SteamPony Express

by SketchIt

Who are these friends of mine? Part Two

Lavender had confidently sent Diamond Tiara running to her office with her tail tucked between her hind legs.

"Hmmph... little ruffian, she acts nothing near what I thought she would be. When I think of D-Tiara Inc I was expecting her to be well, more proper and behaved..." Of course thinking about her outburst she felt she had not been too proper either. "Of course she did call me a Mare-Hag, well I sure showed her nopony EVER talks down to Lavender Rose. By Celestia if anypony thinks they can talk down to mwahh... they're in for a surprise!"

She strutted herself back to the house and figured she would check up on Sketch to make sure her crazy outburst did not stir her slumber. "I sure hope I didn't cause any disruption with my rude behavior..." She trotted inside and as she put her hooves up on the stair steps the mysterious pony heard the faint creaking twitching her ears on alert.

"What was that... did somepony follow me!?" The figure quickly shut the curtains on the window and took cover by a dresser and wardrobe snug behind the blind side of the door where if it were to open she would have the element of surprise. The figure listened carefully on the unsuspecting pony.

"Oh Sketch dear... you still asleep?" The moment she opened the door the figure's ears were pinned back with a gritting growl ready to pounce on her, but after carefully listening to the voice she realized Lavender wasn't a threat, "Aww she looks so adorable when she's asleep. I'll just leave her be then." The figure felt a relief, last thing it wanted was to start a brawl in Sketch's bedroom while she was sleeping of all things!

Back over in the Bowling Alley Spike just bowled a full strike and he jumped in the air yelling,

"YESSS! SSSTTTRRRIKKKE! Beat that mare!" With a confident smile and cool eyes he crossed his arms waiting to see if the girls were going to best him. Bubblegum took next round and she made a yawning face replying,

"Boorrring, check this I call it my PULVERIZING SWIRLY BERRY STRIKE!" She spun in circles like a ballerina and as she approached the white line she let it go straight up in the air. She didn't realize the mighty power of physics due to her lack of bowling experience but she somehow managed to spin a bowling ball into the air and with her hind legs she bucked it straight down the lane! The spinning bowling ball sent her for a whirl squealing, "WWWEEEEEEEEE!" The ball launched like a torpedo straight into the pins with a loud KATHOOM! Spike's mouth dropped as those pins didn't stand a chance, it was a direct clean strike! "Impressed much Spike?" She grinned with victorious authority as Spike gawked in shock from what he witnessed!

"Congratulations Bubblegum, you're apparently a talented bowler." Strawberry Delight answered with a hoof out and a cocky smile.

"Thanks, but I owe it to my bowler cap! Dad says you should always wear the proper headgear for the occasion." Starlight laughed agreeing with her,

"Yep it must be true because you won in a landslide..." Showing the score up on the screen Bubblegum had all strikes, Spike had ONE, Starlight had the least amount scored and her sister was lagging just behind Bubblegum.

"So what's next girls, we gonna go greet people with pranks. I like prank greetings, they're like normal ones only funnier!" Starlight tried to think of a reason to stay but she began to remember her animal friends waiting for her back home and she responded reluctantly,

"I would love to Bubblegum, but... me and my sister should really get back home..." She paused herself turning to her sister adding, "I have a surprise waiting there for you Strawberry."

"Ooooohhh a surprise you don't say? Well lead the way oh sister of mine." Strawberry let Starlight go in front of her and the mares left waving goodbye to Bubblegum and Spike. Bubblegum stood for a moment contemplating on what to do,

"Well there's still a lot of day left, I pranked, threw pies, made jokes, ate pie, met new friends, made them all laugh and I played and won a game at bowling. What else is there to do...?" Spike shrugged quickly responding,

"I don't know about you but I'm going to take my afternoon nap." Bubblegum left the Bowling Alley with Spike and parted their seperate ways. Bublegum made the best of her adventure back home by opening her mouth and singing a happy tune along her way,

"Today's been the most excitingest lovliest, funniest days I've ever had. It brings all the smiliests, friendliest feelings and It makes me feel so glad!

Awesome's the word it's a great day to be heard, my voice shouts it loud and PROUD! Today's been the most Awesomest, craziest, zaniest days and all the ponies around me are WOWED! I march my parade we chant and shout hooray you can't RAIN ON OUR HEADS TODAY! Because Today was the most fantabulous, fantasticus, most epicus days AROUND!

"And I see the smiles on their faces, those ponies laughing all over the places! It brings me no end of joy!" She wailed and rejoiced in the air as she waltzed around, danced and pranced all around ponies at random. She looked to three sad little young ponies who were all alone in a nearby playground and she pranced up to them singing, "And I know sometimes it feels like a one way game, but don't you worry we all feel sad someday, but I say we never have to give up on a smile that way! I got plenty to share..." She paused as she gave a little colt a gentle push on a slide sending him flying down and landing in the sandbox with a lonely filly and commenced to play hopscotch with another filly on her back piggy backing the pony over to the sandbox where she sat with them continuing her melody, "With you, you and even you..." With another pause she raised her voice in a bright happy squeal, "To brighten up your DAYYY!!"

She hopped up from the sandbox and leaped up to a street lamp and rang her voice to the world of Equestria, "BECAUSSSE! Today's been the most excitingest lovliest, funniest days I've ever had. It brings all the smiliests, friendliest feelings and It makes me feel so glad!" She jumped down and she marched herself up to a group of ponies and made a loud, "You can't rain on my parade we'll CHEER and SHOUT HOORAY! Because today's been the most Fantabulous, Fantasticus, Epicus Days I've EVER HAD!"

The ponies glanced at her and felt that beat was catchy and they joined her in unison as she went for her final hooray in her happy little song, "BECAUSE TODAY'S been the most EPICUS, FANTASTICUS, FANTABULOUS DAYS AROUND!!!!!!!" Ending with Jazzy hooves they joined with her! She turned her attention over to the crowd and smiled as they ended her catchy little song. "Thanks for ending chorus everypony, we should do it more often!" She smiled to the crowd who in turn replied in unison,

"Don't mention it." The crowd began to leave her as she trotted her way back home!

When Starlight came to her home she led her sister into the little shack and like a blast from the past Strawberry Delight just indulged herself to the scenery.

"Every time I enter this place it's like memories just pouring in my mind... remember that time when we were just fillies and dad had that big slide before he removed it because you skinned your leg...?" Starlight nodded as she fluttered into the kitchen to get the cookies,

"Oh yes, that was a really fun slide too. I remember I wasn't the only one too that had accidents on it... I remember a time when you tried to climb back up and slid down hurting your poor wittle flank..." Strawberry Delight laughed at her sister's comment.

"Ahh they were good times back then..." Strawberry Delight looked to her sister nervously, she felt awkward to open her mouth afraid she might upset her sister.

"Oh here are some cookies I made them myself... oowww..." Sebastian hopped on her head and slapped one of his legs down repeatedly ribbiting. "Well I had help too..." His frown immediately replaced with a satisfied smile of his recognition. Strawberry Delight seen Sebastian and nuzzled her nose against his cheek answering,

"Oh I see Sebastian's still hopping around..."

"Oh yes I take care of him everyday. Sebastian's been helping me cook these cookies, because of him they taste so awesome please try one sis..." Strawberry Delight was reluctant as she thought about a frog making cookies and she felt it was a big unsanitary, but she couldn't refuse those big 'PLEASSSEEEE!' Eyes of her sister's. She took a bite of one and chewed it around tasting the sugary deliciousness and with a warm smile she replied,

"Oh wow these are pretty good my compliments to you talented chefs."

"You hear that Sebastian she likes them!" Feeling as if the world was right Starlight had a big goofy smile as she pranced in place. "Yay she likes them." Strawberry Delight still felt an awkward pause she tried to think of something else to say to keep herself from bringing up the eventual topic she knew she would bring up,

"So do you still have the telescope in your room?" Starlight nodded with a joyful smile. She trotted her way up the stairs to show her sister the room she had let freeze in time. Strawberry Delight had not been in her sister's room for ages. The room was more than just some bedroom to her, it was like a snapshot of the past. "Wooooow..." She felt her mind flash back to the days when her and her sister were little fillies gallivanting about in this room laughing and making such a ruckus and during the sweet nights they would peer through that telescope into the dreamy starlit sky as the reeds around their home would whisper and sing through the night breeze. "Oh I remember you used to carry on about space so much you used to dress up as Shooting Star Strike the heroic space pony during Nightmare Night too!" Starlight proudly began to mimic her comic book hero,

"Shooting Star Strike Space Commander! With the sole mission to explore the outreaches of deep space. To boldly go where nopony has gone before! To fight for Harmony on distant planets and return home to Equestria one day with the knowledge of the cosmos!" Starlight galloped over to her poster of a buzz cut maned pony in a space suit with his trusty magic beam he scoured the cosmos for discord! She loved the Adventures of Shooting Star Strike. "I read the comics every time a new issue was out. I wish the author would make more though all the comics are still up on the shelf from issue one to issue ninety six." Pointing to the display of her vast collection she approached them with a longing sigh. "I really wish we could just go back in time like in issue forty two, Back to the Answer of Everything..." She began to think about her parents which clouded her happiness of reminiscing .

The whole subject seemed very delicate with Starlight, among all the toys, the comics, the starrry wallpapers and the glow in the dark stars on her ceiling all of it was frozen in her childhood a more joyful time. Strawberry Delight began to open her mouth knowing what she might say might cause problems,

"Starlight, I'm sorry to bring it up but are you still determined to stay here all by yourself, I'm still on the offer with the guest room at my home back in Cloudsdale..." Starlight paused her smile and began to feel nervous when she kicked her hoof quietly on the floor,

"Well, ummm... yes. I mean I can't really leave what with all the little critters running in the house. Who would take care of them...?" Sebastian glared at her crossing his arms with a suspicious eye on Strawberry Delight. He sensed she was trying to rip Starlight away from them which was pretty upsetting. "Besides why would I leave such a lovely and quiet little home? I have absolutely everything I need here a job and friends..." Strawberry noticed Sebastian's expression and stomped her hoof quietly on the floor answering,

"Now don't give me that look, Starlight I know you still feel obligated to stay because of all of them, but I'm really worried for your development you've been sooo quiet it's not healthy for a pony to live all on her own like this..." Starlight didn't like the conversation as it brought up the harsh reminder of her parents again. She turned herself around and muttered,

"Why do you have to keep trying to get me to leave every time you come here, I thought making those treats would at least show you I'm trying. I have friends in Ponyville, a... and we went bowling does that mean nothing to you...?" Strawberry sighed as Starlight made a valid point,

"Yeah true but you still come back here and hide away from everypony..." Starlight's face shifted around from annoyed to sad, to huffy and puffy.

"Well I... I think you should just... GO back to Cloudsdale if all you want to talk about is getting me to leave my friends..."

"Siss...."

"Don't sis me, I know you care about me and all but, no means no..." Strawberry Delight wished she didn't make the visit sour for her sister, it was true she was making friends lately and those cookies were pretty delicious. They trotted down the stairs with Starlight looking gloom as she escorted her sister towards the door.

Before Strawberry Delight left she turned to her sister who was lurched and sad trotting away to the kitchen with the cookies still left on the tray. Strawberry felt she could not leave without making sure Starlight was happy with the brief visit.

"Hey, if it's no trouble could I have those cookies to go sis and would you want to... I donno, go bowling again maybe sometime next week with your friends and me?" Like magic her sis lit back up and she galloped over to her giving the tray to cookies to her,

"Oh yes please that would be really awesome." Strawberry liked the idea of seeing her sister out and about and she figured the constant reminding was getting nowhere. To Strawberry's mind these new friends were probably the only hope to get that little pony out of her house and into the world, so with a heart warming hug she bidded goodbye to her sister and left off to Cloudsdale.

Overr at the construction site North had placed around her house she requested the young stallion MT to come take a look at her dilemma.

"So you can see what I mean when eighty percent of all this is unusable?" Metallic Thunder scratched his chin analyzing all the rusted out gears, cracked pipes and broken cogs.

"I can see you got a lot of crack pipe... heheheheh!"

"Oh haha that's so funny i'm being serious!" North was in no mood for jokes.

"Well I don't see anything I really couldn't fix with a bit'o magic, except for maybe those over there..." Metallic Thunder pointed over to a pile North had put out of completely corroded gears. She agreed with his diagnostic,

"Yeah no amount of magic I'd expect could fix those..." A stallion of his science and a focused worker he had not much else to say but,

"Leave it to me I'll cook up a batch big enough for all of this, we'll melt down the corroded gears and remake what we can how's that sound?" North extended her hoof with a smile and added,

"Deal... but umm could I also if it's alright with you observe the enchanting process?" Wanting so bad to see how to make her own batch of repairing solvent she asked him if she could watch his method of creation. Metallic Thunder to her delight was all too happy to see somepony show interest in a field that was pretty taboo and not openly explored. Besides that fact he had yet to find anypony in Ponyville interested in the art of enchanting and alchemy his age.

"Why you most certainly can!" Trotting along the road back to his dad's smithery he couldn't help but explain the mysteries and wonderment of enchanting, "Clearly it's an unappreciated art to me. The things ponies could do using magic earth ponies, pegasi, anypony and any non-pony too..."

"Yeah well Ponyville's not really the place for a magic shop most of their daily tasks are non magic oriented." North argued back to the unicorn. MT nodded rather anxiously adding,

"Obviously which is why dad let's me do it in the quiet privacy of his smithery... well maybe not quiet but I do the work in the back mostly away from everypony due to accidents constantly happening. I've actually enchanted my hooves at one point in time with plant growth which was hilarious! Had it for like a week and dad just laughed calling me 'Flower Hooves.'"

"Heh... that sounds like a lot more fun than what I've done of late..."

"Tis the price I pay for science the Great Unknown."

"SCIENCE!" North exclaimed with an eager grin.

As they made their way towards the Smithery North gave a greeting to Anvil who was hammering away at the metalworks outside the building. Going inside it just felt so inspiring! Metalworks, pneumatic tubes and gears galore with swords and metal pieces put out on tables that seemed ready and waiting to be connected to make some sort of new device. MT waved over at Le-Clerc who was in that day the tall slender pony of science replied back,

"Ahh yes hello there Master Thunder, the zebra has delivered your order just as usual." Le-Clerc levitated a large lump of ingredients left by a mysterious zebra in a sack. North had an idea what zebra they were implying.

"So you get all your ingredients from Zecora huh?" Metallic Thunder turned his head as he received the bag of freshly picked goodies.

"Oh you know about the zebra then? Yes we do a bit of trading she delivers excess ingredients she has and we will occasionally hoof deliver special ingredients to her. You see Le-Clerc is a well traveled adventurer and delver in enchantments so he'll often go out of his hoof to get what Zecora needs because she..." He glanced over at Le-Clerc who added,

"She obtains the more dangerous to retrieve ingredients. I don't know how in Celestia's power she doesn't lose herself in the Everfree Forest but the majority spells I personally enchant require those hard to get ones. In exchange for the comfort of not having to hoof across Equestria I deliver her ingredients from afar, mostly she asks for her homeland ingredients which is a rather simple task to retrieve. Going to a tribal village and acquiring medicinal herbs is by far a safer venture than going into the Everfree." MT nodded adding,

"Le-Clerc and Zecora were tickled pink that I wanted to try a hand at enchanting so they always give me some spares to tinker with. Zecora gave me a couple of books on enchantments and alchemical remedies for in case I ever feel under the weather. The sure do hit the spot when my allergies start up." Feeling she was left out on a secret in Ponyville North mumbled,

"Aghhh, I feel as though something really awesome has been happening right under my nose..." She felt the desire to ask if she could learn the trade so that she could do her project herself and not bother Anvil and his son. "Well would there be any chance I could learn about enchanting from you? It would save a lot of time and save MT a lot of work making so many batches of that repair solvent to fix all those machine parts of mine..." MT grew a big smile as he turned to Le-Clerc.

"Welp it looks like you got another pupil Le-Clerc..."

"Looks like I may certainly well have..." He gave a painful sigh replying, "Ahhh but my day is so full of jobs from assembling to disassembling, cooking up ingredients for alchemical potions, occasionally hoofing around Equestria to get ingredients and now teaching more than one pony how to make enchantments... why my day's going to be filled to the brim, I won't have any free time at all." Le-Clerc was hinting at something to the ponies which MT didn't understand until North had a general idea responding,

"What do you want us to do in return?" MT felt puzzled and asked,

"Why can't I just teach her?" Le-Clerc shook his head replying,

"Dear boy I can't have you teaching a novice if you yourself are merely a novice. About the only thing you can make without blowing yourself up or growing flowers on your hooves which might I add was rather silly... is that repair solvent which does not teach her the basics of alchemical enchanting, which I might add again you so fervently attempt to destroy in your path!"

"I can't help going beyond the power of things it's my nature! I want the best and if I can't have the best then it's probably not worth it which is why that repair solvent is the best thing that's ever happened in my growing accident..."

"Growing accident?" North focused her attention to MT, "What growing accident?"

"Little derpy doolittle here turned the smithery into a garden when he over mixed a growth ingredient..." MT laughed as he recalled the huge mess of weeds he made in the building and that he had to ultimately clean up.

"Yeah the glass container exploded... that's when I came upon the repair solvent. A lot of the equipment was damaged by the growth potion so It hit me, I would fuse my Repair All spell which really does not do what it says I tried to REPAIR ALL and it was a bad strain on the brain. It's more like a repair only as much as your brain can think spell..." He trotted over to his still open alchemy books and pointed his hoof to the remedy book Zecora gave him adding, "So I took the quick fix potion which mends scrapes, burns and what nots fused them together and found this repair solvent. It's really neato if you get a broken wing or leg this could fix it good as new So it's like a general purpose medical and mechanical aid... the spell gives it the all purpose and punch while the quick fix gives it the means to be applied."

"So how in Equestria did you manage to fuse your magic into the concoction though that's what I want to know..." Le-Clerc stopped them there and explained in a very scary tone,

"Infusing is one of the most daring and dangerous things a unicorn can do to an alchemical potion, in truth you ponies are messing with forces that were not to be tampered. It is an art that was long frowned upon after tales of ponies descending into madness from the power, some still locked away in the Tartarus. Enchantments are in general dangerous which is why I and Zecora do not condone what MT is trying to do, breaking limits is what drove ponies mad..." He paused a moment as his creepy evil eyes darted around at North and MT creeping them out, "If you proceed to do this you must not attempt to mix these spells willy nilly, the simple enchantments guide over on that table is where you shall start your journey but I caution you, if you dare to look into the depths of its ability you may find yourself cast into the deep of Tartarus..."

"Not as colorful as Zecora's warning to me but still just as riddly and creepy..." MT answered feeling unnerved by Le-Clerc's behavior. Immediately Le-Clerc snapped from his creepy act and assured,

"I'm pretty sure unless your spell is something impossibly difficult like say attempting to make Ponyville float into the sky you should be alright. I'm just giving you caution now before you attempt to do something as silly as that... Enchantments are not something you can just concoct anything for it's all about mixing the forces of magic and alchemy together properly, sometimes you'll yield a positive result, sometimes it's a dud, and sometimes..." He again grew creepy as he snapped with a hoarse evil voice, "YOU'LL LOSE YOUR SOUL!!!"

"AGGHHH!" North and MT wrapped each other in their hooves shaking as Le-Clerc laughed with an evil,

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" Trotting off to continue his dis-assembly line in the other room North and MT looked at one another with an awkward pause letting go of one another quickly...

"Ahhh yeah well um, normally he's not that creepy but he is right I do tend to break the limits, but I also keep from wanting to do impossibly hard potions like for instance repairing those beyond repair corroded gears would require powerful magic, and I don't know if i'd want to try infusing something that strong..." MT also had the feeling he had to clarify, "Magic can do whatever potions can but at a price of limitations on the mind, potions can do whatever magic can but at a price it require ingredients, careful measurements and most of the times yielding small effects, but enchantments can amplify the power of these potions without the strain. Now I've tried enchanting items but to no avail I've not yet discovered how you can infuse objects with no magical properties of their own with magic..."

"Well all I'd want to know right now would be how to make that repair solvent..." MT nodded without hesitation and trotted up to the books.

"Ok well let's get started then first we need to prepare the quick fix, so pitch over those ingredients will ya?"

As they worked on a batch of solvent... Back in Sketch's home it was quiet, Lavender had begun to worry about Red and the gallery's opening so she set out to check up on him.

"My word the day is almost gone I didn't give Red any specific time to close the gallery doors, I better go do it myself then..." With the dog by her side she hopped off the couch and trotted over to her designer saddlebag. Humphrey jumped off and barked as he felt the desire to go travel with her. "Yes Humphrey you can come with momma here..." She lifted the flap and let him jump into the bag snuggling in and Lavender left the house letting the noise die down.

Sketch started to wake up after a few hours of resting her stomach.

"Aghhh... that was absolutely horrible, I can still smell the chocolate on my breath..." In the dimly lit room she hopped off not even noticing the figure sitting behind the dresser which was barely awake and alert. It heard her get up and quickly raised its ears in alarm thinking.

'Ahh, she's awake finally... hmmm so how should I go about revealing myself, I suppose just saying hi...? Duh...' Not thinking about how alarmed Sketch would be the figure approached her as Sketch trotted slowly to the window to check how far the sun had dipped into the horizon... when she opened up the curtains a dimming sunset filled the room with rays of light on a blazing silver face replying,

"Hello..." The sheer amount of freak out was beyond crazy as she lifted into the air with her entire body twitching out of fright she screamed with an inconsistent,

"Aahhhhhh EEEEE HHHHHHOOO AAAAHHHGGHGHGHHEEEEEEEEEEKKK!" She bolted over her bed peering over the covers to get a better look at what had almost scared her to death!

"Whoa there mare, chill out it's ok... well yeah you just woke up to a complete stranger in your bedroom I can see that's a shock but i'm not here to rob you or anything..."

"Then what are you... what's the big idea sneaking in my room?! Jeeze everything that's happened to me is just full of surprises!?" Sketch gazed over at the black spotted silver coated pony, her wings glistening with silver and a strange copper contraption bracing them. Her cutie mark was strangely barbed wires with a daisy in the middle with small daisy petals strewn across the barbs. The fire red mane and yellow highlights blazed in the glow of the sunset outside the window! She wore a tattered heavy jacket with four stars on the collar her hair held back by a pair of cracked goggles. The pony showed signs of nervousness as she replied,

"Wanna go downstairs and talk, it's sorta a long story..."

There sitting in the living room she talked for a short period of time. Explaining in great detail why she was there,

"The names DaisyChain, Lieutenant Major DaisyChain of the one'o ninth FillyForce Nines, I was transferred to the thirty second HayFlak Brigade. Which is where most of the story starts so I'll keep it short..." She explained the entire events that happened at the cloud port and her detailed escape out of the port and into the safe hooves of the 22nd Relief. She also made sure that Sketch knew about her brother and where he was in all of this.

Lavender's attempt to hide this information was in vain as DaisyChain gave the news, Sketch's heart dropped into her stomach quite literally hearing the news made her so sick she felt her body turn frail. She staggered and attempted to run to the bathroom desperately feeling the urge to throw up anything left in her stomach! Everything just in an instant felt hazy and confusing to her like her dream only far more distorted. Falling apart her thoughts shattered like glass.

DaisyChain sat on the couch with a gloom in her eyes as she heard the whole nasty scene and the crying that soon arrived afterwards. "Now I know how those couriers feel when they had to deliver the news..." That terrible choking cry was painful to her ears. "Wow... this is just... all kinds of awkward..."

To make matters worse Red, Lavender and lil Humphrey were returning to the house.

"Well you did a good job of taking care of the gallery despite your eyes glued on that silly book..." Before they entered the house Red contradicted her and defended Daring Doo with a stomp of his hoof,

"I dare say, you Miss Rose have no taste in quality literature then..."

"Just what are you saying Red..." Staring at him with a strong focus.

"That you are illiterate if you think this book is rubbish..." She gasped at the sound of his words as he continued, "Why this book Miss Rose is quite possibly the grandest adventure of words that I've ever been addicted to since the years of your father's teenage youth, back when I was entrapped with the dark suspenseful Poe Series books, now those were good times sitting by the fireplace and reading them to your father and him being courteous enough to listen to a book before judging it so rashly like yourself..." Lavender played the denial card and turned her attention into the living room answering,

"I donno what you're talking aboo... ahhh...ahhhh...ahhhhhhhh..." She was stuck on her words as soon as she caught eyes on, "That glistening silver coat, the fire red hair, those yellow highlights, that CUTIE MARK... ... it can't bee... it's impossible!!"

Red was caught at a disadvantage and Humphrey feeling DaisyChain was threatening his territory ran out and barked viciously at her. DaisyChain just gave a sharp grin replying,

"Ahhhh look at this little furball he's ready to fight..."

"Please I would suggest not... ..." The old mustached stallion's eyes grew wide as DaisyChain ignored him and commenced to hop on the floor and play with the growling furball. She was barking at him and throwing her hooves around his sides making him run around in circles. Humphrey spun around and the little confused terrier finally grew tired of being tricked into running in place and dropped rolling over on his back whining with his little pink tongue sticking out through his whiskers.

"Awww you a lazy little thing aren't ya, you need some exercise if ya wanna mess with me boy... grrrrr" she playfully rubbed his belly with her hoof and spun him around on his back laughing, "Don't worry about it, animals bark at me but I've never met one who'd dare take a bite out of this..." She shook her flank around laughing as she introduced herself, "Lieutenant Major DaisyChain, and you are?"

"Red Tie, and this is Miss Lavender Rose, and that is Master Humphrey." Red was rather intrigued by the wild maned mare who stood before him. Lavender was just completely scared out of her wits because she was not expecting her to be anywhere in the vicinity, quickly she tried to get answers by asking with a bumbling tone,

"Whaa... why are you... here Miss DaisyChain?" Strutting her stuff over to the table she pointed her hoof down on the letter replying,

"I was delivering some letters when I stopped here and I had this like strange haze come over me... felt like a lightheaded sorta thing ya know? Aside from that I felt obligated to talk to Sketch-it." In disbelief the left side of lavender's mouth raised as her eye twitched on the other. Her mind began to race,

'Oh Dear CELESTIA of all the things that could happen this IS THE WORST POSSIBLE THING! If she discovers that letter is gone she's going to let it be known, what if she's already told Sketch my efforts of keeping it a secret would be in VAIN. What's worse she'll know there was a letter involved and I could become the prime suspect! Why Celestia why must my act of kindness be rewarded with punishment!?'

As DaisyChain turned to her side they noticed something about her wings. There was some mechanical brace with small shards of metal that looked like scales or feathers covering areas where her wings were blown apart. Lavender remembered how LightHeart described her wings and the shape they were in after taking a direct hit, the bandaged shoulder where a large red spot of what appeared to be blood wrapped tightly on her left side, everything LightHeart described was exact detail which meant this happened not too long ago for her wounds still to be fresh. The mechanical brace still attached to her wings she still wore her fighter ace jacket with the four stars reminding Lavender of her fighting status, she could've had five stars if it wasn't for that accident. Her snout was spotted black to her silver coat and it raised question was it the way she was born or a scar from getting a thick black plume of flak shot in her face? The very image of this mare scared Lavender for a number of reasons.

DaisyChain suddenly began to feel a woozy spell and began to stagger around!

"Ohhh... owwww my head..." Lavender did not let this stop her from helping the older mare as she ordered Red to escort her to the couch. Red guided DaisyChain to the couch as told by Lavender and placed her cozily down with some pillows and a towel to cover her bloodstain "Ahhh It's only been a few days but I miss that smell of burning metal and that thick cloud of flak, kinda wish I was back out there with my thirty threes pounding those warbirds with hot steel, SOO HARDCORE! You guys have no idea how alive you feel when you're busting the sound barrier constantly soaring through thick smoke, bullets whizzing everywhere bogies on your tail about to rip you to shreds! AGGHHHH I'm missing it sooo bad!"

"Clearly you must be feeling the need to go back so what's stopping you dear from doing so?" Lavender inquired hoping to convince her to leave as soon as she healed herself over.

"I can't, if I could mare I would but these braces don't exactly let me fly. It would take better pony engineering to make me fly again. This little getup... it was made so I could free fall basically so really I hoofed this entire trip... aside from the lightheadedness I was feeling really tired and wanted to see this Sketch-it I was hearing about from a comrade of mine... so to speak." DaisyChain thought about Sketch's reaction and back to Lightheart which she couldn't shake him out of her head. Those two thoughts felt heavy on her.

"So to speak... ..." Lavender started feeling sweat roll down her face.

"Yeah... I figured I would give her the news about her brother personally. I knew she was going to be upset but I didn't know this upset."

'Oh no she already told her!' Lavender galloped up the stairs to the bathroom door and knocked on it crying out, "Sketch darling are you ok...!" Inside Sketch was feeling her body completely lose its energy her mind all she could think was,

'All this... all of this was because I came here to see my brother what is it all for now what's the meaning of my journey now? What's the meaning of having to live anymore if the biggest thing in my life of knowing where I came from, who my parents were my entire family just.... ERASED before I could even get a chance to see anypony face to face..." Drops of tears splashed on the sides of a porcelain sink as her voiced choked trying to speak her thoughts out loud, "And there was nothing I could've done to stop it..." She stared through the mirror and watched as the mare across the other side began to grow gray.

"Sketch please answer me, don't be quiet like this you're scaring me..." Lavender completely afraid that Something bad had happened galloped back downstairs. "Something is wrong with Sketch I JUST KNOW IT, she's not responding!"

"What..." DaisyChain didn't like how Lavender was making the situation scary and attempted to reassure her, "She's probably taking some time to think or something this was some pretty heavy news..."

"You might be right... oh this is positively nerve racking why has it been nothing but pain and strain since I came to Ponyville!?" Lavender had no end to the problems so far with her new found social group in Ponyville. She was starting to wonder if moving to this town was even worth it.

Inside the bathroom Sketch began to mope around as she from time to time would look back to the mirror and all she could see was a gray pony. The news hit her so hard that her emotions drove straight downhill returning her to that terrible place the place she fought so long to stay away from, that discorded and depressing sensation she had as a foal... The Gray Foal Syndrome! This time it felt like it was coming to stay permanently. The last time she was there in that emotionless and depressed state the Mareweathers were there to pick her up. Her hope was dwindling to the last bit now though because her hopeful foster parents were miles away from her. In her gloomy hour she began to hear the voice from her dream call out,

"It is time..." Sketch looked around until she spotted the floating light. "Come Sketch, let your destiny unfold." Sketch didn't feel like she could go on doing anything else but follow this light so she turned to approach it when she was suddenly enveloped with a powerful energy and lifted up from the floor! In a flash of light she disappeared from the bathroom entirely to an unknown location. "You've yet to do your part Sketch your time will come but first, your friends must prove themselves..." The voice echoed in her ears leaving a note behind them on the bathroom floor.

Lavender let time pass too long and she stomped her hoof replying,

"I'm not standing around for an answer last time I did she was ponynapped by a bunch of brutish clowns who knows what could happen now... Red would you be a dear and BUST THAT DOOR DOWN!"

"At once Miss Rose!" Galloping up the stairs he proceeded to dropkick the door blowing it wide open!

"Whoa, oldschool pony still got his kicks I see."

"Well Miss Daisy, I tend to keep in tip top physical condition for when the moment arises that muscle is required for a particular task..." DaisyChain approached the open door behind Lavender raising her hoof to hoofbump Red with a jazzy response,

"Rock on old stallion!" Red did not shy away from the hoofbump and proceeded to extend his hoof out and tap hers, "Oh come on that's not how you hoofbump, give it more Oomph!" He figured she wanted him to punch her hoof with his so he gave her a good sturdy POP! "Ohhh owww... wow..." She felt that old pony's strength shake her bad shoulder. "Yep that's how you do it."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lavender screamed out startling everypony including Humphrey who was finally feeling relaxed in the living room! In her hooves was a note she read aloud, "We have your friend, if you ever want to see her again come to the library! Don't report the authorities or else... or else what what do they mean by that!?" DaisyChain's eyes flared with anger,

"Sounds like someponies need their skulls stomped in!" lavender felt a bit disturbed by the violent reaction DaisyChain had.

"Yes well we have to do SOMETHING about this, we can't just let these goons take our poor Sketch away this makes twice she has been ponynapped. Oh Celestia why does that poor mare get into so much trouble? Let's not waste time to the library!"

"Way ahead of you mare!" DaisyChain bolted out the door heading straight for the library.

They were not the only ponies who were given the note, the strange orb of light dispensed notes to a few more ponies which the second pony to get the news was North,

"What's this... ..." North was observing the ingredients condensing when a note seemed to have flew out and smacked her in the face. "..." She paused a moment as she read to herself, 'We have your friend... yadda yadda come to the library if you ever want to see them again...' North didn't like the sound of that and there was no open window or draft in the building, this was not only a physical impossibility but who else could it be meaning if it came out of thin air? Giving a benefit of the doubt she replied, "Ummm MT something just came up can you hold that concoction for a moment...?"

"Yeah It's still gonna take a while to cook up..."

"Kay thanks bye!" She blazed out of the building and flew for the library worried sick that it possibly was Spike! "Maybe it's just a joke who would be so personal, unless it was one of our friends! Agghhhh this better not be a joke cause the more i'm thinking about it the angrier it's making me!"

Another note arrived at the hooves of Jaxx who was hammering down some nails on a fence post.

"What the, what's this here now, we have your friend, if you ever..." Reading down to the last letter she dropped her tools and cried out, "Pappa, somethin might important just came up I'ma be headin ta town!"

"Alright don't be too long now ya hear? Yer sis is gonna be makin supper here pertty soon!"

"Don't you worry yer horseshoes Pappa i'll be back before the sun's down!" She raced off towards town mumbling to herself, "Who in the wide world of Equestria could be ponynapped now'a wonder?"

Yet another note was sent to Starlight through her window.

"EEEEKKK, Something's on my face GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!" She freaked out prancing her legs about like a scared filly when Sebastian jumped on her head and snatched it up. She looked up realizing it was only paper and blushed as Sebastian gave her a rather annoyed expression croaking as he rolled his eyes, "Oh it's just a letter, my bad Sebastian..." He rolled it up and swatted her on the nose as he jumped off onto the counter. She rubbed her nose muffling, "Owwwch... why do you have to hit me so much?" He unraveled the note before her and she read it to herself. "GAHHH!!" She gasped in horror as she replied aloud, "Somepony or something has ponynapped a friend of mine! Oh dear that's terrifying... ohhh nooo I could not... the last ponynapping involved scary clowns with guns." Sebastian croaked and pointed once again up to the picture of her parents with the same saying. "Oh you're right Sebastian, if I'm not there for my friend then that makes me a big scaredy dummy head and a bad friend, but I don't know what if it's dangerous, what if the ponynapper have guns like those meanie clowns?" She gulped frightened at the thought of it.

Sebastian jumped on her head and with a furious flinging air strike of the paper he attempted to give her a gesture he would protect her. "Oh that's sweet of you Sebastian, if you want to come then of course. You can be my little knight in shining armor." In a distinguished manner he held the paper rolled up to one side and his other hand to his heart standing tall extending his legs up! "Well let's not doddle, we should get to the library right away." He nodded acknowledging that logical choice of action.

The final note sent was to the crazy Bubblegum who had been sitting with her cousins and older brother looking around a table with cards in her face.

"I'm watching you Spinach Dip! I know what your game is!"

"Oh yeah Bubblegum you think you know but you don't know I know cuz you don't know what I know unless you know right now then my knowing of you knowing would not really know what it is you KNOW!" Bubblegum glared at him as she gave him the freaky eye,

"Exactly, and that's how I know what you know... because you just don't know that I know what you know because in knowing that I know what you know I couldn't know because you'd know ya know?" Spinach Dip started to sweat, his green mane dripping as the pressure was on him thinking,

'Oh nooo, she knows the thoughts I'm thinking cuz I totally don't know that she knows what I know cuz I donno if she knows!!! Or do I know but her knowing that I know she's trying to trip me up on my knows! MY BRAIN!' Spinach Dip didn't want any part of her game of mind tricks and immediately folded,

"I fold...!" He took a piece of gum out of the loser pile knowing it could be either a crappy piece of his spinachy gum or worse... Bubblegum's evil Cherry Tamale Explosion. He reached for a piece and slowly opened it up putting the piece in his mouth, "Don't be a Tamale Bomb, please dont.... HMMMMPHHH!" Quickly he tasted the nasty spinach! "Oh thank Celestia it's just mine..."

"Awwww lamecrackers, I was really hoping you'd get mine!" Bubblegum felt something get stuck in her mane. "Wooooop what's this?" She tucked her mane over her shoulder and looked at the note. She read it in her head. Immediately she put on her mean serious face as she mumbled, "Sorry guys, but I gotta fold this is very IMPORTANT!" She never folded before so immediately her brother and two cousins knew this was in fact important. She reached into the loser pile and grabbed a piece plopping it in her mouth. She gave it a chew and figured out it was her Cherry Tamale Explosion! She continued to hold her face keeping her dramatic pause running even when her face turned red and sweaty until she let out a loud fiery explosion from her mouth! "WOOOO, that's spicy! Hyahahahaa!" Immediately after laughing she put her serious face back on, "Ok see ya later guys, I gots important friend business to attend to!" She pranced her way to town straight for the library where everypony was being drawn to.

The first to get there was Lavender, Red, and DaisyChain. DaisyChain bucked open the door and Spike who was fixing a shelf heard a KATHUNK!

"GAHHHH!"

"Alright you no good punk ponynappers, COME ON OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A STALLION!" Spike felt his claws slip and a bunch of books suddenly tumbled down on top of him!

"What's going on, who are YOU!?" Trotting towards the little dragon DaisyChain analyzed him for a moment mumbling,

"You, you couldn't be a ponynapper even if you tried you lil thing..."

"Hey mare don't be calling me little, and I'm not a ponynapper..." DaisyChain was smiling really big as she put her hoof on his head and gave him a noogie,

"In fact you're kinda cute..."

"He's most definitely not a ponynapper, he's the library keeper here in Ponyville..."

"Then was this just some prank or something...?" DaisyChain asked curiously. "Cuz if it is, it's not funny, I'm ready to bust something up NOW!" DaisyChain kicked her hind legs out angrily wanting some action.

"Obviously we're not taking something into account, like the fact the windows were still closed in the bathroom, maybe the criminal used magic?"

"So we're dealing with an evil unicorn, great... I'm practically useless then!"

One by one the ponies came and when North entered she felt something was odd.

"So we've been gathered for something is that it?" DaisyChain asked the obvious question.

"Seems that way..." North answered trying to fathom what was going on. Bubblegum stared into space awkwardly as she responded,

"Well this is a weird way to make a party, tell your friends you've been ponynapped pffft. If I was gonna make a party for my friends I'd have like fireworks attached to a card so when they opened the envelope SHHHHWOOOM! BANG!" North turned to Bubblegum and asked,

"Ok so what if they open it indoors... what will happen then?" Bubblegum took a moment to think about that and shrugged,

"Never really thought about a roof, yeah that could be a problem wouldn't want ponies to catch their houses on fire. Maybe sparklers... they're really fun I mean just think about opening up the envelope and SPARKLE SPARKLE WOOOO..." Lavender turned to them and scoffed,

"Would you ponies be serious for a moment we're missing a pony right now!"

"Well why are you all here in the library, that's what I'm confused about..." Spike complained.

"That's just it we don't know, the letters all told us to come here..." North answered back. The ponies decided to search the library from top to bottom for anything that would have a clue to this mystery. For minutes they threw books about searching for anything loose or out of place. North levitated book after book emptying anything loose inside but yielded nothing. Jaxx and Lavender searched high and low on the shelves and other parts and Starlight fluttered around in the hard to reach places not finding a thing.

"Agghhhh... what are you ponies doing!?" Spike was getting irritated by the fact the library was being turned upside down. Jaxx obliged him an answer,

"Lookin fer somethin that may be hintin the whereabouts of our friend."

"Basically a clue..." North responded back simply putting it. Immediately Bubblegum realized what they were looking for and replied,

"Ohhh I know where a clue is!" She pointed her body towards a book with a unicorn crest on the front.

"What that's the book on the elements of harmony..."

"Not the book silly, what's in the book!" She opened it up and there was another note hanging over the picture of an old castle ruins. "See a clue!" The others ran to the book,

"Lemme see it..." Lavender approached it about to grab the note when a voice answered,

"No I'm reading it first..." North answered bluntly as she reached for it. Jaxx seeing the conflict charged up and grabbed another side replying,

"Oh no ya'll don't let's not be a startin a scuffle on acccount of some dern note!"

"Then let me read it first and there won't be any problem." North responded calmly as they started to tug at it.

"AGGHHH STOP THIS... you're all acting like childish fillies clearly I should read it first!" Lavender grunted as she tried to jerk the book away.

"Look whose talking miss sissy britches!" The ponies were trying to reach for the note while Red, Sebastian, DaisyChain and Spike watched them fuss and bicker.

"Wow, I've never seen a sight..." DaisyChain mumbled to the others. Starlight sat by Sebastian with a worrisome look as she watched her new friends argue. Bubblegum had the book in the air laughing with the others trying to reach over her she cried out,

"Keepawasies AWW I LOVE KEEPAWASIES I always win!"

"Oh no you don't I have magic!" North started to use her magic when Lavender countered her replying,

"I think not I'm going to be the first to read this, Sketch is my friend primarily!"

"No she's not, she was my friend before any of you so back off mares!" North growled as she tried to get the note with a stronger pull. Bubblegum looked down at all them and yelled,

"OH YEAH WELL SHES MY FIRST EVER BESTEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD SO I BEAT YOU ALL!" She tried to take it but the two magic fields had the book suspended. Eventually Lavender and North were volleying Bubblegum in the air as they tried to pull the book closer to each other! "Whoooo... whoooooo... WEEEEE!"

DaisyChain and the others sighed forcing Spike to snapped his fingers,

"Owlicious fetch that note if you please?" Owlicious hooted and in a flash he snatched the letter away from the book and brought it over to Spike leaving the tower of ponies to suddenly fall on the floor.

"That was fun! Do it again!" Lavender looked up at the bubbly pony and grumbled as she was squished by two other ponies,

"How about we don't and not ever speak of this moment again..." She raised up from the ponies and attempted to keep her poise. "We need to hurry up before the sun goes down, it will be harder to find her in the dark..." Spike cleared his throat as he announced,

"You may be wondering why I've gathered you all here. The answer will be revealed soon but in the meantime I must express to you that it will require all of you to be present to reach your friend so be warned, if anypony is not here you will never see your friend again. The path to your destination is riddled with challenges that can only be completed with all of her friends..." The mares started to feel a seriousness loom over them, this was an official problem not some practical joke anymore. Bubblegum though was still smiling with a confident spark inside as Spike continued,

"Your journey will start at the edge of the Everfree, there you will meet the pathfinder. It will guide you through your journey."

"Well I was expecting more of a riddle but ok at least it's straightforward." North answered a bit confused to the game this bad pony was playing on them. They joined together in a large group and galloped towards the Everfree Forest! As they approached the edge of the treeline the sun was dipping away from sight and the darkness intensified in the forest. "Oh Sweet Celestia that's not your normal darkness..."

"No way that's like super ultra mega darkness times a zillion! It's sooo dark that... that you probably can't even see the darkness itself cuz it's soooo dark!"

"Ok calm down Bubblegum we get it." North responded to Bubblegum's babbling. They all paused in the safety of the moonlight gazing into the darkness wondering where this so called pathfinder would show up.

"So where is this supposed Pathfinder, I know we're all thinking it so I'm just going to put it out in the open." Lavender answered in the still silence. A breeze blew an eerie creak in the trees.

"EEEPP!" Starlight jumped behind Sebastian poorly hiding behind the frog who gave a croaking sigh as he slapped his face with his palm. "I was expecting like some bad pony armed with a gun or maybe two or three possibly... I had prepared for that, but I'm totally not prepared to go into..." Starlight gulped as she pointed her shaking hoof at the forest, "Thatt..." Jaxx turned her attention to the scared pony and set her straight,

"You heard what the letter said Starlight we all gotta go in there, it ain't whether ya want to'r not. If'n Sketch is in trouble we sure as sugar can't trot away from this..." Starlight gulped her fear down a second time and thought about the fact if she was not brave enough Sketch could be lost forever with some evil they had yet to understand!

"You... you're right, but still... EEEEPPP!" The trees made a hissing noise as the leaves shook around angrily. DaisyChain was impatient and she began to trot forward replying,

"Well you scaredy fillies can stay behind. I've had to crawl my way through basic training in a situation similar to this only the forest was full of traps and enemies armed with guns, they were mostly dummy rounds and the ponies who were the baddies were told to just scare us, but we had a few who were shot for real. Nopony died though... in my platoon that is..." The girls all began to cringe as DaisyChain moved forward to the darkness adding, "Come on last one in is a rotten WHOA HOLY FLANK!" Out of the blue as she stepped closer to the forest it triggered a bright orb! "It's that weird flashy orb thing from the dream..." She responded recalling a dream of hers while she was on the train ride to Ponyville.

"Ahhh, so this is the pathfinder...?" North trotted up to it with the others behind her.

"Wasn't expectin that, but than again twasn't expectin much anythin normal, bein here so far's been weirder than mah mom's family reunions and those can get pretty weird..." She began to have a flashback of her mother's family which were complete apple nuts! She could recall so many Apple names it drove her crazy and the apple games, and the apple food! "Yep, prettty weird I'll say." Lavender attempted to take leadership of the group and stepped forward with DaisyChain making a statement,

"Well seeing as I'm the most qualified to take leadership I shall do so..." North took this as an insult and took a step forward barking,

"Most Qualified... mare you are completely full of yourself..." Lavender gasped and quickly scoffed back in response,

"Aggghhhh you take that back you... you..." She didn't know what to call North as she had yet to have a proper definition for her. North stopped her in her words and snapped,

"What, me what... If you're trying to say I'm better than you then yeah totally!" The orb began to flicker about as Jaxx took a step replying,

"Now ya'll two calm down now we're here to rescue our friend not argue like a bunch'o fussy schoolfillies..." North cut her away from the argument trying to keep it between her and Lavender since she's been wanting to get up in her face ever since she began to squat in Sketch's home,

"You stay out of it this is between me and miss prissy hooves here."

"Ummm girls..." Starlight tried to speak up as Spike and the others began to back away from the orb which was now beginning to go sporadic.

"Oh look now you're lashing out on Jaxx, quite frankly you don't deserve to lead if you can't keep your anger in check like I..." Bubblegum didn't take too kindly to that response as she knew that was a lie she immediately flew up and defended North,

"Hey you, miss big bossy boss hooves, you take that back North is way less angrierer than you explody face...!" Bubblegum's eyes widened as the fury of Lavender began to stare at her muttering,

"Oh really do you want another painting hung around your neck is that it...HUH...because I'm ready to go sister!?" Bubblegum began to slink away as Lavender started to show her anger it!

"Girlllss..." Starlight attempted again to try and get everypony's attention about the flickering pathfinder to no success.

"I'm not gonna stand here and take anymore of your angry babbling, I'm going before it starts getting too stupid!"

"Oh nooo you don't we're not leaving this spot until you apologize for starting this!" Lavender jerked North's tail back plopping her flank back on the ground.

"START NOTHING YOU'RE THE ONE ASSUMING COMMAND LIKE AN AIRHEAD!"

"I'd sure like it if ya'll both just stop with the arguin and go, we're burnin sunset!" Jaxx growled. North nodded with a stomp of her hoof.

"Ya know what, come on mare let's settle this real quick like, your call either deflate that big airhead of yours or I'll pop it for ya!" Lavender looked at her as if she was being absolutely ridiculous and she put her hoof out scoffing,

"What no, don't be absurd I do not fight, it's barbari...!" SHHHPLAT! Bubblegum threw a pie in her face yelling,

"LIAR!" Made a fool of in front of everypony Lavender stood motionless with the pie tin slowly sliding off her face.

"Yeah so far all she has done is lie and weasle around stuff huh Bubblegum?"

"Yup, she's a fibby fib fib fibber weasle pants!" At this point Lavender couldn't defend herself with all the ponies staring at her. She felt embarrassed to no end as she was called out with nopony to stand for her innocence. Her rage quickly dissipated into a sniffle and tears with her erupting,

"OH YEAH WELL YOU'RE JUST A BUNCH OF... OF BULLIES IS WHAT YOU ARE!!! WAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Lavender galloped off to get out of sight of everypony red faced and humiliated.

"GIRLSSS!" Starlight yelled out a little too late,

"WHAT!?" North snapped. Starlight lurched in fear as she pointed at the flickering orb which immediately after Lavender ran from the vicinity instantly made a poof into sparkles.

"Oh that's just great, the orb's gone... looks like it's over Sketch is gone for good!" North planted her hoof to her face and shook her head, "Greeattttt..."

"Well I don't mean to interrupt but ummm, the note did say we were all needed..." North sighed as she turned her attention to the field where Lavender ran off to. She made an uttering sour grumble knowing what they had to do,

"Ugghhh... I guess we better fetch drama queen..." North and the ponies ran back to retrieve the over dramatic pony leaving Spike and the others sitting around.

"So what do we do, are we even a part of this?" Spike asked curiously. DaisyChain shrugged as she pulled out a deck of playing cards asking,

"Anybody up for cards?" Sebastian croaked, Spike nodded answering,

"Awww yeah, I'm a pretty mean card player so watch out mare..." Red sat on the ground and pulled a chain from his pocket revealing a monocle. He placed it over his right eye and responded with a rather amused tone,

"I've always loved a good game of Blackjack or Gin rummy."

The mares ran up over the hill not taking long to find Lavender sitting by a sad little tree in the middle of the field.

"Why am I always the bad pony why me... what did I do to deserve this Celestia..." She stomped her hoof in the grass continuing, "This is exactly why I was ran out of Canterlot..." The ponies approached her quietly, North started to hear her talking to herself and flagged the ponies to stop.

"Stay here." North had a feeling this was a good time to listen to her confession seeing as she had no audience she would at least be honest with herself... maybe anyways. North's face was a bit disgusted though listening to her sniffle and blow her nose on her hanky, she sounded like a wreck.

"I help that poor filly on the playground, I get kicked out of my friend's super secret society, I help my friend during her teenage conniption fit and I get turned into a social outcast, I helped that poor musician in Canterlot and what could I expect but be ran out by those snooty nosed bullies... and now here I am sitting under a tree crying like a foal. I try to be reasonable, maybe I asked for too much, but I give so much of my reputation to help and all I get in return is ridicule and blame... WWWAAHHHHH!!!!"

'Oh jeeze... come on, tell me something involving us, I want to hear you confess to your mistake!' North was growing impatient and waited for her to talk again. With a blow of her nose she started mumbling again,

"I guess I can't expect to be upper crust if I can't hold any grace under pressure, maybe that's why my parents kicked me out, afraid I would tarnish their name with my foalish outbursts, Celestia knows my sisters are just as bad but still. I just don't know..." She paused a moment and looked in the sky as the sunset glow disappeared with a showering moonlight replacing it. Jaxx quietly made a swear by Starlight muttering,

"Awww Saltlicks, welp looks like ima be eatin cold supper tonight..." Starlight started looking around and mumbled,

"Hey where's Bubblegum?"

"Wha I thought she was..." Lavender began to open her mouth and let out what North was not really wanting to hear but this was very important to know,

"I don't know what to do anymore, I try to be a good friend to everypony but I muck it up, like tearing up that letter from Sketch's brother, those were his last words... I just refused a soldier of all ponies his last words to protect his sister from heartbreak and for what? I'm just a big... I donno..." North sighed and stepped forward replying,

"A jerk... a dummyhead, a fool..." Lavender jerked her head around to see North trotting over to her and with a desperate grimace hoping she was not around her long enough to hear the whole thing she asked.

"Were you listening this whole time!?" North nodded. She immediately drooped sniffling, "So you know I guess, I've performed an unspeakable act!" North nodded but instead of making it too horrible she replied,

"Well you're going to have to apologize for it you know."

"How do you tell a friend you tore up the last words of their brother they never even met..."

"I don't know but you're the one that did it not me. Look I know we are different and all but you know, just stop being so hard on yourself ok? It seems to me the only thing that makes you an unpleasant mare is you're trying too hard to be that good friend and you have no clue what it means to even be a friend..." Suddenly a Bubblegum popped out of the tree nodding upside down,

"Yeah like have you ever been friends with anypony... cuz like I never made friends but I have friends, my family are my friends and I been with them for like EVER and we're like the bestest of best friends ever so yeah I guess I made friends, with them when I was just a wittle baby, but we play games we laugh, we cry, we argue... we even get into fights, pie fights to be exact! Speaking of which anybody up for one?" North and Lavender shook their heads. "Okie dokie I'll fight myself then... YAAHHHH!" She splat her face with the pie in her hoof and knocked herself on the ground. "Owwww, that was rather sneaky of me! Don't you think you can outsmart me, me cuz I know me and I OOMPH!" As she had a pie ready again her hoof spontaneously smashed her face with it! "Ohhhh you being a wise pie huh, come on ME BRINGIT ... ABEHIEKLLA!" Her crazy antics lightened the mood and made Lavender's sniffles into slow giggles.

The two mares in the grass walked up and Jaxx added into the conversation,

"Mare they're right fer the most part but also friends do more than just share a laugh... they are also real honest with each other even if it's somethin might upsettin..." North nodded as she put a hoof over Lavender's shoulder trying to be friendly to the nervously wrecked pony adding,

"Also friends stick together. It's more than just going out of your way to make somepony comfortable, generosity alone is not enough mare you gotta be sure your friend has your back even if the other side playing against you has a better offer! You need loyalty! You only get that if you do the same for them, you gotta have their back!"

Starlight agreed with them all but also added with her sweet voice,

"You should also be kind, kindness is a major part of being friends with sompony, if you're not kind then don't expect to make many friends..." North began to think to herself,

"Loyalty, Kindness, Generostiy, Honesty, Laughter... ... hmmmm where have I heard this before..."

"Probably from this book... they're like right in the front page duhhh...?" Of course Bubblegum had kept the book that held the clue in it for some odd reason and she gave the ornamented book to North who opened it reading slowly. Lavender began to feel better and for once she felt like she was being accepted. She never had ponies come back to her after an argument and instead of looking down upon her they instead came to help clarify the problem. It felt warm and she couldn't help but express it aloud,

"I've never really thought of it that way, all these different elements to be a good friend it sounds so... like some sort of..."

"HARMONY!" North cried out reading the book.

"Yes exactly, it sounds like harmony... wait what?" She turned her attention to North who had her face in the book,

"The six elements of harmony that's where I heard of those before! wait why did this mystery ponynapper put the clue in this book, what is so important about the elements of harmony in finding our friend?"

"Maybe we have to make music when we find them and like have to make the harmony with harmonicas..." Bubblegum brought out a harmonica and blew a sweet tune across it throwing it aside as she pulled out from her mane a tamberine, "Or maybe tambourines they have harmony if you know how to rock with them!" She smashed that tamberine on her flank making loud jingly noises until she threw it aside and pulled out a drum, "Or drums, drums have awesome harmony just listen to that boom ba boom!" She thumped the drum a few times and then threw it out. "or maybe we have to be an entire orchestra!" She suddenly pulled out an insane amount of instruments of trombones, violins, drums, flutes and in some strange way she started to play the tune of Yankee Doodle Manedy all by herself.

The ponies stared at her completely without words as to this phenomenon they call Bubblegum. "Or maybe..." North put her hoof in Bubblegum's mouth replying,

"I'm gonna stop you right there, if you pull out Equestria's largest orchestra to sing Halleluja I'm pretty sure reality as we know it will somehow break..."

"Of course not silly I was gonna say a banjo..." She whipped out a banjo and plucked the strings in a silly melody as she giggled. North rolled her eyes sputtering,

"Pfffft of course you were... Bubblegum you're just, you're an enigma wrapped in so much random!"

"And I taste good too hyayahhahahah!" She pulled out a piece of gum and stuck it in her mouth!

"What...." North looked over and seen she was implying about the gum and giggled. Her giggles suddenly stopped as Bubblegum's face sunk in as she tasted bitter sourness.

"Ooohhhhppp!" Jaxx began to snicker,

"What's a matter Bubblegum..." Raising her brows she grinned at the pucker faced pony responding, "Looks ta me ya got the sour end of that joke hehehehe?" Bubblegum began to nod her head uncomfortably making noises as she attempted to hold her mouth shut. "Well ya better find a glass'o water might fast..." She appeared as if she was going to explode when she spit the gum out and yelled,

"EVERYPONY HIT THE DECK!!!" They all dropped on the ground as Bubblegum let out a huge burst of flame everywhere screaming, "HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT, HOTTT, HHHHOTTT, HOTTTT!" She quickly closed her mouth gritting her teeth as she pulled out soda water from her mane and sprayed down her guzzler! "Ahhhhhhhh....HICC!" She began to hiccup bubbles as she giggled! "That was clos...HIC! HYAAHAHAHAHA! HIC! BUBBLES ARE SO MUCH FU... HICCUP! HAHAHAHAHA!" North and everypony laughed at her as she giggled and hicced bubbles into the air.

"Alright girls I think we've done reconciled'r differences, we should be headin back now..." Jaxx pointed back to the Everfree Forest trying to corral the girls into getting a move on. The mares hopped up and headed back to the small group playing cards by the treeline.

DaisyChain was staring down at them muttering,

"Alright I got ya stallions on the ropes now..." She looked through her cards and was satisfied. "Ok showem!" Spike put his cards down replying,

"Pair of kings Ace high." Red slapped his cards on the ground frustrated,

"Blasted pair of twos..." DaisyChain threw down her cards,

"Straight Flush guys hahaha beat that!" Sebastian croaked as he revealed his cards like a pro ribbiting with a straight face. "WHAT a ROYAL FLUSH!" DaisyChain's face dropped!

"Oh that's just great, beaten by a frog I feel cheated somehow!" Spike grumbled as he let the few bits he had go to the frog. The frog cackled with loud ribbits pulling all the coins to his side and Red just drooped mumbling,

"Of all my years of playing poker I'd never expect to lose money from some pond hopping amphibian..." DaisyChain refused to accept Sebastian as some common pond hopper he was some super genius frog!

"Red, that frog is more than your garden variety toad... I've never met a frog that could play poker let alone kick my tail in it five times in a row!" Sebastian grinned as he ran his little toady fingers across his chest in a gangster fashion. "Ahhh that frog has soo much SWAG, I want a pet like that!" DaisyChain was just going crazy about Sebastian and he was eating up her attention!

The mares returned and with a reconciled conflict put aside they hunted for the orb again. Bubblegum instantly caught sight of it and alerted everypony,

"Look there's that light bulb thingy it's moving!" Bubblegum pointed at the faint light of the orb making it's path without them in the darkness!

"FOLLOW IT!!! Don't let it get away!" North cried out. Spike and the others followed behind them as they charged through the forest after the orb! After a minute or two of rushing the orb began to slow its pace and the group managed to catch up to one another.

"Aghhh my feet are killing me..." Spike complained. DaisyChain trotted over and stuck her nose under him, "Whoa what's going oooonnn!" She flipped him up in the air with a,

"Alley oop!" Spike landed on her back and realized she was giving him a ride.

"Thanks ummm... what was your name again?"

"DaisyChain cutie pie..." Spike began to blush as he realized DaisyChain was quite charmed by his cuteness, it was almost too flattering for him to stand!

"Gawwshhh... ehehehehe!" Giggling all goofy he was making a poor argument to be less cute to her. As they came around a large pile of twisted branches, North began to sense that overwhelming dread that comes with the Everfree Forest, the overgrowth was grabbing her and the other ponies. Poor Starlight was all over the place whimpering,

"Ohhh... excuse me, sorry girls EEP.... sorry, it's just a tree... Aahhhh.. what was that, that was not a tree... EEEP!" Jaxx grabbed a hold of Starlight as she backed up into her and responded,

"Whoa nelly, slow yer hooves down it was just a couple of vines hangin from the branches see..."

"Ahhh ok... I guess i'm just really jumpy, it's soooo dark and spooky..." Further and further into the dark void they trudged on. The faint light of the orb ahead of them made no real dent in the darkness so they were still blind to their surroundings. Moments later after a jump over a small creek bed they heard a faint crying off in the distance.

"What, somepony's crying, in the middle of the woods?" The ponies all looked at one another as the pathfinder began to gravitate toward the noise. As it flashed through the dried creek bed they could see silhouettes of warped twisted trees, jagged vines and rocks scattered across the ground in a not so friendly manner. "ahhhh... I do not have a very good feeling about this." North felt uneasy as the pathfinder's curious guidance was sending them closer to the cries and deeper into a twisted background.

"Me neither North, that sound is might disturbin..." The noise was not of a pony crying but of some creature. They backed up distance to see what pathfinder would illuminate to them. "That's not a pony a cryin I know that fer sure..."

"Aghhhh these woods are tugging at my mane, eeehh... my hooves are getting all dirty Red this is absolutely dreadful..." North turned her head back to the group and snipped quietly,

"Hush up, why are you complaining now Lavender of all times...?" Lavender began to whisper back with an even more snippy tone,

"Well I was fine until the branches started to get thicker and now everything is trying to ruin my glorious figure..." North rolled her eyes and lurched as she growled,

"Well keep it down, Celestia knows what we're about to confront and with you whining we're not going to be able to keep hidden." The cry began to turn to a wail spooking the ponies and sending them jumping behind a tree as the pathfinder began to slow upon a face of some creature. "Wh... what is that?" They peered off to what seemed to be an injured baby.. a timber wolf pup! Still adorable before it grows to become a menacing beast the group was petrified in place. Why would the pathfinder lead them to something this dangerous!? "What in the name of all things SWAG, why does it take us to a timber wolf pup, that's like the most dangerous thing to come across in the Everfree Forest..." Lavender not read enough to know the dangers thought the adorable little thing was just too cute to be a danger.

"Ohhhh that poor dear... you poor poor wittle thing!" Lavender had never seen anything like a timber wolf and never heard of their dangers, but the adorable thing was just too much to bear for her heart to watch it suffer. Lavender's eyes were tearing up as she could remember a day when her own little pup was injured. "Don't you fret you cute wittle thing, Lavender's gonna fix you right up..." North began to shake nervously as she was scared timber wolves were nearby could it a trap... what was going to happen.

"What are you doing Lavender... get back..."

"Ohhhh I can't watch...!" Starlight closed her eyes tightly. North's eyes began to twitch as she watched this pony so into her vanity take a loch of her mane and cut it off. Lavender began to levitate the loch down to the pup's broken leg. She figured the poor thing hurt itself on the twisted growth of this forest. The scared pup tried to limp away from her yelping.

"Shhhh... no, no no... I'm here to help you. Just give me a chance please... see?" She reached her hoof slowly to him showing she meant no aggression. The pup stayed in place feeling she had no ill intentions and whimpered.

"Now don't move dear, Red can you be a darling and give me the aloe cream...?"

"Right, here you are Miss Rose." He reached into his satchel and brought out some aloe cream meant for her facial complexion, but she instead put it into her hair.

"The amount of care I put into my mane has made it very soft but sturdy, this aloe cream is meant for complexion but it's cool soothing minerals will help take away that pain..." North could not believe that this pony was willing to give up her vanity to help a timber wolf pup of all things. It was such a bold act of kindness and great generosity on her part. "Is that better dear?" The pup began to raise his leg up a little feeling the soothing cream cool the burning pain in his leg, he still limped but felt much better. The pup licked her hoof graciously wagging its tail. "See that was not as bad as you thought."

Out of nowhere they heard a loud howl as a very angry creature lept out from the darkness!

"Ahhh! I knew its mother was not far behind!!!" North and the others ducked as Red and Lavender were caught in the light!

"EEEEK!" Lavender jumped away and began to lower her head drooping her ears fearfully.

"Oh no you don't... Aghhhh what the, hey!" DaisyChain felt her tail being yanked as Jaxx replied,

"Hold your flank mare, where there's one timber wolf... there's..." Just as she was about to finish her sentence the whole area began to light up with glowing eyes and howls. "More..... Oh saltlicks, we're done fer..."

"Don't even think about it wolves, I'll tear you in half and then some, bring it!" DaisyChain stepped in front of the ponies, but before she could let out a buck or two a voice growled,

"That won't be neccessary..."

"What... the..." North turned back to the one standing before Lavender. The mother which was the Alpha Female stood forward staring down at the scared filly.

"You pony... You have shown much kindness and generosity, you gave up your vanity to help mend my son's wounded leg. You showed no fear, whether this was intentional or you were not taught properly of the dangers of our kind, I give you my greatest respect..." Lavender felt she should keep her head down as the alpha female seemed to hold her head up high as if superior to everypony and every wolf in the pack.

"You are most gracious ma'am, I have a pup at home you see, and I really do have a soft spot for those with misfortune, I take it upon myself to help anypony or any creature less fortunate than myself, disregarding most risks..." The alpha female gave a slow and short nod. She beckoned her pup to come to her by slapping her right paw on the ground twice. The pup limped to her and she responded very deeply,

"For your generous act and courage I shall let you and your herd pass through our territory, anypony who is willing to risk their life to help our kind is a friend of ours, but only you. So long as your herd stays with you, they are welcome as well." Everypony behind the tree suddenly piled out and around Lavender's side wide eyed. DaisyChain just trotted over casually growling,

"Don't think you can scare me you overgrown tree branches." The alpha female concluded this encounter with a creepy farewell as she grabbed her son by the scruff of the neck with her teeth and ran off into the darkness with her pack. North concluded this eerie encounter responding to Lavender,

"WOW... you managed to give up your mane to mend a pup's leg and now you are considered the alpha pony of this group and a friend of timber wolves. All I can say is WAY TO GO Lavender you just LEVELED UP IN LIFE!" Lavender grimaced with a discomfort answering,

"Thanks North, that means a lot coming from you... but seriously let's not doddle, Red would you please be a dear and fetch me my conditioning spray, and some disinfectant, and a pair of booties this damp dirt is getting into my perfectly manicured hooves!"

"At once miss Rose..."

"So what'r ya gonna do bout that gap in yer mane?" Jaxx inquired Lavender curious how she'd react when reminded of what she just gave up. Lavender took a deep breath and calmly muttled in response,

"I'll think of something, I always have emergency styles in case I have to compensate for loss, if you are trying to ask if I regret what I just did, I do not regret it at all, seeing that pup's face light up was very much worth it. Reminds me back when I seen Humphrey's happy wittle face when I mended his front leg, that clumsy little thing tripped down the stairs. He was a very ditzy ball of fluff when he was young."

"Lavender you're weird." North laughed as the group started moving forward following the pathfinder. Lavender trailed behind with her products levitating in the air as she groomed herself with a light from her horn keeping an eye out for low branches.

"I am most certainly not weird!" Trying to argue with North just made North laugh as she countered,

"Says the pony hopping around putting booties on and grooming herself in the middle of a forest." Bubblegum opened up her mouth laughing,

"hyahahahaha that is weird, Lavender's a weirdy weird pony!"

"I agree, it's might weird ta be a groomin yerself in the middle of a forest, ya'll gonna get dirty again why not wait till we get back home?" Lavender just scoffed and mumbled,

"Well that may be ok for you, but as for me I do not stand for being dirty long enough for it to soak into my coat..."

"Then sit down you silly..." Bubblegum popped out of the trees with a big smile. Lavender backed up grimacing as Bubblegum caught her off guard. She immediately shoved her nose in the air as she brushed her damaged mane passing Bubblegum by answering,

"I would not dream of getting my flank even close to this ground..."

"I wonder where we're going now.... wherever we are going I'm ready for anything!" Bubblegum was ready move forward. She dropped from the vines and raced ahead of everypony.

They continued on through the forest passing through a thicket where they caught sight of a clearing. Upon analyzing the surroundings they concluded they were between some mountainous region leading over to another half of the Everfree. What seemed to be a makeshift bridge crossing a ravine caught their eye and the pathfinder as well. Next coming up over that bridge was a mountain side that seemed to dip further back into more of the forest. "Doodly doo dee dah... deedly doo BOOP WHOOPAH !!!" A loud earth rumbling shake quaked the ground as a huge serpent like dragon reared its head up from the ravine. His back smashed through the flimsy landbridge. He was a green back dragon with yellow sharp spikes appearing to be lounging in the cozy warm ravine. The sound of Bubblegum's doodles interrupted his sleep as it echoed down through the huge ground crevice.

"Agghhh... rrr..." He smacked his lips from the dryness after his sleep. He heard Bubblegum's voice and abruptly looked down growling, "Who dares disturb my SLEEP..." As he took a look at all the ponies his eyes glared back to the pink one with the cherry blue mane smiling and waving. "Well...!?" He was expecting an apology but Bubblegum refused to make an apology not knowing she was supposed to and answered,

"Well hello there mister dragon, why are you such a grumpy mcgrump pants?" He squared an eye at her and thundered,

"Don't play dumb you know what you did, I just told yo...."

"Well don't be a stranger shake my hoof, I'm Bubblegum." The large dragon scratched his head and figured there'd be no harm to at least greeting her, but the ponies who knew Bubblegum knew this was not going to be a normal hoofshake.

"Nooo... Bubblegum are you cra... well yeah you are out of your mind but for once don't do it... you're going to get us barbecued..." North whispered with a painful grimace. Lavender ran behind Red whispering loudly,

"Hide me, hide me please...!" He reached his claw out to shake her tiny hoof when everypony hit the deck as a bolt of electricity buzzed the huge dragon! He looked a bit surprised and then his surprise was anger as he growled,

"Whyyy you little RRRROOAARRRRR!!!" It seemed as though he was about to make Crispy bubblegum when he just flopped his head down on the side of the ravine mumbling, "Aghhhh what's the use, I'm a failure anyway oooh hooo hooo!" He began to cry and Spike just turned his head and rolled eyes replying to DaisyChain,

"And they called me a baby puuahh..." Bubblegum couldn't let this sadness go by any second longer and asked,

"Awww don't cry mister dragon, what's got you all green around the scales?" He made a loud sniffle and showed her by attempting to make a fireball only instead of fire it was just a harmless puff of smoke.

"I can't breathe fire, I'm all out, washed up, fizzled... I just woke up one day with this horrible cold feeling in my throat and I just can't make fire anymore... at first I thought it was just a cold but it's been there for months now and I've been hiding away from the other dragons because I feel soooo oohhh ooooohhhhh RUAAHHHHHH!!!!" Bubblegum rubbed her chin and with a surprising expression she responded,

"Turn that frown upside down pull a one eighty degree lip give me a big bright happy laugh, afterall mister dragon they always say laughter is the best medicine. Here want some pie?"

"Pie sure does sound...!"

"WHOA NELLY WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!" Jaxx and North jumped back as Bubblegum had her big goofy tongue sticking out smile as she raised her brows mischievously holding a hammer to her side.

"H... HOW DID SHE GET A CATAPULT!?" North responded completely befuddled to how she obtained such a thing. Lavender pointed at the contents in the catapult and remarked,

"Better question is how did she get that GIANT PIE!"

"ONE BIG DRAGON PIE COMING RIGHT UP mister dragon!" SHATHUNK, KAPLOU!!! The giant pie thwomped him in the face! "Want some soda with that?" She pulled out randomly a huge soda dispenser and as he wiped the pie tin off she sprayed the soda while he was unable to react,

"Bluabbalahahahaabal!"

"Bubblegum you're not making him laugh you're making him mad!!"

"Oh he'll laugh, just watch..." The dragon paused a moment and looked down at the little pony. North and the gang cringed as he scooped her up and put her at his eye level. Afraid of what was about to happen they began to close their eyes when he suddenly started to crack up,

"hehehe, that was pretty funny, heheheheheheh HAHAHAAHAH... it was sooo unexpected, how did you get that catapult, how... thiss it's just too ridiculous AHAHAHAHHAAHAH!" Bubblegum grinned as she stood on her hind legs and propped herself on one of his fingers. Brushing her hoof on her chest she answered,

"I have my ways, hey wanna hear a joke?" She hopped down wagging her tail eager to tell a joke. The green dragon sat his body on the side of the ravine propping up his elbows as he listened to her,

"Shoot, I got all the time in the world pony..."

"Who has scales and fangs and comes out at night to suck blood?" The dragon shrugged as she responded, "Drakeula!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Awww that's real good, do another one!"

"Ok what do you call a weird dragon?"

"I don't know..."

"A Dra-Goon!"

"HA! That's hilarious! Ahhh, you... you're alright with me pony. I like your jokes, they're clean, they're good and witty... I've not heard good jokes in a long, long time Hahaha ahhhhh..." He placed her back down and she began to pull one more thing out of her mane. "But alas I still don't have an ounce of fire in me..." Bubblegum looked up extending her hoof with a piece of gum asking,

"Wanna piece of gum?" Her smile reached across her face as she offered it...

"Huh... what's hmmm... sure why not." He reached down and took the tiny piece and threw it right in his mouth. At first taste it wasn't bad.

"You did not just give him..." Before North could finish her sentence he already sunk a tooth into it and immediately he blurted,

"HMMMPH!" The dragon's face scrunched up as even for a small piece the sourness poured out into his mouth and sent his tongue rattling around crazily.

"Gotcha! Hyahahahahaha!" The dragon felt the sour subside and began to take a deep breath,

"Awww you totally got me, hahaha..." Bubblegum looked up at him and asked,

"Do dragons like spicy things?"

"Whaat well actually...?" Her cherry tamale explosion suddenly erupted in his mouth and he felt a surge of flame jut out of into the air! "Whoa... what's..." He let out another jet of flame from his mouth and seconds later he started chuckling again, "Heh... heh... heheheh heheheheheh HAHAHA!" His chuckle erupted in laughter, "HAHAHAHAHA!!" Bubblegum had a victorious expression as she wooped,

"Now see there mister dragon you got your fire back... now was that so bad?"

"Agghhh this feels sooo..." He continued to let out fire spitting it in arcs rejoicing, "It feels so good to feel that burn again, I spent months in this rotten hole feeling sorry for myself, then you come here and give me this... these jokes, this gum... it's AMAZING HAHAHAHA!"

"My very own special brew, want some more?" The dragon nodded with a giddy and giggling big smile,

"Of course, give me all you got, that gum is the greatest thing I've ever tasted!" She pulled out a large lump of her joke gum she had stored for when the moments arised for joke time and he snatched them up placing them snug behind a special scale so he would know where they were. "Ahhh thanks swirly maned one, that was a breath of fresh fire for me..."

"Hyahahahaa, don't mention it mister dragon!" He began to flap his wings out from the ravine when Bubblegum noticed the orb of ligth was hovering across. "Oh one thing could you get us over there?"

"Certainly so." He planted his claw on the ground and all the ponies hopped on. He placed them over on the other side and Bubblegum waved him goodbye as he launched out from the ravine into the air.

"Bubblegum that was crazy, and at the end when you gave him that gum was that your plan all along?" North had to know this, the mystery was confusing her greatly of the mind of Bubblegum.

"What plan... who me plan, no I don't plan things, I just wanted to throw a pie at a dragon, I thought it would be funny to give him a piece of jokey gum too." Her carefree attitude towards the possible dangers of that situation unnerved the group but North just rolled her eyes with a simple answer,

"Bubblegum you're just insane mare!"

"Well where else was I going to be able to use my catapult, giant pie tin and a large soda dispenser... I was saving it for just such an occasion duhh!"

They marched along the side of the mountain following the orb up to the top. They made their way up towards the tip of the pathway where they could see the orb stopping and levitating to the very top of the mountain.

"What in Equestria why're we going up this here mountain again..." Jaxx muttered beginning to climb up peering down at the sheer drop behind her. "Sweet Celestia's apples that's steep." Lavender was having a fit as she put her hooves up on the side of the cliff stressing herself out.

"Ahhhh this is ridiculous, I'm going to scuff my hooves doing this, Red!" Her butler had already made it to the top with a rope ready.

"At once Miss Rose..." The rope had a nice cozy little harness and she snuggled in the soft padded seat and took a smooth ride as Red pulled her up. Bubblegum made it up perfectly fine somehow which left DaisyChain, Jaxx and Spike.

"Oh that's just not right..." Jaxx muttered as she seen Lavender snuggling around in the harness getting a nice ride up. "Can anypony up there with wings help the rest of us up?" North and Starlight looked down and nodded feeling a bit derpish.

"Coming right down!" In a flash they swooped and took the rest to the top. The pathfinder hovered around near a cave. "Ok sooo... what's in this cave that's so important?" North was cautious, but Bubblegum had other plans,

"Let's not sit around and speculate, let's go in and investigate!" She pranced on in leaving the others to follow after her yelling,

"Bubblegum would you stop that!"

"Ooohhh it's dark in here... really really dark!" Bubblegum replied.

"Oh dear, I'm starting to feel that bad feeling again..." Starlight started to back out of the cave. A loud screech echoed out and she jolted behind a rock outside yelping, "EEEPP!!"

"Come on Starlight don't cowar on us now, that was probably a bat." North replied. Starlight gave a nod and gulped down her fears to take her step forward into the unknown. "Here I'll help, lemme just put some light so it's not as scary fo ya."

"Okie, yeah that would be very much appreciated." As North started up her magic to bring a light into the cave, something completely unexpected lashed out on the ponies!

"AGGHHHH!" They screamed as a huge cloud enveloped around them. Everypony felt a choking sensation as they were all put to sleep, all but one lone pony.

"What, where am I..." North turned to find nopony around her. A heavy illusion field had trapped her in place with voices beginning to echo around her,

"Northern Song..." The voice cooed to her in an ill fashion.

"Whose there, and how do you know my name!? I've never told anypony my full name, only my family knows!"

"Northern Song..." Voices continued to echo around her like a radio signal going into an eerie static.

"What the... AGGHHH!" the visages of her friends began to come in and out fading and appearing in a strange static hallucination,

"Look at you, you're a failure you can't do anything right!"

"No... what is this!?" North's body felt like it was racing as she backed away from these false images,

"We never liked you, you're pathetic!" These images began to twist her mind and anger her but fear continued to overpower.

"WHAT NOOO... You're just a lie! All of this is a lie!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" North felt a sense of helplessness as the images continued to burn her mind. She felt cheated out of having an easy obstacle to overcome as this was downright a nightmare to her.

"STOP THIS WHOEVER YOU ARE!" Laughing and ridiculing the things she hated most! Deceit and paranoia, that creepy lurching sensation everypony are nothing more than compulsive liars.

"You can make all this go away, come and join us..."

"Yes join us... take the pain away, by being a part of the bigger force, we'll slaughter those who would dare to raise their hooves in insult, crush these ponies! Erase their very existence so you will not feel their sting no more..." North stood her ground and grew tough yelling back,

"You're a bunch of liars! They wouldn't ever laugh at me, or judge me like that. You don't know me..."

"We know all about you Northern Song..." An evil cackling voice continued to weigh her down as it showed memories of her past. The other voice laughed as it added,

"We know of your past, present and future... you will kill all that is close to you, for your own gain!"

"That's not true!" She stomped her hooves and yelled, "IT'S NOT TRUE!"

"Prove yourself one of us and slaughter those insulting friends of yours, they do not deserve your mercy for what they think of you, contradicting evil friends who would sooner stab your back! It really matters not, you don't need them anyway, what do you have to gain from their false friendship...?"

"No..."

"Whaa...?"

"I said no! Leave me and my friends alone... I'm not going to do it!"

"So you will continue to be loyal to them instead of trusting our word, even though we know everything about you and them..." North knew right then what was going on and she firmly took her ground in this horror show stating,

"Yes, and I'll tell you why, because you're not showing me who they really are you're preying on my fears, the moment I knew where this was coming from you were just wasting your breath! I know and trust them and I won't break that trust because of my fear!" A visage of two ponies began to float through the static around her and hissed,

"You truly are the most intelligent of the group... we have gravely mistaken your power Northern Song... you have a great deal of loyalty, one such as yourself should not be under-estimated! Maybe one day you'll understand the power you possess." The two ponies suddenly in an instant flashed out and the smoke subsided waking everypony up.

"What just happened... I feel like I just got hit by a P51 Mustang!" DaisyChain shook her head around gazing at the other ponies who were coming to.

"Dear Celestia that was just weird... ahhhh was I laying on the cave floor eewwww... my coat is going to have ick and filth and other what nots on it EEEWWWW..." Jaxx giggled at the ridiculous prissy behavior of Lavender.

"Everythin you touch brings out some complaint Lavender!"

"Well of course everything around here has some level of ick that just agghhhh, I never realized how easy it is to get so filthy... Aghhh I'm out of here I'll be outside, Red can you bring me the disinfectant again..."

"Right away Miss Rose..." Red felt like he was going to see no end of his work today.

"Wait, where's that flying light bulb thingy... wasn't it..." Bubblegum started to hunt for it when she spotted sneaky light just outside starting to move away, Lavender was not even caring about it so Bubblegum gave the alarm, "THERE SHE BLOWS!"

"What... OH SWEET APPLE CIDAR THE ORB!" Jaxx and the group started to gallop out after it. When they turned around they found themselves over the blind side of the mountain. Like dominos the entire group started flying off the steep slope!

"EEEHHHHHHH!"

"AGGHHHH!"

"WWWEEEEEE!" Everypony with the exception of Lavender and Red had flew off!

"And this Red is why I was not so eager to follow that orb, there was a dangerous clifface just outside the cave..." She was primping her coat and spraying disinfectant while Red stood and mumbled.

"Yes Miss Rose... how very... observant of you..."

"Oh Red, would you be so kind...?" Red knew exactly what she wanted him to do and he grumbled,

"Of course Miss Rose, we wouldn't want you to scuff your booties..."

"Yes well... it's a wonder they were not completely ruined in the forest..." Red lifted her up on his back and proceeded to slide down the mountain with Lavender keeping calm and confident no accident could befall her on Red's back.

Bubblegum had hopped on a large boulder and was surfing down the hill doing hoofstands and an assortment of circus tricks laughing,

"THIS IS SOO MUCH FUN!!! WE SHOULD DO THIS MORE OFTEN!"

"BUBBLEGUMM YOU ARE INSANE!" Jaxx shouted as she held herself in a high profile trying to slow her approach to the bottom!

North and Starlight swooped down and snatched up Jaxx and DaisyChain. Spike held onto her mane afraid of letting go and dropping to his doom!

"What about Red, Lavender and Bubblegum?!"

"WEEEE, GERONIMO!" Bubblegum again surprised everypony carrying her own strange flying device some sort of pogo stick with whirlybird blades!

"Once again her secret stash of everything amazes me..." North mumbled as she carried Jaxx down safely to the ground by Bubblegum. She swooped back up to retrieve Red and Lavender commanding, "Starlight come on!"

They raced up the cliff towards the edge where Lavender and Red were going to fly off. They heard Lavender scream as she realized something terrible WAS gonna happen...

"GAHHHHH!" She let her grip loose on Red and was suddenly launched beyond the two fliers!

"WHOAA!" North turned and darted after the squealing Lavender bullet while Red was caught by Starlight.

"Many thanks Miss Starlight..."

"Oh don't mention it, it was my pleasure to help..." Red took a deep painful sigh as he insisted,

"When this whole journey is through I'm going to use my vacation days!" Starlight completely agreed that he should do it replying in a sweet voice,

"Oh I don't blame you one bit, the past month apparently has been full of crazy stuff... I find a lot of it is fun, and some of it is terrifying but ya know... I try to look on the bright side of things..." North finally caught up to her and snatched Lavender,

"GOTCHA!" She curved around and headed for the small opening in the trees where the others stood around the pathfinder.

"My word this adventure has done nothing but cause me no end of stress!"

"You think yer stressed, missy I'm missin supper, it's probably already too late anyway, I'm missin mah sister's haygravy and biscuits... missin it might fierce aight now..." She felt her stomach grumble.

"Where are you going mister light bulb thingy, what's your game!?" Bubblegum tried to interrogate the pathfinder to no avail it just continued along its way. "The silent treatment huh... well two can play at that game!" Bubblegum turned her back and stuck her nose up giving her silence when North grabbed her tail and grumbled as she tugged her on,

"Come onnnn crazy mane..."

"Crazy Mane, Crazy Lane, Crazy CANE... Like a candy cane only it's a CRAZY CANE!!"

North was the only one still suspecting these happenings were no coincidence and she was a bit disturbed by the fact that thing had tapped into her mind and messed with her head. She was slowly starting to fear what this entity wanted and why was everything hinting at the Elements of Harmony. If the ponies in the group represented the elements of harmony, why was the entity wanting them together, for power? The more she thought about it the more it irked her because it made no sense.

'Of course this is an obvious trap but what can we do... let Sketch rot with that ponynapper!? Agghhhh this just keeps getting more and more weird.' She tried to just shut out thinking but she could not stop thinking about this clear as day trap they were being led into.

The forest seemed to be less thick in this part and beyond were even more cliffs and more perilous paths. They followed the light through the woods to what seemed to be a small stop where one pony could hear the sounds of eerie wailing.

"Whassat..." Jaxx was now being targeted by some voice crying into the night.

"What's wrong Jaxx?" North asked. Spike also added into the inquiry,

"Yeah you look like you heard a ghost..." Jaxx was feeling nervous as she responded,

"I'm hopin that was just the wind blowin, but tain't never heard wind a blowin like that though so it's a might bothersome..."

"We didn't hear anything as far as I know.... ...." A loud whine creaked in the air and the ponies started feeling their bones shaking. "OK... now I heard that..." The group started to look around analyzing every leaf, branch and bush they could see in the moonlight.

This round was Jaxx's turn. The green pony was about to assure herself it was just the wind when she looked up and seen something absolutely horrifying!

"AGGHHHH ABOVE YOU!!" The ponies began to freak out when they looked up and seen nothing. The wind blew but that was it.

"Above us what..." To their eyes it was nothing but Jaxx could see angry pony spirits flying down towards her friends when one of them was going straight for Lavender.

"LOOK OUT!" She ran and tackled Lavender to the ground as the spirit swooped by!

"Oh my word, what was that for! Agghhhh look you got dirt in my coat and after all that work I just did..."

"Stop worryin bout your pampered fur it's your hide I'm worried about if you haven't noticed there's some might angry spirits around us!"

"What, that is absolutely perposterous there's nothing out there... does anypony else see anything?"

"I don't see or hear anything, it was probably the wind Jaxx..." Jaxx was starting to feel her heart pound as another one swooped for North and she cried out,

"NORTH DUCK!" North didn't know what was going on but Jaxx refused to let her be harmed so she ended up tackling her to the ground as well!

"AGGHHH JAXX what is wrong with you!!" Jaxx hopped up and pointed her hoof up in the air yelling frightfully,

"Ya'll can't honestly say there ain't nothing up there! Those ghosts are tryin ta cut yer dern heads off!" Bubblegum suddenly flew up in the air yelling,

"THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE MY HEAD, EEEEEKKKKK!!! HEADLESS GHOST PONIES!"

"What...?" North and the others looked over at Bubblegum and back to Jaxx. Her eyes were showing a sincere fright. North began to feel something was up.

"Pleasee, I know it may sound might silly but trust me on this please?" She looked to the group hoping somepony would listen and North gave her a nod,

"I trust you Jaxx..." Jaxx returned a smile happy somepony believed her.

"I still don't believe in ghosts, but if you all believe her then I will... I rather have my head than be wrong and lose it..." Suddenly out of the darkness Jaxx began to yell,

"North duck again, Lavender roll to your left, no your other left..."

"I'm not going to roll again I'm getting absolutely filthy..."

"Just do it!"

"Oh fine..." She rolled to her other left barely being missed by a hair, literally she lost a hair on her tail and Lavender immediately took notice of it. Looking over she seen the lopped off follicle and she suddenly screamed, "AGGHHHHH!!! MY PERFECTLY GROOMED TAIL, RUINED BY... A... A... G... G...G... GHOST PONY!" Lavender completely flipped her lid and started running around screaming. Bubblegum seen her and continued to gallop around in random directions yelling,

"GHOST TAG! NOT IT! WEEEEE!!!" She scooted around and pranced and hopped, Jaxx was ducking and jumping around, North and the others just started acting crazy as Jaxx tried to continue giving them directions. Starlight in the middle of everypony began screaming,

"WHATS... WHERE... WHO... AGGHHHH... AGGHHH!" She had grown so paranoid that she began to buck the tops of trees as she backed up on them trying to watch her flank!

"WEEEE!!" Jaxx watched as the ghosts apparently didn't understand what in Equestria had just happened. Bubblegum was gallivanting around, Lavender was a complete wreck, Starlight kept shaking trees around screaming in the air. The whole awkward sight annoyed the ghosts to the point they figured they were not being taken seriously. As they wisped away into the night air Jaxx stood with a snickering expression across her face gazing back at all her crazy friends.

"HAHAHAHA... ya'll are quite a sight ta see, hehehehehe!" Jaxx just laughed her tail off watching everypony acting goofy and hopping around like a bunch of circus clowns.

"Well, not particularly well planned but if the threat's gone then good job mare." North commended Jaxx on her job well done. Jaxx nodded answering,

"Yup, as soon as everypony started actin a fool, those ghosts didn't know what ta think and skedaddled on outta here."

"Whatt... awwww, I was just getting the hang of ghosty tag..." Bubblegum complained as she sat on the ground hoofing the dirt with an upset feeling over it being done so fast. Lavender trotted over to Jaxx and with an honest word she replied,

"Ok, so maybe there just might be such a thing as ghosts or maybe this is just a bunch of magic tricks, either way I know you were not fibbing, something completely destroyed my perfectly styled tail..." Lavender raised her tail to show the minor damage compared to the gap in her hair.

"Well I'm might happy ya'll believed me, fer a second I was scared ya'll wouldn't and I'd have headless ponies as friends..." Spike started to see something fishy going on. As he heard the ponies talk something was starting to add up in his head.

'Something is up here, it's almost as if they are being tested, for something...' His thoughts were suddenly clouded by DaisyChain turning around to him.

"You've been pretty quiet back there cutie pie, what ya thinking?"

"Awww... I'm not thinking much of anything right now, I'm just enjoying the scenery..." Suddenly Spike freaked out in his head yelling, 'Gahh what did I just say, did I hit on DaisyChain...? No Spike, Rarity is the only pony who can have your heart...' The mention of Rarity made his heart ache for his old friends. 'I miss those ponies sooo much...'

"Well you just sit tight then and keep enjoying the scenery I don't mind the extra weight, why I packed four hundred and ninety five pounds of dual mounted thirty threes, with you on board I don't feel a thing." DaisyChain nodded to herself and started trotting up behind the others. "Alright so fillies we gonna keep on that pathfinder or let it get away now?"

"What ohhh!" Everypony turned to find the orb was wasting no time to take them straight to their next area. "Don't let that orb get away!" North cried out as it was flying faster. They raced through towards a small opening to a bridge which seemed rickety and old. The pathfinder stopped and started flickering at the front of the bridge where the ponies all piled up in front. As it did the pathfinder seemed to slowly continue forward beyond the bridge.

North took a look across, the fog shrouded what could possibly be over there making it feel risky and dangerous. "We've been through the woods up a mountain side back through more woods plus fog, and now we have a rickety bridge over a foggy gorge this is getting too ridiculous..."

"I agree with ya on that North..." Jaxx huffed and puffed as she finally felt her body weighing down with fatigue. DaisyChain laughed at them all as she and Red were still physically sound, but Red being of age still couldn't stand the large amount of hoofing he had done today.

"My hoofsies feel fine still, I can hoof all day... all day and all night long! Hoofin hoofin hoofin!" Bubblegum pranced around everypony still full of energy. Starlight sighed and mumbled,

"I donno if I can really go any further girls..." Starlight was feeling she was next for something dangerous like the others.

"What's wrong Starlight...?" North took concern about this because she also had the sense the pegasus was feeling nervous that she would be picked out of the group for some crazy task next. So far North has noticed each of them had to go through a task one by one and Starlight was the last one left.

"I just don't know if i'm cut out for this part, I mean you seen the scary things that happened, Timber wolves, Dragons, strange sleepy fog and Ghosts... I'm simply just too scared to think what's next and no doubt it's going to be me next to do some scary thing, what if it's like some big mean scary monster with teeth and claws the size of tree trunks and has eight heads and spits fire out of all their mouths and..." North refused to let her back down as they were too close to finding Sketch so she commanded her,

"Don't be cowaring on me Starlight this is your dearest friend we're talking about, she's locked up all alone, scared... some evil pony is probably torturing her and we're so close to finding her to be giving up now, what will that mean, what will that show!?" Sebastian who had been riding on her head the whole time agreed with North once again reminding Starlight with a sharp thwop to the head with the paper still in his hands.

"Owww... Ohhh I hate it when you do that Sebastian... OUCH!" He slapped her again and pointed forward. "Ok, here I go then..." She again had to swallow down some fear still just barely prepared to take on what may appear. She stood by the bridge and waited for the fog to clear away, when a figure began to appear right in front of her. "EEEP!" She squealed backing away!

When the figure took full form the entire group's eyes widened as this creature was alien to their eyes!

"WHAT IN CELESTIA'S KINGDOM IS THAT!" North and the other's back up as they did not know what this creature was. It looked threatening standing in the gorge with massive size and no face, it was just a visage of a tall standing creature with a pair of white eyes.

"I donno but it's guarding that bridge and I don't like it!" DaisyChain began to feel a need to fight it.

"Let me approach it first..." North, despite feeling this was Starlight's job took the first crack at it seeing as Starlight was frozen with fear. She took a step forward and the creature threw an arm over the front of the bridge. "Hey you, our friend is being held hostage by some goon and you're in our way so step aside!" The figure didn't answer but began to lift its arm up. "Alright, problem solved..." As North was about to take a step forward he swatted her to the ground! "Agghhh ooomph! WHY YOU!" She began to get back up.

"THAT'S IT, that's my cue!" DaisyChain snarled and took a charge with Spike bailing off as he seen the strange dark figure deflect her with some strange magic field! "GAHHH!!! What was that!? What just..." She shook her head glaring back at the being in disbelief.

"Maybe we all need to just team up and take it down!" North hopped up and with the group they simultaneously started to bolt for the creature. One by one they were being deflected and swat back as the creature seemed to become more and more irritated.

Starlight began to think as the creature looked familiar.

"Where have I seen..." As she pondered, she heard North yelling,

"Come on Starlight, you too Lavender we got to find a way to get this thing out of the way!" Suddenly she began to feel an image pop up in her head and she replied with a happy smile,

"Girls, I know..." Nopony was listening as they were too busy trying to buck the creature into submission while Lavender began to complain,

"Oh I'm not even... look at you all you're getting filthy trying to fight that thing... I simply refuse..."

"WWEEE THIS IS FUN, you should try it Lavender!" Bubblegum was having a blast being bounced back like she was on a trampoline!

"I think not!" Lavender snapped back. North began to grow frustrated as the creature would not stop blocking their attacks,

"Agghhh, it's tough but it does not have much of an attack... is it just here to divert our attention to something...?" She attempted to fly out beyond the creature when a magic barrier blasted her back via teleport spell. "Whoa what the... it's trapped us here!!!" North began to feel even more irritated.

"Girls..." Starlight was jumping up and down trying to get their attention to no avail. "Oh Sebastian what am I going to do?" Sebastian glared at the inconsiderate ponies and started to slap the letter in his hands as he had enough of their disregard.

This irritated frog leaped out and one by one he gave everypony a good slap across the face!

"EEEP!" Bubblegum looked wide eyed at her nose which was wiggling as the slap made tickled her. "Ahhh, ahhhh ACHOOO! Hyahahahaha!" She giggled as the others stopped in their tracks turning to the sight of Sebastian croaking.

"What just happened?" Jaxx asked in a daze of confusion. North responded,

"I think we just got frogged."

"HAHAHAHAHA, good one North! Frogged! HYAHAHAHA!" Bubblegum laughed uncontrollably. The frog pointed over at the shy little Starlight as she replied,

"Girls I think I know what to do, can you let me try?" North nodded replying,

"Starlight you need to speak up more..." She paused and trotted over to her adding, "Yeah I'm pretty sure this was your fight anyway so, go get'em! Really though, yeah you need to speak up Starlight..." The others backed up as she approached the creature. Immediately as she approached it slowly it looked down at her with a glare placing its arm to the bridge. Starlight looked up to it and suddenly her eyes lit up!

"I KNEW I SEEN YOU BEFORE! You are in Shooting Star Strike Issue one'o nine, Species six two one from planet Eyrth, you're a Void Crosser! Why you're not a big meany are you, no you're not your species is known to be the most benevolent creatures in space!" Honored by her knowledge the Void Crosser nodded very slowly in respect. "Why are you not allowing us to cross the bridge Void Crosser?"

"She's talking to a what... what is this thing?" North and the others were completely baffled. The Void Crosser pointed over to the bridge as one of the ropes were held just by a thread.

"Oh you were warning us of danger... I see. Well I'm very sorry my friends acted the way they did to you..." The Void Crosser held it's hand over it's shoulder feeling awkward and pointed at North. "North is nice, she was just very worried that you were trying to stop us from getting to our friend, you see she's in danger..." The creature began to make gestures and Starlight responded, "I know, I know she didn't make her intentions clear, she should apologize..."

"What... Intentions clear, I made it perfectly clear the pathfinder went across the bridge therefore our friend is over that bridge..." Starlight turned around and in a polite voice responded,

"Well you should've been more polite and kind than just running up and demanding to cross, he was only trying to warn us of danger..." North took a deep sigh and replied,

"Ok I'm sorry for jumping on you, I'm just a little impatient right now..." Starlight reached her hoof up to the Void Crosser and it reached a hand down to her hoof holding quietly,

"I'm very grateful you stopped us from crossing a dangerous bridge, and we're all sorry about our misunderstanding. If you wish, you can go now." The creature was honored by her kind approach and in an instant the Void Crosser dissipated into the fog, as it disappeared North trotted up to Starlight putting her hoof on her shoulder replying,

"Good call Starlight, I suppose with my tactics we would have never got around him..." Starlight suddenly nodded with a concerned tone,

"Oh yes, because in the comic, Shooting Star Strike tried to get around one but he was brought back nomatter which way he went, Void Crossers may be benevolent but if you do not show kind merit towards them, if you ignore them or are violent towards them they will refuse you to leave forever, or until you show kindness to them.

It's like a kindness riddle, they stop you from impending dangers and you have to prove to them that you were worth their trouble or if you deserve to be imprisoned in time, they have no age so it is not trouble to them to hold you there for eternity." North's face turned pale as she felt her eye twitch,

"WOW... never read that comic, I guess we should be thankful you were with us!" The thought of being trapped forever was not a fun prospect. She was sort of curious now why a comic book creature was manifested here, but so far most of the journey was kind of insane to begin with.

North took a step forward to the bridge and glanced across into the dense fog replying, "Welp mares, looks like we're nearing the end of this crazy journey..." Bubblegum stood by her side and replied,

"Let's show that ponynapper what we're made of! We're no scaredy fillies!" Jaxx took a step by her and added,

"We're gonna give it'R ALL!" Starlight nodded agreeing,

"For our friend!" Lavender joined up by North's side feeling a starting bond between her and North replying,

"Friends fighting for a friend, Together!"

"EXACTLY!" North agreed to that and the ponies were ready to take on the world now, or at least whatever was holding their friend captive. Red, Spike and DaisyChain stood behind them encouraging the ponies they would follow right behind to aid in their journey! DaisyChain acknowledged,

"We're right behind you mares one hundred and ten percent!"