The Lost Element

by Gordon Freeman_1

Chapter II: Making Friends

(Three days after the ship went down) “Princes Mespha! Princess Mespha!” a castle royal guard busted into Mespha’s throne room.

“What is it?” Mespha asks.

“The recovery team has come back with the bodies of a couple of crew members and Captain Baskon! Only Captain Baskon made it out alive, even then he’s hanging on by only a string or two. We found him a rogue island not far from the crash site.”

“How far where you from Equestria?” Mespha looked worried. “And what about Twilight Sparkle?”

“Equestria was about eight or nine miles from the crash site of the ship. And Twilight Sparkle, we weren’t able to recover the body, we think she was swept by the ocean current during the storm,” the royal guard bowed his head.

Princess Mespha got up from her throne room and looked out at the night sky. “For all we know Equestria could have been the one who caused this. We have no choice, we have to launch the attack on Equestria sooner than we thought. I was hoping Twilight’s information on Equestria could help them find the weak points but looks we’re going to have to go head on head.

“Start the preparations for the attack on Equestria. The priority objective, recover Twilight Sparkle if she’s there, also I would like Captain Baskon debriefed to see if he knows anything useful. For all we know he might know something about where Twilight is. Is he okay?”

The royal guard lifted his head. “He’s coming along but it might be a couple of days before he’s fully ready to be questioned.”

“Thank you so much. Remember, recover Twilight Sparkle at all cost. If her body is even in Equestria,” Mespha wanted to see her best teacher again.

“Yes ma’am! I’ll get the army ready!” the guard put back on his helmet ran out of the door.

Mespha was still looking out her window. “I shouldn’t have never sent her to Equestria. I know she hated Enza but she’s not expendable. I just hope she’s still alive. ”

~

Twilight woke up, for the last couple of days she has had been having an awful sleep because she hasn’t gotten use to the Equestria hour system rather than Enza’s hour system, even after being in Equestria for over three weeks. Night in Equestria was like day in Enza and vice versa.

Twilight walked out of her room and saw that Rarity was already awake. Twilight also heard talking coming from downstairs, this disturbed her because she hated guest unless told in ahead of time, even if it wasn’t her own house/room.

She walked downstairs to find Rarity talking to this cyan coloured Pegasus with a Rainbow Coloured mane and tail. Her rosy eyes looked rather pretty, but Twilight still wanted to know why she was there.

“So Rarity you have my flight suit for when I go and tryout for the Wonderbolts?” the cyan coloured Pegasus asked.

“Yes Rainbow Dash I do, let me go find it,” Rarity turned around and walked towards her closet.

Rainbow Dash decided to sit down where she was until Rarity come back, she looked up and noticed Twilight halfway down the stairs. She quickly got up and ran right up to Twilight’s face.

“Hey who are you?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Um, nobody?” Twilight responded wanting to hit the cyan coloured Pegasus out of her face.

“Liar!” Rainbow Dash was getting irritated. “Now tell me who the hell you are!” Rainbow Dash was getting closer and closer to Twilight’s face.

Twilight lost herself at that point. She grabbed Rainbow Dash with her magic, “GET OUT OF MY FREAKIN FACE!” she threw Rainbow Dash against the adjacent wall with a great force.

The impact almost made Rainbow Dash go into shock. She got up but was panting really fast, she could barely stand up.

It didn’t take long for Rainbow Dash to regain her bearings and stand back up straight. She prepared to lung at Twilight and Twilight was ready to fight back but as soon as Rainbow Dash took off, Rarity stopped her with her magic.

“Rainbow Dash! I know she probably made you mad somehow but don’t hurt her!” Rarity was fighting Rainbow Dash’s struggles.

“JUST, LET ME, AT HER!” Rainbow Dash’s attempts to break free of the magic bond where futile.

Twilight just sat there with the straightest face you can possibly ever see. Rainbow Dash finally decided to stop struggling and Rarity finally released her.

Rainbow Dash decided to comply rather than to resist so she just sat there looking at Twilight like she wants to kill her. Twilight simply got up from her spot and walked back up to her room.

Rarity punched Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow! If you didn’t get in her face in the first place, she wouldn’t have to knock the wind out of you!

Rainbow Dash was confused. “Wait, were you watching us the whole time from the other room?”

“Yes I saw the whole thing, I didn’t interfere at first because I knew Twilight was going to do something similar to me just like with you.

Rainbow Dash glanced upstairs then walked back over to Rarity. “What’s her problem anyway?”

“She’s not from Equestria, she’s from a faraway country called ‘Enza’,” Rarity suspected Rainbow Dash to not know what Enza was.

“Enza, Enza was does that sound familiar? Eh maybe I heard about something else that sounds similar to it. But why does that relate to her being an asshole?” Rainbow Dash was still confused.

“I might be because you walked in without me telling her, and according to her ponies from Enza hate newcomers,” Rarity was convinced that was the reason.

Rainbow Dash seemed satisfied, but still had one more question. “Why do ponies from Enza hate newcomers?”

“I don’t know I didn’t ask. I’ll ask next time she comes down.”

“Well good good luck asking her, I’m going to head back to cloudsdale. Bye Rarity,” Rainbow Dash took her flight uniform and walked towards the door.

“Bye Dashie.” As Rainbow Dash walked out the door, Rarity walked upstairs to Twilight’s room. Twilight was sitting at her desk looking at one of her note book filled with notes that she took from the Canterlot Archives. Rarity got her attention.

“Hey Twilight, sorry about that, Rainbow Dash’s gone now,” Rarity tried her best to put on a believable smile.

Twilight still had her straight face, then smiled. “Okay then. Also next time you see that ‘Rainbow Dash’, could you tell her I said sorry for slamming her against the wall knocking the wind out of her?”

Rarity was baffled. “I thought you hate newcomers and didn’t feel bad for them?”

“This is not Enza Rarity, I don’t have the right to treat Equestria’s subjects disrespectfully,” Twilight looked back down at the notebook.

Rarity smiled the biggest smile in the world. “I’m proud of you Twilight for being a good sport!”

Twilight chuckled. “I know, I know, I try.”

“Say Twilight, since you haven’t really seen Ponyville that much, why don’t you run an errand for me!”

Twilight looked back over at Rarity. “What kind of errand?”

“Just a simple pickup from the local bakery,” Rarity handed Twilight the order. Twilight studied the order form closely.

“Sugarcube Corner? Where the- oh directions are right here. Thanks Rarity.”

“No problem Twilight!” Rarity and Twilight walked downstairs and headed towards the door going outside.

“So you just want me to pick up these cupcakes?” Twilight was studying the order form closely again.

“That would be it!”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what are these cupcakes for?”

“I’m having a party over at one of my other friend’s house and the cupcakes were for that! Do you want to come with me?” Rarity happier than usual.

“Haha no. I’ve only been to one party in my entire life, and it was for my mom,” Twilight looked sad.

“And how was it?”

“Awful, I vowed I’d never go to another party after that day.”

“Would you like to talk about it?” Rarity looked sad as well.

“It was when I was like seven besides I want nothing to do with my parents ever again, not even tell ponies why I hate them. I’ll tell you one day, just not today,” Twilight tried to look happy.

“That’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it or go to this party, it’s your choice.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, who’s the party for?”

“It’s for Fluttershy, one of my friends.”

“I don’t know who she is,” Twilight laughed.

“I figured as much,” Rarity opened the door for Twilight.

Twilight walked out the door waving back at Rarity, she took a good look around her, not many ponies were out today. Twilight strayed from her path a little bit and walked by the Ponyville School. She saw the fuchsia coloured teacher, plus she saw a glimpse of some of the students. She then walked past the city hall and decided to visit it for a little bit. There was a beautiful theatre, and saw an office at the very top, but that was about it.

Twilight decided to stop horsing around and get to Sugarcube corner. She looked at it and thought to herself, “Why the hell does this place look like a freaking gingerbread house?” She rolled her eyes and walked in. There was a pink mare with a pink fluffy mane and tail at the counter. She was organizing some of the cakes and looked up and noticed Twilight.

“Hi welcome to *gasp* have I seen you around here before? Are you new here? Huh, huh, huh?” the pink mare got in Twilight’s face.

“Uh no?” Twilight was confused and getting aggravated with every passing second.

“That means you’re new here and you probably don’t know any pony in Ponyville and I should make arrangements for you to meet everypony in Ponyville! Because if you don’t meet everypony in Ponyville that means you have no friends and-” the pink mare was cut off by Twilight.

Twilight pushed the pink mare off of her. “Look, I don’t know who the hell you are and quite frequently, I don’t give a crap. So just please fill my order and I’ll be on my way.”

The pink mare didn’t seem affected by Twilight’s words. “I’m Pinkie Pie and I want you to be happy! Not the saddy sad frown you are being right now!” Pinkie Pie got back in Twilight’s face.

Twilight tried her best to keep her anger in. “Look, can you please just go get my order?” Twilight shoved the order form in Pinkie Pie’s face.

“Sure thing whoever you are!” Pinkie Pie went behind the counter and grabbed the cupcakes Twilight wanted.

Pinkie put the cupcakes on the tabletop and Twilight handed her the order form. Twilight took hold of the cupcakes with her magic and headed towards the door. As soon as she was about to walk out the door, Pinkie Pie jumped right in front of her.

“By the way I never got your name, what’s your name?” Pinkie’s smile almost ran off her face.

Twilight coughed and put on the best smile she could muster up. “My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“Nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle I’m Pinkie Pie!”

“Yes I know that already,” Twilight tried to slip behind the pink coloured pony.

“I know! Well I’ll let you go on your way, bye!” Pinkie started hopping back to behind the counter.

“Thank you goodbye,” Twilight rushed out the door as fast as she could.

Twilight didn’t make any side trips on her way back to Rarity’s house. But once she got there, Rarity was already ready to go.

“Twilight Sparkle, why don’t you come with me? Make some more friends!” Rarity insisted.

“I’d rather not,” Twilight handed the cupcakes to Rarity.

“Come on! Celestia told you to make friends! You’d love my friends I promise!” Rarity started tugging on Twilight’s tail.

Twilight ignored the tugging. “Is Rainbow Dash or that pink annoying mare going to be there?”

“Pinkie Pie? Yeah they’ll be there!” Rarity was surprised she knew about her.

“Then hell freaking no,” Twilight took tail back.

“Twilight please? For me?” Rarity eyes almost popped out of her head.

“Fine just never do that again.”

Rarity eyes widen less. “Thank you.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and walked out the door with Rarity. The part was hosted at Sugarcube corner oddly enough and when they walked in, there were only four other ponies there. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie where there, but two other mares where there also. One was a light orange with a blonde mane, and the other was bright yellow with a pink mane. The one with the pink mane and yellow coat was wearing a crown so she was the one having the birthday.

“Happy birthday Fluttershy!” Rarity announced as soon as she walked in.

The other five mares start cheering, Twilight just sat there and watched.

After everypony got done cheering, they all settled down and got to the stereotypical party activities.

Twilight ignored the other five mares and went straight to the punch. She poured herself a glass only to turn around to the orange pony smiling at her. Twilight got startled by this and spilled her drink all over her.

“Dammit!” Twilight used her magic to clear herself up.

The orange coloured mare grabbed some napkins and started rubbing them all over Twilight's face and back.

“Ah’m so sorry partner! Ah didn't mean to scare ya. Please forgive me,” the orange mare walked over and threw away the napkins.

Twilight was enraged, but she was able to keep her anger in. “Oh it’s okay, I’m Twilight Sparkle and you?”

The orange coloured mare grabbed Twilights hoof and started shaking it rapidly. “I’m Applejack nice to meet you!”

Twilight pulled her hoof back from Applejack’s grasp and smiled weirdly. “Well it’s nice to meet you, by the way what’s the name of the mare having the birthday today?”

“Her name is Fluttershy!” Applejack pointed a hoof towards her. “You’re the only pony she don’t know at her birthday so she probably won’t talk to ya right away.”

“Thank god I’m not the only one who hates being around new ponies,” Twilight thought. Twilight wasn’t shy, she’s anti-social. It’s sadly the way her mother raised her to be.

Twilight walked over to Fluttershy but was soon stopped by Rainbow Dash.

“Hey look I just wanted to say I’m sorry for getting all in your face,” it was hard for Rainbow Dash to say ‘sorry’.

Twilight put her hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “No, no, I should be the one saying sorry. I was being the huge jerk after all.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you generally act like that?”

“Not really, as Rarity probably told you I’m not from here and where I’m from, I didn’t interact with that many other ponies at all. The only time when I interact with a large amount of ponies is when I’m teaching, I love to teach other ponies. Other than that, I only hang out with like four or five ponies that I designate as my ‘friends’. I guess you can say it’s social anxiety.”

“I understand, why did you come down here in the first place anyway? Why are you not in Enza?” Rainbow Dash has the question burning in her for a while.

Twilight explained why she came to Equestria in the first place and the shipwreck, and Celestia’s assignment for her.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes almost popped out of her head.

“Dang! You gone through some hell!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t keep her mouth closed.

“Tell me about it, but I’m alive today and at this part so that’s all that matters,” Twilight seemed happier than before.

“Tell me about it! That’s so awesome though, you surviving that siege of splinters, and all that! You even got to meet Princess Celestia, I would kill to meet her any day,” Rainbow Dash admitted.

“She’s really nice, and you can ask her pretty much anything and she’ll answer truthfully.”

“That’s awesome,” Rainbow Dash still had one more question in mind. “Also going back to you saying you had social anxiety, do you have, autism or something like that too?”

Twilight was quick to reply. “Yes I do, I can’t stand meeting new people so sudden. I have to get to know a little about them beforehand. The only exception is if I have to, or it’s absolutely necessary. My mom raised me to be slightly anti-social, but then I kind of made it worse as my life went on, and being diagnosed with autism when I was a filly didn’t help with it too.”

“Wow, I never actually meet a pony with autism before, I only know about it because we studied it a little in school,” Rainbow Dash was surprised with Twilight’s answer.

“It’s not common, and little known fact about autism is ponies who have it are twenty-five percent smarter than your average pony, and I never made anything below a A in school.”

“I didn’t know that,” Rainbow Dash started thinking.

“A lot of ponies don’t I think.”

By the time Rainbow Dash and Twilight got done with their conversation, Rarity got up on a table with Fluttershy. “Everypony! We all need to sing the birthday song for good old Fluttershy today!”

All four mares including Twilight sang the birthday song to Fluttershy, after it got all over and everypony started cheering, Fluttershy whispered something into Rarity’s ear.

“Um Rarity, who’s that purple coloured mare? I don’t remember inviting her,” she asked quietly.

“Oh that’s Twilight Sparkle! She’s really nice, you should meet her!” Rarity immediately regretted saying those words.

“Are you sure? I mean, you know me and meeting new ponies,” Fluttershy looked worried.

“Yeah come on! She’ll think you’re cool!” Rarity didn’t know what she was saying at this point.

Rarity walked Fluttershy over to Twilight who was still talking to Rainbow Dash. Rarity was beyond baffled to see Rainbow Dash and Twilight talking like old friends. Rainbow Dash noticed Fluttershy and Rarity walking over towards them.

“Well it looks like the birthday pony is walking over here to see you so I’ll let you two meet up!” Rainbow Dash walked over to Applejack and Pinkie Pie who were talking about why you should never trust guinea pigs to bake your cake.

Twilight walked over to Fluttershy and stuck a hoof out. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m guessing you’re Fluttershy?” Rarity couldn’t believe in what she was seeing.

Fluttershy noticed something about Twilight, something different from when she meet Rarity all those months ago. She knew she could trust Twilight somehow, somehow. Fluttershy lifted her head and immediately complied and shook Twilight’s hoof.

“My name is Fluttershy, nice to meet you!” Rarity almost lost her mind.

In Enza, it was rude to ask ponies their age, especially on their birthdays. Twilight assumed it was that way in Equestria too. “So you having a good birthday so far Fluttershy?”

“Yes I am, and if you don’t mind me asking, when’s your birthday?”

“Mine’s on December 3rd, so not for a couple months from now.”

Rarity was too mind blown to see Twilight actually interacting rather than getting mad. So she just decided to go join Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash in the guinea pig conversation.

Twilight’s and Fluttershy’s conversation didn’t last too much longer. They talked a little about Fluttershy’s care for animals and all that. Twilight told Fluttershy about how she was autistic and such. Fluttershy didn’t really know about autism, but she knew she had social anxiety. Twilight and Fluttershy had a lot of things in common. They knew they’re going to make good friends.

Twilight’s social anxiety started kicking in and she asked Rarity to head back to her place. Rarity said yeah sure and Twilight left Sugarcube corner right away.

Applejack was standing right next to Rainbow Dash when she left. “I wonder why she left so soon.”

Rainbow Dash turned her head towards her. “Social anxiety and autism, she told me all of this.”

Applejack turned towards her surprised. “She told you? She spoke to you?”

“Yeah I was surprised she cooperated with me too. She’s actually really nice if you can get pass autistic her.”

“Ah never actually met a pony with autism before,” Applejack was slightly puzzled. “Ah know what it is and everything, just never met a pony with it before.”

“I haven’t either, but I wonder if that’s what all ponies with autism look like,” Rainbow Dash wondered.

Twilight decided to take a detour to Rarity’s house. She walked pass the Ponyville spa. She saw ponies walking out of there looking better and more relaxed than ever.

“I have to stop by there some time,” thought Twilight as she found herself right outside the Ponyville School.

It was around that time where the fillies got out of school so there were a mob of extremely small and cute looking fillies walking out. Even the same fuchsia coloured mare walked out too and noticed Twilight. She walked up to her and greeted her respectfully.

“Hi there! My name is Cheerilee, and I don’t think I’ve seen you around, what’s your name?” Cheerilee looked happy.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m guessing you’re the teacher here at this school?”

“Yes I am! And I couldn’t be anymore happier doing so!” Cheerilee looked back as the students continued to pour out of the school.

“You know, I’m a teacher too, but I’m a magic teacher, not a regular teacher like you are,” Twilight told Cheerilee.

Cheerilee looked amazed. “Wow! I wish I was a unicorn. That would make my life easier. Say, do you want to be a co-taught teacher with me for a day?”

Twilight thought about it for a second. “Sure why not!” Twilight couldn’t believe she agreed to this.

“We’ll start tomorrow! Meet here at the school house at eight o’clock sharp!” Cheerilee turned around. “Have a nice day!”

“You too Cheerilee!” Twilight waved goodbye.

Twilight decided to stop fooling around and head back to the Carousel Boutique. She got there but instead of heading to bed she went up to the room she was staying in and sat down at the desk that was there. She wrote down everything that happened today, because to her it was a day to remember.

“Today was a good day,” Twilight was talking out loud while walking around her room. “I can’t believe I actually made new friends, I haven’t made new friends since I got to Equestria! It was, nice, yeah, that’s the word, nice.”

Twilight walked into bed. She thought about her new friends, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash! Of course she was going to apologize to Pinkie Pie and Applejack tomorrow and make more friends! She couldn’t be happier.

~

(One week later) The same royal guard ran into Princess Mespha’s throne room.

“Princess Mespha! Baskon was feeling well enough to talk and he told us everything he knew!”

“What’s the most important detail?” Mespha demanded to know.

“Twilight Sparkle’s body is in Equestria, we don’t know if she’s alive or not all we know is that it’s in Equestria!”

Mespha was furious. “I’ll ask him personally how she got there later, but for now need to focus on building our army stronger!”

The royal guard bowed down. “Yes Princess Mespha, I’ll bring Captain Baskon in here as soon as he feels better to talk!”

“Thank you, you are dismissed,” Princess Mespha got up from her throne.
The royal guard ran out of the room and Princess Mespha walked over to the same window as before. She saw all of her subjects in Flancess running to their houses about to go to bed. She could only hope.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Mespha was talking to herself. “Dead or alive you’re coming home. If you’re dead you’ll receive the most formal funeral in Enza. If you’re alive you’ll join me by my side as Princess of Enza. But either way, you’re coming home. So please, hang on. I know you don’t like Enza and want it to burn to the ground but hopefully this will be enough compensation for you to return home.”