Back in the present day, Twilight and Spike return to Ponyville from their trip to the Griffon Kingdom.
“As nice as it was for Gustave to invite us to visit the Griffon Kingdom, it sure is good to be home.” Twilight told Spike, whom was sitting on her back.
“I’ll say. Though you know, those griffons weren’t all that bad.” Spike replied.
“I told you Spike, not all griffins are like Gilda, she was just one of the bad seeds. Besides, it really was interesting to learn about the griffon culture, and how similar they live like the Pegasus ponies.” Twilight told Spike.
“Yeah, I suppose so. Too bad you missed out on seeing the Secretariat Comet go by though.” Spike spoke.
“Don’t remind me.” Twilight responded in an annoyed tone, lowering her head.
Everything seemed normal as the two made their way through Ponyville. Twilight and Spike watched as the ponies around them went about their daily lives, and they made their way towards the library. All of a sudden, Twilight stopped short, as she was confronted by her friend Pinkie Pie, assuming to welcome her back.
“OOOOooooooo! Welcome to Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie spoke excitedly.
“Hey there Pinkie, thanks for welcoming us back.” Twilight responded.
Pinkie Pie let out a large gasp, similar to the one she made when she first met the two.
“Welcome back!? Ha ha ha! You’re silly. How can I welcome somepony back when I’ve never met them before? Unless, maybe we HAVE met before, and I’ve just been placed under some kind of mind control spell? Or amnesia? I don’t know. He he! Also, how do you know my name? I haven’t even introduced myself yet. Though you didn’t say my full name, so I guess I can still introduce myself. Hello, my name's Pinkamena Diane Pie, but my friends just call me Pinkie Pie, or Pinkie, or Pie, or Pink, or Spitty Pie, or Pinkamena Serious Pie, or Excited, but just Pinkie Pie is fine, and welcome to Ponyville!” Pinkie told the pair, throwing confetti up in the air.
Twilight and Spike looked at each other confused, before looking back at their smiling pink friend.
“Uh, are you okay Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked.
“Uh, duh, of course I’m okay! I’m just welcoming you two to Ponyville, just like I do every new pony that I meet. OOOooo and you have a dragon too! I don’t know why I didn’t notice him sooner! He’s soooo cute!” Pinkie replied.
“Aww shucks, you don’t have to say things like that Pinkie, but you can go on.” Spike told Pinkie, a slight blush in his cheeks.
Twilight rolled her eyes at Spike, before getting back to the matter at hoof.
“Pinkie, we’re not new to Ponyville. It’s us, Twilight and Spike. Remember?” Twilight told Pinkie.
“Twilight? Hmm……..Nope! I’m sure I’d remember a name like Twilight Sparkle.” Pinkie replied, still smiling.
“See, you do remember me. I didn’t say my full name just now.” Twilight responded, a slight relief coming over her.
“Huh? I never said your name was Twilight Sparkle. I just said Twilight, like you just told me.” Pinkie replied, a confused look on her face.
“But we know each other Pinkie Pie, I’m one of your friends.” Twilight responded back, now with a confused and concerned look of her own.
“Friend?” Pinkie repeated, before a quick twitch came over her. In the instant of her twitching, her hair went limp, her face tensed up, and her entire color turned a shade darker, before returning back to normal. “Oh! That reminds me! Since you’re new here, I need to throw you two a party! I’ll go get everything ready, see you two around!” She spoke one last time, before zipping away.
Twilight and Spike stood in silence for a minute, before Twilight spoke up.
“Spike, is it just me, or was Pinkie acting a little stranger than usual?”
“Beats me, I just assumed it was Pinkie being Pinkie.” Spike answered.
Twilight scratched her head for a minute, before starting off once again towards the library.
While running through the streets to Sugar Cube Corner, a wild assortment of thoughts ran through Pinkie Pie’s head.
“Should I do more balloons or confetti? Maybe a BIG chocolate cake, or perhaps a lemon banana cake. They sure did seem familiar. Oh! Streamers! I’ve got to get A LOT of streamers! And my party canon! I’ll definitely need my party cannon! How did they know my name, and how did I know theirs? OOOooo I love how my thoughts echo in my head! Echo! Echo, echo, echo.”
/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\
Back in Cloudsdale, Soarin eagerly awaited for the Wonderbolts to return. He didn’t need to wait much longer, as he saw the approaching streaks in the sky of Captain and Vice-captain Spitfire; and Rainbow Dash, with trainee Scootaloo riding on Rainbow Dash’s back.
“Hey, welcome back Wonderbolts!” Soarin greeted them.
“Hey yourself Soarin! How’d your training go while we were gone?” Rainbow Dash responded.
“Ah, it went pretty good. I’m still not sure if I’m Wonderbolt material yet, but I know I’ll get there someday. How was it meeting the Queen? I sure would’ve liked to have been there.” Soarin replied.
“Well maybe if you’d spend more time flapping your wings, instead of stuffing your face with apple pies, then you could be even a fraction close to joining us next time.” Spitfire replied annoyed, as she removed her goggles.
Spitfire then walked off, as Soarin dropped his head in disappointment.
“Aww, cheer up Soarin. I’m sure you’ll be a Wonderbolt too someday!” Scootaloo tried to cheer Soarin up.
“Yeah, I mean, you’ve got all the skills, you just need to apply yourself more.” Rainbow Dash added.
“Easy for you to say. You’re already a Wonderbolt, and you get personal training from Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo.” Soarin responded, still depressed.
“Well of course squirt here needs some personal training, she can’t fly after all, and who better to teach her than a Wonderbolt?” Rainbow Dash replied.
“I guess. So, tell me about the Friendship council. Who else was there besides you guys?” Soarin asked.
“Oh oh, everyone was there! Us, ponies from Ponyville, Appleloosa, Filly Delphia…” Scootaloo went on, trying to think of more.
“Sounds like a lot of ponies.” Soarin replied.
“Yeah, there were a lot of them, even Fluttershy from Appleloosa was there. I still wish I could be as tough as her.” Rainbow Dash spoke.
“What about Captain Spitfire? Isn’t she tough?” Soarin asked.
“Well yeah she’s tough, but she’s also kind of mean sometimes. Fluttershy just seems awesome, and I wish we could be friends.” Rainbow Dash told Soarin.
“Well why don’t you fly over to Appleloosa some time and talk with her?” Soarin asked.
“Nah, I’m sure she’s too busy taking care of the buffalo that got moved away from there.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“That’s too bad. Well hey, if the Wonderbolts ever start recruiting again, maybe you can ask her to join!” Soarin spoke.
“Yeah, I could! I’m sure Captain Spitfire would let a flyer like her join!”
Rainbow Dash jumped in the air and did a somersault in excitement, which prompted Scootaloo to try the same.
“Yeah! …Uh oh…” Scootaloo said aloud, before realizing that she had somersaulted off the cloud. “HELP!”
In a flash, Rainbow Dash swooped down after her, catching her before she fell too far.
“Easy there squirt, you still have to learn to flap your wings first.” She told the filly.
“Heh heh, yeah, sorry about that.” Scootaloo replied.
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Deep within the Everfree forest, Apple Bloom made her way through the trees to Zecora’s shack. She knocked on the door to let Zecora know that she was back, before opening it and walking in.
“Hey there Zecora, Ah’m back. Are ya feeling any better?”
“Hmm. I am alright little one, but this headache I have is no fun.” Zecora responded.
“Weird that you’ve been gettin so many of those lately. None of your remedies been helping?” Apple Bloom asked.
“The tea and potions have worked fine, but I feel as though these headaches are a sign.” Zecora replied.
“Ah sign of what?” Apple Bloom asked, a confused look on her face.
“Of what is to me unknown, but I feel a familiar wind into town has blown.” Zecora told Apple Bloom, adding more confusion to her face.
/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\
Outside the hedge maze in the Canterlot royal garden, the Princesses were playing a game with Discord.
“We still do not see what it is supposed to be, aside from cheese.” Luna told Discord, referring to herself as usual.
“Oh come now. Haven’t the two of you ever played charades before? I’m actually giving you quite the easy one Luna. Think about it: I’m round, made of cheese, only appear at night, and you know me quite well.” Discord told the princesses, while taking the form of a giant talking cheese wheel.
“We still see cheese!” Luna yelled in her Equestrian voice.
Celestia giggled quietly to herself, understanding what Discord was referring to in his riddle. She continued to watch her sister think in frustration, until she noticed one of Queen Chrysalis’ changeling scouts flying nearby in a hurry.
“Excuse me scout, but where are you off to in such a hurry?” She asked the changeling.
“I need to deliver a message to the queen, princess.” The changeling responded, stopping in mid-air.
“If it is important, then you can tell me, and I shall relay the message to her myself.” Celestia told the changeling.
“That won’t be necessary Celestia.” Queen Chrysalis told her, walking up from behind.
“Your majesty, when did you get here?” Celestia asked.
“He’s one of my personal message scouts, he can give me the message himself in my chambers.” Chrysalis answered the princess.
“Yes my queen.” The changeling spoke to Chrysalis, before flying up towards the castle.
“Very well, my apologies Queen Chrysalis.” Celestia spoke.
“Tis no trouble at all dear princess.” Chrysalis told Celestia, before flying up towards the castle herself, a grin forming on her face as she flew away.
/)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\ /)(\
Inside the royal chambers, Queen Chrysalis took a seat on her throne, as her scout bowed before her.
“So what news do you bring me today my servant? New ponies, disturbances, or perhaps a new creature of whose love I can drain?” Chrysalis asked.
“Uh, I suppose all three my queen.” The changeling replied.
“Oh splendid! Tell me of the creature first.” Chrysalis told the changeling.
“It was a dragon my queen, but just a baby one, and he was accompanied by a purple unicorn.” The changeling responded.
“A baby dragon? I’m not sure how much love I could drain from such a small creature. Hmm…wait a minute. Did you say a purple unicorn!? Did she have a cutie mark with six stars!?” Chrysalis asked, her voice starting to fill with rage.
“Uh…yes my queen. You know of this pony?” The changeling answered, afraid that she might strike him.
Chrysalis stood up and screamed in rage, causing her guards and the scout to shake in fear. She breathed heavily in anger, until she took a moment to think to herself, and calm herself down.
“It’s her! It’s that Twilight Sparkle! I thought it was odd that I didn’t see her when I went through Ponyville. If she’s back, then she could ruin my plans…unless.”
Chrysalis took a deep breath, before glaring at her scout and speaking to him once more.
“Did she appear to notice anything when she arrived?” Chrysalis asked.
“I don’t believe so my queen. There was a pink pony that approached her when she arrived in town, but she didn’t recognize them. At one point it looked like the pink one remembered her, but then she forgot again and ran off. The dragon didn’t seem to find the pink one’s behavior unusual, and the unicorn seemed to agree with him.” The changeling answered.
“Hmm. Good. It seems that Twilight Sparkle isn’t as bright as she once was. Perhaps she won’t notice long enough for one of her little friends to lead her here, so I can place her under my control as well. Hmm…keep an eye on them for now. Where were they last seen?” Chrysalis spoke.
“They were heading for the library in Ponyville my queen.” The changeling told Chrysalis.
“Splendid, that should do just fine. Monitor her closely from outside the library, and report anything unusual to me immediately.” She told the scout.
“Yes my queen!” The changeling answered, before quickly flying out of the throne room.
Chrysalis sat back down on her throne, thinking to herself once more.
“This isn’t good at all. Not only does she show up out of nowhere, but she almost caused one of my controlled pawns to remember her. I need to keep her from affecting any of the other ponies before I can manage to control her myself. I’ve been working too long and too hard on this plan to not have it succeed. My time to rule Equestira has finally come, and I plan to stay here.”