//------------------------------//
// Chapter Fifteen 
// Story: Rainbow Connection 
// by ahilty 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Fifteen


Apple Bloom sighed and rolled over on the bed the Ponylander’s were letting her use.  How could they sleep like this!  The Estate nursery was wall-to-wall baby pony, each of them had their own bed, in the same room!  They had been happy to find room for the Crusaders, though Apple Bloom almost felt like she was in the middle of a sleepover.  Apparently the younger ponies slept here, watched over by a few of the adults, while the rest of the adults slept in the Estate.  Even though Applejack and Rarity decided to stay, along with a pegasus named Paradise, Apple Bloom did not appreciate being here.  She wasn’t a baby after all.  And to be honest, the sounds all these sleeping ponies made was keeping her up.  Some of them had the loudest of snores.  Especially Baby Heart Throb.  Good grief that pony was loud!  And she was right next to Apple Bloom.  How in the world could they do this every night?  Didn’t they get on each other’s nerves at all?
With a small grunt Apple Bloom rolled off the bed they had given her.  Sure it had been a long day, but to be honest after Magic Star’s little freak out the other ponies hadn’t been interested in doing anything more then fret, even the younger ones.  Apple Bloom guessed that was understandable, since apparently the younger ponies really liked Magic Star.  Apple Bloom got the feeling they were like a big family, like when the Apples had reunions; only they stayed together all the time.  She knew if it was an Apple in this situation Apple Bloom would be worried as well, and probably not inclined to play either.  That didn’t change the fact that while Apple Bloom could understand, and empathize, she still had some pent up energy that needed release.
Apple Bloom checked to make sure nopony was awake.  All the ponies, even Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, seemed asleep.  She wasn’t sure how.  The sun was only just starting to set.  Apple Bloom shrugged and climbed out the window.  Not knoing where she was going, but just needed to get some of this energy out, she trotted to the west, over a small incline.
Apple Bloom gasped as she reached the incline, and almost literally dropped on none other then Celestia.  The alicorn was laying on the grass, looking up at the setting sun, wings folded as she smiled upwards.  Celestia turned her head and looked up at Apple Bloom.
“Can’t sleep?  It’s rather early.”  Celestia said.
“Ah…well…yeah Princess…”  Apple Bloom ducked her head.
“Oh come now.  Just call me Celestia.  Please.  Why don’t you come down here?  I’d love the company.”
Apple Bloom blinked.  Was she going to hang out with the Princess?  Sure she hung out with Twlight, but that was a little different.  She had known Twilight before she was an alicorn, and to be honest Twilight didn’t act that much differently then from when she didn’t have those wings.  Twilight was still the bookish pony she always was, but Celestia…
Celestia sighed and looked up.  “You never notice how beautiful it is until you look at it…”
Apple Bloom blinked and hopped down the incline.  “But ya raise the sun…”
“Apple Bloom, right?”  Celestia looked down at Apple Bloom and she nodded.  “That’s just it, Apple Bloom.  I raise our sun, but rarely do I get to enjoy it.  It’s like…watching your siblings make cider as opposed to making it yourself.  It’s hard to fully appreciate something if you have to make it.  Of course there is that wonderful sense of accomplishment, but I don’t usually get to just…watch like this.”
“Who raises the sun here?”
“I don’t know.  I have never met him.  Or her.  Perhaps nobody raises it.  Perhaps the sun simply raises here of its own accord.”
“I’d believe it.  This place is so strange.”
“I missed it.”
“The sun raising on its own?”
“Yes.”  Celestia said.  “And this land in general.  Luna and I did live here for a time, during Discord’s reign.”
“That musta been hard.”  Apple Bloom sat down next to the Princess.  She wasn’t as scary as Apple Bloom thought.  In fact, she was rather…sweet.
“It could be.  The light had long taken this place, but darkness still lurked in the shadows.  And yet Majesty…the first Majesty’s ponies covered the land.  So many of them…in a way it was a reverse of now.  Our group was so small, cut down by Discord, and their group was so powerful and great.  Ponies with little magic.  Pegasi whose only ability was flight, unicorns with simple, individualized spells, and earth ponies with seemingly no magic at all…and yet.”  Celestia sighed.  “In many ways, they are stronger then us.”
“Are they…better’n us?”  Apple Bloom blinked.
“Oh no.  Just…different.  Our world was made for us.  Made for ponies who burst with magic from every pore, even if earth ponies don’t always acknowledge it, it is still there.  I can sense it within you, you know.”  Celestia smiled at her.  “Our very land teems with magic, but this place…not so much.  Oh there is magic.  But it’s far fiercer.  Wilder.  And many creatures don’t need it.  Many actually shun it.  This place…is made for ponies like Majesty’s, just as Equestria was made for us.  Neither is better, but we do have different strengths.  But that just makes us…better friends.”
“Didja have a lot of friends back then?”
“Oh yes.  Time and years have eroded some of them from my mind.  But looking here I can remember the towns and villages that once surrounded this place.  If I’m very still, I can sometimes hear their voices and…” Her breath hitched.  “I can almost remember when I wasn’t a princess again.  When Luna and I could play here…” Celestia looked past Apple Bloom into the distance, and for a moment Apple Bloom could see them as well.  Maybe it was her mind filling in the blanks, her imagination conjuring them, but for a moment Apple Bloom thought she saw the ponies that Celestia had lost to time, and she blinked up at the sun princess.
“Ya…ya aren’t lonely…are ya?  You’re Celestia!  You have so many ponies that love ya!”
“I have ponies that put me on a pedestal.”  Celestia frowned.  “I have ponies that see me only as an ascended being…or worse yet, as a goddess.”
“But, ya ain’t?”
“Is Twilight Sparkle a goddess?”
“Well…Ah don’t think so…”
“Neither am I.  I am powerful, yes.  I am long lived, yes.  Barring accidents it is possible I might live forever, or at least until it is impossible to live.  One day Twilight will be as powerful as I, and many will think her a goddess.  But I started out as a normal pony like you.  I just became powerful enough to stand against an evil being, and won.”  Celestia sighed.  “I did it for the good of every pony, but I do miss those simple days.  I miss the days when I was just a little pony myself.  It’s why I hate it when ponies treat me like they do.  I…after Luna was banished I had no one else from those days that understood me.  It’s why I backed away more and more from pomp and ceremony.  I knew that Luna fell to the Nightmare because of how unbearably lonely she was, and the same would happen to me, if I allowed myself to be as lonely.  So I try to connect with as many ponies as I can.  I take students, in the hope that they will see me as…me.  Cadence…when she ascended it was like a gift from a real god.  And now Twilight has as well, and though a life like this isn’t easy…” Celestia said.  “I wonder how selfish I am.  This is a lot to put on a little pony.”
Apple Bloom walked over and put a hoof on Celestia’s leg.  She blinked, as if she was seeing the princess of the sun for the first time.  Not as an omnipotent and all seeing princess, but as a…pony.  An elder pony, yes, but a pony like her.  “It’s alright.  Everypony has ta have somepony ta talk to.”
“Yes.”  Celestia smiled.  “Yes they do.”
“Luna’s back, and Twilight and Cadence are around.  And…heck ya even got Discord now he’s reformed and all.”
“Now that’s comforting to my sanity.”  Celestia chucked.
“Ya know, we all love ya, right?  Even if ya think we’re bein’ to formal, we all love ya.  I can’t think of a single pony that doesn’t love ya.”
Celestia smiled and gave Apple Bloom a little nuzzle.  “Thank you.”  She looked up as the sky turned dark, and little stars began to twinkle.  
“Ya right, ya know?  Ah didn’t of it before, cause Ah was so busy bein’ scared but…this place really is wonderful.  It’s just so…big.  Its like…if we got up and just walked in a direction, any direction, we’d find something wonderful.  Probably dangerous that wants ta eat us but…”
“I know what you mean, trust me.”  Celestia said.
“Ah wish…do ya think we can come back?  Like it was in the old days ya talked about?  Keep crossing over ta rainbow and see them again.  I’d like ta show em home, and I think…ya’d like ta come back here.”
“Can’t think of a better vacation spot.”  Celestia winked.
“Oh, I didn’t know anyone was out here.  Sorry.”
Celestia and Apple Bloom looked over.  Apple Bloom blinked, trying to fit the pegasus in front of them to a name.  Pink, heart Cuti-…symbol.  Ah.  “Yer Heart Throb, ya?  Baby Heart Throb’s mama?”
Heart Throb nodded, frowning slightly.  “Just…saw Magic Star.”
Celestia winced.  “It…reminds me of my sister.  Luna.  I wish I knew how to stop it, other then the Elements.”
Heart Throb looked at her.  “I was wondering about that.  I heard from your Applejack it took a thousand years to cure your sister…it won’t take that long for Magic Star, will it?”
“I honestly don’t know.  I’m sorry.”  Celestia said.  “But I will do everything in my power to help her.”
“Thanks.”  Heart Throb sighed slightly.
“Ya’ll sort of remind me of my family.”  Apple Bloom said.  “Only ya aren’t all related.”
Heart Throb smiled.  “I love them all like family, even if we aren’t related.”
Celestia nodded, and changed the subject again.  “Do you come here often?”
“No, not really.  Usually I read, or I take care of my daughter.”  Heart Throb said.  “It’s just…well she said some…things.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”  Celestia asked.
“I don’t know.”  Heart Throb walked over and sat down.  “…I know who I want to talk to, but I’m not sure if she’d want to talk to me.”
“Magic Star?”
“No…” Heart Throb shrugged.  “It’s…nothing.”  She sighed, and Apple Bloom wondered if it was just her friend’s condition, or something else.  Apple Bloom sighed and lowered her ears as she looked back at the estate.  She could see a light coming from a window, and somehow she had a feeling it was Magic Star, and she shuddered a bit.
It’s okay.  She said to herself.  The Princess is here.  Everything is gonna be alright.



Twilight lowered her head to the river, sighing a bit in relief as the cold water flowed over her muzzle.  She was very thirsty, and the cold river was a welcome relief after walking all day.  She raised her pale pink head, letting the wind brush against her white and purple mane.  She smiled a bit at Applejack, who was just finishing her own drink.  
Had a certain purple alicorn walked by at that moment she would have been shocked, for the pink unicorn known as Twilight in this world was a close image of Twilight Sparkle of Equestria’s own mother.  True Twilight Unicorn was pink, not white, and she had two extra stars on her symbol instead of Twilight Sparkle’s mother, but at a first glance they would have been mistaken for twins.
“Applejack, where did Ember go?”  Twilight asked.  In all aspects the Applejack of Dream Valley was also the spitting image of the Equestrian Applejack, save for the lack of hat.
“Not sure.  I think she went over that ridge.”  Applejack pointed.  “Don’t worry, Twilight.  She’s fine.”
“I know…she’s grown so much.”  Twilight smiled gently.
“Yeah…you sure about this?”
“Positive.  I honestly don’t think we will find her.”  Twilight scuffed a hoof.  “And it’s high time we brought Ember home.”
“I think Truly is still cross with you for taking her along in the first place.”  Applejack laughed.
“It wasn’t her choice.  Ember is my responsibility, and she wanted to come along…besides, pretty soon she won’t be my responsibility anymore.”
As if summoned by her name a lavender pony with a pink mane galloped over the nearby ridge, laughing a bit as she slide next to Twilight and Applejack.  The once young baby pony was now the size of her elders, though a bit less round then most of Majesty’s kind, she was still fairly heavy as most Dream Valley ponies were.  Her lack of symbol made it rather obvious she was not the same breed of pony.  Still, Twilight smiled at her and gave her an affectionate nuzzle.  She ducked a bit.  “Oh come on, Twilight.  I’m not a filly anymore!”
“I know, I know.”  Twilight’s ear twitched.  “What did you see?”
“I can see the forest from here!  The Estate is only a few hours away, isn’t it?”  She laughed.
Twilight nodded, then looked up at the sky.  “It’s almost dark.  Do you two want to stay here for the night?  We can be up early and arrive at the Estate in time for breakfast.”  
Applejack shrugged.  “Yeah, I’m a bit tired.  And it seems safe enough here.”  She walked a bit away from the river and sat down.  “We’ve been walking all day.”
Ember nodded and settled in near Applejack.  “You think they’ll be glad to see us?”  She asked.
“Of course they will.”  Twilight said.  
The three of them had left the pony’s old castle a few years ago.  Twilight had been convinced that their Queen was alive, despite her disappearance during the fight with Tirac.  Even though Tirac was gone, so was Majesty, but Twilight refused to give up.  So, after Tirac was dead Twilight took frequent trips to every corner of the world they could walk to, looking for some sign of Majesty.  At first she hadn’t wanted to take Ember with her, as she had been very young at the time, but after the Smooze attack Twilight had decided it was best to take her along.  They stopped by the castle, and later the estate, from time to time, but for the most part they spent their time on the road.  But, even though it hurt to admit, Twilight had to admit that they would have found Majesty by now if they were going to find her.  The only place she hadn’t looked was the witches’ volcano, but she would need more ponies to look there, and she wasn’t sure how well the others would take that.  She had briefly met Draggle the last time they were there, and though she wasn’t sure if the girl was totally honest, she was willing to let Wind Whistler handle it.  The pegasus was a far cry from the silly filly she had been.  A part of Twilight felt bad for that, and it wasn’t the first time Twilight wanted to track down that stupid stupid…no.  There was nothing she could do about those ponies now.  Besides, she didn’t think Wind Whistler was…unhappy.  Twilight hoped not.  Though in many ways Ember was her daughter in everything but blood, she felt a kinship and protectiveness towards the other young fillies as well, though the ones she still thought of as young had actually grown into fairly mature mares.  
Either way, talking to Draggle had turned up no leads either, though Twilight was not sure if that was because Hydia didn’t know where Majesty was, or if the witch had indeed done something, but concealed it from her daughters.  Twilight just didn’t know, and just about every other evil lair or dark place in the earth had been searched.  She hated it, but it was a fact.
It was time to go home.
Twilight smiled.  Her thoughts were wandering badly.  She was probably just getting old.  Slowly Twilight lowered her head and began to sleep lightly.




Hours later Twilight Unicorn jerked awake.  She shivered.  She couldn’t really remember her dream, only that there was ice everywhere.  Surrounded her.  Never a big fan of winter, Twilight shivered again.  It was probably just a little nightmare left over from that one really bad winter.  That was it.
She looked up at the sky.  It was about midnight, judging from the position of the moon.  She got to her feet and looked over at Applejack and Ember.  Both of them were sleeping soundly.  She smiled.  Twilight quietly trotted back to the river and began to drink again.  She was always thirsty when she just got up.  She couldn’t even remember the part about the ice from her dream.  She raised her head, and blinked.  That was an awfully strange cloud blotting out the moon…she looked up, and shivered, but this time not in cold.  She backed away.  
“…Twilight…”
Twilight turned her head and looked at Applejack, whose eyes were wide and staring.  “…I…I…”  Applejack stared at the dark cloud, gaping.
“Applejack.”
“…I feel him.”  Applejack backed away.  “Twilight.  Run.”
“Feel what?  Applejack!”  Twilight turned as Applejack whirled around and nudged Ember awake.  
“Run!  Run!  It’s him!”  Applejack shouted.
“Him?  Wha?”  Ember shook her mane.
“Tirac!”  Applejack screamed.
“What!  No!  He’s dead!”  Twilight shouted as she ran up.  Applejack turned to her, and for a moment an image of the other pony being consumed by the rainbow of Darkness flashed in Twilight’s mind.
“It’s him.”  Applejack said with finality, and Twilight believed her.
“But…but…” Ember stuttered, and Twilight nudged her as well.  She looked behind them and spotted something dark and slimy starting to flow across the river, reaching for them.  
“Run.  Now.”  This time Ember didn’t argue with her elders, and the three ponies began to gallop at top speed for the nearby canyon that was between them and the Estate.  Twilight knew the place was a maze, and had a few dead ends, but she thought she could remember the path.
“Faster, come on!”  Applejack looked behind them and sped up, pulling ahead of the other two as she pounded into the canyon, zipping on way, then the other.  Ember was right behind her, and Twilight took up the rear, making sure to stay behind the others in case they ran into trouble.  She looked behind her and gasped.  The dark stuff…a mist.  It was a slimy, horrible looking mist.  It flowed over rocks, shrubs, and animals.  Twilight’s eyes winded in horror as she saw it grab a lizard.  The thing squirmed, then suddenly let out a roar.  Twilight was horrified to see the things teeth grow to huge fangs, and its eyes flashed yellow.
“Hurry!  Faster!”  She shouted at the other two.  The three of them turned a corner, and Twilight’s heart fell.
She hadn’t remembered a gorge here.
“Applejack, come on, there has to be a way across!”  Twilight looked form one side to the other, even as she heard things beginning to roar and growl in the mist as they were changed.  “We can’t let it catch us.”
“…we can’t let it catch you.”  Applejack said.
“Applejack?”
“You can wish over there, Twilight.  You can keep going.  Warn the others.  Ember and I…” Applejack’s ears laid back, but her voice was steady and calm.
“What!  No!  I can’t leave you behind!”
“Twilight, she’s right.”  Ember smiled up at her foster mother.  “We can make it.  Just go.  Get the others.”
“But…”
“You beat him once.  You can do it again.  I’ve been here before.  I can live until you get back with help.  But if you don’t go, this thing will sneak up on them.”  Applejack stepped between Twilight and the mist, which seemed to hover there as if it had a mind of its own, and was waiting to claim them.  “I can feel you, monster.”  She hissed.  “I can feel you.  You want me?  Come take me!  But you’ll never get my family!  Come on you bastard!”  Applejack reared at the mist and whined in challenge to it, and Twilight could have sworn she heard something deep in the mist chuckle.
“Go, Twilight, I know you’ll be back for us.”  Ember smiled and nuzzled Twilight.  “Go.”
Twilight sighed and nodded.  “I’m so sorry…”
“Twilight, run before it gets to you!”  Applejack tossed her head.  Twilight turned to the gorge and closed her eyes.
“I…I wish…”  I’ll be back…”I wish…”  Just hang on…”I wish.”  I won’t let you down.
Twilight Unicorn didn’t wink in and out.  Not like the other unicorns.  They could not wink through solid objects.  Twilight had teleportation.  Actual, true teleportation, though she could pass through objects, she did have a distance limit.  She felt her magic gather around her like water, and flung her over the gorge.  She paused, and looked back just in time to see the shadows being to consume her friends.  She could hear them howling, but she knew she couldn’t go back.  Instead she wished again, appearing a few miles from her starting point.  She paused, exhausted.  She could feel her magic draining away, the power flowing to her like molasses instead of like water.  She could do this one more time.  Only one.
She wished, and now she could see the forest that edged the Estate.  The only problem was she was on the opposite side.  She looked behind her.  She could no longer sense the dark mist, but she knew it was right behind her.  She staggered.  Her hooves felt like lead.  Her head, especially the area around her horn, ached terribly.  But she wasn’t going to give up.  She tossed her head, picked up her heavy hooves and cantered forwards.  She had to reach the Estate.  She forced herself into a gallop.
Ember, Applejack, don’t worry.  I’ll be back.  I promise.


Diamond Dogs are not, by nature, an intelligent species.  But the leader, Rover, knew gems, and he knew pain.  He didn’t know what a friend was, at least if you asked him the meaning of friendship he wouldn’t be able to answer, but he knew what a pack leader was.  Miss Rarity was a pack leader.  So was the Megan pup.  Following them wouldn’t be bad, and it would be better for them to side with the ponies rather then the strange small creature.  Ponies had power.  Ponies had magic.  He didn’t know what kind of power humans had, but if the human was with the ponies then it just made them stronger. 
Still, the gems here were scarce.  The dogs had been tunneling for a while, and hadn’t found the right kind of gems for the mirror thing.  Rover had seen the mirror before when the short human witch had come to them, and while Rover didn’t know much about the world in general, he knew gems.  He knew what kind of magic could be channeled through gems.  He had seen what magic Hydia used to make the mirror go.  Therefore he knew that none of the small rocks the dogs had found so far would work.  They had decided to take a short break, he and his three pack brothers.  Rover had no idea if they came from the same mother dog or not.  They had been raised in the same pack, were the smartest and more powerful of the pack, so they led the pack.  It was that simple.  Diamond Dogs were very simple.
“What we do?”  Fido, the largest of the three Diamond Dog leaders, eyed a quartz that, while pretty wouldn’t do at all.  He pocketed it.  No sense letting it go to waste.  “Don’t want to hear the Voice again.”
“Short witch had gems.  Original gems.  Remember?”  The shortest of them, Spot, said.
“Hmm, witch mean though?  And with black bug pony, right?”  Fido asked.
“Either that or the whining voice.”  Rover shuddered.  “Worse then Eternal Stench.”  The other dogs shuddered.
“Found something!”  A warrior dog popped his head out of a nearby hole and waved.  “Something lair!  Gems!  But many web to.  Like spider.  Big spider.”
Rover scratched the back of his ear.  “Either witch or spider.  Which?”  He looked at the others.  Most of the other dogs barked for spider.  “Spider it is then.”  Rover looked at his packmate.  “Lead.”
The warrior dog nodded and dove back into his hole, the other dogs loping behind him.  Different land though this might be, earth was earth, and Rover was most comfortable around earth.  He felt much better with rocks and dirt surrounded him then anything else.  Rover could sense that they were raising upwards, almost to the surface.  He could also sense something else beneath their feet.  Something like hammering and grinding.  What in the world was hammering down there Rover didn’t know, but unless they had gems then Rover didn’t care.  Gems would make Rarity happy, and would get the dogs home so they could go back to the underground they knew and away from this place.  Rover didn’t intend to talk to anything other then a dog after this for a long while.  It only led to trouble.  
The warrior in the lead paused.  “Close.  Be careful.”  He growled.  Rover nodded, and the warrior led them forwards down the tunnel, slinking low to the ground.  Rover followed, keeping low as well.  The warrior slipped into a larger chamber, sliding to the side and crouching.  Rover slipped out and looked around.
The chamber was huge, large enough for all of Rover’s pack, and they were a pretty large pack, to play fetch in.  The only thing would keep them from playing fetch were the huge criss crossed section of webs, and the huge volume of egg sacs.  Rover lowered his ears at the sight of the huge round things that clearly held baby spiders.
“Where gem?”  He asked the warrior.  The dog waved them forwards, and Rover motioned for two more to follow him.  “Only you two come.  Other’s stay.”  Rover and two other warrior dogs slunk in after the first warrior.  Rover didn’t want all of them piling in here with all these webs around.  Rover squinted.  Ah yes!  There was a pile of junk in a corner of the cave!  Diamond Dogs could spot a gem from pretty far away, and Rover could see that even though the pile of stuff mostly consisted of clothing and weapons, there was a single sword laying near the bottom of the pile, bent in half but covered with gems.  Rover looked around and noticed other similar piles of clothing and items scattered about.  He wondered what or who had left them.
Rover got only a second of a hissing warning from behind him.  He turned and gasped as a spider leaped down from the shadows, latching its fangs into one of his pack mate’s arms.  The dog squealed and slashed at the spider, but the spider didn’t appear to feel it.  The dog gasped and struggled, pounding on the monster’s head.  Within moments, however, the dog’s struggles weakened, and he went limp.  
Rover growled and leaped on the spider’s back, digging his claws into its abdomen.  Unwilling to bite the thing he settled for clawing at its face, gouging at his multiple eyes.  He howled, and the other dogs rushed from their hiding spot, swarming the spider.  The thing was about the size of a cart, and there were about ten dogs.  However, more spiders began to drop from the ceiling, hissing and leaping with their hairy legs for the dogs.  Rover snarled as he dug into the first spiders face.  The spider kicked, then collapsed, leaking black ichor as Rover ripped his claws out.  Rover barked and dove for a spider stabbing with a clawed leg at small Spot.  Rover latched onto the leg and barked.  “Run!”  Spot didn’t need to be told twice.
Rover eeped as he was flung to the side, but thankfully the pile of garbage cushioned him.  Dizzily he raised his head, and blinked as a skull of some apelike creature landed on his lap.  He blinked.  Wait…was this?  Realization hit.  This was the remains of one the spider’s victims.  Rover’s eyes fell on the sword.  He picked it up.  
This was why this creature had died.  The sword was rusted and old, but even so Rover could tell the metal was weak.  He mostly worked with gems, but any thing from the earth was at least somewhat familiar to the Diamond Dog.  In the old days they used weapons like these, and a few warriors still did, but most of the time claws and fangs did well enough against threats in Equestria.  But this sword…this sword was weak.  The metal was bad, and Rover would have bet the metal had been bad when it was new.  The blade’s material was gold, pure gold.  Gold was bad for swords.  Someone clearly intended this for show.  Rover looked down.  The clothes were silk, robes of some kind, and there was a small circlet of some sort buried in the cloth.  Rover couldn’t figure it out…but…
He picked up the circlet.  Iron.  Much better.  And there was a spike on the top, with a nice emerald.  He plucked out the emerald and quickly pocketed it, and picked up the golden blade.   Rover howled and rushed forwards, circlet in paw.  He swung the iron thing at a spider, digging the sharp point at the end into its head.  He ripped, and lunged again, using the circlet like a fist weapon, stabbing and stabbing.  The dogs howled and rallied, a few of them picking up weapons from other piles of trash and stabbing with aged spears and smashing with rusty maces and slashing with aged blades.  Most of these weapons broke, but they were hurled with such roce that most of the weapons were left inside the spiders, and the dogs would simply rush off and pick up another weapon from a pile.
There were to many.  Far to many.
“Get the hurt out of here!  Run run!”  Rover shouted.  “I have gems!”  The dogs howled.  Four stood in a line, beating back the rush of spiders, while the others scooped up injured or dying brothers and ran with them back to the entrance.  Rover stayed with the four other warriors, backing up till the last of the injured passed through.  With one last stab Rover was through the entrance, the last to cross the threshold.  Fido and Spot clawed at the entrance with precise strikes, and the entrance collapsed an inch from Rover’s tail.  Rover panted and looked up.
“Anyone…hurt?”  He asked.
“Yes.”  Fido sighed and looked down.  Three dogs lay still on the ground, unmoving, horribly bitten by the spiders.  Rover limped over and sniffed them.  There was nothing he could do.  He whimpered and closed his eyes.  The other dogs whined, and bowed their heads, taking a moment of silence.  
Rover looked down at the golden blade in his paws.  He stood up.  
“We go.  They home in new lands.”  The dogs nodded, digging a quick hole to bury them.  Then, with a small shake of his fur, Rover led the others dogs back in the direction of the Estate.  
Witch brought us here.  Bad Witch.  If I see, her, I’ll bite her.  Rover clenched his teeth as he walked.  Really big bite.




“You found some!  Thank you so much!”  Galaxy smiled at Rover, who held out the gems for her, the rest of the pack huddled behind him.  He didn’t mention the spiders.  
“Yes.  Use gems now?  Go home?”  He asked, looking at Rarity, who thankfully wasn’t raising the pitch of her voice.  In fact, she kept it rather low as she walked forwards and lifted the gems with her horn.
“Of course but…wasn’t there more of you?”  Rarity frowned.
Rover shifted a bit.  “Three no make it.  Giant spiders.  Bad.”  He said.
“Oh!”  Rarity blinked and to his surprise she patted Rover on the shoulder.  “I’m so sorry!  If I had known I wouldn’t have asked you!”
“…but…we got gems…”  Rover blinked.
“I never meant for your friends to get…hurt though.  I’m so sorry.  Please forgive me?”  Rarity asked.
“I…yes.”  Rover blinked, a tad confused.  “It okay Miss Rarity.”
Rarity nodded solemnly.  “I know we’ve had difficulties before in the past, but understand I never meant to put you or your friends in harm.  I wouldn’t call us friends, but you…”  She sighed.
“We just go, yes, and never come back.”  Rover said, the other dogs nodding.
“Right, well…living room.”  Galaxy said.  “We should get you home soon.”
“I’m sure that between Twilight Sparkle and the others, we can help Magic Star, and figure out what’s going on with these ghastly witch characters.”  Rarity shook her mane and headed inside, followed by her pack of Diamond Dogs.  “Galaxy, can you please get the others?”
Galaxy smiled slightly.  She couldn’t help but like Rarity.  There was just something inherently likeable about her, despite the fact that Galaxy hadn’t been sure what to make of her at first.  At first Rarity seemed a bit like Truly, save for the fact that she could apparently command Diamond Dogs at will.  It was odd.  But still…
It didn’t take long for most of the Estate to turn up to see the mirror repaired.  All of them save Mimic, who was having a turn guarding Magic Star.  They had to take turns often.
“She’s getting worse.  She’s doing that…switching thing every sentence.”  Paradise sighed as she sat on the couch to watch.  “I’m…starting to have a hard time telling when she’s herself and when she’s not.  I’m…not even sure if she is still herself and trying to resist, or if she’s…just playing with me.”
Megan walked over to the couch and sat next to Paradise.  She herself had not been up to see Magic Star, mostly because of how distraught she felt.  It wasn’t just that Magic Star had kicked her and called her names.  She had no idea what to do.  She didn’t know how to help her friend, and that was killing her.  So until she did know how to help Magic Star, she felt that she was better off helping the other ponies emotionally.  She could still do that.  She slid an arm around Paradise and hugged her, and Paradise leaned over and rubbed her nose on the top of Megan’s head.  
Celestia smiled.  “It will be alright.  When we pool our resources we will find a solation.  Now, Rarity.”  She turned to Rarity.  “Place that emerald there, and that garnet here, and…”
Unable to use magic herself, Celestia verbally guided Rarity into fitting each missing gem into the mirror’s frame.  Rarity’s deft hand, er horn, developed from years of working with gems, allowed her to fit the gems almost perfectly into the empty slots.  She smiled as she snuggly fit the last small ruby into place.  She looked up at Celestia.
“How do we start it?”  She asked.  “I think it could use a bit less…gaudiness.  I mean I know I like shininess but this is a bit…tacky…” She looked at the mirror.
“Every gem has a function, Rarity, though it is rather…tacky looking.”  Celestia shrugged.  “But this mirror was built to connect with the other one in Equestria.  Just pour some magic into to the top gem, and it should start up.”
Rarity nodded and poured some magic into the mirror.  The gem on the top began to flash, then several of the other gems began to flash and shine.  Rarity gasped as the mirror’s surface shimmered, and suddenly burst to light.  She leaped.  
“It worked!”
The Ponylanders cheered, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had been sitting among the baby ponies and whispering to them about Ponyville, jumped up and down in glee.  The baby Ponylanders attempted to copy them, but Ribbon and Truly got them to stop, as plaster started to sprinkle down from the weight of bouncing ponies.
Apple Bloom charged forwards, eager to jump through, but to her surprise when she leaped through the mirror something bounced her back.  She blinked, heart racing.  “It’s not workin’!”
“Actually…it’s just activated.”  Celestia said.
“Huh?”
“Somepony is coming through.”



Distance was profoundly and completely irritated.
“All fo you need to go away and do something else.  I’ll tell you if something comes up.  Please!”
“I know, logically our staying here is useless…however.”  Wind Whistler looked over at the other Ponylander’s, including the Stoneback.  While he hadn’t fought, he had come along after the rest of them as soon as they knew the danger ot the Royal Paradise.  He was determined to get home as the rest of them, and he wasn’t going to let the ponies out of his sight again until he found himself in Dream Valley soil.  Wind Whistler sighed.  “I do not think you will get them out.  I do not think I can.”
“It just makes me feel better, okay?”  Gusty snorted.  “When that thing turns on I’m charging!”
“But-” Distance protested, and Gusty glared at him
“I have a daughter on the other side of that thing.”  She said.  “And family.  You don’t understand.  They’re all our family.  We have to get back to them.”
Distance sighed.  “Alright, but-“
“Hey, it’s doing something!”  Twilight Sparkle, who had been waiting with them, stood up.  “It’s flashing!”
Distance looked up, bursting into a smile.  “Someone must have repaired the other mirror!  It’s on!  It’ll go to Dream Valley now!”	
“Alright, out of my way!”  Gusty started forwards.  
“Wait!  You don’t know who is on the other side!”  Twilight said.
“Don’t stand in my way, princess.  I’m going home to help my friends!”
“I know, and I’m not going to stop you.  Any of you.”  She looked to each Ponylander, as well as her Equestrian friends.  “But I want to go first.  I can make a barrier in case it’s a trap.”
“Sensible.”  Wind Whistler said.  “Proceed then.  And do hurry.”
“You’re so strange.”  Rainbow chuckled and looked over at Morning Glory.  “You gonna be okay?”
“She should be able to make it.”  Fluttershy said, still looking at Morning Glory’s wings.  “Just try to fold them.”
“I will.”  Morning Glory smiled at her.
“Twili, I’m coming along.”  Shining Armor said.  “I want to see this place.”
“And I will be right behind you.”  Luna said.
“Me two.  We’re all coming.”  Rainbow grinned, and Fluttershy and Big Mac nodded, Big Mac with considerably more enthusiasm then Fluttershy.  Twilight turned to the mirror, took a deep breath, and leaped through.
She gasped as the mirror eagerly sucked her in, her body tumbling around and around as if she just been unbalanced by a harsh wind.  She gasped as she saw the rainbow spinning around her.  It was…wonderful.  It was all wonderful!  Here she was, taking the first steps into an unknown land of alien ponies!  She’d be one of the first to set hoof there in a thousand years.  Not the very first, that honor went to Applejack, Rarity and the foals, but one of the first!
She tumbled to the ground, offing as Shining fell through right after her, flopping on her back with a thump.  “Ow!  Shining!”
“Sorry!”  He rolled off, nearly rolling into Celestia.  He gasped and saluted.  “Umm…hello Princess!”
“Shining Armor.  It’s wonderful to see you…and you, Twilight…how did I know you’d be the first across?”  Celestia smiled.
“Princess!”  Twilight flapped over.  “What happened to you?”
“It’s a long story.”  Celestia said.
“It’s all kinda a long story, Twi.”  Applejack nudged through the Ponylanders to reach Twilight.  “Ah’m glad ya got here.  We’re kinda in a pickle.”
“Wind Whistler!  Gusty!”  While Twilight and Shining had been talking to Celestia, the others had come through the mirror, Wind Whistler and Gusty leading the group.  Seeing as how they had made this trip before, they managed to get their bearings and move away from the landing zone to let Fizzy and Draggle come through.  As such Wind Whistler had nearly ran into Galaxy, who had thrown her hooves around Wind Whistler’s neck.  The only hint of Wind Whistler’s surprise was a slight widening of the eyes.  
“Galaxy…what is amiss?”
“Magic Star!”
“What?”  Wind Whistler blinked, but wasn’t able to get the rest of the story as Big Mac had just emerged and was furiously hugged by his two baby sisters.
“Ya’re here!”  Apple Bloom shouted.  “Oh Ah missed ya Big Mac!”
“Eeyup…ya know yer grounded fer this stunt, right?”
“…typical.”
“Eeyup.”
“Oh my…”  Truly blinked at Big Mac.  “That is a very Big Brother, isn’t he Heart Throb?”
Heart Throb stared at Big Mac.  “…why, yes he is.”
“I saw him first.”
“Actually, I saw him first.”  Fizzy smiled at Truly innocently.
“…do ya even know what I’m talkin’ about, Fizzy?”
“Ummm…well, I’m the first Ponylander he met.”  Fizzy said.
“Eeyup.”  Big Mac looked over from his family and nodded briefly at Fizzy.
“Well he doesn’t seem that interested in you, Fizzy.”  Truly smiled.
“Ummm…what are you talking about?  He always does that.”  Fizzy said, confused.
“…somebody really needs to teach her about the birds and bees.”  Heart Throb said thoughtfully.
“…huh?”  Fizzy shrugged.  “You two are acting strange…hey, Big Mac, these are your sisters?”  Fizzy walked over to him, still smiling.
“Eeyup.”
“Hi!”  Fizzy greeting the two Apple sisters enthusiastically, and the four of them began to talk.  Or rather Fizzy talked, Big Mac eyuped, and Applejack studied Fizzy.
“Wow, it really is another dragon, Twilight!”  Equestrian Spike slid off Twilight and looked at Dream Valley Spike, who stared.  “Ummm…hi?”  Equestrian Spike said.
“…hi.”
“…wow, you’re voice is weird…and you’re pink.”
“What’s wrong with being pink?”  Dream Valley Spike asked.
“It’s not really…er…manly.”  Equestrian Spike said.
“I can breath fire.  How more manly do you want?”  Dream Valley Spike folded his arms.
“Okay!  Okay!  Sorry…so…this is gonna be awkward.”
“Why?”
“Er…I’m Spike.”  Equestrian Spike said.
“So am I.”
“I know.”
The two dragons stared at each other.
“Yeah…” Equestrian Spike said.  “Awkward.”
“RAINBOW!  YOU CAME FOR ME!”  Scootaloo bolted across the room and tackled Rainbow as she emerged.  “You really did look for me?”
“Are you kidding!  I was looking high and low…until I had to fight a giant cloud demon.”
“You fought a giant cloud demon!  I told you she was cool!”  Scootaloo yelled at Baby Lickety-Split, who snorted.
“I’ll believe cool when I see cool!”  Baby Lickety-Split retorted.
“Mama!”
“Baby!”
Gusty and Baby Gusty nuzzled each other, Gusty wrapping a hoof around her daughter.  “I missed you.”  Gusty said.
“Missed you too.”  Baby Gusty said.
“Did you miss us?”  Baby Ribbon gave Gusty a wide-eyed, concerned look.  Gusty reached over and rubbed her hoof on the little unicorn’s head.  
“I missed all of you!  Come here and give me a group hug!”  Gusty laughed as she was soon dog piled by baby ponies.  Baby Heart Throb, Baby Lofty, and Baby Surprise then rushed over to dog pile Wind Whistler, who nuzzled each of them gently. Baby Surprise then leaped at her mother, who laughed and jumped around with her daughter on the ground. 
“I want you to meet our new Equestria friend!  Meet Pinky Pie!”  Surprise nudged her baby nearer to Pinkie, who grinned wide.
“Hi!  You look so much like your mother!  I’m Pinkie!”
“Baby Surprise!”  Baby Surprise flapped her wings.  “You smell like cake!”
“I know!  I bake cakes!  And cookies!  And pie and…” Pinkie proceeded to ramble on about cake, while Baby Surprise grinned and bounced.
“Ladies…Ladies!”  Celestia tried to get the group’s attention.  “While this is all wonderful, we need to settle down and-“
“WHAT THE!  YOU!”  Gusty suddenly bellowed, pointing in the direction of Majesty, who had been sitting a bit back from the chaos that had broken out.  “It can’t be!”
“Gusty, what…”  Wind Whistler looked over and suddenly sat, eyes growing wide.  Her face remained as smooth and impassive as ever, her eyes the only indication of what she might be feeling.  Silence fell over the group as the Ponylander’s that had been trapped in Equestria looked over and saw the queen they thought lost to them.  Surprise’s mouth fell open in shock, and Gusty kept pointing with her hoof, trembling.  Fizzy backed up until she was against Draggle’s legs, and leaned onto the witch as if attempting to ground herself.  Draggle just looked at Majesty with complete and utter incomprehension.  It was just another unicorn to her, an unfamiliar one.
Wind Whistler’s mouth moved, but only small squeaks came out.  Majesty crossed the distance between them and smiled.  Wind Whistler stood and, as Majesty came close, Wind Whistler tapped her on the shoulder with her hoof.  Majesty nodded.
“I’m real.”
“So you are.”
“I missed you, dear.”  Majesty smiled.
Wind Whistler just nodded.  Her face was as blank as stone wall.  Majesty leaned down and whispered something into Wind Whistler’s ear.  Wind Whistler seemed to relax, and though she still showed no expression, there seemed to be less tension in her stance.
“What’s going on?”  Draggle leaned to the side and whispered to Galaxy.
“That is Queen Majesty.”  Galaxy muttered.  “She…adopted many abandoned and orphaned ponies.  Wind Whistler was one of them.  She’s like a mother to her.”
“Oh…I didn’t know that.”
“It’s not really my story to tell.”  Galaxy said.
“Yeah…” Draggle made a mental note to ask Wind Whistler more about this later.  In the meantime that queen was coming closer to her.  Majesty gazed at Draggle, for the first time she had to lift her head a bit to talk to someone.
“I smell it on you, you’re Hydia’s second daughter?”  Majesty asked.  “I never saw you.”
“You know her?  She didn’t mention you.”  Draggle gripped her staff a bit tighter.
“She never mentioned that she held me in that volcano for all these years?”
“What?  No.”  Draggle frowned.  “Never.”
“…I’m not surprised.”
“…she never did trust me.”  Draggle grumbled.  “Not that I care.”
“It’s alright.  You’re one of us now.”  Majesty said.
“What, I need your approval?”  Draggle asked.
“Of course not.  I can tell you’re already one of us, from the way little Fizzy stands next to you.”  Majesty smiled.  “I wouldn’t have assumed otherwise.”
Draggle grumbled, but she couldn’t think of anything to say to that.
And that’s when Twilight Unicorn wished herself into the living room.