Rainbow Connection

by ahilty

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Apple Bloom felt someone nudging her with a hoof. She groaned. “Aww, come’on Big Mac, just five more minutes?”

“Apple Bloom, wake up!” It was Sweetie Bell’s voice, not her big brother’s. Apple Bloom groaned again and rolled, searching for her covers to pull over her. Instead she found herself tumbling from her bed. Something grabbed her by the waist and lifted her before she could reach her floorboards. Startled she opened her eyes and…

Fiddlesticks, last night wasn’t a horrible dream after all. She blinked tiredly at the human, who was smiling at her in gentle amusement. He set her back on his horse friend’s back, who looked behind them and whickered gently.

“Ha ha, very funny.” Apple Bloom grumped at Far Stride. The horse smiled at her, and jerked his head forwards. Apple Bloom looked up and blinked.

“Huh…not exactly Canterlot, is it?”

“Naw, but I like it! It’s…cool!” Scootaloo grinned. Apple Bloom snorted. She knew that Scoots’ humbling from last night wouldn’t last to long, but hopefully she wouldn’t do anything like this again…or at least not something quite this stupid again. Scootaloo was, in general, good at learning her lessons. It was quite interesting that the only thing all three of the fillies were bad at learning was the way to get their Cutie Marks. But that is a whole different kettle of fish. Either way, Scootaloo was good at getting into trouble, but at least it was different kinds of trouble.

To bad this was the biggest, worst bit of trouble she had gotten the three of them into.

Still, Scootaloo did have a point. Before them was a castle, made of normal grey stone. It was of a simple, but functional design, from what she could see from atop the horse. It had four tall towers at each corner of its long square walls, that encircled…insquared?, a simple square building in the middle. Apple Bloom wasn’t an expert in castles, but it looked really simple and plain compared to the sight of Canterlot Castle. Not that Apple Bloom knew Canterlot Castle that well, but the tour to Canterlot that one time had left Apple Bloom with a general impression. Canterlot Castle was tall, impressive and fancy. This was a fort with mild delusions of grandeur.

Apple Bloom looked around. They appeared to be in a small valley, a the forest from last night behind them. Another thing that Apple Bloom failed to notice up till now was the fact that they appeared to be trotting through a village. The buildings were almost Ponyvillian in design, save for the fact that each building lacked the personal expression that characterized Ponyville. You would not expect to see a Sugar Cube Corners here. You would be lucky to find a saloon without dirt on the floors. Still, from the fact that there were huymans everywhere, coming out of their shops and homes and waving cheerfully at them, gave the place a bright feel, even if it was what Rarity would call ‘excessively dirty.’

“Hey, look at those huymans!” Sweetie Bell pointed at a small group wearing green and brown tunics. “They have pointy ears!

“Huh…wonder if it’s like the difference between pony types?” Apple Bloom wondered. She watched as one of the pointy eared huymans rushed over to their huyman and bowed. He chattered rather frantically at their human. Their huyman blinked and spoke a single word. “Scree?” The huyman frowned and spoke more rapidly at Mr. Pointy.

Their huyman nodded and shouted at a few humans wearing metal chain shirts and goofy looking helms that came to a ridiculous point. Apple Bloom thought it was the silliest armor she had ever seen. Still, the armored humans saluted and bowed at their huyman, and one of them shouted a bit more. The guard huymans spread out, apparently on alert for something.

“What’s up with them?” Scootaloo asked.

“They’re acting like they’re nervous…not sure I like this.” Apple Bloom said.

“Think we’re in danger?” Scootaloo tensed a bit, and started a bit when the huyman gave her a little scratch behind the ears. She blinked owlishly and relaxed. “…okay, you keep doing that…”

Sweetie Bell chuckled. “Awww, you’re turning into Opal, Scootaloo!”

“Hey, we can’t all levitate backscratchers.” Scootaloo replied.

“Ya can’t just use a tree?”

“I don’t see a tree handy. He is though.” Scootaloo grinned at the huyman. “Thanks!” The huyman gave the little pegasus a gentle smile.

“…I really hope this guy doesn’t turn out bad…” Sweetie Bell said.

“…huh?” Scootaloo looked at her.

“Well you know those books in Twilight’s library on the school book list, the ones about knights and stuff? You know, questing? Well in almost all of em theirs always this really evil temptress or something that lures the heroes into her evil web so she can lull them to sleep and then suck their eyeballs out!” Sweetie Bell’s eyes widened with each word, and a few of those squeaks escaped her. Scootaloo shivered.

“Now Big Mac says ya shouldn’t judge a pony before ya get ta know em.” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah, but he’s not a pony.” Sweetie Bell pointed out.

“He sort of is.” Scootaloo tapped Far Stride’s head, whose ears wiggled.

“He’s a HORSE.” Sweetie Bell said.

“Nopony’s perfect.”

By this time the point was moot as they had just crossed the drawbridge and entered the courtyard of the castle.

“We’re just gonna havta keep alert.” Apple Bloom said.

Apple Bloom looked around as the huymans in the courtyard bowed to their huyman, and to the horse. A few delighted cries and waves accompanied the bows. Their huyman bellowed a name out, and leaped off the horse. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell jumped off as well.

“Thanks!” Sweetie Bell squeaked at the horse, who nodded as if he could understand them. He whinnied at a few humans and trotted towards a stable. The humans rushed to follow him. He turned his head and said something to his huyman as he entered the stable.

The huyman waved at the fillies to follow them, and headed for the big building in the center. Apple Bloom looked around. One the west side of the keep was group of huymans wearing the same armor theirs was, practicing fighting moves with wooden swords. Alongside them were a few horses and donkeys and even a camel or two, practicing their bucking and rearing.

“Think they’re expecting trouble?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Maybe…maybe that lizard wasn’t the only one?” Scootaloo wasn’t going to give that thing the name dragon.

“I hope not…” Sweetie Bell lowered her ears.

The building itself was a plain on the inside as it was on the outside. Everything was oversized and tall, meant for huymans and maybe horses, but not for small ponies like the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but Apple Bloom supposed that if they were full sized it might be a bit more accessible. Weapons of various varieties lined the walls, most of them crossed. There were banners hanging on the walls, red banners with a pair of bat wings spread wide, hovering over a sword. Apple Bloom had no idea what that ment.

Still, they followed the huyman down a hallway and up a flight of stairs. Apple Bloom sniffed the air.

“Hey!” She sped up. “Ah I know that smell! It’s like Zecora’s! Someone’s brewin’ up a potion!”

“Hey! Think they are taking us to a zebra?”

“Maybe!” Apple Bloom grinned. She had developed an appreciation for potions. The idea of being around them once again was like a relieving balm of fresh air. Something familiar and close to home that she could cling to. She was at the huyman’s heels as he pushed the door open and spoke to the person inside.

Apple Bloom stopped, a but disappointed. Yes the person inside was brewing a potion, but it was not a zebra. It was…a cat. A female, in fact, that wore a long dress, and of course was on its hind legs. In fact, she seemed just as bipedal as the huyman. She turned, looked at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and looked up at the huyman. She folded her arms and babbled at him.

The human pointed at them and babbled back. The cat alchemist looked at the CMC, then at the huyman, then leaned down. She babbled at the fillies.

“Er, hi. You’re makin’ a potion? I like potions. You might want a dash of that herb right there.” Apple Bloom leaped on the table where the cat had been brewing and pointed her hoof at a small green flower. Then pointed at the cauldron. The cat blinked, then grinned, a slight purr coming to her throat. She nodded at Apple Bloom, but didn’t go for the flower. Instead she let the cauldron simmer and walked over to a shelf.

The room, along with a cauldron and the table where the cat had piled up the ingrediants for the potion she was making, had long shelves on each wall, on the left were bottled ingredients and powered things, and on the other side were completed, bottled and labled potions. The cat rummaged a bit, then came out with a dusty bottle. She blew on it, then dusted it off a bit. The cat walked over to Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, opened the bottle, and sprinked some sparkling dust on their heads. The two sneezed, and the cat approached and did the same to Apple Bloom, who sneezed as well.

“What is that!” Sweetie Bell sneezed again.

“There, I can understand you now. Can you understand me?” The cat asked as she replaced the bottle.

“Hey! I can understand you!” Sweetie Bell smiled. “Thanks! How come you can’t do that, Apple Bloom?”

“Hey, Zecora ain’t taught me that one yet!” Apple Bloom objected. “Ah’m just startin’ ya know!”

“Is this Zecora your teacher?” The cat asked.

“Yeah! Well…one of em. Twilight Sparkle teaches us too! And we go ta normal school too!” Apple Bloom grinned. “Oh, by the way, Ah’m Apple Bloom! My friends down there are Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell!” She pointed at each filly, who chimed in with a squeaky ‘hi’ and a ‘yo’ respectively.

The cat nodded. “I’m Catrina. Always nice to meet a group of young ponies.”

“You’re an alchemist?” Apple Bloom peered at the cauldron.

“No, a witch.”

“A witch?” Apple Bloom looked up at her. “That ain’t a good thing ta call yourself!”

“It’s true. I don’t just do potions. I know a few spells. Even passed a few of them on to another witch…”

Scorpan blinked. “You passed two on, and it took her two years.”

“That’s…not really Draggle’s fault, Scorpan…”

“I know, I know, and Wind Whistler keeps vouching for her…and she’s…alright…still makes my hair stand on end.” The huyman snorted.

“Well you don’t exactly have a saint as your castle sorceress now do you?” Catrina’s whiskers twitched slightly.

“…probably should discuss this later.” Scorpan grumbled.

“Oh what was your first clue, princy.” Catrina’s whiskers twitched again.

Apple Bloom jumped down and walkedto her friends. She lowered her voice. “Guess growups are all the same no matter what species.” Scootaloo chuckled.

“Wait, you’re a pince?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Well, yes. Prince Scorpan. You…never heard of me?”

“Nope. We’re kinda from far away from here.” Apple Bloom said.

“How far?” Scorpan asked.

“Equestria.” Sweetie Bell replied.

“I’ve never heard of that kingdom. Catrina?” Scorpan looked at the feline, who shook her head.

“It’s not a kingdom, it’s a diarcy….er…dirary? Diary?” Scootaloo blinked.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “It’s ruled by two princesses. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.”

“Luna…Luna…why is that name familiar…” Scorpan rubbed his head. “I know none of our knights have mentioned it before…but…I can’t help but think I’ve heard that name before.”

“Take them to other ponies.” Catrina eyed the group. “They look a bit like they come from Bright Valley.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well…okay they have odd skulls, but I don’t think they are Ponylanders. They have less in common with them. Maybe the Bright Valley ponies know where they came from? And they are a bit closer then the Ponylanders. And you can always turn around and go the other way if they can’t find anyone they know in Bright Valley.”

“…we don’t have odd heads. We have perfectly normal heads.” Sweetie Bell said, offended.

“Most ponies here don’t have quite that…round.” Catrina said.

“Not all fault ya’ll’re pointy.” Apple Bloom said.

“Either way, we can get you to Bright Valley easily enough. Unless you know the way back to your lands?” Scorpan asked.

“Not…really…” Apple Bloom said. After the panicked run through the forest she had no clue where that mirror thing was. “We came here through a funny mirror thing, but we got a bit…lost. Think these Bright Valley ponies’ll help?”

“If not them, then the Ponylanders will.” Scorpan said. “They are a very kind group. They’ll help just about anyone who’s not a complete monster.”

“Sounds go ta me…my sister’s prolly havin’ a cow…” Apple Bloom winched.

Scorpan frowned slightly. “How about we get you something to eat, then we can discuss the triop…Catrina?”

“I’ll talk to Rep.”

“Good, and get some of those firebottles ready. The elves noticed some scree in the area.”

“Scree? They never give up do they?”

“Apperently not.” Scorpan opened the door, and the three fillies went to follow him.

“Hey, Prince, what’s a scree?” Scootaloo asked.

“You’ve never seen them?”

“Nope.”

“Well, they’re large birdlike creatures, that can morph into large egglike stones when they duck their heads to the ground. They used to be able to predict the future, but the Ponylanders…ah…took their crescent of visions. It made them particularly hostile to the ponies and their allies. Many of them have turned to raiding out of spite.”

Sweetie Bell blinked. “IF these Ponylanders are so nice, why’d they steal the scree’s crescent thing?”

“Apparently one of their unicorns needed it to live. From what Megan told me they tried to get it fairly, but the scree cheated by using the crescent…course the scree claimed that the ponies never should have made a bet with them in the first place since they had been told that scree never make bets unless it’s a sure thing, but again…one of their friends was going to die without that crescent.” Scorpan shrugged. “You can’t expect a Ponylander to just watch their friends die. Just not going to happen.”

“Ah…still don’t seem fair.” Apple Bloom said.

Scorpan looked down and shrugged. “Not sure about your Equestria, but this land is dangerous. The ponies may be one of the brightest spots in Dream Valley, but not even they can afford to be completely fair all the time.”

Sweetie Bell lowered her voice. “This place is…” she shook her head.

They followed Scorpan to a large dinning hall. A few people, including Far Stride, were seated at a long table filled with various food, suitable for equines and apes alike. Far Stride looked up and waved a hoof at them.

“Did you get them fixed up, Your Highness?” Far Stride asked.

“Sure did! Hi! Ah’m Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom jumped up till she was seated next to Far Stride.

“Far Stride.” The horse nodded as the other two fillies jumped up next to Apple Bloom. He moved a plate nearer to them. “Want a scone?”

“Sure, thanks!” Sweetie Bell buried her head in the plate of scones and emerged with three of them clamped in her jaws.

“So, where’d all your armor go?” Scootaloo studied the now bare Far Stride.

“Stablehands took care of it for me. Best thing about humans is their thumbs. Very useful.”

“Nice to know I’m just a pair of thumbs to you, Far Stride.” Scorpan sat down at the head of the table and snagged a scone for himself.

“It can’t be your sparkling conversation, can it?” Far Stride grinned.

Apple Bloom sat back and enjoyed a scone herself. For once she didn’t feel out of place and frazzled. It helped that she could finally understand their new friends, and they didn’t seem to be bad at all. For the first time things were starting to look up.

Then a large boom echoed through the keep.

“Aww horseapples…”

Rarity was disgusted by everything and everypony around her.

It didn’t help that she was traveling though nature. And not even normal, pegasus scheduled, orderly nature. This was Everfree nature and it was gross. Usually she tried to be more eloquent, but gross was defiantly the best word to describe this place.

Applejack, on the other hand, blended into the place like a chameleon. And their new companions seemed to think so as well. The young earth pony was sticking closely to Applejack’s side, occasionally trying to talk to her. Applejack would smile and talk back, but neither understood each other. The pegasus, on the other hand, trotted about the path, occasionally flapping her wing, and babbling in a rapid way that made Rarity’s head hurt a bit.

“Do we have any idea where they are going?” Rarity asked.

“Ah don’t know, but we are headin’ south, and that’s good enough fer me at this point. Ah don’t care if we have to comb this entire land, Ah’m gonna find them girls.”

“It would be useful if we have a more specific direction other then ‘south.’”

“Well if you find that direction Ah’d be glad ta hear it!” Applejack snarled back.

Rarity huffed. “This place is disgusting and I have no intention of staying any longer then I have to.”

“And what about Sweetie Bell!” Applejack snarled. Sure Rarity was a friend, but after two days of only her for company (and the natives didn’t count because no matter how much Sweet Stuff talked to her Applejack just couldn’t understand her), Applejack was starting to get annoyed.

“Of course I’m thinking about her! This horrid place isn’t fit for a delicate filly like her!”

Applejack snorted a bit. She liked Sweetie Bell, and she wouldn’t call her ‘delicate’. Excitable, yes, but that was just cause she was a growing filly.

“Ya know if ya could just be a bit more accommodatin-“

“ACOMMODATING!” Rarity glared at Applejack and snorted. “My hooves are CAKED in MUD!”

“And my hooves are about ta give ya a good smacking if ya don’t sit down and shut up!”

“Why you-“

By this time the two of them had stopped in the middle of the road and were shouting at each other. Applejack vaguely wished for Twilight or Pinkie or anypony else were here to act as a buffer. Neither Applejack nor Rarity could really stand to long in exclusively each other’s company. They were friends, yes, but they got on each other’s nerves way too much to stand each other for to long.

Around then point Sweet Stuff sort of politely got between them and gave them both a pleading look. Applejack sighed and backed off. Sweet Stuff pointed ahead of them with her hoof in a rather urgent manner. Applejack sighed and turned. “Let’s just get ta where we’re goin’” She grumbled and followed the path again. Sweet Stuff turned back to Rarity and gave her a gentle nuzzle, as if sensing Rarity’s distress and trying to comfort her. Rarity sighed. She smiled back at Sweet Stuff. She did seem like a kind mare, but that didn’t really help the skin crawling feeling that Rarity felt every time her hoof squelched in the dirt. She really needed the spa after this. Perhaps for the entire day. Maybe two days. And she was so taking it out of Sweetie Bell’s allowance.

Rarity glanced around at the forest. It seemed to her there were a lot of mushrooms around. Lots of large, tree sized mushrooms.

A loud crash echoed through the forest, and the Ponylander’s pricked their ears and run forwards. Rarity sighed and struggled to catch up, Applejack of course kept pace with the Ponylander’s easily enough. Rarity blinked and noticed the mushroom they were running towards had a door. It was a house!

How garish!

Another loud crash and a very irritated seeming rabbit bounded out, holding out his hands as if to stop the ponies in their tracks. The ponies screeched to a halt, and Whizzer babbled out a question. Habbit the rabbit stamped and pointed frantically at the mushroom house.

“Why HELLO my little ponies!” A distressingly familiar voice came from the mushroom house, and Rarity groaned. “Isn’t this a nice little reunion!”

“Discord.” Applejack looked at Rarity and rolled her eyes.

With a pop the discombobulated draconequus poped in between Applejack and Rarity, eagle claw and lion arm draped over their shoulders. “Fancy meeting you at the Mushromp!”

“…mushromp?” Applejack blinked.

The Ponylanders blinked, and Sweet Stuff walked into the mushroom house, speaking quietly. She was gently, but firmly, pushed aside, and the oddest looking creature stepped out, giving Discord a slightly irritated look. The creature was apelike in apperance, with a funny little mushroom hat with two little ears poking out. The creature strode over to Discord, then blinked at the Equestrians.

“Egads, tis true. Thy old foe is an ally to Equestria now?” The creature sounded a lot like Luna before Twilight had started to give her modern Equestrian lessons. He didn’t have the Royal Canterlot Voice though.

“Oh we are just the BEST of friend, Cowchicken!” Discord grabbed Rarity and Applejacks lips, aided by two extra limbs, and turned them up into big wide grins. The Moochick frowned at him. Applejack and Rarity slipped away from Discord.

“How the hay didja get here, Discord?” Applejack asked.

“Oh just a hop skip and a jump over a rickety old rainbow. Same as you!” to illustrate this a rainbow suddenly appeared and Discord skipped over it. By now the Ponylanders had backed up behind the Moochick, fairly sure that the gnome wizard would protect them from the crazed being before them.

“Thy art still a despicable creature.” The Moochick observed. “What hath brought thy two here?” At this point Whizzer tapped him and babbled. “Oh! Thy can’t speak common now, canst thee?”

“Ah yes! A few thousand years can do that! Let me help!” Discord grinned and tapped Applejack’s head. Applejack opened her mouth, and a quack came out.

Whizzer’s eyes widened, and she struggled to hold in a chortle.

The Moochick frowned and tapped Applejack with his staff. Applejack turned to Discord and said. “You little-“

Another tap from Discord, and she quacked again.

Another Moochick tap and Applejack roared at Discord. “Ya stop this-!” Tap “Quack” Tap. “I’ll give a piece of my” Tap “Quack” Tap “NOW BOTH YOU!” Tap “QUACK!”

A mushroom suddenly wrapped itself around Discord’s neck and burst in his face. Discord blinked, then fell over, snoring, twitching, and muttering something about chocolate cupcakes.

The Moochick tapped Applejack once again, smiling.

“…jerk.” Applejack glared down at the sleeping Discord.

“How long hath he been reformed?” The Moochick asked.

“…couple of months.” Applejack said.

“Ah, that explains much.”

Whizzer spoke up again, clearly confused. The Moochick switched back to modern common, then snapped his fingers. He looked at the Equestrians. “Wait here.” He rushed back into his home, and a few objects came flying out. A table leg, a book, a ball, and a small (about the size of a cup) kitchen sink came flying out of the mushroom home. Rarity and Applejack sat there, blinking. Habbit sighed and walked into the mushroom, and the clattering grew even louder.

“…this is very particular.” Rarity finally said. Applejack nodded.

The Moonchick finally emerged with a bottle of some strange substance. Applejack stood up, almost ready to back away, but the Moochick swiftly poured some of the sparkly stuff out and tossed it over their heads. Applejack and Rarity sneezed.

“Did-it-work?” Whizzer spoke, and Applejack finally understood.

“Well.” Rarity sneezed. “An odd way to do it, but at least we can understand one another now.”

“Wow-it-worked-thanks-Mr-Moochick!” Whizzer grinned happily.

“Applejack.” Sweet Stuff trotted closer to her. “Can you remember us now?”

Applejack blinked. “Wait, how’d ya know my name? I’ve never seen ya before in my life!”

Sweet Stuff visably wilted. “But…but, you saved our lives! Both our lives! How could you forget us!”

“Aww, I’m sorry sugar cube, but Ah think ya got the wrong pony.”

“That is entirely possible.” The Moochick rebottled his translation powder. “You see, these ponies come from an entirely different world then ours.”

Whizzer blinked. “Is-that-why-they-got-those-funny-heads?”

“Excuse me! I take very good care of my head! It is certainly not funny looking…though it has gotten a bit…misaligned from all this…brush.”

“Well…your eyes are a bit large…and…creepy.” Sweet Stuff admitted. She blinked her own relatively creepy eyes. “So…you really aren’t our Applejack?”

“Ah think Ah’d remember if Ah’d ever been her before.”

“…oh.” Sweet Stuff scuffed her hoof.

“How-would-there-be-two-ponies-in-two-different-worlds-that-look-alike-are-they-related?”

“Possible, but unlikely.” The Moochick admitted. “The two worlds were in contact around a thousand years ago, but there wasn’t that much…interbreeding. It’s probably just a coincidence”

“Odd coincidence, but we are skipping around the issue.” Rarity said. “She turned to Whizzer and flattened her ears. “Now that we can speak…WHERE IS SWEETIE BELL?” She darted to Whizzer and stuck her nose in Whizzer’s face. Whizzer’s uninjured wing fluttered.

“Sweetiewho?”

“Sweetie Bell! My sister! This high, unicorn, no cutie mark, WHERE IS SHE!”

“You-two-are-the-only-big-head-ponies-I-have-seen.”

“Stop making rude comments about my head!” Rarity bellowed. “And we SAW your bug winged friend snatch Apple Bloom!”

“Morning-Glory-didn’t-kidnap-your-babies-you-just-attacked!”

“I attacked cause she had my sister in her teeth!”

“She-did-not-I-never-saw-a-filly-in-her-teeth…” Whizzer paused. “She-did-have-a-funny-bird-at-one-point.”

“A funny bird?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah-now-that-I-think-about-it-it-almost-did-look-like-a-yellow-filly-but-then-it-flashed-green-and-it-was-a-bird-I-thought-my-crystals-were-just-on-the-blink.”

“Flashed green…oh no.” Rarity looked at Applejack. “Changelings!”

“Changwhatnow?” Whizzer asked.

“Changleings! Oh they are horrible creatures! Normally they look like black ponies mixed with inscets. They feed off love. They’re also shapeshifters.”

“Shapeshifters…we’ve met a few.” Sweet Stuff admitted. “Are you sure that bird you saw wasn’t a penna?”

“What’s a penna?”

“Birds-that-shapeshift-but-it-wasn’t-a-penna-it-looked-like-a-pidgeon-or-a-robin-or-maybe-a-thrush-and-I-don’t-remember-Pluma-ever-flashing-green-like-that.”

“But Changelings do flash green when they shift!” Applejack snorted. “Ah bet ya all the apples in Sweet Apple Acres that butterfly pegasus was one too!”

“Flutter pony.” Sweet Stuff gently corrected. “They’re called Flutter Ponies.”

“Ah…what kind of ponies are you…other then a pegasus and an earth pony?” Rarity asked. “I mean I don’t mean to be rude, but your eyes…”

“We’re Twinkle-eyed ponies.” Sweet Stuff ducked her head at Applejack. “Our Applejack saved us. A wizard who had us mining bright jewels had enslaved us. All of us went blind, but our Applejack knocked him into a pit and saved us. These jewels give us our sight.”

Rarity gasped. “Oh you poor things!”

“Aww-it’s-not-so-bad-we-can-see-and-I-think-it-looks-cool!”

“…I find them a bit creepy, but…you get used to them.” Sweet Stuff said. She shivered. “I don’t ever want to be blind again.”

Applejack put a hoof around her. “Don’t worry. Ah may not be your Applejack, but now that we got that filly kidnapping thing settled, Ah don’t mind calling ya friend, and nopony hurts my friends!”

Sweet Stuff smiled. “Thanks!...any…pony?” She looked at Whizzer, who shrugged.

Whizzer reared. “Anyway-we-should-go-find-your-babies-I-wouldn’t-want-to-leave-fillies-out-there-alone-I-can’t-fly-back-so-I’ll-come-with-you-you-coming-Sweet-Stuff?”

“Of course…um…if you think I can help?”

“Of course ya can, sugar cube.” Applejack smiled. “Ah…didn’t catch your name.” She looked at Whizzer.

“I’m-Whizzer-I’m-the-fastest-current-flyer-in-Dream-Valley-cause-I-think-Firefly-roamed-off-somewhere-and-she’s-real-fast-but-I-can-give-her-a-run for-her-money-she-hates-that!”

“She’s better at trick flying then you are.” Sweet Stuff pointed out.

“Never-said-I-was-the-best-trick-pony-just-that-I’m-fastest-at-a-dead-fly.”

“Our friend Rainbow Dash might wanna challenge ya one of these days. She’s pretty fast herself.”

“Great-I-can’t-wait-love-a-good-game!”

“Still, we need to find the girls.” Rarity said. She walked over and kicked Discord. “Wake up and help us!”

Discord sprang up. “Well is that any way to treat a friend?”

“There are many ways to treat a friend, especially one that causes no amount of trouble. Now, help us find our sisters!” Rarity demanded. She barely noticed the Moochick look up from where he had wandered off to do…whatever it was the Moochick did when he wasn’t playing the guide for the little ponies. He eyed Discord, but said nothing.

Discord taped his chin. “Hmmmm, no.”

“NO! My sister could have been captured by Changelings and you are telling me NO!”

“Why, don’t you see my dear Rarity! This is your big chance to bond with your chubby pony cousins!” He blatantly ignored Sweet Stuff’s and Whizzer’s looks of outrage “Why, traveling together! Singing little songs! Dodging monsters! What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t let you four boooond!” He laughed and encircled the group, squeezing them together in his snakelike coils, a group hug that left poor Sweet Stuff eeping in terror.

The Moochick watched this, a small smile on his face. He was uncertain at first about his old foe but now…Discord’s heart seemed to be in the right place, if warped with his chaotic and slightly mean nature. Clearly the creature’s issue was more of a fact that he simply didn’t know how to be nice…or the Moochick was misjudging Discord and Discord was just making an ass of himself.

“Can ya at least tell us where we are going!” Applejack gasped.

“Oh how dull…okay. Bright Valley.” Discord let them go. “Head there and you’ll find your poor wittle wost babies.” Discord slithered over to the Moochick. “Sooo…moony…how’s your gout?”

The Moochick looked back at the ponies. “I’m afraid that this time I don’t have anything I can give you…” He looked at Discord. “Want to play chess?” The Moochick summoned a chessboard in front of the Spirit of Chaos. “Your rules?”

Discord grinned evilly, and Applejack suddenly realized the Moochick was indeed giving them a gift. He was keeping Discord off their backs.

“Let’s push off before Discord gets bored.” Applejack herded the group south out of the mushromp, just in time to see poor Habbit dart into the brush, pursued by a pack of pawns.

“I feel bad about leaving Mr. Moochick with that…creature. What is that thing?” Sweet Stuff looked back.

“He’s Discord, the Spirit of Disharmony and Chaos. Our friend Fluttershy reformed him…sort of.” Rarity said. “He’s still the most loathsome creature that ever existed…eh just happens to be friends with our friend.”

“Well-at-least-he-won’t-follow-us-nasty-thing…”

“Agreed!” Rarity nodded.

A long pause, then…

“So-why-do-you-have-round-heads?”

Rarity’s exasperated shriek echoed all the way back to the mushromp.

Celestia trotted through the large dungeon she found herself in. It was your typical gloomy dark place with dripping floors and the occasional squeak of a rat. Not the place she was expecting to materialize in, she had to admit. She kept her wings spread, horn primed and ready. She felt something close. Something familiar.

Her wings snapped up once again in alarm as the smell came to her nose. It couldn’t be.

“Chrysalis…” Celestia stamped cautiously. “I thought you would have given up!”

“Given up? When my children are starving? What kind of Queen would I be?” The rail thin Changeling Queen emerged from a handy shadow. Celestia wasn’t about to misjudge the creature now. She didn’t look much different then she did before. Clearly she had been feeding on something, or she wouldn’t be confronting Celestia now.

The alicorn suddenly leapt at Chrysalis, her wings flapping. Instead of getting into a beam contest with the frail Queen, which Celestia had lost the first time, Celestia instead chose to rely on brute strength. Celestia embodied the strengths of every one of her ponies, and that included the great physical power of the earth ponies. It was a power she was fairly confidant that Chrysalis didn’t have.

Celestia felt a surge of joy as she ducked a green beam from Chrysalis and socked her in the jaw, lifting her from the ground and slamming her into a wall. She darted forwards and reared, battering Chrysalis in the ribs before she could retaliate with her horn. Celestia was so focused on Chrysalis she didn’t notice the long spider leg emerging from the shadows, or the wide figure on top of it.

The figure suddenly leaped on Celestia’s back, and Celestia jerked, then bucked, attempting to get the strange monkeyish form off her back. She felt the creature grunt and jab something over her horn, like a horn ring. She attempted to use magic, but pain suddenly jolted through her head. The ring must be some sort of magical block.

Still, that didn’t mean she was totally helpless. She jerked again, bucking the creature off her back. She turned, snorting, and then pawed the ground.

“So you have allied yourselves with the Gloom Clan? You fool.” She snarled at the battered from of Chrysalis, before charging, horn lowered, at Reeka. The creature seemed…and smelled, smaller and distinctly less evil then the horrible Gloom Clan that Celestia knew thousands of years ago, but the sheer spiteful look that Reeka gave her convinced Celestia that this one was up to no good. So Celestia lowered her horn again and charged.

“Ahgg!” Reeka bellowed as she somehow managed to roll herself away from Celestia’s stamping hooves. Celestia looked up to find a huge, towering spider over her, fiddling around with a web. The spider dropped the web, and Celestia flapped away. Ahgg took a swipe at Celestia, who dodged. She dove down and kicked Ahgg in the face with her hooves, stamping down hard. Ahgg staggered, and Celestia felt a jolt as Reeka launched a fireball at her underside. She shook it off. It would take more then fireballs to hurt her.

Chrysalis struggled to her feet and launched a beam of green energy towards Celestia. She winched as she felt something drain from her. She clenched her teeth and flipped her wings, avoiding the next two blows. Celestia flapped behind Ahgg and bucked the creature in the back of the head, making him stagger forwards. Ahgg took a swipe at the dodging princess, who air skipped to his other side and kicked him in the face again, a large fang springing loose and falling ot the ground.

Two more blasts from Chrysalis’s horn made Celestia stagger in midair. Those blasts were draining her, and it was getting worse with each blast.

Still Celestia twisted and kicked, sometimes Ahgg, sometimes Reeka (in fact at one point she managed to ping pong the witch between a pair of dangling cages), and then attacking Chrysalis again.

With one last teeth knocking kick she managed to make Ahgg topple over and land on Chrysalis and Reeka. Celestia folded her wings and landed.

“It seems the Gloom Clan has weakened.” She turned and started to trot away. “To bad.”

Another fireball erupted against Celestia’s side. She turned and snorted. “Another one?”

The short midget witch before her grinned. She pointed behind Celestia. Celestia flapped her wings and turned, attempting to slam into the figure behind her. It was an indistinct, shadowy thing that enveloped the Princess of the Sun in its horrible grasp…and at this point, as the draining sensation took over her, that Celestia realized that she might have made a bit of a miscalculation. The thing greedily feed on her life force, stealing bits of the alicorn’s essence and absorbing it into itself. It glowed faintly, consuming the princess’s light. Celestia might have been able to shoot back at the thing, if it wasn’t for that witch’s damned horn ring.

“Great, this princess in distress thing is getting old…” She muttered.

“To bad, Celestia.” A familiar voice hissed in her ear, before the shadow left her. She gasped and stumbled.

Celestia managed to turn her head and hiss at the thing. “You won’t…take her back. She’s stronger now.”

The dark mist formed into a shape resembling a pony, yellow eyes glared at her. “Now I don’t have to…”

Celestia stumbled, again, and fell.

Comments

[Bob-dude]

Well, aside from the Celestia stuff, this was a very light hearted chapter after the last one (you know things have gotten real when WInd Whistler starts shouting) which was much needed. Keep up the good work!

[ahilty]

4001519

Luna has always been a bit hot tempered, and I always took her banishment as a sort of sleep state, for various reasons. So for her, Draggle's ancestors, who are a lot worse then even Hydia was, wasn't that long ago for her. Also note that she pretty much imminently regretted her words afterwards. She's not meant to come across as overly cruel, just hotheaded. Again, she is going to regret those words pretty fast, and all on her own. It's not so much a 'sins of the fathers' thing in so much as it's an 'oh gods I saw those things just eat ponies and now one of them is standing right here in front of me'. She doesn't know that the Gloom witches had stopped being total monsters by the time Hydia and Draggle rolled around. They were all to busy shouting at each other that neither group was really listening to either one of them at the moment.

As for Fizzy and Big Mac, we'll see. Always been more of an adventure writer. If it's not to intrusive and seems to flow right I might do it, but it's gonna be backseat to the rest of the fic.

[ahilty]

4004509
Always need to have a few lighthearted bits.

Glad you liked.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

4004552 Okay, fair enough on Luna. That's just one of my trope 'hot buttons'. You know? But glad she'll 'pony up' and admit her wrongs, there. And backseat or not, as long as those two stick together I'll be set.

Now... looks like tongues have been taught the common tongue. But was that Tirac/Tirek/however you spell his darned name at the end, there? OOh, evil cliffie!

[Leave a Whisper]

The Moochick was surprisingly sharp today. Great chapter, loved the fact that they're receiving the help they need