//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: What a Pony Does Best 
// Story: Galaxia's Equestria 
// by pchn00 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 15: What a Pony Does Best

Rarity stoically refused any assistance with her burden from either Pinkie or Fluttershy, insisting more than once that it was the very least she could do in exchange for Jubilant saving her life.  Though toward the end of their trek from the Everfree, her legs were looking just a bit unstable.  Still, she grit her teeth and soldiered onward.  Trixie and Fancy Pants alone waited at the portal.

“It’s about time!  The Great and Powerful Trixie was moments away from rushing in to fetch you lot!  Get your flanks through this portal.  Trixie wishes to be away from here in case any dragons decide to come sniffing around again.”

Despite her protests, Fancy shifted Jubilant from Rarity’s back to his.  “I’m starting to feel like a sack of potatoes.”

The stallion chuckled at the weakened mare’s complaints.  “We’ll get you back to the Citadel and have you back on your hooves in no time.”

An impatient Trixie ushered the group through the gate, leaping in herself once they were clear.  As they exited the other side back in the courtyard of the Citadel, she send a small magical blast back the way they came, destroying the diagrams in Ponyville and collapsing the gate.  With a brief nod toward the ponies she’d come through with, she set out to find Tak and Umbra.

“Well!  I suppose your old bed will do fine, hm?  I’d best get you up there then see where I can help out down here.”  Fancy started to push through the throng of confused, frightened, and injured citizens of Ponyville.  

A drowsy Jubilant could make out Cadence pushing through the crowd, healing the worst off first.  Dinky and Shining Armor were at her side, trying to organize things as best they could.  The Princess spotted the injured Jubilant and pushed to her side immediately.  “Your horn!  What happened!?”

Jubilant waved a hoof lazily toward Rarity.  “She broke her horn.  Had to heal her.  Where’s Chrysalis?”

A faint frown crossed Cadence’s features at the mention of the Changeling Queen.  “She left.  Said she had to return to her hive, but she would send one of her changelings along to act as an intermediary between she and us.  Are you sure you’ll be alright?  A broken horn is very serious.”

“Mercy is already healing me.  I’ll be alright in a little while.  I’d just like to lie down a little if that’s alright.”  Fancy Pants was already making his way toward the Citadel again.

“Of course!  And Jubilant?  You did very well tonight.  You saved many lives.”

Jubilant gave Cadence a weary smile as thanks and let her head sink down onto Fancy’s back as he strode into the keep.  Her eyes roamed the courtyard briefly, seeing more than a few familiar faces.  But what stood out more than the ones she saw, were the ones she didn’t see.  The ones she was too late to save.





Rarity laid a gentle hoof on Fluttershy’s back as the pegasus made to follow Fancy and Pinkie into the Keep.  “Just a moment darling, we have something to discuss.”

Curiosity warred with concern for the filly she’d raised as a niece for the past five years, but Fluttershy knew Rarity wouldn’t have stopped her if it wasn’t important.  “Of course Rarity. What’s wrong?”

“It occurs to me that we are missing three Elements of Harmony.  Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight.  I worry that if Galaxia suspects the three of us are with the resistance now, she may do something unthinkable to our other friends.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the implication.  “Oh no.  You don’t think she’d be that cruel, do you?”

Rarity just quirked a brow.  “Dear, she sent dragons to murder everypony in Ponyville because Jennifer turned out to be not dead.  I’m fairly certain there is no limit to her cruelty.”

The timid pegasus was on the verge of panic now.  “What do we do?  How can we save them?”

“Mmm.  Well I recall Fancy saying Applejack was in Appleloosa.  I believe that’s close enough we can retrieve her rather easily.  The real problems are Twilight and Rainbow.  Canterlot and Cloudsdale aren’t exactly easy to get into.”

Usually the first to run and avoid confrontation, Fluttershy could be brave when her friends were in trouble.  “Unless somepony is already familiar with both cities.”

Now Rarity wore a faint smile.  “Precisely.  Somepony like you and I.  You see to Rainbow Dash, and I to Twilight.”

“Oh, but how are we going to get them out?  Both are still under Galaxia’s spell!  They won’t come willingly!”

Rarity’s smile widened as she looked back at the throng of Ponyville survivors.  Specifically to a certain unicorn mare in a star studded hat and cape, and a pegasus stallion wearing officer’s armor fussing over his foals.  “I think we’ll be able to get just the help we need.”





Jubilant grumbled as Pinkie Pie fussed over her in bed.  “Mom… Mom I’m fine.  I’m fine!  Really I’m just really tired that’s all.”

The normally cheerful earth pony bit her lip in worry.  “Does it hurt?”

With a little shrug, the alicorn mare made herself more comfortable.  “A little.  But it’s already healing up.  I’ll be good as new by tomorrow.”

Huffing softly, Pinkie fetched her some clean water from a nearby container.  “Silly filly.  Never thinking, always doing.”

“Just like my mom.”  Jubilant’s grin matched her mother’s usual ear to ear smile.  She sipped lightly from the glass before letting her head flop back in the pillows.  “It’s really great to see you again.  And I really want to catch up, but would it be alright if I had a little nap?”

Pinkie’s smile softened.  “Of course.  You rest up.  I’ll go see what the girls are up to, alright?”  With a quick kiss to the adult mare’s forehead as if she were still a little filly, Pinkie slipped out.

As soon as her mother was gone, Jubilant’s smile vanished.  One ear trained toward the door she slowly lowered herself to the floor, pacing to the window overlooking the courtyard.  It was hard to tune out the sounds of crying and moans of pain coming from below.  Harder still was to see just how few Ponyville citizens had escaped.

“It doesn’t get easier.  I Can tell you that much.”

She didn’t turn to face Starswirl as he spoke up behind her.  “How did you do it?  For so long?”

The ancient sorcerer moved to her side looking down beside her.  “You don’t dwell on what you didn’t do, but focus on what you did.  Would any of those ponies be alive right now if you and your friends hadn’t rushed to their aid?  I very much doubt it.  Certainly not as many would have lived as is down there.  Young Miss Rarity would have certainly perished, I can promise you that.”

“But I could have been faster.  I should have gone to get my mother the second I returned.  If I had…”

“If you had, you would not have been here to fend off the undead forces.  Your friends are formidable; perhaps they would have managed without you.  Or perhaps more than the songstress would have perished.  Perhaps you would have saved everypony in Ponyville only to return and find everypony here dead.  Unless you’re all-knowing and all-seeing, you can’t know what ‘might’ have happened.  You only know what did happen.  Not even Celestia can see and know everything at once.”

Jubilant heaved a heavy breath, and very nearly toppled to her knees.  Clicking his tongue reproachfully, Starswirl hefted her in his magic, laying her back in bed.  “A broken horn is very serious.  Even with Mercy working to heal it, you have to give it time.”

The young mare lay in her bed, regarding Starswirl quietly.  “Are you alright?  You look… Worse than when we first met.”

He laughed at that.  “My time in this world is nearly at an end, my dear.  It’s time this old stallion finally left Equestria in the hooves of you youngsters.  I think you’re more than up to the challenge.”

“I met her, you know.  Healing Touch.”

“While you loitered about outside the gates of Elysium I suppose?”

Jubilant nodded.  “Yeah.  I don’t remember much, but she seemed nice.  She’s waiting for you I think.  They all are.”

“Well!  I think they’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”

She smiled.  “Hey, do… Do you think we can beat her?  She’s just so strong.”

Tilting his head back, he looked her square in the eyes.  “We ponies can overcome any obstacle, any challenge.  There’s nothing too difficult for us if we do what we do best.”  Almost as an afterthought he tossed a small box on her bed.  “This might help.  Do not open it until you face Galaxia.”

Jubilant blinked and gingerly moved the box to her nightstand.  “What do we do best?”  Rather than answer, he was turning to go.  “Starswirl!  What do we do best!?  What’s in the box!?”

Glancing over his shoulder, he shot her a wink.  “Think about it little filly.  And good luck.  Take care of my castle!”

And then he was gone.  Leaving a very dissatisfied Jubilant Surprise alone in the dark of her room.





“I simply wish to ensure she is well.  There is no harm in that.  Nor do I believe the activity will be overly strenuous, mother.”	
Moon Dancer felt a giddy little thrill in her heart every time Umbra called her that.  “You were badly hurt yourself, Umbra.  You should be resting.”

Tak piped up from the other side of the bed.  “Aw she looks fine.  If y’want, I can just toss her on my back and haul her up t’ the kids room.”

Shifting her gaze to her daughter’s husband, Moon Dancer eyed him speculatively.  A changeling prince married to what was technically an Equestrian Princess.  After all, Umbra was her biological daughter.  That made her royalty.  So that title extended to him as well, she supposed.  “Very well.  I suppose I would like to visit her as well.”

“Are we talking about Jubilant?  I was just on my way to see her myself.”

All eyes turned to the door to find Trixie in the doorway.  Umbra raised an eyebrow at her wardrobes addition.  “You feel you did not look ridiculous enough?”

Tak was doing his best to hold in laughter of his own, only Moon Dancer regarded the showmare seriously… Perhaps a touch sadly.  “He gave them to you, didn’t he?”

Trixie didn’t need to ask who Moon Dancer was referring to.  She kept her grandfather’s old hat proudly perched on her head, but now several jingling bells hung along the brim.  Her smile was the rarely seen genuine one, usually reserved for private moments with her family.  “He did.  A parting gift, he said.”

Moon Dancer nodded sadly while Tak and Umbra looked on confused.  “Well.  He will be missed.  Come along you two, let us see how my former student fares.”

Umbra moved to stand on her own, and squawked in protest when Trixie hoisted her into the air and settled her across Tak’s back.  His mare secured, the foursome set out to Jubilant’s chambers.  

The young mare looked to be just on the brink of dozing off when they let themselves in.  “Behold!  The Great and Powerful Trixie has come all this way to personally grace your bedside with her presence!  You may hold your applause, given the circumstances.”

Laughing softly Jubilant sat up straighter.  “Hey guys.  And uh… Hey Umbra.  How you doing?”

The other alicorn in the room gave an indignant grunt as Trixie lifted her from Tak’s back, depositing her unceremoniously at the other end of the bed from Jubilant.  Casting the mare she shared her husband with a baleful glare, her gaze softened as she regarded Jubilant.  “Well enough for having been used as a plaything of a dragon.  And yourself?”

The younger mare shrugged with a grin.  “Well enough for having my horn snapped in half.”

Moon Dancer regarded the mending appendage curiously.  “Yes, you left quite an impression in my night sky when you did as well.”

“D’you like it?  It’s the Star of Jubilance!”

The former diarch’s eyebrows rose.  “Is it now?”

“It certainly is.  I made it, so I get to name it.”  She stuck her tongue out, drawing a laugh from the other three at Moon Dancer’s expense.

“You do know precisely what that star is, do you not?”

Jubilant shrugged.  “Really green?”

“It is all of the mana you have accumulated in your time in Equestria, released at once.  That means your reserves are very nearly empty, and it will take years to build back up to that point.  What you did was reckless and foolish.  You will be severely weakened in the time to come, when your strength was sorely needed.”

Now it was Jubilant’s turn to frown.  “So I should have let Miss Rarity die?”

The elder in the room shifted under the scrutiny of the younger ponies (and changeling). “Sometimes…”  She took a deep breath.  “Sometimes one must make harsh decisions that are unfair and cause us great pain.  These decisions are almost exclusively made by ponies in positions of great power.  My sister and I.  No doubt Umbra’s mother made such decisions.  And now Jubilant, you will be called on to make such decisions.”

Jubilant’s expression only darkened as the mare spoke.  “So you are saying I should have let her die?”

Closing her eyes, Moon Dancer took another deep breath.  “Given the circumstances, it would have been more prudent to return here with her and let us attempt to mend her horn another way.”

“Everypony there told me there was no other way.  That what she needed we wouldn’t be able to get for her.  Not even Cadence’s magic would have done the job.  It was the only way to save her, and I would do it again a thousand times.”

Moon Dancer bristled a little, about to retort, when she was interrupted by Umbra.  “I believe you are incorrect in this circumstance, mother.  Yes, Queen Spinneret had to make many difficult choices.  But recall the very first one she made in regards to me?  A helpless pony hatchling obviously incapable of surviving in the harsh land she ruled.  Imagine the difficulties she knew she would face raising me as she did.  The scrutiny from her subjects, the trials she was placing upon herself in order to ensure my health and safety.  She most certainly did not choose the wiser of the two paths when she adopted me.  But she chose the right one.  Jubilant’s decision may have been foolish, but it was the right one to make.”

She finished, smiling over at the younger mare.  “You are a fine example to us all, Jubilant Surprise.  The kind of mare I myself hope to be one day.”

“Indeed!  Clearly more than a little of Trixie has rubbed off on you.  It’s the only explanation for how you received so sterling a character.”

Tak rolled his eyes, tugging Trixie’s hat down over her face.  “You did good kid.  And we’ll get by without you bein’ all crazy magic.  I married one’a you alicorns after all.  Probably the only one in Equestria who uses less magic’n a newborn foal.  She’s got all the wallop we’ll need to knock that Galaxia witch on her butt.”

Jubilant sniffed a little, feeling tears coming on.  “Thanks guys.  I guess Moon Dancer is kinda right… I wasn’t thinking.  But if we start letting our friends down now when times are tough, we don’t really deserve to have them when they’re good.  Just because things aren’t at their best, I don’t think that means we have to be any less than our best.  Y’know?”

Sighing softly, Moon Dancer briefly nuzzled Jubilant.  “I do not know why I feel the need to keep poking at you with these little tests of mine.  Your bright and beautiful nature shall never be dimmed, I think.  Come along children; let us leave Jubilant to her rest.  The half-wit needs all she can get to recover from her injury.”

The other four stared, mouths slightly agape as Moon Dancer strode from the room, head held high.  A chuckling Tak settled Umbra back on his back as the trio made to leave. As they exited the room, Jubilant called out, “Trixie?  Can you stay a minute?”

The mare looked to her partners and shrugged, closing the door as they left.  “What is it Jubilant?”

Jubilant’s eyes drifted down toward her sheathed sword.  Using her teeth she slowly drew Mercy from its scabbard.  “I was hoping you could teach me a spell.”





Ditzy Doo smiled as she saw Dinky making her way through the keep.  “Hey muffin!  Where ya goin?”

Dinky blinked as her mother approached.  “I was gonna visit Jenny.  I heard she got hurt pretty bad and I want to make sure she’s alright.  It’s been a couple’a days since she got back and I’ve just been so busy…”

Smiling proudly, the grey mare fell into step with her filly.  “I can’t believe my little Dinky’s all grown up and now a big important knight!  Like the Princesses even!”

Dinky blushed heavily.  “Oh mom, it’s not like that.  I don’t even have one of those fancy weapons or anything.  I’m just really magic now.  Also I guess I’ll live to be like a billion.”  Glancing quickly around the younger mare frowned thoughtfully.  “Where’s your stallion?”

This brought a heavy blush to Ditzy’s face.  “He’s not my stallion Dinky.  We’re just friends.”

“Just friends mom?”

Ditzy heaved a tremendous sigh.  “Yeah…”  Her wings even drooped a bit.  “…anyway!  He’s getting our ride ready.  We were gonna head out soon.”

Dinky frowned a little.  “You’re leaving?”

Her mother shrugged.  “When The Doctor says it’s time to get ready to go, we get ready to go.  He said we have some very important places to be going soon.  Sometimes his ship gets a little funny, and when we actually have someplace we have to be, he has to make sure it’s gonna behave.”

“Oh.”  She didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in her voice.  “It’s just… We haven’t talked in so long.”

“Aw don’t worry.  I’ll be back soon.  I’ll tell him we’re sticking around some too.  We can have a picnic!  Once uh… Ponyville’s not all burned down.”  This brought a deep frown to both mares.

Dinky stopped at Jubilant’s door.  “Well this is her room.  Didja wanna come in too?”

“I can say hi real quick!”  Smiling, Ditzy just shoved her way through the door.  “Hey Jenny!”

A drowsy looking Jubilant bolted upright in the bed with a startled sort of ‘gnargh!’ sound, bringing a fit of giggles to Ditzy and a look of consternation from Dinky.

“Sorry Jenny, did we wake you up?  Oh!  You want to be called Jubilant Surprise now, don’t you?”

The bedridden mare shrugged.  “Jenny’s fine for you, Dinky.”  She winked, though she looked pretty worn out.  “What can I do for you girls?”

“We just wanted to see how you were doing.”  Ditzy helped herself to the end of Jubilant’s bed, flopping right down.  “After all, a friend of my muffin’s is a friend of mine!”

Smiling, Jubilant was about to say something…. Then her mouth snapped shut.  She slowly looked from Dinky to Ditzy.  “We’ve only talked maybe three times, Ditzy.  And one of those got pretty heated.  Do you remember?  On Wrap up day?”

Ditzy frowned now, fluffing her wings uncomfortably.  “Y— yeah.  And I feel just awful about that too!  I never did apologize, did I?”

Jubilant waved it away with a hoof.  “No, it’s fine.  I was a bit out of line myself.  We both said things we probably shouldn’t have.”

Ditzy’s smile returned full force.  “Well good!  I hate fighting with my friends!”

Dinky just stared at Jubilant’s thoughtful frown curiously.  “Jenny?”

That was it.  That was what ponies did best.  First there was Discord.  Then Tak, Trixie, and Umbra.  Lyra and Dinky.  Fancy Pants and Echo.  Pinkie and all her friends.  She knew exactly what ponies did best.  “Ditzy!  Your stallion friend?  The two of you travel a lot?”

Ditzy blinked suddenly.  “W— well yeah.  All over really!  It’s great!”

“How do you travel?  Can you get from place to place really fast?”

“Why Jubilant Surprise, I thought you’d never ask.”  All eyes turned to the door to find the Doctor leaning against the frame, grinning like a mad pony.





“Well here she is!”

Jubilant—horn more or less back to its old self—stood with Dinky and Ditzy outside a… “It’s a phone booth.”

Dinky looked at Jubilant curiously.  “What’s a phone booth?”

“Like this super old, out of date thing people used before cell phones were invented.  This is serious, guys!”

Ditzy and the Doctor shared a smile as he swung the door open.  Curiously, Jubilant and Dinky stepped inside.  “Oh!  Neat.”

“Neat?   neat?”  The other pair followed the younger two inside.  “I’ve never heard that one before...” he mumbled. “Really though, I show you my one of a kind—only one in the universe—TARDIS, and you say ‘neat’?”

Jubilant looked around at the weird arches and brassy metal walls.  The strange consoles and machinery sitting in the center.  “Well what should I say?”

“It’s a spaceship!  A time machine!  It’s not ‘neat’,  It’s absolutely fantastic!”

Ditzy beamed at the Doctor’s side.  “The Doctor’s an alien!”

Both Dinky and Jubilant nodded together.  It was Dinky who spoke this time.  “That’s kinda cool.”

“K— kinda cool!? An alien from a whole other world!  And it’s just kinda cool!?” The doctor questioned, briefly running a hoof through his mane in frustration.

Dinky shrugged, looking at Jubilant.  “Well I mean, so’s Jenny.  And I kinda got to know her before I got to know you.  So she kinda beat you to it I guess.  Plus she’s a cool alien.  You just look like a pony.”

He fixed Jubilant with an icy stare, prompting her to shrug helplessly.  “Sorry.  I mean, I got over the whole ‘oh my gosh they’re not human!’ thing a long time ago.  Finding out you’re not a pony is like… I dunno… not that mind blowing.”

The poor stallion’s shoulders sagged as he regarded Ditzy sadly.  “When did our youth get so jaded, Ditzy?”

“Aw, cheer up Doctor!  You’re still my favorite alien!”

Heaving a sigh, the Doctor smiled faintly.  “Thank you Ditzy dear, that does help.”  He rounded on Jubilant, all smiles again.  “Well!  You’d best go let somepony know you’ll be gone for a little while.  Don’t want them to worry and all!”

“O— oh good idea!  I’ll be right back!”  She ducked out of the machine, racing toward the keep.  

Ditzy turned a curious gaze to the Doctor.  “Are they coming with us?”

“Well of course!  Why do you think I said we need to get going?  Commander Jubilant needs our help after all.  You didn’t really think we’d just up and abandon everypony in Equestria’s darkest days, did you?”

With a squeal and a laugh, Ditzy tackled the Doctor in a ferocious hug, prompting her filly to blush and look away.





“Hey!  Uncle D!”  Jubilant stopped short, seeing the large squirming sack over her uncle’s back.  “Wh— why do you have that?  What’s in there?”

Hoisting it into the air with his magic, he upended the sack and out came Applejack, spitting and cursing up a storm, trying to buck anything around her for dear life.  “D, Ah swear t’all that’s good an holy yer gonna get yer teeth knocked right down outta yer fool muzzle fer this one!”

The stallion hastily hoisted the bellowing earth pony back into the air overhead with his magic.  “Your mother thought it a good idea I go and collect her.  Now that we’re a bit exposed, Galaxia may try to harm the other element bearers.”

A thoughtful frown crossed his niece’s face.  “That’s a good point!  Oh, but what about Dash and Twilight?”

`	“Already on the case!  Not to worry.  They should be here any day now, I’d expect.”

“What’re y’all carryin’ on about!?  Don’t ignore me!”

Jubilant glanced up at the squirming, and furious Applejack.  “Let her down, Uncle D.  I’d like to try something.”

Eyeing his niece dubiously, he lowered Applejack to her hooves.  The indignant mare straightened her hat, fixing Jubilant with a heated glare.  “Thank ya kindly fer that missy, but if you’ll excuse me, I need t’give this here varmint a whuppin…”

She trailed off as Jubilant drew her sword.  Applejack wasn’t one to run from a fight, but this mare was armed and had magic.  And… Wings?  That was a little weird.  “N— now hold on!  Ah dunno what this’ all about, but y’don’t gotta be stabbing anypony!”

Tilting her head, Jubilant smiled softly.  “I won’t be.”  The rune on the very end of the blade began to glow softly.  The newest rune.  Her rune.  A warm green glow pulsed from the blade, spreading across the entirety of the courtyard.  All around, the dazed refugees blinked and shook their heads in confusion.  Applejack was among them.

“Ah…”  She blinked from Discord to Jubilant.  “…Jenny?  What in tarnation? Ah… Ah remember everythin’.  Two different Equestria’s.  Two different lives even!”  Her eyes widened.  “Applebloom!  We have t’git m’sister!  Ah already lost Mac an Granny, and Ah sure as heck ain’t losin’ her too!”

Almost on cue, Tak arrived, rubbing his cracked jaw.  “Made th’mistake of carryin’ her in my teeth.”  He dumped his sack out, sending an ornery looking Applebloom tumbling to the ground.  She shot a nasty look at the changeling before tackling her sister in a hug.

Discord stepped next to Jubilant as the sisters reunited.  “That’s quite a power you instilled in the sword.  Does it work specifically on Galaxia’s magic?”

Jubilant shook her head.  “No.  I had Trixie teach me the spell for cleansing mind altering magics.  It was actually pretty basic, thank goodness.  Once I knew the spell, it was pretty easy getting it transferred to Mercy.”

Her uncle grinned.  “Keeps up with the ‘helping others’ aesthetic of the sword too.”

She nodded, grinning as well.  “Sure does!  Anyway!  I need you to tell Cadence I’m going out.  I’ll be back… Soonish.  As soon as I can, anyway.  Just let her know it’s really important.”

Discord’s smile faded.  “Do you want me to come along?”

She shook her head.  “Nah.  They need you here.  I’m not doing anything dangerous… I think.”

Nodding, he set out for the inner keep.  Jubilant was about to head back to the TARDIS when Applejack firmly rested a hoof on her shoulder.  “Hold on there sugarcube.  Y’all think y’can fill some things in for me?”

Sighing a little, Jubilant shook her head.  “I’m in a bit of a hurry, Miss Applejack.  Find mom, Miss Rarity or Aunt Fluttershy.    They can tell you anything you need to know.  It was nice talking to you again!  The uh, real you.  We’ll catch up soon, I promise!  But I really need to go!”

The Apple sisters watched her gallop off for the distant blue box.  “…that mare is still crazy.”

Applebloom shrugged.  “She is Pinkie Pie’s filly.”

With a laugh, Applejack ruffled her sister’s hair.  The pair then went into the keep in search of their friends.





“SHE’S WHAT!?”

Discord’s ears splayed back at Cadence’s use of the Royal Canterlot Voice.  Good to know she could whip that out too.  “She’s ah… Gone.  Said she had something important to do.”

“GONE!?  HOW CAN SHE BE GONE!?  WE’RE PLANNING TO RETAKE THE EMPIRE!”

Shining Armor laid a hoof over his wife’s back.  “Dear, calm down.  Screaming Discord deaf isn’t going to make Jubilant reappear.”  He looked to his fellow stallion.  “You have no idea where she’s going?”

He shrugged.  “Hey, I’m her Uncle, not her babysitter.  She’s a grown mare.  If she says it’s important, it is.”

Cadence gave an indelicate snort.  “No.  She’s a teenager mixed with a five year old filly.  In no way shape or form is that an ‘adult’.  Physically maybe, but not mentally!”  She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“If what Moon Dancer says is true, she’s not even as strong as one of the Knights of Harmony.  After her horn broke and she discharged all her mana.  It’s going to be a while before she’s even back up to normal unicorn standards, Cadence.  If she thinks she can be useful elsewhere, I think we should trust her.”

Fixing her husband with a stare, her expression soon softened.  “You’re right.  I was just counting on her being here.”

“Well we have Umbra.  She’s definitely not somepony to ignore.  Plus Tak and Trixie.  Fancy Pants as well.  And now most of the element bearers are up and on our side.  Oh!  And Moon Dancer.  How could I forget her?”

Discord cleared his throat uncomfortably.  “Well we have Umbra, Tak, Fancy, Moon Dancer, Pinkie, and Applejack.”

Cadence’s eyes widened again.  “Wh— where are the rest!?”

“Rarity and Trixie left together.  Then Fluttershy and that pegasus Fancy saved… Thunderlane I think his name was?  They left together as well.”

“Left!?  FOR WHERE!?”

Discord was ready and had braced himself this time, so he wasn’t blown off his hooves.  “I don’t know.  Rarity said ‘on a mission of the utmost importance, darling.  And if you come near me in that suit again, I will burn it off your body.’”

Cadence was rapidly approaching full meltdown status.  Seeing his wife about to hit critical, Shining hastily intervened.  “Cadence honey, it’s fine.  It’s fine!  We were ready to do this without all this extra magic I’m packing.  We have four Knights of Harmony instead of one.  Umbra’s people are ready to help us too.  We’ll be fine.”

“Actually, you have five.”  Echo was standing at the door, looking a bit weary, but she was on her hooves.

Eyeing her with a faint frown, Cadence beckoned her closer.  “How’s your head?”

The night pony shrugged.  “Fine.  Little sore.  Where’s my mare?”

Cadence just turned to a suddenly uncomfortable looking Discord.  With a heavy sigh, he began again…