Four years after his arrival in Ponyville I.Q. found himself with five friends and no cutie mark. He talked with his friends about the matter but they couldn't provide an uplifting answer, "Maybe you just don't have a special talent" joked Neo and Scootaloo in unison,
"Aw hush you two everyone has a special talent Ah-Q. is just a late marker." defended Apple Bloom in her common country accent.
"Yeah he may not have a special talent but, I mean look at what he can do." added Sweetie Belle, I.Q. wasn't listening he only felt a strange sense of deja-vu. He had no idea how, but he couldn't help but feel as if he's seen this before, but then he realized something. The dream he had his first night here! he thought he needed to do something but,
"Ah-Q ya'll listenin'?" interrupted Apple Bloom,
"Yeah I'm fine I just can't help but feel like this had happened before." responded I.Q. wearily, he began to get up and looked towards the horizon and saw a wave of magic coming towards town. "GET DOWN!" yelled I.Q. as he ran towards the table and used his magic to emanate a magic force field to block the wave of magic. The wave went over them ferociously and it left faster than it had came. I.Q. slowly got rid of the field and walked away from the table curiously as the others started asking questions,
"Hey book worm, what in Equestria was that!" shouted Neo,
"I don't know" responded I.Q. quietly,
"What just happened?" asked Button,
"I don't know" responded I.Q. slightly louder,
"Ah-Q what in the hay was that?" asked Apple Bloom,
"I don't KNOW!" yelled I.Q., Apple Bloom took a step back, startled. "I'm sorry" he apologized, "I have no idea what just happened or why, but I do know that we need to stay calm and try to find out what that wave did." assured I.Q. They started to calm down and once they did I.Q. started giving orders, "Apple Bloom, you search Sweet Apple Acres and see if anypony knows what happened, Scootaloo and Neo, both of you search any nearby clouds, Sweetie Belle and Button Mash, you both search the town square, I'll search the outskirts everyone good?" "yep" replied everyone in unison, "good then lets go"
~~~
As I.Q. approached the outskirts of Ponyville he noticed that no ponies were there probably in their homes he thought. he wondered who would know what happened but then he realized, Princess Twilight!. He rushed to her castle and knocked on the door, but was surprised to see Spike answer, "I.Q. I'm so glad you're here!" Spike said, relieved,
"Spike what's wrong, where is the princess?" asked I.Q,
"I don't know I was just in bed and when I woke up Twilight was gone!"
"It's okay Spike come with me." assured I.Q. as he started to turn around,
"Wait! Where are we going?" questioned Spike,
"I have a theory, but I need more evidence." replied I.Q. as they started towards his home.
They went towards I.Q.'s home and found that Bolt wasn't there but Scorch was, "interesting, same situation all ponies are gone but other creatures remain." realized I.Q,
"What does that mean?" asked Spike, shakily,
"Nothing yet, just one more example will prove my hypothesis, lets go to Fluttershy's cottage next."
I.Q., Spike, and Scorch got to Fluttershy's cottage and saw that her animals were all there, but no Fluttershy. they went in and I.Q.'s expression immediately turned sour when he saw Discord searching frantically, but when he saw I.Q. he stopped and floated directly over to him, "I.Q. thank Celestia, Silver and Fluttershy are gone."
"Can it draconequus I only came here to see if she was and I already know the answer." snapped I.Q. as he quickly left and went to the rendezvous to wait for his friends. leaving Discord at the cottage.
~~~
I.Q. found that his friends didn't find anypony either, but that didn't stop him. he thought back to the direction that the spell was coming from, "Well looks like we have to go into the everfree forest." I.Q. concluded calmly,
"WHAT!" yelled everyone else,
"Ya'll do realize how dangerous that place is yet you can go into it calmly?"
"Yeah my brother taught me how to fight and I developed a high pain threshold along with being able to incorporate my magic into my fighting technique." he replied,
"I think it'll be fun." entered Neo as he flew to I.Q.'s side,
"me too" copied Scootaloo as she did the same,
"don't worry, Princess Twilight taught me a spell that can repel any everfree monsters" I.Q. assured,
"Okay we'll come but ah'm still sticken' close just in case something comes by." surrendered Apple Bloom, the six ponies stood together as they prepared to go towards the strange forest,
"Everypony ready." asked I.Q. they all nodded but Neo and Scootaloo nodded with pride where Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash each had indisputable fear in theirs