they grow up.' You've not only saved the world twice, sweetheart – you've almost single-hoofedly gotten this entire new generation actually enthusiastic about reading. That's an influence even Celestia hasn't achieved.” “And writing, too, don't forget,” added Twilight's father after the procession reached the dining area. “Haven't seen so many foals so willing to read or write in a long time. All because of you, little one.” He punctuated his sentence by immediately stuffing his craw with a strawberry and rose petal crêpe. “Listen to your parents, Twilight.” General Spur looked at his pupil. “Your mother speaks the the truth. Remember what I told you about the Guards yesterday. They'd be willing to follow your plot anywhere. Some more than others, but those perverts have already been disciplined for their vulgar behaviour.” Twilight blushed – less so because of her own humbleness in the face of her parents' eye-opening comments on her influence, or the knowledge that some of the Guards found her attractive - but moreso because it truly amazed her at just how much her father's eating habits had not changed in the slightest. Her father didn't let that go unnoticed. He chuckled after finishing a swig of orange juice. “Still red-cheeked in public when you see me eating, eh, darling?” He held out his hooves warmly. “Come here.” Twilight walked over to him, and he embraced her lovingly. “It really is good to see you again, sweetcakes. I honestly cannot tell you the true extent of just how proud of you I am. Now – hungry?” Twilight smiled, sat in the chair next to him, and turned to the Royal Waiter. “One rose crêpe, please.” “And a mild gem muffin for me, please,” added Spike. “I don't wanna be too greedy in the morning.” Twilight couldn't help but snicker again. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* A blast of fire spewed forth out of the mouth of the cave along with the very irritated and enraged roar. “WHO DISTURBS MY 100-YEAR SLUMBER?!?!?” the red dragon bellowed, rising to its full height. The newcomer stood firm, not scared in the slightest.“Oh, it is only I, a humble old friend who has possessed the body of the pony who so rudely kicked you out of your first choice of a slumber cave.” The dragon glared down at the intruder, also not very impressed, either. It took a moment for the towering monster to recognize who he was dealing with – then it saw the red eyes. “Nightmare... What is it this time? Or is it just another overthrow plan of yours that is doomed to fail from the beginning?” “On the contrary, my elder friend, this plan is poised to succeed.” “HA!” chortled the beast, the smoke from its nostrils practically laughing itself. “Oh ho, you still amuse me... Pray tell, just how will this particular plan succeed when they've all failed for millenia?” The intruder paced carefully on the floor of the cave. “Because this time, it is different.” “As all the other plans were.” “I'm serious, my friend. This time it truly is different.” “Well, I have 100 years.” The dragon laid back on his pile of gold. “Give me the long, boring version.” “Hrmmph... Well, if you insist: Yes, my last plan went up in smoke – but being transported to the moon was a surprising benefit, actually. In wanting to protect her sister, Celestia actually put me right in contact with the stars. But you know how that went. And you know the Flame is tied to the Elements. Sever the souls tied to the Elements, sever the link to the Flame. Sever the link to the Flame...” “Yes, but the Elements eventually find new souls.” The dragon snorted two large rings of smoke, still amused at the moment more than anything else. That's why your plans have always failed in the past.” “True – yet Celestia was linked to ALL the Elements. The Flame is unstable enough if the soul connection to two Elements is severed. It can't handle all the Elements being severed at once. By corrupting the stars, I basically forced her into the gamble of a lifetime. She made a risky bet on Twilight Sparkle. She got lucky that the Elements linked to that pony and her friends just in time.” The dragon raised an eyebrow. “That's why you threw ridiculously easy roadblocks at them that night.” “Yes, I apparently gave in to the haughtiness that foiled my child twice. Should have killed them then.” The dragon began to grin. “Keep this up. Suddenly I'm beginning to like where this plan is headed.” “Well, there was one other benefit of Celestia unlinking herself from the Elements – besides releasing my child from the spell that had imprisoned him in the first place, brief as that joy may have lasted.” “...and that benefit was?” The pointed teeth glinted. “By my forcing her to give up her link to the Elements, Celestia sacrificed the ability to truly see all. All my past plans, my targets predicted my every move. Now the Princesses only notice disasters when they reach a fever pitch – or when they happen right under their noses.” The dragon was confused now. “....So...?” The intruder sneered. “So now they won't be able to predict the death that awaits them both tonight.” “How do you know they won't see it coming?” “An Ursa Minor attack. A parasprite attack. Both times that wretched city of Ponyville was nearly completely decimated – but the only time Princess Celestia has ever intervened in a situation there was the time her own personal student went insane. And even then, she only cut in at its worst moment.” “What of the student? She holds the most powerful Element, does she not? Can she not see all?” The nostrils flared in snorting. “No, she cannot. She is still young. She thinks they unlocked the full, true power of the Elements when they put my child back into his stone prison. She really has no idea.” “You sound like your child right now.” “I do, yes. But my child has disappointed me. He did one thing right in his torment of the Princesses' parents, but then he got caught up in the fun of – ugh, 'chaos.' At least I gave it my all in every failure of mine.” The intruder realized they were still pacing, and stopped. “This time... No underestimating.” “Okay, so you've given me the backstory, and I'm partially intrigued now. You've managed to corrupt one guardian of the Elements. How do you intend to make sure the Princesses are out of your way?” “I'm sure you know all too well how this pony has... a surprising amount of control over creatures. I have enhanced those abilities with my magic. Can't say I'm fond of absorbing some of her personality traits, but that's always one of the side effects of possession, and can come in handy. In any case, I already have the Diamond Dogs, Cockatrices, Timberwolves and some surprise creatures on my side.” “Oooh, surprises!” The dragon twittered his fingers together in blunt mocking. “I love surprises!” Eyes rolled. “I don't need you at this point in my plan – but once the Princesses and the current Element guardians have died or been corrupted like this one, I shall need assistance. The ponies will try war.” “You lost the last war you were in, if I recall. How-” “Even if I don't kill all the other Element guardians tonight, if I kill the Princesses and drive the others away – I shall be able to restore my weakened powers greatly. My child has failed the powers I gave him. It's high time I retrieved them for myself again. No longer shall chaos mean cotton candy clouds.” The dragon pondered everything over for a while – then burst out laughing. “You, my old friend – You truly are a nasty piece of work! I like that. I'll have to talk to the others, but I'm pretty sure we'll all feel the way I do right now – and I think this whole thing is going to fail miserably, but I'm willing to join you just to see what happens if you actually pull it off this time. However – There is one condition.” “Go on.” The dragon licked his chops. “You bring me the corpse of the rainbow one.” “Deal. Actually, let me sweeten that: The young descendant of Lickety-Split I lives in Ponyville. I'll bring you her corpse as well. But the other, juicy ponies...” Lips smacked in hunger. “They're all mine.” The dragon extended his claw to the outstretched corrupted hoof. “I believe we have an accord.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* The Royal Chariot was finally on its way. Twilight and her parents sat in front, whilst Spike and General Spur sat in the back. And though Twilight was calmer – and stuffed, from the wonderful breakfast – she couldn't help but feel a bit of her earlier panic setting back into her mind. She hadn't even been able to say goodbye to Princess Luna or Princess Celestia before she left, even though she knew she'd see them again not more than a mere few hours later. Yet still, she felt it rather improper to leave Canterlot without thanking her mentors. After all her training in the Royal formalities regarding traditional events, it simply seemed rather rude to her. Again, they wouldn't mind it at all – and they both had good reasons not to be awake. But Twilight couldn't help but feel that the lack of normal courtesies made the day feel... weird. She couldn't quite place how she actually felt, but somewhere between 'a smattering of trepidation' and 'just plain weird' certainly seemed to be the best descriptor at the moment. Along with awkward, she thought, glancing at her parents. They were one of the other factors in her mixed feelings – with the last source being her nervousness about breaking The Big News to her friends. They'd most likely be thrilled, but then, sometimes her friends were unpredictable. Her father did not heed her honest face with silence. He calmly wrapped a loving hoof around his daughter as they gazed at the beautiful scenery passing by below. “Still got some butterflies, eh?” He smiled. “Don't worry, honey. I'll have you know Spike's been giving me lessons in proper eating now.” The young unicorn rolled her eyes. “It's not your eating style that I'm nervous about, Dad. Trust me – the Cakes are the ones who should be afraid if Pinkie takes you to SugarCube Corner – which she no doubt will do right after we land, because, well, that's what Pinkie does... No, it's – It's a lot of things.” “A lot of things I'm pretty sure you can handle.” He nuzzled her neck gently. “Easily.” “Thanks, Dad. Though – You're not nervous about coming back to the place you grew up?” “Huh? Oh ho, no, darling. No, no, no... Fact, I'm actually quite excited to be coming back to Ponyville. Our families left there when we were only 8. I can't wait to see what's changed in the place over time.” “Really? You're not nervous at all? Just excited?” Her father rolled his head, mulling that. “Alright, well, you caught me – Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but then again, everypony's always going to be nervous. But with the future Princess by my side? I can't go wrong!” He chuckled, and rustled Twilight's mane with his hoof – once again to her great annoyance. “DAAD!” whined Twilight, using her magic to quickly fix her mane. “Will you and Mom stop that?” Her mother snickered. “We would, if it ever got old. But it's just one of those things that never does.” The purple pony grumbled while the chariot flew on. When they finally reached Ponyville, the town was bustling. Carnival rides and game booths were set up all over the town square – but strangely, it appeared that little to no other progress had been made on the Festival's preparations. A few of the food stands had been set up – but there was no food on the Royal Table, the Mayor herself was putting decorations up on the Grand Pavilion – and the clouds were still littered in clumps throughout the sky. “Mayor, what's going on?” Twilight asked the moment she stepped off the chariot. “It looks like nothing's been done! The Summer Sun Celebration is tonight!” “We're working on it as fast as we can, Miss Sparkle – but some more urgent matters have come up.” “TWILIGHT!” The Mayor joined in looking at the unicorn's approaching friends. “Listen to them, Miss Sparkle. They know more about what's going on, better than I do. If you'll excuse me, I have decorations to put up.” Confusion reigned in Twilight's head while Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash strode up. “Thank Celestia you're back, Twilight!” Applejack huffed. “We got all kinds of strange goin' on here!” “What are you talking about, Appleja-” Twilight suddenly noticed the huge scar on the cowgirl pony's side. It looked as if a midsize dragon had attacked her friend. “Holy Luna! What happened to you?” “What's going on? WHAT'S GOING ON?!? GUMMI'S STILL MISSING!” shrieked Pinkie, grabbing her magical friend and shaking her to get her desperation across. It was just then that Twilight noticed Pinkie's mane was not its curly self. She gulped hard. “Oh, no.” She held Pinkie against her, calmly letting the crying pink pony unbottle all of her emotions. “WE SEARCHED FOR GUMMI ALL OVER PONYVILLE, ALL OVER TROTTINGHAM, WE SEARCHED HOOFINGTON THIS MORNING – BUT GUMMI'S STILL NOT ANYWHERE!” “It ain't just Gummi, Twi. All our pets are missing. And now Fluttershy's missin' along with `em.” That perked Twilight's ears. She knew something else had been off since they'd landed in Ponyville. If Fluttershy really was missing, then they had a – slightly – valid excuse for the lack of prep progress. “By the way, who are these folks with you, Twilight?” asked Rainbow. “Besides Spike, obviously.” “Oh! Yeah...Girls, these two are my parents, and the older one is–” “General Spur!” Prince Blueblood came out of nowhere, bounding over to the General. “Gunny Blueblood, my old boy!” laughed the General as the old friends embraced. “Perhaps this is not the best of times for a reunion, but still – it's good to see you, son! What are you doing here, anyways?” “Well, I would be setting up my food stand for the Celebration right now, but I overheard that Miss Rarity's cat Opalescence was missing, and offered to help, in order to make up for last year's Gala.” “You know each other?” asked Twilight, looking at the General and Blueblood, surprised. “Know each other?” Blueblood grinned. “Served under this crazy horse a thousand years ago, I did!” Rarity would have spit something out, had she been drinking it. “You – You're a thousand years old?!?” “1,025 years old, to be exact.” Blueblood's tone and facial expression dropped dramatically. “Trying to forget what I saw during war... It was why I threw myself into Royal life. It wasn't until I met Miss Rarity that I realized how deeply I had buried the true me. I still can't thank you enough, milady.” “Are you done now? CAN WE FIND OUR FRIEND AND PETS?” sobbed Pinkie. “Calm down, Pinkie...” Twilight patted her bawling friend's back. When Pinkie had settled down, she turned her focus to the others. “Okay, girls. One of you, tell me what's going on. From the beginning.” Rainbow Dash was the first to open her mouth. She told Twilight everything – how they'd discovered their pets missing, how they'd split up to search, how she, Applejack and Fluttershy had been attacked outside the Everfree Forest and how Fluttershy had stopped the creature and saved them both with the potion that knocked them into sleep. “And when we woke up this morning, she and Angel were gone!” “That was Fluttershy's sonic boom yesterday, not you showing off, Dash?” “Yeah... I've never seen her so mad. She almost looked like she actually wanted to hurt that thing.” “Where do you think she went?” “Twi, if we knew, we'd already be racin' after her,” said Applejack with a slight grain of annoyance in her voice. “My best guess is back into the Everfree Forest, but she must've gone a ways around, `cause we searched it this morning as far was we could until we came to brambles nopony could get through.” “Stupid living plants wouldn't let me fly over,” Dash grumbled. “Barely missed a thorn in the eye.” “Did you stop by Zecora's place and ask her? Sorry, but I'm just going over all the options.” “We did stop at Zecora's – but...” It dawned on Dash. “She wasn't there, either... Oh, hayseeds! We thought she was out gathering plants like she was yesterday... Didn't think about it being connected!” “Oh, this just gets better and better!” Pinkie harrumphed. “Well, we can't just stand here and talk about this all day!” Twilight's tone took on a solid, calm urgency. “Okay - Rarity, Blueblood, Pinkie, Mom, Dad – You all stay here. Help everypony get these decorations and food ready in time for the Celebration. And, I don't know – tell the Mayor to ask one of the Wonderbolts to clear the skies or something. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, General Spur – We'll go search Everfree again for as long as we can before the Celebration begins. Spike, you stay here and help, too. You can tell Princess Celestia where we are if we're not back in time. Got it, everypony?” Rarity nodded. “I'm fine with that. I'd rather not like to ever step foot in that dreadful Forest again!” “NO!” Pinkie Pie stomped her hooves defiantly. “If you're going to Everfree to find Gummi, then I'm coming with you! I'm not scared of anything in there! You don't have to try and protect me, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash stepped in just as Twilight was about to protest. “No, Twilight – Let her go with you. I'll stay here and clear the clouds. I've had enough of that bucking forest for the moment, anyways...” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Thought you said it didn't scare you at all anymore.” “Yeah, well, that was before a werebunny came bounding out of the place and nearly turned you and I into nice, big fat strips of sliced pony meat! And those noises this morning...” Dash shuddered again. “Alright, ALRIGHT! Can we just go try and find Gummi already? And Fluttershy?” asked Pinkie. “Yeah,” Twilight sighed, starting on the path towards Fluttershy's house and the Everfree Forest. “Let's go, girls. Uh, and General...Sorry.” She blushed in slight embarrassment as the General followed them. General Spur smiled. “Child, don't you worry about being embarrassed. You're the leader here, not me.” “Do be careful, dear!” Twilight's mother called out just as the search party disappeared down the road. She and Twilight's father turned to Rarity. “Now, Miss Rarity, how can we help out around here?” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Their red eyes burned. The fangs dripped with saliva. The growls grew hungrier as their master neared. The wings landed with authority. The menacing smile made them even more hungry and agitated. “It is almost time, my dears. I just need to make a few more preparations. Keep your patience just a little while longer, and I assure, you will be able to staunch your hunger many times over tonight.” The wings unfurled. “I will let you know as soon as it time. Trust me, it will be sooner than you think.” They nodded in obedience. Their master was satisfied with this acknowledgment, and flew off. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* It wasn't until they had set foot in the Everfree Forest again that Twilight remembered why the place spooked her so much. The group hadn't even gone as far as Zecora's hut, and already a small chill was beginning to creep down her tail, snake along her spine, and settle itself right down into her bones. She stopped and pivoted to face her company. “Okay, the Summer Sun Celebration is at midnight exactly. We have –” Her horn glowed – nothing. “Oh, hayseed! We left so fast I forgot about saddlebags!” “It's exactly 1200,” chipped in General Spur, though it came out in a nearly intelligible jumble of mashed words, thanks in part to the watch he happened to have clamped between his teeth. The General put the watch back in his bag. Twilight blinked. “Unspoken rule of the Equestrian Military, Twilight. Never, ever forget your saddlebag.” He chuckled. “Still some things you need to learn, young one.” “Uh... Thanks, General,” blushed Twilight. “I'll definitely make a note of that. Alright, so it's noon on the dot. That means if we we want to have enough time to be able to turn around and get back to Ponyville to see the sun raising, we have six hours to search this forest as far and wide as we can–” “No, no, NO!” protested Pinkie. “No! We've got to stay out here as long as we can until we find them!” “Pinkie, nopony more than me right now – well, besides you, probably – wants to do that,” Twilight responded. “But it's just not practical. The last two times I've been in the forest at night, I was turned to stone and ran for my life from an enraged dragon! No matter how much I want to find Fluttershy and our pets, I am not willing to put all of us in that kind of danger! I don't want any more friends to be missing! Seriously – Do you really want to stay out here at night?” the purple unicorn asked her friend. Pinkie authoritatively sat down firmly on her haunches, crossing her arms angrily. “I just might!” Twilight sighed, magically lifting the stubborn pink pony. “Well then, I might just drag you with us.” “Hey!” “Come on, Pinkie. Twilight's right.” sighed Applejack. “Let's just get this search over with already.” “'Let's just get this search over with already'? You sound like you don't wanna be out here at all! Maybe – Maybe truthfully, you really just don't care if we find our pets or those we care about!” Even in her disheveled state of mind, Pinkie realized that last sentence may have gone too far. She gulped hard. Applejack's eye twitched, in a way that told Twilight and General Spur that backing up was probably for the best. The orange pony whirled on Pinkie and got right up in her face, glaring. “Pinkie, out of all of us, you and I have lived in Ponyville the longest. And more than anypony else, you should know exactly how I feel about GIVIN' UP ON A SEARCH!” she exploded, in a rage that surprised Twilight. Pinkie blanched. Her ears drooped even further than they already were. The last thing she'd wanted to be reminded of was Applejack's year-long hunt for her parents, which did not end well. Young Pinkie had comforted the distraught farm filly for weeks afterwards. “I – I'm sorry, Applejack...” she sniffed. Applejack closed her eyes and calmed herself, though she couldn't stop the tears. “It's okay, Pinkie. You're not yourself right now. I understand. Just... Please, don't ever bucking accuse me of that again.” “I'm serious, Applejack. I'm really, really sorry. I swear, I haven't gone crazy this time, but it's easy to see why you would think I have gone crazy again – I mean, the last time my mane looked this, I was talking to a pile of rocks and a bag of flour... But that's not why I've been so hysterical. Gummi isn't just a companion I have to help me balance my sanity, though he certainly helps keep my emotions all happy. It's more that... Well, Gummi was a gift from my parents when I was a little foal. And even though I cheered my family up when I discovered my talent for parties, Mommy and Daddy really didn't like it when I told them I was gonna leave the rock farm. I mean REALLY didn't like it. It's the reason why I've never gone back home since I moved here. I don't know if I'd be welcomed back if I did. Gummi's the only connection to my family I have left. I really, REALLY don't want to lose that!” Applejack was practically drowning in a river of tears. As soon as Twilight released her magical hold, the orange pony was upon the pink pony with a big, warm hug. “And hopefully you won't, Pinkie,” she sniffed. “Hopefully you won't. But I'm also being serious. Our family's lived next to this creepy place for a good, long time. I may not be anywhere near as scared of it in the morning as I used to be – but while I was looking for Ma and Pa, I learned rather quickly that absolutely nopony is safe in here after Princess Luna's done raised the moon up high. I hate that it means we gotta abandon our friends in the place to save our own hides – but honestly, if I wanted to hear that one of my friends was lost in the Everfree Forest, I'd wanna hear that it was Fluttershy. She may be a scaredy-pony, but she knows animals like the back of her hoof. She saved me from one of these forest creatures yesterday, and she saved my lil' sister from another a year ago or so. If anypony can survive a night in here, it's her. And who knows? Maybe she already found all of our pets, and is protecting them as we speak right now.” Pinkie's mane didn't poof back into curls, but her ears perked up and her frown softened. “You think?” “I ain't gonna say definitely, `cause I was convinced Ma and Pa were definitely alive when they weren't – but I ain't gone and searched for Winona the last three days because I've given up on the girl now.” Twilight suddenly surprised the both of them by hugging them tightly. She gave them the gentle smile of a caring friend. “We're letting this place get to us, girls. How about we go find our friend and pets already? Now, Applejack, which direction did you and Dash go when you searched here this morning?” Applejack broke from the hug, wiping away the rest of her tears. “Straight ahead,” she pointed. “Right down the path. Funny... Coulda' swore we saw some hoofprints when we came up this way earlier.” Twilight was the first to resume her trot down the path. “You said ran into a dead end, right?” “Eeyup. Big as hay brambles. Thicker than the batch you ran through when you and Owloysius saved Spike. And cloppin' living vines at that. I'm just glad they were the vegetarian variety of living plants.” Twilight nodded. “Alright, then. I know this main path breaks right and left just after Zecora's hut. We can go down one direction today, then take the other direction tomorrow if we don't find anything.” “I suggest we go left.” Everypony turned to look at General Spur. “What? I'm just expressing my opinion on the matter, is all. I'm still here, ya' know. Besides, it's the wider path, if I recall my hazing.” “Well, the General's right about that,” nodded Applejack as they all continued onwards. “It is the wider path. Not by much, but anything dangerous that jumps out at us is gonna have to jump a distance.” “Pinkie?” asked the purple mare. Pinkie shrugged. “I don't care which way. I just wanna find Gummi so I don't feel like this anymore.” “Then it's settled.” Twilight looked forward. “When we get to the split, we'll go left. C'mon, girls!” The other ponies nodded in agreement, and followed their leader deeper into the depths of the forest. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* “Alright, team. One. Two. Three! Lift!” On the command from Rarity, Sweetie Bell and a few of her young unicorn friends – Dinky Doo, Snips and Snails – helped the older unicorn magically raise the banner into place on the upper balcony guardrail of the Grand Pavilion. As Dinky's pegasus mother Ditzy Doo held the banner in place, Spike – who was already waiting on the balcony – picked the nails out of his scaly back and hammered them in with his tail, one by one. In little to no time at all, the rather large sign was securely in place. “And there we go!” exclaimed the fashion pony, stepping back and admiring the sign. It was perfectly in order. “Thank you all so much for helping me with this!” “Not a problem, Miss Rarity!” Snails bowed politely. “Do you need our help with anything else?” “Not with anything like this at the moment, Snails, but thank you for the kind offer.” “Cool. Hey, Snips, look – An old-school Appleloosa train!” The two colts bounded off in excitement. Carrying Spike, Ditzy Doo flew down from the Pavilion balcony and set the young dragon on the ground. “There you go, Mr. Spike!” She extended her hoof out to Dinky. “Come on, little Muffin! For making Mommy so proud by helping Miss Rarity, I'm gonna take you on that spinny ride I wouldn't let you go on last year! You think Mommy's eyes look funny now? Just wait `til she's all dizzy from that!” Dinky giggled as they departed. Rarity watched them leave for a moment, then nuzzled her little sister's neck lovingly. Sweetie Belle answered with a hug. “Thank you, too, Sweetie Belle. And you, Spike.” Spike blushed. “Aw, it was nothin'.” A thought suddenly cropped into Rarity's head. “Say, Spike – Why did Twilight say you could tell Princess Celestia where they were if they aren't back in time? Couldn't you just send a letter to her?” Spike sighed. “Not at the moment. Celestia's resting big time, saving all her energy for the sun raising tonight. It's the only time out of the entire year that she won't take any letters. And she never wakes up from one of those until a few minutes before she has to be at the Celebration. I'd send one to Princess Luna, but she's asleep right now. And she was so tired, she didn't even get up to see us leave Canterlot.” “Ah. I see. Well, still, thank you very much for helping. We might actually get all the decorations up in time!” Rarity looked up and gazed across the crowded city square, but could not find whatever she was looking for. “Oh, horseflies. Now where on oats did Twilight's parents disappear to this time around?” “Hm? They went to help Prince Blueblood help the caterers set up their stands and finish making all the meals,” said Sweetie Belle, pointing. “See? They're over there with Applejack's family at the moment.” Indeed, the two elder unicorns were at the moment magically unfolding the food stand belonging to Ponyville's other farmer, Carrot Top – whilst back at the already set up Sweet Apple Acres stand, Prince Blueblood and Applejack's older brother Big Macintosh were in the middle of laughing at something. “Blueblood...” Spike crossed his arms and hrmphed. “Aw, is Spike jealous?” Sweetie Belle teased with a sly grin. “What? No, I – Actually, yeah...I am.” “Oh, Spike.” Rarity swept the dragon up in her hooves and gave him a good hug, along with a kiss on the cheek. “I know how you feel about me. And quite honestly, I think you'd be the perfect one for me. I truly mean that. But there's just two problems. One, you're just a baby dragon – and, well... You're a-” “Yeah, I know...” Spike sighed. “I'm a dragon. You're a pony. But honestly, Rarity – while I am jealous of him, I know you're happy with him. And if you're happy with him, then I'm okay with him. Really.” “Spike... You are such a sweetheart. I hope your crush doesn't spoil your dating life when you're older. There's bound to be a gorgeous dragon lady who's just as perfect and lovely for you as you think I am. And, to be quite honest, as much as he clearly has changed, I'm not completely sold on Blueblood yet.” That made Spike perk up a bit. Suddenly, one colt in a group of young foals – fillies and colts – tugged lightly on the white unicorn's tail. “Miss Rarity! Miss Rarity! Can we help you raise the next banner up, please oh please oh please?” Rarity recognized none of the children. “I'm afraid we've already raised all the banners today, young ones.” They drooped their heads sadly. Rarity snickered to herself. She could already tell that the kids were seasoned pros at emotional manipulation. She decided to play along with them. “But there still are a few decorations left to put up. You can help us with those if you would like. I am going to need your parents' consent, though. Can't be running around here without your parents knowing where you are.” The foals looked shocked. “Um...We don't have any parents,” one piped up. “Huh?” Either they were good actors, or they were being sincere. It certainly sounded sincere to Rarity. The tiniest filly pawed the ground sadly. “We're orphans. From Hoofington. We're on a field trip today.” “Field trip? Well, then, who did you come wi-” “There you are, children!” called out a voice. One that immediately made Rarity look up in surprise as its owner strode up: A sky-blue unicorn with a white mane, and sporting a cutie mark of a magic wand. “YOU?” stammered the fashion pony as Trixie galloped towards the children. It was so strange. Admittedly, Rarity knew about carrying one's self with an ego, and the last time Trixie had been in town, she positively reeked of ego in her gait. It was sickening even to Rarity's sensibilities. But as the blue pony breathlessly slowed to a trot, Rarity immediately noticed that her steps carried almost no hint of the showboating magician whose bragging had led to an accidental unleashing of an Ursa Minor upon Ponyville. The fashion pony watched in curious fascination as Trixie warmly embraced the foals. “Don't you ever run off like that again without telling me where you're going first! I was so worried!” “Sorry, Miss Trixie!” one of the little fillies apologized. “We meant to tell you, but we got so excited!” “It's alright, Red Tail – just, please, next time, remember to tell me. This is a big place for a little foal.” Trixie then noticed she was being watched by eyes not belonging to the foals. She straightened up and looked up at Rarity. She graced the fashion pony with a very polite bow of greeting. “Afternoon, Miss Rarity. I do hope these young scoundrels aren't giving you very much trouble. They can be a hoofful.” Spike had to pick Rarity's jaw off the ground – after he'd recovered and picked his own jaw up first. “...Why are ya' lookin' at Miss Trixie like that?” asked Red Tail upon seeing the other pony's shock. “I – I'm sorry, little dear,” spat out the white unicorn upon finally regaining her voice. “Pardon me if my reaction came across as rude. I just – She's the last pony I expected to be your guardian, is all.” “Why?” Trixie smiled warmly at the children. “Oh, don't pester her with questions, sweetie. You remember the story I told you about how Miss Trixie used to be an arrogant braggart and was humiliated?” Some of the children nodded, while others looked like they couldn't remember what their guardian was talking about. “Well, this was the town it happened to her in. I don't think they know I run an orphanage now.” “Or – Orphanage?” Rarity blinked. “But I was just in Hoofington. I didn't see any orphanage.” “Actually, you did, milady,” said Prince Blueblood, approaching with Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith and Twilight's parents behind him. A sly, teasing grin formed on his face. “If I recall, your exact words to me were 'That stuffy, dusty old building? You search in there. I will stay out here.'” “Eh heh heh...” Rarity blushed. “Well, if you would've told me that building was the orphanage–” “–You still wouldn't have gone in there, Sis.” “Quiet, Sweetie Belle...” hissed the white unicorn through gritted teeth, eliciting giggles from the foals. “Prince Blueblood!” A golden colt foal leaped up and nearly sent the stallion tumbling end over end with what could only be described as a death hug. “I missed you when you ran through this morning!” Blueblood smiled. “Hey there, Sunshine. Look how much you've grown!” “You said you'd adopt us!” the colt whined – drawing a sheepish smirk from Blueblood. The stallion chuckled through his own blushing cheeks. “So I did. But unless you wanna live in the mud with the pigs on my farm, I'm waiting until I can afford to build an addition onto my house.” “But you're a Prince! Can't you just get some bits from Princess Celestia and use it to pay for that?” “Oh, you're a smart one, Sunshine.” Blueblood carefully picked the little colt off of him and set the child back down with the rest of the orphan foals. But that's something I just don't want to do now.” “Why?” Blueblood sighed. “I wasted Royal money for almost a thousand years. I've changed so much in just a year. I've made good money on my own in Hoofington, but I've only made enough to afford the two-room house I have now. I need to save enough money to afford four more rooms to hold all of you.” Sunshine frowned. “But how long will that take?” The stallion nuzzled the upset colt. “Hopefully, the end of the year. I made a promise, big guy. I may have broken a lot of promises I made in the past – but my promise to all of you is one I intend to keep.” “Did you find Miss Rarity's cat?” asked a sea-green filly. “The one you looked for this morning?” “No, not yet, Beach Star. But some of Miss Rarity's friends – who are also missing their own pets – are out there right now searching for Opalescence, while Miss Rarity and I are staying here to help all the other ponies around here make sure Ponyville is fully prepared for Princess Celestia's visit tonight.” Rarity's eyebrow raised at the Prince's lack of mentioning the disappearance of Fluttershy – but upon consideration, she realized that was probably for the best. Even most of the ponies in Hoofington knew who Fluttershy was. To worry the children by letting them know she was missing too, was a bit much. “And since they're helping Ponyville get ready, we shouldn't bother them with any more questions and let them get back to work,” Trixie cut in. The foals groaned. “Oh, you know that won't work with me. Come on!” She turned to Rarity and bowed again. “If we don't meet again soon, Miss Rarity, please tell Twilight Sparkle that I deeply apologize for my actions last year. I hope you have it in you to forgive.” Before Rarity had the chance to blurt out an “I–,” the blue pony had herded the children elsewhere. The white pony was left with her head positively spinning. First Opal, then Blueblood – and now Trixie... “It's like I told Twilight earlier today.” The voice of Twilight's mother so close made Rarity jump in surprise. “You and your friends have influenced so many ponies with what you've done recently. Trixie's another example. Even though she had to fall a bit by being shown up in her magical abilities, she eventually realized she could create magic through another method: Making children happy.” Blueblood strolled up to Rarity's side. “It's not just children she's made happy, though, milady. She's one of the most generous souls in Hoofington now. Everyone loves Miss Trixie over there now. She helps deliver meals to the old ponies around town along with running the orphanage, for one of the other numerous things she does. Hay, she even still does some magic shows every now and then. Fact, I hear that's how she started her change. Heard she was wandering the path after being humiliated by Miss Sparkle, crying her eyes out – and then some mare traveling to Hoofington saw her cutie mark and asked her if she'd be willing to do a show for some terminally ill foals in Hoofington Hospital.” “I could see the heart under those tears and ego,” smiled Twilight's mother. “Let me tell you – there is nothing more humblingly addictive than seeing the face of a young child light up in pure happiness.” “You okay, Sis?” Sweetie Belle tilted her head at Rarity. “You look like you're about to throw up.” Rarity held her head with her hooves. “I just might... This is all so sudden and surreal right now...” “Huh? What do you mean, Rarity?” asked Sweetie, becoming a little bit concerned about her sister. Rarity ignored her. “Miss Trixie, wait!” she called out, lightly racing after the blue pony. “Wait!” Blueblood started after her, but Twilight's mother stopped him. “Wait and see, Blueblood.” Trixie and the foals looked up upon hearing her name. “Hmm? Oh! What is it, Miss Rarity?” Rarity smiled. “How would the kids feel about helping us to put up the last of the decorations?” The foals cheered. Trixie gave a warm smile of gratification. “I think they would like it very much.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* The screams had stopped. Now the only sound coming from Zecora was hideously pained breathing. The armoured hooves stomped viciously, crushing part of the battered zebra's back. There was no response. Zecora just watched as part of her body crumbled in front of her eyes. One of the cockatrices lunged, its red eyes open and ready to finish the job. “NO!” The armoured hoof blocked the advance. “No. You've done enough here, my friends. Let the timberwolves have their fun for now. The annoyed cockatrice grumbled, but eventually stood down. “Good. This one will not bother us any more. I need you and your friends' help in my main plan. The crimson red eyes looked directly at the salivating timberwolves. “Chase her. Have some fun, for once. She's only got two good legs now, anyways.” Zecora spat. “For only having two good legs, you'd be surprised at how fast I can find my friends.” The bladed wing flashed against her head, drawing a slash of blood. “Quiet now.” The fanged teeth ground against each other briefly. “Have some fun – but do not let her escape from the forest.” The armoured hooves turned around. “Come now, my cockatrice friends. The time is nearly upon us.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Rainbow Dash sat high on a cloud above Ponyville. It had been nearly five hours, and she had done nothing but watch the scene down below. Rarity, Sweetie Belle and a bunch of foals she didn't recognize tagging behind a pony – whom Dash swore she recognized, but simply couldn't place – were putting up the rest of the decorations. Blueblood, Twilight's parents and the Apple family had stopped talking to Rarity, returning to helping the other caterer ponies set up their display booths. And– “Rainbow Dash?” Dash looked into the eyes of a shock yellow pony with orange hair. It took her a second to realize one of her idols was hovering in front of her. “Oh. Hey, Spitfire,” she sighed, to the Wonderbolt's surprise. “That's it? No 'Omigosh Omigosh Omigosh'? How strange.” Rainbow rolled over and sighed. “Yeah, I'm kind of not in the mood for that right now.” “Huh? But you always freak out when you meet us. That's your thing, isn't it?” “Right now, my thing is I want some time alone to myself.” Spitfire tilted her head quizzically. “You don't seem to be the quiet, introspective type.” “Yeah, I know. Weird, huh? You should have talked to me before my friend and Tank went missing.” “You're missing a tank?” The Wonderbolt cocked an eyebrow. “What? No, no. Tank is a tortoise. He's my pet. And I just discovered he was missing this morning. That's on top of my other friends' pets missing for a couple of days, a giant Everfree monster knocking me out and injuring Applejack, and the both of us waking up this morning to find Fluttershy gone, too.” “Your yellow pegasus friend who loves animals is missing? Do you need any more help searching for her? Hey, girl – just say the word and the Wonderbolts will be there to help you find her in a jiffy.” “Thanks. I'll keep that offer in mind. Twilight and a couple others are looking for her in the Everfree forest right now. I had to take a break from that place. All of this is just...” Her voice simply trailed off. “Oh ho – The great Rainbow Dash of Ponyville can't handle the pressure? Is that why the clouds aren't cleared from the sky yet? `Cause it's been 6 hours since you told the Mayor that you would get to it.” “It's kind of why. But I can still clear them in 10 seconds flat, so it's no big deal. I've got 6 more hours. Trust me – all these clouds will be gone by the time Princess Celestia arrives in Ponyville. You'll see.” “Ten seconds flat? Pfft. Amateur.” The Wonderbolt grinned – and in only five seconds, all the clouds except the one Dash was sulking on were no longer hanging in the sky. Spitfire posed in victory. “Ha!” Dash stared. “Whoa...” Spitfire crossed her arms triumphantly. “If you think that was cool, you should've seen my older sister.” Dash's ears dropped instantly, and her face fell deeper. “I – I did...” “...come again?” asked the surprise stunt pegasus. Rainbow rolled back on her chest and planted her chin on the cloud solemnly. “I was there... That day.” She couldn't believe it. In less than 48 hours, she had been reminded of the worst day in her life twice. It took a moment of connecting the dots before Spitfire slowly realized what her rainbow-maned fan was going on about. She gasped. “You were that foal they talked about in all the newspaper articles...” “Yeah. She was looking right at me when it finally happened, too.” Rainbow hung her head. She didn't want to go over the details of the scene again – but for some reason, she couldn't stop from telling the tale. Perhaps because she felt she needed to tell it to Snowfire's little sister... She didn't know for sure. Tears were starting to well up Spitfire's eyes. “Did – Did she say anything before she went?” “No.” Dash looked up with a somber face. “But she did smile at me – GAH! Hey! What?” she gasped as Spitfire suddenly embraced her. The Wonderbolt was so misty-eyed she was on the verge of bawling. “Thank you, Dash. I – I wasn't there when Snowfire died. Now I know she did so as peacefully as possible. I'm sorry you had to see it, but thanks. Honestly, I cannot thank you enough for telling me that. I looked up to her so much. She was probably the coolest big sister that anypony has ever had.” “Uh... You're welcome.” Dash smiled. For some reason she was finding it comforting, talking about the subject she'd always tried so hard to forget. It was probably because it took her mind off the present. She looked at the Wonderbolt – who was still clinging to her. “You know – You can let go of me now.” “Oh!” Spitfire let go of the blue pegasus, wiping away her tears as she collected herself. “Sorry... Not every day your biggest idol hugs you, is it?”she asked, her face flustered with embarrassment before it drained back into one of retrospection. “So, Dash... Was seeing my sister die why you saved our lives at the Young Flyer Competition? Because Soarin', Fleetfoot and I want to say thank you for that, too.” Dash sighed. She normally hated all this contemplative conversing, but now she actually wanted to keep talking. She hadn't even thought about the potential impact Snowfire's death had had on that day. “That played a part, I guess. But most of all, I was really concerned about saving Rarity that day. I don't recall thinking about Snowfire when I dove down that time. I just saw a friend falling out of the sky.” “You are quite loyal to your friends,” the Wonderbolt remarked. “I admire that.” “Pssh! Well, duh! I wouldn't be the holder of the Element of Loyalty if I wasn't!” Dash chuckled. “There's the Rainbow Dash I've run into in the past.” Spitfire smirked. “Knew she'd appear eventually.” Dash just sighed worriedly. “Yeah, well, I wish Fluttershy and Tank would appear eventually. ” “Hey, hey... Don't you be the one to cry on me now. Not that there's anything wrong with crying... Your friend will show up. Just you wait and see. C'mon, girl. Don't be so down before the Celebration.” Rainbow sighed some more. “I hope you're right, Spitfire. I really do. Thanks for the talk, anyways. I normally hate this “sit down and talk about your feelings” hay, but maybe I did need to talk today.” “You're welcome. And thank you, too. For telling me about Snowfire. For saving us at Young Fliers – and for saving our world twice with your friends. Celestia asks us to play superponies and save lives every so often, but none of that compares to what the Element guardians have done for Equestria.” “Aw, please...” Dash brushed the comment off. “You're making me blush now.” Oh yeah – and before I go...” She suddenly kicked the cloud out from under Rainbow's body. “Hey!” barked Dash, throwing out her wings and hovering. “What'd you do that for?” Spitfire snickered. “Now the sky is completely clear of clouds. Your job has been done for you, girl.” Dash just crossed her hooves and grumbled while the Wonderbolt sped away laughing. “...Showoff.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* They were so deep in the forest, Applejack was stunned none of them had gone crazy yet. The sunlight was long gone thanks to the thick groves of trees. It had taken the search party the better of two hours before they'd even realized they couldn't see the sky at all anymore, and that the only light reaching the ground now was from the reflective eyes of the creatures watching them high above in the forest canopy. It was extremely unsettling, even for a pony like her who had braved Everfree more times than she could count. The shiver in her bones she had been able to hide for the better part of the entire hike so far was starting to become physically visible. But for the most part, right now she just wanted to rest. Twilight glanced over at her friends, and saw that they looked like they'd had enough for the moment. The purple unicorn stopped, glad to not be moving. It wasn't that she was tired – the endurance training in Canterlot had taken care of that. She was just sore. “Okay, hold on. General Spur, what time is it?” Barely looking exhausted or sore, General Spur sank to the ground and pulled out his watch. “1735.” “So it's evening, then... Okay, everypony, who wants to rest for ten minutes?” “Twi, I think we all wanted to rest ten hours ago,” complained a relieved Applejack as she finally sat on her haunches. “And I hate to say it, but I don't think we'll be findin' Fluttershy or our pets on this path.” “Yeah...” Pinkie sniffled sadly, plopping down flat on the dirt. “I don't think Gummi's out this way at all...” A few seconds later, she burst into tears, sobbing her eyes out. In a flash, both Twilight and Applejack were there at her side, enveloping her in a tight, comforting hug. “I miss them so much!” she wailed. “I know how it hasn't been very long since they went missing, but I want them back NOW!” “I know, sugar... I know...” Applejack sniffed away a few tears herself. “I miss `em, too. Hopefully tomorrow we'll find `em. Now you just get yourself rested up before we turn around and head back–” She didn't get to finish the question because Pinkie's body suddenly bucked violently in every direction, hurling her and Twilight off it and sending them crashing into tree trunks on opposite sides of the path. Spur leaped to his feet, poised and ready to attack. “What's going on? Is she possessed?” Twilight peeled herself off the tree trunk. “No! Do not attack her, General! It's just her Pinkie Sense!” “I ain't never seen it go off like this, though...” said Applejack worriedly. Pinkie's body continued convulsing. A twitchy tail, twitchy ears, a back twitch, a front twitch, a side twitch, front knees knocking, back knees knocking, a neck twitch up, a neck twitch down – the Pinkie Sense spasms just did not seem to want to stop. Twilight and Applejack looked at each other, scared. When it all stopped after five minutes, Pinkie held her head with her hooves to combat the dizziness, visibly terrified at what had happened. “IS IT DONE? IS IT OVER? IS–” Before she finished, her body shook again – this time so fiercely, it dug a hole twice as deep as the pony was tall. Then... It was over. Applejack's nerves finally went ice cold. “What. The Hay. Was That?” The shocked party pony gasped. “Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no! This is gonna be a bad doozy! A big, BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG BAD doozy! And it's going to happen in–” She gasped again. “PONYVILLE!” “WAIT, PINKIE!” cried Twilight as Pinkie bolted back up the path with a speed that was shocking. “NO TIME! NO TIME!” shrieked the pink pony, almost too far away already for them to hear her. “THIS IS GONNA BE SUPER, DUPER DUPER BAD! Gotta get back there! Gotta get back there!” Twilight was the first to start running. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, GIRLS? COME ON!” “Oh, for pete's sake!” grumbled Applejack, picking herself up and giving chase, General Spur right beside her. “I swear to Luna, if I miss the sun raising because I pass out after runnin' for six hours...” “She's got the spirit.” General Spur smiled, his eyes on Twilight. “No wonder Celestia chose her.” “Chose her?” asked the confused farm pony. “Chose her for what, exactly?” “Something that's better off explained to you by her. Better that you concentrate on keeping this pace, unless Pinkie slows. Climb on my back if you can't keep up. I could cheat with my wings, you know.” Applejack looked at him for a second – then resumed her forward gaze, grinning. “Nah. I got this.” Nearly six hours later, they had escaped the creepy watching eyes of the forest creatures and returned to the thin spread of trees – only for the sky to be dark, and their visual on Twilight and Pinkie no more. Applejack stopped. “Hold up, General... Hoo... Haven't done a cattle drive run like that in a long time.” “Hayseed... Lost `em both.” General Spur was panting a little bit as he tried to pinpoint where to go. An eerie glow broke from the clearing ahead. The ponies stiffened, poised to defend themselves. But a moment later, Twilight walked into view. “Lost her... Too fast. How can she still be running like that?” “Twi, we can barely keep up with her when she's normal.” Applejack patted her friend on the back in consolation. “You did your best. At least we know she's headed to Ponyville. Let's just keep going.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* The growls were even hungrier when their master touched down in front of them. The red eyes burned fiercer. The saliva dripped faster, pooling below. Their restlessness was apparent. They were truly hungry. Their master's lips curled sinisterly. “Now it is time, my dears.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* In the Royal Castle of Canterlot– Princess Celestia's eyes opened. END CHAPTER THREE