“Hello Eris…” Midnight said shrewdly as everypony continued to throw her a stink eye. “Bad time?”
“Tell me, are you deaf, child?” Eris huffed as she pulled off her shower cap, letting down her long and oddly attractive white mane of hair. “`Cuz I distinctly recall Celly tellin’ y’all to give yer ol’ Auntie Eris the heads-up before ya use that summoning spell she taught ya? Hmph! And I was havin’ such a nice shower…”
“Enough!” Twilight snapped, approaching Eris so threateningly that the chimera-themed chick flapped back with a surprised look. “Release the Royal Sisters and stop the Everfree Forest from invading!”
At that moment, a weed coiled around Twilight, only for a flash of light to reveal it had been replaced by the serpentine Eris, looking sly.
"Whatever are ya talkin’ about, girl?”
Thunderlane stepped up and pointed a hoof at Eris, “Drop the act, Eris! Only you’ve got the mojo to pull off this sort of whacked-out weirdness!”
Eris frowned at that before Flashing over to a weed-covered house, “Speakin’ of weirdness, I must ask the name o’ your decorator!” – She pulled out a camera and snapped a few shots before floating over to Fluttershy – “I’m no slouch in creativity, but in case y’all’re forgettin’: I’m reformed!”
“Yeah right!” Rainbow snapped while indicating the mess with her hoof, “This has got your cloven hoofprints all over it!”
“I have only one cloven hoof, thank you very much!” Eris corrected in a sassy way as her goat leg clopped up her body to give Rainbow a well-deserved swift kick in the butt.
Before Rainbow could protest, Eris teleported away and started walking, “Whatever happened to innocent `till proven guilty?” – She looked back at that with eyes so sorrowful they would’ve rivaled Apple Bloom’s – “I thought we were friends!”
“You ain’t fooling anypony, sister!” Pinkie pointed a hoof, “We’re onto you…!”
“Fillies, gentlecolts! I’m innocent!” Eris insisted before asking with a shrug, “Would yer ol’ Auntie Eris lie to you?”
“YES!” they all replied, not including Fluttershy.
Although she nervously admitted, “Um… maybe?”
“Then it seems we got us a li'l conundrum here,” Eris said in a blasé tone, “I’m being honest, y’all think I’m not!”
She stood in front of Midnight and Twilight, saying, “Whatever do friends do in such a situation as this, Your Majesties…?”
Chuckling, she flicked at Twilight’s crown with her lion paw while putting her eagle-arm around Midnight’s shoulders, the both of them maintaining their looks of suspicion.
“Kudos on the promotions, B-T-W, quite an achievement!”
“I say we blast her back to stone!” “Works fer me.” “Here! Here!”
At once the three mares’ elements lit up only for Fluttershy to speak up, “Wait! Eris is right, we have to assume she’s innocent unless we prove she’s guilty.”
Eris lit up, with a halo over her head, at those words, “Well it’s about time! At least I got somepony who don’t think I’m being crooked” – Eris pulled in Rainbow Dash without looking – “The rest o’ y’all could learn something `bout friendship from my gal-pal Shudderfry.”
“Um…”
She looked to see Fluttershy to her left and realized her goof as the butter-yellow pegasus politely corrected, “It’s Fluttershy…”
Throwing Rainbow Dash away, Eris pulled Fluttershy in, muttering, “Yeah, sure, whatever…”
“Well if you are innocent,” Midnight spoke up sternly, “you can start proving it by helping us figure out who’s really behind this mess!”
“Ex-cuse me?” Eris sassed in an offended tone as she conjured some knitting needles and started using them on the weeds. “After all the hoof-pointing and unfounded accusing of my good name? Go swim in quicksand!”
“RRGH...!!” Midnight growled in annoyance, his pupils dilating as he bore fangs.
“But just to prove I’m the bigger mare, I’ll be kind enough to point y’all towards your zebra friend,” Eris said, and oddly her knitted weeds were forming an arrow, and everypony followed the direction it pointed to see…
“Zecora!” Twilight led the others to go help the zebra mare, who looked to have packed everything she owned into a small cart and a bundle on her back.
Soarin and Rainbow politely took the bundle off while Big Mac and Pinkie removed the cart so Zecora could be relieved of her heavy burden and explain, “From my home, I had to flee. The forest has grown too wild, even for me!”
“Any idea why all this is happenin’?” asked Big Mac, glaring at a weed that snagged at his harness.
“I’m afraid it is a mystery to me as well, but…” Zecora looked into her cart, “I may have something that if combined with a spell…”
She pulled out an ornamental vial filled with purple liquid, “I dare not use it myself, the results would be quite tragic. For the potion you see here responds only to alicorn magic!”
All eyes turned to Twilight and Midnight, the only alicorns present, Zecora saying, “Your Highnesses, turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip you may learn why the sky is day and night.”
Midnight furrowed his brows and cast a spell, willing for the potion to pale to a milky white, Pinkie ooh-ing in wonder.
Midnight levitated the vial and was about to drink, only for Twilight to take it, “No, Midnight! Princess Celestia is my old teacher – I’m drinking this potion.”
“Twily…!” Midnight protested but the look in his mare’s eyes told him she would not be denied. Sighing, he relinquished the potion and said, “Just… be careful, whatever happens.”
Twilight nuzzled him in assurance before looking to Zecora, who nodded. Everypony watched in suspense as Twilight took a few swallows of the white potion. When she lowered it and smacked her lips, she furrowed her brows, waiting for something to happen.
“Doesn’t seem to be wor-”
Twilight suddenly went still as a statue and her eyes widened and glowed bright white!
“Twilight!” Midnight cried, only for Zecora to bar him.
“Worry not the potion’s effects, it is to the past she now connects.”
“Princess Luna…?”
All eyes were back on Twilight, having heard her mumble and vaguely look confused. “Luna… stop!”
“What’s she seeing?” Rainbow waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s eyes, stopping when Midnight gave her a stink eye.
“Her glowing eyes, as you can see,” Zecora pointed out, “are peering back into history.”
Twilight moaned anxiously, her wings weakly flapping but not enough to lift her up when she squealed, “Celestia…!”
Everypony worried even more as Twilight began to cry. Midnight faced his Twilight, wrapping his wings around her, “Twily! It’s okay! Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real! It’s just something from the past!”
“Alright…” Twilight appeared to calm down, to everypony’s relief, Midnight stepping back hesitantly.
“The past…!”
A moment later, Twilight’s eyes stopped glowing as she found herself back in the present, and worried looks from everypony.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Well, Twi, you were mumbling something about Princess Luna and started crying,” Midnight explained, Fluttershy adding, “You had us worried for a moment.”
“Aw, is it over already?”
All eyes turned to a sly Eris, who lounged on a weed, “I suppose all good things come to an end, but seriously, child” – She extended over to Twilight, unrolling a poster that showed her crying like a baby – “You ever consider goin’ on the road?”
“Did you see whose rump it is we gotta thump?” Soarin asked, looking hyped for it.
“I saw something from a long time ago, but it didn’t explain what’s happening now,” Twilight shook her head no.
“Perhaps farther back still lie the answers you seek,” Zecora held the potion out again, “another sip of the potion will give you a peek.”
Twilight levitated the potion, Spike asking, “Are you sure about this, Twilight?”
Twilight answered by hesitantly drinking the potion again while Eris popped up in front of the others, wearing a movie director’s outfit and handling a camera.
“Ooh-whoo! I do hope she breaks into a song this time!”
They watched as Twilight’s eyes glowed white again as she was lost in the past once more. At first, she looked confused before she whispered, “Discord… stone!”
Then she gasped a little at something only she could see, “The tree…?”
“Tree?!” everypony echoed, not understanding. Everypony except Midnight who wondered to himself, Could she be seeing… that tree?!
It was at that moment that Twilight came back to them that he had to ask, “Twilight! …Did you see it?”
“I think I did…!” Twilight knew what Midnight was asking about. “I still don’t know what happened to the Royal Sisters, but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way.”
“Are you saying that… something’s happened to the Tree of Harmony?!” Midnight fretted, everypony confused at his words.
“The Tree of what now?” Rainbow didn’t get it.
“Don’t you remember, everypony?” Spike spoke up, “When Midnight was sent into the past, he met Star Swirl the Bearded and they discovered a magical tree!”
“It’s where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the elements,” Twilight confirmed. “I think it’s in danger.”
“Then that’s our next course of action!” Midnight declared, “We have to help the Tree of Harmony.”
“But we don’t know where it is!” Thunderlane protested.
“I do… Remember, I was there when it sprouted, and it’s…” Midnight reminded them as he pointed towards the not-so-inviting Everfree Forest, “in there!”
Everypony flinched at the sight of the forest while Eris, who was wearing 3D glasses chortled, “Oo-hoo! I’m gonna need more popcorn…!”
Ignoring her, the friends all cautiously approached the Everfree Forest, Rarity saying, “It seems only yesterday we ventured into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony.”
“And I was so foolish to think I could’ve done it on my own,” Twilight sighed as she and Midnight led the group in.
“I don’t know what we’re going to face in there…”
“Well, whatever it is,” Midnight said reassuringly, “we can face it together!”
“Mm-hmm!” Everypony agreed.
The Bearers and Guardians of Harmony, joined by their good friends Spike, Blueblood, and Soarin, trekked the fearsome forest, even more fearsome because of the thick and winding weeds. So thick they were that the group was forced to take an alternate route than the one they originally took. Their detour led them to a large greenish pond with craggy stones that Twilight pointed out, “We can use those to cross.”
She immediately hopped for the nearest one, Midnight shouting, “Twilight, wait!”
Too late. Twilight hadn’t hopped onto a rock – She’d hopped onto the back of…
“A Cragadile!” Blueblood screamed, “Run for your lives!”
Immediately, the group ran in all directions but the toothy terror singled out the pest that had disturbed it from its nap as she and Spike ran, only to find it towards a dead-end of trees growing tightly together!
“Twilight!” Midnight screamed when he saw his mare in danger and for some reason unable to fly.
The Cragadile roared as it opened its mouth, ready to snap up the screaming Twilight and Spike-
*SLICE/thud*
Everypony gasped in shock to see Midnight had slit off the Cragadile’s head with a blade of solidified shadow extending from his wing.
It had happened so quickly none of them realized it until they saw the Cragadile’s head on the ground, its mouth still agape. Ignoring what he’d just done, he ran past the head and hugged Twilight, saying, “Thank goodness you’re alright!”
“Midnight…!” Twilight was shocked as she gaped at the head, “That…”
“Was close!” Soarin commented.
“A lil’ too close if ya ask me. Twi, ya really alright?” asked Applejack.
“I’m fine…” Twilight shied away from the corpse as she complained, “I just can’t get these wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it!”
“You’ll have them down to pat soon enough, Twi,” Thunderlane assured.
“Soon enough can’t come soon enough!” Twilight insisted as she led them in proceeding further.
“You have been havin’ an awful lotta trouble wit’ them wings, an… Well, who knows what else is gonna come after us,” Applejack spoke lightly which did not escape Midnight’s notice.
“What are you saying, Applejack?” he said as he furrowed his brows.
“Well, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea for ya t’ take Twilight back t’ Ponyville, and th’ rest of us look for th’ Tree o’ Harmony without y’all,” Applejack admitted somewhat insistently.
“What?!” Midnight was aghast.
“Why?!” Twilight demanded in the same tone.
“Well, fer starters, ya just about got eaten by a cragadile,” Applejack pointed out with a firm tone.
“We all did, he wasn’t after just me!” Twilight protested.
“He could’ve targeted any of us!” added Midnight.
“Sure, but… th’ rest of us aren’t… royalty,” Applejack said, ignoring a rude cough from Blueblood, who got nudged quiet by Rarity.
“What’s that got to do with anything?!” Midnight snapped at Applejack.
“Sugarcube, the Royal Sisters are gone, and even though Sombra’s a prince and turned over a new leaf, he’s gonna need help rulin’ Equestria! If somethin’ happened t’ either one o’ ya… Ah jus’ don’ think Equestria can afford t’ lose another prince `r princess!”
“I’m afraid Applejack has a point,” Blueblood seconded, “Even if we save the Tree of Harmony, it won’t guarantee if my aunts will return to us. Equestria needs the right leadership in their absence.”
“But the Tree of Harmony!” Twilight protested, not noticing the angry look on Midnight. “Only we know what it looks like and where it is!”
“Huge tree?” Rainbow guessed.
“Cutie-marks on the trunk?” Thunderlane tried.
“Probably being attacked by something hideously awful?” Soarin shrugged.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ll know it when we see it,” Rainbow waved it off.
“…You all feel this way?” Midnight asked with a low tone, and the looks on everypony’s faces was answer enough. “You feel that Twilight and I don’t belong here?”
“It is probably for the best…” Fluttershy said in the most understanding voice she could muster, Big Mac respectfully adding, “Eeyup.”
“I see…” Midnight said as he pushed through them rather rudely. Suddenly, he whirled around to face them with a look most furious! “In that case you can all go back to Ponyville!!”
“WHAT?!” they all were shocked by Midnight’s words and expression but he wasn’t done yet.
“What, just because we wear these crowns and have some stupid royal titles suddenly we’re helpless?!” Midnight shouted in a way none of them had ever heard him speak before. He was furious but the look in his eyes was that of somepony whose feelings were hurt.
“That we should just sit back all nice and cozy and send pawns to do all the hard work?! Just who do you think we are?!”
“Midnight! Whatever’s come over you?” Rarity was shocked at Midnight’s harsh words.
“Excuse me! I thought I was supposed to be ‘Prince Midnight’!” he said in a spurious tone. “I thought that our so-called friends would look at Twilight and me and wouldn’t see the crowns on our heads but we, the ponies wearing the crowns! I thought we were friends…”
“Midnight we are your friends!” Thunderlane assured but confused by Midnight’s behavior, going over and putting a hoof on the blue alicorn’s shoulder, only for him to slap it away with his wing.
“I should’ve known you would all act this way!” Midnight accused, “You’re just like the rest of Equestria! You think monarchs are so above others that you bow and scrape and kiss their hooves just because you’re deluded into thinking they’re perfect! You’re not ponies, you’re sheep!”
“Midnight, that’s enough!” Twilight scolded but he ignored her.
“If that’s what you all really think, then get lost!” Midnight’s horn flared as he vowed, “I’ll save the Tree of Harmony myself…!”
“Midnight!” Twilight shouted, only for her and the rest of them to be teleported away.
And Midnight was alone.
Just like he had been for over ten years. Sighing in hurt and guilt, he remembered the task at hoof and proceeded into the wild wood.