Dream Realm Destroia: Equestria

by RowanSkie

4 - Fear

“Twilight Sparkle, are you alright?” Ms. Ravenshire asked as the fifth ding passed and everything calmed down. “Are you all okay? You ponies seem have sensitive ears alright… too sensitive…”

Twilight looked up and removed her hooves from her ears and nodded, “I’m okay, Ms. Ravenshire.” Twilight looked at the others and called all of them. “Are you alright?” Twilight watched them nod as a yes. “Now, we just need to learn what was that, what caused it to happen and then we’ll get moving and ask why in Tartarus did we end up here in the first place. Got it, girls?”

“No need to find the answer that question,” a gentle voice replied to Twilight, making the mare jump. “My faithful student.”

The six looked at the doorway to find Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wearing tactical clothing as they stood at the path. Princess Luna stepped inside first and cleared her throat to speak. What Twilight didn’t expect was that Luna’s accent to be different because she usually spoke with the old Canterlot accent but when she spoke during that specific window of time, it was like somepony possessed Princess Luna because she talked like…

“Let’s not go into formalities y’know,” said Luna as she faced the six ponies. “Surprised by my slightly casual accent? Let’s say I had the best tutor, only I couldn’t stop my old habits back home.” Luna winked at Ms. Ravenshire. “Now, I guess you all want to know the truth, right?”

Applejack idly stared and nodded at Princess Luna. The others were too, except for Pinkie Pie who seemed to have expected it beforehand. Princess Celestia made a note of this on her head.

“Please not the cookie joke,” Ms. Ravenshire whispered.

Princess Celestia glared at Ms. Ravenshire. “If it isn’t our old friend. Care to share what happened to Pinkie? She had a seizure back up there.”

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask them?” Ms. Ravenshire pointed to the group particularly to a shocked Pinkie after hearing the news. “She’s the one who might’ve known what happened.”

“One thing for sure,” Pinkie immediately answered as Princess Celestia faced her. “Is that I was hit by a lightning bolt and somehow I am back. That, and I think I actually died at that time, and I know dying is NOT fun!”

She gave them the innocent grin as she gave that statement out. Princess Luna doubted about this and decided to enter her mind with Pinkie’s permission. Before Princess Luna could take get deeper into the memories, she was welcomed with one memory that was crystal clear. She approached and watched this memory. To Luna’s surprise, she noticed how Pinkie acted different here…

December 23, Harmonia Year 3

(Litteroot Town, Dream Realm Destroia of Rowan’s Crossia)

I think I was human during these times…

“Hey Pinks!” Twilight called and I quickly responded by hopping towards her. “So, you remember Dream Realm Destroia, right?”

“Well duh!” I reply. “My memories are still sharp! Sort of, since you know, mysterious lightning bolt thing hit me, all I lastly remember was a map of the whole thing.”

“A map which never was supposed to be in the ruins of Firea in the first place,” Fluttershy, whose mane is strangely cut enough not to cover her face, pointed out. “You know, I’ve been getting this watched feeling lately after we entered here. Something’s terribly wrong in these areas…”

“You tell me,” I said as I walked. “Quickly, we should be able to regroup with Dashie, Rarity, and Jackie in the Litteroot Edge, which is… that way!” I pointed towards the cliff that overlooked the whole town. “We entered through the Northeast from Destroia, and they’re coming from Northwest from Amura. If we’re fast enough, we might be able to collect all the items we need to escape just in time!”

“Speaking of time, the blood moon is tomorrow,” Fluttershy pointed out again.

“Yeah, and that’s the onl—” Twilight stopped after something smashed through the road behind us.

I checked my six and quickly pulled out my Emerald staff which was strapped on my back. An Eye of Cthulhu! I managed to get some hits as Twilight pulled out her own staff, a stronger Diamond staff and fired some shots as well. Fluttershy also reacted as she threw poison darts and blew seeds from a blowpipe towards the big boss monster which wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. We also ran, but I got a little detour and ended up nearly falling into a sinkhole. I quickly regained my balance and pulled out my secret weapon: a Terraria tome. It didn’t took long enough to kill the eye, and we just got lucky no one got hurt, except for the road which repaired itself.

“No one got hurt,” I assured to myself. “Now, where am I?”

I checked my bearings and found a crafting area. I looked into my items vital for escape. A rope made from web, lens from a dark flying eye-monster, a shield made of obsidian, and a cross-thing. I placed all of the items in the area and watched as the four items merge into something.

I can’t let you see the next, Princess Luna. I’m sorry.

Present Time (May 17, Harmonia Year 1)

(Litteroot Town, Dream Realm Destroia of Rowan’s Rediscoveria)

Princess Luna blinked. Pinkie Pie smiled and mouthed “do not tell”, which Luna did since she looked at the others with a glint of determination.

“You guys must defeat the Spirits of Evil to escape,” she began. “It won’t be easy, but it wouldn’t be too difficult since you managed to free Queen Chrysalis from this place as the Spirit of Deception.”

“Who are these Evil Spirits?” Twilight inquired. “Do we need to use the Elements of Harmony on them?”

“Well, yes.” Princess Celestia looked over the control panel of the tower they were in. “The spirits are the Spirit of Chaos, Spirit of Darkness and Spirit of Destruction. They’re taking forms of Discord, Nightmare Moon, and King Sombra respectively.”

“Huh.” Ms. Ravenshire took a notebook from her bag she just got and opened it. “Chaos is located in Destroia, which is northeast of this place. Darkness is located in Amura, which is basically also known as the Nation of Light and located northwest. And Destruction is found in Markia which is north.” She closed her notebook. “I’ll handle the Marken Blade and try to drive something out. Although it’s strange. Usually they’re five.”

“What’s this Marken Blade you speak of, darling?” Rarity asked after hearing the term. “Is it something like a sword that can hurt?”

“Not really,” Ms. Ravenshire replied as she reopened the notebook and pulled out a yellow glowing sword. “This is the Marken Blade. Enchanted by the best Enchantment Tables of Minecraftia, forged by the Elves in the Middle-Earth, soul-bonded through careful use and enchanted by Princess Celestia–” Said princess blushed at the mention. “–to prevent misuse and destruction.”

They heard a clapping sound from the outside and saw a man.

“Wow,” the man commented. “And really, wow. I’ve never heard you speaking of the Marken Blade before.”

Everyone present saw him. This man wore a bowler hat and lab coat. Ms. Ravenshire, recognizing the man, facepalmed and signalled Princess Luna to move the others out which she followed since the man felt different. Twilight and the others idly followed Princess Luna until they reached a familiar Canterlot school which seemed to be out of place.

“Welcome to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Luna announced. “Eraida branch.”

---

As soon as they entered, they saw ponies and Soiras working together. One of the ponies approached them and smiled.

“Ah, nice to see some new faces!” the headmaster greeted. “My name is Sapphire Gleam. You wouldn't happen to be Princess Celestia's personal student, would you?” she asked towards Twilight.

“I am,” Twilight replied. “Why?”

“Well, we have been expecting your company,” Sapphire replied, pointing out the ponies who looked at Twilight. “Now, don’t be intimidated. We’re trying to update this as much as the actual school back in Canterlot, but ever since few particular events happened we cannot. That, and you’ll feel like back home in—”

“Wait a second,” Rainbow interrupted. “how did this place even exist? Did Princess Celestia built this here by her own?”

“Goodness, no!” Sapphire pointed to a painting in the wall depicting an orb and Princess Celestia smiling for it. “She sent this building here. For the greater good, since we always ended up with meanies.”

“Like who, I might ask?” Rarity questioned. “King Sombra?”

Sapphire Gleam nodded and looked outside to see Ms. Ravenshire swinging a blade. “Anyways, I guess something’s wrong and Ms. Ravenshire is using her Blade again. Might as well use mine to protect the school.” She sighed. “When will the cycle ever break?”

“If you mean the cycle about the Spirits of Evil,” Luna objected, ”we cannot simply break it. We must need someone, or somepony to do it.”

Twilight stared at the orb painting and grinned.

“I’ll do it,” she announced.

Everypony looked at Twilight and asked, “how?”

Twilight pointed to the orb, her left eye slowly twitching faster and faster every word. “If I could get my hooves on that thing and replicate its power, then head towards Mt. Verley and use it to seal the Evils and break the cycle…”

‘And… the cycle’s already broken,’ Pinkie mentally commented. “What?”

Twilight snapped and looked back at Pinkie Pie. “What did I just say?”

Pinkie Pie repeated all of her words and added, “and basically what I understood is that you’re going to Mt. Verley after you got the Orb.”

“Huh,” Twilight realized. “It’s happening sooner than I thought…”

“What is?” everypony except Sapphire asked. Sapphire sighed instead.

“She’s one of them,” Sapphire proclaimed. “The staff-bearers. I told her once when she dreamt being here. Check pages 256 to 258 girls.”

Everypony except Princess Luna checked Twilight’s unfinished book to find crude drawings of seven staffs, each with its own description. Sapphire took Twilight’s fountain pen and circled the one with a six-sided star on it. Twilight looked at it and raised her eyebrow. Sapphire took a piece of paper and drew something else. Instead of a six-sided star on a t-shaped base since all of the staffs had a t-shape base, it had a v-shaped base connected by an arc. The arc had five rays pointing outside, and a double helix inside. In the middle of the rays and the double helix were six gems. She also took the liberty to explain it as she drew.

“… And the six gems are the Elements of Harmony instead of the Crystal Eight,” Sapphire finished explaining. “How did I know? I was the one who created it.”

…

---

“Now, Pinkie’s group must head towards Northeast and reclaim Destroia.” Princess Luna looked at Twilight and her group. “Your group must head Northwest and reclaim Amura. Destroia bears the Spirit of Chaos while Amura bears the Spirit of Darkness. Be careful out there.”

“Why?” Twilight asked. “Is it because the last one is controlled by King Sombra?”

“No.” Princess Luna took out her own complete book and opened it to page 500 which was the last page and pulled out a necklace. “Because when you finish the book, it will turn into a tome.” She flipped the page towards page 57 and a blue ball of fire floated up. She giggled, which wasn’t a common sight for the Night Princess. “Good afternoon, Stargazer.”

Twilight perked up at the name calling and looked at the blue fire. The blue fire seemed to recoil before it took shape of a blue pony. The blue pony even backed up as Twilight examined her.

“Daughter of Night Light!” the blue pony shouted as she bowed down. “You shouldn’t be here!”

“Okay, that’s really weird,” Sapphire commented. “How come you know who she is?”

“She is—” The blue pony immediately turned into a blue fire and returned to the book as soon as Princess Luna closed the book. The others looked at her and notice that her horn was absorbing light. She stopped and a flash of light blinded all of them.

---

“What happened? What’s going on? Why do I feel… Different?”

“Princess Luna… You look weird.”

Princess Luna looked at herself and slightly blushed. She hated being in a form like this. She wanted to turn back, but it would need her to use all of their life forces which was a very bad idea.

“I…” She checked herself and noticed she was wearing a gown which shimmered like her mane. “… Hate the humour of this dimension.” She faced at Twilight and imagined her group like her. “Should I give them the Transformation Spell, Ms. Gleam? That’s what happened.”

“If it is only necessary to do so,” she replied before she remembered something out of the blue. “Do it; the people of Amura hates ponies.”

“Really?” Luna amusingly raised an eyebrow.

“Cross my heart,” Gleam swore. “Besides, we are wasting too much time. You two groups must leave afterward.”

Princess Luna readied up for the spell and fired it on to Twilight. Before anypony else would have flinched or moved a muscle, three humans were seen where Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy was.

The human that replaced Fluttershy blinked and looked at herself. “I feel naked even if I have these clothes on,” she commented. “And these fingers are hard to use. And also standing on two legs is quite a surprise. What is this species anyway?”

“Humans,” the human that replaced Twilight replied as she wobbily struggled to keep balance. “We’re human.” She pressed her palm to her cheeks. “I’m human! Oh my goodness, this is amazing! It worked! I totally feel like my Soira, Lienna Sparkle! This is really good!” Twilight stopped. “This is really bad!”

They all looked at Rarity who was panicking.

---

“Panicking does not lead anywhere,” Rarity confessed as she tried to walk. “Oh, please. Why does it have to be me with them?”

“I can answer that!” a voice replied from Luna’s book. “It’s fate.”

“What does it have to be a fate?” Rarity complained. “Why did we have to enter this stupid place?” She kicked one of the objects on the floor. “Can you answer that, Stargazer?”

The book was silent until it spoke again.

“I suppose you are right and this quest is useless,” the voice in the book replied. “But you don’t know why Twilight, Luna, Celestia and Pinkie wants to finish this, I think.”

Rarity was confuzzled at the mention of one of her friends. “Pinkie?” Rarity asked. “What about her?”

The book opened itself and the blue fire came out. This time, the fire turned into a human who bowed and faced the unicorn-turned-human.

“She has knowledge of the timeline that lies ahead,” the Stargazer replied. “She is one of the five who will help a Daughter of Night Light become the Harmonist.”

“Harmonist…" Rarity repeated. “I do see the connection, darling. But I can’t see why she haven’t told us if she really did have this information.”

“Do you want to know?” Stargazer asked. “You must promise me not to tell everyone, though. It’s top secret.”

Rarity did a Pinkie Promise and nodded, “tell me.”

The Stargazer quickly began the story of everything she obtained. She told Rarity where everything started, from a small riverside village on a dimension where everything were cubes and pixelized. She told her how it transformed to be Destroia. How Destroia City became the conduit for travellers and adventurers. How the five nations were founded on the continent of Discordia. How Dream Realm Destroia came and how Ms. Ravenshire ruled it. Rarity absorbed all of this information, unaware of a certain Pinkie Pie watching them. As soon as she finished about what the future might be, the party pony clapped. Rarity turned her head and looked at Pinkie.

“How much did you heard from us?” Rarity demanded.

“Everything,” Pinkie flatly replied. “Now that makes sense why I got into Isle Destroia instead of the other Pinkies! I’m chosen by the Director! Wow, and then that means—" She gasped. “No way, you? The Seeker of the Anomalist Four? How did this happen?! Oh, I wish I was on your team!”

Rarity panicked again because the fire-turned-unicorn forgot to tell what it meant.

---

The next morning, the two groups now named as the Dreamer Squads set out and headed towards their locations. Twilight’s group decided to take the white capsule-thing with wings called an airplane while the ponies set out on hoof. As their plane, DAS Equestria, passed a few towns, Twilight practiced sword fighting on a mannequin. She practiced on the mannequin since they might encounter a few zombies based on Ms. Ravenshire’s scouting party, the Realm Reclamation Squad. One of its pony members, a pegasus pony named Meteor Feathers, controlled the airplane crazily which seldom disrupted Fluttershy’s practices on balancing. Rarity complained and moaned about how it flew.

“This is Captain Meteor speaking,” the pilot announced. “We will refuel at Blacklight City before we head over to Amura. Please get ready.”

Twilight and Fluttershy went towards a chair near Rarity and buckled their seatbelts. Rarity looked around and took a glass of orange juice.

“Say darlings,” she called. “This is what flying feels like, huh?”

“Not really,” Fluttershy said. “The best feeling of flying when you’re not in these airplane things and you have wings on your own.”

Rarity looked at Fluttershy. “Right, you were a pegasus,” she apologized.

Twilight blinked and looked at the two. ‘There’s a side effect for being a human, huh. No wonder Princess Luna hated it’, she thought. “Hey girls, when we land in Blacklight City, let’s go see Mt. Carpath. I hid something in there that you might all love.”

“What is it anyway?” Rarity asked.

“Magic wands,” Twilight replied as she resisted the act of squeeing. “Best defense when we’re magically defenseless. And, it totally acts like unicorn magic.”

“Do I get one? Because I’m, you know, formerly a pegasus,” Fluttershy inquired.

Twilight smiled. “I actually reserved six wands for the six of us.”

“So, six magic wands for the six of us,” Rarity counted. “But since we three are the ones visiting, we get to have a head start on using those wands. Marvelous!”

“Heh,” Twilight scoffed. “What can I say? Sometimes it’s good to be prepared.”

“Anyways, we are about to land!” the pilot told all of them.

“That fast already?!” all of them complained.

Meteor Feathers began to steer the plane downwards. “Si! Now buckle up!"

Despite the sudden dive, their plane landed safely relieving Twilight’s apparent fear of death by flying objects. Rarity felt an urge to investigate which she resisted and blamed the urge to the Stargazer and Pinkie. They just had to say it. Twilight noticed this slightly irrational behavior and decided to walk towards Rarity.

“Is everything alright, Rares?” Twilight asked.

“Not really,” Rarity replied. “You see… there’s something I want to confess but I promised not to tell it.”

“Anything about the thing you want to confess that isn’t covered by the promise?” Twilight looked around. “You know, maybe you could tell me on the way. It looks like we’re going to stay a little tad longer.”

“How long?” Fluttershy questioned as she ran towards them.

“Hmm.” Twilight pointed towards their pilot who was arguing with somepony. “Half a day, more or less.”

“That’s a lot of time,” Fluttershy whispered. “So, Mountain Carpath?”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy and nodded. However, their only problem was they had no money. Or it was when Meteor walked up right to them and handed them twenty five packs of $20 bills. They looked back at Meteor only to find a human. Fluttershy asked where is Meteor Feathers and the human replied saying that she is their pilot and she was really human, not Soira nor pony.

“You guys aren’t the only ponies around y’know,” she said. “And besides, when you’re a Guardian of Light and at the same time a regular visitor of an Equestria, you tend to stick to the pony form and forget you were once human.”

“An Equestria?” Rarity asked, receiving glances from Twilight and Fluttershy. “Excuse for my curiosity now and then.”

“When did you become that curious?” Fluttershy questioned. “You were only curious before when it is related to fashion.”

“Uh…" Rarity looked at the direction of the school where she felt a warm smile and a ghostly nod. “I’m the Seeker of the Anomalist Four, as it seemed.”

Meteor momentarily lost her balance after hearing it. “You? Seeker? The Anomalist Four? Oh, wow. Another Seeker, another Four! This is better than finding the millionth digit of pi while eating a ten-layered ice cream!” Meteor looked at the others and whispered, “did she tell you about the history of this place?”

“Yes,” she whispered back. “What about it, darling?”

Meteor stepped back and gave them space. “Would you believe that I myself is a Seeker of the Guardian Four? I cannot believe that the Anomalist Four are here! Wait.” She closed her eyes and unconsciously pointed to Twilight and Fluttershy. “Well, that’s a coincidence.”

“Why are you pointing at me?” Twilight asked. Meteor immediately pulled back her hands. “A–Anyway, we’re going to leave and head towards Mt. Carpath.”

“Mt. Carpath,” she repeated as she turned into a pegasus pony. “Okay. Return quickly, you do know you girls weren’t here for sightseeing!”

Before Meteor Feathers finished, they had already left. She made sure they left before she fangirled over the fact that she was assigned to be their pilot since Twilight Sparkle was a very famous celebrity for being the Element of Magic. After being so, she remembered that she was just also a celebrity guest and chuckled.

“Twilight Sparkle is best pony after all,” she excused. “I wonder how my sister reacts when I told her I became their pilot… Probably better than the last time when I told her that Trixie passed by… Oh, I can’t wait to tell uncle about this!”

---

They went to Mt. Carpath by train. After a rather nostalgic and entertaining ride, they walked on foot until they arrived on a small cave where Twilight’s cutie mark was seen on the entrance. Twilight stepped first until she fell on a hole in front of the cave.

“I’m okay!” she shouted. “Inside the cave are six small boxes! Take them! Meet me back at the airport!”

The hole then is covered up as she heard their voices and footsteps until it all vanished. She sighed and faced the lit part of this cave chamber and felt something on her forehead. She poked and grabbed it only to pull her head down painfully. Her horn!

“I have my horn, maybe I have my magic.” Twilight focused and then light came out from her horn. “Lumos.”

The horn, still glowing, released a small glowing orb of light which flew towards an area of the cave chamber where the floor seemed to be more smoother than the rest. She approached this area and screamed as she fell to her knees, a burn forming at her wrist. As she managed to keep her eyes open, she saw what happened and closed her eyes as she tried to block out the pain. Exactly one minute later, the pain resides and Twilight saw the burned area bleeding. She looked around and checked her travel bag which she had since she entered and took a few bandages. Basing on her knowledge for “Universes of the Dream Realm” and basic medical first aid, she carefully wrapped the bleeding part and stood up. Looking around, she walked towards an opening and took a deep breath.

She looked around and then back to find the opening gone so she decided to make a run towards Blacklight City Airport. After a truck, a small visit to a clinic, and a car away, she arrived just in time to find her friends waiting for her and already using their wands outside the plane waiting. She smiled, boarded the plane and then sat on a chair as she examined the burn on her left wrist once more. It was a curved line with three spirals on the right and two on the left. Something on her head told her to stay alert and watch for this mark since they have encountered it before in text.

As she stared at the burn, Meteor Feathers boarded the plane and began to start up the engine. Fluttershy and Rarity follow only to be surprised that Twilight was already ready for the flight. She smiled.

“What happened, darling?” Rarity asked. “What was with that cave chamber?”

“And why is your left wrist bandaged?” Fluttershy asked out of concern.

Twilight looked at her wrist. “Promise you won’t tell anypony about this.”

“Pinkie Promise?” Rarity asked.

Twilight took a few seconds to think. “Just a regular promise.”

They both nodded and Twilight began to unwrap the bandage. Much to her shock, it wasn’t as worse as before but the burn was still there. Fluttershy went closer and touched the burn only for Twilight to flinch.

“Is that the ‘Vine Mark?’” Rarity immediately reacted. “Where did you get THAT!?”

“I don’t know really,” Twilight admitted. “All I remember was the pain. Did you get the boxes, anyway?”

“They did,” the pilot replied over the intercom as they flew. “Say, where did you find such things in DRD?”

“A friend of mine gave them,” Twilight answered. “He said it would be useful during times magic is ineffective. Speaking of magic, have you both mastered the wands already? I kinda saw you both using it.”

“We’re practicing for it,” Fluttershy replied. “Captain Feathers helped too, since apparently she knows all kinds of magic. Although there’s one box I can’t seem to open…”

“That must be my box,” Twilight answered as she took the said box and popped it open. Inside were a wand and a ring which she quickly wore. “Would you look at that, the ring fits perfectly.”

“What’s with the rings, though?” Rarity inquired. “Are they important to generate magic?”

“Yes,” Twilight firmly stated.

They were finally silent as the plane zoomed into Sancto, Amura where Nightmare Moon had no power to control.

Back in Equestria…

(Canterlot)

“Hey candy, you alright?” asked Shining Armor as the royal couple walked around the throne room in Canterlot.

“I’m fine,” Princess Cadence answered. “It’s just that I can’t get over the fact that Auntie Celestia and Luna would leave us alone to rule Equestria…”

“Well, it’d probably be better if were to look over a small empire full of crystal artifacts, right?” Shining nuzzled her wife. “They’ll be fine. In fact, if they’re not then the sun and the moon should’ve stopped right now.”

A Royal Guard came barging in as they giggled a bit. “Your highness! The sun! It’s—”

Another Royal Guard pulled the other guard pony outside. “It’s a false alarm!” Shining managed to catch a glimpse of the guard’s eyes as it flashed green.

‘A changeling!?’ Shining immediately ran towards the guard only to find two guardspony being lectured by a changeling. “What’s going on?”

The two ponies and a startled changeling look at the Captain of the Royal Guard. The changeling immediately takes disguise and immediately attempt to run only to be caught by Shining. “Where are you going, insect?”

“Oh please, don’t bloody use that horrid insult!” the changeling complained in a british accent. “I’ve been on ranks since I was a little colt by order of Queen Chrysalis before she planned that outrageous wedding! And I wasn’t even told!”

“What?” Shining asked, now more confused than angry. “Is that you, Steel Forge?”

“Damn yes I am!” the changeling proudly proclaimed. “This bug pony have proof if you want, Cap!”

Shining nodded and the disguised changeling pulled out a picture of him as a trainee. Shining immediately blushed and took the picture and then looked at the other two guards before he faced Steel Forge. “What did we miss and you go on like that showing who you are?”

“Orders by the Queen,” Steel replied. “All changelings stay peacefully in Equestria and in return never to remove disguise in public, sir.”

“I don’t follow,” Shining told him, his hatred for the changeling bubbling again. “Your stupid queen told you that?”

“Apparently Princess Celestia made a peace treaty out of it,” one of the two guardsponies answered.

“She did?” Shining idly asked.

Princess Cadance teleported inside and looked around. She then whispered something to Shining Armor and the pair teleported away, leaving three members of the Royal Guard stunned and silent for a few seconds.

“So,” Steel told the two. “Her Highness and Princess Sunbutt and Moonbutt told us that they can be seen at South Luna Sea.”

“What are you going to do now?” they both asked.

“I just need an escort.” Steel faced the others. “Can’t I just have some luxury for this trip!?”

“Uh…yes, sir,” they both replied.

(Carousel Boutique, Ponyville)

“Uh… Sweetie Belle?”

“Yes, Ms. Saddles?”

“Are you sure that I could do this?”

“Of course you can!” Sweetie firmly declared. “Just get your imagination on the dresses and forget your plan first.”

Sassy Saddles looked at Sweetie Belle and silently groaned.

(Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville)

“Ah’ve been wondering,” Applebloom told Granny Smith and Big Mac. “Have ye been dreaming as somethin’ else?”

“Can’t say I do,” Granny Smith replied. “‘Cause Ah can’t even remember the last time Ah dreamed of something.”

“Eeyup,” Mac replied. Applebloom stared at him. “Ah once helped Twilight in her book for a few pages.”

(Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville)

“Where are they anyway?” Spike asked to Roseluck. “Have you heard anything about them?”

“Not really,” Rose answered. “The last thing we all heard from them was that they were lost at sea.”

“Huh.” Spike looked at the notebook Mr. And Mrs. Cake gave him. “Have you heard of the humans?”

Rose backed up a bit. “Those crazy things Lyra keep claiming true? What about them?”

Spike showed a page to Rose. “They probably are real since she’s not the only one who talked about them.”

Rose read the page and pushed it away. “Mrs. Cake made this?” she asked. “So unlikely of her.”

Spike glanced at it and nodded. “It does seem a little bit weird.”

As they talked, Mrs. Cake headed towards the basement and pulled out an envelope named ‘The Stargazer’s Files’ and pulled out a picture from it. The picture was an orb. She turned it and read the words her husband wrote on them.

“Everfree Castle Third Basement Mirror”

She once wondered what that meant until she remembered about the Castle of Two Sisters. Mrs. Cake cursed herself for staying too much out of danger. She would make up for the rest of the Cakes and Princess Celestia if she would interfere with Dream Realm Destroia’s cycle. After all, she was still the Stargazer and it wouldn’t change until the second generation after her came.

Mrs. Cup Cake of North gulped. It had been a long time she thought like this. Too long.

---

Mr. Carrot Cake of South gulped. He hasn't felt like this ever since Pumpkin and Pound Cake arrived. Something was wrong.

As he went towards the basement, he found something.

A map of the Everfree Forest and a picture of the Orb.

Back in Dream Realm Destroia…

(Sancto City, Amura)

“What!? You guys were so afraid to do the one thing to destroy the Spirit of Darkness!?!?”