The door to the war room nudged open to reveal the harried, but somehow still dignified, form of Rarity. "Darlings, I'm here." She looked around the room for the moment she could before she was squeezed by a dragon she didn't recognize and squealed in alarm.
"Oh, sorry," came a much more familiar voice from the beast as he set her down where she started.
"S-Spike?" she asked, looking over the dragon. "They were not exaggerating when they said you you'd grown."
A strange creature with green legs, brown arms, and a mane done up in buns approached her quickly, waving a finger as she declared, "You had your chance. Spike is mine now!"
Spike adopted a look of mortification with wide eyes going quickly downcast. Even as he played with his tail, Rarity looked stunned for a moment before she focused in on one simple fact, "Darling, whomever you are, you can't go around in that." She waved a hoof at Soft Mane's undershirt, "Most undignified!"
Twilight rolled her eyes as she approached the crowd and nudged her way to Rarity. When their eyes met a hug was soon coming. "Oh, Twilight! It's so marvelous to have you back with us."
"I missed you too," said Twilight before she stepped back, "What have you been up to with... all this." she waved back at the hovering map of Equestria.
Rarity perked an ear, "Besides clothing all the lost ponies? Poor dears had to flee without any wardrobe to speak of. I've also been helping with the little ones."
Spike blinked owlishly, "When did you like doing that?" he asked with obvious surprise.
Rarity tossed her mane, "What? Emergencies don't ask us what we 'like'. The little ones needed teachers with a sense of refinement that could keep a cool head." She rolled a hoof, "Half the teachers were just a mess, so I stepped up."
Rainbow snickered into a hoof, "Not that it started smoothly."
Rarity gave an eyeroll at Rainbow's comment, "Yes, well, it did require some, ahem, learning before I got up to speed. The end result was satisfying, darlings. All their little eager faces each morning, ready to learn and listen. I'm not sure I'd want to make a life long career of it, so let us make haste with addressing the issue and get everypony back in their homes." She raised a hoof to point at Soft Mane, "Now then, who is this spirited thing?"
Spike started with, "Soft Mane--"
Only to have Soft Mane jump in, "His girlfriend."
Spike stared at Soft Mane, stammering and lost, while Rarity looked her over with a new appraisal, "Oh my. My little Spikey-Wikey grew up in more ways than one!" She moved up to Spike and leaned in, speaking lightly but audibly, "If you need any advice with her, my door is always open, darling."
Spike deflated, arms sagging, "Wait, I mean... you're... OK with this?"
Rarity tilted her head a little, "Why wouldn't I be? I mean, true, I'll miss my little Spike doting over me, but it would never have worked. I am a mature lady, and you are still a child, no offense. I love you, Spike, but not that way."
Spike sank down, his legs unable to support him anymore. It's not that he never suspected this truth, but to hear it said with such bluntness from Rarity knocked all the remaining strength from his body. "OK."
Rarity turned to Soft Mane, "You had better treat Spike right, young lady. I won't stand to hear he's being abused in any way. He is a gentlecolt, through and through and will treat you right if you give him the love he deserves."
Soft Mane appeared disarmed by Rarity's acceptance of her. Where a rival once stood, suddenly there was a supporter. "Uh, of course! My name's Soft Mane," she said, trying to start from the start. She offered a hand towards Rarity, "Nice to meet you, Rarity."
Rarity raised a hoof, but did more than a gentle brushing of that hoof against the offered hand, "Charmed, darling. Now let's get down to business."
Celestia nodded from where she had remained seated during the reunion, "There is only one left to arrive. It will be good to see you all together again."
"All?" said Rarity, looking at the ponies in the room, "Wherever has Pinkie gone off to? And who is that donkey in the dashing armor?"
Long Road perked at being addressed, "Long Road, Ma'am. Pleased to meet you. I think the lady Pie is planning a party for when the last of you arrive."
"That does sound like her," conceded Rarity, "Thank you, sir, I'm sure she'll pop out when she's ready. Now, Twilight. What is that you're wearing?" She started to circle around Twilight, devouring her ensemble greedily with her eyes, "Is this a fashion trend from another world? You simply must tell me!"
Twilight smiled at the antics of her friend, "It's all from Everglow. That's the world we were in. They taught me a great deal about enchanting and I put some great little enchantments in a lot of what we're all wearing."
Rarity approached Twilight, her magic plucking at her clothes curiously, "After this is all over, you simply have to show me some of that. A subtle enchantment or three on my clothes would take the fashion world positively by storm!" She arrived at the curious little band of metal surrounding Twilight's head, "And what is this? It's too simple to be a crown."
Twilight shook her head in agreement, "It isn't, but it makes my magic come easier, and, uh." She brushed one leg with the hoof of the other. "It makes riding horses easier."
Rainbow burst into a rough laughter, collapsing in place, "Riding horses! Oh Celestia! Twilight, you did not just say that!"
Twilight frowned slightly, "I'm not kidding. Everglow has ponies twice our size, but they're not smart. They use them for mounts sometimes."
Spike raised a claw, "I've seen them. I can fly faster than they can run though."
This caught Rainbow's attention, "What?" She was in the air in an instant, flashing over to Spike in a small circle, "I don't see any wings. Are you pulling my tail, Spike?"
Spike decided that showing was easier than telling and lifted from the ground. He poked her in the nose in a boop, "Look, Dash, no wings."
"Awesome!" exclaimed Rainbow as she did a backwards flip in the air. "Welcome to the club!" She thrust out a hoof, which was met by Spike's claws in a friendly bump. "Race you to the front gates!" And she was gone, not even waiting for confirmation. Spike realized what had happened a moment later and zoomed out the same window to try and catch up with her.
Fluttershy seemed to relax a little once Spike had left, which Long Road noticed. "Something troubling you, ma'am?"
Fluttershy quickly shook her head back and forth, "No! I mean.. not really..." her voice lowered with each word, "I mean... Spike just... scares me a little."
Long Road perked a long ear at her, "Ma'am, Spike is the gentlest dragon I have had the pleasure of meeting. He would do anything to protect a friend, which he counts you as one of."
"I know that," said Fluttershy with a whimper, "I know... that. He's my friend, but he's so big, and dangerous looking. I'm just being a silly filly." She collapsed, covering her face with her fore hooves. "I thought seeing all those dragons would get me over my fear, but it only got worse. I have nightmares of dragons now."
Luna looked suddenly guilty, "You have my apologies, dear Fluttershy. I didn't notice your distress with so many night terrors troubling the kingdom. I will protect you."
Fluttershy smiled from behind her fortress of hooves, "That's very kind of you, Princess Luna."
"Speaking of this," said Luna, rising to her hooves, "I should retire if I will have any energy come the evening." She vanished in a dark flash of purple energy.
Rarity moved over to give Fluttershy a comforting pat on the shoulder, "You were ever so brave, Fluttershy dear." She then looked to Twilight, "Now then. I know you, Twilight, what simply brilliant idea have you come up with to resolve this little trouble?"
Twilight brightened at the praise as she clapped her hooves together, "It's simple. I can make Spike and Rainbow invisible to scout out each area. We find the anchor, then we call in the dragons to get rid of them. Once the anchor is gone, the entire area reverts to normal," explained Twilight eagerly, "Fluttershy, how do we summon the dragons when we're ready?"
Fluttershy timidly rose back to her haunches and produced a small horn. A dragon's horn. "They said to blow this."
Soft Mane squinted at the small horn, "How are they going to hear that from wherever they are?"
Fluttershy shrugged, "Maybe... it's magic?"
Long Road nodded his head slowly, "We will have to have faith. If the dragons fail to respond, then we will have to attack ourselves. I will ride to battle at the Lady Sparkle's side and keep her safe."
Rarity gasped dramatically, "What a gentlecolt!"
Celestia corrected with a faint devious grin, "Twilight's knight."
Rarity's eyes went wide, "Darling! How could you not tell me this?" She trotted around Long Road in a circle, "I'm sure we will get to know each other more after all this tediousness is behind us." She extended a hoof towards Long Road, showing him the top of her hoof, "A pleasure to meet you, sir knight."
Long Road reached for her hoof and raised it to kiss the offered part, "The pleasure is mine, Lady Rarity. The Lady Sparkle spoke highly of you."
Rarity tittered with delight as she reclaimed her hoof, "What have you been filling your brave knight's head with, Twilight? Nothing scandalous, I do hope?"
Twilight rolled her eyes, "No, Rarity. I told him you were an expert fashionista, and one of my best friends."
Long Road smiled, "She failed to impress on me how refined you were, m'lady."
Rarity flushed a soft red, "Oh my! I've forgotten what it's like to be around a true gentlecolt." She looked at Twilight directly, "You'd best treat this one right, darling, or I may have to steal him away from you."
Twilight went wide eyed, "Uh..." She looked between the two, though now Long Road was blushing and looking ashamed. "I'll... try to do that, Rarity."