Equestria Nova: Brave New World

by Al-1701

Chapter 10: A Hot Rescue Mission

Many thought using telepresence would be a disorientating, but Echo had done it so many times it seemed natural. She left her body in a safe place and proceeded to where she needed to go. Her consciousness was able to “see” and “hear” despite having no eyes or ears. The more complicated senses were impossible to replicate, but she never needed them.

She pictured herself as a cloud in this state. She could fly through the air and pass through solid objects. She could travel through environments that would kill a pony instantly with no problem at all. From the edge of space to the deepest ocean trenches, nothing was out of her reach.

She flew over the tortured landscape of the Land of Nightmares towards a mountain range. Towering above them all was a volcano with a plume of white smoke and steam wafting from the crater. This was the infamous Volcano of Gloom the witches called home.

She scanned the area, looking for a sign of habitation. There was a ledge spiraling up the volcano towards the summit. Although it was unlikely they lived in the volcano, she flew up to the crater to investigate.

She flew through the smoke and steam that would have been poisonous and lethally hot if she was not in her disembodied state. There was no possible way they could live in the crater. However, there was a castle on a large spire of black volcanic rock with a natural bridge leading to the rim. The steam and gas seemed to rise away from the castle to create a clear area. Echo reminded herself that these were witches.

The castle was a dilapidated wreck of a building. There were gaps in the faded shingles and more were out of place. Not a single wall was plumb. Of course such shabby-looking creatures would have a shabby-looking home.

She passed through the wall into the castle. The interior was just as shabby, with worn furniture in various states of disrepair and decorations that would not be fit for a dump.

“Reeka! Draggle!” a voice shrieked.

Echo turned to the source of the voice. Hydia stormed into the room and tapped her foot impatiently. Reeka and Draggle clambered into the room from the opposite direction.

“What do you want Ma—” Draggle stopped herself when Hydia glared at her “—I mean Hydia,” she corrected hastily.

“I need some mayhem in my day,” Hydia said. “Go dump some salt in the fields while the edge kingdoms are planting.”

“Sure thing, Hydia,” Reeka replied.

“But where do we get the salt?” Draggle asked.

Hydia grimaced. “You’re witches, you moron!” She picked up a large book from a nearby table and shoved it into Draggle’s midsection. “Conjure it!” She pointed to the front door. “Now get going!”

Reeka and Draggle scrambled to the door.

“And be back before nightfall!” Hydia shouted after them. “I need my ugly sleep!”

Hydia turned away from the door and stormed off to somewhere.

Echo of course recorded this conversation like she recorded everything. Information was power, no matter how inconsequential it seemed at the moment.

She began her actual mission. If Wind Whistler was right, the five missing humanoids from the other world would be held here. The trick was finding them in this labyrinth.

There was no sign of them in the castle. However, there were a couple stairways leading down into the spire. Obviously prisoners would be in the dungeon.

She descended into the spire. There was an armory filled with crude melee weapons, a torture chamber filled with crude devices to inflict pain and even death, and a hall filled with paintings of what she figured were other witches based on their ugly looks and shabby clothes, though one was of a young, well dressed woman.

She then came to a stone door with an activation switch next to it, but she simply passed through it. She came through and surveyed the room. It was filled with stone statues of animals ranging in size from small frogs to raccoons and foxes. She then saw three humanoid statues that matched the photograph Sunset Shimmer had provided. They were in various states of terror or rage except for the one with frizzy hair who seemed to be enjoying herself. These were obviously victims of the same curse that had almost turned them to stone.

Her mission complete, Echo headed directly to her body. She passed through the walls of the spire and rim of the volcano. She flew over the landscape, faster than any Pegasus, to Dream Valley and the castle.

She flew straight into her body. The sensations of it quickly entered her mind. She opened her eyes and looked to the ponies standing around her.

“What did you find?” Sunset Shimmer asked worriedly.

“Give her a moment,” Rosetta said. “She has her own way of answering.”

Echo rolled over onto her hooves and stood up. She summoned her magic and created a dome over them. She projected the room with the stone statues.

“Oh no,” Sunset Shimmer gasped, tears welling up in her eyes. She walked to the five girls. “What have they done to you?”

Spearhead glared at the statues. “Summon everyone. We have a complicated rescue mission to plan in a very short time.”

---

There were times when Wind Whistler hated to be right. She wished the logical conclusion was somehow incorrect. Sometimes it was incorrect because of some variable she had not considered, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then there were the times like this time when she was right despite her hopes.

Spearhead stamped his hoof on the block. The ponies, blarks, and dell dwellers on the risers quieted.

“We now know the witches are holding the five missing girls from the other universe captive as stone statues,” Spearhead said. “We need ideas for rescuing them and returning them to flesh and blood.”

A brilliant white hoof went into the air belonging to a unicorn mare with a straight, dark purple mane streaked with blue. It was their surgeon, Glory, meaning a medical question was on its way.

“What is it, Glory?” Spearhead asked.

“We believe they’ve been like this for more than a year,” Glory said. “Are we sure they’re even still alive?”

“The transformed parts of our bodies were still living tissue,” Geiger Counter replied. “In terms of their physical condition, they should be alive.”

“Even if they’re alive,” Ribbon said, “what state would their minds be in after fifteen moons like that?”

“These are things we can only know when we get to examine them,” Monsoon said. “Obviously, our Ground Bridge is the best way to send in and extract the rescue team and the captives.”

“Hold on there a minute,” Auger shouted.

Everyone turned to the particularly heavyset dell dweller sitting towards the back. He scowled forward with his arms crossed. “Don’t forget you gave Administrator Derrick your word you would not use the ground bridge for aggression.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Spearhead said. “This is a rescue mission.”

“Then no weapons,” Auger said flatly.

“Done,” Spearhead replied.

A collective gasp went through the meeting hall.

“With all due respect, Governor,” Rosetta said, “sending the rescue team in with no weapons is insane. We’re sending them to face the witches on their home turf.”

“No, we’re sending them to save these girls,” Spearhead said. “If anything, turning this into a shooting war would put them in needless danger, so my standing order is to avoid contact with the witches as much as possible.”

“Then might I suggest we execute the mission when the witches would be asleep?” Wind Whistler asked.

An aura surrounded Echo’s horn. “And be back before nightfall!” her recording of Hydia’s voice shouted. “I need my ugly sleep!”

“Uh…thank you, Echo,” Wind Whistler said, a little unsettled by her interruption.

“That means we should go at night,” Moondancer said, adjusting her shoulders. “Not the ideal time for us either, but at least we’re expecting it.”

“There’s also another problem,” Hurricane said. “Their castle is in the crater of that volcano. If we’re even a meter off with the ground bridge, we could send the rescue team right into boiling lava.”

“It could be pegasi only,” Firefly suggested.

“I should be there to make sure they’re still in those statues,” Ribbon said.

“I also want to go,” Magic Star said. “This is a rare opportunity to investigate the witches’ arsenal of magic.”

“I’m also going,” Sunset Shimmer said forcefully. “If you’re going against witches, you should have a unicorn who specializes in magic.”

“We also need to get these poor dears back to Dream Valley,” Truly added.

“What we need is a beacon for the ground bridge to lock on to,” Monsoon said. “Two would be even better.”

“The transponders in the radios,” Hurricane said. “We need two pegasi to fly to the Volcano of Gloom to tag it. I volunteer.”

“So do I,” Lofty chimed in.

“Any other volunteers?” Spearhead asked.

“If we aren’t using weapons, I suppose I should come along,” Moondancer said.

“I’ll also go as the mission commander,” Wind Whistler said.

“If you’re going,” Gusty said, “then we’re going.” She pointed to Fizzy and Shady.

“I think ten ponies is a suitable rescue force,” Spearhead said.

“What about blarks and dell dwellers?” Scrapper asked.

“This should be ponies only,” Spearhead said. “We’re protected from dark magic, so we have less to worry about from the witches.”

“Then comes the next problem,” Glory said. “How do we return them to flesh and blood?”

“The water from the waterfall obviously,” Topsoil said. “Just standing in the valley as it flowed cured us. We can take some with us and pour it on them.”

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll need to take them back to the ground bridge as stone,” Wind Whistler said. “I’m not sure how we’ll accomplish that.”

“Then you might need my help,” a voice said.

A cloud of mist appeared and materialized into Twilight Mist. The unicorn mare had a pink coat and a straight, white mane streaked with dark purple.

“Ah, Twilight Mist,” Spearhead said graciously, “so good of you to grace us with your presence for once.”

“The subject of the meeting interested me for once,” Twilight replied. “I can teleport them wherever you need.”

“Then it’s all settled,” Spearhead said. “Make your preparations. We begin at twenty-two hundred hours tonight.”

“Yes, governor,” everyone said at once.

---

Hurricane scanned the horizon. Fortunately, the night was clear so he could tell where the ground ended and the sky began by where the stars were. With the moons down, the Land of Nightmares was completely black below them, with no discernible features. Even Lofty was nothing but a black, pony-shaped silhouette against the starry sky.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more thankful to have been born with wings,” Hurricane said. “You couldn’t pay me to try moving around down there.”

“I know,” Lofty replied. “It’s great to just be able to fly over it all.”

Hurricane faced forward. The ground began to rise toward them in several craggy peaks, as a volcano loomed ahead, taller than all the rest. The volcano’s crater billowed dark smoke which was illuminated from underneath by a reddish-orange glow.

“That must be it,” Hurricane said. “The thermals can mess up your lift, so be careful as we get close.”

They flew towards the crater. Hurricane took deep breaths as the air got thinner.

“How are you holding up?” Lofty asked, apparently not affected by the altitude.

“I’ll manage,” Hurricane replied. “You seem to be doing fine.”

“I grew up in the mountains, so I’m used to it,” Lofty said.

They came to the rim of the crater. The heat hit Hurricane like he had just opened a blast furnace and he coughed on the stench of sulfur. He squinted as his eyes stung, but managed to make out the castle and the bridge leading to it.

“We should follow the bridge,” Lofty said.

“No arguments here,” Hurricane replied.

The air over the bridge was still noticeably hot, but bearable. There was also barely a scent of sulfur. Hurricane followed Lofty to the front of the ramshackle castle. She planted her hooves at the front door and Hurricane landed behind her.

The only thing of notice was the mat in front of the door stating “BUZZ OFF”. “Friendly,” Hurricane commented.

Lofty looked around the large area in front of the castle. “There should be plenty of room. Let’s call it in.”

Hurricane touched the button on his headset. “This is Hurricane calling in.”

Static answered. He could make out some garbled words from Monsoon. “—read you—no—signal.”

Hurricane groaned. “They’re not getting our signals.”

“I wonder why,” Lofty said.

“Whatever spell the witches have up to deflect the heat and gas away is probably scattering our radio signals,” Hurricane grumbled. “We’ll have to go to the rim.” He heaved a sigh. “That means we’ll have to get those girls to the rim to return home.”

Lofty sighed. “It’s never easy, is it?”

“At least we don’t have to start at the foot of the volcano.” Hurricane trotted down the bridge. It was fortunately broad, so it was not like they would be running down a narrow line where a slip meant a lava bath.

He came to some large rocks on either side of the bridge at the rim of the crater. “Get behind the rock on the right. “I’ll get behind the rock on the left. Hopefully we will get a signal here.”

Hurricane got behind the rock and touched the headset again. “Can you hear me now?”

“Loud and clear,” Monsoon replied over the headset.

Hurricane heaved a sigh of relief.

“What happened?” Monsoon asked.

“We can’t get a signal next to the castle,” Hurricane said. “We had to go to the rim. Are you picking up our transponders?”

“We’re picking them up just fine now,” Monsoon said.

“Well, the bridge is right in between us,” Hurricane said. “You can send in the team at your leisure.”

---

Sunset Shimmer watched the center screen. There were two red dots on the bluish-purple display with a space between them. A box pointed to the dot on the right with Hurricane’s cutie mark of two red and black storm flags up a flagpole and three red hurricane symbols around it. Another box pointed to the one of the left with Lofty’s cutie mark of a pink hot air balloon surrounded by five red stars. A red targeting sight appeared between them.

“Coordinates set,” Monsoon said.

“Then we just need Magic Star to get here with the water,” Spearhead said.

“I’m here,” Magic Star shouted as she galloped into the chamber with a five liter jug to her side. “I got the water right from the spring. Hopefully it will be powerful enough.”

“Especially since we’ll have to pick you up at the rim,” Spearhead said. He turned to Monsoon. “Prepare to open the ground bridge.”

Sunset Shimmer the other members of the team gather at the mouth of the dead end tunnel opposite the screen and platform with the controls. Wind Whistler checked a set of saddlebags, and straightened a headset connected to the left bag by a cord.

Seeing all this technology well past anything she had seen before made Sunset Shimmer wonder if these were Equestrian ponies. Though, this was a different world, and she knew you had to adapt to your surroundings. When in Rome do what the Romans do, was an old saying.

However, she wondered how standing in this chamber would get them anywhere. “So this thing will take us to the volcano?” she asked Wind Whistler.

Wind Whistler turned back to her. “Yes, this device works on a similar principle as the mirror.”

“Open the ground bridge,” Spearhead said.

The inside of the rings lit up in sequence as a sound of something revving up filled the chamber. With a sound like a garbled clap, the tunnel filled with a vortex of light and color, with a gentle buzzing coming from it. Sunset Shimmer looked on, her mouth hanging open. The others ran up the ramp.

Gusty knocked into her. “Are you going to gawk at it or move out?”

“Right.” Sunset Shimmer ran after her up the ramp. The ponies ahead of her disappeared. The vortex seemed to engulf her, and suddenly a trail of rock leading to a castle appeared before her.

She planted her hooves on solid ground and looked back at the vortex swirling between the two rocks. It collapsed away into nothing.

Wind Whistler pushed a button on a watch around her pastern. “Thirty minutes and counting.”

Gusty looked over the edge and backed up a step.

“Just don’t look down, Gusty,” Fizzy said.

“Of course we have to cross a bridge,” Gusty said with a quiver to her voice.

“I know a half hour seems like a long time,” Magic Star said, “but there’s no guarantee this water will work here, or how long it will take if it does.”

“Agreed,” Wind Whistler said, “head into the castle and remember the point is to avoid contact with the witches.”

The walk across the bridge was easy enough, but Gusty seemed uncharacteristically tepid. She stayed as close to the middle as possible despite plenty of room and set her hooves down carefully. They finally got to the spire and the shabby-looking castle.

Wind Whistler pushed on the door and it swung open.

“They don’t bother to lock the door?” Hurricane asked.

“They live in a volcano in the middle of a wasteland populated by monsters,” Gusty stated. “It’s not like they normally have visitors.”

“Is anyone awake in there?” Lofty asked.

Wind Whistler looked in, but everything looked dark from Sunset Shimmer’s view. “I don’t see any activity.”

Sunset Shimmer walked past her. “Then let’s go in and find them.”

Sunset Shimmer was quickly engulfed in darkness as she entered. It was around room temperature inside, but the air was stale and thick with the stench of rotten food and body odor covered with sulfur. Ribbon turned on a lantern to provide some light.

Hurricane gagged. “I thought my college dorm reeked.”

“I wonder where the witches are,” Fizzy thought out loud.

“I can find out.” Twilight disappeared in a shower of mist.

Ribbon set the lantern down in the middle of the room. It illuminated a room as shabby as the exterior. Much the construction utilized natural rock, and the stone blocks making up the artificial structures were covered in pocks. The furniture was worn and placed in a random pattern.

The ponies spread through the castle, their hooffalls echoing off the walls. Sunset Shimmer followed Magic Star as she looked through a bunch of artifacts.

“I’ve never met an earth pony interested in magic,” Sunset Shimmer said.

“Well, I’m glad to be the first,” Magic Star replied. She shook her head. “There’s no telling what’s a magic charm and what’s a piece of junk in this sty.”

“It’s the staircase farthest from the door we want, right?” Moondancer came out from behind a corner. “Because I think I found it.”

Twilight appeared and spat out a pair of keys. “The witches shouldn’t give us any trouble.”

Wind Whistler checked her watch. “Then let’s head down.”

Ribbon picked up the lantern and led the way down the hall to a staircase in a wall of natural rock. The staircase wound through a tunnel and ended at the opening of a chamber. The walls were covered in all sorts of melee weapons, and the next chamber had seemingly every torture device imaginable.

“I bet they have some wild parties,” Gusty joked, but her weak laugh afterward betrayed how she was just as unsettled by the sight as everyone else.

“Check this out.” Hurricane picked up a brown sack and looked into it. “It’s like it doesn’t end in there.”

Ribbon brought the lantern back to him, and Wind Whistler and Sunset Shimmer joined them. The brown burlap was unremarkable from the outside with 'PROPERTY OF THE MOOCHICK' printed in black as the only marking.

“Should we take it with us?” Hurricane asked.

“I wouldn’t,” Wind Whistler said. “We shouldn’t trifle anything we don’t have to.”

Hurricane shrugged and through the bag on the table.

They walked through the torture chamber and into a gallery of paintings. These paintings were even more unsettling than the weapons and torture devices. They seemed to follow them with their eyes as they made their way to a stone door at the end.

Sunset Shimmer remembered getting used to that other world. It did not hold a candle to this place, with strange technology on one side and dark magic on the other. However, a part of her actually relished all this oddness. Since she had stopped trying to control everything, the mirror world seemed rather dull. This world was anything but.

Ribbon pushed on a switch and the stone door pivoted open. She walked inside and Sunset Shimmer followed with the others.

Sunset Shimmer gasped when she saw the stone animals crowded on shelves and lined up against the walls. She then saw the five girls in the middle.

Sunset Shimmer walked up to them, sobbing quietly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” It was probably the most sincere thing she had ever said. A year and half ago she could not have cared about these five or the consequences of taking Twilight’s Element of Harmony. It hurt that after coming so far her reckless actions had come back to haunt her and hurt perhaps the only five people in that world who cared about her.

An aura surrounded Ribbon’s horn and she waved it over the statues. “They’re still in there. However, they’re in the deepest mode of sleep. They’re not even dreaming.”

“Interesting,” Wind Whistler said. “Perhaps the transformation made it impossible for them to maintain consciousness, so they have gone into a state of suspended animation.”

“What do we do?” Sunset Shimmer asked wiping a tear from her eye, “dump the water on them?”

“Basically.” Magic Star gave Lofty the jog. “Pour a liter on each of them.”

“Okay.” Lofty hovered above the alternate of Rainbow Dash and opened the jug. She poured water on Rainbow Dash and then moved down the line until she poured the last of it on Fluttershy.

Nothing seemed to happen as the water ran down them.

“What now?” Moondancer asked.

“We wait until we have ten minutes left,” Wind Whistler said. “Then we take them back to the pickup site and expose them to the spring directly.”

“What about all of the animals?” Lofty asked.

“I’m not sensing much from them, but animals are harder to read,” Ribbon said.

“We could stuff them in that forever bag I found,” Hurricane said.

Wind Whistler scanned the room and all the animals. “I suppose we can rescue these animals as well since we’re here. Get the bag and gather them up.”

“Be back in a flash.” Hurricane ran out of the room.

---

Heart Throb came to the wall of the ground bridge chamber and turned around to pace to the other wall.

“You’ll wear a trench in the floor,” Bow-Tie commented.

Heart Throb glanced to the earthling mare with a blue coat and yellow bows tied into the sides of her long, curly, pink mane. She then glanced up at Monsoon at the control panel. “How much longer, Monsoon?”

“We’re a little more than halfway through the recharge cycle,” Monsoon answered.

“And you’re sure you can’t even talk to them?” Heart Throb asked.

Monsoon shook his head. “Something about that castle scrambles our radio signals.”

Heart Throb sighed. “I’m all for drama, but I hate not knowing.”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Bow-Tie said.

“I’m not talking about their safety,” Heart Throb replied. “I have full faith in them. I’m talking about Wind Whistler and Hurricane. This is the first time they’ve been together for any significant period of time, and I want to know what it will do for their budding relationship.”

“Really, Heart Throb?” Bow-Tie snapped. “This is a rescue mission, not a pleasure cruise.”

“You never know what adversity can do to a developing relationship,” Heart Throb pointed out.

Bow-Tie rolled her eyes.

---

Wind Whistler watched the digital display tick down from 10:00 to 09:59. She looked at the statues that were still completely stone. “All right, put them in the bag and let’s get return to the pickup point.”

“Wait.” Ribbon pointed to Rainbow Dash.

The statue’s mane was gaining color and returning to hair. The others began to transform from the top down. They wobbled and slouched as their bodies regained their mobility.

<When I get my hands—> Applejack stopped and looked around. <Where are we?>

<Look at the ponies!> Pinkie Pie pointed at Wind Whistler.

Rarity kneeled to look Sunset Shimmer in the eye. <Is that you, Sunset Shimmer?>

<It’s me,> Sunset Shimmer, a relieved smile forming on her face. <This is the real me.>

<I told you this was Equestria!> Pinkie shouted.

Gusty shushed her. <Keep it down.>

<We can discuss it when we’re out of here.> Wind Whistler pointed at her watch. She turned to Hurricane and Moondancer putting a quail in the bag. <What about the animals?>

<We got them all.> Hurricane pulled the string of the bag closed and gave it to Ribbon. <Let’s make like a wind storm and blow.>

Fluttershy made herself as small as possible and looked from side to side nervously. <What about those ugly, pink women?>

<That’s why we need to get out of here,> Wind Whistler said.

She turned to the door. Hoof and footsteps echoed behind her as they made their way through the gallery, the torture chamber, and the armory. They made their way up the stairs. They just had to leave the castle and reach the rim.

“This has actually gone smoothly,” Shady said.

Wind Whistler reached the top of the stairs and something ran into her. The light from the lantern illuminated Hydia’s face, framed by her hair in pink curlers and covered in a mud mask.

Wind Whistler was so startled she hovered into the air. Her heart pounded in her chest as Hydia got her bearings.

“Gah!” Hydia choked. “You locked my door.”

“You wouldn’t believe this is a nightmare, would you?” Hurricane asked with a grin.

Hydia grimaced until her lips curled. “Reeka! Draggle!” she shrieked. “We have a pony infestation!”

<Run for it!> Magic Star shouted.

Wind Whistler flew towards the front of the castle, with everyone close behind.

“You just had to jinx it, didn’t you, Shady?” Gusty growled.

---

Hydia ran to the door of Reeka and Draggle’s room. She summoned fire on every torch in the castle to provide light. Bangs came at the door as it shook. The door burst open and Reeka came out holding Draggle horizontally.

“Why did I have to be the battering ram?” Draggle complained as she rubbed her head.

“Because your head’s harder,” Reeka snapped.

“Shut up and get the Jar!” Hydia barked.

Draggle swallowed. “The J-j-j-jar?” she stuttered.

“And be quick about it!” Hydia snapped.

---

Wind Whistler rounded the corner with the rest of the rescue team and escaped captives close behind her. She caught sight of the front door and checked her watch as it ticked past 03:00. They were practically home free.

“I thought you took care of the witches,” Gusty snapped at Twilight.

“I locked them up,” Twilight huffed. “What more do you want from me?”

“Just shut up and run,” Wind Whistler said. “In three minutes this will all be academic.”

A red light came from behind her and she felt something attempting to drag at her but slipping off. She looked back. The bow in her tail as well as the other’s bows and Hurricane’s kerchief were glowing with a blue light. They all stopped and looked back.

The humanoids flew backwards towards the source of the light. Their shrieks got higher pitched as they shrank in size and disappeared into the light. The light faded to reveal Hydia holding a jar with the five miniature girls inside. She slammed the stopper on it and let out a loud cackle.

“What did you do to them?” Magic Star asked harshly.

Hydia grinned. “I just wanted to make sure they were safe. We can’t let any filthy equines take our collection.”

“But why didn’t it work on the ponies?” Reeka asked.

“We’re protected from your magic,” Magic Star declared.

Hydia’s grin broadened. “You are, are you? I might not be able to cast a spell on you—” Hydia shot a beam at a stalactite that fell and everyone scattered to avoid as it shattered on the floor with a thunderous crash and sent rock flying everywhere “—but I bet I can kill you the old fashioned way.”

Three stone fists erupted from the floor holding a mace, a ripple-bladed sword, and a club. Hydia took the sword while Draggle took the mace and Reeka took the club.

“We still outnumber you almost four to one.” An aura surrounded Sunset Shimmer’s horn.

Hydia held up the jar. “I wouldn’t be so gun ho, my little pony. If this jar is cracked even the tiniest bit, they’ll never return to their normal size.”

Rainbow Dash had been pounding on the glass, but Applejack pulled her away.

“Now, I want you off this world,” Hydia said. “Leave, and I might consider restoring these girls.”

“How about we stick around and take them with us?” Gusty blasted a gust of wind at Hydia. The wind knocked her and her daughters down and blew the jar into the air.

“Catch it, Fizzy!” Gusty shouted.

“I got it.” Fizzy summoned her magic and a bubble surrounded the jar. The jar floated to her.

“And I got the witches.” Shady bucked a lever. The winch attached to it spun as the chandelier held up by the rope fell on the witches.

“Nice move, Shady.” Gusty held out her hoof.

“Thanks.” Shady smacked it.

“Come on.” Wind Whistler flew to the door.

She was almost happy to be hit by the heat of the outside as she came out into the open. She checked her watch in time for it to tick past 00:30. She then looked back at the others running out of the castle. She flew over them as they ran down the bridge.

“Can we go home now?” Fizzy huffed.

Wind Whistler checked her watches. It was down to 00:15. She looked up as Hurricane and Lofty hovered at the rocks marking the rim.

“Get those ponies!” Hydia shouted from behind them. “Don’t let them escape!”

Wind Whistler looked back. Hydia, Reeka, and Draggle ran out of the castle and down the bridge.

She then heard beeping. She looked at her watch which was flashing 00:00. A beep came from her headset. She touched the button and answered, “Wind Whistler.”

“We’re ready to bring you back,” Monsoon said over the headset.

“Stand by,” Wind Whistler replied.

She looked down to Moondancer. “Can you slow them up?”

“Piece of cake,” Moondancer replied.

An aura surrounded her horn. The witches staggered as they seemed to have a harder time moving. They finally fell to the ground and tried to push themselves up.

“I feel like I weigh a ton,” Reeka groaned.

“How’s that any different from normal?” Draggle asked.

“Open the ground bridge!” Wind Whistler shouted into the headset.

The vortex of color appeared between the rocks. Hurricane took the jar in the bubble and flew in. The others ran into it and disappeared.

Wind Whistler looked down at Moondancer. “We’re clear.”

Moondancer cancelled her magic.

---

Hydia felt the sudden heaviness leave her. She got to a kneeling position and watched the last two ponies. The white unicorn jumped into the vortex that had formed at the rim. The blue pegasus turned and disappeared into the vortex as it collapsed to nothing.

Hydia stood there as her brain tried to piece together the events of the past few minutes. All that came to her was rage: rage at the ponies who come to their fortress, rage at the ponies stole her collection, rage that they humiliated her and her daughters, and especially rage that they were able to get away. Her face burned so hot it made the heat off the volcano seem cool in comparison. She let it all out in a primal shriek that echoed off the walls of the crater.

---

Spearhead faced forward as the vortex formed into the tunnel. The chamber was silent except for the buzzing. After a split second that felt so much longer, the rescue team appeared and walked or flew down the tunnel. He saw no humanoids, though. Instead, Ribbon had a sack slung across her back and Hurricane held a jar in his pasterns.

Wind Whistler quickly followed Moondancer as the last pony to return. The vortex faded as they reached the mouth and the machinery revved down.

“I don’t see any humanoids,” Spearhead said as his eyes adjusted to the dimness.

“You need to look a bit harder.” Hurricane hovered in front of him and showed him the jar. Miniature, humanoid versions of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s court stood in the jar. Fluttershy hid behind Applejack.

Wind Whistler landed in front of Spearhead. “Unfortunately, the witches used the jar to capture them before we could make good on our escape, and I have no solutions to the conundrum of returning them to their typical stature.”

“I have an idea!” Fizzy chirped.

She used to her magic to take the jar out of Hurricane’s pasterns and bring it to herself. She wrapped her pasterns around it and took out the stopper with her magic. Wind Whistler audibly gasped as Fizzy reached into the jar and scooped the five girls up.

Fizzy set the girls on the ground and took several steps back. A blue light surrounded them and they enlarged to a height more typical of human adolescents.

Wind Whistler’s lower jaw was hanging slack from her head. “Fizzy,” she managed to say, “what made you think of that?”

Fizzy looked to Wind Whistler and giggled. “Well, it’s a jar, and I figured if you take out whatever’s in the jar it would return to normal.”

Wind Whistler stood there in dumbstruck silence. She then smacked her hoof on her forehead. “The logic is so rudimentary I’m embarrassed to have not even entertained it.”

Spearhead chuckled. “Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one, Lieutenant Governor.”

Fizzy put the stopper back on the jar. “What should we do with it?”

“I’ll put it in my dangerous magic collection,” Magic Star said. “It should be safe there.”

<Can somebody explain what’s goin’ on here?> Applejack asked in Equestrian.

<And in a language we can understand?> Rainbow Dash added.

<I told you,> Pinkie Pie said eagerly, <We’re in Equestria.>

<Maybe we should step outside,> Spearhead said, recalling the old language. <There’s something you need to see.>

Spearhead led them up the tunnel to the surface.

<I’m not sure this is Equestria, Pinkie,> Fluttershy said timidly behind him. <Did you see all weird equipment in there? When Twilight was in our world, she couldn’t use a computer if her life depended on it.>

<Since I’ve never been to your world, I’m assuming you’re talking about Princess Twilight Sparkle,> Twilight Mist commented.

<So, you’re Twilight too?> Pinkie Pie asked.

<It’s a common name among unicorns,> Twilight answered. <That is, it’s often a compound name. I’m Twilight Mist.>

They reached the doors to the outside. The five gasped at the same time as they caught sight of the rungs arching over the sky with the shadow almost due south.

<Simply gorgeous,> Rarity gushed.

<They’re down at the moment,> Hurricane said, <but you should see the moons.>

<You mean there’s more than one?> Fluttershy asked.

<I’m pretty sure Twilight only mentioned one moon in Equestria,> Rainbow Dash said.

<This isn’t Equestria,> Spearhead said as he turned back to them. <This is a world between yours and ours. We’re only a small scouting team.>

<I guess Equestria wouldn’t be too safe with those witches runnin’ around,> Applejack said.

<There’s more,> Wind Whistler said in a solemn voice. <You were captured by those witches and transformed into stone. You’ve been missing for fifteen moons.>

The five gasped in shock.

<You mean we’ve been here more than a year?> Fluttershy choked.

Tears welled up in Applejack’s eyes. <What about our families and friends?>

<They think you’re all dead I’m afraid,> Sunset Shimmer said, with a clear pain in her voice.

The five slouched. Fluttershy sobbed and Rainbow Dash patted her back to try to comfort her, but she had a dour expression herself.

<However, you’re still very much alive, and can return home presently,> Wind Whistler said. <The mirror in this world is linked to yours.>

<But, won’t everyone think it’s strange we suddenly just appear?> Fluttershy asked. <They’ll want to know what happened to us.>

<Then we’ll tell them the truth,> Hurricane said, rubbing his hoof on his chin.

---

Wind Whistler came out of the statue and planted her hind legs. She took a moment to make sure she had her balance. She looked back as the five girls stepped out of the statue and looked around.

<I never thought I would be happy to see this place,> Rainbow Dash commented. <Does this mean we have to take another year of high school?>

<Sis!> a girl with light yellow skin and a red mane tied in a bow ran from a group around Sunset Shimmer and Hurricane. She practically tackled Applejack. <It’s really you.>

<It sure is Applebloom.> Applejack held Applebloom at arm’s length. <Boy, you’ve gotten big.>

A large, young man with pink skin and a short, blond mane walked up behind Applejack and picked her up to give her a hug.

<Great to see you too, Big Macintosh,> Applejack choked.

<What was it like being kidnapped?> Applebloom asked.

<Kidnappened?> Applejack asked rhetorically as Big Macintosh put her down. She looked to Hurricane who nodded. <I don’t remember much except these good people rescued us and put those kidnappers in their place.>

Hurricane and Sunset Shimmer walked up to Wind Whistler. Hurricane had gained a pair of loose fitting shorts coming down to his knees to go with his shirt. His mane was short, but had a long tail tied at the back of his neck.

<Yes,> Wind Whistler said. <We discovered a radical group holding them, and freed them.>

<They even gave us a chance to clean up and a good meal before bringing us home,> Applejack said.

Applebloom looked to Wind Whistler and the others. <You guys are gonna the town’s heroes. The local news is going to want to interview you, and the Mayor’ll probably give you the key to the city.>

<That sounds great, but we can’t stick around.> Hurricane threw down a ball that exploded into a ball of thick, black smoke. He walked to the statue. “Let’s go.”

He passed through the statue. Wind Whistler jumped in and went through the transition that had become second nature the fourth time around, even transforming from humanoid to pony.

She came into the ballroom as a pony and fluttered to land softly.

Hurricane walked up to Spearhead. “We got away before drawing too much attention.”

“Good,” Spearhead replied. “It’s best the denizens of that world do not know what’s here. We don’t need the curious or adventurous popping in at every other lunar conjunction.”

Spearhead turned to Sunset Shimmer looking at the mirror. “Aren’t you staying in that world?”

“No.” Sunset Shimmer turned away from the mirror. “I realize now my place has been with ponies. Equestria was too constrictive for my tastes, but the colony you’re setting up sounds interesting, and I want in.”

“Very well,” Spearhead said. “Welcome to Equestria Nova.”

Spearhead walked towards the staircase and Sunset Shimmer followed. Wind Whistler watched them exit through the door.

She heard Hurricane clear his throat and turned back to him. He pawed the floor bashfully and clearly had something on his mind. “You looked very nice as a human.”

Wind Whistler blushed. “Thank you. You’re quiet handsome as one too.”

Hurricane swallowed. “I know it’s going to be a media circus there for the rest of the night and morning, but maybe we could possibly take in more of that world together in the evening.”

Wind Whistler smiled. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Well, when rescuers had a particularly stressful mission, we would go out on the town to unwind,” Hurricane said, scratching the back of his head. “I figured we could do the same.” He stopped and heaved a sigh. “Yes. I’m asking you out on a date. I’ve wanted to for the past several weeks, but there’s nowhere that both comfortable and private around here especially with Heart Throb on the prowl. I figure since the mirror is open we could take advantage of it.

“It would just be a small date, nothing too elaborate. Maybe we can have dinner together and perhaps even take in one of their films if any of them interest you. Do you want to come?”

Wind Whistler giggled like she was a schoolfilly. “Of course I’ll come.”

“Really?” Hurricane asked with a cautious grin.

Wind Whistler nodded with a smile.

Hurricane laughed and did a flip into the air. He flew up the staircase through the door.

Wind Whistler exhaled a sigh as she relaxed. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her. That answered the question she been putting off regarding Hurricane reciprocating her feelings. It would also be a welcome distraction after this night’s excitement.

It’s strange how one could go from flying for their life to looking forward to a date in a matter of hours, she thought.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay. I did a massive rewrite of the whole story to tighten up the plot a bit. Check out the other chapters to see the changes.

Comments

[ColdGoldLazarus]

Yet another good chapter; and I'll try and take a look at the changes to the others soon.

Also, WHEE SUNSET SHIMMER I'm done now.