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0-Last: Rediscovery on the Dawnless Day (Edited)

Author's Note:

Well here's the Finale for the Prologue book. Chapter 0 of it will receive some revisions when Chapter -1 comes out. As always the Google Docs version is here if you want to make edit suggestions or notice problems. Also the chapter coming soon has been written already.
Edited 2/24/2022 for better wording and having Lightning join her so she doesn't have to go it solo.

June 21st, 1000 CE

It is the morning of the day before the Summer Sun Celebration. Lightning Sunrise is eating breakfast with his parents as they prepare to do their own part for the festival preparations. Holding a cup of coffee to her lips Stellar asks Lightning, “I bet you can’t wait to show Spike and Twilight around town, right? I hope you enjoy your day but remember what we discussed?”

With a resigned sigh Lightning responds as he looks at and reads a list on the table, “Yes mom. I remember. No crusading with my friends unless they decide to help me guide Twilight along to their houses. First is Applejack’s place for lunch and to test the food, then the afternoon will be spent finding Rainbow Dash to check up on the weather before continuing on to the Town Hall to find Rarity and the decorations. Next is going to the edge of town to listen to Fluttershy and her birdsong chorus. Last but not least is the surprise party tonight at the Library to welcome Twilight and Spike. I shouldn’t worry about Pinkie Pie as she’ll find us.”

Smiling back at Lightning, Stellar kindly says, “Good to know you remember your duties as guide. Please try to not mess up your outfit too much, I don’t want to have to miss part of the party by returning here to clean you or the other three members of your club of tree sap.”

Quickly scarfing down the rest of his breakfast of scrambled cheesy eggs with cereal, Lightning asks before his mom can bug him anymore, “Can I go now? I want to meet up with the rest of my friends to introduce them to Spike and Twilight.”

Receiving a quick nod back, Lightning hops off his chair before his wings briefly glow alongside his saddlebags and the note as he puts the latter in his bags while he puts those on his back. He then heads out to go collect his friends.


(A couple hours later.)

Lightning and his friends are waiting by the fountain in town square chatting when they spot a golden chariot approaching. Rearing up on two legs for a better view of the chariot they soon spot Twilight and Spike in there. Lightning starts waving first before the other three follow suit as they start walking to where the chariot was landing, still bipedal so they can see over other ponies.

However before they can reach Twilight and Spike, Lightning hears a gasp and sighs when he spots Pinkie run off. Pulling his list out of his bag, he checks off while saying, “There’s Pinkie taken care of...and now she thinks the town’s ponies are crazy and is mad about missing a party,” as he hears what she is saying.

Deciding to try and break Twilight out of her funk, he holds a hoof to his lips warning Spike to be quiet before sneaking behind Spike and Twilight, giving the former a hug with one wing while he glomps the latter with both forelegs and his other wing, pulling them into a group hug while she stops her rant with a surprised yelp at the sudden hug.

Panting after the yelp, she quickly turns around asking angrily, “Spike why did yo…,” before spotting Lightning and quickly returning the hug while changing tact with her words, “Hello Lightning. That was a bit of a rude prank but then again I was ranting and that is time spent wasted finishing this checklist so I can apologize to Moondancer again for missing her birthday party. Not like it isn’t good to see you again, but Princess Celestia knows I was trying to get Moondancer out of her shell. Now she’ll….”

Spotting an incoming panic attack both Lightning and Spike both try to put a hoof/hand in front of her mouth to silence her as Spike says, “It’ll be alright BSBFF. Princess Celestia herself told me she’d go to apologize to Moondancer for you and deliver our gifts to her ourselves,” before dropping his hand so he can more properly group hug the other two as he continues, “Now it looks like Lightning has made a few friends of his own down here so let’s let him introduce them sis before you have any more panic attacks. You can save those for tomorrow, right?”

Blushing slightly at his own rudeness, Lightning points a wing at each of the other three CMC members as he says, “Twilight and Spike, meet Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle,” before tapping a hoof at the appropriate person as he continues, “Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo meet my honorary siblings Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”

He then disengages from the hug before using his wings to help him backflip into the middle of the rest of the CMC while they pose causing nearby townsfolk to cover their ears as he begins, “Together we form the,” and here the other three join in, “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!”

Having missed the warning, it takes a few minutes of rubbing their ears for Twilight and Spike to regain their hearing before both sides can say what a pleasure it is to meet the other. They then start heading towards the first stop with Apple Bloom leading the way to her family’s farm.


Arriving at her families farm, Apple Bloom rears up once more to gesture grandly, “This here’s Sweet Apple Acres and according to mah granny, Ponyville was built around our farm.”

Spotting Applejack in a nearby field bucking trees she shouts out, “Hey AJ! Can yah ring the dinner bell as the princess’s re...repres…”

“Representative’s,” Sweetie Belle helpfully supplies.

“As the princess’s representative’s are here for us to have lunch with,” Apple Bloom continues.

Pausing in her applebucking efforts, Applejack walks over towards the quintet while saying, “Sure can in a minute sugarcube, but how about you introduce me to our guest first?”

Facehoofing a bit in embarrassment, Apple Bloom complies, “Twilight Sparkle and Spike this is mah big sister Applejack. Applejack meet Twilight Sparkle and Spike.”

Holding out a hoof and a hand for Applejack to shake, Twilight and Spike say together, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Applejack,” before Twilight continues on alone, “We’ve heard good things about your food from Lightning who we consider basically a sibling.”

Rearing up so she can shake both offered limbs vigorously and simultaneously, she asks, “Really? He’s never much mentioned you two were connected to Princess Celestia when he spoke of you. I hope these four haven’t given you too much trouble?” before letting go of their appendages and dropping back down.

Twilight and Spike their heads while trying to stop their arms from shaking as Twilight asks, “They haven’t but is there something I should know about them?”

Applejack simply answers with a fond smile, “Don’t let them talk yah into joining them in an adventure. It only ever ends in tree sap and them stuck in funny poses. Ah don’t know how many times Ah’ve helped wash these four off.”

Ignoring the outcry from the CMC of “No it doesn’t”, Spike takes a step back from the four as he answers, “That is good to know.”

Changing the topic Applejack asks, “But yall probably want lunch right. Usually it’s just Apple Bloom, mah older brother Big Mac, mah granny Granny Smith, and Ah here, but for the festival the whole Apple Clan came and helped prepare food and they all made their own signature dish.”

Walking over to a large dinner bell, Applejack rings it and after loudly shouting “Soup’s on, everypony!” introduces everyone as they appear before they dig into lunch.


After lunch and being pressured into eating far too much they sextet all groan as they walk away from Sweet Apple Acres with Scootaloo in the lead talking up how awesome her honorary sister is while heading towards Rainbow Dash’s napping cloud.

“There’s her napping cloud where she should be,” Scootaloo chatters happily as she looks for and spots a distinctive rainbow tail hanging over the edge. Shouting up at the cloud loudly, Scootaloo joyfully says, “Hey Rainbow Dash! Princess Celestia’s rep...checker-uppers are here! Wake up Sis!”

After half a minute of awkward silence and no response, and with Lightning suspecting she doesn’t want to force either Scootaloo or himself to have to fly up in their overfull condition, Twilight grabs hold of Rainbow’s tail and pulls. Unfortunately, Rainbow picks this time to roll over off the cloud and start sleepily gliding down to the ground causing Twilight to barely be able to turn the descent the a controlled crash that splatters them all with mud from a mud puddle.

Climbing up out of the mud puddle she landed in, Rainbow Dash grumbles as she holds up a feather finger before sleepily flying off to grab a rain cloud. Sighing as this happens, Scootaloo says, “And here we’ll get to see Rainbow’s patented Rainblow Dry technique first-hoof. Hope you weren’t attached to your hair-do Twilight,” before the rain starts with the septet under the cloud, washing them of their mud but also drenching them.

After the rain lets up the CMC dig into the ground with Twilight and Spike following suit when they see what the CMC did, the septet are buffeted by heavy rainbow-colored winds caused by a grumpy sleepy pegasus.

Not caring that her mane is messed up, Rainbow grumpily asks Scootaloo, “What was so important squirt that it required waking me up and dragging me into a mud puddle?”

Scootaloo looks up into her honorary sister’s eyes as she says apologetically while pointing to a bedraggled Twilight and Spike, “Princess Celestia’s festival checkers are right there sis,” before remembering Apple Bloom’s faux paus earlier and adding, “Twilight Sparkle and Spike meet the most awesome pegasus in Equestria and my big sister, the one and only Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, meet Twilight and Spike. Maybe they can help you get to meet the Wonderbolts tomorrow.”

Looking up at all the clouds around and bits of her mane in her face, Twilight says wonderingly, “While I’d love to say it is nice to meet you Rainbow Dash, I don’t know if I could get you in to meet the Wonderbolts. After all, they don’t accept ponies into their ranks who snooze the day away instead of their job.”

Retorting back to Twilight boastfully, Rainbow Dash says, “I can clear these clouds in 10 seconds flat and come back looking better.”

Smiling deviously while using her magic to pull out a stopwatch, Twilight challenges Rainbow Dash with a simple “Prove it then!”

After some frankly absurdly amazing acrobatics, Twilight stops the stopwatch gobsmacked at the result as Rainbow Dash boastfully asks her, “Was it under 10 seconds like promised?”

Managing to close her mouth somehow and shakily speak, Twilight replies sincerely, “I-It was! I’ll try and get you your meeting tomorrow and sorry for calling you lazy.”

Smiling back, Rainbow Dash answers, “You are forgiven as I know not all pegasi are as awesome as I am. Besides, I wouldn’t leave my biggest fans, my little sis and her friends hanging, now would I guys?”

Looking at the CMC, Twilight sees them all shake their heads while going on about how she wouldn’t, she then hears Rainbow Dash fly up to her napping cloud while saying, “It was nice meeting you Twilight but awesomeness like mine is hard work. I hope you manage to get me that meeting tomorrow.”

Saying their goodbyes with Twilight adding on that she will try, the sextet move on to their next step of their whirlwind tour: Town Hall, Rarity and the freakout she will have over all their terrible hairdo’s.


Arriving at the Town Hall/Auditorium, Sweetie Belle takes the lead this time by saying as they walk in, “My sister, Rarity should be around here somewhere taking charge of the decorations for Princess Celestia’s Grand Appearance. It looks like she is doing a beautiful job as always.”

“Beautiful is right,” Spike says as he looks over the decorations and specifically an ivory mare arranging them with hearts in his eyes.

“Well this should be an easy-,” Twilight starts to say.

“Are my spines straight? Do I look ok?” Spike interrupts to ask as he continues staring at Rarity while trying to straighten his spines causing Twilight and the CMC to facehoof in embarrassment at Spike’s very obvious first crush.

“No, Casanova. You don’t look any better than the rest of us, which is to say we look like dried drowned rats,” Twilight answers him with exasperation before asking as a purple glow surrounds her horn and Spike, “Sweetie, would you mind getting your sister while I restrain my brother?”

Nodding softly, Sweetie heads over to her sister with a sigh before poking her with a hoof and interjecting as she goes on and on debating about ribbons, “um...Rarity, Twilight Sparkle and Spike are here and as soon as you speak to them we can get out of your mane.”

Finally turning to look at Sweetie, Rarity opens her mouth to say something before it just hangs open at seeing the state they are all in and she wobbles a bit before managing to catch herself and exclaim, “Out of my mane!? What about the state of your manes!? Did you take them crusading with you and the rest of the CMC, Sweetie Belle?”

“No, no we did not. We ran into Rainbow Dash,” Sweetie Belle explains for them with an exasperated sigh as if this isn’t the first time she’s been accused of taking guests crusading.

With an equal sigh Rarity just shakes her head saying, “If she keeps this up I’m going to give her another darling dress to walk down the catwalk wearing. Maybe I’ll put weights in it this time since she keeps on generously giving you free showers.”

Angrily, Scootaloo responds to defend her mentor, “Come on, you know she doesn’t do it on purpose!”

Nodding, Rarity just responds, “I know Scootaloo, I know. Still I’m not going to get this done knowing you six look like that so I insist you follow me home where you can all get cleaned up and I can wash your clothes and make sure she didn’t damage them.”

Sweetie Belle just answers for them with, “Sure sis,” before she and the rest of the CMC lead the way, the other three members of the now septet following along behind.


After a couple hours spent bathing and talking about Canterlot and other fashion stuff, the sextet manage to leave finally with Sweetie promising they will stay safe before Lightning leads the way to Fluttershy’s place saying, “You should know Fluttershy’s name is no joke so please be quiet or we’ll never hear her.”

Twilight then asks, “Won’t you four being there help her speak up?”

Scootaloo answers for them, “It will a little. She’s foalhood friends with my sister Dash after all.”

“She’s friends with that loudmouth?” Spike asks incredulously.

“Ah don’t see why she wouldn’t be. Dash and some griffoness named Gilda stood up fer her in Flight School,” Apple Bloom answers honestly.

“Shhh…,” Sweetie Belle says as they approach where Fluttershy is training her bird choir and sounds of bird song slowly become hearable sounding good….

Nope, said choir just hit a sour note and they hear a soft gentle voice, presumably Fluttershy’s, admonish her bird choir, “Sorry, but please stop everyone. I’m...I’m umm sorry sir, but your rhythm is just the tiniest bit off. Now from the top! A-one, a-two, a-”

“Hello Fluttershy,” Lightning interrupts Fluttershy causing her to jump and squeak. “We’re sorry to interrupt you but Twilight and Spike here are here to listen to your choir.”

Fluttershy quietly replies, “that’s ok. I was just going to have them perform again if you all want to sit and watch. That is if you don’t mind. You don’t have to-”

Sensing the trend, Twilight and Spike quickly and quietly interject, “We’d love to,” before Twilight continues on, “it was sounding lovely already.”


And so the six spend a nice hour or two listening to the music before Lightning realizes the time and says, “As lovely as this music is, we really must be heading back and didn’t you need to pick up your package at the Post Office Fluttershy?”

Blinking owlishly for a couple seconds for the code words to sink in, Fluttershy quickly stops her impromptu concert and says, “Oh right. The Post Office closes soon. Well, I’ll walk with you six to the library and I’m sure you two can tell me more about Canterlot. I’m sure you have some interesting tales from visits to the zoo or the palace gardens.”

Leading the way Twilight says, “there isn’t that much interesting about Canterlot’s zoo and the critters in the palace gardens are very shy.”

Picking up the thread, Spike adds, “as for Canterlot itself it has a lot of snooty people and we spend most of our time in the palace, at our parents’ place, or visiting friends. We actually missed one of her friends’ birthday parties to come down here.”

Grumbling, Twilight says, “I really hope Princess Celestia apologized for my absence and got our gifts to her.”

“Still, I do suppose we can list off some of the stuff we’ve seen in museums up there,” Spike adds before doing just that as they walk and talk on their way back to the library.


Arriving at the Golden Oaks Library as dusk falls, Twilight turns and says while opening the door behind her back, “It was nice meeting you Fluttershy. I can’t wait to see your choir’s performance tomorrow but it’s time for Spike and I to get some rest. He’s probably tired and I need to make sure my brother gets his rest.”

Spike defiantly proclaims, “No I’m not tire-” before Twilight mutes him and badly ventriloquizes a yawn into his mouth.

“Wow, Twilight, I think Applejack could have done a better job at that trick,” Lightning deadpans back at her as the rest of the CMC nod in agreement. “You might as well lead the way in so we can make sure you get your rest Twilight. Don’t want my honorary big sis to be too tired for the Summer Sun Celebration, do we?”

Moving to surround them, the CMC and Fluttershy surround Twilight and advance towards her forcefully, causing her to nervously back up into the darkened library with Spike confusedly following as he asks, “Hey Twilight, why is the library d-”

Spike’s speech is abruptly cut off by a loud cannon shot, causing Twilight to spin around and see the lights go on revealing all of Ponyville including the CMC and Fluttershy shout “SURPRISE!” as Pinkie takes center stage beneath banners reading, “Welcome to Ponyville Twilight and Spike!”, “Summer Sun Celebration Party,” and, a tiny one reading, “Sorry you missed Moondancer’s Party”.

Looking around stunned at all the ponies and food present, Twilight turns to Lightning and accusingly asks, “You four kept us distracted didn’t you so they could set this up?”

Lightning and the rest of the CMC barely manage to nod before they are pulled into a hug by Twilight as she happily says, “Thank you for throwing this bash for me and welcoming me to your community. I suppose it is traditional to party the night away before the Summer Sun Celebration, so let’s party!”


After a night of partying during which Twilight admits she is happy she got to meet Lightning’s friends in person, the CMC and future Mane 6 make their way towards Town Hall in the gloom before dawn in order to take their places as appropriate.

Resting by a table, the CMC witness Nightmare Moon’s return, diving under a table while Lightning’s wings glow green as he casts a shield spell over them while they hide. This stops however when they see the Ponyville 5 follow Twilight and Spike back to the library. Deciding they want to hear what their role models have to say, they follow the Ponyville 5 to the library and sneak in behind them and up the stairs to eavesdrop in on the following conversation.

“Spill the beans,” Rainbow interrogates Twilight. “Just who is Nightmare Moon and how did you know her name?”

“While my friend may be a bit rough,” Rarity generously adds before continuing, “we do need to know what we’re dealing with so we can protect the CMC.”

With an exasperated sigh, Twilight answers, “Nightmare Moon is a legend I thought wasn’t real. She tried to take over Equestria a millenia ago before Princess Celestia banished her with something called the Elements of Harmony. Unfortunately it says to look for more info in a reference guide I’ve never been able to find.”

“You mean this one?” Pinkie asks as she pulls “The Elements of Harmony: a Reference Guide” from her mane.

“Yes! Yes that’s the one!” Twilight happily exclaims before asking, “Why was it in your mane?”

“A twitch told me to check it out the other day,” is Pinkie’s very simple answer.

Twilight stutters and tries to say something because of how nonsensical that sounds but is unable to form words. Due to this, Spike speaks for her as he takes the book from Pinkie, “While she recovers from how little that makes sense, let’s see what the book says. Hmm… there are 6 Elements total, only 5 of which are known: Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, and Loyalty. Their last known location was the Castle of the Two Sisters located in the ruins of Everfree City.”

Shaking off her bewilderment, Twilight muses as she scans the books, “Everfree City? Where have I heard that before?” before spotting what she is looking for, “Blueblood the 5th’s Survey of Equestrian Demenses as of the Fortieth Year of the Celestial Era”. Flipping through the atlas quickly she exclaims in dismay, “It’s in the Everfree Forest!?”

The other members of the Ponyville Five all shiver before Applejack speaks up for them, “We’ll follow you in there if you want us to but none of us have ever been that deep. We’ve only ever gone in to visit Zecora, sometimes with the CMC.”

Twilight nods in acceptance as she makes a copy of the map while saying, “Sure, I’d love your help getting through that forest. Spike I want you to stay here where it’s safe. I know you don’t like it but you are still just a kid.”

“I know, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. Well, good luck you six,” Spike tells them as they head out for the forest.

Having heard this all Scootaloo asks, “imagine if we were the heroines? Maybe we can help from the shadows?”

“Sounds like a plan and they left the original map for us. Time for us to be,” Lightning pauses here for breath before they all shout out, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Element Bearers!”

Sighing in exasperation Spike pops his head around the corner saying, “You aren’t going anywhere without taking me along. I have someone I want to protect as well.”

Facepalming, Lightning leads the rest of the CMC into a whispered huddle before eventually shortly breaking up, Lightning declares, “We have decided to make you an honorary member of the CMC so welcome to the team.”

Spike just deadpanly responds, “great. While you were busy huddling I made a copy of the map.”

“Oh, smart thinking Spike,” Sweetie tells him. “This’ll help us not get lost this time.”

“This time!?” Spike exclaims in a bit of disbelief.

“That’s not important right now. We have places to be,” Scootaloo declares before leading the way with the rest of the CMC following along into the Everfree forest.


Approaching the collapsed cliff, the CMC move to go past it except for Apple Bloom who says, “Hold up! Ah can see their hoofprints going down the cliff here.”

While Apple Bloom scouts the area Sweetie Belle says, “I hope they are alright and the path joins up with them.”

“”It’s a good thing you have me along as if you’ll follow me honestly Ah think we can follow my sister’s path down the cliff,” Apple Bloom says before leading the way down, hopping from ledge to ledge with Scootaloo, Sweetie, and Spike following while Lightning serves as a safety.

Panting they rest at the bottom for a second while Scootaloo says, “I knew my awesome sister wouldn’t let them get hurt by a cliff.”

Their rest however is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a manticore crashing through the brush. Freezing up, the CMC are surprised when the beast inhales deeply to roar...before taking a sniff and instead stalking over to give them all messy cat face licks of gratitude.

Sweetie in-between licks manages to utter out, “Well I can see Fluttershy helped you out. I’m glad you are happy.”

These words and name surprisingly cause Manny to stop licking them and instead move back down the path he came from and act like he wants to follow them. “Well, I guess there’s our guide,” Spike says as the CMC follow Manny the manticore through the Everfree Forest.


“Wow it sure is dark in here,” Lightning says as he lights up his wings in the green glow of a light spell. “I’m glad we’re together traipezing through these woods. Thank you for coming along Mr. Manticore.”

Scootaloo shivers as she looks at the scary trees and mud lit up by Lightning’s wings and just says, “I bet our sisters were glad Pinkie was along to dispel their terror with laughter.”

“Why? Are you scared?” Sweetie teasingly asks Scootaloo.

“No!” Scootaloo denies loudly as she smacks one of the trees to try and prove her bravado.

“Look, let’s just hurry up and get through here. Ah don’t think our manticore friend likes this place any more than we do,” Apple Bloom cajoles as she speeds up to get out of there.


Arriving at the river, Manny pads up and gives them all one last lick before padding back into the forest. Speaking up, Spike says, “Well, we’re here at the river now and our guide has vanished. How are we going to get across the river now?”

A booming voice unexpectedly answers his question as Steven pokes his head above the river, “You need passage across the river? How unusual to see two groups of people this deep in the forest in a single month, but I can ferry you across. Least I can do to repay that group of mares that generously helped me earlier and they can help you children get home safely.”

Sweetie Belle spots the mustache that is the same color as her sister’s hair and asks, “Did one of them with an ivory coat graft their hair into your mustache?”

“Yes, she did after some vile smoke cut off part of my beautiful mustache. I shall treasure her addition as long as I can,” Steven answers as he lays down for the CMC to hop on.

Sweetie Belle takes the lead and says as she starts crossing, “Thank you for generously paying back my sister’s generosity.”

Blinking for a moment, Steven finally responds with, “it’s no problem my lady. I hope you find your siblings soon then.”

As soon as the rest of the CMC cross, Steven rears up to point out a path saying, “your sisters went down that path to the castle. I again wish you luck and be careful of the gorge.”

“Thank you Sir Serpent for your help,” Lightning says as he starts leading the way towards the castle.

“You’re welcome and the name’s Steven Magnus,” he says as a farewell as they then hear him muse as they walk away, “Maybe I should move closer to Ponyville. It’s lonely out here….”


Crossing the bridge with little trouble and avoiding falling into the gorge surrounding the castle town, the CMC quickly walk down the overgrown main boulevard to the main castle entrance while oohing and awwing at the ruined buildings.

Speaking up as they enter the castle through the main doors, “I hope we get to visit here again someday. It’s like being in a Daring Doo novel.”

“Well then Daring Doo,” Sweetie Belle asks sarcastically as they look about the main foyer, “where do you think the treasure room is?”

“If Lightning can light the way I’d say it’d be in the basement. Look the stairs are over there,” Scootaloo exclaims as she points the way and rushes over, followed by the rest of the CMC with Lightning pulling his lighting trick again.

Unfortunately 5 children rushing about in a pile means someone wasn’t watching where they were going, causing one of them to step on a pressure plate that turned the stairs into a slide and redirected their sliding bodies through a fake wall and skid along the floor of the secret room into a seemingly ordinary Cheval mirror just after the rainbow blast went off re-energizing it.

Spewn out the other side in a pile of humans with their eyes closed, Lightning raises a hand to his head to try and stop the spinning while asking, “who...who stepped on the tile and cast a nausea spell on us?”

Apple Bloom shakily responds, “Ah...Ah don’t know but why do my hooves feel weird? And can you get off me?”

Hurriedly the group disentangles themselves with their eyes closed by mutual agreement, wanting to all see each other together at the same time. Initially they try to stand on all fours, but failing that they thank Princess Celestia they insisted on learning how to be bipedal.

Eventually mostly stable, the group opens their eyes to see they are in a tiny clearing in some woods in front of a tree with the sounds of children playing nearby. Even more importantly however, they see each other and the fact one of their number, Spike, is nude causing the rest of the CMC to look away blushing as Lightning reaches in his saddlebags and pulls out an outfit for Spike with, “Please put this on Spike for modesty’s sake.”

“Thanks,” Spike embarassedly says as he puts the outfit on just as hurriedly. Afterwards he tells them, “You can look now. So what do you think we are now?”

“I don’t know Spike,” Sweetie Belle responds before directing her words to Lightning, “but do you think this was why Princess Celestia insisted you learn how to walk bipedally and become comfortable wearing clothes?”

“Maybe,” Lightning honestly replies. “It would also make sense why she insisted I become proficient in writing with my hoof. My magic feels really watered down in this form and our hooves? Claws? Hands? Yeah, our hands seem way better designed for writing than our mouths.”

“This seems more and more like a Daring Doo adventure,” Scootaloo exclaims, “but perhaps we should head back before it is noticed we are missing? On that note, how do we get back?”

Apple Bloom makes an educated guess, “Ah suspect that tree will shove us out of the mirror back into Equestria. It feels weird.”

“I’ll go first,” Lightning declares as he walks into the tree and disappears. One by one the rest of the CMC follow along behind, wobbling as they exit the mirror but remaining bipedal. Well, that is until it comes to Spike’s turn at the end which distracts them from catching the changes to Scootaloo. Instead of the expected purple dragon with green hair spines, what exits is a faceplanting unicorn colt with a coat and mane the same colors as Spike’s scales and spines respectively and the cry of shock-horror is definitely in his voice.

“Spike is that you?” Scootaloo asks in her now echoey voice before she blinks and runs over her new fangs and then adds, “And what happened to me? I sound like Lightning when he isn’t disguised.”

“That’s because you are like me to some degree,” Lightning answers her, also unmasked, before asking, “Are you sure both your parents were pegasi?”

Scootaloo poses in the mirror and says, “I thought they were,” seeing the fact her wings are now bigger and her feathers are translucent. The other features she sees also makes it seem like one of her parents was a changeling.

Meanwhile, Spike manages to balance himself bipedally and says, “Yeah, it’s me. Being a pony is weird and I hope going through that mirror fixes it.”

“Well then you better not tell anyone else we went through that mirror then. I don’t want to know how much worse our grounding will be if they find out,” Lightning tells him.

With a resigned “fine” Spike agrees to the condition as he wobbles his way back through the mirror before returning with an excited look on his draconic face as he exclaims, “I was a dragon over there! And I am one over here again!”

Further conversation is cut short however by the sound of celebration causing them to scramble out of the secret room and back onto the basement stairs. Climbing them they are soon accosted by Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the Mane 6 looking for what set off the alarms in the castle.

Princess Celestia’s look changes from elation to one of disappointment as she sternly asks Lightning while the Mane 6 let her take charge for now, “What are you doing leading the rest of the CMC and Spike here to this dangerous place?”

Scootaloo speaks up saying with nervous confidence, “We, uhh, thought we could help them. We’ve been in scrapes before, some we haven’t told you about.”

Sweetie Belle then pipes up nervously, “Spike’s now also a member of the CMC.”

Looking at Scootaloo more closely, Princess Celestia accusingly asks Lightning, “Why didn’t you tell me one of your friends was a half-changeling?”

Scootaloo answers for him, saying, “I didn’t know I was one until a few minutes ago when a rainbow wave broke my disguise.”

Rainbow Dash finally speaks up and says, “I’m taking you to your parents after the celebration to get things cleared up. At least your wings finally grew in little sis.”

Scootaloo nervously answers, “I suppose we will have to go to them then and I suppose they have.”

Princess Celestia’s face softens as she gently adds, “your existence gives me great hope for the future Scootaloo and I want you to do something for me. Imagine how you used to look but make your wings the size they are now. Got it?”

After Scootaloo closes her eyes and nods Celestia continues, “next I want you to make that image male. When you have it imagine it forming over your current form with your current form disappearing into it.”

Screwing her eyes up Scootaloo nods and shivers as a purple flame works it’s way over her body leaving her as just a pegasus with properly sized wings this time and a bulge in her pants causing everyone else except Princess Celestia to drop their jaws in shock.

As Scootaloo checks her groin Princess Celestia says wryly, “well it’s good to know that that feature carries over to half-changelings,” before Scootaloo let’s out a slightly lower toned sound of relief and Princess Celestia amends herself, “although it looks like she both suceeded and failed at becoming a stallion and proved a theory I had that changelings have the ability to be both sexes at the same time but their minds normally only pick one.” Turning to Rainbow Dash she says, “can you make sure to tell me a time for me to sneak her into a class that will explain male puberty more in-depth? I also need to have her attend Magic Kindergarten as she now has a horn. She’s got extra learning to do.”

Rainbow Dash manages to shake off her shock to ask Princess Celestia, “just to be clear, you are implying that Scootaloo could be either a father or mother at will?”

Princess Celestia nods back as she says, “That is exactly what I’m saying and since this is her first time being at least partly male she’s going to be relying on you two, Spike and Lightning, to be her male role models. Can I trust you to help her?”

Shaking off his own shock, Lightning nods as he shifts back into his own pegasus form while saying, “This’ll be an amusing turn around from when I had to be a mare. Ok then Scootaloo, I suggest you stay as you are for now.” He pauses for a second while holding up a hoof to stall any replies before closing his eyes and focuses, struggling before eventually triggering another change in himself with some flames as he then comfortingly says in a slightly higher voice, "Oof! That was harder to pull off than expected, but I'll join you in this unusual inbetween form so you don't have to go it alone."

Scootaloo shivers but nods as she says, “Thank you for doing that to make me feel better. I’ll try to stay like this as I do want to explore this. Think we can get away with explaining this as poison joke for now?”

Princess Celestia butts in saying, “I think that’s a wonderful explanation and I’ll make sure to get the details from Rainbow Dash later so I can make you an alternate persona in the system. Still, don’t you agree everyone that we’ve lingered in this musty old castle for long enough?”

With nods all around her horn lights up and teleports them to the entrance of the Everfree before she says, “to steal Pinkie Pie’s catchphrase, ‘let’s head in there and PARTY!’”

And so they had a wonderful party marred by only a few unanswered questions lingering in their minds.

TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK 1:

Lightning Sunrise and the Sorcerer’s Stone

beginning with Chapter 0X:

Guardian of Many Hues

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