Minty Image

by mintgreenconspiracy

Optional Chapter 3-6: Skywishes' chapter

Scootaloo looked out the window, her eyes 'sweating a little'. it was bad enough that Diamond Tiara had redoubled her attacks since the scavenger hunt, the previous week, concentrating on Scootaloo's secret sore spot: her wings. And that was, oddly enough, even after Diamond, and her lacky, Silver Spoon, had won the scavenger hunt, something about the crusaders 'making fools of them', and 'subjecting them to icky blue grass music!'

And then, to make matters even worse, Twilight's new apprentice had joined Scootaloo, and Twilight, for 'flight training' yesterday after she, apparently, decided to try her hands at flying by jumping out a second floor window -- and onto a convenient hay barrel (but it wasn't her fault, the pegasus ponies made it look so fun!)

And you know what was even worse? She was already out performing Scootaloo, it just wasn't fair! She'd just started trying to fly with those mutated monstrosities, on her back she called 'wings' whereas Scootaloo had been fighting hard, and working hard, her whole life to fly. It just wasn't fair!

Scootaloo looked up, once again, towards the heavens, wishing, just once, that Mrs. Gold Heart would let her visit the tribal shrine... Even just once! Then she'd be able to make the wish she really wanted... "I wish I could fly, like Rainbow Dash!" She cried, wishing on a star, begging Danny, and Faust above to grant her her heritage -- to grant her the skies. "Then maybe I could be as awesome as her!" She thought, the creeping doubts showing their heads again... What if she never flew? Would she really be a real pegasus then? Would her friends leave her behind? Would she never see Rainbow again? Would Rainbow become a bolt, while her biggest fan remained grounded?

A flock of butterflies flew by, attracted by her wish on their way from Lord knows where... to somewhere, nearby...

Suddenly, the orange pegasus filly's eyes felt heavy, as she began to hallucinate, or at least it seemed that way, as she swore she saw multicolored butterflies begin to engulf her. Slowly she fell asleep where she stood, falling in a heap on the floor next to the window.

An outsider, without proper insight, might swear that they heard an ethereal voice speaking over the night's silence. "Consider it done!" 'the voice' replied, with a slight rasp.

Meanwhile, the orange pegasus dreamed, peacefully, of flying high, with her brand new wings, not yet feeling the throbbing pain that started in her sides...

----------

The butterflies continued along, but not for long, as they were drawn, inexplicably, back into town and towards somepony's mansion.

Inside a small pink filly shook silently, she'd won hadn't she? But then, why was her new mom so agitated with her?

"Diamond tiara!" Her 'mother' announced, scrunching her face, as she stuck her muzzle up at her own daughter. "Explain to me what happened to you!?" She asked, sounding snooty as ever. "Explain what happened between you and those BLANK FLANKS today!" She shouted, closing the gap between her and her 'daughter'.

"Look mom!" Diamond Tiara replied back, in protest. "I won didn't I!?"

Her 'mother' shook her head. "You mean: won by a technicality!" She fired back, feeling thoroughly unsatisfied. "You basically LOST to those BLANK FLANKS!" She announced. "And that WAS with the top rated investigator that I bought for a goodly number of bits!" She hissed.

"You mean the one that da-- " Diamond retorted back, receiving a smug expression in return. "And I didn't lose!" Diamond continued. "So leave me alone, 'mother'! I put those blank flanks, in their place, and -- "

"Failed to demonstrate our superior breeding, so after the concert tomorrow, you will be grounded, young filly, until -- " Her mother announced, feeling that her daughter was goofing around, instead of fulfilling the family legacy.

"But 'Mo--'!" Diamond protested back, fighting back the tears that wanted to flow. Tears that she had to keep under wraps, or her mother would give her an even worse punishment for 'showing weakness'.

Diamond Tiara's body continued to shake, this would have never happened when her real mother was still around instead of Spoiled Milk!...

That mare would never be Spoiled Rich! No matter what her father said! She would always be Spoiled Milk, to Diamond!

She quietly opened the door, and quietly clopped down to the private Molly shrine, that the family kept below.

"Molly!" She wished, touching the orange earth pony filly, with her luxurious blond mane. "I wish, again, please restore old mom to me!" She begged, the tears, now quietly flowing. "I don't like Spoiled Milk!" She cried out, her hooves still touching the gold statue. "I just wish she could be as nice as mother used to be!" She cried out.

The butterflies floated, in place, silently, as an idea, occurred to them. A group of them sailed off towards the house of a transplant from Trottingham, who suddenly got the idea that he should try running against Diamond in the upcoming election.

----------

A brown light orangish-brown earth pony colt with a dark brown orange mane slowly clopped through town kicking a stone, as he went along, pondering his most recent failure.

"Psst..." The filly, that caught his eye had scoffed, at his piteous attempt to woo her, by singing along to game sounds on his Joy Boy (™). "Button!" She stated, calmly, looking down at him. "You have to give it up!" She said, trying to let the persistent colt down, as easily as she knew how. "You're not going to impress me with your childish antics!" She stated calmly. "Come back when you get a real game system... and a future!.. Remember! Cheezie Puffs!"

"So much for being persistent, Gibson..." He stated, with a snarl, suddenly wondering if his brother pranked him again, or if this was another one of his brother's 'great ideas'...

As he clopped along, a sound could be heard from down an old alley.

"Psst..." The voice said, not being heard the first time.

The colt continued to grumble, as he continued to clop along the street.

"Psst..." The voice said louder, and the tone harsher.

"Who's there!?" The colt cried, looking around, for the source of the sound.

But when it became obvious that the source of the sound was nowhere in sight, he continued on.

"PSSTTTT!!!!!" The voice exclaimed loudly, causing the colt to wheel around towards the alleyway.

"Hey boy!" The voice exclaimed, having finally gotten the young colt's attention.

The colt pointed, at his chest, with his hoof, with an inquisitive expression.

"Yeah, you!" The voice replied calmly. "You look like a colt, who needs some help!" The voice continued, calmly.

"Like what!?" The colt replied, suddenly noticing the source of the noise, a bright red sea pony, with a brown mane, and a brown muzzle.

"Like this here wishing -- " The sea pony, replied, back, being interrupted, about half way.

"Hey!" The colt replied back, enthusiastically, dancing slightly, in place. "A sea pony, you guys are super rare around here!" He continued, with a smile.

The sea pony, gave a nod, from the small wading pool, he was sitting in.

"But wait..." The colt replied, his eyes squinting, as his face grew increasingly suspicious. "But why aren't you singing!"

The sea pony sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Ya got five bits, lad!?" He continued, letting out a boisterous laugh. "Ug ug gug gug gug gug!"

The colt laughed along, not sure what the joke was, but not wanting to be left out.

"No! I'm serious, lad!" He replied, his face growing stern, as he gave the colt an iced stare.

"Fine!" The colt replied flipping five bits into the pool.

"Ok!" The seapony replied, suddenly, becoming extremely eager, as some stage lights, and loud music turned on. "Shoo-be-doo doo doop-doobie-doo Shoo-be-doo doop doobie-doo!" He sung, enthusiastically, tap dancing, with his tail, to the loud stage show music.

"So, did you like it, lad!?" The seapony asked, turning back to the colt.

"Meh--" the colt replied, shaking his hoof back and forth.

"Ehh, everypony's a critic!" The seapony replied back.

"So what's this about a 'wishing'?" The colt asked back, curiously.

"Well, what you see, behind me, lad, " he said matter of factly, "is a real, honest, for truly, wishing well!" He replied, eagerly. "And definitely not a scam to make you part with your bits!" He said, giving another healthy laugh. "Ug ug gug gug gug gug!"

"Ok!" The colt replied back, eagerly -- maybe this was the answer he needed to his love life problems.

"And there's definitely NOT two of my employees sitting at the bottom, waiting for you to throw your money in, if that's what yer asking!" He said, his voice, giving a nervous laughing tone.

"But I wasn't asking that!" The colt retorted.

"Good!" He replied back. "So that'll be five bits!" He replied, slyly. "... You know... for the service -- "

"But Mr. Crab -- " a squeaky voice cried out, from... 'somewhere', and was quickly silenced.

"Quiet Sponge-- "

"Heh heh..." The seapony replied back, nervously. "Been practicing me ventriloquism.." He said, with as nervous laugh.

"Ok!" The colt replied, throwing in five bits, and closing his eyes to make a wish.

No sooner did the bits hit the bottom of the well, then the sea pony, and two of his friends took the well with them, and hightailed it as fast as they could flop along.

"I wish, even just once that I could show Sweetie, even just once that I'm good enough to be her friend, " the brown light orangish-brown earth pony with a brown orange mane said, making his wish.

A flock of butterflies flew by, the most beautiful he'd seen in years... Well, if colts liked that kind of thing...

"I'll do that..." A voice said softly, in the wind. "I mean I'll help..." The voice stammered, flummoxed. "I mean... Oooh! You know what I mean!" The voice said, making the colt feel like he was cool, for once. Maybe there was a way where he could show the filly that he had more of a future then unemployment checks, and cheezie puffs!

----------

Somewhere far away, at another time...

It was over! Her Kindnesty had been temporarily dethroned, and it was time for some of her yellow and pink butterflies, like the rest of her brightly colored avatars, to return to the place, from which they came, at least until her power was restored onto her.

Well, except for the silent voice, that sounded not all that different from Her Kindnesty's, was beckoning unto them to come. Somepony else needed them, at least for a moment, and it looked like they needed to do some traveling, to meet them...

But first, there was one more piece of business that they could perform, for their new friend, on their way over.

Little Strongheart knew it was wrong, but she was still curious about pony Braeburn, and though her chief had been very supportive earlier, he was no longer -- having forbid her to ever set hoof anywhere near that pony settler town again, under threat of banishment. She just wished that Chief Thunderhooves, and pony Silverstar would just be reasonable, if even for a moment...

Silverstar returned to his office, drink still in hoof. It was amazing how hard it was to outdrink what he had seen earlier! What was that boy thinking, kissing that buffalo! What was he thinking!? How could he have been so supportive of something so unseemly!

A flock of yellow and pink butterflies, flew by, coming within mere inches of his --

The sheriff's face turned a crimson red, as he quickly staggered to his hooves, a murderous expression on his face. "YOU!!" He shouted, pointing his hoof, at the little monsters. "YA DID SOMETHIN' TA MAH HEAD, AND MADE ME THINK THAT COLT SHOULD BE KISSING A CELESTRIA DANGDED BUFFALO!" He shouted, grabbing the nearest 'whacking instrument', he could find -- in this case, a shotgun, held by it's barrel...

The butterflies, effortlessly, remained one step ahead, as the pony flailed around with the butt of the shotgun, like a madpony.

Finally, they flew out his window, but that didn't prevent him from making one last swing, slamming the shotgun's butt again a wall, partially denting the weapon, and sending a cascade of boxes tumbling down, upstairs.

"Dag nab it!" The sheriff shouted, throwing his hat to the ground. Now, not just had he narrowly avoided repeated madness, but he's knocked down some of his things.

He quickly cantered back, checking to see if he accidentally knocked down the boxes he kept the memories of his wife in.

"Dog narb it!" He shouted, looking through the pile of broken things. "Those stupid butterflies done made me break the one box I REALLY cared about!" He shouted, noticing that, sure enough, he'd knocked down the one box he actually cared about most, and broke most of his most cherished items.

He sifted through the broken tea pots, the broken fine china, various yellowing pictures, that reminded him of better times, before finally stumbling on a picture of a very young looking him, as well as a buttercup unicorn with a brilliant blond mane -- him in his only suit, and her in a very expensive looking wedding gown.

He sighed, looking down. "Sorry, Solar Flare!" He announced, looking down sadly. "I dun goofed with yer colt..." He said, his face growing sad. "An' after I promised ya, on yer death bed ta make a fine stallion of the boy..." He said, remembering the grotesque scene from earlier that day. "An' I turned him into a buffalo lover!"

He daintily picked up the picture, and put it to the side, searching through the pile for anything that was still in one piece.

Towards the bottom of the pile, he found another picture, this one of his father, a brown earth pony, with a dark brown mane, Alderman Goldstar, looking very perturbed, as he stood by an effeminate orange unicorn, with a blond mane, looking like he had been kidnapped by a group of cultists.

"Pa never did approve..." The old sheriff said, with a sigh, as he looked at the visage of his father, in the old photo.

"'Course neither did yours, " he said, turning to Solar Flare's father, in the photo.

He remembered his father's first words, upon finding out who his wife was going to be. "Look 'Star!" He said, with a scowl. "Ain't no way I'm gunna allow a narwhal into the family!" He continued, belligerently.

Course her father was more of the same. "Oh dear..." He said, turning to his daughter. "I had no idea this 'Silverstar' was a dirty mud pony..." He continued, with a hasty chuckle. "Not to mention well below OUR station..."

"Where did ah go wrong!" He asked himself, staring at the photo. "That mah son would do something so ugly!" He said, with a frown.

A pink butterfly flew by, as the sheriff carelessly tossed the photo out the window, as his father's words echoed in his head. "Ain't no way Ah'm gunna allow a narwhal into this here family! That's disgusting boy! You know what they did to our ancestors!?"

Meanwhile in another place, the chief did more of the same, empty bottle of hard cider at his side and salt in the circle, as he burned shaman's incense. He knew that drinking in excess was reserved, along with these herbs for the shamans, but Shaman Shinystone had gone ahead of their stampede to prepare the dance of the equal moon, and he needed the ancestor's advise right now! Not at the dance!

"Ancestors!" He prayed, sadly. "Whitecoat!" He asked, in particular, closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath of the blend, that silences the mind and allowed it to tune into the spirits. "Tell me what I need to do about your daughter!" He said, with the same frown he had given the night before their short lived war with the Appleloosans.

A collection of yellow and pink butterflies flew by, disappearing into the fog, as the old chief could swear he heard the words of his father, Ironhorn to his brother, Whitecoat, the day after Little Strongheart had been conceived -- though they didn't know it just yet. "You dishonor our tribe, Whitecoat!" He chastised his son, waving his hoof in the young bull's face. "You know that outsiders can't be brought into the tribe without the proper rituals!" He said, raising up, and bowing his head, to show his horns. "Not to mention that she is of a family of poor character!" He lowed. "No son of mine is going to marry a girl of such a profession!"

The chief bowed, sadly. What was his brother trying to tell him?

----------

A rainbow maned pink earth pony shadow trotted along, her head buzzing with thoughts (which would be ridiculous considering that shadows don't have thoughts, in their head, because, after all, they never were...) "What did StarSong mean, when she talked about Believing?..."

She looked around, and sighed. Why was in moments like these did she want to paint again... Something about those phonies from earlier made her wish... She wished that she knew, even for a moment, what it was like to paint again...

As if answering her questions, a flock of yellow and pink butterflies passed by, coming from somewhere, on their way off to somewhere, lest they obtain Entropy's bad graces by overstaying their welcome. After all, this was the fastest way from where they came, to where they were going, and by the feeling of it, they were needed urgently.

But these butterflies were odd, they reeked of... Skywishes... But wasn't she over there? The pink shadow thought, looking over at another shadow, who waved back... (Which made the whole scene, once again, absurd, as you can't look over at something that never was... And you certainly can't wave at nothing... Well unless you were completely mad as a hatter... And, for that matter, how can something that never was look, or wave in the first place?)

She shook her head. Weird... Why did she still swear then that Skywishes was present....

And did she leave a present? She asked herself, noticing something... unusual... sitting on the ground

A pristine easel, and canvas sat on the ground, alongside a paintbrush, and pallet, why did they feel so familiar, so inviting? She never existed, so she certainly never used those before, so why did she so badly want to paint a picture...

Entropy shook her head, she would need to have her avatar drop by to speak with this new princess later, she didn't, much, appreciate ponies leaving junk around in their nice clean oblivion...

Oh well... Entropy would let it slide this time... But only for a time... After all, the joy it brought was infectious...

**********

The avatar of the Princess of the Sun vanished in a soft whimper as Katrin Belladonna's claws passed cleanly through her it, quickly dispelling it.

"Heh..." The half changeling purred, standing straight up on her back hooves, a long cat-like tail replacing her normally holey changeling tail. "Too bad I couldn't have fought the real celestia, " she purred, licking her claw. "That might have been more rewarding!"

She shrugged, having decided to turn her attention back to other matters. "Oh well..." The changeling purred, to herself, looking back at the quivering mass in the crevasse. "Where are you, little mouse?" She asked, showing her mouth full of incisors. "It's time to fffffiiinish our trrransaction!" She purred, satisfied with the hunt.

Inside lay Skywishes, now completely translucent in a white light, her body twitching violently, as a long pink horn now slowly drilled its way out of her body, and long crescent like wings did much the same from her back.

"Verrry interesting!" She purred, to herself, sharpening her new claws against a rock. "Too bad I don't have time to fight any more princesses, " she exclaimed, crossly. "Half the EUC is probably already here, " she hissed, arching her back. "Or will be here soon!" She yawled, raising her claws, her eyes becoming like daggers.

The young earth pony alicorn didn't move, instead sitting there, looking like she was asleep, as the changeling-lioness licked her lips. "It's time -- " She purred, bringing her claw back, for a good swipe...

An orange blur quickly descended from the heavens, in a sub-sonic dive that, though impressive, was probably never going to put the rainboom to shame.

"My prrrrr -- " The Changeling purred, in slow motion, licking her lips as her claw moved within inches of the newest alicorn.

The spikes on Flash Sentry's front hooves hit the mountain sized beast at top speed, sending her crashing into the ground, bouncing off of it, spinning a dozen times, and finally colliding into another nearby cliff.

"Ouch!!!" Flash shouted, gritting his teeth, in pain, as he struggled to get back to his hooves. "Basic physics, Flash..." he exclaimed, chastising himself, while simultaneously hoping, beyond reason, that nothing was broken. "For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction..." he howled, taking a few steps to ensure all his limbs were still reattached, and checking whether or not they were still in one piece. "You should know something about that..." he sighed, experiencing a twinge of frustration at himself. "You teach physics, and math to the recruits..." the stallion replied, having realized that he, once again, had let his heart lead rather than his head.

"That hurt!" Bella donna howled, quickly getting back up onto her back legs and hooves legs and claws.

Flash grunted slightly, in dismay at how quickly his opponent had recovered. He may have just picked a fight he couldn't win... Though he guessed it was a better than that of his counterpart: being turned into a zombie puppet... twice...

"Do you wish to play too, mouse?" Katri... the assassin purred, giving the pegasus a good slam with her claw, sending him flying... right into her other hoof...

"Ouch..." was the only word the guard said, as his body was sent flying again, this time for a spin.

The lioness purred, as she batted the interloper around between her paws. At this point, the only part of her that still remained changeling was her ears, front legs, and barrell. The monster chuckled, gleefully, having decided that she'd only mess with this mouse for a moment more -- she had bigger pray to catch.

Flash grunted, as he shifted his body, transferring the energy into a spin, straightening out his trajectory as he slashed at the giant monster with the ridiculous, cumbersome, instruments he had strapped onto his precious wings. At this point, he hoped that his old comrade, Water Spout, was watching down from above, that strike was for him!

Flash puffed out his chest proudly. He would avenge his fallen friend's blood, on the monsters that... ended... him...

Katrina-donna dodged gracefully to the side, and pounded him, like a nail, into the ground.

"How dare you!" She hissed, arching her back again. "How dare you think you are stronger than me!" She howled, taking another quaaf of her witching potion, which was now three quarters gone, and preceded to pin her prey against the ground, with one paw, as she raised the other paw, and aimed it's claws for his throat.

"Say goodby pony!" She roared, swiping her paw to --

"I wish she'd stop!" Exclaimed a voice from the gully, setting millions of translucent butterflies aflutter, picking up the assassin, and dropping her on the ground... hard...

"Who dares -- ?" The assassin roared, her face turning pale when a pink earth pony alicorn trotted out of the gully, her butterfly and kite cutie mark remained, but the rest of her had changed. No longer a cowardly little earth pony, now she was a graceful alicorn. And with her new powers came a growth spurt, leaving her body a fair amount taller, even before you talk about her new wings, which stood unfurled, like a tower, from her shoulders. Her long winding horn sat on top of her head, as long as the entirety of her head.

**********

"Wow! That's unicorn fun!" Rarity giggled, jovially, her mind being distracted from her lessons again, the teleportation spell she was casting being unceremoniously cancelled, and sending her crashing down on Twilight, instead transporting her to the next floor of the library. "Cheerilee, can't you feel it?" She asked, turning to her mentor mother. "There's someone new to play with!"

Cheerilee looked back puzzled, what did Rarity mean?

----------

Wysteria howled, in pain, as Luna canceled the spell she was casting on the purple alicorn to allow her to tap into the thoughts, and emotions of her nightmare, Queen Nightshade, who still remained safely sealed within herself. "Wh.. What's this horrible feeling, Luna?"

Luna frowned, she could feel it too, apparently another nascent alicorn had now shown itself in Equestria... "She should count herself fortunate..." The alicorn said, to herself. "Her nightmare aborted before it could be born..." She remarked, feeling the pain as the remnants of her nightmare reacted to the end of another.

----------

Celestia sat on her chair, asking for the fourth bag of ice from her servants... This would probably ensure another round of rumors... She decided, with a reluctant sigh. And that was on top of the fact, that she could probably already read the next day's headlines: 'Princess of the Sun pregnant?' And to make matters worse, there was the matter of what she would tell Kibitz, and her advisors. After all, she, certainly, wasn't about to tell her advisors that she'd just disobeyed Kibitz orders.. in avatar form...

And on top of it all, she sensed something that made her blood run cold. Something, she was sure the others could too... A nascent alicorn had just ascended...

And a powerful one to boot...

----------

"Spike!" Twilight howled, rushing out of the library... And then right back into it... Having realized that she had just run past her number one assistant, while trying to find her number one assistant...

"Yes, Twilight?" Spike said, cheerfully pulling out a quill and scroll.

"Oh, good.." Twilight replied, with a blush. "I guess you know me well..." She remarked, with a bashful chuckle, and a slight blush, as she cleared her throat.

"Ok, " Spike replied, nonchalantly, placing the quill against the scroll. "What's going on your todo list?"

"Not a todo list, " Twilight said, shaking her head. "A letter to the princess..." she said, direly.

"Princess?" Spike asked, curiously, taking the quill from the scroll for a moment. That was odd.. Twilight almost never wrote a letter to the princess now, opting to see her in person, or to handle the matter herself... It must be something big...

Twilight nodded, knowingly. "I suspect another alicorn just ascended..."

----------

"Shiney!" Cadance howled, suddenly rising to her hooves, as she rose from her throne. "Get my armor!" She exclaimed, her voice growing cold.

"What's going on, Cadance?" The unicorn asked, a fearful expression on his face, as he admired the full set of armor that his wife was having the guards hastily assemble for her. Cadance never, ever, wore her armor now, even when going into battle... Heck! Not even against King Sombra and Nightmare Rarity had she worn her armor. Not even one piece!

"I sense a new alicorn, and a broken heart..." She replied, eerily. "If I don't hurry then there's no telling what might happen..."

----------

Professor Shadow Star shook his head. Why was he still even bothering to train this purple reject in magic, again? He meant: if she couldn't even comprehend even mundane spells like levitation, then there was no way she could even hope to pass the stringent entrance exams that were required for entrance into the princess' his prestigious school of magic. After all, this purple disaster with a raptor's face couldn't even cast basic magic...

Heck with it all! The professor decided, as he slowly turned arr --

The unicorn gave an unearthly scream of pain as her horn began to react violently to something, and -- the horn, itself, not an aura -- to glow violently, looking more like a reactor going into meltdown, then a unicorn's horn.

"Make it stop!" Lilly begged, burning her hooves whenever she tried to touch her horn. "Please! Professor! Make it stop!!! It hurts!!!"

The professor looked on, utterly afraid, as he scrambled back, scooting his plot behind him, and up against the closest wall, and covering his face, with his hooves.

"What's going on!?" The professor asked, in utter horror. "What kind of magic does this unicorn wield!?"

**********

"Please leave him be!" The alicorn said, her voice taking an unusual tone... She stopped for a moment.. "I mean! Don't hurt him!!" She said, pausing a second time. "I mean leave -- " She sighed, breathing in. "Ooohhh! You know what I mean!" She exclaimed, defiantly.

"I don't, and I don't care!" The feline responded,with a haute expression. "You may be a princess!" She exclaimed, taking another quaaf of her potion, which, in turn, changed her front legs into gruesome arms... "I'll rip that cutie mark off your flank, even if it's the last thing I do!" She howled, lunging for the attack.

"I wish you would stop being mean!" The alicorn 'wished' back, accidently making a random 'wish', causing unimaginable pain to course through her body, as her horn fire off a beam of pure magic.

The feline howled in pain as the beam connected, pushing her back, and six feet into the mountain itself.

"That hurt!" She roared, brushing her exquisite robes off, as she stood back up, taking part of the cliff with her. "You'll pay for this!" She exclaimed, drinking the rest of decades of hard harvested witching potion, as her form completely shifted from changeling to more of a minotaur's... well... if minotaurs were half lion instead of half cow...

She looked down at herself, and meowed in utter disgust. "No!" She meowed. "How dare you do this to me!" She exclaimed. "You broke my superior form!" She incredulously shouted, having been a changeling since the days of queen Flutter Heart herself. "You shall pay for this!" She hissed, lunging forward.

"I wish -- !" The alicorn said, preparing another wish, only to have the feline's claw bash her head into the ground.

"No wishing!" She howled. "I worked hard for that superior... and ageless... form!" She hissed. "And you took it away! I'll make you pay!" She purred, batting the alicorn around, like a ball.

"Leave her alone!!!" Flash Sentry shouted, having staggered to his hooves. "I won't condone this any longer!" He shouted, flapping his wings more on instinct then design, sending a hurricane forward, a hurricane of pure wind magic, which, once again, sent the assassin flying.

"What was that!?" Flash asked himself, in shock.

"The überflutter!" Katrina replied, again standing on her hooves. "I thought we missed a colt back at Sunnyville!" She hissed, lunging forward.

"What do you mean?" The pegasus asked, as he, once again instinctively flapping his wings, and again sending Katrina flying.

"Just that, little boy!" The feline replied, standing up again. "I knew that that fluttering one had to have had a spawn..." she growled. "They always do, like cockroaches!"

"Fluttering -- ?" Flash asked, being knocked out of the air by lightning from the assassin's eyes, and held, face first, in the dirt by one of Katrina's paws.

"Yes!" She purred. "Traitors of the hive who didn't accept Discord's gift, and instead left their ancestral homeland, and their precious sunstone for a life of imminent demise..." she purred.

... "Except some of them survived..." She purred, nonchalantly, raising her other paw. "Until -- "

"I wish -- !" Skywishes exclaimed, standing to her hooves, her face looking stern.

"And I wish I had your symbol!" The changeling hissed, sadistically, a dreadfully devious idea coming to mind, as the alicorn froze in place.

"No.. I..." She replied, stammering... She had to obey... It was a wish... "But..." She couldn't... She just couldn't... "You're... mean..."

"Yes!" The changeling purred, with finality. "I wish I had your mark!" She repeated, this time boldly. "Now give it to me wish giver!"

"No!" Flash replied, freeing himself partially from the paw. "Skywishes! Please don't!" He pleaded, gasping for air, as the assassin pressed her paw in harder, attempting to grind him back into the earth.

"But!" Skywishes' voice said, growing dark. "Do I have to?" She asked, the sparks and smoke materializing in her head.

"I wish you wouldn't!" Replied a third voice, arriving on the scene, a pink alicorn with a long vertical tricolor violet, rose, and gold mane.

"I'm so confused!" Skywishes replied, looking around, her love of wishes betraying her, along with her own body, which demanded an answer to every wish made everywhere.

Belladonna purred... "Two princesses, and a fluttering one in one day!" She purred, proudly. "Maybe they'll make me queen of the hive instead of Chrysalis!" She purred, going in for the kill.

"Not this time!" Cadance replied, holding up a glittering crystal object.

"Is that?" Katrina replied, seeming uncertain around the crystal object her opponent was holding up.

"it is!" Cadance replied, proudly.

At first the changeling took a few steps back, but when it became obvious that she was in no immediate danger, her face changed, from an expression of unimaginable terror, to one of hysterical laughter. "Do I look like an umbra to you, pony?" She purred, wondering what she ever could have been afraid of, in the first place.

"We'll find out!" Cadance replied, remaining bold, as she bend down, connecting with her crystal ponies. "Be strong and hold out hope so that the witch Katrina can never return!" She exclaimed, as the crystal object began to gleam, and spin,

"Even if I were!" The minotaur-lion replied, fearlessly. "There's no way that object is powerful enough to -- " she replied, as the light from the crystal pillar sent her, once again, slamming into a wall.

"No!" The cat roared defiantly, as she struggled against the troublesome light. "You won't finish me that way!" She growled, gritting her fangs as she stood up, and began to walk forward, trembling at the unimaginable weight of the magic that was pounding against her.

"Make that two!" Crystal-Sentry said, flapping his wings again, instinct again taking over.

Once again, the changeling's plans were foiled as she, once again, slammed against the stone wall. "This isn't the end!" The cat roared, desperately fighting against the magical assault that was waged on her that threatened to tear her form apart.

"It's not going to be enough!" Flash said, beginning to panic.

"No!" Cadance replied, shaking her head. "Hold out hope!" She replied, optimistically. "The crystal heart won't work if we lose hope!"

"I wish that Katrina wouldn't hurt anyone any longer!" Skywishes announced, sitting on her flank, her front legs straight out, her head bowed, and her wings jutting straight out of her back.

Skywishes' eyes turned a translucent white as a ghostly Star Catcher flowed out of her body followed by a sea of multicolored butterflies.

"NOOOO!" Katrina shouted, as the magic forged of two alicorns, and... whatever Flash was... washed over, causing her to disappeared in a flash, not even leaving dust behind, as Skywishes collapsed into a heap.

"Shall I take her back to Canterlot?" Flash Sentry asked the princess, who shook her head.

"Allow me, Commander Sentry, " she replied with a smile. "I need to discuss this matter, with Celestia anyway, " she continued, waving her hoof over the former earth pony's wings and horn. "And I suspect if she's anything like me, it'll really suck when she wakes up and the primal force of wishes itself starts demanding her attention!" She whispered, to herself, under her breath. "And we really don't need somepony like Applejack, or Rarity to be turned blue again... " she said, with a chuckle.

**********

"So, how is she handling it?" Asked a quiet voice, approaching Celestia from behind.

"Hello, Cadance, " Celestia replied, nonchalantly. "About as well as you did, at first, I suppose, " she replied, burying her head her head in the window, 'taking a closer look at the maze below'.

"I see, " Cadance replied, sadly. Her ascension had been a dream: she had warmed the heart of that cold hearted witch, and earned her wings. But it quickly went south mere hours after her ascension, when she started introducing herself to her little ponies.

At first, it was like a soft hum. The faint sound of a piccolo, or a violin. But, quickly the sound began to grow.

She had looked around multiple times for the band that was seemingly following her around, wherever she went, only to find out that there was none in sight.

And it got weirder as the day went on. What had started as the faint sounds of the violin grew, being joined by harps, lyres, and lutes, castinets, and drums, and... It just got worse and worse till it sounded like a cacophony.

She tried ignoring it at first, but over the course of the day, it just grew louder, and louder, till she was forced to cover her ears with anything she could find... But it just wouldn't stop, till she just about fainted on the spot.

And even the night didn't stop the sounds. The sounds of an arguing couple down below were joined by the sounds of a screaming cat.

The sound of a pony's hopes being crushed, like nails on a blackboard. And, that wasn't even the beginning if the range of sounds she was hearing.

She had been forced to beg her personal physician for some kind of spell for her to sleep, a spell he had initially turned down, thrice, because of her age, only to give in as things became worse.

"So you think Skywishes feels it too?" Cadance asked, her head turning towards Celestia's, who continued to 'intently' stare out the window.

Celestia nodded, a look of concern actually visible on her face, something that was extraordinary for the ageless poker player.

"Do you think that pink filly Rarity, or Wysteria feels it too?" Cadance asked her aunt.

Celestia shrugged. "Rarity derives her alicorn magic from a different source then the rest of us, so I don't know -- and if she is, she seems to be handling it remarkably well. And as for Wysteria, I don't know... She might be filtering out the voices of the earth, and it's flowers, considering that she was originally an earth pony."

"What about you and Twiley?" Cadance replied back. "Did either of you have this problem?"

Celestia shook her head. "Unlikely, my niece. Our problems are different than your's. The primordial force of the sun is distant, and only one object, " she replied, turning around. "And Twilight can probably filtering out the clatter from the primordial force of magic without even realizing it, considering her special talent, and the fact that she was originally a unicorn... " she continued, putting a hoof on her niece's wither. "And I'm sure, her friends, the other elements help, themselves bearing the burden. As I'm sure Skywishes' friends will..."

"So?" Cadance asked, turning to her aunt. "Who's going to train her in her magic?"

Celestia looked away, trotting away, slowly. "That's what I'm trying to decide... I'm not sure I can face you now, Skywishes... Not like this..."

**********

"I'd like to thank you for joining us, my fellow princess," Celestia replied, with a smile, turning to her ex-student.

"I'm glad to be here, but didn't you say I should stay in Ponyville?" Twilight asked her mentor, who simply shrugged back.

"Why don't you go and play, Rarity?" Celestia asked, her voice sounding a lot more serene than normal, as she turned her head to talk to the pink Pinkie alicorn that was making laps around her hooves.

The miniature alicorn cheered, and started making a break, for the door, flapping her oversized wings for take off.

"Now Rarity! -- " Her mentor/mother warned, calmly, not being heard, in the least, by the miniature alicorn, as she started to run, stretching her wings out, for maximum lift (a rookie move that Twilight had taught her, to get her started.)

Twilight nodded, unable to speak, though her mind thought volumes. 'Are you sure about that princess?' She asked, herself, mentally, unwilling to question her old mentor.

As if aware of what she was thinking Celestia nodded, waving the miniature unicorn on her way. "It'll be fine!" She replied, to Twilight, in her normal voice, as the alicorn flew out of the room, quickly chased by her mentor mother.

'Are you sure?' Twilight's quivering lips said, not quite moving as she feared what the miniature hyper-active alicorn would do now that she was liberated from her 'super boring duties'.

Celestia only waved her hoof, a mischievous expression on her face. "How much trouble could she possibly get in?" Twilight's old mentor asked, waving her hoof again.

After a moment, the two princesses in attendance were joined with the other two princesses of Equestria.

Celestia turned to Cadance, and gave a nod. "Cadance, " she said, turning to her sister, and opened her mouth. However, no words came out, instead an explosive beam of pure pink magic, which blew a gaping hole through a wall, as well as the echoes of a loud shout.

"It wasn't my fault!" The foal shouted, loud enough to be heard even from here.

"I see her magic focus is getting better, " Celestia said, turning to her old student, who now wore a bright red blush.

"Yeah, I've been teaching her some basic unicorn magic," she said, her face unmoving, and the blush still set. "I was hoping that the focus required to learn spells would kind of help her with her control..." she said, nervously.

Luna gave a bellowing laugh. "Ahh, as with thou, our sister!" She exclaimed, turning to her sister.

"Celestia had trouble controlling her magic too?" Twilight asked, in astonishment.

"Ahh, my student," Celestia replied, with a chuckle, waving her hoof around, dismissively. "We shall discuss this at a later time," she replied, turning to her sister.

A lightning strike was followed by the young alicorn reappearing, in their midst.

"It wasn't my fault, " she said, unabashedly. "This spell is just so much fun, and -- "

"We see thou has experimented with other kinds of magic!" Luna said, turning to Twilight, who blushed again.

"Yeah, I... kind of... got over eager..." she said, looking down. "And taught her some basic teleportation... But I kind of wasn't expecting her to be able to cast it right now..." She said, hissing between clenched teeth.

"Run along, Rarity, " Celestia exclaimed, again, with a chuckle, as the foal once again galloped out of the room, at high speeds. "I'm sure Cheerilee is probably already getting worried about you," she said, being unheard by the foal. "Speaking of which," she said, turning to Twilight. "How is the mare's training coming?"

"Well," Twilight said, proudly, puffing out her chest. "She's mastered basic levitation, and has made great strides in the basics of unicorn magic," she replied, nonchalantly.

"Tis a shame that... circumstances... meant that she had such a late start, " Luna replied, with a frown, turning to her sister. "So sister," she said, turning again to her sister. "As much as we loveth this tetatet, sister, " Luna replied, growing stern. "Why hast thou summoned us, " she said, her her face turning to her sister, a suspicious expression, adorning her face. "Tis well past our bedtime, and we assumest thou wishest not to bore us over pleasantries!"

"Indeed, " Celestia replied, her face growing serious.

"Let me guess, " Luna replied, sternly. "This hast much to do with our newest nascent alicorn?"

Celestia nodded. "And this, Twilight, is why I needed to pry you away from Ponyville, even in this time of great need, " she continued. "And why I needed to know how Rarity's and Cheerilee's training was coming."

Twilight frowned, looking down, his lips moving, but no words coming out, as she grappled with her inner fears of letting her mentor down.

"I see, " Celestia replied, frowning for a moment. "Rarity's a hooffull?"

Twilight nodded. "But actually I'm more concerned about Cheerilee, " she replied, as another beam of magic flew through the west wall.

Celestia nodded, a bemused smile crossing her face.

"And then there's the matter of Twilight time, " she continued, contemplatively. "And how I... kind of... promised Scootaloo, that I'd take a look at her wings for her, after they suddenly (and painfully) grew in two nights ago, " she replied, tilting her head.

Celestia gulped noticeably. Apparently the primordial forces of wishing must have had another 'conversation' with Skywishes when Celestia wasn't watching... And that probably meant that she was still suffering from the wishing voices in her head...

"And I... kind of... inadvertently... promised her... flying lessons with Dash... " she said, with a nervous blush, scuffing her hoof against the ground, her ears flattening against her head. Dash would probably yell at her later...

All eyes turned to Twilight, before returning to Celestia.

**********

Discussion continued on, into the morning, with Luna taking frequent breaks, as she teleported back and forth from one of the guest towers to reposition her solar body.

"I know Twiley's busy, " Cadance replied, with a smile, motioning her hoof over Twilight. "But what about you, aunt?" She asked, turning to Luna. "You know how to deal with nightmares!"

"We assume thou meanest the aborted nightmare we felt a few nights prior?" Luna replied, stopping to think for a spell, finally shaking her head. "T'would not be wise, " she said, her face growing stern. "First of all, Queen Nightshade comprehendest much of both her unicorn, and pegasus sides, whereas Princess Wysteria handlest neither with ease, " she said, almost looking sorry. "Furthermore, we fear that if her nightmare were to stir again, that it wouldst reestablish control within mere moments, " she said, with finality. "Furthermore, we feelst it best for us to give her our undivided attention, lest such an event occur."

Cadance shook her head. "But you're the only pony in the room with any understanding of nightmares, it's not like I -- "

Luna smiled, lovingly. "Thou lackest confidence, Cadance, " she replied, calmly. "Two words, our beloved niece, by adoption: Fractured Crystal"

"But, Luna, that was another world, " Cadance replied, shaking her head. "And another Cadance!"

"We understand, " Luna replied. "But we wishest thou comprehendest, that thou shouldst not underestimate thine ability, " she replied, raising her knee. "Thou hast much empathy insidest thou, and for but one decision goest thou not, also, likewise." She continued. "And remember, furthermore, we art not... known... for our empathy, " she continued, nonchalantly. "Hense, our decision that t'would be most wise to impose on one that understandest such forces..."

"What about you, aunty, " Cadance said, turning to her aunt. "You don't have a student right now, "

Celestia looked away. "I'm not sure I can face her right now, " she said, under her breath.

"What did you say?" Cadance asked her aunt.

"Why, nothing, dear, " Celestia said, with a smile, her poker face showing again. "I just think that you should be the one to teach her, as your interactions with your element, love, more closely mirror her interactions with her element, wishing, then mine does."

Luna frowned, a disapproving expression appearing on her face, nevertheless, her muzzle remained shut. Finally, after a moment, she opened her mouth. "Cele dost have a point, Cadance, " she replied. "No matter, how flimsy it may be," she said, under her breath.

Cadance looked at Luna in surprised, she never used the word Cele, except diminutively, for rare moments when she thought her sister was being especially childish. Just as Celestia never used the diminutive form of Luna's name, Lulu, usually as an insult when she wanted to get her sister's goat.

"Which reminds me, " Celestia said, turning to Twilight. "There's another reason for this meeting," she said, her tone becoming particularly dire.

All heads turned to Celestia. "Twilight, Luna, " Celestia said, turning to Twilight, and Luna, in turn. "I'll need to borrow both of your students, Rarity, and Wysteria, in about two weeks, " she stated, cryptically.

"Why do you need them?" Twilight asked, in befuddlement.

"I'll explain later, my fellow princess," Celestia responded back. "It's time I tested a theory," she stated, turning to Luna.

"Also, Luna, " she stated, formally. "Let's schedule that test for Lily Lightly for three weeks from today, it's time I tested a different theory."

Luna nodded, cryptically.

"Hey... Um... " Twilight responded nervously.

"Yes, my student?" Celestia responded back.

"Can anypony tell me what's going on?" Twilight responded back, immediately slapping her hoof on her muzzle.

"In due time, Twilight, " Celestia responded back, calmly. "In due time."

**********

"Are our benefactors here yet?" A unicorn stallion, who was covered in a thick cloak, asked, one of the two unicorn mares who were with him.

"Not yet, Alpha -- " the mare responded back, also wearing a cloak, only to be hushed by the stallion.

"Somepony's coming..." he said, his horn glowing under the cloak. "I think it might be our benefactor!"

"Greetings Terr -- " A jet black unicorn, who's mane and tail were surprisingly missing, responded back, chuckling at the sight of the other three unicorn's getting defensive.

"And you might be?" The stallion responded back, ready to show this interloper the magical might of his ancient family -- the true heirs of Platina's crown.

"Solanaceae, " the unicorn responded back, taking on his true form, a jet black changeling noble, without a mane of tail to speak of. "And I'm sorry to say that you've been abandoned by the so called queen of the hive."

"Oh?" The stallion replied back, unimpressed with the changeling's lie.

"Very well then, " the changeling responded, with a chuckle. "Don't believe me? How about an alternate deal?" He continued.

"I'm listening..." The stallion responded back, calmly.

"Very well, you wish your family title back, and Platina's crown, do you not?" The changeling responded, curiously.

"And your way is better than the seven step plan we have working right now?" The stallion responded back, with an air of superiority.

"My master has a meeting place assigned for you three months from now, he's explain then, " the changeling responded, nonchalantly. "And I promise that that deceiver Blue Blood, who stole your family's title will receive an appropriate punishment."

"Let me see your deal, and then we shall decide," the stallion responded back.

"Indeed, we shall..."