//------------------------------// // 21 Disputes, Disguises, and a Dragon // Story: What's Really the Most Important? // by KrishnaKarnak //------------------------------// “It's really quite straightforward, actually!” Twilight Sparkle was saying, grinning and tapping her hooves together. They were all standing inside the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash had been assisting Applejack with a construction project. Applejack was building a new chicken coup for Fluttershy, and they were assembling the roof at the barn first before moving it to Fluttershy's home outside of the Everfree Forest. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were doing their best to help in any way they could, making their second attempt at 'construction' cutie marks. This was more of a hinderance than a help, and Fluttershy was able to successfully persuade them to sit quietly on the side and watch. So with the three fillies resting on bales of hay, the mares had gotten back to work. While lining up the trusses for the roof's support, however, Twilight Sparkle had arrived with Pinkie Pie and Rarity. The purple unicorn had been working diligently on finding a proper concealment spell to shield their identities while abroad. “I like it!” Pinkie chipped in, bouncing around the barn. “It's like having two different Pinkie Pies in one body! Remember when there were like a huge ol' bunch of Pinkie Pies?! They all came from the SAME BODY!” “Oh, yeah...” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, holding out an arm to stop Pinkie mid-bounce. “How could we POSSIBILY forget that day?!” “I thought that was really funny!” Sweetie Belle said from the sidelines in her squeaky voice. “I'm with you on this one!” Scootaloo agreed. “It was kinda, uh, crazy at the time, but man! It was hilarious when all was said and done!” “You're both looney!” Apple Bloom sighed. “That's one way t' put it, lil' sis!” Applejack chuckled. “It really wasn't a very fun time, I can tell ya that!” “Come on, girls; let's focus!” Twilight said patiently. “It's not quite the same thing as the mirror pond, Pinkie! We would all still be the same ponies, we would just look different to others!” “Do you honestly believe you have the proficiency to successfully perpetrate an efficient deception spell?” Rarity asked in a voice suggesting she was not entirely convinced. “I have done transfiguration before, Rarity!” Twilight explained. “Remember your wings?” “Oh man!” Scoot giggled. “That story...” “Be a good girl, Scoots!” Rainbow chastised while trying to hold in her own laughter. “You don't want to make Rarity cry, do you?” “Oh, brother...” Rarity sighed, rolling her eyes and turning away from the rest. “I think, um, Rarity has a good point...” Fluttershy whispered in a moderate voice. “If you can't do the spell, somepony might notice us... like The Shadow!” She gave a shiver. “Who says I can't do the spe-” Twilight said, displaying a bite of impatience now. However, Scootaloo's voice interrupted her. “... What shadow, now?” Scootaloo asked, confused. “Rainbow Dash didn't tell you about The Shadow?” Apple Bloom said, surprised. “Rarity told me!” Sweetie Belle said with a frown. “Ssh, you three!” Rainbow said quickly, a creeping feeling in her stomach at the look on Scoot's face. “Right, so...” Applejack said awkwardly, trying to distract the fillies. “You three quit yer hollerin' over there so Twilight can concentrate! She'll attempt the spel-” “Look!” Twilight said, face growing red as her temper surged. “I can do a deception spell! There is no ATTEMTPING! We may need disguises! The Wonderbolts especially, since THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN ATTACKED ONCE! So I wouldn't be doing this in front of a nice, CRITICICAL AUDIENCE if I wasn't entirely sure I could pull it off!” Twilight ended by slamming her hoof hard on the dirty floor, expelling a puff of air from her nostrils. “Simmer down, Twilight! Yer more riled up than Big Macintosh durin' a drought!” Applejack's expression was one of shock. “There's no need to explode like a barrel of dynamite!” “Ergh...” Twilight groaned, bowing her head. She gave it a shake and looked up again. “I'm sorry, everyone. I'm just really rather frustrated!” Dash was looking over at Scootaloo again. The filly seemed to be fidgeting restlessly on the hay, frowning with her ears drooped. What was bothering her? Was her unease due to Twilight's explosion, or something else? Dash knew that seeing other people angry or upset was distressing to the little orange pegasus, but there was also the fact that Scoot had realized that Rainbow Dash had concealed something from her. As Fluttershy floated over to comfort Twilight, Scootaloo finally spoke up. “The Wonderbolts were attacked? You didn't tell me that, Sis...” A look of great concern and inadequacy was spreading across her face. Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, but she could find no words occurring to her. She quickly walked over to stand in front of the hay. “Look... Scoots, I didn't want you to worry!” “Worry... worry that you guys are all gonna go fight someone who already attacked the Wonderbolts?” Scootaloo said, a little shake rippling down her body. “You said... they came back early... did the bad guys hurt them? Are they gonna hurt you too?” “Of course n-... nopony can hurt me!” Rainbow Dash said in a confident voice, hoping this would be enough to calm Scootaloo's nerves. “She's right!” Fluttershy said, floating over from Twilight's side. “Rainbow Dash is a very, um, strong pony who, um, scares evil things!” Scootaloo wasn't looking convinced. She was gazing silently into Rainbow's face with fear and doubt in her own. Rainbow Dash stretched out a consoling hoof to Scoot's shoulder, who's eyes were starting to look wet. “It's no big deal...” Sweetie Belle shrugged, looking with concern at Scoot. “I mean, Rarity's pretty scared, but...” “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity snapped crisply, drawing all eyes, including Rainbow's. She shot Dash a concerned look, but returned her eyes to the unicorn filly. “Hold your tongue, young lady!” “We're all kinda super scared!” Pinkie said happily, bouncing over with the rest as Sweetie Belle shrugged. “But that makes it sort of super fun! When I first heard about all of this, I was like 'Oh no!', but now I just laugh! HA! Risky, misky, I always say for the first time just now!” “Pinkie, yer not really helpin' out a' t'all right now...” Applejack said, shaking her head. “Don't you worry your lil' head about your mom, Scoots! We've all got this wrangled up like a warthog in a pen! I reckon none of us are in any real danger.” “Scootaloo...” Dash said sadly, feeling rather awkward with all eyes focused on the pair of them, but steaming ahead with determination to reassure her filly. “I didn't tell you anything about the enemy we're gonna fight 'cause I didn't want you to be scared or nervous. But... please, don't be scared anyway, there's no reason to be! I'm strong enough to take anything, 'member?” Her voice rose confidently. “You gotta be brave and strong, just like me!” “But...” Scoot said, blinking away tears. “No 'but's!” Rainbow said, cutting swiftly across Scootaloo. There was the tiniest trace of anger in her voice. “Stop it, Scootaloo. You're not going to make a big deal out of this, understand?” Under Rainbow's stern gaze, Scoot fell silent. Her eyes dropped to the hay she was still sitting on and she bowed her head. Apple Bloom was looking scared and confused. She didn't seem to understand why Scoot was acting so mortified. Evidently, Scootaloo's anxiety was not a known quantity to the other Crusaders. Rainbow suddenly felt disgusted. Anger was not a tactic she had ever tried when confronting the anxiety. She was hoping that Scootaloo's fear of disappointing her would be enough to cause the filly to pull herself together, but it was not exactly an ideal fix. As Scootaloo gave a little shuddering gasp to bring her shivering under control, Dash ran a hoof through the filly's mane. A single tear dripped from the end of Scoot's nose. “... I'm sorry, Scoot. Dashie just doesn't want you to feel bad, alright?” Rainbow Dash said after a moment's pause. “Nopony wants you to feel bad or worry.” The orange pegasus nodded softly, giving a sniff. Dash removed the hoof from her hair, a terrible shadow weighing over her shoulders as she did so. Rainbow Dash could not help but wonder this was not going to be the last she would see of the anxiety before they all departed for Saddle Arabia. Rainbow wasn't proud of herself. “So...” Dash said, turning from the fillies and speaking in a loud and falsely cheerful voice. She flexed and folded her wings. “Show us this dictation spell or whatever, Twilight!” “That's 'deception', Rainbow Dash...” Twilight corrected, giving Scootaloo an apprehensive look. However, she did walk to the centre of the barn's floor, levitating a book out of a bag she had slung over her own back. She opened it up on the ground. “Hence my 'whatever'!” Rainbow rolled her eyes to the heavens, starting to feel slightly less edgy. “But yes... hmm... do want to be the volunteer, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, whirling around to face her. “Let's do this!” Dash agreed, trotting to the centre as well. Twilight smiled and her horn began to glow a light raspberry colour. A white light appeared at the tip, shimmering and sparkling. Rainbow stood up on her hind legs, arms and wings outstretched, as if daring Twilight to hit her with her best shot. Dash saw all three Crusaders watching with interest. Scootaloo was looking very happy all of a sudden. Rainbow's stomach clenched; the mood swings always filled her with dread. She was not altogether reassured by Scootaloo's behaviour change, but turned her focus back to Twilight's glowing horn. “This will alter your physical appearance to everyone's eyes but your own.” Twilight explained. “You'll look the same to yourself.” “The Emperor has no clothes.” Rainbow Dash said simply, grinning at her own geekiness, but inwardly praying none of her friends caught the reference. “You'll be modelled after the famous aerobatic flier back during the Equestrian Renaissance days.” Twilight continued, the horn glowing brighter and brighter. “Firefly!” A beam of white light shot toward Rainbow Dash, a pink stream spiralling around it. Rainbow closed her eyes tight and braced herself. She had expected to feel something, but noting seemed to happen at all. She merely stood there in silence until her friends' gasps and exclamations forced her to raise her eyelids. “Uh...” Dash said uncertainly. “I felt nothin'. Did it work?” “Daaash!” Pinkie screamed in euphoria. “YOU'RE PINK! YOUR FUR IS PINKIE PINK! WE'RE LIKE TWINS! I can be Pinkie Pie and you can be Pinkie Fly!” “Pink, huh? Wouldn't be my first choice, but...” Dash trailed off, looking down at her blue coat. “As long as I look normal to me! But wouldn't my rainbow mane still be a giveaway?” Dash flicked it. “Yep, it most certainly would be!” Applejack said, walking over and tugging at it. “'cept it's blue, Dash!” “You look so cool!” Scootaloo was saying from the sidelines, bouncing off the hay and trotting to stand next to Dash. “So weird, you look... different, but, uh, I can still tell it's you!” “Wish I could see myself, Scoots! But hey, if the hair is blue, I can't say much! Can't complain with blue!” Dash grinned. “That's the best colour!” “The only things left unchanged are your eyes and your cutie mark...” Twilight pointed out to the others, examining Rainbow Dash critically. “Magic cannot affect cutie marks, and the eyes are a minor concern, so I think the spell is as proficient as it needs to be. Although... I could try and make it so that we look like normal to one another... only strangers would see the differences!” “I think it's simply marvellous as it is!” Rarity exclaimed, nodding in approval as she studied the blue on pink look of Rainbow Dash. “If we look like our old selves to one another, we'll never notice if the spell wears off. We must be unambiguously cautious! Just leave it as it is!” “How long does this last, anyway?” Rainbow asked, dropping back on all fours. “Six hours at maximum.” Twilight answered, her horn glowing briefly again. “But I can remove the spell in an instant. Unfortunately, I cannot refresh its effects. It must be dispelled first or wear off before I can reapply it.” “That shouldn't be a problem, I think!” Fluttershy said as Twilight restored Rainbow's original appearance. “You've done really well, Twilight!” “So, now that that's finally wrapped up and shipped out...” Applejack said, moving to take Scootaloo's spot on the hay and giving Apple Bloom a quick one-armed hug. “Any word from the Princess? It's been almost three full days now...” “I haven't heard anything from Princess Luna, no...” Twilight answered, a frown creasing her mouth. “The Wonderbolts are still in Canterlot, though. Captain Spitfire and the rest probably know a little more than we do, but I'm sure if Luna discovered anything serious or important, we would know straight away!” “I've got a question!” Pinkie chipped in, hoof raised in the air. “How are we gonna be going to Saddle Arabia? Will we get to ride inside Princess Luna's magical black beams again? That was FUN!” “Fun? My body got so tight, I couldn't freaking breathe!” Dash said in amazement as Scootaloo giggled. “Hey, that ain't funny!” She ruffled the filly's hair and mane. “You guys rode on beams? You kept that quiet, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle grinned at her sister. “Not lying to me, are you?” “I said hush!” Rarity huffed, fluffing her hair. “Yeah, okay...” Sweetie Belle said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “Capital idea, I'll get riiight on that.” “We'll probably be sailing from Manehattan or Baltimare.” Twilight explained quickly, trying to forestall another squabble. She was reading her transfiguration spellbook which was still lying open on the ground. “Luna can transport us to her lunar hideout ('LUNAR?!' the fillies screamed in unison.), but she can only send us to either our original location, or to Canterlot. She wouldn't be able to, say, warp there from Saddle Arabia, go to Canterlot to meet us, and drag us all back through the same path.” “Well, that's just the quintessence of convenience!” Rarity sighed sarcastically. “I don't do boats.” Dash laughed. “Do you get seasick or something? C'mon, Rare! We'd be airborne in no time flat!” “Huh? Airborne?” Applejack cocked an eyebrow. “'The heck y'all mean by that? Boats float on water.” “Oh dear, I don't like water...” Fluttershy whimpered. “Or heights...” Dash shook her head in amazement for a moment, staring blankly at Fluttershy. She chose not to respond, instead answering Applejack. “Don't you know that when ponies travel to the Eastern spots like Dragonspire or Saddle Arabia, it's done by Zeppelin hybrids?” “Fancy that!” Applejack said in excitement. “So they sail AND they fly, then!” “Well, I think I should get going, then!” Twilight beamed, head held high. “I should send a letter to Princess Celestia and request an update on Princess Luna's espiona-” Rainbow Dash and the rest all looked to the door of the barn as one. A shout had come floating through it on the breeze. It was calling Twilight's name in a strained voice. “Is that... Spike?” Bloom asked, hoping off of the hay. “I think it was...” Applejack agreed. “Twilight?” Twilight gave Applejack an unsure look, shrugging. Spike the dragon came tearing into the barn. He threw his claws on his knees and panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. Twilight approached him, looking anxious. “What's wrong?” She asked, bending low to him. “I...” Spike panted, now holding his claw to his chest. “Phew, I... was looking... everywhere for you! I... figured you must all be here, th-then...” “Uh...” Dash said, flying over and landing next to them. “What's happenin', Spike?” He did not answer. He threw his head back, cheeks puffy and eyes twisting. He looked like he was going to be ill. With an incredible belch and a stream of green fire, a piece of parchment materialized in the air and dropped to the floor of the barn. It was rolled up and sealed with an official-looking alicorn crest in wax. “That...” Spike sighed, flopping backwards and speaking to the ceiling. “Is from Princess Celestia.” “Thank you, Spike!” Twilight said graciously, levitating the scroll in front of her eyes and zapping the wax with her horn. It unfolded and she read aloud. “'Dearest Twilight Sparkle,'” Twilight began, “'It is imperative that you and your friends come to Canterlot at once.' This sounds important, girls... 'Everything shall be explained once you reach the Palace. Princess Luna has returned to this realm and will meet with you when you get here. She is presently rounding up the members of the Wonderbolts, who will be joining you and your friends. Please, make haste! I will speak with you when you arrive. Yours, most sincerely, Princess Celestia.'”