//------------------------------// // Chapter 6-1: Morning in G3 Ponyville shines! And I know for absolute certain! That everything is certainly... fine? // Story: Minty Image // by mintgreenconspiracy //------------------------------// Discord frowned. "This dream again!" He said to himself, with a sigh (nowhere near his kind of favorite dream), as the dream proceeded around him, with remarkable order and clarity (something he detested profusely!) His dreamself frowned, tired of father going around everywhere "deleting worlds as unworthy." What a load of crock! And do you know how interesting that was? Not at all! Sure it was all good fun at first: "Zap you're gone! Zap you're gone! You're outta there! See you never -- because you've been deleted!" But in the end, all that happened is you got was silent, empty, final, and boring! IT WAS BORING!!! He was tired of it! So when he heard that his father had run into a world that was basically broken and unstable -- disobeying it's own basic rules. An idea came to his head a deliciously devious, chaotic idea! And what an idea it was! (Excuse his Cheshire Cat smile, he's just happy to be here.) What if he turned this world into his own little sandbox? What if he were to, say, put all the pieces back into the box? And then, perhaps, he could play the game over and over and over and over again! Heck! Maybe he could replay this world's last thirty years or so over and over again? (For all that chaos, ok... and for the lols of it!) And, he could let the system's inherent brokenness feed it with infinite entrope. Heck, if he wanted, he could even extend the timeframe by a couple of years by appending something very unique at the end. But why should the system be the only thing to enjoy the fun of infinite entrope? What if, instead, he were to put part of his essence into the system to grow? Now Discord was crafty, and had already heard legends of artifacts out there that could defeat his kind. But with objects of infinite entropy and boundless chaos... He would be invincible! He could rule like a titan or a g -- The thought made his dreamself giddy. He could absorb all the beautiful entropy created by endless repeated destruction of the world into his little artifacts, and watch them grow -- chi chi chi chia world! And everything went better than expected! The inhabitants didn't even put up a fight -- well with a couple of noticeable exceptions. But nevertheless, he would finish resetting the world shortly, and, what was better was that, it had been easier than he had expected. Well... all except for the throwbacks still out there, who just couldn't get with the program, all standing there... mocking him! Silver Glow, a blue pegasus with blue eyes a blue mane with white tinsel and a starscape cutiemark. Star Catcher, a white pegasus with especially large wings, blue eyes, a tri-color blue, white, and pink mane, and a giant pink heart for a cutie mark. Rarity The Unicorn, a tiny pink unicorn, with an undersized horn, a pastel rainbow mane, and a heart with a rainbow swirl for a cutie mark. Minty, a mint green earth pony with a pink and light pink mane striped mane, and trio of mints for a cutie mark. Pinkie Pie. a pink earth pony with a light pink mane, and a trio of balloons for a cutie mark. Lily Lightly, a purple unicorn with a tri-color light pink, pink, and purple striped mane, and a blue and pink two-tone tail, blue eyes, and a pink lily flower with a blue stem for a cutie mark. Skywishes, a pink earth pony with striped dark pink and purple mane, green eyes, and a kite and butterfly cutie mark. Wysteria, a purple earth pony with a striped purple, white, and pink mane, green and yellow eyes, and a set of wisteria flowers for a cutie mark. Rainbow Dash, a blue earth pony, with a rainbow mane and tail, and a cutie mark of a rainbow arching between two clouds. Kenbroathe Gilspotten Heathspike, a tiny blue scaled dragon with a purple mohawk, and an orange underbelly. Dreamcord laughed raucously. Of all those that had ever had the audacity to challenge him, this was the most pathetic collection of losers, and rejects, imaginable! His laughter turned into a bellowing laughter as he opened his mouth to speak -- turning to the pink earth pony, known as Sky Wishes. "You had one! Just one!" He said, holding up a single talon. "Of your 'special wishes'." He said, pointing at Lily. "And you wasted it on her!" He said, with disgust. "You don't even know her!" He shouted, with a fake rage. "Why? Because she only appeared in one movie! ONE!!!! And you weren't even in it!" He said, shrugging his claws. "No! Lily's our friend! I had to help her!" Skywishes said, defiantly. Dreamcord resumed bellowing. "You G3 phonies are so ridiculous!" He exclaimed, with a raucous laughter. "And that's why I like this world! That's why this is going to be Discordtopia!" He said, shrinking down to her size, and putting a claw on her shoulder -- the other claw waving off into space. "You know you could have brought back somepony you are actually a friend with... like..." He said, running through his collection of figures -- which materialized into thin air. "Ahhh! Twinkle Twirl!" He said, holding up a Twinkle Twirl doll (or maybe a Twinkle Twirl Action figure... Or figurine?... Or maybe collectible?) "No! Twinkle Twirl!" Sky Wishes shouted, in horror, her symbol beginning to glow violently. "I'll bring you back! I promise!" She shouted, as her eyes began to glow one color. "Discord! I'll bring her back by stopping you!" "Stop me!" He bellowed. "And how do you intend to do that my dear?" He said, saying the phrase 'my dear' with a certain amount of sarcasm. "You're out of your 'special wishes' my dear, and then -- to make it more difficult for you -- your idea of how to stop me is to try to bore me to death with meaningless prattle." He said, wearing a old timey american school boys outfit -- complete with dunce cap. "No!" Sky Wishes shouted -- feeling the uncontrollable urge to wish -- a wish that she just had to scratch, kite or not! "I wish. I wish. I wish!" She cried, an aura appearing around every inch of her, from head to tail. Dreamcord snickered circling around her -- wearing a pair of Sunny Daze's oversized sunglasses. "You know you need a kite for that, right?" "No I don't!" Sky Wishes retorted, as something began to happen. "I can feel it! Be patient, Twinkle Twirl! You'll be back soon!" "Oh? And how might that be?" He asked curiously. "And, for that matter, what makes you so sure you can even stop me at all?" He said, losing his smile -- looking at his watch. "You know I'm on a tight schedule here!" He said, playing a game of solitaire with a deck that suddenly materialized. "I need the place ready to put into the universe egg before father wakes up, or else!" He said, with urgency in his voice. "Because I wish we had the power to stop you!" Sky Wishes shouted, as Rarity, Wysteria, Lily Lightly, Star Catcher, Silver glow, and herself all started glowing, jewelry slowly forming around their necks (or on top of their heads for the pegasi.) "This is unusual" Dreamcord said, with a frown. "And -- " He gasped suddenly looking like the white rabbit, complete with old timey watch. "I'm late!" He said, growing back to size. "It's time to finish this -- " He pronounced, powering up his best magic. " -- And -- Hey what's with the jewelry?" "I have another wish!" Sky Wishes announced. "I wish for the return of our friends!" She shouted, the eastern yin-yang symbol on her necklace glowing faintly. Star Catcher smiled, a tiara slowly materializing on her head. "The most special wishes are the ones you share with your friends." She said, the sun symbol on her tiara beginning to glow with Sky Wishes' zeal. "Please Discord stop this." Wysteria begged, the star symbol on her necklace glowing vibrantly. "There's no reason to be mean. We're all friends here in Ponyville." "It's not unicorn fun to lose those you love!" Rarity pronounced, growling slightly -- showing her canines -- the heart symbol on her necklace glowing in sync with the others. "Bring back Cheerilee, and Whistle Wishes, and Brights Brightly." She asked, her usual smile replaced by a mighty frown. "It's not too late to be friends." Lily pronounced, the flower symbol on necklace glowing wildly. Dreamcord chuckled. "Oh I'm sooooo scared!" He shouted, pretending to shake in fear. "More worthless platitudinous nonsense!" "Discord." Star Catcher said her voice chiming melodiously. "Your reign of cruelty is at an end. Are you ready Silver Glow?" She asked, the sun symbol that sat in the center of her tiara glowed melodiously. "I'm ready!" Silver Glow said, fiercely. "Let's bring back Coconut Cream and the others!" She shouted, as the moon symbol that sat in the center of her tiara started glowing in sync with the other pegasus' -- albeit a much fiercer color. "Oh what are you going to do now?" Discord asked, mockingly. "You planning to bore me to death?" He said, with a yawn, suspending himself, in mid air (sipping from a slurpee, just lying there... Sipping on a slurpee...) "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a world to put back into it's box and into the nice easter egg I had planned." He pronounced, suddenly wearing a pair of nineties three-d videogame glasses, a pair of power gloves, and an outfit that looked remarkably like neo's outfit from the matrix. "Star Catcher, shall we shut his mouth?" Silver Glow asked, exuberantly. "Consider it done." Star Catcher responded, as a pastel colored rainbow shot out of the artifacts heading straight for the giant draconequus. "Psychedelic!" Remarked the monster, still playing around -- this time, his stare distant and his hair ruffled. He was wearing a shirt with a distinctive five leaved plant on it and was holding a purple mushroom with black eyes, and a skull on it. "Radical!" He said, as the pastel rainbow landed. The draconequus stopped laughing then and there, making blood curdling screeches behind the wall of light. "Oh darlings!" Rainbow dash said, elatedly. "It's over!" She said,with finality. "Though, I almost feel sorry for the darling!" She said, sympathetically, feeling sorry. "Poor darling! All he wanted -- " "Well I wouldn't be!" Said the draconequus sadistically, a blood thirsty expression showing on his face, as the light began to clear. "In fact, since you said that! You'll be the first! Darling!" He shouted, looking vaguely like Zha Zha Gabor. "And then you two!" He said, pointing at Star Catcher, and Silver Glow, who now sported a pair of horns to go with their wings. Although the spell, was unable to vanquish the monster, it was able to shrink the draconequus considerably -- and also greatly diminished his powers -- that being said, the beast didn't lose much of his swagger, as he still towered over his opponents by three or four times their height. "Oh dear!" He said, looking at Star Catcher, and Silver Glow. "This simply won't do!" He said, dressed like a stuffy british noble. "You are broken!" He said, turning his attention to the other four bearers, who were now glowing even more vibrantly than before. "And if I don't hurry! I'll lose four more of the pieces of my board game! And I simply won't permit that!" He shouted, getting a fierce expression. "Quick! While he's vulnerable!" Rarity shouted. "We have to do this for Cheerilee and the others!" She shouted, her signature smile still long gone. "We can do it!" She shouted, with confidence. However, her words were unheard by the pegasus, who quickly turned tail and ran. "He's invincible!" Star Catcher shouted, turning and flying away, in panic, like a frightened child -- flapping her giant wings as fast as they could go. Suddenly the mood of everyone, along with their jaws dropped like stones, as all the ponies could do is watch in horror as the usually cool Star Catcher cracked like a chipped pot. "Star Catcher! Come back! Please!" Wysteria shouted desperately, for her friend to return, as she began to disappear into the darkness. "We have to ...." "No Wysteria!" Rarity shouted angrily. "I won't let you get way with this! Not like you did with Cheerilee!" She shouted, also disappearing, herself, into the inky darkness. "And Brights Brightly, and Whistle Wishes, and ..." "No! Not again!" Lily shouted, panicking herself (trying to run, but finding that her movements led her nowhere), as she too started to fade back into the darkness. "We're doomed! I'll never get to giggle until my horn glows ever .... " "I wish! I wish! I wish!" Sky Wishes shouted, making one final wish, as she faded away, herself, into the inky darkness. "I wish that our friends would eventually return! And that I would have the power to protect them! ... " "Oh dear!" Pinkie said, crying. "What will we do?" She asked, looking at Silver Glow for guidance. "Don't worry girls!" Dreamcord stated, his smile, and jovial mood returning. "You're next! But... Since I'm a draconequus of my word! As promised: you first darling!" He shouted, pointing at Rainbow Dash, only to watch in bemusement as the tiny blue dragon disappeared instead -- having jumped in front of his finger. "A sacrifice play?" He smirked -- dressed like a coach. "Pointless!" He said, laughing mightily. "I call foul on that play!" He shouted, blowing on his whistle. "What are we gunna do?" Minty shouted, with a frightened expression. "We don't stand a chance. We're all doomed!!!" Silver Glow frowned. "Maybe..." She said, trailing off as her horn began to glow. "Or maybe not!" She exclaimed serenely, as Pinkie, Minty, Rainbow, and her disappeared into a bubble of light. Discord's voice chimed over the scene. "I'm going to have to tell them eventually... Especially if they all keep rematerializing..." ********** "Rainbow Dash!" Shouted the doctor for the third time, this time singsong, having been unable to get the attention of his patient the first two times. Rainbow shook her head. "Sorry about that, darling. Good eveni -- " She said, shaking her head slightly, with a blush, looking out the window, which was obviously more morning then evening now -- and, at that moment, having realized that she had lost track of time. "Morning." The doctor replied, deadpan -- correcting his patient, who seemed to disoriented.... Most concerning... "Oh sorry." Rainbow responded, looking out the window to verify what she was told. "Morning then, doctor darling." She replied, with a smile, looking out the window -- her blush growing. "Have you been up all night? " He said, freezing for a second. Strange! This scene seemed very familiar to him. Maybe he should make sure she'd finished her reading materials and wasn't going to try to sneak back into the hospital by night, again... "A little, darling..." Rainbow said, with a frown. "I've been practicing some of the exercises that Twilight gave me to help control my magic, doctor darling, and I kind of lost track of time." She said, blowing out the firefly lantern, that she had been using for the task. The doctor frowned. Ok that explained the disorientation -- though he should warn her not to do that. "Please be mindful of that, Rainbow Dash. Remember that stress seems to exasperate your condition, and, even if it didn't, a lack of sleep is never a good thing..." He said sternly, adjusting his glasses. "However, In any case, -- " He said, his voice becoming less harsh. "I'll be quick." He said, his frown turning into a proud smile. "Congratulations, Rainbow Dash. We're checking you out of the hospital." He said, tilting his head back slightly. Rainbow returned a smile. "Oh that's excellent news, darling. I'll be sure to have my things ready for later today -- so that I'll have time to find out if the young lady ever gets reunited with her darling Francesco?" She said, eagerly -- it was great to be finally leaving this tacky, horrible, unrainbowy room. And she can spend the morning packing what few things she had brought with her, and -- "No." He said, shaking his head, his smile unmoving. "Right now." He said, with a smile that made Rainbow very uneasy. "Right now, darling?" She asked, in surprise -- and fear. "As in, 'right now' right now?" She asked, as the doctor opened the door for Nurse Sweetheart and Nurse Snowheart. "'Right now' right now." The doctor said, eagerly as the two nurses rushed in, Nurse Sweetheart dragging the wheelchair behind. What came next could only be described as a flurry of activity that sounded more like a bar fight, and looked more like a dust storm. "Unhand me, darlings!" Rainbow shrieked. "This is so very unrainbowy!" She cried, as the bandages around her broken ribs were removed, and her hospital gown forcibly returned. And she was relentlessly shoved into the wheelchair. "But, darling," Rainbow Dash protested, over the back of the wheelchair, as the nurse started to push. "Now I'll never get to know if the maiden somehow escaped from the clutches of Francesco's treacherous brother Antonio!" She said, with horror, and nurse Sweetheart started dragging the wheelchair out the door. "Now, take it easy, Rainbow Dash." The doctor said, with glee. "And remember to try to get a full night's sleep." He said, with a smile, as the nurses dragged Rainbow out of the room. "And if you need to finish that book -- please go bug Twilight this time, instead of sneaking back into the hospital!" He said, his face growing stern. "Thank you." "Have a good day!" Said nurse Snowheart, waving as the other nurse unceremoniously dumped the wheelchair she was sitting on right out the front door. The door shutting behind her. After a few seconds the door opened, revealing nurse Snowheart again, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide a frown. "Please remember to see us immediately if symptoms return." She cautioned her former patient, who nodded back -- she would do that, but, of course, the nurse hoped that she wouldn't need to. The nurse shook her head. Rainbow's recovery had been nothing short of miraculous, going from being a dead mare to fully healed -- which had, naturally, left her doctors slightly baffled. Doctor Stable almost didn't want to let her go, for fear that this was only a temporary recovery. However, In the end, he let her go (after only a couple of days of observation.) Because, after all, the hospital is for the sick, not the well. Plus, the nurse suspected, that it hurt his pride to let Rainbow go without, himself, knowing the cause of her condition. Nopony ever did find, let alone apprehend, that odd intruder -- and, as a result, the prevailing theory that swept the hospital was that he had something to do with her condition. In any case, though, they had to let her go, with the hopes that her condition wasn't just in remission as the doctor feared. Ok! The nurse thought, stealing her nerves, back to work with her! ********** Meanwhile, Rainbow sat there wondering how long it would take for Twilight and Pinkie to return to tell her where she was staying, on this, their final night in Ponyville. And also, for that matter, what she was going to tell her friend/daughter. It just felt weird! On one hand, part of instinctually knew that the pink pony was merely just one of her closest friends -- and definitely not her relative. However, on the other hoof, thinking of her as her daughter just felt so right! Rainbow snarled, actually starting to get furious, for some reason. Curse that Dripcord -- or whatever his name was! Messing with her head is definitely not rainbows!!! But contemplation quickly started to transform into worry, as she began to contemplate all the people who would be affected by this. First of all there was the matter of, that darling, Pinkie... How would she explain that there was no Mama Pie, at least as Pinkie knew her, because she was Mama Pie? Would her pink friend take it well? Or would she get upset? (This wasn't the always-chipper-always-happy-super-goofy-not-at-all-cupcakes Pinkie Pie! NO! This was the prone-to sarcasm-can-get-angry-super-serious-does-a-lot-of-thinking Pinkie Pie!) And, for that matter, would the pink pony even believe her? (after all, her story was really unbelievable.) And then there was the matter of Minty... Was there a Mama Minty out there, somewhere, crying her eyes out for her lost loved one? Would Mama Minty even remember her? And would Minty be happy to meet the mother she never knew she had, or would it only serve to upset the darling? Then there was the question of whether this sudden realization would break the green pony yet further! And how would the mint pony handle it? What would she think when she found out that it was Rainbow who disciplined her throughout her childhood, not Mama Pie? Or would she feel betrayed to be abandoned by Mama Pie as well? And then, if that wasn't bad enough, there was the matter of their whole lives being a lie. A life intended for -- and lived by -- another pony. How would Pinkie, and Minty handle that? Heck she wasn't sure how she was going to handle it! And, to make matters worse, she wasn't even sure if she believed what she saw with her own eyes -- let alone what she would be saying! So how could they be expected to believe it, especially because it would just be her word? And what would their friend's say? Would they think Rainbow was crazy? Or would they believe her and be angry, because she had been impersonating Rainbow Dash all these years? And then there was the matter of whether or not they would still be mad about Minty kind of making a mess of Christmas? And that was assuming that everyone was still ok? Twilight had said that she had heard from little Rarity that something bad had happened. What if something bad happened to her friends? She asked herself, her mind a twitter with questions. Of course, that would be the moment that Pinkie chose to show up. Of course, it was probably for the best, though, as all that thinking was probably going to exasperate her condition (Twilight and the doctor had both taught her some basic magic exercises to help control her magic levels, but it didn't mean her condition was fully fixed, and if she wasn't careful it might rear it's ugly head again.) Rainbow waved to her pink friend, however it was the straight haired pink party pony that got the first words. "Why hello mom!" She said, giggling slightly, giving a playful smile. "Oh! I'll never get used to saying that!" She said, with a playful wink, to go with her smile. "I mean, I've always thought of you as my friend and..." She said, just noticing her friend's face fall. "Are you ok Rainbow?" She asked, noticing that her friend's face had gone a ghastly white. "Oh dear.... Did I upset you?" She said, a sorry expression forming on her face. "How... Did.... You find out, darling?" Rainbow asked, trembling like a leaf. "Please don't be angry, daling!" Rainbow said, a horrified look on her face, fearing what her friend, who frequently mentioned how much she missed Mama Pie, would think to learn that not just was Mama Pie not dead, but was, in fact, standing right before her. "I'm so sorry!!!" She exclaimed, falling onto her knees, breaking down into tears -- her hooves covering her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you, darling! I didn't mean to abandon you darling! I really didn't!" She said, bending her arms and hooves into a begging (or praying) position. "Oh Rainbow!" Pinkie said, crying herself. "Please don't be sad!" She begged and pleaded, giving her friend a nice big hug. "I know you never meant to hurt me." She said, looking her friend in the eyes, her own eyes showing sincerity. "It's just the way things turned out!" "Do you mean it, darling?" Rainbow asked, her face still red from crying. "I mean after all you've been through... How much you've missed Mama Pie?" "Oh Mama Pie! I could never be mad at you!" Pinkie said, weeping tears of joy. "I've just missed you so much!" She continued, swallowing slightly. "Besides, Twilight said that some mean guy called Dipcolt cast some spell on us, so that you weren't yourself when you abandoned us." She said, to her friend. "Though, by the sound of things, we're better off this way anyways." She said, smiling warmly. "Thank you darling!" Rainbow said, her smile slowly returning. She paused for a second, pondering something that Pinkie had told her. "So Twilight told you, darling?" Rainbow asked, with a puzzled expression. "I guess, at some level, I'm kind of surprised." She said, feeling slightly betrayed. But in the end, though, she figured that Twilight probably either did it unintentionally -- either that or Minty had overheard something again, as she was in the habit of doing, and as a result Twilight probably had to spill the beans. In the end, maybe it was probably ok, because she was worried what the pink pony would think anyways -- though it hurt her heart some, being unable to be the person to do so. Her face changed, as the topic of discussion slowly shifted, a question remaining. "Weren't you staying with that other Pinkie?" She asked, with surprise -- certain that Pinkie would've stayed with the other Pinkie, because of how well they got along. Pinkie frowned. "They kind of had to move me in with Twilight after my little argument with the other Pinkie." She said, solemnly. "She actually got over it really quick, but the Cakes thought it would be better if I stayed with Minty, and Twilight instead." She said, her smile returning. "Not that I can blame them, this town probably isn't ready to handle Minty yet." She said, with a sarcastic smile -- giggling again, probably already imagining the mischief an unaccompanied Minty might get into. "Oh of course, darling!" Rainbow said, with a slight giggle in her voice, motioning with her front leg. "So I guess we have been here long enough." She said, to her friend. "Shall we go and talk to Minty?" She asked, getting out of the wheelchair -- which was quickly repurposed behind her. "I suppose we've probably kept her waiting long enough, darling!" "Makes sense to me!" Pinkie said, nodding in agreement. "Shall we go see Twilight?" She asked, with a smile. "Of course, darling." Rainbow said, eagerly. Of course!" ********** "Twi!" Applejack shouted, racing into the room. "Could ya read this fur me?" She said, presenting a letter to Twilight. "'Cause I'm not sure what ta do, -- " she said, frantically. " -- but ah know one thing fur sure: we have ta do something!" She said, with dismay. "'Cause it sounds like things ah're going crazy down there in Appleloosa! And ta' make matters worse! King Longhorn has shown back up again!" Applejack said, making sure to put extra venom into the mention of the bull's name. "We should rush down there an! -- " She said there sternly, just praying that the princess would agee. Twilight shook her head. "We can't, Applejack! It's not that I don't care about the poor ponies of Appleloosa, but Celestia has personally commanded us to stay in Ponyville until further notice -- twice." "Ah why not Twilight?" Applejack asked, in dismay. "We've always dropped everything ta help ponies in need! Why not now?" She asked, getting in Twilight's face, and snorting angrily. "Look Applejack! I feel for them! But Queen Chrysalis is on the move, yet again!" Twilight said, wondering why they didn't post a proper guard over her after that whole Secretariat Comet incident. "And, now, I have a foal alicorn with an unbelievable amount of magic, to teach, running around, that still can't even cast the most basic unicorn spells!" "Fine!" Applejack said, snorting angrily. "But could ya at least read mah cousin's letter?" She asked, shoving the letter in Twilight's face. "Sure!" Twilight commented, scanned down the letter, dutifully -- a smile gracing her face. "Cousin, What I'm about to say might come off a mite crazy, but stick with me. I promise that everything I say is the honest truth!" The letter said, the darkness of the writing said that the apple used a little extra force when writing it -- probably due to the seriousness of whatever he felt he had to say. Twilight skimmed down further, the pony went into copious amounts of details about life in Appleloosa, and the harvest. He talked about the sheriff being out of town. More details about relatives and the daily life of the town's ponies... (Leaving Twilight to wonder if she should be reading this letter at all, seeing as she was basically intruding on the Apple's privacy right now.) Finally... "An so I went chasing after the varmint, and no sooner had I caught them then; but what should I see upon removing the stolen hat and poncho? A horn and a pair of strange looking wings. That's right! I found myself a regular princess (that's right, although, I thought she was a he because of her giant square muzzle and general size, she's actually a she.)" Twilight read, her face going pale. "Another?" Twilight she exclaimed, with bewilderment to something she read. "Is this even possible?" She asked herself. "I mean Cadance and I, I can fully understand, but now we have that tiny unicorn filly turned alicorn, Rarity, and now..." She thought, reading the letter. "How can we possibly have another nascent alicorn? How could she possibly ascend? And when could she possibly have ascended?" Twilight stopped. "Wait... Giant muzzle?... Strange looking wings?... Could it be possible?" Twilight scanned down the letter further. Apparently the alicorn was extremely emotionally fragile, apparently refusing to be called princess -- and apparently unaware -- or unwilling to admit -- that the ponies of Equestria instinctively called them princesses. Braeburn continued. "Last night, Wysteria had some doozie of a nightmare, and it caused her magic to go crazy. I have no idea why though, all I know is that it had to do with her being a princess, and her friends leaving her." He said, continuing to speculate. After a few seconds came another interesting tidbit. "She claims to be from Ponyville, and that her village was attacked by changelings (now this I believe, as it's the only thing that makes any sense, but, on the other hoof, there ain't no way she can be from Ponyville!) And I think that -- " "Wait!" Twilight thought, scanning up the letter. "Ponyville!... Attacked by changelings?..." Twilight thought, with dismay. "Could she be from the same Ponyville as Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity? Could she have something to do with them? Especially with that muzzle, and those wings -- " She thought to herself, putting two and two together " -- just like Rarity!" She thought, to herself, contemplating her options. "I'll ask Rarity about her during Twilight time," she said, to herself, having reached a decision. "Meanwhile I should send a letter to Princess Celestia. She might be able to figure out what's going on." She thought to herself, considering her strategy as well as multiple backup strategies -- and really wishing that she had agreed to go to Appleloosa, with Applejack. "Spike!" Twilight yelped, causing the dragon to snap to attention. "I need this letter sent to Princess Celestia immediately!" She said, quickly scribbling out a letter. "Apparently another nascent alicorn has been discovered, and by the sounds of things, she's having trouble with nightmares, and emotional instability -- both very bad things for an alicorn to have (she cautioned, remembering some of the stark warnings the princess had given her, about losing control of her own emotions.) So could you send these two letters to Princess Celestia!" She said, attaching Braeburn's letter to her own. "Gotcha!" Spike said, breathing fire to send the letters. "Now we wait!" Twilight said, impatiently -- hoping for a quick reply from the princess. "But first: -- " She said to herself, reopening her mouth to shout. "MINTY!" She called up the stairs, causing the green pony to come running down -- covered mane to hoof in garlands, and looking like a crusader (covered in pine needles and tree sap.) "What is it Twilight?" She said, with an enthusiastic smile. "You need something?" She said, as she stood on only her two back legs -- her left front hoof pointing straight up in the air. "By the way? I was wondering what you'd like for Christmas? Do you want anything in particular that Santa can bring you?" She asked, probably trolling for gift ideas for Twilight. Twilight smiled, and giggled slightly. "'Santa' huh!" Twilight said, rolling her eyes, who, in the hay, was this 'Santa Claus', anyway? "Well before I tell you, could you tell me if you know anything about a pony named 'Wysteria'?" "Why of course Twilight!" Minty said, smiling. "She's one of my friends, and -- " "Great!" Twilight said, shushing her for a second. "Tell me all about her!" She said, with a big smile -- and slightly spooky smile --, levitating over a mug of tea. ********** "Hello! Minty, daring!" Rainbow said, as she walked through the door into the golden oaks, making sure to wave her mane ostentatiously. "How are you feeling, darling?" She asked, opening the door, expecting to find catastrophe, and instead found her green friend sipping a cup of tea along with the princess. Rainbow walked up the stairs, before coming back down again -- blinking her eyes a few times to make sure that they were seeing what she thought they were seeing. "Oh Minty!" Pinkie said, with a giggle. "You haven't messed anything up while we were gone did you?" She asked, teasing her friend lightly -- while surreptitiously looking around the room to see if she could find what the green pony broke. "Oh of course not Pinkie!" Minty said, with a smile. "I was very careful not to! Especially since I was planning for a make up Christmas!" "So why are you and Twilight having tea?" Pinkie asked, with a smile. "I thought for sure you'd be tied up in some garlands, or something." Pinkie said, with a giggle -- joshing her friend lightly. "I did but... Ooof..." She said, stopping when the princess of friendship gave her a surreptitious nudge with a broom. "I mean... I didn't have time to!" Minty said, obliviously. "Because Twilight wanted me to tell her all about Wysteria." She said, with a grin. "So I've been telling her all about her, and her love of flowers, and the Princess Promenade -- she seemed especially interested in that flower that Spike gave her..." She said, with a chuckle. "Though I really don't understand why!" "Wysteria? Twilight darling?" Rainbow asked, with curiosity. "Why would you need to know about Wysteria?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow. Twilight sighed... Busted... "Well Rainbow." She said, trying to think how to minimize it. "She kind of appeared in Appleloosa about three weeks ago, and the letter was sent the morning after. But apparently the Equestrian Post office in Dodge Junction held onto it for about a week and a half. And apparently she's... um... (how to put this without scaring everypony? She's a princess now? No not good.) Changed! And she's apparently been having nightmares about being a princess -- and I need to know why!" "Oh I can answer that!" Pinkie responded, not noticing that Rainbow's face had gone pale. "When she discovered Spike's flower --" Pinkie said, not noticing Twilight taking special interest. "-- and put it into her hair." She said, with a frown. "He kind of put her into a kind of princess boot camp, and basically told her that she wasn't allowed to be around anyone, or to have friends, or to do... well... basically anything!" She said, looking slightly perturbed at the memory. "Not to mention telling her that she, basically couldn't be herself!" Twilight frowned, that might explain why she didn't want to be a princess (was it possible she was suffering some kind of cutie mark derangement syndrome -- like she and her friends suffered at the gala?) But how did she find out that she was a princess? ... Sompony must have have run into her before Braeburn, and made a remark about her being a princess! Meanwhile, Rainbow grown ever more pale, and began to look very concerned. "Oh dear! The poor darling was deathly ill the day we left! I can't imagine how she'd be now." She said, looking really sorry. She began pacing. "I can't even imagine what she looks like now, for that matter! And, now I feel terrible, darling, that I couldn't be for her, darling." Rainbow said, sounding like she was on the verge of a breakdown. "And the pains she'd been having in her sides! Ever since Christmas." Twilight quirked her eyebrows -- 'pains she'd been having'... very interesting! Didn't little Rarity's nightmares start at Christmas? And, by the sound of it, Christmas must have been when Wysteria started ascending. But the question that needed to be asked was: why Christmas? Did it have something to do with Minty's accident? But how? And, more importantly, why? Pinkie continued, in the background -- putting her hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "Well Rainbow..." Pinkie responded. "I understand how you feel, but you and Minty weren't much up to going anywhere until just now." She said, giving her friend a hug. "But we can see how she's doing now if you want." "Actually, darling." Rainbow said, with a frown -- unable to handle the melancholy anymore. "I think it would be better if we went home to Ponyville instead, I need to check on the place." She said, steadfastly resolving something in her head. "But first the three of us, and Twilight need to talk!" She had to tell them the truth -- no matter how much she didn't want to. "What are we going to talk about?" Minty asked, with a chuckle. "Christmas? Or maybe who's birthday it is?" She said, eagerly. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! This year's promenade!" She said, imagining how Wysteria (who she had forgotten was sick in her exuberance) was going to top last year's princess promenade. "No, darling." Rainbow said, shaking her head. "But first, Twilight." She said, turning to the unicorn -- her face growing stern. "I really need to know why you told Pinkie about our true relationship?" She said, with a surprising amount of sternness. "I feel this was a betrayal of trust, darling! And I want to know why you did it!" Twilight frowned, looking away. "I actually didn't mean to tell her." She said, with an apologetic expression. "She was kind of told by Minty, who overheard me talking to the doctor about your condition, late at night." She stammered. "The doctor was giving me advice on how best to help you three, and I guess we didn't notice her trotting down the stairs." Twilight said, with melancholy. "I see..." Rainbow said, solemnly, her feelings hurt -- but, on the other hand, what could she do? It was an accident, and she was sure that Twilight and the doctor meant well, Minty just kind of had an ability to mess things up. "Well... I guess that's ok, darling," she said, with a sniffle. "But I would really have prefered to be the one to tell them." She said, crying softly. "She is, after all, my daughter, and Minty is my great niece, after all!" Twilight noded, softly -- feeling bad about breaking her friend's trust, even if accidentally as that was the best way to lose a friend's trust FOREVER!!!! She looked around, uncomfortably, was her Pinkie already standing around, watching her -- menacingly!... (Maybe she should check the grandfather clock?) Luckily the mare was nowhere in sight! Twilight thought to herself, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh Rainbow!" Pinkie said, with a smile. "You can tell me now, Rainbow Dash, darling." She said -- imitating her friend/mother --, with a chuckle, waving Rainbow on, encouragingly with her hooves. "I will even pretend that I didn't hear Minty." She said, reassuringly. "So please tell me!" She pleaded, her smile growing serious. "I think it would make both of us feel better!" "You would do that for me, darling?" Rainbow said, feeling better. Having finally gotten her chance to set things right. "Bless you, Pinkie darling!" She thought to herself, her eyes filled with tears. "Even for you failure of a mother?" She said, as Pinkie noded lovingly. "Especially for you!" Lady Rainbow smiled -- this was her chance at redemption, a chance to fix everything. "Pinkie?" She asked, reobtaining the attention of the pink pony (all part of the ritual.) "May I talk to you about something?" Pinkie nodded, with a smile -- making believe that she hadn't heard Minty. "Yes, Rainbow?" She said, acting along with a soft giggle. "What do you need?" She said, with a smile -- Rainbow needed this, and she was happy to give it! Rainbow turned to Minty. "Minty? Could you come over too?" She asked, to her green friend. "This involves you too, darling!" She asked, hoping her green friend/cousin would comply. "If it's not too much trouble, darling." She said, sounding more like Fluttershy, and less like Rainbow Dash. "What cha need Rainbow Dash?" She asked, innocently -- her mind already rocketing past what was going on around her. "I thought we were going to talk about you being -- " She started saying, obliviously -- her mouth being quickly closed by Twilight's magic, who wanted, herself, to make sure that Rainbow got her opportunity to set everything right. "Let Rainbow speak." Twilight said, with a bemused smile. "She's got something important to say." She said, with a wink. To a smile and a nod from the green pony, her smile looking almost mischievous. "Thank you Twilight, darling." Rainbow said, with a smile to her purple unicorn friend. She gulped slightly, opening her mouth. "So Pinkie... Minty... Darlings!" She said, getting everyone's attention. "I have something to tell you, and it might sound a little crazy, but it's the truth, darlings!" She said, anxiously -- hoping that they didn't respond in the way she feared they would. She turned to Pinkie. "To start with." She said, hesitantly. "Mama Pie wishes to send her apologies for not being there for you, Pinkie darling!" She said, with a frown -- tears starting to form in her eyes. "She feels horrible, because she let you down!" She said, gulping -- her lip quivering. "I can't do this." She said, covering her eyes with her front hooves, and starting to trot away. Pinkie nodded, with a smile -- letting her friend let it all go. "Please Rainbow! You have to do this." She said, sternly. "You need to do this!" She said, motivating her friend to push on. Rainbow nodded, and gulped silently. "And Minty." Rainbow said, turning to the mint green pony. "I don't know how to put this darling, but I shall anyway." "Yes Rainbow?" Minty responded, with her goofy smile. "What do you need to tell me?" She said, standing on only her back hooves -- her legs parallel to her barrell, holding herself up by her front hoof, which was planted against a wall -- jutting out ninety degrees against her barrell and hanging straight out from her side. "Mama Pie wants you to know that she loves you dearly, and always thought of you as one of her own -- even though she was never your mother!" Rainbow said, starting to feel relieved to let it all out -- despite the fact that she was ready to break down again, but she swallowed, and continued. "Why's that?" Minty said, obliviously. "Did she contact you from the great beyond?" Minty said shaking. "Is she a g...g...g...ghost?" She stammered, shaking in fear. "Did she show up? Is she here right now?" Rainbow frowned, sometimes her friend's enthusiasm could be exasperating -- causing her to jump to premature, or even brash decisions. "Yes!" Rainbow replied, patiently. "She's here right now!" Rainbow said, hoping her friend would pick up on the clues, but continued to look on vacantly. "She even with us in this room." "Is she an angel?" Minty said, with confusion -- she couldn't be an angel! "No wait! She's behind you right!" She said, to sea of eye rolls. "Because I am mama pie!" Rainbow announced, for all to hear. Sometimes that pony bugged her! But in the end, she loved her anyway. Minty was Minty, after all! The goofy, adorable, overeager lump of a pony. "Ohhhh...." Minty said, with an extended gasp. "Who could have ever guessed?" She said, finally putting the puzzle pieces together. Twilight rolled her eyes, she'd already seen first hand how dense the green pony could be. Like the time she tried to use some poison joke that Twilight had been experimenting on for one of her wreaths. The next day, she woke up with more of a floral mint hue (a horror to the mint green pony)... Oh... And as a Stallion... As Twilight recalled Spike was making jokes for weeks about that... What did he call her him? Spear... something? Oh well!! It didn't matter... Well... Except for the fact that it broke the green pony's mind for another whole week! "Now it gets worse, darlings." Rainbow said, beckoning for her friends to sit down. "The next part gets even weirder, darlings!" She said, turning around so she couldn't see their faces (she just couldn't bear it if she did.) "What is it Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie said anxiously, hearing something she had never heard before. "What else is there?" She said, in surprise (hiding the horror she felt) she didn't hear anything else from Minty, and was worried what else there could even be. Rainbow bit her lip. Which was going to be easier to start with? 'We are disgusting bug ponies!' Or maybe 'we aren't really Pinkie, Rainbow, and Minty?' "This is going to sound even weirder, but Twilight can back me up on this one." Rainbow said, pausing for a second -- hoping Twilight would jump in, for her. Rainbow hesitated again. Unable to bring herself to drop the hammer. "Let me guess." Pinkie said, with a frown. "You aren't Rainbow Dash, Minty's not Minty, and I'm not Pinkie?" She said, solemnly. Rainbow nodded, sadly. "Did Twilight tell you that as well?" She asked, the anger coming back -- not just at the continued perceived betrayals of her trust, but also at herself because she couldn't bring herself to say it. "No." Pinkie said, shaking her head, feeling sad for Rainbow. "I had a lot of nightmares when we first arrived in Ponyville, and in all of them I wasn't me, but someone else." She said, waiting for Rainbow to confirm or deny what she said. Rainbow nodded. "You always were a smart one." She retorted -- feeling relieve that Twilight didn't betray her trust -- again --, and that she didn't have to reveal the truth. "That's the truth, darlings, and to make matters worse, we aren't even regular ponies." She said, to a sea of dropped jaws. "We are nasty bug ponies that feed off of love... Except for you Pinkie." She said, to Pinkie's relief. "Oh! I was so worried!" Pinkie said, remembering her dreams. This was such good news! She couldn't even begin to imagine if she was some kind of horrible love eating monster! -- Rainbow sighed. "You're half bug pony." She said, watching Pinkie immediately faint, like she did when Rarity splashed mud all over her. Twilight sighed. "I'll get her to the bed." She said, heaving the earth pony in her magic. "I think that was, apparently, too much too soon." Twilight said, apologetically, feeling she shouldn't have encouraged Rainbow to go so far.