15. The Solo Mission
Inside the Castle of Friendship Hallway, Nature Bloom whimpered as she stared at Luster Dawn's magically created obstacle course. "Come on, Nature, it's just for a little while, then it's over...shouldn't be too hard..." she muttered to herself, before she closed her eyes and charged blindly through the obstacles.
The turquoise-green changeling's method was proven to be quite unsuccessful, as she got hit by the popping spines, poisonous gas shot out by the large wild flowers, and caught in the thorns. Seeing how bad their Best Friend was in the obstacle course, the rest of the Heroic Ten decided to keep the course away, with Luster using her magic to return the hallway to normal.
"That is the sixth failure in a row, Nature!" Falcon Dive complained.
"Not to discourage you, Nature, but you need a lot more practice and confidence, and bravery to pass!" Alkali stated.
"I know that means I'm awful..." Nature Bloom sobbed.
"Now, now, Nature, you'll get there some day!" Evergreen assured, sitting next to the crying changeling.
"Like all of us did!" Buffer added.
"We know you can do it, Nature Bloom!" Yellow Bright cheered.
"But, I just broke the fail record!" Nature cried.
"Krona may failed five times and got mad, but she made it in the end." Krona declared like a yak.
"What if I never past? That could mean I'll never be strong enough to go solo!" Nature cried, "And that will mean I'll be super dependent of others!"
"Don't worry, we will be there for you when you need us most!" Luster assured.
"And the purpose of this solo obstacle course training is to help us gain independence spirit," Sunshine Rays pointed out.
"But the whole reason behind it, is to train ourselves to be independent!" Nature Bloom pointed out.
"To prepare us in case we have to do something on our own!" Falcon Dive explained.
"But we barely have something to do on our own, other than our personal things, of course!" Volcano stated.
"For now, we're going to be at your side and go through everything together if we can," Luster assured.
"And if your ways don't work, you can always try ours, or seek our advice and suggestions," Evergreen figured.
"It's only when we can't, you'll be handling it alone!" Falcon Dive stated.
"Which is impossible! I mean, there's barely a time we can't help you when you need us most!" Yellow Bright pointed out.
"I hope so, I really am not good at going...solo..." Nature Bloom replied, sadly walking away, leaving her best friends behind to look at each other...
After the series' theme song intro, the sun could be seen rising outside the Castle of Friendship, marking the start of the next day. Nature Bloom joined every creature for breakfast at the Dining Table, as usual.
"Good morning, every creature! So, what are we going to do today? It's a Saturday, we're all mostly available with nothing to do, other than whatever we can..." Nature began, before being interrupted by a burst of magic that suddenly appeared in the room.
"Eclipse Instant! Shapeshifter! What's with the sudden undeclared visit?!" Luster Dawn asked the two creatures who had teleported in.
"We're so sorry about that, Luster." Shapeshifter apologised.
"We were travelling around Equestria and Beyond, but stopped because of...this..." Eclipse Instant explained, levitating a book for every creature to see.
Luster took a look at the book's cover and read its title out loud, "An Alternate Route for the Heroic Ten?!" the unicorn gasped, before noticing something, "It is just a fanfic, nothing much to worry about, fanfics are quite common ever since long ago!"
"But fanfics about real creatures?!" Sunshine Rays pointed out.
"That is totally different from fanfics about characters!" Falcon Dive contributed.
"And we don't think you all are going to like this one..." Shapeshifter informed.
Luster, the fastest reader, levitated the book in front of her and read the chapters silently, getting shocked and shocked as each second flew by.
"So, what's the book about?" Krona asked.
"Something that most likely won't happen in our world!" Luster answered.
"Ooh! Can it be all of us having some special super powers that we don't really have?!" Yellow Bright asked, "I mean, superpowers and action stories are pretty popular as many age groups come up with such ideas!"
"Something like that..." Luster replied, as Yellow Bright took the book and and a look in its pages.
"What?!" the Earth Pony shrieked.
"We figured that would happen..." Eclipse Instant plainly said.
"When you see it..." Shapeshifter added.
"Yellow Bright going on a date with Evergreen?! In a place far away from the crowds and towns, the wilderness?! A picnic?! And kissing?!" the Earth Pony summarised, before calling to the friend he mentioned, "Evergreen, what do you think? I mean, what do you think bout this?!"
"Well, I think that it might be a little..." the Kirin sneezed before she could finish the sentence.
"Are you alright, Evergreen?" Nature Bloom asked in a concerned tone.
"Somewhat alright..." the Kirin let out another sneeze before a series of sneezes began, causing every creature else to back off.
"I think you need to rest, Evergreen," Nature Bloom advised, "Rest will enable your body to heal, as your white blood cells fight the viruses in your systems."
Before Evergreen would respond, Krona yelled, "What is this?!"
The yak had taken a look in some other pages in the book, and that meant some other part of the story, and she was certainly not pleased with it, at all.
"Krona building a statue of her and Buffer that is as big as they are?! Krona can't build! Doesn't whoever wrote this know?!" Krona roared hr question out loud.
"Come on, Krona, maybe we should get you away from this," Buffer suggested, leading his yak Best Friend away.
"Is there anymore?" Falcon Dive asked, before he quickly got an answer that was obviously not the kind that he would be hoping for.
"There is more, alright! And worst of all, it is something that I really don't like! Well, precisely one part of it is something I really dislike!" Sunshine Rays started, before showing the griffon the page.
"Falcon Rays?! Sunshine and Falcon's relationship name?!" was the shock reaction.
"That doesn't sound right..." Volcano said his thoughts out loud.
"Of course it isn't right?! This never happened!" Sunshine Rays responded, "And it's pretty awful to the creatures this fanfic is about! I mean, their relationship story is something no creature but friends and families should know!"
"If Falcon Dive and Sunshine Rays were to get together, Sunshine would be known as Sunshine Dive or Mrs. Dive, not the other way around with Falcon being known as Falcon Rays!" Volcano explained.
The pegasus and griffon were unpleased to discover what their dragon Best Friend was really thinking about.
"What?! Out of all the bad things, that's what you're most concerned about?!" Falcon Dive asked in a rather mad manner, like Sunshine Rays whenever she went insane.
Their conversation was interrupted by some creature who did not get upset with the book, flipping through it and reading with a positive spirit and a small smile expression on her face.
"Alkali, how can you be pleased with something that upsets and humiliates your best friends?!" Sunshine Rays angrily asked.
Upon hearing the question, Alkali turned to the pegasus, "Sorry every creature, there's just this chapter...I mean storyline...or whatever...about me and my little brother, Acid. And it says here in this book that Acid is my only sibling, a decade younger, or more precisely, almost a decade younger than me."
"That's quite true! I mean, Acid is indeed your only sibling, and your age difference is correct," Volcano stated.
"Lucky you," Falcon Dive huffed, not being satisfied nor pleased with some creature else's fortunes this time round.
But as soon as the short phrase was said, Alkali's calmness disappeared when she gasped and read, "Acid returned to Alkali after his encounter with that scorpion, but instead of praising him for getting rid of that threat, Alkali nicknamed him 'Acidic', and Acid thought, I knew that she would not be idolised!"
"Nicknaming your brother instead of showing concern for him?!" Volcano asked, before commenting, "That is so not you! I mean, you will never do that!"
"Acid, finally becoming resentful towards his sister and alkalis, turned into a villain named Acidic, with acid-controlling powers?! Used his powers to make everything acidic, killing plants and animals, bringing about acid rain...the Heroic Ten banished and imprisoned him in an acidic lake?!" Alkali read out loud, completely unpleased and shocked with the story's format.
"That makes no sense: There's only natural seawater that is alkaline, fresh water that is weakly alkaline and very close to neutral like pure water, but never any natural acidic water known!" Volcano pointed out.
"And I will never banish nor imprison Acid in an acidic lake!" Alkali cried out loud, before dramatically placing her head down as if it was a bowling ball that fell.
"Oh great, now our siblings are getting involved!" Falcon Dive panicked.
"I won't even banish nor imprison him at all!" Alkali continued dramatically drying.
"Let me take a look at the rest if you really can't handle it," Volcano told his hippogriff Best Friend, flying over and taking the book from her, "Let's see, fifteen years later, Acidic's return...Alkali and Volcano's kid?!"
The dragon then went through the same experience as the rest of his best friends, "I have had enough of this!" snapping the book shut in a second, he stormed off, "I'm leaving it for whoever wants to read it next...or whatever!"
"Hmm...whoever wrote this fanfic clearly never thought ahead of who it can impact.." Luster began, after the angry Volcano, Falcon Dive, and Sunshine Rays, plus a crying Alkali left.
"In some not very nice ways, unfortunately," Nature Bloom added in her usual, soft-spoken tone.
"That's why we came here with it," Eclipse Instant stated.
"We knew you will figure that it is...quite unacceptable..." Shapeshifter added.
"It is unacceptable indeed!" Sunshine Rays responded in a furious tone, causing the remaining creatures to look in the direction gf her voice.
"What? It even got you two involved?!" Luster asked, after flipping through several pages.
"Well, it is probably because Shapeshifter and I...do have roles in your real adventures..." Eclipse Instant sheepishly stated.
"Says in here that you have secret feelings for each other that you kept secret before it is revealed and got together?!" Luster summarised, before closing the book with her magic, "If I were either of you, I'd be embarrassed!"
"I think it's quiet...awkward..." Shapeshifter blush.
"Maybe we should stop, looking at what's in this fanfic, as it is not giving any creature a pleasant time, we should try to avoid it instead," Nature Bloom figured.
"Hang on, I'm looking at the contents to see what else is in here," Luster informed, before reading out loud, "The Heroic Ten and Others, Yellow and Green, Furry of Mammal Love, Romance between the Wings, The Tale of Two Siblings, A Reformed Duo, Dusk and Dawn?!"
"Uh oh," Nature Bloom muttered, as the unicorn quickly flipped through the pages of the book.
"Nightfall Dusk and Luster Dawn?! Dating?! Kissing?! Romance adventure?!" Luster gasped, "I haven't even know if Nightfall Dusk likes me the way I like him!" the unicorn dramatically cried out.
Every creature had gathered in Evergreen's room after seeing the fanfic that upset them. All with the exception of a certain changeling and a sick Kirin.
"I may be selfless and care about the needs and wants of others than my own, but this fanfic is a want...that can never be accepted!" Falcon Dive claimed.
"I may like romantic relationship between opposite genders, but about real creatures instead of characters?! That is not what I like!" Sunshine Rays added, "But I still like opposite-sex couples, though."
"Whoever wrote this book should think twice!" Krona roared.
"Especially when it is published," Yellow Bright contributed.
"Every creature, do you think we should talk about this elsewhere? I mean, Evergreen needs her rest since she's sick," Nature Bloom asked.
"Oh, right! Sorry about that, Evergreen," Buffer apologised.
"We thought that you could use some company!" Volcano explained, "And...hear about what's going on."
After sneezing, Evergreen replied, "Don't worry, every creature. I know you all care, but sick or not, I have to say that something must be done about those fanfics! I mean, we can't have such things that hurt some creatures' feelings out and about!"
"It hurts more than hurt! It's heartbreaking!" Alkali cried dramatically as her tears flowed out of her eyes like waterfalls.
"Still upset with the made-up story involving your little brother?" Volcano asked his hippogriff Best Friend.
"More than upset; I'm devastated!" Alkali responded, before resuming her crying.
"Look at poor Alkali! Something must be done," Evergreen told every creature.
"Well, we can find the author and tell whoever that is to stop what they're doing..." Yellow Bright began, before asking the others, "Does that sound familiar?"
"You don't say?" Buffer responded.
"Of course! We confronted authors before! Or...helped authors before!" Sunshine Rays recalled, "When we found a horror book being the most popular, Luster casted a spell that helped us find the author, and as soon as we got to our location, we helped him write a better book that became the new most popular book! And fortunately, it still is the most popular book today!"
"We all know that!" Eclipse Instant informed.
"Because we all were involved when those events happened?" Shapeshifter reminded.
"Oh, right." Sunshine Rays responded to the reminder.
"But back to the point," Evergreen announced after a sneeze, "We need to find the author of this fanfic and convince whoever it is to stop!"
"And do more than just stop! They have to fix the damage it caused!" Sunshine Rays pointed out.
"But...who's going to take care of Evergreen? I mean, Head-mare Starlight and Vice Head-stallion Sunburst are looking after the School alongside Guidance Councillor Trixie, and Miss Sunset Shimmer is asleep right now!" Yellow Bright asked.
"Well, Shapeshifter and I are quite available," Eclipse Instant stated.
"We'll look after her, while you ten...I mean, nine, will go and find the author!" Shapeshifter finished.
"Thank you, both of you," Luster thanked, before instructing her available best friends, "Alright, every creature, follow me!"
As they ran through the hallway alongside the others, Falcon Dive asked Luster, "Um, do you even know how are we going to find the author, this time? I mean, shouldn't you conjure that magic compass through scanning the name written...or whatever that spell is!"
Luster stopped in her tracks, replying, "Thanks for the reminder, Falcon Dive. I'm just glad that I have learnt this spell."
After casting the spell and receiving the magic compass, Luster led the creatures to the front doors of the Castle of Friendship, "This way, every creature!"
But unfortunately for the heroes, when Luster used her magic to open the golden doors, the other side was revealed to have an overwhelming crowd of creatures who obviously had seen the fanfic!
"Uh oh..." was all Volcano could mutter.
"Um, hello? Is there anything we can help you with?" Luster asked.
"We just read the fanfic and would like to ask you and the Heroic Ten some questions!" Matilda the donkey, an old friend of the Council of Friendship, responded to Luster's question.
"The fanfic is a fanfic!" Krona declared loudly, for every creature to hear.
"And fanfics are most likely just stories written by fans of others' stories, using the same characters!" Volcano defined.
"Volcano, isn't it?!" an excited Earth Pony mare rushed up to the dragon and asked.
"Yes, it is." Volcano answered, "As in, yes, I am Volcano...Volcano the dragon...I'm just named after volcanoes."
"You're just as intelligent as the fanfic said so!" the Earth Pony commented, before asking, "But by the way, are you really going to be married to..."
Unable to stand the question, Volcano quickly used one of his claws to cover the Earth Pony's mouth to prevent her from
saying the final part of her sentence clearly.
"Sorry about that, and the fact that I am done for! I'm out of here!" Volcano stormed into the Castle angrily, slamming the doors shut.
Meanwhile, Krona and Buffer were experiencing the same situation that had drove their dragon Best Friend to his brim.
"Are you two romantically involved?" a pegasus stallion asked, before receiving an unpleasant respond.
"Obviously not something for every creature to know!" Krona angrily roared.
"What she meant is, we haven't even dated before! We just hang out as best friends?" Buffer clarified.
With Yellow Bright...
"Do you like Evergreen?" Matilda asked.
"Like her as a best friend!" Yellow Bright answered cheerfully.
"But the fanfic says that..." before the donkey could finish, Yellow Bright intervened.
"The fanfic is just a fanfic! You can't believe that it is real!"
"And since this story fanfic is not about characters of a story, you can't expect them to be so confirmed with a chance of becoming real...I mean, if it was about the characters of a story, maybe the fanfic can be an inspiration for the author to use in the actual stories?! But back to the main point, we are not characters of a story! We are real, living, existing creatures!" Sunshine Rays informed a group of creatures on one particular side.
"Real life cannot be predicted by fanfics!" Falcon Dive told some creatures on another side.
"Did your brother Acid..." a unicorn stallion asked Alkali, only to be interrupted by her immediate dramatic crying response.
"Don't say that! I mean...don't ask that! The fanfic's ridiculous! I mean...I won't..."
Luster strolled through the crowds and tried her best to calm them down, "Come on, every creature. Just remember the fanfics are fanfics! They aren't real! And since this kind is not about characters, it really won't be happening for..."
The unicorn bumped into a creature wearing a hoodie, who helped her up and told her, "We got to stop bumping into each other like this.
Luster gasped as she knew and recognised the creature at once after hearing him say that sentence.
"Nightfall Dusk?!" she whispered.
"Be careful, we don't want to give ourselves away," Nightfall whispered in response.
Luster nodded with a determined expression on her face, before she teleported herself, Nightfall Dusk, and the rest of her best friends in the area inside the Castle.
Once they were back inside, the creatures heaved a sigh of relief.
"That was a close one!" Nature Bloom said.
"Too close!" Sunshine Rays added.
"Krona does not like what happened back there!" Krona declared.
"None of us did," Buffer contributed.
"And not just you," Nightfall Dusk informed, as he stepped forward and removed his hoodie, revealing himself to the heroes.
"Nightfall Dusk?!" Luster's best friends, minus the crying Alkali, and the absent Volcano and Evergreen, asked in unison.
"Yes, every creature. I am Nightfall Dusk, I came from Canterlot to inform you all about this fanfic about you called
An Alternate Route for the Heroic Ten..."
"We all know about that!" Falcon Dive shouted in an impatient tone.
"And we are all annoyed and upset with it!" Yellow Bright exclaimed, before saying in a softer tone, "I'm sorry, but there aren't any positive sides about this..."
"Something must be done! I don't know how much longer any of us can stand the effect the fanfic caused!" Sunshine Rays complained.
"And now we can't even go out without the crowd overwhelming us like this!" Buffer added.
"We might as well just hide her and wait until the effect wears off..." Falcon Dive figured.
"Wait?! It can go on FOREVER!" Krona complained.
"We have to do something right away!" Sunshine Rays claimed.
""Or we might never go out alright, ever again!" Buffer contributed.
"And I might never be able to see my little brother Acid, nor be happy with him ever again...because of this fanfic!" Alkali dramatically cried before her head collapsed onto the Castle of Friendship's floor.
"And I might never be able to do my job without a disguise, ever again!" Nightfall Dusk added.
"Don't worry, we will fix this!" Luster assured, placing her hoof onto Nightfall Dusk's chest.
"But, how?" Nature Bloom asked.
"We cannot leave the Castle because we cannot let the public see us..." Falcon Dive stated.
"Or they will just...you know back there!" Buffer continued.
"Overwhelm and ask such questions because of the fanfic?" Krona clarified.
"And I don't think any of us can stand creatures talking about the fanfic that upsets us!" Sunshine Rays ended.
"And I will never do such an awful thing to my one and only little brother and sibling, Acid! How can the author do this?!" Alkali resumed crying over what she disliked.
"Just calm down, every creature!" Luster announced.
"Calm down! You know what, Luster? You just reminded me of a certain Best Friend of ours who always tell us that!" Yellow Bright commented.
Luster thought for a while, before solving the puzzle as she figured out who Yellow Bright indirectly mentioned.
"Of course! Evergreen! She is our Element of Patience! She can handle this! I mean, being patient, she certainly won't get as upset nor overwhelmed like the rest of us!" Luster exclaimed, beginning to gallop off.
"But, Luster, isn't Evergreen unwell and in bed?" Nature Bloom reminded, causing the unicorn to screech to a halt.
"Oh, right, Nature Bloom! But that means she can't go out and handle the problem! Nor go and find the writer to set things right," Luster sadly stated.
"If only there is some creature else here who can handle the crowd, and the environment," Yellow Bright figured.
"Most likely some creature who isn't said to be in romantic relationship in the fanfic!" Nightfall Dusk added.
"Wait a second! the fanfic!" Luster remembered, before using her magic to take out the book and flip though its pages.
"Yes! The fanfic doesn't have anything about Nature Bloom being in romantic relationships nor anything much about her relationships! So that means..." Luster began, starting to turn her attention to Nature Bloom, with the other creatures around doing the same.
Nature Bloom was overwhelmed, "What?! Me?!"
"You're the one creature here who isn't humiliated by the fanfic!" Falcon Dive implied.
"So Nature would probably not have any trouble with ridiculous questions because of fanfic!" Krona added.
"And I'll just transfer the magic compass to you, so you can find the author," Luster informed, further overwhelming the changeling.
"I'm so sorry...every creature...but I...might not be able to do it alone..." Nature Bloom interrupted them.
"But why?!" Nightfall Dusk asked.
"Well...I broke the fail record with six failures on the obstacle course, and every creature isn't going on up to the even harder levels until I passed! And the obstacle course doesn't even have magic-absorbing difficulty to prepare us for situations in those environments in many schools and buildings nowadays! Plus, the obstacle course is a solo test! Testing for independence! And failing it means I am not...independent..." Nature Bloom explained, "I might be a dependent, scared, little changeling forever!"
"Nature, don't say that!" Sunshine Rays told the changeling.
"You just have to try again!" Falcon Dive aded.
"Like we all do!" Yellow Bright cheerfully commented.
"Quite true," Buffer responded to Yellow Bright's comment.
"Best friends will pass together!" Krona declared like a yak.
"Together or not, I'm sure we'll all pass!" Luster ended.
"But right now, we aren't going to be right by your side, physically," Sunshine Rays informed Nature Bloom, approaching the latter from the latter's right side, "You will have to find the writer of this fanfic and get whoever that is to stop and fix the damage! Without us."
"But we will still be together at the end!" Falcon Dive said as he flew to Nature Bloom's left side.
"Plus, we can give you advice and instructions to follow in case you don't know what to do!" Yellow Bright cheerfully added.
"Alright..." Nature Bloom responded, still a bit nervous and unsure.
"Don't worry Nature, Heroic Ten believes in you!" Krona assured.
"So will I, Heroic Ten member or not," Nightfall Dusk contributed.
Soon, a long list of instructions and advice was created by the Heroic Ten, with the exception of a certain nervous changeling, who was trying her best to calm down while waiting for some creature to open the door and let her into Evergreen's room to get the list.
"Nature, the list is completed!" Luster informed, opening the door and levitating the long script with her magic.
"That's a...long list alright..." Nature Bloom commented, sounding a lot like Fluttershy.
"Every creature got something to write in it," Luster stated.
"Even...Evergreen?" Nature Bloom asked.
"Well, since Evergreen was unwell...I mean, is unwell because she is still unwell, Yellow Bright wrote what she had to say for her," Luster explained, using her magic to levitate the list to her changeling Best Friend, "Though I'm not so sure if you can find it amongst the many others in the huge list of instructions, advices and more..."
"More?! Like what?!" Nature Bloom asked, scrolling down the list, before reading some notes...most likely requests of what the others want the writer of the fanfic to know, "I may strongly support opposite-sex gender couples, but not fanfics about real creatures like that! One factor that makes some creature a great creature regardless of job, is the ability to listen... I will never banish nor imprison my beloved only sibling and little brother in an acidic lake! And he's never going to turn evil! Fix this!"
"Well...knowing our best friends very well, I'm sure you can tell which sentence is from who, right Nature?" Luster asked after nervous chuckling from hearing the changeling read such sentences.
"I know Luster, but, I'm still not so sure about this..." Nature Bloom voiced her thoughts out.
"Come on, Nature! Think about it! Do you really want us to suffer?!" Falcon Dive asked.
"Do you want us to be humiliated?" added Volcano.
"Do you want us to not be able to leave the Castle ever again?" Sunshine Rays contributed.
"Do you want to let us all down?!" Alkali asked, with tears flowing from her eyes continuously.
"Well, I will never want something so awful to happen to any creature..." Nature Bloom figured, "So...I guess I will do it..."
"YOU GUESS?!" every creature around asked in unison, expressing shock in their tone.
"Alright...I will do it..." Nature Bloom whimpered.
"Good. Then here's the compass that will lead you to who you're looking for," Luster told the changeling, using her magic to transfer the ownership of the compass to Nature Bloom.
"Now the magic compass will be following you to guide you to your destination. Good luck, Nature!" Luster finished.
"Wait! Wat! Wait!" Yellow Bright called, rushing towards the changeling with a pile of clothings and hats and scarves and more outfits, "In case the creatures out there see you, wear these disguises and walk right pass them!" The Earth Pony then went very close to Nature Bloom, whispering the message, "If they don't recognise you, they won't act the way they will want to act around you..."
"Thanks, Yellow Bright...I just hope that no creature finds it strange for me to dress up in this kind of outfit," Nature Bloom opined.
"Don't worry, we're sure you'll do fine!" Buffer assured.
"And can you please get going?! Half day just passed by, you know?!" Falcon Dive impatiently reminded.
"Oh, right! Goodbye, every creature! I'm going!" Nature Bloom announced, putting on her clothes disguise and flew off.
The unrecognised changeling rode the train all the way to the Smokey Mountains, currently resided by Hoofields, Colts, and all aces of different creatures.
"The Smokey Mountains!" Nature Bloom gasped, "I can't believe I'm visiting here! Without...my best friends..." she sadly sighed her last sentence, before moving on.
Not long after her arrival, Nature Bloom encountered a small yellow bird with its feet stuck in the soil. Quickly responding, she used some of the water in her water bottle to wet the soil, before she dug the bird out, receiving a nuzzle from it as thanks.
"You're welcome, little friend," Nature Bloom giggled, "But right now, I got something to take care of, and I got to hurry!"
Nature Bloom ran off into the town, giving herself a quick tour before she went back to business, looking for the writer she had came for.
"The compass says that whoever I'm looking for is right in this building..." Nature Bloom told herself, just before the door opened to reveal a serpent, who was alerted by the soft sound of Nature Bloom gently touching the door with her front left hoof.
"Hello there...whoever you are..." he greeted, before asking, "What are you doing here? You aren't like any of my Mum's friends! Wearing some outfit like this..."
Nature Bloom nervously chuckled before starting her pat of the conversation, "I know that what I'm wearing is...quite unusual, but...I really need to look for whoever wrote the latest fanfic about the Heroic Ten called, An Alternate Route for the..."
"Before she could finish naming the fanfic, the serpent dismissed her, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that!"
The serpent retreated and slammed the door shut, making Nature Bloom theorise "If he acted scared when I'm talking about the writer of the fanfic, there's a huge chance that he is the writer! But, how am I going to convince him to come out and talk?"
Nature Bloom's attention was then turned towards several creatures who were around a poster of the Heroic Ten, which read, 'Our Newest Heroes'. Seeing how many creatures adored her and her best friends, Nature Bloom knew the one thing that might get the serpent to come out.
"That's it! If every creature loves me and my best friends, and most likely will give us what we ask for, maybe the serpent will come out and talk to me if he knows that I'm me! " she told herself in a soft volume so that she would be the only creature capable of hearing what she just said. "But...how am I going to ensure I won't arouse too much attention?"
As Nature Bloom was pacing around, she accidentally tripped on a small stone and fell, scattering her clothings. causing a few creatures around to gather around her, with intentions to help. But as they cleared away the clothing, they were able to see Nature Bloom's undisguised self, recognising her!
"Nature Bloom?!" the creatures gasped.
The changeling nervously chuckled in response.
Overwhelmed by the crowd, Nature Bloom backed off towards the building she was in front of, telling the creatures, "Please...stay away! I don't like undivided attention! I really don't! Please..."
As the crowd got closer and closer, Nature Bloom got more and more overwhelmed and afraid, as the shadows loomed over her, occupying the area the light was supposed to shine...
All of a sudden, a loud noise indicating a crash, could be heard from behind the crowd, catching their attention temporarily as they turned their heads, while they were distracted, a claw grabbed Nature Bloom and pulled her up before the crowd turned back to see that the famous heroine was out of sight.
"Where did she go?" some creature could be heard asking.
"She must have gotten away while we're not looking," another creature figured.
Inside the upper floor of the building, the serpent had Nature Bloom safe from the crowd.
"Thank you so much, for saving me from the crowd back there..." teh soft-spoken changeling thanked the serpent, causing him to blush.
"It was nothing, sweet...I mean, it was nothing, Nature Bloom. By the way, I'm...Mitigate..." the serpent said with difficulty, making his name sound rather hard to hear.
"Excuse me, what did you say was your...name?" Nature Bloom asked.
"It's Mitigate, I'm Mitigate, and I am a serpent," Mitigate introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Mitigate, and I'm quite impressed that you've done your introduction better than I did on my first time wherever I go," Nature Bloom commented.
"But...I thought that you were better than me, Nature Bloom," Mitigate responded, before telling her, "You're a famous heroine of Equestria and Beyond now, and the one creature who introduced niceness to every creature by being the Element of Niceness, and you barely use insulting words, and never offended any creature!"
Nature Bloom blushed before replying, "Thanks, Mitigate, it's great to know that some creature outside the friends and family I know thinks this way, too!"
"So...what were you doing dressed up like that earlier? I mean, no creature could recognise you when you looked Lik that!" Mitigate asked.
"Well, it is a long story explanation...but, from the looks of it, I'm sure you can tell that I didn't want to be...recognised," Nature Bloom answered.
"Actually I kind of wish that I wouldn't be recognised, too," Mitigate commented.
"Wait, you do?" Nature Bloom asked in a somewhat shocked tone.
"Yeah, for some reason, my two best friends aren't the only creatures who will pay attention to me back during school times. For some reason, many classmates seem to like saying attention to me, like they like me for some reason. It makes me feel like I will never get privacy unless I wasn't seen, or...not recognised..." Mitigate explained.
"I can understand that, before I enrolee in the School of Friendship, I was he top Biology student in my whole entire school, gaining lots of attention, overwhelming me!" Nature Bloom mentioned her tough times, "My schoolmates probably want to learn Biology from me, but...they always overwhelm me with their attention..."
"My classmates kind of overwhelm me with the unwanted attention the they were giving me," Mitigate stated.
"I just can't help but feel sorry for you, I mea, getting attention that you don't want? That must be a hard time!" Nature Bloom commented.
"And I feel kind of bad for you when I heard what you said about your schoolmates...I guess that we are pretty much alike, for two creatures who just met each other for the first time." Mitigate replied.
Nature Bloom blushed a bit before saying, "Well, that is something I can't disagree with...I mean, something that I have lots of reasons to agree with?"
"Oh Nature Bloom, they say that you are always careful with your words, and it's quite true, I mean, you don't seem to want to get your words wrong, and you certainly don't seem to want to make a mistake trying to correct tone," Mantigate told her.
Nature Bloom could not help but blush when she head what the serpent said about her, before responding, "Aw...thanks, Mitigate. My close ones probably already know that about me so they won't usually utter a word about my words! Although, I do remember my best friends acknowledging my concerned with words nature."
"And you're amazing at it, Nature Bloom. You're the nicest creature I know, and now, you're the nicest creature I've ever met," Mitigate told her.
"It's good to know that," Nature Bloom responded, just before a cuckoo clock in the building stated making noise.
"That means it is seven! Time for dinner! Sorry, Nature Bloom, I don't have anything for you...probably because...no creature can predict the future?!" Mitigate told the changeling, slightly panicking at the final part.
Nature Bloom chuckled, "That's alright, Mitigate, my best friends packed some food for me in my backpack.
"Good to know that you have what you need, Nature Bloom, because a soul like you best not go hungry! I mean...best not suffer from hunger?!" Mitigate stated to panic with his words again, before Nature Bloom assured him.
"Don't worry, I know that not every creature will know how to use such nice words all the time, and I believe the they can learn how to be nicer, some day. And you are not an exception."
"Thanks, Nature Bloom, that really cheered me up," Mitigate thanked her, slightly blushing.
"You don't actually always have to call me that, I'm also alright if you just called me 'Nature', just like my friends and family would," Nature Bloom informed.
"Alright, Nature! I will be back in a few minutes!" Mitigate called, before slithering out of her sight.
Nature Bloom could not help but think about the new serpent friend that she just made, before she open-end her bag to take out the food container which contained her snacks. The long list of requests was taken out alongside the food container unintentionally, and Nature Bloom winded up seeing an awful statement, saying, "If you don't stop and fix the damage, I will ban you from writing and sharing such stories for eternity! To ensure such thing will never happen again!"
"Sunshine Rays!" Nature Bloom gasped, "She must be more than upset! I have to let the writer know! But wouldn't that be something...awful to say?"
Back in the Castle of Friendship hallway, the rest of the heroes could only wonder and think about their Best Friend alone on a solo mission.
"The day has already ended, I just hope that Nature Bloom is alright..." Luster told the rest of the creatures as they stood in Evergreen's room.
"Well, we did help her pack some snacks for the trip, she'll have something to eat for sure!" Yellow Bright pointed out.
"Maybe the search takes a little longer than we thought," Evergreen figured from inside her room, since she was sick, she was separated from the others for the sake of goodness. Despite her illness and bedroom door being closed, the others still could hear her voice from inside the hallway.
"Or maybe the fixing takes more time..." Falcon Dive suggested.
"But I'm sure we all can trust Nature Bloom, I mean, her niceness really helped you all out during your very first adventure..." Eclipse Instant reminded.
"Sure, Nature Bloom's niceness is GREAT!" Krona declared.
"I hope that it's enough to get the writer to do something!" Sunshine Rays said.
"I may not be so sure about this, every creature, but do you think hat we should send Nature Bloom a message on what we think that she should do to get the mission accomplished faster?" Buffer asked.
"Didn't we already did that?" Falcon Dive reminded.
"I actually recall that we kind of put a lot more requests of what we wanted to tell the writer, than instructions and suggestions on what should be done," Volcano informed.
"All I can recall and remember is that horrible story about me and my little brother Acid!" Alkali cried, as she still had not gotten over the fanfic.
"Well, now that Volcano mentioned it, I think we did put more comments than instructions! Nature Bloom can use a lot of time to find those instructions and suggestions!" Luster announced.
"Oh great, a mistake realised after it is published!" Sunshine Rays sarcastically commented.
"But mistakes can be fixed, can't they?" Shapeshifter asked.
"Well, we most likely say mistakes can be made up for, as in make amends for mistakes," Volcano corrected.
"Anyway, back to the main point," Nightfall Dusk reminded, "If Nature Bloom can have problems finding our suggestions and instructions amongst the list of comments, we might have to send a new message, one that only has instructions and suggestions."
"That's right, Nightfall! I'll get the scroll and quill, right away!" Luster declared.
In the meantime, Nature Bloom finished her snacks and was mumbling to herself, "I'll just tell the writer that my best friends will like it better when there is no fanfic about them? But what if that hurts..."
"Nature?" Mitigate called, startling her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," the serpent apologised, "Now, I just thought of what you said back there about looking for the...writer of the fanfic. And, can you please promise me that you will not...do anything that can startle some creature sensitive?"
"Sure...especially when I'm sensitive myself, as well as the nicest creature my best friends and family know," Nature Bloom responded.
"The writer of the fanfic is actually...me..." he admitted, making Nature Bloom a little shocked.
"You are?" she asked.
Mitigate nodded, "Yes, I have been a fan of the Heroic Ten ever since the day they became heroes, saving all of Equestrian and Beyond from Eclipse Instant, but it was not just the fact that they saved every creature that makes them special.."
Flashback through Mitigate's point of view...
"Every creature in this crowd, I've been learning friendship at the School of Friendship for a while, learning the values of Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Loyalty, taught by the teachers. But today, during my adventure with my best friends, each of them showed a new value that they have." Luster announced, before explaining each of her friends' values, making them feel proud.
"Krona showed her integrity, when she told the truth about what she was thinking, despite it being against what she learnt about friendship, in order to prevent an unfortunate outcome that would happen if she did not."
"Buffer showed his listening skills when he stopped an argument between his friends by listening to what each of them had to say, and identifying who should be listened to."
"Sunshine Rays showed her morality when she prevented us from taking the treasures that we found, which is something wrong as the treasures did not belong to us."
"Volcano showed his diligence, when he was hardworking enough to clear a boulder that could take days to clear."
" Nature Bloom showed her niceness, when she warmly approached a Crystal Cave Spider and respected it, despite its earlier attack."
"Alkali showed her encouraging spirit by giving Krona the hope and motivation she needed to slide down a slope."
"Evergreen showed her patience throughout the journey, staying calm and not complaining much, and most importantly, helped all of her friends be patient enough to walk through a cavern filled with fragile crystals slowly and carefully."
"Yellow Bright showed his positivity, by helping his friends think positively, when they were overwhelmed by few and negative thoughts."
"Last but not least, Falcon Dive showed his selflessness, when he bravely saved every creature at the risk of his own life."
"And Luster Dawn, who led us through the adventure, and the battle against Eclipse Instants's brainwashed army and Eclipse Instant herself, showed that she, Luster Dawn, is a great leader." Luster's best friends announced, "Therefore, Luster showed us her leadership!"
"I never thought that we can have a group of ten heroes instead of six, especially a group of heroes that announce virtues! I mean, heroes are usually known for defeating villains, saving every creature from dangerous disasters all and all...barely the kind that introduces virtues!" Mitigate explained, ending the flashback.
"But, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the Council of Friendship, released their friendship journal ages ago, before they opened the School of Friendship!" Nature Bloom reminded, "And that journal has all sorts of valuable friendship lessons! They taught some virtues, too!"
"But they were never at the level the Heroic Ten are on," Mitigate explained, "When the Heroic Ten went to convince an author to write a good book than a popular one, spreading the message that the best and the most popular are not the same, I was impressed. When the team stand up for real rights and wrongs, something that no creature had done before like they did, I knew that they were and still are, the best heroes I know!"
"Well, the Heroic Ten do quite much on their first few months as heroes, especially focusing on the virtues they introduced on their very first day!" Nature Bloom stated.
"I know, and being devoted to those virtues really makes them so...inspirational...as they attempt to teach every creature those virtues, and real friendship," Mitigate continued.
"Quite true, the Heroic Ten do teach and show such virtues," Nature Bloom insisted.
"But out of the Elements of Purity, I like the Element of Niceness the most, and that means...out of the Heroic Ten..." the serpent struggled to say the rest of the words, causing Nature Bloom to finish for him.
"Did you mean that I'm your favourite Heroic Ten member?"
Mitigate was silent for a few seconds, before admitting, "Yes, Nature Bloom. I mean, I've actually done research on niceness and kindness after you and your friends graduated together. And my research actually leads to me finding out...that niceness and kindness are different, with niceness being..."
"Just being pleasant by being polite and respectful and treat others well, while kindness is showing that you care? Yes, I know that, but I still stand up for niceness, especially when that is the virtue that my Best Friend Sunshine Rays keeps forgetting about, whenever she gets too focused on morality," Nature Bloom explained, "In other words, there is still a place for niceness."
"Wow, you really are the niceness expert, Nature Bloom! I mean, I kept my liking for niceness a secret because I kept thinking that there is no way it can keep up with kindness, but now, thanks to you, I feel more comfortable about it," Mitigate commented.
"Thanks for the compliment, Mitigate. But I still have to get you to..." before Nature Bloom could finish her sentence, a letter that was magically sent by Luster came flying into Nature Bloom's hooves. Unrolling it, the changeling began to show shocked expressions on her face.
"What does it say?" Mitigate asked.
"I...think I can really use a bit of privacy for a moment, do you mind?" Nature Bloom asked.
"Sure do not, Nature Bloom," Mitigate answer.
Once she was at the corner, Nature Bloom talked to herself, "What am I going to do? I only have this weekend to fix the problem, otherwise my best friends might not be able to go to work next Monday! The problem needs to be solved, fast! But that means needing to show care towards others, and by the looks of it, I have to be moral and selfless, but that might mean giving up being nice to boost the chances of success!"
After thinking for a while, Nature Bloom finally made her decision, "Alright, being kind is something good, so it is worth it at the sacrifice of being nice...especially when there is a serious need for it! Plus, my best friends do get successes much more times than I did, so maybe I should be following their suggestions..."
The changeling trotted towards the serpent, who greeted her, "Nature Bloom! Are you alright?"
"I'm somewhat alright, because there is something I really need to inform you about." Nature Bloom began, before taking a deep breath, "The fanfic you created is ruining the lives of the creatures it is about!"
"What?!" Mitigate asked in shock.
"It is not right to write fanfics about real creatures instead of characters! That's why the Heroic Ten are so upset with it, alongside Eclipse Instant, Shapeshifter, Nightfall Dusk, and Alkali's little brother, Acid! If you continue writing and publishing such thing, you're just going to hurt them even more, or worse, influence every creature to do the same! We need you to stop and fix the damage at once, and if you don't...you will be threatened." Nature Bloom warned in a confronting tone to show how serious she took the situation.
Instead of the effect she was hoping for, Nature Bloom observed Mitigate being hurt by her not warm nor. pleasant approach.
"Well...it was great knowing you, Nature Bloom, but I...can really use some time alone right now!" the serpent cried, rushing off and away, as the changeling watched.
"What have I done?" Nature Bloom asked herself.
Alone once again, Nature Bloom paced back and forth, talking to herself, "I did what my best friends suggested, it should work, should it?! I was just being moral and selfless, therefore, I should be being kind! Standing up, pointing out the mistake, confronting...showing that I do take it seriously with that approach...what could have gone wrong?!"
The changeling then overheard Mitigate's crying from downstairs, "How could Nature Bloom be like this? I expected her to be nice and approachable, especially when she promised me that she will be careful with her words around me! But she just..."
The remainder of the sentence was replaced by crying, while Nature Bloom realised what went wrong.
"I broke my promise! Worst of all, I assured him that I am the nicest creature, but now...I just followed some suggestions that showed hm...that I'm not who I first appeared to be. I really messed up...and...failed, once again..." Nature Bloom fell into despair.
Just then, familiar chirping could be heard, Nature Bloom turned her head to see the yellow bird that she helped earlier at the window nearby. "Oh, it's you," she sadly said.
The bird chirped rapidly, telling Nature Bloom something helpful, which the changeling responded, "You're saying that I should do things my way?"
The bird nodded with a chirp, but Nature Bloom was doubtful, "But...I've done things my way on the obstacle course back at home! And got the most failures among the Heroic Ten! I kept doing it my way and failed!"
Nature Bloom's sentences did not change the bird's attitude one bit, as it told her several more sentences through its chirping.
"So you actually say that you may have failed learning to fly your way, succeeding only when you copy others' ways, but when it comes to finding food, your way is the most successful? And you're telling me that every creature is good at different things in different ways? So there is no such thing as some creature with all the best ways, and sometimes, I can get through the situation, my way?" Nature Bloom asked, which the bird nodded.
"Thanks, little friend! I know what to do now!" Nature Bloom thanked, receiving a chirp reply from the yellow bird, before it flew off.
Mitigate was still downstairs, upset and was trying to recover from the recent experience, just when Nature Bloom approached him with her usual, caring voice, "Mitigate?"
"Leave me alone, Nature Bloom!" Mitigate responded in a somewhat panicked tone.
"Listen Mitigate, I am so sorry about how I acted back there, especially after I promise you that I will be warm and approachable, but then hurt you by making you see that I wasn't who you thought I was, so soon..." Nature Bloom apologised, before explaining, "The truth is, I was pressurised by the new letter I got from my best friends, which urged me to get you to fix their reputations faster, so I...turned on niceness to be moral and selfless, and follow my best friends' suggestions...I'm really sorry, it is a mistake, I should have done things my way this time round, and that means ask you nicely, will you please write a message to the public to tell them that the fanfic is not something to fuss about?"
Mitigate was soothed by Nature Bloom's warm, polite tone, and replied, "Well...I...I'm not so sure, Nature, I mean...a public message is different from a fanfic."
"Don't worry, if you can't handle it alone, maybe a friend can do it with you, and that friend, is me." Nature Bloom assured, "I always feel braver with friends."
"Thanks Nature, you really are nice, the nicest creature around," Mitigate told her.
The next day, the Heroic Ten finally got the news they were hoping for.
"Finally! No more fanfic mayhem!" Falcon Dive exclaimed, cheering as he loop-de-looped around the Castle hallway.
"Nature Bloom has really done it!" Luster said, "She got the writer to tell every creature that publishing the fanfic is a mistake, and creatures should not write fanfics about real creatures!"
"Because fanfics are about characters, not real-life creatures!" Sunshine Rays chimed in.
"Right, but the main point is, they got the message to stop thinking that the fanfic can predict the future, or basically, things will not happen because of a fanfic like this, anyway, a valuable lesson is also featured in their column!" Luster informed.
"Every creature is good at something in their own way or another, so there are times when your way of doing things is best," Buffer began, before Krona finished for him.
"And times when others' ways are best!" Krona declared.
"I'm just glad that this whole mayhem is stopped on the day before work," Volcano told the others.
"And I just hope that I can patch things up with my little brother!" Alkali announced, packing her things for a trip, "I have to check on him at Mount Aris!"
When Alkali opened the door, Nature Bloom and Mitigate were revealed to be on the other side.
"Nature Bloom, you're back!" Luster exclaimed.
"And I brought some creature who would like to have a word with you," Nature Bloom informed, brining her new friend in.
"Heroic Ten and friends, I'm so sorry for publishing a fanfic about you that humiliated you all, I should have been more thoughtful and think twice, I am really sorry and I hope that my public message patched things up," Mitigate apologised.
"It's alright, some creatures here caused public problems before," Shapeshifter assured, as his eyes moved to look at Eclipse Instant who was standing right beside his left.
"And got forgiven, so we are going to pay it forward and forgive you, too." Eclipse Instant added.
"And now we can finally go back to work," Nightfall Dusk contributed, before telling every creature, "I best be going back to Canterlot now, see you all some day."
After waving him goodbye, Luster then continued the conversation, "We actually have something to apologise for, too. Pressurising Nature Bloom into doing things our way, ruining her reputation!"
"Don't worry, I know that you just wanted things to get done!" Nature Bloom assured.
"But we just made you into...something like me whenever I think about something bad!" Sunshine Rays stated.
"I know that I was still trying to help, but what matters now, is that everything is solved," Nature Bloom pointed out.
"And every creature has learnt from recent mistakes," Mitigate added.
"We should be more thoughtful whenever we do something," Nature Bloom began, before Mitigate finished for her.
"And remember that we are all better at something in a different way, so you just got to do things the way you know that you can do best!"
"And since you got it out in a public message, I don't think a letter is needed to be sent to Princess Twilight Sparkle to inform her about it," Luster said.
"And before I forget, how's Evergreen doing? Is she any better?" Nature Bloom asked.
"Oh, Evergreen?!" Yellow Bright responded to the question, "We kind of forgot that we're about to go out to get her one last bit of medicine!"
"Go?! Go! I have to go to the train station or I will miss my train to Mount Aris!" Alkali was instantly reminded of what she had to do as well.
"Excuse us!" Yellow Bright and Alkali shouted in unison, rushing out of the Castle in separate directions, as every creature else watched.
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It depends what you're reading because there is stories can be really ridiculous or they call for The Darkside the rated M stories which I hate ugh
Sometimes they do but they want to add more interesting to their characters even though it's so far-fetched and trust me I read a couple of fanfiction stories some are good and some are bad
Are you serious every creatures it's called a fanfiction it's not even an official story book 🙄
"I know Luster, but, I'm still not so sure about this..." Nature Bloom voiced her thoughts out.
"Come on, Nature! Think about it! Do you really want us to suffer?!" Falcon Dive asked.
"Do you want us to be humiliated?" added Volcano.
"Do you want us to not be able to leave the Castle ever again?" Sunshine Rays contributed.
"Do you want to let us all down?!" Alkali asked, with tears flowing from her eyes continuously.
Oh boy that's not putting too much pressure on the changeling 😥
The long list of requests was taken out alongside the food container unintentionally, and Nature Bloom winded up seeing an awful statement, saying, "If you don't stop and fix the damage, I will ban you from writing and sharing such stories for eternity! To ensure such thing will never happen again!"
"Sunshine Rays!" Nature Bloom gasped, "She must be more than upset! I have to let the writer know! But wouldn't that be something...awful to say?"
Oh dang I understand you're upset but that's kind of harsh even though they didn't do nothing really wrong except for getting the information wrong they just need to talk to this person before thing get ugly
Okay so fanfiction stories there's sometimes you got to remember you can't take these things so serious but I guess when you're characters are actual real person their reputation can go down really badly and people would take that out of contact so basically you got to be careful what you write so nature Bloom how to do this mission on their own because the citizens of Ponyville keep harassing the other 10 and since she did not get that so much attention with the fanfic she has to do it on her own and she meet Mitigate and he looks like he was so excited to meet her but of course just like in saddle review episode they all did like what were Rarity do instead of thinking there own way she basically what Sunshine Ray said which she needs to calm the hack down and hurt Mitigate feelings so she has to amend this problem in her own way and it turns out she did it and he even make an apoplectic apologize to everybody about his fanfiction again you got to be careful what you're right because people would take that out of contact