Sleipnir 1 - Ten Thousand Years

Canterlot.

Rather, what remained of Canterlot. The once shining capital of Equestria, the home of the princesses and all of the noble ponies, was nothing more now than a ruin. The towers had fallen, leaving debris and rubble all over. The main halls were dark and damp. The ponies who had lived and worked here were all gone. Now, something else took their place.

Roddel, captain of the Sleipnir guard, stood on the roof of a tower as he saw the two Sleipnir kings devour the princesses. The two kings were known as the Big Two among the other Sleipnir; ever since the two kings came into power, Roddel had always been their main knight. They would lead, and Roddel would follow. He had no choice.

Many of the lesser Sleipnir began chasing the ponies throughout the castle. Some decided to teleport a few around just for the fun of the chase. Roddel despised these Sleipnir. They never took anything seriously and killed for the mere fun of it. It was nothing like the old days, back when the Sleipnir actually acted as the beings of order. He stood idly as the Sleipnir began to take control of the castle.

Some ponies were captured and placed into the dungeons, while others were either killed, eaten, or simply let loose to escape into the world. Soon enough, the lively ponies were gone, leaving the Sleipnir alone in the Canterlot Castle.

"Roddel." A female Sleipnir's voice was heard from the sky. Roddel looked up to see Rana hovering above him. She was a foalhood friend of Roddel; they both joined the guard at the same time, in what seemed like another world.

She continued. "You have that look on your face again..." Roddel turned to look back at the courtyard.

"It's nothing." His voice was cold and detached, but Rana knew better than that. Roddel remembered back to when he was just a colt; Rana was always asking him about things, or wondering how he was doing. He then remembered what happened that day, when they were all sealed away.

"You should look around the castle once more."

Rana frowned. "Fine. Don't fall off of that tower, now!" She laughed as she floated away, her mane flowing in the wind. He looked back to see what the smaller Sleipnir were doing. They were screeching and fluttering around, just like the untamed beasts he thought they were. It was common knowledge that the larger a Sleipnir was, the more intelligent he or she would be. As a medium-sized Sleipnir, Roddel found the smaller ones frustrating to keep in line and deal with. They wouldn't do what they were told; however, he also disliked the larger Sleipnir because they didn't care about it. The two kings were not the kings he loved to serve, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

"RODDEL!" A voice boomed from the sky. It was one of the Two Kings: Falchion. He was the king with more power, as well as the largest Sleipnir of them all. He floated above Canterlot alongside Thuun, the smaller of the kings. Roddel saw him as more of a lackey than a king, but Falchion was a true force to fear and obey.

The Sleipnir captain floated up to meet Falcion. "This one is here to serve." He said while bowing his head down.

"Now that those filthy ponies are out of the way, I can finally restore order to this land." Falcion's voice was dark and booming, pausing every now and then.

Roddel scoffed at the word order. It was true that the Sleipnir were beings of order, but Roddel knew that that was no longer the case. The Sleipnir were not the beings they used to be, and Roddel knew exactly why that came to happen.

"I can't believe I created these things." Falchion sighed. It was true. In the past, King Falchion had created the beings known as ponies today. What started out as an experiment grew into the creation of a new race. The ponies were treated as slaves, pets, or food while the Sleipnir had roamed. Once they disappeared, the ponies were able to come into their own in this world.

It was Roddel's fault that they did disappear. He hatched a plot with a group of ponies, who used the Keys to Order to seal the Sleipnir away. Roddel also planned to murder the kings, to prevent them from continuing their forceful reign. He failed.

And now the Sleipnir have returned to take everything back.

"They are my creation. Nothing more. What I can create, I can destroy. They...they think they can rebel against me? Stealing the keys and banishing us? Did they think it was over? No...no, they will pay."

"For now," Falchion continued. "Take a rest, Roddel. I need your energy for what I plan to do..." The look in Falchion's eyes were not calming at all. Roddel bowed again and floated back down to the courtyard.

It was a mess: tables were thrown everywhere, food was spread on the floor, and the remains of ponies littered the once peaceful area. Roddel took a small stroll through, staring at the bodies and carnage.

They still trust me, Roddel said to himself as he watched Falchion float away. It was Roddel's fault that the Sleipnir had been sealed away in the first place, but he knew it had to be done. However, Falchion believes that the ponies were behind everything, which is good for Roddel. He has no plan of action now, and must go along with the kings until another opportunity might open. But, without the keys, he had no idea what to do. Furthermore, Falchion wishes to punish the ponies now for something that happened during their own time - for banishing the Sleipnir in an attempt to remove them from the world forever.

The Sleipnir had been scattered around the world after falling from the sky like meteors. The Big Two were able to rally them up and began to attack, targeting Canterlot Castle. They knew nothing of the world they lived in now, but they could smell the magic. The magic that came from the ponies. They craved it. Roddel still didn't know what caused this craving, but it was destroying them and clouding their judgement.

Roddel found a quiet place to take a nap. The screams of the ponies had died down, leaving the Sleipnir with a fairly quiet atmosphere to sleep in. Much of the castle was destroyed already, but his fellow Sleipnir have taken it upon themselves to further destroy everything in sight for the fun of it. Nothing seemed to remain of their civilization, instead finding a civilization stemming from the power of King Falchion. Ponies were never supposed to exist, so the Sleipnir decided to enslave them once again.

All the captain could dream about was what happened that night, when a portal opened up and dragged all of the Sleipnir in. After relinquishing his tie to the key, he finally fell victim to the portal, he found himself floating in some kind of sub-space. He began to accept that he would stay there forever when a light appeared, engulfing all of the Sleipnir. The captain then found himself in the middle of a crater, back in the world he had just left. It did not feel like much time had passed, but in reality it was over ten thousand years.

The Keys....where are the keys?

Roddel's eyes shot open. The sky was a shade of orange, as if the sun and moon did not rise and fall anymore. Back in his day, the duties of setting the sun were with the Draconequus, while the Sleipnir were tasked with rising it. Roddel then noticed that there were no Draconequus around either. Were they all wiped out? Did the ponies get rid of them? Did the dragons? So many questions, and no time to answer any of them.

Outside, both kings were standing in front of a bridge. "I think we'll have the Sleipnir spread out. Everything's open game for them now. It'll be easier to clear the ponies that way." He heard Falchion saying. When Roddel approached them, King Thuun spit something out of his mouth. It was a small, red gem in the shape of a lightning bolt.

"What is that?" King Falchion asked.

"It was probably something that rainbow pony was wearing...got stuck in my teeth." Thuun laughed. Roddel looked at the object with a sideways glance.

"Do you want it?" Falchion joked, picking up the object. The king tossed it to Roddel, who caught it in his hooves.

"It looks expensive, but it's not my style." The king sighed. Roddel felt an attraction to the object, but could not detect any power or magic coming from it, as if whatever it was connected to is no longer around. It was slimy and wet from being in King Thuun's mouth, so the captain went to wash it in the nearby stream. It shined brightly when he finished as he proceeded to hang it around his own neck. It was a tiny trinket, so he forgot about it as he made his rounds.

Finding himself in the ponies' throne room, Roddel saw a group of regular Sleipnir crowded in a corner of the room. They were not members of the guard, but they were all big. He could hear the whimper of a mare - a poor pony.

She was speaking a language he didn't understand; similar to what his previous pony pet Nova spoke. He only heard the Sleipnir laugh in response.

"Look, she can't even talk right! How long have they had to get smarter?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't seem to have been enough."

"Let's just kill her and get it over with! I'm tired of these dumb ponies!"

One of the Sleipnir's marks lit up as the mare was lifted into the air. She tried using her own magic to break free, but it was no use. The spark that came out of her horn filled the air with that scent - the one that the Sleipnir all craved. In response, the Sleipnir all let out a gasp and licked their lips.

"I can't take it anymore! Stop!" Roddel shouted. The Sleipnir all turned to see the captain standing there.

"We're just having some fun," One of the Sleipnir said while the one lifting the mare began to rise and drop her rapidly. The mare screamed in response.

"You're hurting that mare, you know!"

"So?" The words were so blunt that they made Roddel step back.

"Yeah, I mean didn't King Falchion make these things anyway? I guess that means we could all make them if we wanted to. If something happens to this one, we can just whip up another, right?" The group began to laugh in response.

The mare looked right into Roddel's eyes. Tears began to drop from her face as she spoke in her language again.

"Of course," Falchion's voice came from behind Roddel as the king slithered up next to him. "We may not have the keys now because of these ponies, but once we get them back, we will take our rightful place in the world once again. Do to that pony what you wish, gentlecolts."

As the Sleipnir turned to the frightened mare, Falchion spoke up again. "Unless, Roddel wants first bite."

Everypony turned to the captain. Falchion placed a hoof around Roddel's shoulders.

"Because, as a fellow Sleipnir, you hate these silly creations of mine and what they did to us, right?" Falchion's eyes were like daggers, stabbing right through the facade Roddel had put up.

Roddel looked down. Everypony was silent for a few moments.

"...Fine." The captain finally spoke. He turned to the mare, who stared back with pleading eyes. He tried to fight it, but the smell of magic filled his mind.

Delicious.

Twilight 1 - In The Cell

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Silence.

Princess Twilight Sparkle sighed as she rose from her seat in the crystal dungeon. Across from her, the captured Sleipnir sat behind the bars. The paper with the translations proved to be useless; the two could not understand what the other was saying. It was like this for about a week: Each morning, Twilight would make her way down to the cell, and leave empty-hoofed when the day was up. Without the sun and moon to tell the time, the princess did not really know how many days actually passed.

The Sleipnir never seemed to grow angry, but rather seemed pretty calm. It did not look like a soldier, Twilight gathered. It did not look like it could fight at all. It took a while for the princess to realize it, but her attack orders were on a group of unarmed Sleipnir. As violent as the Sleipnir have been towards the ponies, Twilight knew that not all of them were like that. And they killed a group of them.

Exiting the dungeon, Twilight found Princess Cadence talking with a group of soldiers. "Make sure the ponies are being well-cared for," The princess commanded. The soldiers saluted and went off in different directions.

"Any luck?" Cadence asked, seeing her sister-in-law approaching.

Twilight shook her head. "What's worse is that there is no information on their language - that sheet was the only thing I've found in the entire Crystal Empire book collection...even in that secret room!" The princess groaned. "There has to be some way to communicate with them?"

"What about your friend, Fluttershy?"

The purple princess remembered. "Fluttershy!" ...but, Twilight didn't know where the pegasus was right now. She could be anywhere in Equestria, alone and afraid. Maybe she was already...

Cadence caught on. "I'm sorry," She said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that."

Twilight smiled. "It's okay. We need to find another way. Maybe there is a spell that can translate languages." Twilight came up with a different solution. "I'll go back to the library again."

"Good luck!" Cadence's voice trailed off as the princess left the castle. As she made her way through the streets, she was greeted by many ponies. She could hear shouts of "Princess Twilight!" coming from every direction. Everypony depended on Twilight and Cadence now. Now, Twilight couldn't let them down.

The library was empty as usual. Twilight spread her wings and floated right up to a section of books, looking for anything that might come to be useful. "Come on, come on..." Twilight said as she sifted through the collection of books. History books, novels, recipes, minor spells, but nothing Twilight needed.

Frustrated, Twilight flew down into the secret room to look at the books stored there. Sifting through even more books, the princess finally found something: "A language spell..." She said, lifting the book into the air with her magic. She found it very weird to be able to freely use her magic now after such a long time of not having access to it, evidenced by how shaky the book was as it floated in the air.

Twilight dropped the book onto the nearby table and began to look at the spell again. "Let's see here...'The words you speak will be heard by others in their own language. Useful for talking to animals or other creatures that do not share the same language as yourself'....This is it!"

"Wait...'A word of caution. This spell has not been perfected and could cause potential harm to the caster. It is not guaranteed to work with every language. Furthermore, it takes a lot of magical strength from the user. Because of this, it is not recommended to use the spell for longer than half an hour.' Looks like I have one chance at using it." Twilight grinned. She tidied up the library a bit before taking the book with her.

A few hours had passed while she was in the library; the streets were much less crowded this time. Twilight made it to the central square before spotting a familiar filly: Berry Bunches. The pink pony was playing with a couple of crystal fillies. The three were laughing when Twilight approached them.

"Twilight!" Berry exclaimed as she ran to hug the princess. "Today, I managed to fly a bit with my one wing!" The filly jumped up and down, filled with excitement.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Twilight responded, looking at the poor filly's injured wing. "Maybe you can become the first filly to fly with only one wing!"

Berry's eyes lit up. "You really think so?"

"Anything is possible, as long as you have the desire to make it happen." Twilight said, thinking about her friends. "I have to go now, but I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah!" Berry and the fillies ran off, leaving Twilight alone. The princess turned and made her way back to the castle. I wonder how everypony else is doing...she thought to herself. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were all gone...Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were missing, and the fillies were with Spike, traveling away from Equestria. For now, she was all alone, charged with protecting the remainder of Equestria alongside Princess Cadence.

The dungeons were cold and damp as Twilight made her way down to the cell. She had been this way so many times that she memorized the route - she could do it blindfolded if she really wanted to. The dungeons here reminded her of the caverns underneath Canterlot, where Cadence was held when the changelings invaded. Twilight gazed at her reflections as she trotted onward, passing a few guards who held torches.

Finally, the cell came up. It was a moderately-sized one, with iron bars running out of the ground and into the ceiling. The Sleipnir was sleeping on a cot, next to a pile of hay and untouched vegetables. One lone bench was outside of the cell - Twilight took her place on it and began to concentrate.

The princess pulled out the book with her mouth, being careful not to use magic yet. "I hope this works..." She said to herself as she read the spell. Twilight read the spell a second time, and a third, and a fourth. Every time, those warnings kept popping out at her.

"Okay," She finally spoke, ready to perform the spell. Twilight closed her eyes and gathered her strength. The princess's horn began to glow slightly, and then much brighter. The Sleipnir had woken up by now, smelling the magic coming from Twilight. She could feel her energy draining as she tried to finish casting the spell. It made her feel very dizzy and sick, but she continued. The magic began to surround Twilight, coursing through her veins as well. With a last groan, Twilight finished the spell and opened her eyes. Nothing looked different, except for the immense lack of energy she was feeling. Wanting to see if it worked, she began to speak.

"Um, hello?"

The Sleipnir looked at her with a different look than before.

"You can speak our language now?" He responded. Twilight heard those words as if he had been speaking the ponies' language for a long time.

"Yes! It worked!" Twilight gasped. "Now, maybe you can explain to me what's going on here..."

"Maybe you can explain what's going on here, since you were the ones who attacked us and captured me." The Sleipnir snapped back.

Twilight was shocked. "Excuse me? Your leaders attacked our princesses and...and..."

"We are here to take back what is ours, nothing more." The Sleipnir said.

"Where did you come from? I mean, where were you all this time?"

The two began to converse for what seemed like a long time. Twilight asked things about the Sleipnir, and he would answer most of them. Twilight learned much about their kingdom and their leaders, about the powers they control, how they've fought the Draconequus in the past, and how their daily lives were spent. Twilight concluded that they seemed just as normal as the ponies were...with that being said, she couldn't understand why they were so violent and hungry for ponies.

The Sleipnir looked down. "All I remember about that day is being pulled into a vortex, then the next thing I know I'm in the center of a crater...and ten thousand years have passed. I'm just a simple villager...and I'm hungry."

Hearing those words made Twilight tense up, causing her to feel even dizzier. "Why do you eat ponies!?" She said as she shook her head.

"It's your magic, not you." The Sleipnir replied quickly. "Your magic gives us an extreme burst of energy. It's...addicting." He licked his lips. Twilight looked on in disgust.

"Is there a way we can live in harmony?" Twilight asked.

"Probably not." He replied nonchalantly.

Twilight knew she was getting nowhere with this. The Sleipnir in her custody was just a simple villager. He wasn't somepony important. He knew nothing useful.

"You know they will find out about this, right?" He spoke up.

"About what?"

"Your army attacked harmless Sleipnir. Our kings hate you ponies; now he'll have a good reason to fight you even more...even up here in the north." He shivered.

"We're not the violent ones here!" Twilight shouted back. "We...you attacked us! We were living so peacefully...and then..."

"I could say the same."

Twilight couldn't take the lack of energy anymore. She cut the spell before she could pass out. The Sleipnir began talking in the strange language again as Twilight regained her senses. The princess made her way out of the cell as quickly as she entered.

"Everything okay, Princess Twilight?" One of the soldiers asked her. "I heard you in there..."

"Fine. Everything's fine." Twilight replied hastily. The princess needed to get some fresh air and shake off the dizziness.

Finding herself outside, Twilight let out a big breath. The air was so crisp and fresh that it made her feel somewhat rejuvenated. Given the state of the world, she felt more at peace in that one moment than she ever did before. However, reality came calling back to her.

She looked to the sky, remembering what that Sleipnir said. If he was right, then they would come and invade. However, Twilight knew that the Sleipnir were weak against the cold. If they were to try and attack, the ponies would see them coming from a mile away. Twilight flew out to the edge of the Crystal Empire, landing on one of the towers. The beautiful grass stretched out for a distance before transitioning into snow. Orange clouds cluttered the twilight sky. For the first time, Twilight noticed the sun and moon were both out at the same time.

"I know you're both watching over us," Twilight said out loud. "But...I don't know what to do. I need your help. I can't do this alone." She closed her eyes and held back a tear.

Equestria.

Equestria was hers to protect now. A broken Equestria that she needs to fix somehow. Twilight knew she wouldn't be able to handle that stress alone if something had happened to Cadence. I need to be stronger.

Twilight made her way back to the castle. By her judgement, it would be nighttime now. Princess Cadence was in the throne room alone, reading a letter.

"Who is that from?" Twilight asked.

"The Griffon Kingdom." Cadence said solemnly. Twilight tensed up, not knowing if it was good or bad news.

"...They...they are going to help us!" Princess Cadence exclaimed. "Here, look at what they wrote!"

Twilight took the letter and read it out loud:

To the Princesses of Equestria,

There may have been some tension between our kingdoms in the past, but we are willing to look past that in order to help you with the Sleipnir threat, on several conditions:

1)Any resources we may need while in Equestria will be given to us, with no exception.
2)We will be given free roam over Equestrian lands during this conflict.
3)In combat, our authority will go unquestioned.

We wish for you to hold out for as long as you can. We are currently trying to regroup our own forces right now. We expect no more than six months before we will be able to come and help. I hope these terms are agreeable. Best of luck for the meantime.

Griff XXVI, King of Griffonia, commander of the Griffon Force

"I don't know..." Twilight said as she returned the letter to Cadence. "I don't like these conditions at all. I was there not too long ago, and I wasn't very well-received."

"I don't think we have a choice." Cadence responded coldly. "If we do nothing, then we can never reclaim the rest of Equestria. The Sleipnir may even find a way to brave the cold and attack us..."

Twilight knew she was right, but she didn't want to rule out the possibility. She just didn't trust the griffons. "I guess you're right." The princess said.

"Look, Twilight," Cadence began to speak up. "You have to trust me on this, okay?"

Fluttershy 1 - Wilderness

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"Good morning, sunshine!"

Fluttershy stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She was met by Discord's face, eagerly staring back at the sleeping pegasus. The yellow pony closed her eyes again. "Just a few more minutes..." She sighed, rolling around. Discord laughed.

"You're the one who wanted to travel for an extra hour before. If you listened to me, we would be up and ready to go right now." The Draconequus held his paw out to stretch, then teleported away. A second later, he reappeared with some fruit.

"I managed to find this. See, I'm helping!" He said jokingly as he took a bite. Fluttershy didn't move. Pinkie Pie was on her mind again; all of her friends had been lingering in her dreams ever since that confrontation at the edge of the cliff. Fluttershy had resolved to make peace and talk with the Sleipnir...however, she was too tired to get moving.

The two traveled for hours at a time, stopping to either rest or eat food. Not much was said between the two besides warning the other of dangers ahead. Discord would disappear from time to time, only to come back when Fluttershy would least expect it.

"Can't you just teleport us there?" Fluttershy groggily asked. It wasn't like her to be this sleepy, but then again, she would have never found herself in a situation like this before.

"I thought I already told you," Discord replied. "We have our limits. Besides, there is a lot you can take away from walking like this. It's so much fun!"

Eventually, Fluttershy found the energy to get up and eat the fruit Discord had found. After a minute of stretching her wings, Fluttershy trotted onward. The wildlife in the forest they were in was sparse; an animal she did find would run away as quickly as possible. Fluttershy remembered too well how she had dealt with animals recently, but she did it to survive. As bad as she felt, she knew it had to be done.

The two came across a waterfall. The air was foggy and warm - a big contrast to the snow and tundra they had been traveling in. Upon seeing it, Discord immediately teleported to the top and dropped down into the water.

"It's warm!" He called out, waving his arms towards Fluttershy.

The pegasus looked into the water, seeing her reflection. The pony Fluttershy saw was not the Fluttershy she remembered. Her fur and mane were faded shades of their former colors. Her mane itself was tangled with bits of twigs and dirt on it. Her feathers were ruffled, and her eyes were tired. Scars remained where she had been scratched, stabbed, and hit.

"Boo!"

Discord appeared behind her and pushed her into the water. She was met with a face full of hot water, but it was the most refreshing thing she had experienced since this all began. The dirt and twigs washed off of her as she began to clean herself up. The warmness sunk right into her bones, removing the chills and massaging her joints. It was a good feeling.

"This is nice." She said quietly as Discord swam around her.

"You don't sound too excited," Discord replied. He took a scoop of water into his mouth and shot it out like a fountain.

"Oh, I am though." Fluttershy quickly said. "It's just..."

"The old Fluttershy would have been more ecstatic," The Draconequus laughed. Fluttershy only lowered herself into the water, thinking back on the life she lived before - the safe, peaceful life.

"Is it bad that I changed?" Fluttershy asked.

"Of course not."

"I wasn't able to save Pinkie Pie, though..."

"There was nothing you could do about that. No need to dwell on the past."

Dinner was a pile of fruits and vegetables that Discord happened to find laying around the area. They ate quietly under the twilight sky, with nothing but the sound of falling water in the background. Fluttershy ate her share, but still felt hungry. She remembered the squirrel she had before, craving the taste for a moment. Quickly, she shook her head and took a bite from an apple. The juices ran down her face as the familiar taste brought her back to her senses.

Fluttershy gathered up a small pile of leaves to rest on while Discord sat in a nearby tree. She had gotten used to the waterfall by now; the sound was relaxing to hear.

"What do you think will happen now?" Fluttershy asked. Discord didn't move.

"To whom?"

"Ponies."

"I've been around for a very long time. You can get through this." It was the most serious thing Fluttershy had ever heard Discord say.

"Do you what we need to do?"

"No idea. I thought you were going to just walk up to them and ask to share the land?"

"When you put it that way..."

Discord shifted a little. "Sleipnir were before my time, but I did hear stories about them. I would suggest you come up with a backup plan."

"What about the elements?" Fluttershy placed a hoof around her neck, feeling the Element of Kindness. It was cold to the touch, as if it were out of energy. The pegasus guessed that it was due to the absence of four of the six wielders.

"You shouldn't have tried to use them on me, you know."

"You should have told us what was going to happen."

Discord didn't reply right away. "...I didn't expect it to go down like it did. I thought I'd be able to keep them from fully returning if I kept come chaos brewing."

"Telling your friends should have been the first thing, Discord."

"Yeah,"

Fluttershy didn't know when she fell asleep, but she woke up feeling refreshed. Looking up, she noticed that Discord was sleeping as well. The pegasus didn't know how much time had passed, but she got up to go search for more food. The thought of a freshly-caught animal crossed her mind for a second, but she shook it away in favor of returning to her previous diet of fruits and vegetables.

...However, if the worst came to pass, then she would have no other choice.

The yellow pony luckily came across an apple tree. Not too far from the waterfall, a large tree pressed against another tree as if pulled right out of the ground. Apples were scattered on the ground, still ripe and fresh. Fluttershy scooped up a bushel of them and returned to the waterfall.

Discord was still asleep; Fluttershy took no time to wait for him before feasting on what she had found. Food had always been a bad situation for the two - nothing ever seemed to fill her up. These apples were no exception, although they did remind her of Applejack...

"Starting without me?" Discord appeared out of nowhere and plucked an apple from the group. He ate it quickly. "Are you that hungry, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy blushed. "I...well..."

"No need to pull your shyness act now." Discord chortled. "I've seen your other side. It's the only side you need."

The feast ended quickly, prompting Fluttershy and Discord to continue traveling. Again, the two did not speak much except for warning the other of dangers. Fluttershy grew sadder as she prodded along, missing the adventures she used to have with her friends. Now, she didn't know if any of them were even alive. She had seen five figures before on that cliff; were they all spirits? Were they just her delusions?

"Hey, Discord," Fluttershy finally spoke up.

"What is it?"

"You said you only heard about the Sleipnir, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Do you know what they were like? Before, I mean."

"They were always our enemies. From what I've heard, it was always just the two of us in this land before ponies appeared. Not too sure how, but the ponies managed to seal the Sleipnir away."

"Do you know anything else? Like, what they did for fun, or if they kept pets?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"I...I just thought-"

"I doubt they did. It's ancient history, anyway. Who they are now is different."

"Oh."

Fluttershy blew her mane away from her face. It was much cleaner now than it was before, thanks to the waterfall. She felt somewhat refreshed, as tired as she was. The pegasus had never traveled for a long time like this without sleeping somewhere comfortable. The two had come from far in the north, through snowy fields and mountains, through the tundra, and now in a cold wood. The Crystal Empire was somewhere nearby; hopefully it was still in one piece. Fluttershy wanted to rest there before making her way to Canterlot to try and speak to the Sleipnir. No matter what, she knew she could not fail at her mission. She was the only one who could do it.

Although, it would be nice to have her friends supporting her along the way. Even though Discord was with her, she still felt alone. Pinkie Pie would have done everything she could to make the mood lighter; Discord was not a good replacement for that. Fluttershy didn't even know if Discord was taking anything seriously or just soaking in all of the chaos. However, having Discord around was better than having nopony.

Luckily, nothing dangerous came out either. Fluttershy was done with being attacked by ponies, or manticores, or griffons, or even Sleipnir. After her last encounter with a manticore, she started to get used to her survivalist side. It still scared her to death, but she realized it had to come out if the situation called for it. She just hoped the situation would not call for it that much.

Hours passed before Fluttershy grew tired again. She began to close her eyes for seconds at a time in order to get some rest. When she did, she suddenly tripped and fell into a small crater. Discord, who was ahead of her, turned around after hearing her squeak.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking into the crater.

Fluttershy opened her eyes and almost died of shock. A Sleipnir was right in front of her, laying on its side. The mark on its flank was glowing, but it seemed like it was sleeping.

The pegasus flew up into the air as a result and looked down at the creature before her. It didn't respond. Fluttershy inched closer to the Sleipnir - shivering as she did. When she was within a hoof's reach, she tapped the Sleipnir lightly. No response.

"Do you think they really do hate the cold?" Fluttershy asked, noting how the Sleipnir was shivering.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Discord offered. "Come, let's get away from it."

"He looks sad though," Fluttershy replied. "Besides, I might need to practice talking to one if I want to talk to their leader."

"If you want to..." Discord shrugged. "Don't come crying to me if it eats you."

"I won't." Fluttershy hovered over to the Sleipnir's face. He was about the size of a stallion. Gray in color with a purple mane, Fluttershy was a little intimidated by him. "Um...hello?" Fluttershy said in a small voice, trying to wake him up.

"You're just going to wake him up?" Discord said from outside the crater. "He might not like that, you know."

"Please wake up," Fluttershy tried to raise her voice without sounding too forceful. The Sleipnir moved slightly, causing the pegasus to flinch. Discord stood ready in case something would happen.

The Sleipnir rose from his slumber slowly. Fluttershy looked up at him timidly. He looked down, noticing Fluttershy first, and then Discord. Upon seeing the Draconequus, the Sleipnir let out a roar. Fluttershy ducked down in response as Discord raised his arms, ready to summon some sort of chaos. However, the Sleipnir's mark activated and it disappeared, just like that. Fluttershy looked up again to see that nopony was there anymore.

"That went better than expected." Discord said.

"How?" Fluttershy asked. "I didn't get to talk to him..."

"Yeah, but you're also still alive."

After more hours of traveling, the two stumbled upon a small cave. It began to snow as they set up their shelter. The cave was small enough for two to fit in. Discord got a fire started before the snow began to come down harder. The air grew even chillier. Fluttershy's feelings of comfort went away again as her bones grew cold.

"I'd say we are pretty close now." Discord said. He placed his hands near the fire to warm himself up.

"Really?" Fluttershy had no idea where they were, or even if they were going in the right direction. It was impossible to tell by the sun anymore, so she hoped Discord was right. Maybe everypony else is in the Crystal Empire, she thought to herself, trying to stay positive.

The snow only grew thicker and fell faster. Wind blew into the cave, making the fire lose its heat pretty quickly. Fluttershy grew even colder as the fire eventually went out.

Discord noticed this. "Fluttershy," He said. "...You know, it would be warmer if we stuck together."

Fluttershy blushed. "O-okay..." Before she finished replying, Discord appeared right next to her. She immediately felt Discord's warmth as the feeling of comfort came back. Looking outside, she saw nothing but white, nothing but the endless abyss.

But here, right next to her, was one thing from the old world. One thing keeping her sane, keeping her safe. Fluttershy wouldn't know where she would be without him. And he knew it.

"We'll be okay, right?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

Discord laughed, saying nothing in response.

Before long, the pony fell into a deep sleep.

Cutie Mark Chronicles 1 - Under the Sleeping Sun

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"You're too slow!"

Scootaloo made her way to the top of a sand dune, looking out over the vast desert. The sun sat in a spot that made the sand hot to the touch. Wiping sweat off of her brow, the filly looked back to see where her companions were.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Spike were all dragging themselves along, trying to get over the intense heat. "It's too hot!" Sweetie Belle complained as she took light steps. The sand shifted under her hooves, causing the filly to nearly fall over. Spike walked behind the fillies, dangling his head as he stepped through the sand.

The orange filly looked at her wings. Her damaged wing was healing - slowly, but surely. She could remember the immense pain she felt as the changeling lady tried ripping it right off. Scootaloo flapped her wings a few times to make sure they still work.

"It'll be okay," Apple Bloom said as she made her way to the top of the sand dune. "Ah'm sure you'll still be able to fly."

"That's not it," Scootaloo replied, looking out over the desert again. "Remember Berry? ...She can't fly anymore."

"Back on the farm," Apple Bloom started. "We all had something to do. Applejack and Big Mac would buck the apples, Granny Smith would help out inside, and Ah would do whatever Ah could to help. We all have something we're good at. We all have a purpose. Ah'm sure Berry will be fine. She's in the Crystal Empire, right? It's safe up there."

"I guess you're right," Scootaloo said. She took a step forward and slid down the dune. "I have something to do too: Make sure we get to the Zebras safely."

As the four continued on, the sun seemed to beam down on them more and more. Scootaloo began to grow dizzy due to the heat. There was nothing to be seen for miles except for a sea of sand. No shelter to hide under. No food or water.

"Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo groaned. "Can't you make some food or shelter appear with your magic?"

The unicorn shook her head. "I can barely lift things up. How do you expect me to do any of that?" She squeaked. Scootaloo just sighed in response.

"It's so hot!"

"Why don't you just fly then? That way you don't have to touch the sand." Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out at the pegasus.

"Girls," Apple Bloom spoke up. "Stop fightin'! We'll find something soon enough, don't worry!"

"What about that?" Spike pointed into the distance. The three fillies looked to see what looked like a lone tree. It was hazy, but Scootaloo was definitely looking at a tree.

"That's it!" the pegasus jumped into the air and began to flap her wings. She zoomed forward in an effort to confirm the vision. Finally, she thought to herself. If it turned out to be a shelter, they would finally be able to rest up. For three fillies, traveling through the desert was extremely tough. Their food and water began to run low, and they barely took brakes on account of the hot sand. They had to keep pressing forward or perish.

Scootaloo's doubts were cleared as she managed to feel the tree. It was a small oasis, complete with a small pool of water next to a large tree. There was enough shade for the four of them under the leaves. In a fit of happiness, Scootaloo squealed.

"It's real! It's real!"

Each one took a long drink of water at the oasis. Scootaloo felt the cool liquid slide down her throat as the dryness went away. "That was the most refreshing thing I've had in a long time!" She exclaimed. Spike took a seat in the shade, wiping sweat off of his brow.

"It's not much, but it'll do for now." The dragon said before dozing off.

Scootaloo awoke to the sound of somepony crying softly. She lifted her head to see Sweetie Belle wiping tears from her eyes.

"It'll be okay, Sweetie Belle." the orange filly tried to cheer her friend up, but Sweetie Belle looked even sadder.

"Everything was so much easier when our sisters were here. If something bad happened, they would fix it. They could do anything..."

"We have to take care of ourselves now. They would have wanted that."

"I know, but...I'm scared."

"Me too."

Even under the shade of the lone tree, because the sun and moon sat still in the sky, the heat never fully went away. Scootaloo grew restless and woke up every few minutes, unable to relax in the heat. She was tired, thirsty, and hungry - they all were. Even Spike found difficulty in relaxing in the "wonderful" oasis. Regardless, it was better than trying to press on through the desert

And they weren't alone.

Scootaloo heard the sound of shifting sand in the distance. She looked to the east and saw a figure. A lone figure in the vast desert space. A figure heading right towards them.

Having learned from the previous encounters, Scootaloo quietly woke the others up. "We have to go." She pressed.

"Five more minutes..." Apple Bloom said in her sleep. The others did not respond either. Looking back again, Scootaloo saw the figure was nearly on them.

Instinctively, Scootaloo ripped the shrubs out of the ground and threw them over the others before jumping into one. The figure didn't notice her as it stopped at the oasis, taking in some water. Scootaloo was able to see exactly what the figure was - a changeling. She held her breath as it drank the water - their water - before continuing on its way, moving south this time.

When it was out of range, Scootaloo cautiously left the shrub and tried to wake everypony else up again. "We've got company," she tried to enforce, getting a groggy Spike to finally get up.

"Where?" He asked slowly.

"All over, I think. I saw one moving south. A changeling."

That got Spike's attention. "...We're going to keep going, right? South, I mean."

Scootaloo nodded. "It's too late to go back now...we might not make it. The zebras have to be around here somewhere, I'm sure of it!" It was all she could do to keep herself from bursting into tears right on the spot.

When it came time to part with the oasis, Sweetie Belle was the most reluctant to go. "It's safer here than anywhere else we've been..." She tried to explain.

"We have no food here." Apple Bloom replied. "Ah'm hungry, so we have to keep moving."

As the unicorn nodded, Scootaloo took a step onto the hot sand. It burned her hoof as she gasped and jumped back. "Too hot!" She screamed, blowing on her scorched hoof. The sun had been sitting over the sand for a long time, baking it so that it would eventually become impassable.

Apple Bloom looked around her and came up with a solution. "Spike, could you climb up and get some of those leaves please?" She asked the dragon. Nopony knew what she was thinking, but Spike nodded and made his way up. Scootaloo fluttered her wings and rose up to assist.

Spike and Scootaloo managed to gather a bunch of leaves and brought them down for Apple Bloom to do whatever she was going to do. Sweetie Belle, Spike, and Scootaloo looked on as the filly wrapped the leaves together and produced tiny hoof coverings. After placing them on her own hooves, Apple Bloom slowly walked onto the sand. The others looked on in anticipation as Apple Bloom took her steps. She turned around and smiled. "They work!"

Everypony cheered as they scrambled to put Apple Bloom's hoof coverings on. When they walked onto the sand, each gave a sigh of relief.

"Nice thinking, Apple Bloom!" Spike commented. The shoes were nothing fancy, but they did relieve some of the heat coming from the sand. With that, the four were ready to move out.

The coverings made it a little more bearable to walk on the sand, but the challenge was still walking a long distance. Scootaloo's hooves would sink into the sand as she walked. She would nearly lose her shoes as she tried to pull herself out. Sometimes the sand would spill into the shoes as well, causing discomfort for everypony.

All while the sun blazed above them, forever still.

"GAH I can't take this anymore!" Scootaloo shouted abruptly. The others heard her, but paid no attention.

"What do you want us to do, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked, shaking some sand out of her front shoe.

"Find a better way to get through the desert, for starters." The pegasus said as she lifted herself into the air. Her wings fluttered and buzzed as she propelled forward.

"Don't leave us behind!" Sweetie Belle called after her, but Scootaloo didn't listen. I can move much faster on my own. She thought to herself. The heat was making her blood boil; the frustration built up inside her was finally let out as she abandoned her friends to find her own way in the desert. By the time she realized what she had done, it was too late to turn back. Her pride would be hurt if she went back to them. No, I'll be fine. They'll be fine.

Scootaloo didn't know how far she had flown before she eventually tired out. She was still surrounded by desert, but a small collection of rocks sat in front of her, which she took refuge on. They were baked due to the sun, but it was as good of a rest as anything she would be able to do.

Looking back, the pegasus saw that her friends were nowhere to be found. Did I really fly that far? She asked herself before breaking out into a grin. "I managed to fly that far - all by myself! Look at me now!" She turned to check her cutie mark - it was still there: the single wing and lightning bolt. She wondered if her mark would have been different in the world she used to live in, but it didn't matter now. She had her cutie mark, her one special talent. She needed to perfect it, as it would make everything easier for her.

"Who needs them?" Scootaloo asked herself as she prepared to fly again. Her wings fluttered like they always did, but Scootaloo's willpower kept her hovering in the air. In fact, she could have sworn that her wings have grown a little since the last time she checked.

However, the pegasus looked back at where she had flown. "Maybe I shouldn't have left them, after all..." She pondered, wondering if her friends were still okay. She left them to travel in the desert; who knows what would happen to them.

Those thoughts went away as a screeching noise came from behind Scootaloo. She turned quickly to see a changeling, about the same height as she was, ready to pounce. She flew up as the beast charged forward, nearly falling off of the rocks. Scootaloo began to fly away, but the changeling grabbed her tail and threw her down onto the hard surface. She hit her nuzzle right on the stone. In great pain, Scootaloo wriggled herself free of the changeling's grasp, only to have it grab onto her hind hooves. It clawed at her, ripping the shoes Apple Bloom had made. The creations slid off and fell to the side of the rocks.

"Get off!" She screamed, trying to buck her attacker. Her right hoof slammed into the changeling's face, causing its grip to loosen. Scootaloo immediately flew up and away.

As tired as she was, Scootaloo flew with all of her might away from the scene. A combination of her stamina, the sun beating down on her, and the sudden adrenaline rush caused her to eventually descend and crash into the hot sand. She just couldn't keep herself going. The filly began crawling through the sand in an effort to get away. She heard the screeching behind her and began to burst into tears. The sand just sifted through her hooves, keeping her in place. Scootaloo heard the hoofsteps behind her, making their way through the sand. Soon, its shadow approached and covered the filly. All she could do was look up.

*********

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom called out for the pegasus as she, Sweetie Belle, and Spike continued pushing through the desert. "Where are you!?"

"Maybe she's up there," Spike pointed up at a collection of rocks ahead of them. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran over and made their way to the top. Nothing. Nopony.

"Hey, look at this!" Spike called from below. The fillies returned to the dragon to find him holding the shoes that Apple Bloom had made. They were sticking out of the sand as if left there for a while.

"These were the ones I made for Scootaloo," Apple Bloom said. "This is bad."

She turned to look into the distance. If Scootaloo had been here, the evidence would have been swept away by the sand by now. Apple Bloom looked away from the rocks in an attempt to see if Scootaloo was out there. As far as she could see, nothing looked like her friend. Everything began to blend together as a haze settled over the sand.

"We have to keep moving." The filly said before walking off. Spike and Sweetie Belle followed her.

"Are you sure she even went this way?" Spike asked. The dragon tried to keep up the pace, but he sunk in the sand with each step. The fillies were ahead of him, doing their best not to get stuck. The hot sun continued to beat down on them. With each step, the fillies could feel their energy leave their bodies.

Sweetie Belle's mane began to sag and get in her face. She blew on it to no avail - each exhale made her feel even weaker. "Was it a good idea to come out here like this?" She asked the others.

"Do we have to keep going over it?" Apple Bloom responded. "Ah know it might have been a bad idea in the long run, but we have no other choice now, do we!?" Her voice rose, and Sweetie Belle could see the rage build up in Apple Bloom's eyes.

"Girls," Spike came in between them. "We already lost Scootaloo. At this rate, you will all be split up! We need to stick together!" The purple dragon began sweating due to the heat of the sun. Each of the fillies looked at Spike, then at each other.

"Fine!" They said in unison.

Apple Bloom didn't know how long they had been walking for, or even in what direction they were truly going in. There was nothing around but sand and rocks for miles and miles. They had no water, no food, and no shelter.

"Ah guess this is it," She said with a light chuckle, turning around to see her companion's responses. Instead, she saw both Sweetie Belle and Spike face-down in the sand. Apple Bloom's eyes widened as she ran over to her friends. "Sweetie Belle!" She yelled, shaking the filly. There was no response. Apple Bloom began to tear up as she repeated the same with Spike. No response.

"Don't leave me alone!"

A strong wind began to blow, lifting sand up into the air. The sandstorm made it harder for Apple Bloom to see, but she soon saw the sand settle down on top of her fallen friends. The filly did her best to keep them above the sand, but bits of it would get into her own eyes, preventing her from doing much. Apple Bloom frantically dug into the sand, calling after her friends, crying, sitting alone.

Hoofsteps came from behind her. Apple Bloom heard them, but continued to dig and dig. If she stopped, the sand might cover her friends completely. She didn't want to be without them, without Scootaloo. Without Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, or Rarity.

She didn't want to be without Applejack. Or Big Mac. But she was.

The hoofsteps drew closer, finally prompting Apple Bloom to turn around. She saw several hooded figures, dressed in all black. Their eyes were covered by some kind of lens to keep the sand out. Apple Bloom didn't know who they were, assuming they were changelings or something else that was bad.

"Don't hurt us!" Apple Bloom said weakly.

One of the hooded figures stepped forward and placed a hoof on her head. The cloak dropped to the side, revealing zebra stripes. Apple Bloom's eyes widened. Other figures came forward, digging into the sand to retrieve Sweetie Belle and Spike.

The weight of what had happened, coupled with the lack of food, made Apple Bloom feel dizzy. As she saw the figures walking away with Sweetie Belle and Spike, her eyes slowly closed.

Peyton 1 - A World Away

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Greaves. Pads. Gauntlets. Leg Armor. Body Armor. Helmet.

Peyton spread his wings, stretching after a night's sleep. He slept on a bed of rocks and straw. He still felt tired, but today was the big day.

One step. Two steps. Three. Four. A gust of wind. The sound of a rock hitting the ground.

Silence.

He spread his wings, ready to take off. With one leap, he was in the air. His sleeping place grew smaller and smaller as he rose higher into the air. Others were awake too, flying in the air ahead of him. Moving towards the same location.

Peyton blinked and flapped his wings, approaching the castle in the sky. Every time he looked at it, he thought the same thing: Still broken.

The Griffon Empire. One of the oldest kingdoms in the world. With the recent tragedy, it fell apart just like that. Meteors and quakes, acid rain and gusts of wind. Many ancient buildings and structures could not last, falling apart, collapsing with the entire rock formation. The castle itself was in shambles, a ghost of its former glory.

However, as destroyed as the Griffon empire was, they knew that Equestria was just as destroyed. They knew so from a small group of ponies who had arrived, seeking their help. They defied the Griffon King and fled. The group that chased after them disappeared.

Peyton landed in front of the castle, bowing his head to the guards stationed there. He walked in, looking at the ruined columns and dusty halls. The reconstruction project was delayed until the empire knew exactly what it would do from here.

The conference hall was largely undamaged. Thousands of griffons sat in the seats: men, women, children. All shaken up by the tragedy. The King sat at the bottom, in view of everyone. Peyton made his way down with him.

"You're late."

"I apologize." Peyton lowered his head. He didn't get enough sleep last night.

As the griffons settled down, Peyton raised his voice. "Everyone, today you are in the presence of King Griff XXVI, king of Griffonia, commander of the Griffon Force, and our protector!"

King Griff cleared his throat and stepped forward. "It's been several months since fire rained down from above, destroying our homes, taking away our loved ones, and scorching the surrounding lands below. Because if it, our food supply has grown thin. As your leader, I am responsible for your well-being and safety. Simply put, we are not safe here. We cannot stay here much longer before we are lost to the wind."

Some cries of children could be heard, scattered throughout the audience.

"But, alas! We do have hope!" King Griff pulled out a piece of parchment and held it in front of him.

"This is a message from Princess Cadence of Equestria. As you are aware, they were affected just as badly as we were. Their princesses of the sun and moon, the ones who keep our days in balance, have been killed by the Sleipnir - our ancient enemy."

This was the first time many of the griffons heard that the Sleipnir were back. The chamber soon exploded in conversations and remarks. The fear could be seen on the common griffons' faces.

"Silence!" King Griff shouted. The room grew silent once more.

"Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight have taken over, guiding whatever of Equestria is left, as the Sleipnir terrorize and take back the lands that were once theirs. And these princesses have asked for our help in fighting back."

King Griff looked around the room once more before continuing. "And, we will help them. We will fight against the Sleipnir, just as our ancestors have done thousands of years before!"

Peyton wasn't sure what to think. Why would we help the ponies, when we don't like them ourselves, he thought to himself. What is in it for us?

Then, the king spoke once more. "We will finally take the lands of Equestria for ourselves, Griffonia. This is the best opportunity! The ponies may be willing to do anything to get us to help them. Without us, they die! And, without their lands, we die!"

The audience began to cheer. The most important thing that came out of the meeting was that they may have a chance to survive. No matter what the cost, they will make it happen. Peyton knew that too well.

"We will be sending in the Griffon Army," King Griff said. "We will fight against the Sleipnir and destroy them, using whatever resources the ponies give us. Once that is done, we will seize the lands for ourselves! New Griffonia will be born!"

As the griffons left the meeting hall, Peyton confronted the King. "Shall I write a response to the ponies?" He asked.

King Griff nodded. "Make it go something like this:"

To the Princesses of Equestria,

There may have been some tension between our kingdoms in the past, but we are willing to look past that in order to help you with the Sleipnir threat, on several conditions:

Griff XXVI, King of Griffonia, commander of the Griffon Force

Peyton finished the letter before giving it to King Griff. He signed it himself and applied the official seal. A messenger griffon arrived to take the letter and bring it to Equestria. With that being done, King Griff turned his attention to getting ready.

"We will have to train our forces to fight against a formidable foe," He said, looking into the sky. "Get our recruiters ready as well. We will need as many griffons ready for battle by the end of the month.

"But," Peyton interrupted. "Don't we want to get there as soon as possible, to help?"

"The longer we wait," King Griff looked right at Peyton. "The more shaken the Equestrian army will be. And the easier it will be for us to take their land from them." His expression was cold and merciless. "I cannot have my griffons suffer like this anymore. We will take Equestria, when the time is right. A perfect opportunity has been presented to us, Peyton."

"Yes, my lord."

"You sound unsure."

Peyton blinked. "I just don't see why we should deceive the ponies like this."

King Griff made his way to a balcony, overlooking the sky. Mountains could be seen in the distance, while rock formations surrounded the vicinity. Griffons flew in every direction. There was an eerie calmness about the view that made Peyton feel sick.

"Have you ever been in a contest before? A race, perhaps?"

"No, my lord."

"You see, being a king is much like being the leader of a team. Every team wants to win. In order to win, another team has to lose. You either need to try and win, or lose the game. If you don't make that decision, somepony else will make it for you."

A pair of griffons flew side by side - an older griffon and his child. She laughed as her father spoke. They flew off into the distance. Seeing that made Peyton look away, remembering it again.

"I like to play ahead of the game." King Griff continued. "Seeing an opportunity to win, I will take it. Of course, that would mean that the ponies and Sleipnir would lose."

"What are we playing for? What is the goal?" Peyton asked.

"For Equestria."

*********

Peyton flew from formation to formation, doing his duties as a guard. If a griffon needed help, he would be there to assist. Since the tragedy, he has helped to dig griffons out of rubble, bring food to the young, cared for the elderly, and spoke with families who have lost their own. Everyone he talked to, Peyton reminded himself of his own family: his parents, his little sister, his wife, and his own sons.

When the tragedy struck, Peyton was at the castle doing business as usual. The fire came down on them before anyone could notice, striking several of the formations outside and hitting the largest castle tower. A call to arms was issued immediately as the griffon force assembled.

"Get out there! Protect our own at all costs!" King Griff croaked orders at the soldiers, who flew out to assist. Peyton's first instinct was to find his family. He rushed back home, to a formation in the center of a larger collection of mountains. The spirals of his home could be seen from a distance, unharmed. As he approached, he could see a giant one fall from the sky, striking his home with an explosion. Peyton screamed as he picked up his pace, landing on top of the rubble. Digging through. Screaming and crying.

"Thank you!"

The words of a young griffon snapped Peyton back to the present. He had delivered a crate of food to a hungry family. They lived in the remains of their home, which had collapsed during the attack. The adults were cleaning up more of the debris as the children played and ate.

"Will we be able to find a new home in Equestria?" One of the griffons asked Peyton. She had attended the meeting, but was unsure what to think of it.

Peyton cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes. Griffonia will survive. We will all survive."

One home to the next, one family to the next, Peyton continued his duties. After the attack, many of the mountains that the griffons lived on were inhospitable. Many griffons moved to the remaining ones, while some were fortunate enough to live in the castle. Some griffons chose to live down in the valley, far below the mountain range. As an inhabited land, it was deemed dangerous. Many griffons were not heard from after descending below. After his last run on the mountains, Peyton was instructed to fly down below to give the last crate to a contact.

The griffon sank beneath the clouds slowly, looking all around him in case of any danger. The air was still and silent as he descended. The light shrank and the warmth dwindled, but Peyton kept going. He landed on a small hill overlooking a grassy field. Looking up, he could see the wide bases of the mountains surrounding the valley. Forests lined the horizon, all as silent as the air.

The point of contact was not there, leaving Peyton alone. He waited for an hour, kicking at the ground and taking short walks around. Growing impatient, Peyton finally called out. "Anyone out there!?" His voice echoed into the distance. After a few seconds of waiting, he heard no response.

Did something happen? He thought to himself, leaving the crate at the top of the hill. He walked towards the forest, unsure of what he would find. The air remained still and silent. The creaks of the branches and rustling of the leaves were what filled the air as he took each step. His wings folded in to give him more room after seeing the narrow pathways.

A few minutes of walking came and went before Peyton heard a muffled sound in the distance. He took a couple of steps and listened intently. Closing his eyes, he could make out faint screams. A woman and a boy's screams. And the roar of something else.

Peyton picked up his pace, dodging trees and heading straight towards the source of the sound. He readied his talons, prepared to take on whatever foe he would find. The screams grew louder and louder as he got closer, eventually seeing a group of griffons on the ground, with a red figure above them. As he got close, he could see the mane and claws of a manticore. The griffons on the ground were all dead, save for two: a female griffon and what looked to be her son, both huddled against a tree. Their wings were clipped, preventing them from flying away.

"Hey!" Peyton shouted at the manticore, who turned its attention away from the two. It roared and flew right towards Peyton. The griffon flew up into the air, bringing his talons down on the manticore's back. The manticore screamed and roared again as it turned to face his opponent. Peyton laughed, landing back on the ground. The manticore tried the same tactic again. This time, Peyton dodged to the side and ran his talons along the manticore's side.

The beast circled around and tried to attack once more, but this time Peyton took it head-on. With one swipe of his talons at the manticore's face, it screeched and ran off back into the trees, leaving Peyton and the surviving griffons alone. All Peyton could hear now were the cries of the female griffon, who clutched her son tightly.

"It will be okay now," Peyton said to her in a calm voice. He placed one talon gently on her shoulder, but she didn't seem to hear him. She only stared at the bodies of the other griffons. Her family. Her loved ones. Peyton didn't know what relationship she had with them, but to see them die in such a fashion...

Peyton had managed to dig his sister out of the remains of their home. The rest of his family, including his wife and son, were lost. He heard their screams as he did his best to dig. He was alone; the griffon force was too scattered and common griffons were to shaken up to understand what was happening. "Peyton...Help..." Their voices entered and left his head before slowly fading away, one by one. After he dug his sister out, the voices stopped. She made it through okay, but Peyton blamed himself for not being fast enough.

But, even after all of that...

The soldier led the other two back to the hill, where the crate awaited. Opening it up, Peyton handed bread to the two of them. The boy ate it quickly as if his life depended on it. The woman stared at it blankly, then took slow bites.

"I have to return above," Peyton told her. "I need to get some others to help carry you both back up, since you cannot fly."

"Don't leave us!" The woman quickly said, dropping the bread on the ground. She gripped Peyton's arm tightly.

"I won't let anything happen to you two." Peyton said. He looked at the boy, who dug around in the crate for more.

"Take my son up first, at least!" She insisted. Peyton nodded and picked him up into his arms before ascending into the sky. While the boy was not too heavy, the weight was enough to slow Peyton more than usual.

The two griffons approached a stone house on top of a mountain. Peyton landed softly, letting the kid step onto safety. Another member of the Griffon Force was there; seeing Peyton, he made his way over.

"Did something happen below?"

Peyton nodded. "I'm going to need your help."

"It is against orders, but..." The other griffon had an expression of doubt on his face, but he soon spread his wings and took off.

The two soldiers made their way into the valley. fog began to collect, making it harder for Peyton to see what was happening. He hoped that the woman stayed put and was still safe. Sure enough, when he made it through the fog, he could make out a figure down below. Peyton slowed his descent as he made contact with the ground. The other soldier followed not too long after.

"Where are the others?" The soldier asked. The woman heard this and began to cry once more. Peyton gave a stern look to the soldier, who understood right away.

"Help me carry her up - she can't fly in this condition." Peyton ordered. He took one side of the woman while the other soldier took the other. Together, the three griffons lifted off into the air. Peyton grabbed the crate with his hind talons. It was much lighter now that some of the supplies were used up.

Again, Peyton reached the top of the mountain. As he dropped the woman off, she immediately rushed to her son in an embrace. There were more griffons at the scene now, with some ready to treat their wounds.

"We will take it from here," One of the other griffons offered. Peyton nodded and flew up once more.

"Thank you," The woman managed to say. She bowed deeply, with her son following suit. Peyton returned the gesture, then flew off with the other soldier.

"There are a group of them down there," Peyton said. "It was a manticore that did it."

"You think Equestria is more peaceful?" The soldier asked.

"Well, once we defeat the Sleipnir," Peyton joked. However, he knew it was no joking matter. While their ancestors may have been able to keep the Sleipnir out of their lands, that was all they could do against them. They were going up against a race that was much more powerful than they were. Victory seemed like a long shot.

However, a joint effort between the griffons and ponies may work in their favor...but, betraying the ponies right after by claiming their land is unjust. Peyton knew it would be wrong, but he would not dare question King Griff.

"The sooner we get ready, the better." The other soldier simply said, flying ahead of Peyton.

Better for whom, Peyton thought to himself as he carried on.

Berry 1 - Crystal Life

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"But I want to see him!"

Berry Bunches put her hoof down as she spoke to Princess Twilight. The filly wanted to go down and see the Sleipnir - her curiosity had gotten the better of her. However, Twilight remained firm in her decision.

"It is too dangerous for a filly. We don't know what he might be capable of. I just want to keep you safe. You understand, right?" Twilight had a smile on her face, but Berry knew the princess was not happy.

"I guess..." Berry sighed.

"Did you make any progress with your flight?" Twilight asked, changing the subject.

Berry smiled. "I can fly for two whole seconds now! I am able to get pretty high off of the ground, too!" The filly's wing began to flutter, raising her up a few feet into the air. She could hear Twilight's praise as she began to fly forward.

"That is amazing!" Twilight exclaimed. "Maybe I don't have to keep looking into a wing repair spell, after all!"

The filly landed safely on the ground. "Well, it might be a little easier if my wing were working again." She sheepishly said. Ever since arriving in the Crystal Empire, many unicorns and other ponies took a look at Berry's bad wing. The damage done to it was irreversible with normal medical procedures - and magic didn't seem to do anything to it besides remove the pain. Twilight has been looking into a spell of some sort to fix it, giving the pegasus temporary wings to hold her over. Berry eventually learned to fly using just her good wing. She was much slower, but she could move around. Even then, she longed to have both of her wings working again, so she could fly as high in the sky as she could.

The Crystal Empire had become much calmer in recent weeks. Some wandering ponies would arrive at the gate to seek refuge. The snows outside the kingdom boundaries lessened as well, leaving an easier route for the weak through the tundra. Whatever remained of Equestria was right here - the last standing reminder of the old world. Twilight and Cadence were very busy with day-to-day tasks and other formalities. Each day the princesses attempt to move the sun and moon from their stranded positions, but there was no luck. Because of how busy Twilight was, Berry started to see less and less of her, soon growing alone within the castle walls.

It wasn't that Berry was lonely - there were plenty of other fillies and colts around for her to play with. And she did play with them: running through the streets, exploring every nook and cranny, and playing games. The problem was that Berry knew of the dangerous world outside of the kingdom, and worried that their time like this might be cut short. And she knew Fluttershy was alive somewhere out there in it all. Every day, she would head to the edge of the kingdom, near the guard towers, to sit and watch for anypony who entered the kingdom. Mares, stallions, and fillies would come in, but none of them were Fluttershy.

And this life style repeated for a long time; Berry would always lose track of how much time has passed. She sat one day in the field, looking up into the sky. The sun and moon sat opposite each other, as if waiting for the other to make a move first. They were trapped in limbo, unable to return the world to its former state.

As she stared, she began to see the moon twitch. It moved about a centimeter before stopping once more. Berry's eyes grew wide as she turned to look at the castle. In the distance, on one of the towers, Berry could see a bright pink light: Twilight had managed to move the moon! Even if it was just a small distance, Berry knew there was hope.

The filly made her way back to the castle, eager to talk to Twilight. She passed through crowds of ponies; they were all chattering about how the moon moved. They noticed Princess Twilight's feat as well. Berry broke into a trot, entering through the front doors, making her way up the stairs. With each step, she grew even more confident in Twilight's ability. She knew the princesses would be able to return the sun and moon to their correct places, making it the first step towards rebuilding the world.

At the balcony, both princesses stood together. Twilight had her focus on the moon as Cadence began to channel her own magic towards the sun. Two bright beams of light shot up into the sky, surrounding the sun and moon that sat in the distance. The filly tried to follow the beam, but her eyes began to hurt as she stared at the sun. As she shut her eyes, she could hear a small cheer from princess Cadence.

"Did you see it move!? We might be able to restore balance to the sun and moon, after all!"

The two looked very tired, however. It seemed to Berry that moving the sun and moon required a vast amount of magical power. While both Princesses were strong in their own right, they need to work much harder to reach the potential of Princess Celestia and Luna. Berry slowly left the room, not wanting to bother the princesses.

As she walked down the steps, Berry wondered what she should do next. Immediately, she remembered the Sleipnir in the dungeon and decided to head there. Twilight should be busy with moving the moon, she thought to herself. She might not notice if I just slip down there to see him for a few minutes.

The door to the dungeon was not guarded, so Berry managed to get inside quickly. At the bottom of the stairs, she looked around the corner to find the guard situated near the cells. Just as she thought, there was one guard standing guard next to an iron door. Beyond that door was the cell containing the Sleipnir. Not knowing what to do, the filly simply made herself visible and approached the guard.

"What are you doing down here?" The guard asked, bending down to reach Berry's level.

"Princess Twilight sent me," Berry lied. "She said that while she is trying to move the moon, she needs a snack. Since it is almost time for the Sleipnir to eat, I figured you might be able to do both?"

The guard looked in disbelief, but smiled. "Sure thing. Come up with me,"

Berry shook her head. "The princess needs it now. If she runs out of energy, the moon might be stuck where it is for even longer!"

"Fine, but don't stay down here too long; it's dangerous for a filly." The guard ran up the stairs, leaving Berry alone in the dungeon. The filly smiled slyly and turned to go through the doorway.

Just as she imagined, the Sleipnir lay on the other side of metal bars. He stared at her as she entered, causing the filly to feel slightly uncomfortable. She stood on the other side of the cell for a moment, staring at the prisoner. He looked ragged from not taking a bath in a while, but he was well fed. His living conditions were fine for a prisoner. Berry noticed how much he would shiver, sitting alone in the cell.

Berry didn't plan on doing much else, so she decided that it was time to leave. However, when she tried to move, her hooves didn't budge. The Sleipnir began to smile, causing the filly to feel anxious. Suddenly, she took a step, then another, towards the cell. Berry saw that the prisoner had stopped shaking, and the mark on his flank changed. It looked like a mark she had seen on one of the papers princess Twilight had found in the library. The Sleipnir stood up and approached the edge of the cell. As he drew closer, Berry began to whimper.

Then, he began to speak. Berry couldn't understand anything that he was saying, but she could see his eyes light up. The walls began to darken, and everything else in the room began to disappear, being replaced by a pure white. The terrified filly closed her eyes, scared of what would happen to her.

Suddenly, she heard a thud. The Sleipnir had dropped to the floor, passed out. He began to shiver again, and the mark on his flank went away. Berry's heart was beating faster now as she took deeper breaths. The filly fell backwards, realizing she could move again. Without hesitation, she picked herself up and ran out of the dungeon.

The foyer was empty, making Berry's hoofsteps echo as she ran outside. The light from the sun blinded her, making Berry close her eyes in response. As she stood outside, she felt something tingling throughout her body. Opening her eyes again, she could see that her coat was glowing. The glowing increased in intensity, creating a small beam that shot out into the sky - similar to the beams of magic that the Princesses used on the sun and moon. The beam persisted for a few seconds before fading away with the rest of the glow. Before long, Berry felt normal again, but she had a bad feeling about what just happened.

Did the Sleipnir do that? She thought to herself. I hope the princesses don't find out about that... The filly ran off into the city, trying to forget what had just happened. Nopony was hurt, so Berry thought that everything was okay - that neither Twilight nor Cadence needed to be bothered with it. Berry heard the ponies whispering and conversing about the beams of magic and how the sun and moon began to move once more. The orange sky remained the same, but it was only a matter of time before day and night is restored to the world.

"It was a pretty powerful beam!"

"I saw it too."

"Could it have been the princesses?"

"But, it looked different from the ones before..."

"You're right..."

"Does the sky look a little different to you now? After that third beam..."

After listening to the ponies, Berry became increasingly aware that they were talking about her own beam. If they knew, then... Berry's heart sank, fearing that the princesses saw the third beam as well. Berry finally looked up into the sky; her eyes widened at what she saw. The sky directly above the Crystal Empire looked cloudy. There wouldn't be anything too suspicious about it, except that the clouds were a little pink in color.

"Berry?"

Twilight's voice broke the filly from her gaze. She turned to see the princess in the middle of the street. The look on her face was a worried one.

"Oh, hi!" Berry said sheepishly.

"Can you come with me for a moment?" Twilight asked. The tone of her voice was calm, like any other time they had spoken.

"Don't you have to continue practicing, for moving the sun?" Berry asked, trying to avoid the topic - she had a good idea that Twilight wanted to talk about the beam.

"That can wait."

*********

The throne room was empty except for Princess Cadence and the guard Berry had seen in the dungeon. When she saw him, she knew that everypony knew.

"Would you mind explaining yourself?" Twilight asked. Berry looked down.

"I...I just wanted to see the Sleipnir, that's all!"

"And because of that, something happened," Twilight continued. "That beam of light, and those clouds...whatever happened, I'm sure it was because of the Sleipnir. While I'm not sure how it happened...do you know how dangerous this could possibly be for us?"

"I'm sorry," Berry began to tear up. What if something bad were to happen because of that? It would have been all Berry's fault. The shock of realizing this made her sink to the ground. "I wasn't thinking...please forgive me!"

Cadence approached the filly. "There, there..." She placed a hoof on her shoulder. "It wasn't entirely your fault," The princess gave the guard a look, causing him to give an uneasy laugh. "But you should always be careful when it comes to interacting with prisoners - fillies like yourself should be nowhere near them. We just want to look out for your safety, understand?"

Berry nodded.

"Princess Twilight! Princess Cadence!"

The voice of another guard entering the throne room shifted the mood. He was panting and looked like he ran a good distance to get to the throne room. Cadence turned from the filly and looked at the guard.

"What is it?"

"There's...there's something you need to see."

Cutie Mark Chronicles 2 - Zebra Stripes

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Scootaloo found herself floating through a cloud. Her wings were stretched out, letting her soar across the open sky. Below her was Ponyville; the mares and fillies below waved at her as she passed by. Beside her was Rainbow Dash. The pegasus picked up speed, egging Scootaloo on. The filly flapped her wings as hard as she could, but she couldn't catch up to her idol. As fast as she could go, it was not enough to reach. Rainbow Dash soon faded into the distance as the sky turned dark. Scootaloo looked up to see meteors falling from the heavens. She did her best to weave in and out of them, but her hind hoof caught onto one of them, dragging her down to the ground. When she looked, Ponyville was on fire. The land she knew had become nothing but ruin.

Screaming, the filly woke up to hear her voice echo inside the cave she was taking refuge in. Her heart beat rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness that surrounded her. Scootaloo got up on her hooves and took a deep breath. Just a dream... She thought to herself.

"Are you okay?" A kind voice called from the other side of the room. The dim light from outside lit up the figure as it walked towards her. The black and white coat stood out in front of the darkness of the cave. Scootaloo nodded.

The two exited the cave to a blistering sun that still sat dead in the sky. A small band of zebras were seen performing various tasks, such as preparing a meal, distributing water, and constructing shelter. Scootaloo, feeling guilty, asked if there was anything she could do to help.

"You are still feeling bad, I can tell." The zebra responded. "It is best if you relax until you are well." A mare approached the two with a pouch of water and some hay. Scootaloo took the two gratefully and consumed it. The cold water slid down her throat, making her feel much better. She took a sigh when she finished, handing the pouch back to the mare, who bowed and walked away.

In the distance, more zebras were approaching the makeshift camp. The zebra with Scootaloo noticed this and immediately made a sound. The zebras in the distance made a similar sound.

"A way for us to tell friend from foe." The zebra said. "A certain response will let us know."

As the zebras neared the camp, Scootaloo noticed they were carrying something with them. The red hair on one and the shiny scales on another gave it away immediately. Scootaloo gasped and ran out to meet them. Other zebras made their way to the group as well, carrying food and water with them that was distributed to the returning group. Carefully, the zebras laid Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Spike down inside the shelter. Many hooves moved in all directions, providing water and food to the barely functioning group. Scootaloo did as much as she could to help, like helping her friends drink the water and placing cool rags on their foreheads. The three were conscious, but they seemed unable to process what was going on around them due to their dehydration. "I'm here, guys." Scootaloo began to tear up as she sat next to her friends.

Once they seemed to be in a more stable condition, the zebras left them all alone. Scootaloo remained in order to tend to her friends just in case. As what felt like hours passed, Scootaloo simply sat and stared at each of them, watching for any signs of change. They looked as if they slept peacefully, turned away from the reality that had befallen them. However, Scootaloo's eyes began to sag and she fell asleep along with them.

*********

"Scootaloo!"

A filly's words entered Scootaloo's head, causing her to stir. After a few blinks, Apple Bloom's worried face came into focus. The pegasus smiled weakly as her friend wrapped her hooves around Scootaloo.

"Ah can't believe yer alive!" Tears streamed down Apple Bloom's face. Sweetie Belle and Spike soon joined in on the embrace. The group stayed silent, listening only to the sounds of each other's breath gently filling up the room.

"I do beg your pardon for my word," a zebra spoke softly, breaking up the reunion. "We do have a feast ready; come join the herd." The zebra bowed and left the tent. The sound of having food made the fillies cheer as they all left the tent. Outside, the zebras gathered around a makeshift table. Hay, grass and fruits lay all across the table as the aroma filled the dry air. The ponies and spike approached the table, sitting in a spot designated for them. Looking all around, Scootaloo could see each zebra's face staring at them, egging them on to have the first bite.

"Is it really okay?" Scootaloo asked.

One of the zebras spoke up, "Please, please, have the first bite! Eat to your delight!"

Scootaloo reached for a juicy apple perched on the table. How the zebras managed to gather these fruits, she did not know, but she accepted it all the same. One bite and she was in heaven. The juice from the apple dripped onto her chin as the fruit trickled her throat. She did not remember the last time she had eaten something so good.

After a time, the food was all cleared. Any leftovers and scraps were carefully stored away to be eaten at the next meal. Each of the zebras worked like clockwork to clean up and make sure no scrap of food would be uneaten or left behind. The fillies offered to help as well, but the zebras shook their heads and told them to return to their tent.

The crusaders and spike all sat inside the tent, hot from the crisp air. "I'm bored..." Sweetie Belle said after a while. The others looked at her with glaring looks.

"Now is not the right time to be bored," Apple Bloom retorted, thinking about her sister. She placed a hoof to the gem hanging around her neck. "We have to do what we can to survive. For our sisters." Sweetie Belle touched her own gem, given to her by Rarity. With a touch, she could feel her older sister's embrace around her body, bringing Sweetie Belle to tears. In response, she began to sing a song.

Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head...

"May I come in?" The voice of the zebra chief came from outside the tent. He looked at the ponies, remembering the short time they stayed with the zebras before.

"Is it okay if we stay with you for a while?" Apple Bloom asked. The zebra chief nodded.

"We will be going far south, Saddle Arabia bound. We will bring anypony we have found."

"Do you know if it is safe down there?" Scootaloo asked. The other ponies nodded in wonder.

The zebra's face turned grim. "I am afraid I do not know. We will carry on though....Our group will be leaving at night. Do make sure to pack light," He smiled again as he walked out, leaving the group alone.

"We have no other choice but to follow them," Spike said. "We will be much safer traveling with a big group." He looked at the fillies, but they seemed to be focused on something else. The solemn looks on their faces explained it all: they were too young to handle the gravity of the entire situation. Everything they had already been through had begun to get to them.

As the zebras prepared to travel south, one thing caught everypony's attention. "Look at the sky!" A zebra suddenly shouted. Everypony looked up to see an amazing sight: the sun and moon began to move again! It was slowly, but the sun moved enough to immediately change the color of the sky from orange to a darker blueish-purple. The air began to cool in response, causing a cheer among the zebras.

Spike's eyes widened. "It has to be Twilight! She had to have moved the sun!" Everypony was immediately relieved as a rush of cold air ran through the desert. The sand cooled down, making it feel nice to the touch. By the time the zebras were ready to move out, the moon had completely take over the sky, making it night for the first time since the world had ended. This change in atmosphere gave many of the zebras hope as they quickly rushed to travel south.

"This must mean that the Crystal Empire is doing well," Apple Bloom suggested. "Maybe we should return north? To equestria?"

"Those monster ponies are still in between us and safety, remember?" Scootaloo responded. "Even though the changelings are still around us here, it has to be safer going south than north."

"Will we ever be able to return? To see Twilight again?" Sweetie Belle looked down as she spoke, relishing the feel of the cool sand on her hooves.

"Yes." Spike said quickly. "I won't give up, no matter what." For the first time in a long while, the ponies all felt very hopeful as they traveled along under the tranquil moon.

Berry 2 - Reunion

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The princesses ran out of the castle, stopping in the small square containing the crystal heart. Berry followed closely behind, wondering what had happened. The guard pointed in one direction and ran off. Cadence and Twilight followed closely behind. Berry did her best to keep up as they all made their way to the outskirts of the empire.

Before long, the patrol tower came into view. A small group of ponies crowded together, making a commotion as the princesses approached. "What is going on?" Cadence's voice rose above all others. Slowly, the ponies moved to the side, revealing two figures: one pegasus and one Draconequus. Berry immediately recognized the pony as Fluttershy. The yellow pony looked at the princesses and burst into tears.

"Fluttershy!!" Twilight rushed to her side, enveloping the pegasus in a big hug. Berry also rushed towards the two, in tears as she wrapped her hooves around her savior. Fluttershy's embrace felt warm underneath a layer of frigid, coldness. It only took one touch for Berry to realize how much Fluttershy had gone through since they had last seen each other.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Berry said, sobbing. Fluttershy, through tears, ran a hoof through Berry's mane. The hoof shook as it moved. Berry could tell Fluttershy was trying hard not to collapse and cry.

"This is so touching," Discord said as he pulled a tissue out of nowhere and blew into it deeply.

Twilight, noticing her old enemy, looked wearily at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh Twilight, I'm so shocked. You would still distrust me even after bringing your friend back?" Discord's eyes glimmered as he spoke. Berry could see how worn the journey had made him.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Without Discord, I don't know where I would be...I know we can trust him, Twilight. Please believe me."

"Was Pinkie Pie with you?" Twilight asked. Hearing the pink pony's name brought more tears to Fluttershy's eyes. She said nothing in response, but simply held out Pinkie Pie's element of harmony. That alone gave Twilight enough of an answer. The gem glittered in the light - a sad, lonely glitter, as if it were a foal without its mother.

Twilight's voice hung low. "I see, so there are only two of us left..."

Everypony was silent for a while before Fluttershy looked down at Berry. She took the element and put it around the filly's neck. "Maybe this will help you feel better," She said gently as the element hugged the pony around her neck. Berry placed a hoof to the blue gem, feeling the essence of Pinkie Pie inside. "The element of laughter will surely keep you happy even during the darkest of days," the yellow pony continued.

"Thank you," Berry said in response. The two hugged tightly again. Twilight led the newcomers back towards the castle, for a refreshing bath and relaxing rest. The short trot was filled with stories about what had happened on both sides. They all spoke as if no time had passed since they last met, as if they had simply gone into the next room and returned moments later. However, everypony had the others on their minds. Everypony tried to look away from the horror that had befallen their peaceful land, and all the friends they had lost.

Near the entrance to the castle, the group passed by the crystal heart. It spun slowly in its place, a symbol of hope and the future of all of Equestria. The crystal, acting as the protection from the cold, frozen north, also acted as protection from the Sleipnir. Berry had almost forgotten about those beasts. The reason they were all here right now. The beasts that they cannot communicate with, who seem to have a blood-lust for ponies. Berry looked at her damaged wing and frowned as she trotted up into the castle.

*********

Berry sat alone in her room when Fluttershy entered. Her mane was still faded, but the bath helped restore a bit of its color. Fluttershy's eyes looked tired and droopy, with red lines racing along the white snow.

"Is now a good time?" Fluttershy asked. Berry nodded her head, and the pegasus made her way into the room. Fluttershy sat down on one end of the room, looking out the window as she did. Birds flew past, chirping a tune that Fluttershy repeated to herself. The two simply sat there, saying nothing. The silence could be cut through with a knife.

Before long, Fluttershy spoke. "Do you see that outside?" Berry turned her head to look out the window. There was nothing there of notice. She could see small dots trotting along the paths in the city. She could see the watchtowers near the outskirts, and the grass beyond that. The mountains loomed in the distance, and Berry could outline the divide between the snow and the grassy plains of the Crystal Empire.

"There's nothing there." Berry responded in an apologetic tone.

Fluttershy smiled. "Just because you see nothing, doesn't mean that isn't something."

"I don't get it..."

"Remember when we were in Manehatten? The explosions, those bad ponies...it wasn't a good time."

There was a pause in her speech.

"I don't see any of that here. It's...normal. A normal that I haven't felt in so long. When I lived in Ponyville, I would look out my window and feel exactly what I am feeling now."

"But," Berry interrupted. "Beyond those mountains, those...those..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

Fluttershy turned to the filly. "We must all work together to make sure this-" she pointed outside. More birds flew by, chirping that same tune. "-stays how it is. We all have a part, even those birds out there."

Just then, another beam shot into the sky. It took hold of the moon as a second one shot out and took hold of the sun. After a few seconds, the beams moved, shifting the position of the sun and moon ever so slightly. The sky changed from orange to a blue, signifying the evening sky after twilight.

"Oh, wow!" Fluttershy said in response, looking up to see the stars peeking out of the sky for the first time in forever. It was a most beautiful sight to behold, even if it were the night sky that Berry had always seen before this all happened. She then knew what Fluttershy meant. While things could never go back to the way they were, they need to fight to keep the harmony.

Fluttershy 2 - Safe Now

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Fluttershy made her way towards the balcony that was perched atop the Crystal Palace. The two princesses stood there, exhausted. A cool, night breeze swept the balcony. From here, the night sky looked even more marvelous. The stars in the sky all glistened in the new moonlight, as if waiting for their chance to shine.

"Did you...?" Fluttershy broke the silence. Twilight and Cadence looked at each other and smiled before turning to nod.

"It will take a lot more practice," Twilight said. "but, it was a success! Equestria will have proper day and night once again!"

"Oh, that's good to hear!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "The princesses would have loved to hear..." her voice trailed off as the thoughts of Celestia and Luna entered her mind. "I'm sorry," She quickly squeaked, covering her mouth.

"Don't worry about it," Princess Cadence stepped forward. "It is important that we keep Equestria running. That is what they would have wanted. For now, shall we get some rest?"

Fluttershy's room was in a far corner of the palace. The room itself contained the usual trinkets and objects one would expect to find in the Crystal Palace. However, when Fluttershy looked at them, they all seemed fake to her. The books on Equestrian history that sat on the shelf felt like tales of fantasy. A flag for the Equestrian Games some years ago felt like a craft that a schoolpony made. A drawing of Starswirl the Bearded looked like it was made in another time. The reflection that Fluttershy saw in a mirror on the wall looked like a photo of a completely different pony. As much as Fluttershy wanted to feel like things would go back to normal, she could still feel her departed friends like a weight on her back. She looked at herself, or what she saw as herself now. The scars, the discolored mane, the blood-shot eyes. The manticore came back into her mind. The one that she killed and skinned. The one that she used to escape the cold.

As she stared, she could see her reflection grow darker. Its eyes grew redder, the hair darker, and to top it off, an evil grin appeared on the pony's face. Behind it, a Sleipnir hovered over the reflection. The giant hooves slammed down.

"Ah!"

Fluttershy woke up with a freight and fell out of bed. Wildly panting, the pegasus got to her hooves, looking back at the mirror. The evil pony and the Sleipnir were gone, leaving only Fluttershy. She turned and left the room.

The palace was hauntingly quiet. An occasional guard appeared, either at full alert or nodding off. As she passed, some would turn and smile at her. Others would avert their gaze. Before long, Fluttershy found herself outside.

The crystal heart sat in front of her, shimmering and spinning like it always had been. She remembered when King Sombra attacked, and how Spike had caught the heart. The heart that kept the kingdom from succumbing to darkness and destruction. Her thoughts jumped to Durango, the dragon that had given his life protecting the Crystal Empire from the changelings. That felt like so long ago to the pegasus.

"What are you thinking about?"

Discord's voice caused Fluttershy to jump. He snickered, pulling a chair out of the air and began to sit. The Draconequus looked relatively unscathed to Fluttershy.

"Could you believe it?" Discord continued, seeming to not care about any response Fluttershy would have given. "They had the nerve to give me a dainty room near the outskirts of town? Me, Twilight's best friend!" He placed a hand over his head in a melodramatic pose.

"Well..." Fluttershy spoke up. "You did scatter the elements of harmony around and caused trouble after the meteors struck..."

"I told you already!" Discored replied. "I had to do this so that the Sleipnir wouldn't come back....I would say you all brought this on yourselves."

"This is your world too!" Fluttershy snapped back, causing Discord to gasp. "You heard what Elder Mae told us back on the mountain! You have some part in this too."

Discord stayed silent. The chair he was sitting in disappeared as he floated forward. Fluttershy didn't know how to feel - angry, sad, scared, unsure...

"Fighting about it now won't solve anything." The pegasus continued. "If you don't help us, there won't be a world for you to freely create chaos in." This seemed to strike a chord within the Draconequus.

"I...never thought about it that way," He started, landing on the ground softly. "I can create all the chaos I want in my own dimension, but if there's no one on the other end, then there's no point...and we all know trying to prank a couple of Sleipnir is a death sentence."

Discord said no more and left Fluttershy alone with the crystal heart. It continued to spin, oblivious to the world. Fluttershy finally turned and walked back into the castle.

*********

The morning sunlight hit Fluttershy, prompting her to wake up. She had been able to sleep a bit longer after her short trot outside. From the looks of things, Princess Cadence was bringing the sun up by herself as Twilight brought the moon down. The pegasus sleepily got up and made her way to the throne room. As she moved, the light bounced off of the crystals in the palace, bringing back a feeling of warmth that felt like a dream to her.

"Good morning!" Fluttershy said in her most caring voice. She was met with a tired Cadence, who sat in a slump on the throne. "Oh dear," Fluttershy quickened her pace to reach the princess.

"Moving the sun must take a lot of energy..."

Cadence chuckled. "That's...not the only reason I'm so tired." Princess Twilight had returned to the room. The sun sat high in the sky, warming up the room even more. Cadence, seeming to have some strength returned to her, stood up and looked at the ponies.

"You see..." She began. "I'm...pregnant."

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged shocked gasps. "Really!" Twilight's voice echoed in the throne room. Princess Cadence did nothing except nod her head.

"Yeah...good timing, huh...heh heh..." Cadence tried to lighten the mood. "To tell you the truth, I'm actually due any day now."

"But-but-!" Twilight stammered. "Why didn't you say anything sooner!? How come I didn't notice!?"

"There has been so much going on, I didn't want to make things even more complicated. Shining Armor was the only pony who knew." Cadence smiled and turned back towards the balcony. "A baby being born may be a sign of hope for the ponies living here. A sign that life will still go on."

"It could be really dangerous," Fluttershy spoke up. "But...I do feel excited to see a baby."

"But, please keep this a secret." Cadence whispered. "I don't want anypony to find out until the baby is actually born."

Fluttershy and Twilight nodded. "Your secret is safe with us now." They said in unison, although Twilight looked giddy as she said it.

"I'm going to be an aunt!" She cheered as the others looked at her. After a sheepish laugh, the cleared her throat and stood tall.

"Fluttershy," She said. "Today we are going to patrol the kingdom and make sure everypony is doing okay. Are you up for the task?" The pegasus nodded and smiled.

As the two walked outside, Fluttershy looked up at the sun that hung valiantly in the sky. Its warmth brought newfound energy in her, and apparently in others as well. More ponies were outside than she had seen since the world ended. Foals played and laughed outside, shop owners sold their wares with smiles, and the morale was at its highest. More birds flew in the air, chirping happily along, and bunnies pranced around, emerging from the debris of the old world.

"...So, you plan to go speak to the Sleipnir?" Twilight finally asked. She had listened hard when Fluttershy gave her account of what happened in the far north.

She nodded sternly. "I am the only one who can," she responded, looking at her cutie mark. "I was born to do this."

"And if it goes badly?" Twilight quickly asked. Fluttershy could tell that her friend disapproved of her decision. "There are so many variables to take into account here, and coupled with our previous experience, I can't come to a good conclusion."

"I still have to try. If I don't, then we will never know."

Silence. Fillies pranced in front of them as a gentle breeze brushed up against Fluttershy's coat.

"...If you're this confident, there's nothing I can say to stop you." Twilight sighed. "Even thought I don't approve, you can try. Equestria needs us, Fluttershy. Stay here for a bit longer, and when you do go, make sure you come back."

Fluttershy smiled. "I will."

Cutie Mark Chronicles 3 - Tears from the Sky

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A few days had passed since the sun and moon began to move again. The zebras all moved together during the day, and slept during the coolness of the night. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike all felt like the desert continued on for forever, stretching across the entire world.

"Are we there yet?" Scootaloo asked out loud.

"Patience, you must have, my friend. For we are reaching the end," Ziljo, chief of the zebras, responded with a smile. He led his tribe of zebras from the front as they marched through the desert. The group has been able to make much more progress now that the heat is not bearing down on them throughout the entire day. In fact, as Apple Bloom looked up at the sun, it seemed farther away than normal.

"Do ya see that?" Apple Bloom spoke up, prompting the others to look up in the sky in turn.

"The sun?" Scootaloo asked, wincing as she stared right into the giant ball of fire.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "Doesn't it look like it's in a different spot than before?"

"The sun moves across the sky, Apple Bloom," Spike retorted quickly. The lines between his scales were filled with sand, and his head drooped low.

"I know that," Apple Bloom sighed. "Ah'm talkin' about its latitude....North and south?"

"I'm not following..." Sweetie Belle squeaked. She had fallen behind the others and quickly trotted forward.

"How do ah explain...During the summer when we were in Equestria, the sun would be really big and hot, right?"

The others nodded in agreement. Apple Bloom continued.

"And during the winter, the sun looks smaller and colder, am ah right?"

Another nod of agreement.

"Well, the sun right now looks like it's far away, and you've all noticed it's been a little colder here than before...so, ah guess that means the sun must be big and hot in Equestria right now...It's summer in the north."

The other fillies looked up at the sun again. Spike was the one who spoke up. "I think I see your point," he said.

Apple Bloom nodded. She looked up once more at the sky. "But look...doesn't the sun seem a little too far north?" The sun sat in the sky, north of where it usually would sit at this time of the year...whatever time of the year it really was, Apple Bloom wasn't sure.

"So you're saying..." Scootaloo trailed off as Sweetie Belle continued the sentence for her.

"Twilight and Cadence moved the sun to the wrong spot?"

"Ah don't want to say that ah know better than them, because ah don't...but, yeah," Apple Bloom brushed her mane back as she continued along. "It's just somethin' ah noticed, that's all."

*********

As the sun slowly set down, and the moon took its spot in the sky, the zebras decided to set up camp. Apple Bloom could see the edge of the desert was nearing, as patches of soft grass appeared more frequently, and the air itself grew cooler. The zebras had abandoned the tents and fires, fearing that the changelings may find them more easily if they used them. Instead, blankets were rolled out and everypony lay under the stars. Dinner was nothing more than some oats and hay; the food supply, while still plentiful, was running thin. Before long, if the group did not make it to Saddle Arabia, they may starve.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike placed their blankets somewhere near the edge of the camp. After eating, they watched some foraging parties take off before they sat down and tried to find something to talk about. They had been moving around for so long, it felt weird to just sit down and have nothing to do. It made the fillies anxious.

It was Scootaloo who broke the awkward silence. "Want to go exploring?" She asked the others.

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." Sweetie Belle responded, looking out into the darkness beyond the camp. "What if we run into changelings...or Sleipnir..."

A dark curtain surrounded the camp. Apple Bloom felt that on the other side of that curtain could be anything. It could be something dangerous, something safe, or anything in between. Apple Bloom didn't really feel like pulling it back to find out, but she also thought about whatever's on the other side, and if it could pull the curtain itself...they wouldn't have much of a choice then.

"Ah think we should go," the yellow filly said. "It's been a while since the foraging party left, what if something happened to them?"

"If that's the case," Spike said. "Shouldn't we get someone else to go?"

"It has to be us!" Scootaloo responded. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders never back down from a task! We need to go help them!" Without another word, the orange filly got up and flew right out through the curtain of darkness. The others were quick to get up and follow.

Sweetie Belle used her magic to create a light to help them see better. The patches of grass grew more and more abundant, with rock formations following not far after. A small orange blur flew forward and suddenly landed on one of the rocks.

"Wow..." Scootaloo gasped. When the others made it to her, she only stared ahead. A massive ravine sat before them, cutting deep into the earth. Apple Bloom immediately thought of the mountains in Griffonia, where Scootaloo learned how to fly. This looked even more massive than that. On the other side, more mountains littered the horizon. Off on the side, a tiny speck caught Apple Bloom's attention. It looked just like a castle - Saddle Arabia.

"How do we get across this?" Apple Bloom spoke. She looked to the left and right, but didn't see any bridge or path that they could take. Do we have to travel miles to get around?, she thought to herself.

"Maybe it's best to go back..." Spike panted, catching his breath after running to reach Scootaloo. His claws were on his knees and he was bent forward. "We can at least tell the others about this ravine. It's a good thing none of you fell in!"

As he spoke, the sound of crumbling rocks came from one direction. They quickly turned in shock to see a group of zebras standing near the edge of the ravine, a half a mile down the way. One zebra was hanging off of the side, with four others standing above it, helping as best as they could.

"They need our help!" Scootaloo shouted before she turned to fly away. However, before she did, Apple Bloom put a hoof out to stop her flight.

"Wait a second..." Apple Bloom said in a low voice. Scootaloo squirmed to try to get past, but to no avail.

"Hey! What gives!?" She said, placing a hoof on her friend's back.

Without another word, Apple Bloom made a sound. The others immediately recognized it as the call that the zebras used to find other zebras...or to find out who is a changeling.

The call echoed through the ravine, until the group of zebras pricked their ears in response. A few seconds passed.

No response.

As the fillies and Spike started to gasp, the zebra hanging off of the edge placed another hoof on the ground. After that, a faint, desperate sound echoed back through the ravine and towards the fillies. It was the same call.

One of the zebras on top of the ravine quickly realized, and turned to kick the zebra hanging off the side. The fillies heard the screaming echo through the ravine...and then, silence. The zebras all turned to look at the fillies. While it was still dark, Apple Bloom could make out their zebra outlines...or rather, their disguises.

Her bones shook, keeping her in place. Her breaths grew more frequent and labored. She didn't take an eye off of the zebras, who were well-aware of their presence. She couldn't see their eyes, but she knew they were staring right through all of them.

After what felt like forever, one zebra took a step. That step sounded like a hammer in Apple Bloom's ears, causing her to flinch.

"...run!"

All four immediately turned and ran away from the ravine. The zebras, who by now reverted to their changeling form, took off after them. Apple Bloom was tired of running so much, but her hooves kept her moving forward. She didn't want to get caught by the changelings, not now. Not when they were so close to safety.

The camp soon came into view, but that didn't give any of the fillies any solace. The could see outlines of changelings littering the area, with zebra bodies placed all around on the ground. The fillies turned quickly and dashed in another direction, with Spike following closely behind. He made it far enough to jump onto Sweetie Belle's back. She stopped moving for a second before she picked up her pace once again.

"Spike! Don't do that to me next time!" She quickly panted, catching back up to the others. But, it was no use. The fillies were soon surrounded by changelings taking the form of the zebras that they had traveled with for so long. With the zebras that had saved their lives in the desert. And now...

One zebra looked at the rest and swiftly shoved the others, causing the changelings to fall. Another zebra stood and shoved the other side. One of them was Ziljo! Ziljo made the call, which sounded like music to the fillies' ears. He then turned to run, moving his head in that direction.

"If you want to be free, you have to follow me!" Ziljo shouted. The fillies did not need to be told twice.

The six survivors ran away from the camp, back towards the ravine. Apple Bloom quickly said that they needed to follow it more to find a way across. Looking behind, Spike saw the others were falling behind. The rocks grew bigger and more jagged, slowing their pace down. Spike jumped off of Sweetie Belle's back and made his own way through, only to fall down between a couple of rocks.

"Spike!" Everypony stopped and turned towards the dragon. Next to him, a small alcove embedded in the rock could be made out.

"In there!" Apple Bloom shouted before running in, and the others quickly followed suit.

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Spike, Ziljo, and the other zebra sat quietly, as if holding their breath. A slight rumbling shook the alcove as the changelings flew overhead, passing them by. Spike went to look outside, but was quickly stopped by Ziljo.

"Wait here. Wait until there's nothing outside to fear."

What seemed like hours passed as they all sat inside the cave. To their shock, it began to rain outside. Slowly at first, the water picked up its pace as it fell from the sky. Spike was the first to look outside and caught some of the water in his mouth. He turned away for a second, then look back at the others with a smile. It wasn't acid rain this time. They all took turns poking their heads outside to catch the water in their mouths. As the droplets fell on Apple Bloom's mouth, she felt like she was in heaven. She had never been so happy to be drinking water before.

"Is it safe to go?" Scootaloo spoke up after a couple more hours passed. The rain was as strong as ever, but that didn't stop them from exiting and continuing along. The two zebras led the way, with the fillies close behind, and Spike taking up the rear.

Apple Bloom stared at the other side of the ravine as they moved along. The palace sat just beyond the abyss of the ravine. Before long, they would be on the other side and in the company of the Saddle Arabian ponies. She turned to look at her friends, her companions that she would never abandon. They've all been through so much together that she felt confident that they will always make it through.

At last, she turned to the zebras. The ones who were able to guide them this far, who found them in the desert and gave them food and water. Who-

Apple Bloom's eyes widened as she stared. Ziljo trotted along as always, but the other zebra had a kink in his walk. It seemed too abnormal for a zebra's leg to move the way this one's did. Apple Bloom didn't notice anything bad happening to the zebra during the encounter, so why did he walk that way?

She stopped in her tracks. Scootaloo noticed and stopped to look at her friend. "Something wrong?" Scootaloo said. At this, everypony else realized and turned to look at Apple Bloom.

The filly's heart jumped. Her voice was shaking once again, similar to when she noticed the changelings knock that zebra off of the ravine. With one clumsy breath, she made the call as loud as she could. The fillies and Spike returned it quickly, followed by Ziljo. The other zebra, however, hesitated for a moment before making some sort of noise.

It wasn't the call.

Ziljo looked at the other zebra with suspicion. "Are you-"

BANG

Apple Bloom saw Ziljo's face sink underneath the ravine. She couldn't even process what was going on as a low humming filled the air. The humming filled her ears quickly as time seemed to slow down. It was the sound of something she didn't want to hear again. It was the sound of something that could crush her dreams, her hopes, and her sanity.

It was the sound of Ziljo's screams as he fell into the abyss of the ravine.

The zebra, now outed as a changeling, turned to try and bite at the fillies. They scattered, unsure of what to do. Apple Bloom had no idea what to do, say, think, or feel. She ran away from the ravine, the changeling in hot pursuit behind her.

Oh, what is this? Apple Bloom looked at the tears flying from her eyes. Her mind felt numb. Am ah movin' now? Why? Why don't ah just let him get me? It would be quicker.

"Apple Bloom! Run this way!"

Sweetie Belle's voice brought her back. She picked up her head and veered left, back towards the ravine. Scootaloo was waiting there. The changeling nipped Apple Bloom right on the tail, causing the filly to jump forward.

"Keep running forward!"

"But, the ravine!"

"Trust me!" Sweetie Belle's voice knocked away the dark thoughts. The dark curtain that surrounded Apple Bloom was replaced with a bright, white one. She picked up her pace and ran right off of the ravine.

The changeling skidded to a halt right at the edge of the ravine, looking down at the falling pony. Before it could move, Spike jumped from behind a rock and screamed, grabbing onto the changeling's wings before it could even react. With all of his might, he scratched and pulled, damaging the wings. As the changeling screamed, Sweetie Belle turned around and bucked it right off the side of the ravine.

Apple Bloom fell, screaming as loud as she could. Is this it? She thought to herself. But, an orange blur appeared from the corners of her eyes. Scootaloo took a hold of Apple Bloom's hoof, and slowly made her way back up to the edge of the ravine. The changeling flew down next to them, trying to grab a hold of Apple Bloom. In response, Scootaloo veered left, causing the changeling to miss and continue its descent.

Scootaloo made it back to the top and placed Apple Bloom down on the edge. "That's twice you've had ta save me from fallin' off a cliff," Apple Bloom said with a smile. The girls all began to laugh. "Thank you," more tears fell from Apple Bloom's eyes as she moved to hug her friend. As she did, she noticed Sweetie Belle looking down at the ravine.

"Don't worry, he won't be back," Apple Bloom said, reassuring the unicorn.

"That's not it," Sweetie Belle said in a hushed tone. "I...I killed him..."

Silence. Apple Bloom stood up and made her way to Sweetie Belle.

"Don't think about it, okay? We're alive now. We can keep moving on."

"But...Ziljo..."

"Would want you to keep moving forward," Apple Bloom said. As she tried to comfort her friend, she knew those words were something she needed to tell herself. Ziljo's death must not be in vain.

"We have to move on. Ziljo wouldn't want us to be sad over it. He would want us to get to Saddle Arabia. I'm sure of it."

Sweetie Belle began to cry. "I'm just...tired of ponies dying...we were all supposed to stay together forever..." Apple Bloom knew she was talking about Rarity now. The yellow filly did nothing else but hug her friend, as the only sound she could hear was the sound of water hitting the ground. The sky was crying for those who have died, just as Sweetie Belle was. For a moment, Apple Bloom felt as if they were the only ones left on the planet. Alone among the tears from the sky.

Sleipnir 2 - Keeping Order

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"Do you see that?"

A Sleipnir guard called to Roddel and looked up at the sky. The orange tint of the heavens slowly grew dark. The heat from the sun gave way for the cold of the moon. Roddel remembered before he was sealed away, when the sun and moon moved through the sky, and how they had remained dead when he came back. Is it because of our return that the sun and moon move again?

Roddel led a group of soldiers to scout the surrounding land. He was under direct orders from King Falchion to search for the Keys to Order. If they could get back into the possession of the Sleipnir, then their grip on the land would surely be complete. The group searched in forests, in caves, and in the remains of the pony towns, but nothing has been found yet.

During the expedition, stray ponies would be found, and the other guards would take turns abusing or eating them. It made Roddel sick to his stomach seeing the poor creatures pulled apart, eaten whole, or stepped on.

Roddel was able to save one pony, though. He thought about that one specific incident after the group set out: they had arrived in a town in ruins. There didn't seem to be any sign of life as Roddel looked through each house, searching for anything that could lead him to the keys. In one house, he heard a creaking coming from above. Making his way up, he found himself in front of a closet. After opening the door, he was met with the cries of a filly. She was blue and white, with a horn coming out of her head. Seeing that, Roddel immediately backed away, remembering the evils that came from the addiction to magic.

"It's okay," He tried to say, but the pony only whimpered and cried. She didn't understand his words. Instead, Roddel pulled out a pile of hay from his pouch and moved to drop it near the pony. She flinched as he drew near, but upon seeing what it was, she slowly bent down to take some of the hay in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed, and Roddel could see the beginnings of a smile form at the corners of her tiny mouth.

"Roddel! Where are you?"

The Sleipnir immediately closed the closet door, but it was too late. A couple of soldiers barged into the room, swaggering and boasting as they did. "I heard the sound of somepony crying...it wasn't you, was it?" one soldier jokingly spat as the other one laughed. Roddel awkwardly joined in.

"Let's get going," Roddel tried to change the subject. "There's nothing in here that we need," A forced grin came to the captain's mouth.

The soldiers looked at him suspiciously before turning away to leave the house. "Why would the Keys to Order be in a flimsy house like this anyway?" One snorted. As they all walked out, Roddel turned back to the house. It sat at the end of a row of houses. They were all worn and broken, with roots and moss growing through them. They all looked lonely and sad. The street in front was overturned, bumpy, and also overgrown. As for the filly, he didn't know what would happen to her from then on, but he saved her life at that moment. He didn't know how well his authority could get over the soldiers if they tried to do anything rash.

But still...it was only one filly. One life. Roddel couldn't save them all.

*********

The sun rose and fell several more times, signalling the passage of time. And every time it fell, Roddel would end another day with no lead. Nothing at all in the desolate wasteland that was the ponies' kingdom. He found it perplexing that there would be no trace of the keys. They were not in the castle where he had last seen them. Maybe they eroded away?

Roddel's group reached the northern boundary before long. Due to how the Sleipnirs' powers grew weak in colder environments, a boundary was set up in order to prevent wanderers from getting trapped without a way to fight back. Roddel laughed to himself when he thought about their weakness. The Sleipnir, masters at creation, strongest beings in the land...and they are weak against the cold. All the power in the world, and the temperature is their bane. Amusing, he thought. If I could just bring Falchion here...

"What are you doing!?"

The Sleipnir captain stopped in his tracks. He had stepped over the boundary unknowingly. The other guards were calling out to him, concerned that he would collapse or lose power from being in the cold. Roddel started to turn back, but instead looked up to the sky. The sun sat high above him, casting its rays down on the earth below him. It felt...warm.

"Wait a minute..." One of the guards realized what Roddel did, and stepped past the boundary. Roddel's body felt as warm as it did back at the castle...could it have been that simple?

"It was the sun," Another guard explained, looking up quickly at the giant ball of fire in the sky. Back when the Sleipnir ruled the land, the Draconequus were the ones who controlled the movement of the sun and moon through the sky. Knowing that the Draconequus were few in numbers, if not extinct, Roddel guessed that the ponies had inherited this duty.

..And they had given the Sleipnir the chance to invade. Roddel hesitated where he stood.

"We need to report this!" A guard spoke up. He licked his lips as if receiving news that he had been invited to a free buffet. The other guards murmured in agreement. Roddel felt like a tree among wolves - they grouped together to search for their next prey, weaving through the silent, standing trees. The captain silently nodded, and crossed back over the "border".

*********

"We must act at once!" King Falchion's eyes gleamed as he spoke, addressing the Sleipnir taking refuge in the ruins of Canterlot Castle. "Whoever is in charge of the ponies to the north must know where the Keys to Order are being held - they may even be hiding them themselves!" The king grew in size as he spoke, his voice booming and echoing into the sky. "With the sun shining to the north, we will be able to overcome the cold and take what is ours. We should have never left this world," he looked right at Roddel as he spoke, sending a shiver down the captain's spine. "But now that we are back, we must show these ponies that they are nothing more than our creations - and snacks." The Sleipnir all cheered as Roddel could feel the morale rise like an inflated balloon.

Roddel left the vicinity of the crowd and found a place to sit and relax. His mind was spinning, and everything was moving so fast it became a blur to him. Roddel really wanted to just sit and look around. What he saw was the ruins of a civilization that he had helped birth. A birthing that came from treason. The prophecy that King Falchion had conjured before his sealing had come true - and here they are, standing in the aftermath. Some of the debris had been cleared; The Sleipnir began to rebuild from the remains of pony civilization swiftly. No longer would the young and feeble have to sleep outside under the burning sun. However, Roddel could never think of this as his home anymore. They were beings of the past, and although they have returned, the world had changed so much without their presence that Roddel felt as if he were in a foreign land. Even though he stood where he began his journey as a knight, those times were nothing more than a whisper in the wind. The trees that surrounded the land knew nothing of the time before.

Even worse was the fact that a sword hung over Roddel's head. If Falchion were to grow suspicious of Roddel's true loyalties, the Sleipnir would be executed without any question. The captain knew that without him, nopony would be able to act as a voice of reason against the bloodthirsty Sleipnir...he thought this, but he immediately remembered the filly he had been forced to eat. The magic coursed through his veins, giving him energy and power. It was an addiction, and his skin crawled the longer he went without it. Many of the Sleipnir are acting on fear or impulse. If there were only a way to get them to see what they really were...

"Mind if I take a seat?"

Rana's voice snapped Roddel back. The visions gave way for ruins, and Rana's lovely face appeared right in front of him. "Go right ahead," Roddel smiled, giving room for his foalhood friend to sit down.

"The rebuilding is going along smoothly," She started, pointing out to a distant area of the castle. "Using the ruins of the towns the ponies lived in, we are slowly returning to the way things were.

The way things were.

"Are we?" Roddel asked in such a tone that it surprised the mare as she gave him a look of concern. He had always seen Rana as a nice mare. She never yelled or became too angry, but she stood firm in her beliefs. Roddel wondered if Rana had eaten any of the ponies since they came back to the world.

"Well..." Rana hesitated, looking around. Nopony except the two of them were there. "...It scares me. Are you really going to invade the ponies in the north? Why can't we just live as we are now?"

"Falchion does not believe that his creations should have any autonomy," Roddel replied. "He created them, so he should decide what to do with them and what they should be doing...as he says."

Rana gave a long look, as if wondering if what she were about to say was right. Finally, she whispered. "Is there something we can do? To stop it, I mean?" The words gave Roddel a jump, More treason?

"You cannot talk about the king in this-"

"Roddel, you remember what you did, right?"

His heart sank.

"You followed the orders of our true king, the one everypony still adores and loves. Falchion murdered him, but you helped the ponies survive and live without the evils of..." Rana looked at her flank. "The prophecies of order are absolute. How about we create our own?"

The High King. Murdered by Kings Falchion and Thuun.

Roddel was about to respond when he heard a guard shouting from behind them. "It is time!" He called out to his captain. Rana's face dropped down as Roddel excused himself. The invasion was about to begin, and the captain of the Sleipnir had to be the one leading the charge.

Twilight 2 - Attack

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"Do you have a name picked out yet?" Twilight asked her fellow princess. Cadence looked worn from carrying a kingdom on her shoulders, and a baby in her belly. Even then, Cadence always managed to form a smile. The two of them walked along a balcony overlooking the Crystal Empire. As they spoke, Twilight glanced out onto the kingdom below. It looked as radiant as ever, completely casting a shadow over the rest of the world, the world Twilight knew was no more.

Cadence tilted her head to one side. "...I haven't really had time to sit and think about it. There's just so much to do, I've sometimes forgotten he or she was in here!" The princess's figure did not leave any indication that she was carrying a baby. In fact, Twilight believed that Cadence looked as great as she did before the world ended. Princess Cadence continued, "Tonight, I'll talk with Shining Armor about it. I promise."

The girls made their way into the throne room, talking about the current state of affairs. Guards lined the carpeted pathway to the glistening throne. They all straightened up as the princesses entered. Twilight looked around for the pony Flash Sentry, but didn't see him here.

"Any reports from your patrol?" Princess Cadence asked as she huffed over to the throne and sat down. Twilight knew that carrying a baby inside takes a lot of energy, and Cadence was more than deserving of it.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, your highness," one guard spoke up. "However...there is something you should know."

Twilight could tell that there was some tension in the air.

Another guard spoke up. "...You see, we noticed it was getting a little...hotter around here lately. I really don't mean to impose, but the sun seems to be shifted slightly north."

Princess Cadence nodded. "Now that you mention it, it does feel warmer than usual here, and I mean compared to before the...well, you know." The silence in the room didn't lessen the tension at all. The purple princess turned to look out the window. The sun stood high in the sky, although she did notice it indeed was little off track from what she was used to. She felt the warmth take hold of her body as if it weren't there before.

Warmer...!

Without another word, Twilight rushed out of the room. She galloped down the many stairs, turning sharply at every corner. Down and down she went, faster than she had ever moved before. She looked down and noticed that she had stopped using her legs and instead began to fly.
Guards flew in and out of sight like blurs. Twilight was lucky she didn't hit anypony on her way to...

Come on, don't tell me...The princess whispered to herself as she made her way down to the lowest level.

The prison.

Knocking the door wide open, Twilight startled the guard on duty, who couldn't process what was happening right in front of him. Twilight stopped a moment in order to catch her breath.

"What's going on!?" The guard asked her, confused. Twilight took a deep breath, exhaled, and then explained that she needed to get by. The guard moved without any hesitation.

Twilight entered the dark room and turned to look at the cell. There he stood - the captive Sleipnir. Twilight noticed he looked a lot healthier and more active now - the mark on his flank was glowing. His eyes were full of life, and a smile stretched across his face. When he noticed her, he began to laugh. The princess quickly cast the language spell.

"What's so funny!?" Twilight shouted at him, trying to sound intimidating. The Sleipnir did not flinch, however, and simply laughed harder.

"They're...coming," Were the only words he said before he began to laugh again. Twilight's heart sank. Does this mean...

Before she could react, the Sleipnir's flank began to glow once more as the shape changed to another rune. A red aura appeared around the being, culminating into a laser beam that nearly missed Twilight. After jumping to the side, Twilight immediately canceled the translating spell and fired a laser back, but the Sleipnir jumped forward through the now-broken bars. The guard from outside rushed in to see what the commotion was, only to be hit by another laser beam coming from the escaped prisoner.

Twilight focused her magic to create a barrier surrounding the Sleipnir as he tried to jump through the doorway. He hit the side of the barrier with a thud, shook his head, and said something to himself. The rune on his flank changed yet again, and in an instant, the Sleipnir appeared on the other side of the barrier, running past the injured guard and out of the dungeon. The princess wanted to follow, but she didn't want to leave the guard behind, so she instead rushed to his aid.

He lay there in pain, screaming in response to his wound. A hole right through his shoulder bled profusely, prompting the princess to tear some cloth off of the guard's uniform and push it against the wound.

"It will be okay!" Twilight reassured him.

His only response was, "Get him, princess."

Twilight nodded and rushed out of the dungeon in pursuit. Making her way into the grand foyer, she shouted out. "Prisoner escape!" Her voice echoed throughout the room, bouncing off of the fine crystal walls. Twilight turned to look all over, but could find no trace of the Sleipnir that escaped. With a heavy sigh, she rushed outside.

Words could not express what Twilight saw outside of the castle. A dark, grey cloud hung over the Crystal Empire, buzzing and swirling in multiple directions. Multiple figures dropped from the cloud and descended on the land below. Beams of light shot to and from the cloud, and screams of terror filled the air. The Sleipnir were upon them.

"Run into the castle!" Twilight tried to shout to the frenzied citizens of the Crystal Empire. They darted in all directions, with some trying to take shelter in their own homes. A few hundred Sleipnir rained onto the land, dragging the unicorns around and pushing the others away. Guards poured out of the castle to join those who had already begun fighting in the streets. Twilight took to the skies to join her fellow defenders. She shot beams of light out at the attackers, hitting a few out of the sky, teleporting to dodge any return fire. The princess landed on a nearby rooftop after a few minutes, exhausted from the extensive amount of magic and flying she had to do at the same time.

A silver light began to fly towards her. Twilight teleported a few feet away to avoid collision. It was a Sleipnir with a scar going across its face and down to its body. The rune on her flank looked similar, Twilight noticed, to the others who were flying around as well. The Sleipnir spoke to itself, and then the symbol quickly changed. The princess fired a beam, directly hitting the target. However, the beam bounced off and shot back right at Twilight. With a gasp, she moved to the side.

Reflection spell? Twilight thought to herself as the Sleipnir mare stood there with a sinister grin on her face. She knew that if she tried to fire anything that the mare would just reflect it back, so attacking with brute force was not an option. The rune on her flank remained the same, letting Twilight know that the Sleipnir could seem to only have one ability ready at a time, and that it would take a second to change it to something else. Just then, an idea popped into the princess's head.

She darted forward, shooting more lasers at the mare. As expected, she continued to reflect them. Twilight dodged the returning lasers and continued to fly straight towards the mare. Realizing she wasn't stopping, the Sleipnir flinched as Twilight came within inches of her. At that moment, Twilight teleported, disappearing from the mare's point of view. Startled at what happened, the mare looked to the left and right to see where her foe had gone. Twilight re-appeared right behind the mare, grabbed onto her back, and Teleported again. This time, the mare went with her.

Twilight and the mare appeared together as the princess released the Sleipnir. The ground had disappeared from beneath her hooves, as Twilight had teleported them 100 feet in the air. The mare screamed as she fell to the earth. Twilight noticed the rune on the Sleipnir's flank change, signifying that she was about to fly. Seeing the opportunity, Twilight fired a strong laser right at the Sleipnir, hitting her square in the back. Knocked unconscious, the Sleipnir plummeted to the earth, crashing into the ground with a deafening thud.

The princess panted, staring down at where the Sleipnir had landed. There was no doubt: she was dead. Twilight's heart raced as she realized that she had just killed somepony. I...I had to do it...they're attacking us! She thought to herself, justifying the murder. If she didn't do anything - if they didn't fight back - they would die. That was the way of the new world. Twilight descended back down to the chaos below.

"Attack them when their flanks glow!" Twilight shouted at the guards in her area. They nodded and waited for the opportunity to strike. The Sleipnir continued to attack, but anypony who tried to change their rune was immediately attacked by the guards. Those who had the flying rune began to hesitate as they changed, while those who had switched were unable to change back without fear of being attacked, although they were strong enough with whatever power they had. Twilight flew over the houses, looking for anypony out of place. Some Sleipnir got in her way, trying to tackle the mare at the same time. Twilight teleported in response, causing the Sleipnir to crash into each other, before continuing on towards the castle.

Ponies were trying to cram into the castle as guards fended off the Sleipnir that tired to pick at them. Twilight fired more lasers, hitting a few out of the sky. "It will be okay!" She shouted to the ponies as they cried and screamed. A loud, shrill scream came from inside the castle. Twilight could immediately recognize that it was the voice of princess Cadence. She flew up onto the balcony above and flew into the castle.

"Cadence!" Twilight yelled. She was met with a scream coming from her bedroom. Twilight flew through the hall and into the room. A single guard stood here, protecting the princess. She sat on the bed, breathing heavily and screaming.

"The baby's coming!" She yelled at Twilight.

Of all the times, it had to be now!?

"Where's my brother!?" Twilight asked.

"He went to fight against the Sleipnir," Cadence winced, feeling the baby coming any moment now. "He didn't want me to fight with a baby inside me, so he appointed this guard to watch over us as he went to help the others. I went into labor soon after he left."

"Okay, okay!" Twilight panted in response, looking around for something to assist the laboring princess. She turned to look at the guard. "Guard this room with your life." He nodded and left the room, leaving Twilight alone with Cadence. She pulled some blankets from the bed and lay them beside the other princess, then went to fetch towels from the nearby dresser. She used her magic to close the single window looking into this room, hoping that nopony would barge in at this delicate time.

After all the preparations were complete, Twilight approached the birthing princess. "Are you ready? We're going to have to do this now!" Cadence nodded.

"Push!"

Screaming.

"You can do this!"

More screaming.

"Cadence!"

Don't alert them that we are here.

"I see the head!"

New life. If only the girls could see this.

"Almost done!"

Crying, to add to the screaming.

Princess Cadence screamed with all of her might as her child was born. Twilight felt time stop as she stared down at her niece. It was an Alicorn, with huge wings and a horn. She cried and screamed as Twilight wrapped the blankets around her, cleaning her off with the towels. If it were any other time, she would have felt such glee to see her niece being born, but now was not the time to rejoice. Cadence looked exhausted as she lay there attached to the bed. Twilight could not move her out of the room even if she tried. The new mother looked at her daughter and began to cry.

"You will have to stay here," Twilight said to her, listening for any movement outside of the room. Cadence nodded.

"There, there," She said tearfully as she cradled her newborn, offering her milk to it. The foal's cries dampened and stopped as it drank, returning the room to a silent state.

"I really don't want to leave you here like this..." Twilight said, but Cadence looked up at her. Cadence looked exhausted - rightfully so - but she held onto her child tightly. Nopony, not even the kings themselves, would be able to disturb this scene.

"Go protect our ponies." Was all she said. "We will be alright here."

Giving a slight smile, Twilight nodded and turned to leave the room.

The grand foyer of the castle was filled with ponies trying to flee into the dungeons. The crystal labyrinth below the castle was well-suited as a hideout from the attack. Twilight did her best to guide the ponies while assuring them that everything would be okay. She saw fillies and colts, mares and elderly enter and descend. She didn't know how many of them had lost somepony today...no, she thought to herself. She didn't want to think about that now. She needed to look strong in front of her subjects.

This is all our fault, Twilight knew that she and Cadence should have perfected their sun and moon magic, as moving the sun too close to the Crystal Empire prompted this attack.

"Don't worry, princess." Twilight looked up to see a filly staring at her. "I believe in you!" Her statement was met with agreement from nearby ponies. They all knew that Twilight had helped save the kingdom from plenty of enemies in the past, and while this was much more gruesome and dangerous, she had always found a way to get through it. If only I could...that's it! Twilight knew what she needed to do.

Berry 3 - Death's Door

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"So you climbed all the way up that mountain to reach the Draconequus!?" Berry Bunches sat in awe as she heard Fluttershy recount her adventure since they had separated. The little pegasus could tell Fluttershy didn't want to relive the experience, and had been making the story sound lighter than Berry knew it was.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy continued her tale. The two of them sat on the side of the street as crystal ponies passed by. The sun sat high in the sky, warming up Berry's bones as they both munched on a plate of carrots. Berry had felt the happiest in a long time, now that Fluttershy was with her once again. The filly would not even be alive if it weren't for Fluttershy. The dark days in Manehatten felt like ages ago, as the memories of her father hung around in her mind. Fluttershy's words and soft voice tore through the image of her father and rained light on Berry's mind.

"...And, you're sure you want to try and...talk to them?" Berry asked, concerned for Fluttershy's safety.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled. "I have to do my part, and I know that if I tried really hard, I might have a better chance to succeed."

Soon, the sky started to become cloudy. The loss of light from the sun prompted the filly to look up and see what was the cause of the weather. "Clouds?" She asked out loud. Other ponies in the area also stopped and looked up to see what was happening. Ever since the sun and moon began to move again, no clouds had gathered in the sky - no pegasi have been collecting clouds either.

As more ponies gathered to look up at the darkening sky, Berry noticed the cloud getting bigger and bigger, until she was convinced that it was not a cloud. A single, tiny dot separated from the dark blob filling the sky, moving quickly away from it. Berry saw the tiny dot getting bigger, as if moving towards them. Other ponies grew concerned, until the dot emitted a blue aura. Some ponies gasped as they looked on at the spectacle. Other ponies began screaming and ran away. Once the blue aura cleared, Berry noticed a red one appear in the same place, and realized that it was heading right towards the gathered ponies.

"Run!"

What looked like a laser hit the building right next to the street. Debris flew everywhere as the ponies realized what was happening and scrambled. A blue aura appeared around the dot again, and Berry realized that it was a Sleipnir. The being landed right onto the street, just a few feet from where the filly stood. Without thinking, Berry turned around and galloped for her life. More dots began to fall from the sky, taking form as Sleipnir as they approached the earth. Ponies ran in every direction, making it hard for Berry to properly navigate her way to safety - the castle.

"Fluttershy!" Berry called out, trying to find her friend. It was no use; the ponies were too panicked that the screams drowned out her voice. Sounds of houses breaking, ponies screaming, and Sleipnir munching disoriented the poor filly as she stumbled around. Shaking her head, Berry saw an alleyway in front of her. The pegasus took cover inside, moving away from the open area. With heavy breaths, Berry did her best to get through the tight space, tensing up as faint explosions filled the air. Her entire body was shaking as memories of Manehatten came rushing back to her. She kept moving, growing more and more tense as she went, until she finally succumbed to the fear and collapsed to the ground.

More explosions filled the air, coupled with screams and cries. The world was spinning around her. Berry blinked rapidly, seeing visions of Twilight, Fluttershy, and her father. They danced around the alley, growing fuzzy as the filly's vision grew dark.

Is this the end? The filly thought to herself. After everything she had been through after the end of the world, her path would finally end. The Sleipnir would come and make a meal out of her. There was nothing she could do about it.

Berry began to laugh. She didn't know why, but she just laughed. Maybe she was laughing her pain away, but her laughter grew louder. She banged a hoof on the cold ground and took deep breaths in between her bursts of laughter.

They will definitely find me if I laugh like this. She thought to herself, but quickly dismissed the thought. One way or another, it would happen. Her laughter grew louder. Hooves could be heard from the entrance to the alley. They found me.

A small hum emerged from somewhere. It started as she laughed, as a low vibration, but when she laughed more and more, the hum grew stronger. Eventually, she stopped laughing to find out where it was coming from. Was it from the Sleipnir? She thought to herself, but her conclusion was proven false as a blue aura appeared around the filly herself. She looked down and saw the necklace. Pinkie Pie's Element of Laughter. It shone beautifully, calming the pony down immediately.

The Sleipnir approached Berry from behind, ready to strike. The filly, however, turned to face her attackers as the blue light grew even stronger.

"What's this!?" One of the Sleipnir shouted, stumbling backwards. He tripped and fell onto the other Sleipnir, knocking them both down. Berry snapped back to her senses and, realizing what happened, got up and ran away. The jewel around Berry's neck continued to glow as she weaved through the alleyway, coming out the other side. The light from above filled her pupils in an instant, causing her to squint. Ponies were all frantically heading towards the castle as the Sleipnir stormed the areas around them. Bigger Sleipnir wearing thick, sturdy armor cut through the ponies like cheese while a few other Sleipnir cast spells from above. The Crystal Army fought back, with battles taking place on land and in the air. Spells shot in every direction and blades clanged against armor. Berry barely avoided a spell by ducking, and darted off towards the castle.

"Attack them when their flanks grow!" A voice came from above. Berry looked up to see Twilight, commanding the guards. She was fighting the Sleipnir herself with such majesty that Berry couldn't tell if she was fighting or dancing.

Bringing her attention back down below, Berry ran right into a group of ponies trying to make their way into the castle. There were so many bodies entangled around the castle grounds and the doorway that Berry could feel herself losing her breath. A scream pierced through the air, soon drowned out by other shouting and yells. Berry felt bodies falling on top of her as she tried to push her way forward. As she pressed onwards, she felt the hoof of an older gentlecolt on her back.

"Where do you think you're going!?" He frantically yelled out amidst the chaos. "I was here first!"

"No, I was here first!" A mare shouted from behind him. More hooves flew in every direction, some hurting the filly. Berry didn't want to be left outside with the Sleipnir...but she didn't want the others to either.

I need to...get in!

Berry ducked down and weaved in the small spaces between the ponies. The sounds of magical beams grew louder as she feared that the Sleipnir were nearing the castle. Berry pushed and weaved and screamed her way through the crowd, until she popped out and landed on a hard, crystal floor. Berry was already inside the grand foyer of the castle. The ponies were all moving towards the dungeons as guards did their best to guide them in and keep things orderly. Everypony had the look of fear in their eyes as they descended into the dark caverns below, and Berry had no choice but to follow them down.

The caverns were a place the filly had never explored fully since she arrived in the Crystal Empire, so Berry did not know what to expect. As she moved further away from the light, the cavern walls began to provide their own light, illuminating in beautiful shades of purple and green.

Wow...she thought to herself as the continued on. The ponies moving around her also noticed the caverns, and any sense of mistrust, anger, or fear they had was replaced by a calming sense of security. In the cold depths of the crystal caverns, the ponies lost all sense of the violence and destruction that was taking place above.

Soon, the pathway the ponies followed emptied out into a big opening. The crystals were even brighter down here. As Berry walked into the chamber, she could spot families huddling in small groups around her. Some fillies were crying as they were held by their parents, while mares and gentlecolts even shed a few tears over their lost ones. Berry found an open spot and collapsed on the ground. The rush of fatigue engulfed her, putting the filly to sleep. Before she could even think about Fluttershy or Twilight, or anypony else still above, her dreams took over.

Cutie Mark Chronicles 4 - Home

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Apple Bloom stared into the ravine every time the group stopped to rest. They moved swiftly and quietly along the edge, taking care not to catch the attention of anypony dangerous, and rested inside every nook and cranny they could find. If a way to cross would come into view, the group would make sure to cross when it is dark. Each step on the hard rocks hurt Apple Bloom's hooves. Each beat felt like a nail being driven into her underhoof, but she knew that to give up would mean death. The changelings could be anywhere - or anything. The distance to Saddle Arabia seemed to grow on and on.

Dozens of thoughts flew through the tired filly's mind as they went on. The most prominent were images of Sweet Apple Acres. She could smell the warm Apple pie that Granny Smith took out of the oven. She could hear the knocking sounds on wood as Applejack would buck a great apple tree. She could feel the loving embrace of her big brother as he tucked her into bed at night. It was a great and simple life. A life that doesn't exist anymore except in her memory.

And if she were to die, the memory would too.

I won't die here, the filly thought to herself, pressing forward.

"Over there!" Spike's called out loud, placing a claw over his mouth after he realized how much noise me made. The fillies looked where he pointed and saw a rope bridge, stretching over the ravine. The group would be able to cross and move towards Saddle Arabia! Apple Bloom tried to contain her excitement, as they were nowhere out of harm's way yet, but it was nice to have some good hope for a change.

The bridge looked quite sturdy, considering all that happened in the world. The group huddled around the edge of the bridge. Nopony moved.

Spike was the first to speak up. "...I'll go first," He said, trembling as he took his first step.

"Are ya sure?" Apple Bloom asked. The dragon nodded.

"Positive. I need to be brave for all of us."

Spike took more and more steps, each more cautious than the last. Apple Bloom could see his heart pounding out of his chest and the sweat dripping off of his brow.

"Almost there...and made it!" Spike triumphantly said.

"Um," Scootaloo spoke up. "You're only on the second board."

Spike looked back at the crusaders. "At least we know the first two boards are okay," He sheepishly said. The girls giggled. Scootaloo was the first to join Spike on the bridge, followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. The four followed each other along the bridge, careful not to look down. The bridge creaked and groaned with each step, but the bridge seemed to hold out.

"Just keep looking up," Apple Bloom said to Sweetie Belle. The filly's eyes were closed, peeking out every so often to make sure she was still walking in the right direction. After making it halfway across, Apple Bloom turned to look at the ravine's horizon. It was a beautiful sight, considering where she was. The rocky edges on each side contrasted with the desert that lay beyond. The sky was a lovely shade of purple and pink, with few clouds in sight. Mist was rising from the bottom of the ravine, cloaking the abyss below.

As Apple Bloom stood, awestruck by the view, Sweetie Belle continued moving forward, eyes closed. Spike and Scootaloo made it near the other side before they looked back to see where their friends were.

"Hey!" Scootaloo called out to Apple Bloom, snapping her out of her trance. Sweetie Belle ran right into the filly, causing both of them to lose balance. The bridge started swaying back and forth. Everypony screamed as they struggled to hold on. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, both tangled together from their collision, began to slip off one side of the bridge. Scootaloo tried to move towards them, but the bridge grew even more unstable, causing her to back up. Apple Bloom looked over at her friends and gave a small smile as she and Sweetie Belle descended into the mist, down to the abyss. Spike and Scootaloo's screams could be heard even as the fillies fell.

***

"Oww..." Apple Bloom groaned. Am ah dead?She couldn't feel anything except dripping water on her forehead. The filly passed in and out of consciousness. Images came flooding into her head again. The schoolhouse, the town hall, Canterlot Castle. At last, an image of Sweet Apple Acres came into focus. Apple Bloom seemed to materialize at the location. She could smell the sweet smell of apples. The grass at her hooves felt real.

"Am ah...home? Was it all a dream?" Apple Bloom tried to make out what was going on, but as she did, she heard somepony hollering in the background. Apple Bloom turned and saw Applejack and Big Mac, galloping back from the orchard.

"Hey, Apple Bloom!" Applejack called out to her sister. Big Mac followed closely behind. Apple Bloom immediately began to cry, and ran towards her siblings.

"You're here! You're really here!" Apple Bloom was snatched up in a great embrace, sobbing into her sister's hooves. The three Apples sat on the ground.

"We're here, Apple Bloom," Applejack responded, placing a hoof on Apple Bloom's head.

"Was it just a dream? Please tell me it was just a dream!" Apple Bloom pleaded. Applejack didn't respond, but instead nuzzled her sister.

The filly had never felt happier. Everything she had been through, everything they had been through, felt like a dream. The sun sat high in the sky, the birds chirped and flew by, and Apple Bloom could even smell the apple pie.

The apple pie?

Apple Bloom looked at the house and saw Granny Smith through the window, setting the pie out to cool. She waved at her grandkids. Apple Bloom began to tear up again.

"What's the matter, sugar cube?" Applejack looked down at her sister.

"Can we...can we have some apple pie?" The filly asked. Applejack nodded and stood up. Big Mac was the first to move towards the house, followed by the sisters. Everything was just as Apple Bloom remembered. The wooden frame of the house, the pictures inside, and the big table where they would sit for meals. It was all the real deal. Granny Smith was in the kitchen setting the table.

"Ah, Apple Bloom!" She smiled as the filly entered the room. They entered a loving embrace, one that Apple Bloom had desired for so long. Applejack brought the pie to the table and cut it up into six slices. Everypony took their place at the table and took a piece of the pie. Apple Bloom looked down at it; it looked just like Granny Smith's pies. Slowly, the filly took a bite. It tasted just like it too.

"Ah'm so glad it was just a dream," Apple Bloom spoke up after eating some more of the pie. The other three only looked at each other.

"Ah know it might sound weird, but it felt so real!" Apple Bloom continued. She didn't expect them to understand.

"Apple Bloom,"

But at least now everything is back to normal.

"Apple Bloom,"

I love my family so much.

"Apple Bloom,"

The filly looked up. Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith all looked at her with sad expressions.

"What's wrong?" Apple Bloom was confused.

"...We..." It was Big Mac this time who spoke up. "...It wasn't a dream. It really happened."

The filly couldn't understand what he meant. "What?"

Applejack moved closer to her sister. "Sugar cube..."

Apple Bloom heard hoofsteps coming from the entrance to the kitchen. She grew even more confused, as she thought everypony was already here. Then, she noticed that there were two pieces of pie left, and two more seats at the table. Six ponies.

Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, me.....

Two ponies walked into the room. They looked like older versions of Big Mac and Applejack. Apple Bloom stopped following what was going on. She stared at the two more closely, and realized...

"Mom...Dad?" She said softly. They smiled earnestly and nodded.

They can't be here, Apple Bloom thought to herself. They're already...

That was when it hit her. Apple Bloom began quivering as if she had seen ghosts.

"Sugar cube," Applejack repeated. "Don't be afraid. It's us. It's still us."

"Does that mean...we're...."

Everypony nodded at Apple Bloom's question.

"Sweetie," Apple Bloom's mother called out, walking towards the crying filly and gave her a great hug. "It's so good to see how much you've grown." The filly's tears grew as she wailed in her mother's arms. Nopony spoke, but all gathered close around Apple Bloom.

"Ah...It's good to see you, mom," Apple Bloom could finally form words again. She was too emotional to process what was going on, but for all she knew, she was with her family. She was home. She wanted to stay with them and relive old times. But, doing so would mean...

"Ah want to stay here with you, but....Ah don't want to die."

Applejack's voice came from behind her. "Don't worry, darlin', it's not yer time yet."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed. "We'll always be here waitin'. We'll always be here watchin'."

Apple Bloom's father knelt down to look her in the eyes. "You're the bravest Apple I know. You've gotten as far as you did with your friends. They need you."

"Dad..." Apple Bloom hugged her father tightly.

One by one, the furniture in the kitchen started to disappear, followed by her parents and Granny Smith. Apple Bloom teared up again as she raised a hoof at her siblings. Big Mac smiled before he disappeared.

Applejack looked down at her sister and hugged her one last time. "You can survive, Apple Bloom. Ah know it."

***

A droplet of water hit Apple Bloom on the head, causing her to wake up. All of the pain rushed through her body, causing the filly to scream out in pain. She found herself on a bed of grass next to falling water. Looking around with weak eyes, she could tell she was at the bottom of the ravine. The light was very dim, cutting through the mist above her. Apple Bloom stumbled to her feet. She saw a drop of red pass down her face. One step felt like a knife digging into her underhoof.

What happened? Apple Bloom remembered falling off of the bridge with Sweetie Belle. With Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom called out for her friend. She could hear her voice echo through the ravine. The filly stumbled onward, through the rocky path. Her steps grew slower, as each knife in her hoof shot an image of home into her mind. The home she had lost. The home she could never see again. Death could bring her there once again, but Apple Bloom feared death more than she loved the afterlife, if it were true. Her mind grew cautious and scared with every knife. Each one landing perfectly.

The darkness was too much for Apple Bloom to bear. Every echo in the cave sounded like somepony that would attack her, and she jumped every time her ear pricked up. As she made her way forward, she saw a pair of blue eyes cutting through the darkness - the eyes of a changeling. Apple Bloom screamed, scared that the monster would find her.

"Apple Bloom?"

Sweetie Belle's voice echoed through the ravine as a white figure moved towards her. Apple Bloom screamed again before seeing that it was in fact Sweetie Belle. She looked just as banged up as she did. Her horn was cracked, and blood ran down the side of her face. But, it looked like her friend.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle!"

Apple Bloom moved to hug her friend, however, the steps she took to get there felt like more knives, and an image of the changeling that killed Ziljo burned in her mind.

"Wait a second...Are you reallly Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom grew suspicious.

"What?" The filly squeaked. "It's me! Who else would it be?"

The darkness enveloped the image of Sweetie Belle, and all Apple Bloom could see was the changeling staring back at her. The changelings that killed her sister and her zebra friends.

"Don't lie to me!" Apple Bloom started to scream.

"Apple Bloom, you're scaring me..." Sweetie Belle grew timid. "I just want to get out of here..."

Apple Bloom wasn't listening. All on her mind was the image of the changelings meshed with her images of home. With a scream, Apple Bloom leaped forward and tackled Sweetie Belle. The two fillies fell back into a rocky wall. Sweetie Belle cried out in pain, but Apple Bloom kept going with all of her strength. She took a small rock and bashed Sweetie Belle in the side with it, causing the unicorn to fall to the ground. Apple Bloom jumped on top of her and then held the rock above her head, ready to drop it. The fire in Apple Bloom's eyes was intense and full of rage. Images of her family flew through her mind, each image being burnt up as it passed.

As the filly started to move her hooves down, she heard her father's voice in her head. "They need you." Apple Bloom stopped in her tracks and looked down. She saw a bleeding Sweetie Belle, sobbing and huddling in fright. She could hear one word come out of the filly's mouth: "Rarity..."

Apple Bloom opened her mouth, and eventually threw the rock away. "Oh, Sweetie Belle...Ah'm so sorry..." Apple Bloom dropped down and hugged her friend, sobbing as well. "Ah thought you were..."

Sweetie Belle looked at her friend. "It's...it's okay...ouch" The filly held her side. The wound was bleeding. Apple Bloom looked around and saw the pack Sweetie Belle was carrying. The filly crawled to reach it and looked inside.

"Here," Apple Bloom said. "I'll patch you up."

Sweetie Belle looked up at her friend. "No, you take it. You have a big cut on your head." With all of her strength, Sweetie Belle got up, took the cloth from Apple Bloom, and proceeded to wrap it around her head. As she did so, the necklace around her neck began to glow a warm purple.

"The element of generosity!" Apple Bloom cried, looking down at her friend's necklace.

"Rarity's still with me, right?" Sweetie Belle laughed, holding her side after feeling the pain.

"There's another cloth in here, let's patch you up next."

***

"Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said. The two fillies lay at the bottom of the ravine, growing weak and tired from the blood loss and hunger.

"Yeah, Sweetie Belle?"

"Are we going to die?"

"No. We've gotten this far." Apple Bloom didn't want to fail her family now. Not like this.

"But...we can't climb out. It's too dark to see. My magic isn't going to work now because of my horn. And-ow!"

"Shhh." Apple Bloom calmed her friend down. "Don't waste more energy...We'll be okay...."

Silence.

"Sweetie Belle?"

Apple Bloom's vision grew hazy as she turned to look at her friend. Sweetie Belle looked blurry and still. With one blink, she heard the ravine above her rumble. Apple Bloom turned to look up and saw a white dot among the darkness. It grew bigger and bigger. She wanted to stay awake to see what it was, but before she knew it, her eyes were closed shut.

Twilight 3 - Rescue

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Twilight found herself outside once again. The Crystal Empire guards were pushing back the Sleipnir as best as they could, but the enemy forces were too strong. The princess made her way to the center of the defensive line, and projected her voice to everypony around.

"Unicorns!" Twilight shouted. "I need you to all help me in creating a barrier surrounding the castle!" The unicorns in the area immediately followed her instruction, and fired their magic up. A great, pink barrier began enveloping the castle. It was slow to move due to the number of unicorns. The pegasi flew up into the air, ready to intercept the Sleipnir who started to fly up and over the barrier.

Twilight quickly flew inside to reach those who were retreating. "Unicorns!" She repeated once more to the crowd. Those who were still able-bodied nodded and lent their magic to the princess. Beams of light shot up from the crowd, starting from the foyer and moving in towards the dungeons below. The barrier grew faster and stronger, enveloping the entire castle. The princess smiled as she flew outside to see what was happening.

The Sleipnir shifted their attention from the ponies to the barrier itself. With the smell of magic in the air, the Sleipnir attached themselves to the barrier like flies on sticky paper, licking the barrier as if it were an ice cream cone. The princess didn't think it would work, but the barrier seemed to be enough of a distraction for her to get away from the scene.

"I'm going to have to leave the castle for a bit, okay?" She said to the guards. They all looked at her with eyes of puppy dogs.

"You're going to leave us alone!?" One of the guards asked in a high voice. Twilight could see him shaking in his hooves.

"Don't worry," Twilight responded. "You are all very capable. You are the Knights of the Crystal Empire! I will be back with reinforcements!" Without another word, Twilight teleported through the barrier and quickly flew away. I hope you will all be okay, she thought to herself as she took flight. Twilight very well knew that they stood no chance against the Sleipnir, but she had to keep their morale high. Or else...The princess shook her head to clear the negative thoughts out. Let's just keep moving...

The Sleipnir were too attracted to the amount of magic coming from the castle to notice Twlight fly past them. Oh, I hope this works! Twilight thought to herself, flying as fast as she could to the edge of the kingdom. As she zoomed by, she saw all of the destruction that had come to pass - bodies of both Sleipnir and pony everywhere, buildings ruined and scorched, and silence hanging thick in the air. A single tear fell from the princess's eye before once again shaking it off. Before long, a small house came into view on the horizon.

"Discord!"

Twilight's voice rung out as she teleported into the building. It was empty, surprisingly to her. There was absolutely nothing in the room except for an end table with a lamp placed on top of it. "Discord!" She called out again, but there was no answer. With one more sweep of the room, she spoke in a hushed tone. "I know you're in here..." Twilight slowly floated from one side of the room to the other. As she passed by the lamp, the princess quickly turned around and lifted the lampshade up, revealing a tiny Discord posing as a lightbulb.

"What are you doing here, Discord?" Twilight was not amused by Discord's antics at all.

The Draconequus gave a sheepish laugh as he snapped his fingers and disappeared with a cloud of smoke, re-appearing next to the table. Twilight saw a worried look on his face; he knew what was going on outside.

"The kingdom is under attack-" Twilight began to scold him, but Discord raised a claw.

"I know, I know!" Discord's face grew more twisted. "My kind were the mortal enemies of the Sleipnir, battles for thousands of years before they disappeared, yada yada yada...But, I'm all alone now! As great as I am, and I know you know how great I am, my magic isn't enough to take on this many!"

"You're not alone," Twilight looked Discord right in the eyes as she spoke with a reassuring tone. The twisted expression on Discord's face began to loosen up. "You have me, Fluttershy, and all of the Crystal ponies out there right now. We are much less powerful than you are, but we are out there fighting. Unless you help us, however, we will all die. Isn't there something you can do?"

Discord looked out the window. He saw smoke clouds rising from the distant buildings, and the screams of ponies could be heard. A swarm of Sleipnir clouding the sky cast a shadow upon the entire kingdom. Then, a sudden thought raced into Discord's head, which he exclaimed loudly: "Fluttershy's in danger! Oh, how could I be so selfish!?"

Twilight smiled. The Draconequus snapped his fingers again and a chair appeared underneath him, which he proceeded to sit on. A table also appeared, along with a map spread out right on top of it.

"First," Discord began, pointing at the map. "We need to cool the kingdom off a bit. Because the Sleipnir's magic is nullified in cold weather, we're going to have to speed up winter."

"How do we do that?"

"Easy." Discord pointed at the Crystal Palace on the map. "The Crystal Heart - this little gem prevents the kingdom from freezing over."

Twilight shook her head in confusion. "That might do too much damage to the kingdom! Sure, we may be able to repel the attackers, but we'll just be open to attacks from others!"

"It's the only way to keep the Crystal Empire out of the Sleipnir's hands." Discord replied. Twilight saw the seriousness in his face and reluctantly nodded.

"I can take care of the heart." Discord continued. "As for you, my queen, we have another obstacle to clear." Discord turned to look out the window. The giant ball of light in the sky - the sun - whose rays were being cast down over the land. The source of the Sleipnir's power hovered in the sky. "You will need to move the sun away from the kingdom. The effects of removing the heart may help us in the long run, but if you take away the source of their immediate power, we can better defend the empire now."

A sinking feeling in Twilight's stomach emerged after hearing the plan. "Moving the sun was Cadence's job, and she's resting after giving birth...And I had enough of a problem learning how to move the moon!"

Discord placed his claws on Twilight's shoulders. "It's the only way to stop their magic. I can create enough of a distraction for you to pull it off."

Twilght felt the weight of responsibility on her hooves after hearing the plan. If only we had better control over the sun and moon, then this wouldn't have happened... It was because they moved the sun too far north that the Sleipnir were able to come in. The lives lost...it was all because of...

"Twilight!"

Discord shook the princess. "Forget about what happened! We need you here now. I'll do what I can to make a distraction. Use that time to move the sun. I mean, I could do it myself, but you're better suited to that, aren't you?"

"How are you so ready to help us?" Twilight asked. "Just a moment ago, you were hiding in fear..."

"I'm just as scared as you right now," Discord replied. "But if Fluttershy...and the rest of you... are all gone, then who would be left to prank? I sure can't play with the Sleipnir the same way..."

"But as soon as I start using my magic, the ones in the air...the kings... will come right for me..."

Discord raised his voice. "What were you just telling me a few moments ago? You need to be ready to fight just like everypony else! Leave them to me, and just focus on moving the sun!" Without another word, Discord disappeared, leaving Twilight alone in the house.

A loud ringing noise came from outside. Twilight exited the house and perched herself on its rooftop. Many of the buildings in the Crystal Empire were turned into gingerbread houses. Chocolate rain began to fall from cotton candy clouds.

A Sleipnir descended from the swarm above, heading right for Twilight. The princess readied her magic to brace for impact. As the Sleipnir charged up its magic, a sudden pink cloud of smoke engulfed the Sleipnir, lasting for only a few seconds. As the Sleipnir shot its magic at the princess, Twilight saw a trail of chocolate fly right towards her. Twilight fired her beam at the confused Sleipnir, knocking it down and away.

Discord's chaos is actually coming in handy, for once! Twilight thought to herself as she focused on her target: the sun. "If I can just get to the top of the castle..." Twilight readied her wings and launched herself towards the castle as fast as she could.

The entire town changed its appearance before Twilight's eyes. One second it will look normal, and the other it will deform to a chaotic mess. The Sleipnir seemed to move their attention towards fixing the chaos over brutalizing the ponies, giving the princess a clearer path to her destination. Twilight looked down at the carnage below. Her stomach curled upon seeing the dead ponies juxtaposed to the bright gingerbread houses, or the cotton candy clouds. The chocolate rain bounced off of the ponies who did not make it, eventually burying them under the sweet liquid. Fearing she would get too distracted, Twilight looked up at the castle. Almost there... She muttered to herself. As soon as she reached the castle wall, Twilight shifted her movement upwards, gliding along the side. The princess beat back any feelings of exhaustion, eventually perching herself at the top of the castle.

The sight below her was anything but beautiful. Ponies and Sleipnir were scrambling everywhere, as chocolate, cotton candy, and flying pigs concentrated all throughout the town. More Sleipnir hovered between Twilight and the distant sun. She took a deep, long breath, remembering everything that she has been through up to this point. I need to place trust in Discord...and myself, she thought to herself. An image of her friends, and Princess Celestia and Luna made their way into Twilight's mind. Soon, Cadence and her newborn filly joined them. I have to protect them. I have to protect everypony. I am the Princess of Friendship!

Twilight directed her horn towards the sun and channeled her magic. The Sleipnir hovering in the air became aware of her presence, but Twilight ignored them, instead focusing on her objective. Discord will protect me. A pink beam shot out with great force from the princess's horn, piercing through the Sleipnir swarm and the clouds above. Twilight felt her magic connect to the sun, enveloping the fireball. With all of her might, Twilight tried to push the sun. She felt like she was trying to push a rock with water. The mana drained from her body, but Twilight made the best of every last ounce.

The giant Sleipnir kings looked towards Twilight and slowly floated down in her direction. Twilight could hear distant roars draw nearer, but she didn't break her concentration. She could feel the sun start to budge. Almost there!

As the giant Sleipnir neared Twilight, a swarm of flying pigs overtook them. Discord floated up to the top of the castle and stared the kings. Twilight could hear them speak angrily in their language.

"You're doing great, Twilight!" Discord yelled to the princess. The kings immediately lunged towards the Draconequus, but missed when Discord teleported at the last second.

"Too slow!" Discord shouted from the other side. He conjured up a giant cotton candy cloud and rode it around the kings. The pair used their own magic to remove the cloud from existence, but Discord created another one in its place. Discord used the clouds as a distraction as he inched closer to the Crystal Heart, which sat right in front of the castle itself.

Meanwhile, Twilight felt her grip on the sun get stronger. With the Sleipnir distracted, Twilight put all of her might into pushing. Her hooves began to buckle out from under her, and sweat dripped down her sides.

Twilight felt her hold on the Sun suddenly loosen. Shocked, Twilight opened her eyes to see what was happening. A group of Sleipnir gathered around the beam a good distance from where Twilight stood. They were licking and chomping at the magical beam, sapping some of the mana out of it. Twilight didn't want to break concentration, as she might not have enough energy or time to get started again. Before she could panic, several brightly-colored beams pierced right through the Sleipnir; a group of Unicorns on the backs of Pegasi flew up to assist the Princess. Flash Sentry was among them.

"We have your flank, Princess!" They all shouted as they soared by, moving towards their next target in the distance. With a smile, Twilight's grip on the Sun returned, and she could feel it move even more. Suddenly, she heard Discord's scream as it seemed like he was swatted away by the kings. They turned their attention towards the princess, lunging once more at her. Their roars echoed in Twilight's ears; she gave her own scream as she gave one final push. She could feel the water harden into ice as her grip on the Sun strengthen tremendously, and she felt the Sun slide away as if it were pushed down a hill.

The temperature in the Crystal Empire decreased drastically as a cold front swept across the town. A sudden chill went down Twilight's spine. As the princess opened her eyes, she saw the Sleipnir kings frozen in place. Many of the Sleipnir below stopped moving, having their mana drained from the lack of heat. The colors on their flanks dimmed, and those who were flying began to fall from the sky. The ponies took this opportunity to fight them back. Magical beams and spears flew in every direction. Many of the Sleipnir who were just recently terrorizing the kingdom now found themselves on the other end of the stick.

The kings looked at Twilight with contempt and charged at her once again, trying their best not to succumb to the effects of the cold weather. A flash of lighting emerged from the kings' eyes, heading right towards the princess. Twilight, seeing the aggression in their eyes, braced herself, but at that moment a loud shatter rang through the air. It was as if the entire palace itself cracked and fell apart. Twilight looked to the castle and saw the Crystal Heart in pieces. Discord stood over them with a grin on his face. The sky grew even darker as the air grew stiff.

The lighting fizzled away, leaving the princess safe from the attack. In disgust, the kings retreated and turned towards their army. They screamed what seemed like orders, and used their remaining strength to fly south. The Sleipnir that could move followed their kings, slithering away just as quickly as they came. The giant grey cloud of Sleipnir dissipated as snow clouds took their place. As if by perfect timing, snow began to fall across the land, mixing with the remnants of chocolate and gingerbread. The air was quiet, save for the sudden breeze. Twilight took a sigh of relief as she finally collapsed from exhaustion.

***

"Are you okay, Twilight?"

The princess woke up in a warm, fluffy bed. Fluttershy was staring at her. When Twilight opened her eyes, Fluttershy smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay," She said, dropping her head down towards the bed. The crackling of a fire filled the silence in the room. Twilight got up and hugged her friend. They embraced for what seemed like the longest time, an embrace that not even the Sleipnir Kings could break if they tried. Twilight could feel something wet drip onto her shoulder as she heard short bursts of cries come from her friend. These were tears collected over everything that had happened, right from the first meteor to land in Equestria, all those moons ago. Twilight found herself crying as well, as the two sat and sobbed, and hugged for what felt like forever.

"How is everything?" Twilight finally asked. She didn't want to know how long she was out of it, but she needed to get back to her duties to the ponies as soon as possible.

Fluttershy blew her nose in the most gentle way she could. "Discord returned the kingdom to normal, and gathered all of the....the fallen. The ponies that fled underground have been slowly coming out."

"Were there any Sleipnir taken captive?"

The yellow pegasus shook her head. "Those who remained tried to fight, but the Crystal Guards...oh, I can't think about it anymore!" Fluttershy quickly closed her eyes.

"And princess Cadence? Her filly?"

"I am okay, Twilight."

Princess Cadence trotted into the room, perching herself next to Twilight's bed. Berry Bunches followed right behind her. Seeing Fluttershy, Berry galloped over and embraced her friend."My filly is resting now. She is really tired. I'm sure everypony is." Cadence gave a small laugh.

"Well," Twilight sighed. "We made it. But, what now?"

Berry looked at Twilight. "I heard what happened! You pushed the sun away and saved the Crystal Empire!" The filly began to laugh in amazement. Twilight began to grin, but noticed that Berry's necklace glowed with every laugh.

"The Element of Laughter...it's reacting!?" Twilight's mood completely shifted as she observed this new data.

The filly stopped and looked down at the Element hanging around her neck. Yeah, I noticed it when I was out there. What does it mean?"

Twilight pondered for a moment. "Well, to my knowledge, the elements have only reacted when those who were able to use them...Can it be!?" The princess looked to Fluttershy, whose Element hung around her own neck as well, and an epiphany came to her.

"I think I know what we can do!" Twilight shouted as she jumped out of bed.

"What's going on?" Fluttershy did not catch on to the realization.

"The Elements! It seems that The Element of Laughter has found its next owner, and it's Berry! This means...that the other remaining elements can find new owners as well!"

Twilight flew up into the air as she continued. "If we can get the elements with their new owners, and bring them all together, maybe we can use them to restore peace to Equestria!"

Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement. "Oh, but Rainbow Dash's element was....eaten." She finished the sentence in a hush, not wanting to remember that dreadful day.

"Yeah..." Twilight's tone shifted upon realizing that they might not be able to get all of them together. "The only ones left are with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom."

After a second, Twilight continued once again.

"Either way, we still need to gather the ones we can...I will go and search for the Crusaders and Spike. He did send me a letter saying they were going south...They must be in Saddle Arabia by now."

"Isn't this a little sudden?" Cadence spoke up. "What if it doesn't work? You have to fly right past the Sleipnir in Canterlot to reach the south."

Twilight returned to the ground. "Regardless, I can't leave them out there alone. I should have gone after them sooner...Oh, I have to make haste!" The princess began to turn to look for what she needs to bring with her for the journey.

Fluttershy spoke up. "I'm going with you. I'm sure Discord will be happy to come along as well."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Twilight responded, happy to go on one more journey with her friend.

"Me too!" Berry shouted, jumping up and down. Fluttershy looked at her with a worried look.

"It could be too dangerous for you to come along!" Everypony except Berry agreed. The filly gave a mad look.

"You need all of the elements together, don't you? Well, if I'm really the new Element of Laughter, there's no good in separating me from the element, and there's no sense leaving me here. We will need to be together to confront them anyway, so why not take me with you to save a trip?"

Twilight sighed. "As right as you are, it's still too dangerous..."

"I can handle myself," Berry replied. "And besides, Discord would be with us. Both of you will be there as well!" The fire burning in her heart was too strong to put out.

After thinking over it for a little while longer, Twilight gave in. "Fine, but you need to do exactly as we say. Got it?"

"Yes!" Berry cheered in excitement over finally being able to go back out into the world.

Cadence looked at them all. "I'll be fine with everything here, don't you worry about that! I'll get Shining Armor to help out as well."

The princesses embraced. "I feel bad for leaving you here alone with your newborn and the kingdom to look after, but we'll be back soon. I promise you."

Cutie Mark Chronicles 5 - Desert Ponies

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Sweetie Belle could smell something strange in the air. It seemed strong and bitter, and spicy. It was definitely something she had never smelled before. Is this what heaven smells like? She thought to herself. Stirring, the filly slowly opened her eyes. Adjusting to the light, she rubbed her hoof over her eyes.

The room was dimly lit with candles of different colors. The heat coming off of them soothed the filly. After a few sniffs, Sweetie Belle concluded that the aroma was coming from the candles. They flickered in the otherwise empty room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of hard sandstone, and there was no window to be seen. Sweetie Belle could make out a door on the other side of the room. She slowly got to her hooves and made her way over. Something fell off of her back when she stood up. Turning to see what it was, Sweetie Belle found some kind of leafy pouch. It gave off a similar aroma to the candles.

"Hmm..." The filly pondered. A sharp jolt of pain surged through her horn. "Ouch!" She yelled, then quickly recovered and made her way to the door. It opened easily.

The unicorn found herself in a narrow hallway. The walls were lined with weird pictures of ponies and other symbols, separated into columns by blue vertical lines. Torches were lit at each corner, but was otherwise empty as well. Sweetie Belle picked a direction and made her way through. The hallway twisted and turned like a maze, prompting the filly to move slowly through it as she didn't know what would be around the corner. Eventually, the hallway poured into a giant room, the most magnificent thing she had ever seen in her life.

The ceiling was high and covered in more symbols. Waterfalls lined opposite sides of the room, dumping water into a vast pool. Ponies filled the room with laughter and other chatter. They wore sheets of different colored cloth, adorned with beautiful stitches and jewels. Rarity would have loved these outfits. As Sweetie Belle gasped in awe, a pony wearing armor approached her.

"Ah, you're awake!" He called out to the filly. It took her a moment to acknowledge him.

"Is this...Is this heaven?" Sweetie Belle was extremely confused at this point. The last thing I remember was... The pain in her horn stopped her train of thought.

The guard laughed. "No, you are very much alive. Miraculously so! Come, let me take you to the Sultana. She has been waiting for you to awaken...She will explain." He guided Sweetie Belle through the room. The coolness of the water pressed against her skin as she saw her bright reflection in the water. Sweetie Belle saw a filly she didn't recognize staring back at her. Her hair was faded and her sides had many scar marks. A crack ran right along her horn. Her cutie mark looked just as faded, as if it were an old tattoo. She stopped and began to cry.

The guard stopped once he realized that Sweetie Belle stopped following. He turned back to comfort her. "You come from Equestria, yes? You've come such a long way. I admire your courage."

"I wasn't alone," Sweetie Belle replied. "I had help from..." Where are they? Spike, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo?? The memories of the ravine flooded back into her mind. The fall, the attack from Apple Bloom... Sweetie Belle began to panic at the thought that they might have been...

"Do not worry," The guard proceeded to calm her down. "Your friends are safe. They are with the Sultana. Come, let's go."

The pony led Sweetie Belle into the Sultana's chamber. It was a wide room with large pillars of stone lining the walls. Statues of mares and colts decorated the space. At the far end sat an elegant throne, lined with gold and covered in brightly-colored fabrics and pillows. A mare sat upon the throne. She looked as regal as Princess Celestia, with lots of jewelry around her neck and on her hooves. She wore a simple crown with an emblem of a snake at the forehead. As the two approached, the Sultana smiled.

"I see you have finally woken up," The Sultana spoke in a firm, yet gentle voice. "Welcome to Saddle Arabia. I am Princess Stellae, the Sultana of this land." Sweetie Belle could see the strain that the Sultana has been put under, as her eyes could tell the tale.

"Where are..." Sweetie Belle's first thought was to inquire about her friends. Please let them be okay!

Princess Stellae smiled. "You are looking for your friends?" She looked towards one of the pillars. As Sweetie Belle approached it, she could see the red tail of Apple Bloom right on the other side. The sight made her heart jump: Apple Bloom, Spike, and Scootaloo all stood there in the room. As soon as Sweetie Belle approached, they all embraced in a group hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo sighed before bursting into tears. "We found you at the bottom of the ravine...I didn't know if you would make it." The group cried and cried together on the white marble floor of the Sultana's chamber.

"My guards found your friends here when they were patrolling. They said two of their own fell into the ravine, so we sent some help to get you out. I heard that you two were in bad shape down at the bottom." She looked at Apple Bloom as she spoke. "It is good that we found you when we did."

Sweetie Belle looked at her filly friend. Apple Bloom had a sad look on her face and stared down at the floor. Sweetie Belle remembered what had happened at the bottom of the ravine: the empty look in Apple Bloom's eyes, the rock, and the blood all melted together in Sweetie Belle's mind.

"Anyway," Princess Stellae continued. "Please, make yourselves at home here. We were fortunate enough to not have our palace harmed by the rocks that fell from the sky, although we have been...rather busy fighting off our foes."

The princess began speaking about the attacks on her kingdom from both the Sleipnir and the Changelings. The crusaders offered their own recounts of what happened at Canterlot, the refuge at the Crystal Empire, being chased by the Changelings, and what happened to the Zebra clan. Each word that they spoke brought back harsh memories and more tears, but they did their best to make sure their story was told. The Princess listened intently the entire time, with the occasional nod.

"This is rather unfortunate...I am sorry you young ones had to go through so much," The Sultana had a somber look when she heard about what happened to Ziljo, the zebra tribal chief. "Is there anything that I can do for you at the moment?"

Spike stepped forward and bowed in front of the princess. "If you could, may I borrow some paper and a quill? I would like to write a letter to Princess Twilight."

The princess clapped her hooves together. "Of course," She said as an attendant emerged from an adjacent room. She carried a pack of paper and quills. "In fact, I would like to write my own letter to the Princess. To let her know that we will stand by and assist Equestria in any way that we can."

*********

Two scrolls sealed with the Mark of Saddle Arabia were produced and ready to ship out. Spike held both in his hands, ready to send them to his friend. With one breath, he blew on the scroll written by Princess Stellae. His green flame caught hold of the parchment as it dissolved into the wind. Taking another breath, Spike blew on the second scroll, written by him and the fillies.

After the letters were sent, a guard rushed into the room. "Sultana!" He panted. "We have managed to fight the changelings back to their lair! It is in pieces! The ground forces would like you to helm the final charge!"

Princess Stellae smiled. "Forgive me," She turned towards her newest guests. "But I must depart. Again, make yourselves at home here, and hopefully we will be back soon."

"Wait!" Apple Bloom called after the Princess. "You have ta let us go with you!"

Stellae looked at the filly. "But, I cannot let fillies anywhere near the scene of a battle! It's far too dangerous!"

Apple Bloom looked the princess right in the eyes. "Ah understand...but, we've been through so much now because of them. Ah just..Ah just want to see it for mahself." Sweetie Belle remembered what the changeling queen did to Applejack, and knew that Apple Bloom wanted to get her own revenge.

"Besides," Sweetie Belle added. "We are the...we are the new elements of harmony!" She showed off her element, hanging elegantly around her neck.

The princess sighed. "I will take you with me, but you are to stay back at the camp with the injured and the doctors! Do you understand?"

Everypony nodded in agreement.

The guard led the Princess and the Crusaders to a giant chariot on a dirt runway. Two pegasi guards stood at the front, waiting to pull it to the battle. The Princess nodded to let the fillies in first, and then sat herself inside. The guards readied their wings and ran towards the end of the runway, taking flight towards the end of the run. The chariot lifted into the air as if it were empty, leaving the fillies in awe as they saw the land below them get smaller and smaller.

"The Changeling's Lair is located to the Northwest of here, due west of the deserts above." The Princess explained as they flew along. "The lair is usually covered and guarded by an anti-magical field, but our reports say that the field was destroyed by the recent meteor shower. The Changelings, who usually don't stray too far away, scrambled as a result and scourged the land, looking for food. It must be why they've been as far as the Crystal Empire. Our palace was not harmed by the shower, but we have had to fight them back ever since."

The scenery changed beneath them as she spoke. Sweetie Belle could make out the ravine far below them. It stretched for miles in both directions, twisting and turning in many different ways. Soon enough, the ravine grew wider and wider, until it engulfed the landscape below them. Trees became more sparse, with rocky cliffs and hills taking their place.

Eventually, a reddish glow appeared on the horizon. Sweetie Belle saw the top of a craggy castle, followed by the rocky towers. "Is that the lair?" She asked. Princess Stellae nodded. Sweetie Belle's spine began to shiver as she sank back into her seat.

The chariot began to descend at a camp close to the outskirts of the Changeling territory. Many ponies moved around, waiting for the arrival of their Princess. Upon seeing the chariot, the ponies stopped and bowed.

Princess Stellae stepped out first. She looked at everypony and spoke in a loud, commanding voice. "For too long have Saddle Arabia, and our sister nation Equestria, had to deal with the Changeling threat! Today is the day we show our dominance, and drive them away once and for all!"

The ponies all cheered in response before returning to their duties. The princess turned back to the fillies. "Now, if you will follow me," She said, and moved towards one of the tents.

"This is my personal tent. You are to remain here and not go near the castle. I cannot guarantee your safety if you leave." The crusaders all nodded. "Now, I will be on my way." The princess turned and left them alone.

"Well," Scootaloo spoke after a moment of silence, looking right at Apple Bloom. "Now what? We had such a nice place to stay at before!"

The earth filly did not respond.

Sighing, Scootaloo made her way further into the tent. "Look at this thing!" She picked up some object on a table. It was something that none of them had ever seen before. Sweetie Belle made her way over.

"Can I see it?"

"Hold on!"

"But, I want to see it!"

The two fought back and forth. Spike approached them to try and settle them down, but it didn't work. Sweetie Belle picked it up with her hooves, but it slipped out and crashed to the ground.

"Look what you did!" Scootaloo turned to yell, but changed tone. "...Where did Apple Bloom go?"

The filly was no longer in the tent.

Sweetie Belle poked her head out. "Apple Bloom?" But there were no fillies around. She returned her head to the tent, looking worried.

"Apple Bloom could be going towards the Changeling Lair!" Scootaloo gasped. "We can't leave her alone, especially not here!"

"The princess told us to wait here..." Spike told the group, but they ignored him. The fillies poked their heads out of the tent again, checking for anypony nearby, before they finally jumped outside. Spike gave a loud sigh and followed them out. Once outside, the three jumped behind another tent, sneaking past the ponies who remained at the camp - they were talking about the battle soon to come. Slowly, they made their way out of the camp and down into the valley leading to the Changeling Lair.

"Wait!" Spike stopped the girls. "We should come up with a codeword. You know, to make sure we aren't changelings."

"How about apple?" Sweetie Belle offered. "When one person says apple, the others say bloom." The other two nodded. Sweetie Belle hoped that they wouldn't run into the same situation they had with the zebras. She hoped that the ponies would be able to drive the Changelings away and leave them alone.

*********

The Changeling castle looked menacing from afar, although seeing the castle in its ruined state made Scootaloo feel sad. As evil as the changelings were, their home was destroyed along with the rest of Equestria. It really did become a fight to survive between everypony who remained. And Scootaloo didn't want to lose that fight. They made it this far together, and Scootaloo had every intention to rescue her friend. The air was cold and damp as the girls made their way down the rocky slopes, followed closely behind by Spike. He gasped and groaned with each step, sometimes losing his footing and tripping over the jagged rocks.

As they moved closer to the castle, the camp became farther out of view. "Is this really a good idea?" Sweetie Belle asked as she inched her way down the valley.

"If Apple Bloom did go to the lair," Scootaloo responded, "Then there's no way she will be able to get out safely. We need to go and help her!"

"What if she just went to the little filly's room?" Spike jumped in, sounding rather timid. Scootaloo saw his legs buckling underneath him. Seeing his discomfort made her feel a little scared too, as if the weight of their recent decisions have finally caught up with her.

"I know her," Scootaloo reassured the others. "She would never sneak out like that if she knew we would just follow her,"

"But she did sneak out, and we are following her," Sweetie Belle jumped from rock to rock, turning the journey into a game. On one rock, she missed the landing and slipped right off the side of the rock. The resulting sound pierced the air like a shockwave. The others ducked down and hid behind the rocks in response.

Everything was quiet.

"You're going to get us caught!" Scootaloo whispered to her friend with a look of anger on her face. If they were caught by either side, then it would all be over."

A horn was heard in the distance. Scootaloo looked to the top of the valley and saw the pony forces lined up, ready to descend into the valley. A black swarm poured out of the changeling lair in response, like a swarm of bees exiting a hive to protect their honey. "They're going to fight!" Scootaloo said. "Now's our chance!" She sped towards the lair as fast as she could, ducking behind rocks along the way. Due to their small statures, hiding was easy for them. The ponies charged down into the valley as the changelings rose up to meet them. Before long, Scootaloo began hearing the sound of blades clashing and battle cries echoing through the air. Yet another battle between ponies and changelings.

Soon enough, the group made it to the base of the lair. It looked gross from up close, resembling a black blistering hive. The damage done was very apparent as holes in the walls highlighted where the meteors pierced through. This gave the group an easy way inside as Scootaloo jumped up to climb in.

The inside of the lair was cavernous, dark, and damp. Pockets of light came through the holes in the walls, but there was little else in the way of light. The ground felt sticky and moist, and the air was stale. Scootaloo didn't want to be here any longer, but she knew they couldn't leave until they find Apple Bloom. The sounds of war outside echoed through the caverns as holes opened up and closed in intervals, as if they were all sleeping beasts breathing through their mouths.

"I say we pick a hole and jump through!" Scootaloo said, waiting for the right time to enter a hole. The cavern stretched down a long, curved hallway, rising far above the group. Scootaloo could not see the top of the room they were in. One hole nearby stayed open for a few seconds longer, prompting the filly to act.

"Here!" she shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the cavern.

The others nodded, and they all jumped through. The hole led them to a narrow passageway - just as slimy and dark as the previous room. The other end led into a cavern that looked just like where they were before. The holes continued to breathe, giving the illusion that they were inside a living being. The fillies and Spike jumped from hole to hole without any sense of direction, hoping that they would find Apple Bloom soon.

"What did she think she could accomplish by coming here alone, anyway?" Spike grumbled as he struggled to keep up with the girls. His two legs were not enough to match the fillies' hooves, but he trudged along anyway. The trio climbed up, jumped down, and moved from side to side through the seemingly endless labyrinth. Luckily, however, there seemed to be no changelings around.

Scootaloo led the charge through the lair, deciding where to go based on a whim. At one point, she believed they had been going around in a circle, as the hallway they were in looked like one they were previously in. Groaning, Scootaloo went in the opposite direction.

"Are we lost?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"No!" Scootaloo retorted. "I think we're getting closer!"

As they continued along, Scootaloo jumped into one hole just as it closed behind her. Taking a few leaps forward, Scootaloo turned back to make sure her friends were okay. However, Sweetie Belle and Spike were nowhere to be seen. The filly stopped her movements and made her way back to the hole. As she looked at it opening and closing, she discovered - to her horror - that the other side would change each time the hole opened up. The labyrinth they were working their way through was being randomized! That also means Spike and Sweetie Belle could be anywhere.

"No, no, no!" Scootaloo jumped through the hole again, ending up in a room that she knew was completely different from the one she had originally came from. "Sweetie Belle! Spike!" She yelled, jumping through more holes and halls. It was no use - she was completely and utterly lost. Tears began forming in Scootaloo's eyes. Her friends - the ones she had led here - were missing. We might not ever be able to find our way out of the lair at this rate, she thought to herself. The filly began flying up through the cavern to try to reach new rooms, but she didn't know where she was anymore.

After jumping through one hole, Scootaloo landed on something. "Ow!" She yelled as she hit her head on the floor. Looking up at what she hit, she saw something yellow enter her sight. It was Apple Bloom!

"Ow..." Apple Bloom groaned, placing a hoof on her forehead. Scootaloo's tears grew stronger as she hugged her friend.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She began saying, but jumped back as she suddenly remembered where they were. For all she knew, the Apple Bloom in front of her could be a fake. However, Apple Bloom wasn't there when they talked about the code word.

"What was the name of our teacher at school?" Scootaloo asked, squinting at the figure that might be Apple Bloom. As she spoke, a loud growl echoed throughout the cavern. It started as a faint noise, but grew in volume rather quickly, prompting Scootaloo to stop her interrogation and run for it. "No time, let's go!" Apple Bloom spoke quickly, grabbing the hoof of her friend.

"So what were you doing here by yourself?" Scootaloo asked, still unsure of the truth. Apple Bloom turned to the filly as she spoke. "Ah just needed to do this by mahself..."

"But we are Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Scootaloo responded, jumping over a small gap. "We have been doing everything together!"

"Well you shouldn't have come!" Apple Bloom yelled.

Scootaloo looked at her friend. "The Apple Bloom I know would never say that!" But before she could question her again, a figure jumped out of a hole in front of the two of them. It was Spike!

"Thank goodness I found you both!" He said. Beyond him, Sweetie Belle came running towards the group. She looked as if she had not seen the others for many years.

"We're all together!" Sweetie Belle cheered as Spike gave a sigh of relief. Scootaloo sighed as well, but tensed up as she looked at the other three. I have to make sure...

"Apple." The word flew from the pegasus's mouth like a dagger thrown into the darkness.

"Bloom."

Scootaloo only heard one voice respond.

"Ah thought the code word was 'Cherilee'..." Apple Bloom's head tilted in suspicion. Scootaloo's heart sank in her chest, realizing the grave danger they were all in. She didn't even get a chance to turn her head towards the impostor before she felt something sharp on the back of her neck, and before she knew it, she was on the ground. The faint sounds of screaming filled her ears as she saw a trail of red spread along the damp ground. The rest of Scootaloo's body grew cold, and she felt nothing but the small grains of dirt between her and the cavern floor.

Fluttershy 3 - On the Road Again

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Fluttershy placed the last of her rations into her travel saddle. Twilight told her and Berry to get ready for the journey, not knowing when they would return. Fluttershy couldn't bear to think about what the little fillies have been through since being separated from everypony else. At the same time, the pegasus had her own mission to go on.

"We will split up near Canterlot," Fluttershy told her friend. "Discord and I will make for the castle, while you and Berry travel to Saddle Arabia." The look on the pony's eyes were serious, showing Twilight that she really was going to follow through in her plan to talk to the Sleipnir. The princess couldn't help but sigh.

"You know that I still don't approve of this," she began. "But, I can't stop you." Twilight gave Fluttershy a hug.

"Thanks, Twilight," Fluttershy said. The embrace felt like one that friends give each other before never seeing each other again. Fluttershy didn't know how the journey would go, or if she would even be successful in speaking to them. However, she knew that if she couldn't do it, nopony else could.

"Twilight!"

Cadence's voice carried from the adjacent hall. The two broke their hug and followed the sound of her voice. Cadence sat in the throne room, underneath a large cloud of smoke. It had floated in through the window, lingering over the throne.

"A letter is coming," Cadence said as the smoke focused itself into a trail, finally materializing as a scroll in front of the princess. A second trail of smoke made its way towards Twilight, producing a second scroll. Both scrolls carried the seal of Saddle Arabia.

"Is this from Princess Stellae?" Princess Cadence asked as she opened her scroll using her magic.

To the Current Princesses of Equestria, Twilight and Cadence,
Let me say that we in Saddle Arabia are in mourning for the loss of Princesses Celestia and Luna,
and that we are currently holding together as a kingdom.
I will keep this brief in the event that this is intercepted by any wandering eyes:
As we move forward, I wish that Saddle Arabia and The Crystal Empire can work together and restore peace to Equestria.
Anything that you need, I will be more than willing to provide.
Best Regards,
Princess Stellae, Sultana of Saddle Arabia

Twilight opened her scroll, which contained familiar handwriting:

Twilight,

It's been a while since I last sent you a letter. Sorry for the delay, but know that the fillies and I are doing okay.
We have made it to Saddle Arabia. They seem to be doing well here, but there are still dangers out there.
I will try to keep in touch as we move forward.

Your faithful companion,
Spike

"It's good to see they're okay," A weight lifted off of Fluttershy's shoulders upon hearing the news. Twilight placed the letter down and turned to the pegasus.

"We cannot delay any further," She said. Fluttershy nodded.

"I will keep everything under control here," Cadence told them. "I'll take care of the sun and moon too, so don't worry about trying to move them from out there."

"Thank you," Twilight said. "We will be back to see you soon, don't worry!" Fluttershy could tell that Twilight did not want to place such a heavy burden on the new mother, but Cadence gave a smile that the pegasus knew was genuine.

Fluttershy followed Berry and Princess Twilight out of the castle and into the town. It was the first time being outside since the Sleipnir attack, so Fluttershy did not know what to expect. The buildings were surprisingly in good shape, as Discord used his magic to undo the damage caused during the attack. However, the town itself felt like a shell. The ponies who survived mourned those who have died. Mares, Colts, and filies alike were all among the lost. The town was quiet as ponies stared at the three making their way out.

"Princess?" One pony spoke up. "You're leaving us!?" Other ponies began to gather around, wondering why the Princess looked like she was packed and ready to leave. Soon, a large group surrounded them.

"Do not worry," Twilight spoke above the murmuring crowd. "The Crystal Empire is the last beacon of hope in Equestria, but we are not alone! We have received word from Saddle Arabia; they are surviving and as strong as ever!" The crowd continued to discuss and talk, but the energy felt more positive overall.

"We will be traveling south to meet with them," Twilight continued. "And we will be back in no time!"

"Be careful!" One pony shouted from the crowd. "I hope you aren't attacked!?" Another shouted.

The Crystal Guards soon arrived on the scene, having heard the commotion from the castle. "Okay, let's let them pass," They said to the crowd, creating a clear path for them to move through. As Fluttershy passed by, she saw many sad looks on the ponies' faces. They felt vulnerable without their Princesses. She knew how hard it must be for Twilight to decide to leave.

Discord sat at the edge of the town, trimming his nails. "Took you long enough," Discord said as he got up.

Twilight began to speak. "Alright, so once we teleport to Saddle Ara-"

"Oh, we can't teleport there," Discord interjected.

The princess gave him a surprised look. "Why not? Isn't something like that a piece of cake for you?"

"You flatter me," Discord exclaimed. "But, unless you want to get intercepted by the Sleipnir and let them all know that we are moving, I suggest that we go there manually. If the Sleipnir are attracted to pony magic, they will most certainly be aware of the use of Draconequus magic."

"As much as I want to just fix it all with my magic, I can only do so much before they find us. So, magic is only used as a last resort."

Twilight sighed. "I understand," She turned to Berry Bunches. "I'm sorry, but since we can't just teleport there, I don't think it would be a good idea to come along with us anymore. It will be much more dangerous."

Berry stood her ground. "I still want to go. I'm old enough to take care of myself!" Berry's damaged wing fluttered as she spoke.

This time, Twilight stayed firm. "It is far too dangerous, Berry. I am not allowing you to go."

"It's just as dangerous for you too!" Berry snapped back. "You've seen what they can do, and using magic is a guaranteed death sentence. I can keep quiet and follow your orders! Please, you have to let me go!"

Twilight stayed silent for a moment. Discord and Fluttershy exchanged glances. The passion in Berry Bunches's eyes was apparent to everypony watching her. Finally, Twilight gave a nod.

"You do exactly as we say, understand?"

The filly nodded. "Down to the letter!"

"Now!" Discord shouted as he floated above the others. "Let us begin our most dangerous journey! We only have a 4% chance of survival, by my calculations."

"How do you figure that?" Twilight asked. Discord scoffed.

"Well, there are 4 of us," Discord retorted. "1% each."

*********

The group made it as far as they could go by following the tracks that led out of the Crystal Empire. The first leg of the journey was uneventful and fairly easy as they approached the zone where the temperature began to grow warmer. By hoof it took until sunset to reach the border, prompting Twilight to start setting up camp. She found a wooded area near the tracks to shelter them from any eyes above. Fluttershy and Berry Bunches scavenged the area for berries and other food for a meal, while Discord scouted around to make sure they were safe.

"I can't believe I'm doing this..." Discord mumbled as he walked around, without using any magic. "Walking? Me!?" As he walked, Discord stepped right onto a small jagged pebble. "Ouch!" He cried, jumping up and down. He pulled the pebble out and threw it with all of his might.

Twilight started a small fire using some nearby twigs and stone. The moon sat perched high above the sky while the flames flickered in the moonlight. The others returned and joined the princess. Fluttershy sighed in relief as she rested her hooves. "The night is nice and quiet," She said.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Twilight replied. "We don't want to attract too much attention to ourselves."

As the pegasus slept, dreams of Ponyville flew into her head. She dreamed of Sweet Apple Acres - it was Cider season, and she was the very first one in line this time. One swig of the lovely drink and she was in heaven. Applejack stood at the other side, smiling and handing out more mugs to the other ponies.

Fluttershy woke up with tears running down her face. The fire had been put out; only the smoke rose up from its place. Twilight, Berry, and Discord all slept around it. The pegasus heard nothing but the sound of snoring, quietly blending with the sound of nature. There was no denying where they were now. Everything that had happened to them, to the world, was just as real as the water running down the side of her cheek. Fluttershy was constantly reminded of this, but the pony had learned to fuel her own desire to survive. The dragons, the manticore in the cave, the little filly stuck under the rubble, the frozen mountains.... she could not dare to fail her purpose after everything everypony else had done in order for the group to be where they are now. Just as the smoke rises up from the pile of ash, Fluttershy resolved to rise up just the same.

The sounds of nature grew louder, prompting Fluttershy to bow her head and sit still. It sounded like hoofsteps stepping on the crunchy grass. Multiple steps. And they were getting even louder.

"Twilight...Discord," Fluttershy tried to wake her friends as quietly as possible so as to not bring attention to the group. Twilight rolled over in her sleep and Discord snorted.

They're going to come right towards us, The pegasus thought. What should I do?

The pony stood herself up and crawled towards some nearby bushes. There was a light in the distance, which the pony quietly moved toward. While moving towards another bush, she fell heavily onto the ground, causing the bush to make noise as it shook. Fearing that whoever was there would be suspicious, Fluttershy quickly improvised and let out the cry of a bird. Her call was returned by some birds in the distance.

Fluttershy's hooves were uneasy as her heart tried to escape its shaken prison. Slowly looking through the bush, she could make out three figures. They were all bigger than normal ponies, burly and hardened. She could tell they were Sleipnir, possibly patroling the area. Are we close to one of their camps? The asked herself. The situation could grow even more dangerous if her suspicions were correct.

Looking back at the camp, Fluttershy noticed that the smoke was still rising. They were currently far enough away from the camp to not notice the others, but the smoke... Oh no! She thought to herself. If the Sleipnir notice that, then...

What do I do!? I have to protect them!

Fluttershy quickly looked back to the Sleipnir. One carried a long spear at his side and another carried a torch; Fluttershy knew it was now or never. Readying her wings, the pegasus lunged forward, hurling herself at the Sleipnir with the spear. Fluttershy was never a fast flyer, but the speed at which she moved was one that even Rainbow Dash would have been proud of.

Not anticipating the ambush, the Sleipnir was tackled to the ground by the yellow pony, who quickly proceeded to grab the spear and stab him right in the neck. He let out a cry of pain as the other two Sleipnir realized what was happening. Fluttershy jumped back and vaulted herself into the air, using her wings to carry her up to the treetops.

"What was that!?" The Sleipnir with the torch shouted, holding the light up to the trees to see just what had happened. "Was that a bat? A manticore?"

"Calm yourself!" The other snapped, readying its magic. Fluttershy could hear what they were saying as if they were speaking her own language, and kept herself camouflaged within the thicket. Leaves rumbled in many random spots, causing the two Sleipnir to turn towards the sound at each instance. The one with magic studied the thicket closely, and finally honed in on a location.

"There!" He shouted as the spear hurled itself towards him. The Sleipnir used his magic to redirect the air currents, making the object fly past him and stick itself into the ground. The Sleipnir scoffed. "You're going to have to do better than that!" He said in a cocky tone as he picked up the spear. When the shaft was dislodged from the ground, the Sleipnir noticed that the sharp end was snapped off, leaving only the stick in his hooves. Confused, the Sleipnir looked into the hole where he pulled it out. Nothing.

"What the-"

A shiny, metal object flew from the trees, just where the rest of the spear had come from. This time, it pierced right through the back of the Sleipnir's skull, and he dropped to the ground.

The final Sleipnir screamed as Fluttershy dropped down and tackled him as well, pinning him to the ground. The torch rolled away from the struggle.

"What are you doing here!?" Fluttershy interrogated the scared Sleipnir.

"We...we were just following orders!"

Fluttershy applied more force to the Sleipnir's hooves. For a big Sleipnir, this one seemed to be more of a coward than what Fluttershy had encountered previously. Just as there were many kinds of ponies, there must be many different Sleipnir.

"Okay!" The Sleipnir yelped. "We were just scouting for a good battleground! Nothing more!"

"Battleground?" Fluttershy gave the Sleipnir the stare. He yelped once more.

"I heard there's griffons coming! They want to fight!"

Without another word, Fluttershy flew back up into the trees, leaving the Sleipnir alone near the bodies of his fellow soldiers.

The pegasus made her way back to the camp. There, she saw Twilight and Berry huddled together as Discord stood guard. They must have heard what was going on and prepared to defend themselves.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight's eyes glistened as she saw her friend. "Where were you!" It was dark, but Twilight could tell that it was Fluttershy.

"Oh, I'm glad you're safe," Fluttershy hugged the group. "We have a problem,"

"What's wrong?"

"The Sleipnir know about the Griffon invasion. They must know that they are on our side, and are planning to stop them."

"How did-"

"No time!" Fluttershy quickly said. "We have to move now! It's not safe here anymore!"

Fluttershy led the others away from the area where the confrontation happened, heading further south towards the heart of Equestria. As soon as they cleared the forest, the group proceeded to fly as fast as they could, until they depleted all of their energy.

"Fluttershy, I'm getting tired...Can we stop for a bit?" Berry said. Fluttershy nodded and descended, finding a small abandoned cottage near some farmlands. The land looked old and unused, and seemed suitable for a place to take refuge. Inside, the cottage looked untouched since the meteors fell. There was an ample supply of food, as if the owners got up and left after the world ended.

"So, what's going on?" Discord asked. "I don't like when you keep secrets from me!"

"The Sleipnir already know about the Griffons' plan, somehow." Fluttershy gasped for breath as she spoke. "The griffons will be walking into a bloodbath if we don't do something..."

"Well, should we send them a warning?" Twilight offered.

"We will be caught before we're halfway out of Equestria," Discord retorted. "There's no time to reach the Griffons."

The group sat in silence for a moment. Fluttershy suddenly stood up.

"I have to go talk with the Sleipnir now."

"That's suicide!" Twilight said. "I know you've been wanting to do this, but the outcome is becoming increasingly unlikely to be successful!"

"But Twlight, I-"

"Even if they decide to listen to you without immediately killing you," Twilight continued with more concern in her voice. "Why would they just 'stop what they're doing and leave'? Why would they decide to not fight the Griffons because you told them to?"

"Do you have a better plan, Twilight?" Fluttershy stood her ground, looking more confident than she ever had been. Discord pulled up a chair and whistled in approval.

"...I don't." Twilight replied. "But, our first priority should be making sure the girls are okay."

"We can split up from here," Fluttershy proposed. "You and Berry continue south to Saddle Arabia, while Discord and I head to Canterlot."

"I'm the only pony in the world who can speak to them. If I don't do it, then there will be nothing but violence in our future. If they kill me, then so be it, but we won't know until we find out." Fluttershy never expected those words to come out of her mouth, but the fire in her eyes was not going to be extinguished anytime soon.

Twilight finally nodded. "I'll support your decision. Just please, be careful out there." Twilight smiled and gave her friend a hug. One that Fluttershy felt could be their last.

"I will."

*********

The group decided to stay at the cottage for a few more hours, regaining their strength and re-supplying before the next leg of the journey. Twilight estimated that they were due west of Canterlot now, which left Fluttershy and Discord not much distance to travel. Twilight and Berry had the longer journey ahead of them, needing to fly past the great deserts in the south.

As the four stood at the center of the farmland, they all took one last look at each other before departing. "We will meet again," Fluttershy said reassuringly to Berry, who began to tear up.

"You better keep that promise," Berry said, tearfully. Fluttershy and Discord turned towards the east and started the journey. Hopefully, the last one that they would ever need to make. If Fluttershy believed in herself, then maybe her words would be able to reach even the strongest, mightiest of kings, and help bring the entire world to peace. It was a great dream.

Peyton 2 - Primed for War

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"Go!"

Peyton readied his spear and lunged forward. His sparring partner jumped to the side and struck down with his own weapon, but Peyton lifted the butt end of his spear to match the blow. Both griffons jumped back and waited. Peyton saw his opponent's hind legs spaced farther than they should be, prompting the soldier to jump once again. As the soldier prepared to defend himself, Peyton used his wings to quickly strafe right. His opponent dived forward before attempting to turn to face Peyton, but his forward momentum caused him to lose balance and fell to the ground. Peyton walked up to the other soldier and tapped him on his head with the end of his spear.

"Always keep your stance tight," Peyton said as he helped the soldier up. "We are going against ancient creatures who will be able to run circles around us. Their magic is one thing they have over us, which is why we need to keep up the pace." The soldier, a young griffon, nodded his head and returned to his fighting stance.

"Go!"

*********

Day after day, Peyton found himself either in the training yard with the young recruits, or in the planning room with the other captains. He's listened to countless tactics and plans of attack, and plenty of argument over the best course of action. Nopony new what to expect with the Sleipnir, so Peyton believed that they were all wasting their time. There is no plan of attack that they should follow; being able to adapt to the battle is the most important thing they will need to do if they want any chance of winning.

However, each of the other captains only cared about making sure their plan was the one to follow, without caring about anything else. Their greed and pride will be their downfall, and Peyton cannot let that happen. By training the new recruits, hopefully Peyton could reach out and teach the young griffons to be more open-minded. Greed would lead to disjoint, which would lead to a loss against the Sleipnir.

The streets of Griffonstone were in no better shape either. Ever since King Griff came into power following the loss of Griffonia's most treasured artifact, and the schism that soon followed, the kingdom has never been the same, with the Griffons holding onto their money like they hold onto their pride. The meteors didn't do much more to the already devastated kingdom, giving the Griffons an opportunity to restore their former power and take over a broken Equestria. Peyton didn't approve of the situation, but remains in support of his kingdom.

He passed a couple of griffons fighting in the street over a dropped coin. Others cheered from behind. It was pathetic what the kingdom had fallen to. Eventually, the fight made its way over to Peyton.

"Oi!" One of the griffons got up after running into the soldier. "Watch where you're going!" The other griffon spit and turned to reach for the coin. The fight resumed. Peyton gave a sigh and moved on.

Peyton's house was in a small tree on one of the other mountaintops surrounding the castle. It was unharmed by the shower, but feels as empty as any ruined house would feel. Peyton didn't have a family - after Griff came into power, they left Peyton to find a place to make more money. He will always remember that day. Just a young griffon, his parents told him to stay at home one day while they would go get food. Days passed before Peyton finally went to find them.

"Do you know where my parents went?" Peyton would ask the local villagers.

"Yeah, I remember them...I think they flew off to the east a few days ago." One responded before adding, "I told you what I know, so how about you give me something in return?" Peyton sighed as he tossed a coin the villager's way. He caught it and moved on.

Without any emotion, Peyton remained in the house for days. Weeks. Without eating much except table scraps. Nopony else in the kingdom was able to eat much of anything either, except for what they could catch in the chasm below. Peyton would have died then and there if some soldiers hadn't come through while on patrol.

"Are you alone?" Peyton remembered them asking.

"Yes." A stoic response.

"How about you come work for the kingdom," One soldier offered. "You can make a bit of coin that way. Beats dying here." He added coldly.

The thoughts of the past left Peyton's mind as he entered his house. An empty void that he sleeps in. Some food in the cabinets and weapons in a corner made up his abode. All he knew how to do was train and patrol. Eat and sleep. Repeat. He rummaged through the cabinets to find some bread, and pulled vegetables out from a basket. The simplest sandwich ever made. A patented Griffon invention.

The wind blew outside as Peyton ate. He loved flying in the air, as he felt he could go anywhere he wanted. Just as his parents did. And that wind will carry the griffons right into Equestria. To show the Sleipnir - and Equestria - that the Griffons were not to be trifled with.

*********

The Griffon Force lined up at the foot of the castle. King Griff emerged and made his way to the head of the pack. Thousands of griffons lined up to serve their kingdom.

"We are ready to enter a new age of Griffonia!" King Griff spoke to his subjects. "For too long have we lived in broken times! I am proud to be the one to lead us to our destiny! We will defeat the Sleipnir in Equestria with our speed, our wings, and the fire in our hearts!"

The griffons cheered in response. Many of the villagers stood and watched from their homes.

The king continued. "We will fly, and we will fly fast! The Sleipnir won't know what hit them! Let the ponies cheer for us to save them from their predators, and let us claim Equestria in the name of Griffonstone!"

The cheers grew louder as the King flew into the air.

"With me, Griffon Force! With me!" He said as he turned and flew west.

Rows of griffons shot up into the air after the king, and soon a moving cloud tore through the skies, leaving Griffonstone behind. The griffons flew at top speed, soaring through the clouds. Peyton looked back as he saw his family home shrink and fade in the distance. Mountains and trees came and went as the Griffon Force moved as one. They were in an arch formation, with the King at the center of the charge. The sun sat high in the sky, with its rays shining down and glistening off of the griffons' feathers. Peyton kept his focus, wondering what sort of challenge sat before them.

Peyton had only heard of stories about Equestria when he was growing up. "The land of the ponies and magic," his parents would say. "It would be unwise to oppose them. But, times have changed. Ponies had their spotlight, and now it was the griffons' turn.

Soon, the rocks turned to ocean as the griffons continued to move through the sky. Equestria was growing closer and closer with each flap of their wings. Before long, Peyton would set his eyes on the land of ponies and magic for the first time, and hopefully it will be just as magical as he expected.

Fluttershy 4 - Race Against Time

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Fluttershy turned back to the field, seeing her two precious friends fly off into the distance. This won't be the last time, she thought to herself as tears formed under her eyes. The pegasus was not sure of what they would face on their long journey south, but she hoped they would be okay. Fluttershy didn't want them to be alone, as she would not be there to protect them.

Protect...

The visions of the two Sleipnir she had killed returned to Fluttershy's memory. Their bodies, lifeless before her, as she did what she could to protect her friends. Flutterhsy, the pony who couldn't harm a fly. The world she lived in had changed her, from the moment the meteors fell to the farmland she stood in now, Fluttershy became a changed mare.

And she felt good.

A smile crept up onto Fluttershy's face. Once the rules and boundaries of the old world fell apart, her newfound freedom took control of her otherwise timid demeanor. First it was the Manticore in the cave, which Fluttershy killed to stay warm. And now it was some Sleipnir, in order to prevent them from killing the others. It's us or them now.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" Discord's voice failed to reach the mare, who was in a world of her own. Fluttershy shook her head and turned forward, in the direction of Canterlot.

"Did you say something?" Fluttershy asked in her innocent tone.

"Are we ready to move on? My feet are killing me," Discord floated in the air and held his green foot, massaging it. Discord had been with her for much of the journey. The icy mountains far north of Equestria were a completely different environment from where they stood now. But, the danger is still there. Not only are the Sleipnir more of a threat in the warmer weather, but the remnants of Equestria itself are filled with enemies. Rogue ponies, such as the band they encountered near Manehatten, roamed the lands, looking for anything they can to survive. Reasoning with them might be out of the equation at this point. These are ponies who lost everything, believing that their survival is part of a greater scheme. They may be too ignorant to give the Sleipnir a second glance, if they haven't already been...

Fluttershy shook her head as she trotted along the dirt path, appalled at the thought that crossed her mind. While she understood the necessity to survive, Fluttershy still believes in the power of her friends, and how far they have gotten together. It was also this reason that she felt concerned about leaving Twilight and Berry on their own, and the fear she has about her own situation.

She looked at Discord. The Draconequus looked tired and faded. He clearly was not at his most fit. He prodded along, switching between floating and walking. He was strong, no doubt, but he was still one being. The Sleipnir were a whole army.

"So what's your big plan, again?" Discord said, as if reading Fluttershy's mind. "You just going to ask them to stop killing us, and leave kindly?"

"It's worth a try," stayed adamant in her goal. "There has to be somepony who would listen to us. I can't believe that they are all bad." Fluttershy thought about the one Sleipnir she ambushed who grew scared at the sound of an attack. "Just like there are many different kinds of animals," She continued, "and many different personalities of ponies, there are bound to be some good Sleipnir."

"Well," Discord scoffed, "we had better hurry before the 'good' Sleipnir get killed during the upcoming battle."

He was right. Fluttershy didn't want more bloodshed in Equestria; they needed to reach the Sleipnir as soon as possible, before the Griffons make it to Equestria. It was the only way to save the most lives. Fluttershy began to pick up the pace, breaking into a glide. The farmlands grew smaller beneath her as the wind swept her up into the air. She could feel Rainbow Dash's presence underneath her as she soared into the air, as if her friend were carrying her through the sky. Discord followed closely behind, groaning as soon as Fluttershy took off. They had to be swift, as there was no time to delay.

Fluttershy was never a fast flyer when she was young - or at all, really - but a whole new level of energy began coursing through her veins. Look at me now, Rainbow Dash, she thought to herself as she picked up speed. The land below turned to forest, and Fluttershy soon knew exactly where they were - Everfree Forest.

The last time she was here, Angel gave his life to keep her safe. The memory was a sad one, and caused her fatigue to finally catch up to her. Fluttershy descended into the forest; the sky around her turned dark as the tall trees covered the light above. Discord followed her descent into the abyss. As Fluttershy inched closer to the ground, a sudden black figure shot up straight into the sky. Fluttershy rolled to the side in response, but as she flew, she crashed right into what looked like a black cloud, throwing her balance off and prompting the pony to fall. Looking to her side, she saw a familiar spot - the old castle ruins. It was as it always was, less one big change: something that looked like black thorns and roots covered the castle and all of the surrounding land. Her wing hit the edge of the cliff and she tumbled down into the valley.

"Uhh..." Fluttershy groaned as she regained consciousness. Discord sat by her side. "That was quite a fall you took," Discord said, holding her head up. Behind him, great black thorns polluted the sky.

"What...what are these?" Fluttershy asked. The Draconequus sat quietly before finally speaking.

"These are plunderseeds," He said. "...I might have planted them years ago. They were meant to help me...ahem...capture Celestia and Luna way back in the day. I'm surprised they haven't sprouted until now."

He continued, "Of course, there's no point in that now, heh heh..." The Draconequus laughed sheepishly.

Fluttershy followed the black trail through the valley. It twisted and turned in all directions, but they all seemed to be heading in one direction. She followed it closely, eventually making her way to a small cave. The thorns were thicker here, and the air was stagnant, but she continued onward.

The cave twisted and turned as well, with thorns covering the walls and floor. Fluttershy's steps on the black substance were slow and planned, as one wrong step and she would get a thorn right in her hoof. Discord hovered over it, looking proud of his work. "Wow, this is really something!" He said. Fluttershy gave him a stare, which prompted the Draconequus to laugh awkwardly again.

Eventually, the roots converged on one spot: a dim-looking tree. It was not a pretty sight, as the thorns covered the tree as if constricting it. If the tree were a pony, it would surely be gasping for breath and clawing its way out of the roots' grasp.

"What is this?" Fluttershy asked.

Discord was quick to give an answer. "This, my dear friend, is the Tree of Harmony." It looked like a shadow of its former self, but Fluttershy could tell of its importance.

"The elements were found here by the princesses, thousands of years ago. It is the source of everything in the Everfree Forest, at least as far as I know. For all of my life, this tree was the central hub of the forest, controlling everything that lives inside."

"The elements came from here?" Fluttershy asked. "How did they get here?"

Discord shrugged. "There's rumors dating thousands of years about them being planted as seeds, but it's been so long and I don't remember. It wasn't really of much interest to me, at least." He picked at his teeth.

Fluttershy's element began to glow stronger as she moved closer to the tree. Looking up, Fluttershy saw six indentations in the tree. In response, the tree began to glow as well, and the roots withered. However, it was not strong enough, as more roots took their place.

"We have to save the tree!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Don't you need to go talk to the Sleipnir first?" Discord placed himself down on one of the roots and began to doze off. Fluttershy walked away from the tree, causing both it and her element to stop glowing.

"Maybe if we bring all of the elements here...the magic in the tree will..."

"You're forgetting something - Rainbow Dash's element." Discord brought up one fatal flaw to the plan - something Fluttershy didn't want to remember.

"We have to get it back, then."

"There's no stopping you. I like that. Even if I don't like the probable outcome."

*********

The edge of the forest was littered with the thorns as well, and they continued to spread even outside of the forest. Fluttershy and Discord followed them out of the forest, coming across a familiar sight: Ponyville. It looked worse than ever: the ruins that Fluttershy had last seen all that time ago was coupled with the black roots implanting themselves throughout the town. It looked like nopony was living there due to this, so the pegasus felt somewhat safe there.

"Plunderseeds are a Draconequus signature," Discord spouted. "So the Sleipnir are probably avoiding this area. Our magic balances each other out, so it would be near impossible for them to easily get rid of this much."

He continued. "Besides, the magic of the tree is the law of the land here."

Fluttershy and Discord made their way to the central square in Ponyville, just past Mayor Mare's old place of duty. It lay in shambles, untouched for the longest time. Fluttershy could not remember what it looked like back in the day. Its dull color, coupled with the debris left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

Other areas looked even worse. Sugarcube Corner looked bitter, and Twilight's library blended in with the black roots, making up for the destroyed tree that had stood in the same spot. The air was nasty and still, as if Fluttershy had opened a coffin that was sealed for hundreds of years. Everything she saw brought more sadness to her than the last, but she couldn't remember anything about what it looked like before. The only place she had seen that was in good shape was the Crystal Empire, but that wasn't her home. Furthermore, the fighting that took place there was nothing normal. Fluttershy doesn't remember what peaceful times looked like, and she probably never will.

"As much as this trip down memory lane must be fun for you," Discord took her out of the moment. "We have to get moving. Time doesn't stop for morning, and it doesn't stop for mourning either."

It was a sad sight to see, but the Fluttershy that stood there now was not the one who lived here. That Fluttershy died the moment Rainbow Dash met her fate. The moment Applejack met hers. And the moment Pinkie Pie gave her last smile. The new Fluttershy had her own goal in mind, and not even the ghost of Ponyville could stop her.

The road out of Ponyville was a lonely one, leading straight to Canterlot. Fluttershy could see the remnants of the once-prestigious castle in the far distance. A dark cloud loomed over the mountain, bent on scaring Fluttershy away from it. But she would not back down. If there was anypony who could bring peace to Equestria, it would be her. If the Rogue Ponies were right, then there was a reason she has made it this far as well: this was her destiny. Whatever would happen on that mountain, Fluttershy would do her best to save as many lives as possible. To get the Element of Loyalty back, to stop the Sleipnir from killing the Griffons, and to show the Sleipnir that she can communicate with them. These were lofty goals, but only she can do it.

Discord stood by her side. He had every chance to leave and fend for himself, but he never left. She knew that she meant a lot to him as a friend, and he didn't want anything to happen to her, just as she didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Are you ready?" Fluttershy asked. "There's no knowing if we'll come back from this."

"I live for danger," Discord replied, smiling.

Sleipnir 3 - Threats

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"Roddel, are you okay?" Rana's voice pierced through the darkness, waking the soldier up. They were both laying near a campfire in the middle of the woods. Roddel tried to stand up, but his hoof ached him, causing the Sleipnir to groan in pain and collapse. The army sat nearby, in silence in wake of the failed attempt to take the ponies' castle. Many of the soldiers were disappointed and disgusted that they lost to the beings they eat, while others cursed their inability to handle cold weather.

Roddel, on the other hand, thought about the castle that they laid siege to. It was a beautiful place made of crystal, with each building glistening in the sunlight. He was proud of what the ponies accomplished after all those years, and felt remorse that he played a part in trying to bring it down. He remembers being right at the front lines, leading the charge. They took the ponies unawares, striking when the weather was warm. Using their magic, the ponies put up a good fight - they ended up winning, after all - but it was only after the bright beam of light that moved the sun did the Sleipnir have to retreat.

He was on the ground when it happened. Fighting off a group of ponies near what he presumed was the town square, a sudden beam of light shot out from the top of the castle, aimed at the sun. The extreme amount of magic contained within caused many of the soldiers to be caught off-guard, and allowed the ponies on the ground to strike in retaliation. Roddel, fully captivated on the beam, switched his power to flight and joined his brothers in the sky. Kings Thuun and Falchion loomed over the sky, barking out orders to the stallions and mares who followed them.

"Break through their defenses! Get the pony on the castle!" Falchion's roars shook the sky. Sleipnir scrambled towards the top of the tower, eager to get their hooves on the great source of magic. Roddel floated up to provide cover support. Various beams of magic flew in multiple directions, with one pricking Roddel's side.

"Ouch!" He belted, but not before a large source of magic suddenly filled the air. Roddel saw a giant swarm of flying pigs appear around the top of the castle, causing the Sleipnir to crash head first into them. The Sleipnir captain, at first confused by what was going on, soon realized that it was some sort of magic, but not of ponies - the aroma that filled the air was much different. Upon closer inspection, Roddel saw a figure floating in the sky, just underneath the castle peak.

It was a Draconequus, Roddel could tell that much. So they are still alive, he thought to himself. The mortal nemesis of the Sleipnir, Draconequus control the powers of chaos, undoing the order built by the Sleipnir. In response, Sleipnir are able to correct the chaos of the Draconequus. The result is that they constantly go back and forth, with no one group ever having complete control over the other.

At least, until now. Roddel looked around to see if there were any more Draconequus around. Only the one was present, it seemed. "Use your power to undo the chaos!" Roddel yelled out to some soldiers down below. A dozen beams of light aimed at the pigs shot up from below. Some of the swine began to dissolve, but more appeared in their place. The struggle back and forth between the Draconequus and Sleipnir made Falchion grow angry.

"How dare you defy the ultimate beings!" Falchion roared as he flew towards the Draconequus. Before his blow could connect, however, the Draconequus disappeared. A cloud made of some pink substance appeared and started flying around the kings. Falchion shot a beam of light at the cloud, but another one appeared soon after.

"What is this foolishness!?" Thuun roared. "Are you a true Draconequus? With these...cheap parlor tricks? What have you been doing for the past ten thousand years!?" The Draconequus seemed to have not noticed that the kings were speaking, instead conjuring up more and more ridiculous tools to fight.

At last, Falchion raised his voice even more. "ENOUGH!" He said, moving a giant hoof right towards the Draconequus. The blow connected, and the Draconequus flew down to the ground. Turning his attention back towards the beam of light, Falchion lunged up.

At that moment, the air changed. It grew much colder, and Roddel felt as if time had stopped. The Sleipnir around him all started falling from the sky, unable to keep their flying abilities active. Roddel himself began to fall as well. He looked up at the two kings: they seemed to be struggling to stay in the air. It was at this moment that Roddel could finally see the origin of the beam of magic: it was a pony. She was a purple creature, with wings and a horn. It reminded Roddel of Princess Nova, the pony he had taken care of before the Sleipnir were all sealed away. The pony that sat at the top of the castle seemed powerful, Roddel noted. He instinctively reached for the trinket around his neck and touched it with the tip of his hoof.

Falchion let out a large roar. "Retreat!" He barked before using the last of his strength to fly south. The other Sleipnir followed suit - at least, those who could still move. Roddel, as hard as it was, managed to muster up enough energy to get away from the freezing city. It was the coldest he has ever felt. The soldier barely escaped the dangers of the cold weather before he passed out.

***

Roddel sat next to the campfire, his hoof holding the small trinket that was given to him by the kings. It was a tiny thing, only able to be worn around a pony's neck. He saw no use for it, but couldn't bear to throw it away - something about the trinket drew him towards it. Was it his memories of Princess Nova? Was it the contempt he had for his kings? Roddel wasn't sure.

Rana sat next to him still, looking over his wounds. When Roddel rose up, she suddenly said, "You're still injured!"

"I'll be okay," Roddel groaned, walking away from the campfire. "Just need to take a walk."

Many of the Sleipnir who were still okay retreated back to the main castle to find help, while others remained behind to tend to the wounded. King Thuun flew back as well, leaving Falchion here to protect the group. Roddel saw him perched at the top of a small hill. He stared at the sun hanging in the sky. He seemed to be chanting something as Roddel approached.

"My king," Roddel said, bowing his head.

Falchion continued staring at the sun. "Funny," He said. "We used to be able to move the sun. Now, we can't even do that; apparently the ponies have inherited that duty. Pathetic."

"Isn't there a spell or something that could -"

"The three things we never had complete control of: defeating the Draconequus, adapting to cold weather, and moving the sun. Sure, we could raise and lower it when it was time for the night sky to appear, but we could never move it anywhere we wanted. That's what that pony did."

Silence.

"My creations have done okay for themselves. I'll respect that. But, their time is at an end. I will not be defeated by those filthy animals. They are nothing more than mine. They wouldn't be here without me."

"Maybe the times have just changed," Roddel spoke up. Falchion stopped his pondering and turned slowly towards the captain. Roddel saw a look of contempt in King Falchion's eyes, but also a look of desperation.

"It's either us or them." He said coldly. "Roddel, your loyalty is with the Sleipnir, am I correct?"

"This one lives to serve."

Falchion nodded. "You are one of my top soldiers, Roddel. You have been for many years. But, even you must know your place in some matters. Leave me."

Roddel bowed and turned away, walking a few steps before turning back to the king. Falchion returned to chanting at the sun.

And you must know yours.

***

A week had passed since the Sleipnir retreated from the battle against the ponies. Falchion and Thuun stayed cooped up in the newly-renovated castle on the hill. New Valhalla, as everypony had started calling it. In the time since returning, the Sleipnir have managed to build up new lodgings near the castle, and in various other locations in the land. The pony ruins were avoided, as the Sleipnir preferred to build in brand-new locations, with New Valhalla being the only exception. Falchion wished to keep his castle where it always was - at the top of the world. Things seemed to return to something that resembled the Sleipnir's old way of life. But Roddel knew otherwise. The damage had been done, and they sat atop of the bones of the previous dynasty.

Everypony that Roddel talked to seemed to be adjusting to their new lives comfortably. It was Roddel's fault that the Sleipnir were sealed away so suddenly, but he seems to be the only one aware of that fact. The Sleipnir believed it to be the fault of the ponies, the beings that Falchion created to harvest their magical energy. That rhetoric was good enough to keep the Sleipnir united against the ponies, and unaware of the truth - which was good for the captain, at least for now.

Roddel's daily life became somewhat repetitive at that point as well: wake up, do a quick lap around the castle to get reports from the night patrols, eat breakfast, do some training, attend the daily briefing, eat lunch, more training, another lap around to brief the guards, eat dinner, go to bed. As a knight Roddel was trained for such menial tasks, but he felt out of place and knew it wasn't right. Some nights he would talk with Rana before going to bed. They would bring up things from their foalhood, like school or taking the journey to Valhalla. Roddel longed for those days once again, where everypony lived in peace. The days with his king - the true king.

"How do you feel about things now, Rana?" Roddel asked her one night. He wasn't sure if he ever stopped to ask about her feelings after they returned to the world. She looked at him and gave a sigh.

"It's sad."

"Why?"

"You look so troubled all the time. I know what happened back then...and I know it's troubling you so much. I can't live happily knowing you are carrying such a burden."

Roddel didn't remember the last time he cried, but he felt a tear run down the side of his face.

"I appreciate you being with me all this time, Rana," Roddel spoke softly to his friend. She smiled back.

I will do anything to protect you.

"If only there were a sign that things will change. A new opportunity..."

*********

"Griffons?" Falchion's voice filled the planning room. He stood at the head of the table alongside Thuun, with Roddel and a few other Sleipnir guards making up the rest of the attending party.

The Sleipnir giving the daily report came from the east, scouting the areas to come up with any information on the Sleipnir's domain. He was lanky, but Roddel knew his speed was unmatched. He spoke in a nasally voice; Roddel thought he was gasping for air each time he spoke.

"Yes...I heard some reports from the Sleipnir I sent across the ocean. A huge swarm of Griffons are coming right this way!"

The griffons were around during the Sleipnir's time. They stayed off to the east, far from Valhalla, so Roddel never heard of any news regarding conflict between them.

"The griffons must be coming here to claim the land after the ponies lost control of it," Roddel offered his counsel.

"So we fight them," Falchion smiled. "We don't want to keep our soon-to-be guests unsatisfied with their visit! We need to show them around!" he turned to the other Sleipnir in the room. "I want you to assemble a group and scout around for a place to hold our 'welcome party'."

The Sleipnir saluted. "Sir!" they shouted before exiting the room.

"We are the dominant rulers of this land," Falchion turned to everypony remaining in the room. "If the griffons want to learn about us, then they are free to come and die. Let this be a sign to the ponies up there in that castle as well - a sign to everypony who doesn't know who we are yet!" Roddel saw the malice in Falchion's eyes as he spoke so passionately about the inevitable battle.

"Dismissed!" Falchion spouted. Roddel bowed and left the room. Fighting the griffons? From what Roddel remembered of the griffons, they didn't possess any magical abilities. If this rumor were true, then they would be walking into a slaughter. Were they that foolish? The Sleipnir would be welcoming them with open hooves before they pull the rug right out from under them. Roddel didn't want to witness something so barbaric, but as the head of the guard he would be expected to be leading the charge.

Fluttershy 5 - Fate

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The road to Canterlot was a lonely one. The last time Fluttershy made her way along this road was alongside each of her friends to fight against Discord. Now it was Discord who was by her side as they travel to confront the Sleipnir Kings. The two giant beasts that roamed the skies above the rest of the world. The beings that ate Rainbow Dash. It churned her insides to think about communicating with them.

"Feeling scared?" Discord teased her. After everything that happened, Discord still stood tall among the remains. With his magical power rivaling the Sleipnirs', and with Fluttershy's ability to communicate with them, Fluttershy could feel an end in sight. One way or another. The lives of the ponies in the Crystal Empire are counting on her. If a diplomatic solution could exist, then Twilight could step in and broker some sort of truce, using Fluttershy as the mediator. It was wishful thinking, but there is no other way.

The land around the two looked as calm as ever. Nopony would have known that the world ended simply by looking at the blooming flowers, or the dew resting on the blades of grass. Fluttershy looked back down to Ponyville, which was now a spot in the distance. The remains of the buildings that stood on the surface were a reminder of what was, the only exception to the otherwise peaceful atmosphere that Fluttershy found herself in. And as she looked forward to the castle, she made out parts where the Sleipnir had built over the ruins. The memories that she and her friends all had in the castle came flooding back into her memory, causing the pegasus to tear up a little.

"Strange..." Discord spoke up, dropping his previous conversation.

"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked. Discord's face had a hint of concern on it; Fluttershy had gotten better at understanding the emotions behind the Draconequus.

"We haven't seen any Sleipnir recently, have we?"

Fluttershy realized that Discord was right. Until now, there was no reason to hide, as there were no Sleipnir around to hide from. Fluttershy figured that their numbers would increase as they moved closer to the new capital. It felt too easy that they had even made it this far, this easy. Discord looked around him with a suspicious look on his face. Fluttershy saw the concern grow even more as he finally snapped his neck forward. His eyes widened as he ducked down, placing an arm over Fluttershy's body. In response, Fluttershy dropped her wings down.

A large bang echoed through the air as the ground in front of the erupted. The smoke from the impact rose up into the air, making it more difficult for Fluttershy to see what was going on. She heard metallic sounds come from all around her as green and red lights flashed around them in a circle. Sleipnir faces emerged from thin air as if they were camouflaged.

"They knew we were here," Discord gritted his teeth as he looked around at the enemy.

Fluttershy could hear them speak commands to each other and rose her head to warn her friend. She felt something stirring inside her, as if leagues of butterflies were cramped inside and waiting to get out. She finally yelled out, "We are not here to fight!" She could hear the soldiers gasp and start to whisper to each other; she knew that this must have been the first time a pony spoke to them in a language they could understand. However, she was too late: A Sleipnir soldier charged up and tackled the Draconequus to the ground. Immediately after, Fluttershy felt a large blow to the back of her head, and her vision went dark.

*********

Fluttershy could hear voices fading in and out as her body moved through the darkness. Various commands and other lines as she was exchanged between soldiers.

"Take this one to the king,"

"Can't we just eat her?"

"There's no magic here...she's useless."

After hearing a giant door creak open, Fluttershy began to regain consciousness. She found herself being dragged in by a Sleipnir soldier. The room was a large and ornate one, with a large red carpet leading to two giant thrones at the far side of the chamber. Two giant Sleipnir sat in those thrones, staring at their new guest as she was placed before them like an offering.

"Why do you bring me this empty meat?" One spoke in a gruff and intimidating voice.

"This one can speak our language," One soldier spoke up.

The king began to laugh. "You must be joking! These insects are not capable of communication at our level! Just toss it aside or keep it as a pet, I don't care. She has no magic and is of no use to me."

Fluttershy coughed. "Um, excuse me..."

The king's manner changed as his ear twitched. "Excuse me?" He asked, unbelieving of what he was told.

The pegasus raised her head and stared the king straight in the eyes. Her heart sank far below the floor as a chill took hold of her very core. Now that she was here, all courage she had had fled the room, making its way back to her home in Ponyville to hide under the covers. But, there was no going back now. Everypony is depending on me.

"My name is Fluttershy," she continued speaking. The Sleipnir king lowered his head to get a closer view of the pegasus. There was nothing but ice and darkness in his eyes.

"You can speak our language...Very interesting. These beings must have evolved vastly since I first created them."

"What do you mean by create?" Fluttershy was confused at what the Sleipnir was talking about. He gave a grim grin and returned to his former position.

"I guess I can humor you, pony. I am the King of the Sleipnir, Falchion. We are the beings of order in this world, capable of turning any thought or wish into reality. We can create truth and justice with a simple chant. I created the ponies as a test of that power, to be used as our slaves and food source. We were sealed away, but now we have come back to reclaim our world."

"I'm sure there's a way we can live together, is there not?" Fluttershy finally rose to her hooves, never looking away from the king called Falchion since she began speaking. "You have been killing our kind, you have eaten us...the friends I have, we have always believed that friendship and harmony will triumph over all. All of the adventures we have been on, all of the memories...I'm sure you Sleipnir have these same memories and feelings as well, too! As you can see, I am able to communicate with you, so there must be something that can be worked out between ponies and Sleipnir!" The fire in her heart was burning more than ever. Fluttershy regained her composure and stared down the king, the god who apparently created all ponies. The god who did what he pleased with them and had no care for them at all. Fluttershy felt so pumped up from talking to the Sleipnir that she decided to take a bigger gamble.

"You say you were sealed away? Let me take a guess as to how that happened." She saw the king flinch in his throne. "It was the ponies that you oppressed, was it not? They came together and overthrew you. You may have created us to do what you wanted, but you created something else in the process." Her necklace began to glow faintly. "You created your own weakness! I will tell you now that I know that you plan to go to war with the Griffons, and I am here to tell you that if you try to fight them, then the ponies will rise up and fight you as well! You won't be able to take both sides at once! Don't go to war and waste your own lives, instead we can talk this out and find a way to live together in harmony!"

The room stood silent. Both kings looked down at her, not changing their gaze. Fluttershy looked up at them, trying her best not to falter behind the heavy words she pushed out. Before long, Falchion began laughing once more.

"You have a lot of courage, and I admire that. But, there is one thing you have wrong." He bowed down again so that he was right in front of the pegasus.

"You say we will go to war with the Griffons? Oh, my sweet pony, we already went to war with the Griffons. They are no more. Dead. Gone. Your efforts here are wasted, and we look to fight you ponies in the north once more."

"Take her away from here and place her in the dungeons. I'll deal with her later."

Fluttershy's eyes widened as the Sleipnir grabbed her and forcefully removed her from the room. I was too late? Fluttershy still couldn't believe what she heard. The Sleipnir had already went to war with the Griffons...and won? If the Griffons are gone, then there would be nopony left to help the Crystal Empire. Without a tactical advantage, Fluttershy's diplomatic efforts would be rendered useless.

Twlight...I'm sorry

*********

Fluttershy was thrown into a dark and damp cage. The walls were lined with mold, and the floor was comprised entirely of dirt. There was a single blanket to lay on, as well as a small bucket. The only light source came from a lonely torch attached to the wall.

Discord was nowhere to be seen. Was he taken somewhere else? Fluttershy thought to herself as she whimpered.

"I failed," She spoke out loud. "We were too late..."

A Sleipnir walked into the room and approached the cage. Fluttershy paid no attention until he began to speak. "You are able to speak our language...right?"

Fluttershy looked up and saw a burly Sleipnir wearing a special armor. He had a plain look on his face, different from the Sleipnir Fluttershy had encountered until this point. She gave a simple nod in response.

"I think it was pretty brave for you to go against our king like that."

"But I didn't get anything accomplished besides getting thrown in jail. I should have planned it out more."

The Sleipnir approached the cage and bent down to meet Fluttershy's gaze. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you until now. It must be difficult to have everything you loved about your world taken away."

Fluttershy's pent up anger forced itself out. What did he know about how much the ponies suffered after THEY ruined it? She looked up to gaze at the Sleipnir talking to her when she saw something glimmer in her eye. In the faint light, Fluttershy could see something hanging around the Sleipnir's neck. Something red and gold that looked very familiar to her.

The Element of Loyalty. Rainbow Dash's element. The very same element she wore around her neck when she...

"HOW DARE YOU!" Fluttershy snapped at the Sleipnir, who jumped back in astonishment.

"How dare you wear that around your neck! That belonged to my friend! You have NO RIGHT to wear it!" She placed a hoof around her own neck and felt for her own element. Luckily it still hung there, a memento of the old world.

"Look," the Sleipnir began to speak. "I want to help you-"

Fluttershy turned away. "I can't trust anypony now. Please leave me alone." She turned to face the back wall, a dark abyss. After a moment of silence, Fluttershy heard the sound of something touching the dirt floor in her cell, followed by hoofsteps leaving the room. The Pegasus turned behind her and saw the Element of Loyalty resting on the ground. She picked it up and held it between her hooves as she saw an image forming in her mind and projected itself onto the back wall. Each of her departed friends took form on the wall, each staring back at her with a sad expression in their eyes.

"I failed you all," Fluttershy said once more. She tightly gripped the element in her hooves before breaking down into tears.

Peyton 3 - The Battle of Canterlot

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"Enter formation!" Peyton called out to his Griffon army. The Equestrian shores were coming into view across the horizon. The Griffons slid into multiple triangle formations, with a commanding Griffon at the center of each triangle. Each triangle was layered on top of each other, with each center Griffon being situated a few feet behind the lower layer's center. With about two hundred griffons in each triangle, they looked like a dark mark in the sky to those who would observe them from the ground. The King took the front-most position to take the lead. As they approached land, he raised his claws.

"Take a look at our new home!" He called out. The Griffons roared and cheered in response. The shore grew closer and closer as the remains of buildings littered the skyline. "So this was Manehatten," the king said, looking down at the ruins.

Peyton's wings were stiff as he flew, but he slapped himself in the face to regain focus. He took the center position of the fifth triangle, situated right in the middle of the army formation.

"We fly straight for Canterlot Castle!" King Griff called out as the surrounding fields came into view. Manehatten, once the busiest place of commerce for ponies, faded into the background as the swarm charged ahead. Smaller settlements also came and went, all abandoned due to the meteors that sullied the landscape with craters. Just like how Griffonstone was devastated by the shower.

The only difference between the Ponies and Griffons, in Peyton's mind, was the fact that the Griffon Kingdom still remained in power. When the Sleipnir hatched from the meteors, the Griffons soon found themselves overrun. However, it was King Griff who was able to band everypony together and combat the threat, driving the Sleipnir away from Griffonstone. Many Griffon lives were lost in that battle, but they were able to survive. It did not help that the Sleipnir were actually making their way back to Equestria, their homeland, but Peyton didn't care. The Griffons fought the Sleipnir once and survived - it should not be too difficult to do so again. Especially since they don't know we're coming, Peyton thought to himself. And as aggressive as King Griff was, he knew how to lead. Under his guidance, the Griffons will remain strong as a unit, a swarm in the sky. Peyton respected that about the king.

"Canterlot is coming into view!" Another griffon shouted. Peyton looked ahead to see the familiar mountain where Canterlot was perched. He had only been there once when he was younger, but remembered how extravagant it was. Now, the Sleipnir architecture emerged from the ruins and destruction.

The dark streak in the sky soon lit up as green and red beams shot up from the earth below. Griffons caught in the beams spiraled out of the sky, falling to the abyss below. "Scatter!" Peyton called out. The formation immediately split down the middle before splitting again. The smaller brigades circled in the air, looking for the source of the beams.

Below the clouds, a group of Sleipnir stood tall on a hilltop. The red and green tints circled around them as they prepared to fire another charge. Peyton's wings spread out as far as they could as he began to glide through the sky and out of the way. The sky lit up once again as the beams shot up into the heavens, clipping Peyton's right wing. The griffon felt his weight underneath him as he plummeted to the earth below.

I won't let it end like this! He thought to himself as he straightened out to try and slow his fall. The trees below him, dense and dark, looked like spikes jutting out of the ground, waiting to taste the freshly-caught griffon. Instead, with a flap of the wing Peyton was able to slow his descent, instead brushing through the trees and bouncing off of the branches before finally hitting the dirt floor of the forest.

A burning sensation woke Peyton up. He was suddenly sweating as the temperature shot up many degrees from before. The forest around him looked dry, waiting to catch fire. Peyton looked down at his right wing. It hurt too much for him to be able to fly out. Looking around, the griffon found his spear stuck into the ground. He pulled it out and continued on his way.

Not knowing how much time had passed since the battle started, Peyton hoped things were going well. "Why did they know we were arriving?" He asked himself. "We should have had the element of surprise...Was it the ponies?" The thought of being betrayed by those that asked for their help was ridiculous, but what if it was tortured out of them? Regardless, this was the situation they were in. Invading Equestria and defeating the Sleipnir was already going to be a hefty task. The discipline and speed of the griffons should be enough to counter the raw power and magic that the Sleipnir possess.

As the griffon walked, the trees rustled ahead of him, prompting the captain to jump back and hide behind one of the trees. He heard two voices come out from the darkness:

"I think one of them fell down here."

"Maybe the fall killed him."

"We need to check and make sure. Don't want any of them left alive - king's orders."

As the voices walked past Peyton, he jumped into action. The griffon jumped right, taking his spear and driving it straight forward. He managed to clip a Sleipnir right on the side. The other Sleipnir pulled out a spear of his own and drove it right for Peyton, but the griffon used his good wing to create a gust of wind and fly backward, pulling the spear out of the injured soldier.

"Get him!" The injured Sleipnir yelled to his companion before falling to the ground. Peyton jumped back once again, gripping his spear as he faced the enemy.

Looks like this one doesn't use magic, he thought to himself, noticing that neither the horn nor flank lit up as the Sleipnir fought.

The Sleipnir began speaking, but Peyton did not know what he was saying, instead lunging forward with his spear in response. The Sleipnir caught the spear with his own and retaliated with his own swipe. The two clashed and clanked.

"I am a captain of Griffonstone," Peyton proclaimed before the panting Sleipnir. "I will not be defeated so easily."

Peyton used both of his wings to fly over the Sleipnir before swiping his spear right through its neck. The Sleipnir groaned as it fell to the ground, dead. The pain in Peyton's right wing returned, throwing him back to the ground. Looking to the Sleipnir he stabbed earlier, Peyton saw nopony there. "Must have got away," He said to himself before continuing on.

As the griffon captain ran through the forest, a great spark of light flashed above him. The trees all around him lit up in flame. Peyton rolled forward to avoid the burning branches that crashed down from above. He truly felt crippled without his right wing, but the captain continued on. He would not die in a simple forest, not today. The edge of the forest soon came into view as Peyton tumbled his way out. As he opened his eyes to see what the battlefield looked like, Peyton was met with a view that he would never forget.

Sleipnir 4 - The Bloodbath of Canterlot

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"Here they come!" A Sleipnir soldier shouted from the top of a hill. The army sat behind the hill, waiting for the griffons to fly into range of their magic. Roddel stood at the front of the unit, ready to lead the charge. The dark streak in the sky looked like a normal flock of birds for a second, but the shine from their metal armor and spears made it obvious that their army was approaching.

"We're waiting for your command, captain," A Sleipnir turned towards Roddel. He looked back at his army - his own kind, those who were imprisoned just like him, those who took part in eating and torturing the ponies - and sighed. Clutching the gem that sat around his neck, he shouted, "Fire!"

The Sleipnir began shooting their magic into the sky, hitting some of the griffons directly. The flock began to scatter in the sky as the Sleipnir continued their firing. Several other battalions flew up to meet the griffons in battle, and soon the battle for Canterlot began. Roddel shouted orders to his troops as he ran from station to station. The castle loomed in the background as they fought off the invaders.

A platoon of griffons landed right in front of the hill, prompting several of the Sleipnir to switch to melee and charge the group. Roddel pulled out his own spear and ran forward to meet their foe. The griffons were very fluid in motion, using both their wings and talons to their advantage. Roddel took a swipe at a griffon, but his spear bounced off of the griffon's wing. They were wearing some kind of plate on the outside to protect from physical attacks, yet that material was light enough to allow them to fly. Several of the griffons flew up and dove down to attack. Roddel took his spear and swiped it up in the air as if he were shooing away bats. One stab from a griffon was all it took to get Roddel to drop his weapon and fall to the ground. The griffon got him right in the shoulder; the sting was felt all throughout his body. As he fell, two beams of magic came from the hill, blasting many of the griffons away.

"Get the captain!" Several of the Sleipnir shouted as they pulled him back to the hill.

"It will be tough to beat them as it is," Roddel said. "They're too fast." The Sleipnir looked up at the sky as a medic began to tend to his wounds with magic. It stung, but he felt relief soon after. As he sat there, he noticed the sun, a small dot in the sky, and then an idea came to him.

"I need some of our best magic casters, and some to protect us," Roddel said, getting up just as quickly as he fell. The medic called out to one of the Sleipnir, who nodded and charged away. A minute later, he came back with a group of five Sleipnir - Rana included.

"We need to move the Sun," Roddel made no hesitation to explain the plan.

"Is that even possible?" Rana asked.

"If the ponies could do it," He thought about the lone pony at the top of the crystal castle in the north who was able to move the Sun and tilt that battle in the ponies' favor. "Then we can too."

Rana and two other Sleipnir stood firm as they pointed their horns at the Sun, while Roddel and the rest formed a circle around the group in case any griffons came into view. Three beams of magic shot up into the sky, directly at the Sun. Roddel could see the strain on Rana's face as the three attempted to pull the star closer to them.

Slowly, but surely, the Sun began inching towards the battlefield. The temperature grew warmer and warmer to the point where Roddel started sweating in his armor.

"That's good!" Roddel shouted, causing the trio to break their hold on the star. Feeling rejuvenated, several Sleipnir around the captain began shouting as they charged. The beams of magic grew stronger for some, while the others used the new-found energy to stay on the offense. More and more beams of magic shot into the sky, shooting the griffons down with each shot. Roddel nodded to the group and they all returned to their posts. As Rana turned to return to her assignment, she tumbled to the ground. Roddel noticed and immediately went to her side.

"Are you okay!?" He held her in his hooves. She was sweating and looked like she had a fever.

"I'm fine...Just a little tired," She laughed.

"I'm sorry to put you through that, Rana."

"We're going to win...right? That's the right thing to do?"

The forests next to the battlefield soon burst into flame as the Sun sat overhead, beating down on the earth below. The griffons all around the battlefield soon became overwhelmed with the fighting energy of the Sleipnir. The group that Roddel had helped imprison for ten thousand years were back, and would be able to continue their reign of terror on those who inherited the world.

"Yeah...we're going to win."

***

Any surviving griffons were rounded up by the Sleipnir and brought into a circle, surrounded by the bodies of their own kind. A group of Sleipnir remained behind to hold them captive. Roddel stood at the helm, looking over the remaining group.

One griffon stepped forward, pushing through his men. He wore a crown of gold on his head - their leader. He was shouting and ranting as he glared at each of the Sleipnir that had captured them. When he looked at Roddel, the Sleipnir felt uncomfortable and guilty.

A shadow fell over the group, causing the king to stop his rant. Falchion and Thuun, who had not been a part of the battle, flew down in their menacing forms. They sat perched over the remaining griffons, who sat scared and afraid.

"Looks like they put up a good fight," Falchion's voice boomed over the land. "But just as I said, we will welcome them with open hooves before they die."

The king of the griffons stepped forward once again and stared straight at Falchion.

"What do you want us to do with them, my lord?" Roddel spoke up. Falchion stared back at the tiny king for a few seconds, then his horn lit up a fierce color as a giant beam of magic shot out, covering the entire group of griffons. The screams echoed in Roddel's mind as the group was reduced to nothing.

"Nothing. Let them rot here." Falchion said before flying away. No fanfare, no speech, no prisoners.

***

Roddel and Rana returned to the castle together after the battle. The battlefield stayed marked and ruined, a sign to anypony who tries to defy the Sleipnir again. The sun was returned to its normal spot in the sky soon after the battle was over, but Roddel could not help but think about how much the effort affected his friend. She looked better after drinking water and eating a quick meal. That pony must have been powerful to be able to do it by herself, he thought to himself.

As the two entered the castle, Roddel noticed many guards running towards the throne room in a hurry. "What happened?" Roddel pulled one guard aside.

"Sounds like a pony and a Draconequus snuck into the castle...they say the pony was able to speak our language! She's challenging the king as we speak!" The two ran to the throne room just in time to see a couple of guards walking out with a yellow pegasus in their grasp. She held her head down low as they dragged her off to the dungeons.

A pony who can speak our language...

Roddel followed behind the guards and into the dungeons, curious to see what this pegasus was all about. He approached the cell just as the guards walked out. They both saluted their captain as he walked into the room. She sat on the floor with her face still looking down. She looked just as sad as the first filly he had met...his first pony meal. Roddel approached the cage and saw a gem hanging down from her neck. It looked very similar to the one he wore around his own neck.

I wonder...

"You are able to speak our language...right?" Roddel spoke up to try and talk to the pegasus. She looked up, meeting his gaze with her own. She had a kind, but sad face. She nodded in response to his question.

Wow, she really can speak with us.

"I think it was pretty brave for you to go against our king like that." He truly admired her bravery, given her soft expression. Roddel approached the cage and bent down to meet the pegasus's gaze directly. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you until now. It must be difficult to have everything you loved about your world taken away."

He saw her gaze shift down to see his necklace, and her expression suddenly changed to anger. "HOW DARE YOU!" Were the first words come out of her mouth. Roddel jumped back in astonishment.

"How dare you wear that around your neck! That belonged to my friend! You have NO RIGHT to wear it!" She placed a hoof around her own neck and felt for her own necklace.

"Look," Roddel didn't want to get on the pony's bad side. "I want to help you-"

"I can't trust anypony now. Please leave me alone." The pegasus said as she turned to face the dark wall behind her. Roddel would have given anything to be able to talk with the ponies who helped him seal the Sleipnir away - the ones who built the world that existed until they came back. After all this time, now might be the chance. The captain removed the necklace from his neck and placed it inside the cage - a sign of friendship. He walked out of the room with nothing else to say.

I've done so much wrong since we returned to the world, He thought to himself. Instead of continuing what I had started. But I see now, that there is still a chance...the keys to order...they are still around.

Roddel left the dungeon with a determined look on his face. He stared in the direction of the king's - the TRUE king's - chambers, and remembered what his true purpose was, his reason for coming back after ten thousand years. It was not to give the world back to the Sleipnir, but to finish it once and for all.

Cutie Mark Chronicles 6 - Harmony

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"Bloom."

Sweetie Belle's voice filled the chamber as the air grew tense immediately after. Apple Bloom tilted her head to the side, unsure of what was going on. The filly immediately knew the danger they were in, but before anypony could act next, Spike jumped up and went straight for Scootaloo's neck, biting down as hard as he could. The pegasus let out a loud scream that echoed throughout the entire labyrinth of caverns they were trapped in.

As Scootaloo, one-third of the Cutie Mark Crusaders and best friend of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, fell to the ground motionless, the purple dragon on top of her transformed into a black beast. A changeling. "S-Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle whimpered in the hope that her friend was still alive. But alas, the pool of blood that emerged from the pegasus's neck confirmed it. Their friend was gone, and there was nothing Sweetie Belle could do about it. It didn't take her much to cry out "RUN!"

The two remaining fillies turned tail and ran as fast as they could away from the scene. "Don't look back," Apple Bloom cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks. The pair kept running, not caring which direction they went. The cavern grew darker and steeper as they delved deeper into the compound. At one point, the rocky road gave out from beneath the two as they tumbled together down into the abyss.

Sweetie Belle woke up to the sound of crying. To her left was Apple Bloom, huddled in a corner of the dark chasm they found themselves in, not dissimilar to the ravine they were trapped in before.

"Apple Bloom?"

"...Ah'm sorry," Apple Bloom said softly. Sweetie Belle couldn't see a thing but knew that her friend's face was wrought with tears. "It's mah fault. It's mah fault..."

"Don't blame yourself," Sweetie Belle held back her own tears. "Scootaloo knew the dangers of coming out here, but she did it to save you. If we die here too, then it will be for nothing," She waved her hooves around to find her friend.

After a moment of silence, Apple Bloom's voice pushed through the darkness.

"Ah haven't been too honest with mahself recently...When Applejack died, ah wanted nothin' but to get rid of these changelings. They took mah sister from me, and now they took mah friend."

"But, there's nothin' ah could do about it. Ah am not strong like Applejack, or Big Mac, or Twilight and the others..."

"We got this far," Sweetie Belle said, finally finding Apple Bloom in the darkness. The unicorn dropped down and hugged her friend tightly. Nopony - not even the army of changelings - could separate them in that moment.

"It's okay," Sweetie Belle said. "I felt the same way after Rarity...she was right in my hooves, Apple Boom..." The unicorn couldn't hold the tears back long enough as she began trailing off in a sob. The lonely chasm was filled with nothing but the sounds of crying.

The unicorn finally mustered enough willpower to continue. "We will make it out of here, Apple Bloom," She said, pushing through all of the tears. "Cutie Mark Crusaders never give up."

Apple Bloom said nothing as she got up and walked to the end of the chasm. The place they had fallen into was a natural cut into the earth, but the ground on the end of the chasm could be used as a ramp to get back up to the main path. "We just have to climb back up here and we can get out!" Apple Bloom called back to her friend.

The two struggled to climb back up. While the ramp was not steep enough to slide down, the displaced gravel and stones caused them to keep falling back down with each hoofstep. Apple Bloom led the charge as Sweetie Belle supported her from behind. The two groaned with each hard hoofstep, eventually making it up the chasm and back to where they were.

The above room was quite spacious, with holes in the walls leading up the tall walls that led to other paths. There were five holes on their own level that they could reach on hoof, including the one they had emerged from. "Which way do we go?" Apple Bloom asked. With nothing to go on, Sweetie Belle looked at the path farthest from them and pointed with her hoof.

Sweetie Belle led the way through the cavern she selected. It was an upward-sloping path, which was a good sign. The two were light on their hooves as they trotted along in case any more changelings got in their way. However, Sweetie Belle didn't know how much more she could keep going; she had never been so tired before in her life - including her journey after the end of the world.

After coming around a corner in the cave, Sweetie Belle ran into somepony and jumped back immediately. Her gaze was fixed on the figure in front of her - Spike!

As soon as the unicorn opened her mouth to speak the code word, Spike spoke first.

"Apple."

"Bloom." Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom spoke in unison before rushing to hug their friend, more tears streaming from their eyes.

"Glad you girls are okay," Spike said. "...Where's Scootaloo? Is she still missing?"

The fillies grew silent, giving Spike all he needed to know.

"I found the way to the Queen's chambers," Spike continued.

"Why would we want to go there?" all Sweetie Belle wanted was to get out and return to the Desert Ponies' side, within the safety of Princess Stellae's chambers.

"Because from there we might have a straight shot at leaving the lair. Queen Chrysalis might be fighting out on the battlefield right now." Spike replied. The fillies looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

The three dashed up the path, through a few more intersections, and over a rocky bridge before finally reaching the central chambers. The room had a single chair at one end. Many paths looked as if they fed into the chamber; any one of those could be a direct exit. The chamber was also, as Spike guessed, empty - giving them a little bit of time to figure out the way.

Sweetie Belle saw light coming from one of the entrances and immediately dashed towards it. "This way!" She called out, but before she even reached the entrance she felt something tackle her to the ground. Apple Bloom and Spike yelled out in response as the chamber filled with more Changelings. They poured in from the other entrances, seemingly on their way out to the battlefield to join their kin. The unicorn kicked the changeling off of her and doubled back to join her friends. The changelings circled around them, about 20 in total.

"Is this it?" Sweetie Belle was short of breath and could not go on much longer. Their journey got them this far, but it wasn't enough to get to safety, to see the horizon. With Scootaloo already gone, the realization hit the unicorn harder than that changeling did to her.

"Not yet," Apple Bloom walked forward towards one of the changelings. "Ah still have mah score to settle with them." Before it could respond, Apple Bloom threw her hooves around it and embraced the changeling in a hug.

"Ah forgive you." The words surprised both Sweetie Belle and Spike, as well as the changeling caught in Apple Bloom's grasp.

"What are you doing!?" Sweetie Belle yelled out, unsure if the fatigue or the depression had finally gotten to her friend.

"Ah've made my peace - Applejack, Big Mac, Rarity, Scootaloo...They wouldn't want us to continue livin' with hatred, even though these changelings have done some evil things. Because we're not like them."

"Ah'd rather die good than live on with hatred in my heart." As the earth pony spoke, the gem around her neck began to glow, bathing both her and the changeling in a warm aura. The other changelings around them looked on in confusion and wonder. Soon, a bright flash of light filled the room. When the light cleared, Sweetie Belle saw the colors of the rainbow emerge from Apple Bloom's clutches. The changeling in her hooves was no more - it now took on a different form. The being stepped back, surprised at its own metamorphosis.

Apple Bloom looked over at Sweetie Belle and smiled. "Ah'd rather die good than live on with hatred in my heart." she repeated. Sweetie Belle began to cry again before standing tall in her own hooves. "We are the elements of harmony," She said. "We are the beacons for hope in the world, and that world includes the changelings too."

Both gems began glowing as the entire chamber filled with the same warm aura. Sweetie Belle felt the positive energy in the air; something about that energy must have caused a change in the changeling when Apple Bloom's element responded to her pureness. With another bright light filling up the room, the trio soon found themselves surrounded by 20 majestic beings. Their wings were as beautiful as a butterfly's. The dark energy that surrounded them before was now replaced by kindness.

The changeling that Apple Bloom hugged finally spoke. "I...I've never felt this way before! The hunger...it's gone!"

"We need to spread this to your brothers and sisters," Apple Bloom said, looking back at her friends. "Not in vain." she said as an image of Scootaloo appeared in Sweetie Belle's head.

***

"Fire!"

Princess Stellae stood at the forefront of the battlefield with her army as the changelings continued to pressure them from all sides. Explosions littered the field left and right as the princess charged her way through, eager to find the Queen of the hive. After scouting the field, the princess found her target - Queen Chrysalis stood in the center of the field, calling out orders to her children, as mother and commander.

"Time to settle this," Stellae rushed forward and flew over the battlefield before getting a magical beam shot down at the queen. Chrysalis rolled to one side and fired back with her own magic. The greenish tint of the beam flashed right in front of Stellae as she veered to her left and swooped down to engage with the changeling leader.

The princess and queen fired shots back and forth to each other, each either missing or deflected. The power of the two were somewhat equal, but Stellae's fatigue soon began to set in.

Queen Chrysalis laughed. "Poor child," She taunted. "The time of the ponies is no more!" The queen began to draw more power into her jagged horn as she began to charge up her finishing blow.

An explosion from the Changeling lair caused the queen to turn her head in confusion. A bright light shot up into the air from the top of the lair, followed by a wave of rainbow light as several beings flew out of the lair and into the sky. They were beings that Princess Stellae had never seen before, but felt an overwhelming positive energy emerge from them as they flew over the battlefield.

Queen Chrysalis groaned and flew up to meet them in the air. "What are you doing!?" She yelled out before stopping mid-flight. "Wha-?"

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stood on the backs of two of the reformed changelings, their gems glowing intensely.

"Your reign is over," Apple Bloom said directly to the queen's face, who turned red with rage.

"Nopony can stop my power while I'm still alive!" She called out, drawing more power into her horn. However, the fillies looked at each other before looking at their new changeling friends, as a bright light took over the center of the battlefield. Changelings all around stopped and stared as their bodies became filled with the same positive aura. Even the ponies stopped and looked on in wonder.

One by one, each changeling on the battlefield changed and became another majestic being, each one just as beautiful as the last. Their own positive energy gave way for more to evolve, and soon the entire field surrounding the Changeling Lair, a dark and dreary outpost, became enveloped in an intense light. The lair itself began to crack, much like the shell of an egg, and soon the lair was reduced to nothing more than a ruin.

Each remaining changeling, overwhelmed with the positive energy coursing through their bodies, turned to look at their queen. The one who had guided them on the dark journey they had taken since the world ended - and even before then.

Apple Bloom called out to the defeated queen once again. "It's not too late for you either." She said, reaching out a hoof to the being who murdered her sister, a being that she should have hated and despised. Instead, Apple Bloom took the high road and offered peace within the darkness.

Instead, Queen Chrysalis turned away. "This is not the end," She said before flying away as quickly as she could. A few of the ponies attempted to follow her, but Princess Stellae told them to stop.

"Let her go." She said. "We have won."

***

A delegation of ponies led by Princess Stellae and the Cutie Mark Crusaders met a delegation from the newly-reformed changelings. Regardless of the recent events, there were still casualties on both sides that could never be replaced.

One of the changelings stepped forward and bowed. "We do appreciate all that you have done to help us see the light, young pony." He said. "While it can never take away the evil that we have committed against ponies, we offer a truce."

Stellae looked on at the changelings, beings who have broken free from the hive mind, as their own hive lay in ruin. "In the interest of facing a common enemy, the Sleipnir - a being whose evil can lead to the end of our kind, I accept your truce. And I ask that you help the ponies in return for the new life you have all been given, to help us drive away the threat on Equestria, so that our future days can be filled with harmony."

The changelings all looked at each other and discussed the terms among themselves. Their leader turned back and faced the ponies. He began to bow before looking directly at the fillies.

"We owe our lives to these two. We will accept your request and come to your aid against the Sleipnir."

The ponies cheered on as both sides came to an agreement. An unlikely ally, one that was trying to eat them all just the day prior, was now their most important friend.

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders," Princess Stellae turned to face the two fillies. "Perhaps you should call yourselves the 'Crusaders of Harmony'," She said, looking at the two gems hanging from their necks.

Sweetie Belle placed a hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder. "Applejack would have been proud," she said.

Apple Bloom shook her head. "We're not done yet," She placed a hoof on the element of honesty. "As long as we carry these elements, we have a job to do."

The sun sat in the sky above the battlefield, shining down on both pony and changeling. However, the warmth came not from the sky, but from the new friendships forged in the name of hope.

"Do you think the Sleipnir can change as well, just like the changelings did?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"If the changelings can change, then anything can happen. Even if it's just one, that might be enough to help," the yellow pony looked at her friend, and the two hugged. Now knowing their roles moving forward, the crusaders were ready to risk it all and help the remaining elements of harmony to save the world.

Fluttershy 6 - In The Cell

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The yellow pegasus had no idea how many days passed since she was thrown in the cell. The only comfort she had in the dark dungeon was the small, flickering fire that was changed every few hours or so. Fluttershy tried to tell how much time passed by taking note of when that fire was changed and timing that with the various meals the Sleipnir fed to her. She had calculated that the fire must have been changed about four times a day, roughly six hours apart. However, she lost track after about twelves times and has only focused on her next meal afterwards.

The Sleipnir were not talkative with her at all - not that she continued to try and talk to them after that one encounter with the captain of the guard. Fluttershy didn't see a point in trying anymore - she was honestly surprised she was not killed by now. Speaking of the captain, he never returned after giving Fluttershy the element of Loyalty, a memento of the life before. What Fluttershy would give to go back to those days - sitting in her little tree home, surrounded by her best animal friends. She imagined drinking tea with Pinkie Pie, or going shopping with Rarity.

But alas, those days were behind her now as the faced the next chapter in her life - a small and damp cell in the dungeons of Canterlot - or what used to be Canterlot. And she was alone - Fluttershy has no idea what happened to Discord since they became separated. If anything, the Sleipnir would see him as a threat and dispose of him quickly.

Fluttershy shook her head at the thought. I'm sure he's alive somewhere...she talked to herself from time to time to keep from going insane. The little light failed to illuminate the entirety of her cell, so Fluttershy spent most of her time in the light when she was awake, and sat in darkness when she went to sleep.

Her dreams were nothing but memories of the old days. The gala in Canterlot. Twilight's Library. Sweet Apple Acres. All relics of the past. Fluttershy woke up crying every "morning", not being able to do anything but sit and think about those days while she was awake. The constant reminder of what was made her go almost completely insane, as she was helpless to do anything else.

One day, something finally changed as a Sleipnir approached the cage. It wasn't during a meal time, which Fluttershy calculated to be once after each torch change, except for the last one when she would go to bed. The Sleipnir approached the cage and looked down at Fluttershy, who paid it no mind.

"Hello," A female voice broke through the darkness. Fluttershy didn't move.

"My name is Rana. I wanted to just say hi - I've been wanting to come down here and visit for a while these past few-"

"Go away."

The voice paused for a moment before continuing. "You have a lovely color. I love pink and yellow."

"Please leave."

Another pause. "I'm sorry you're in this position," the Sleipnir known as Rana spoke in a more hushed voice so as not to alert the guard standing outside. "Roddel and I had a chance to end it all before, to save the ponies, but we failed and now you ponies are in a position like this..."

Fluttershy heard something metallic hit the ground behind her. She turned in response and saw a key lying on the ground at the hooves of the Sleipnir who stood outside. She was a beautiful mare adorned in armor. Her face was actually kindly, something Fluttershy had never noticed with any of the other Sleipnir she had met so far.

"After the next torch change, listen for fireworks. Out the door and to the right." Rana said before turning to leave the room. After she left, Fluttershy crawled to the key and picked it up before placing it within the darkness of the cage. As she did, she looked back at the element of Loyalty, gripping her own Element of Kindness in her hooves.

***

The Sleipnir guard entered the room once again to change the torches. Fluttershy sat pretending to sleep as the guard entered and exited, as usual. After he left, Fluttershy turned around and listened to see if that Rana was right, if she could be trusted. Sure enough, Fluttershy heard a faint explosion, followed by the sounds of guards scurrying away from the dungeons. Fluttershy took the opportunity and bolted towards the cage door, using the key. It was a perfect fit. The door squeaked open, giving the pegasus a chance to escape.

Once she exited the dungeon door, she took a right as per Rana's instructions, following the pathway as it curved left and right, before reaching a single door. Fluttershy took a deep breath and opened the door, and came face to face with the Sleipnir from before, the one who had given her Rainbow Dash's element.

"This way," He motioned behind him - a single stairway leading upwards. The two made their way up and Fluttershy found herself next to a running stream of water. The Sleipnir continued moving along. "Quickly!" He said, trying to get the pegasus to move faster. The explosions grew louder in sound now, this time coming from the opposite direction the two were moving. They moved within the shadows of the towering castle above them, moving swiftly and quietly along as whatever was causing the explosions drew away the attention of the Sleipnir.

Soon, the two came to an open area of the stream, leading right to a waterfall. The Sleipnir stopped next to a barrel and turned towards Fluttershy. "Get in."

"What's going on?" She asked in confusion. The past events were coming at such high speed that she had no idea what was happening.

"No time to explain," The Sleipnir responded. "Just know that you do have friends here."

Fluttershy hopped in the barrel as the Sleipnir placed the lid on it. She heard a few hammering sounds before feeling the barrel move. The splash of water was heard as she found herself bobbing up and down on waves.

"Wait, what's goin-AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Gravity took over as Fluttershy felt herself falling. The Sleipnir must have pushed the barrel into the water and now she's going over the waterfall! Another loud splash and Fluttershy found herself bobbing once again. Not wanting to risk anything, Fluttershy maintained her position and let the waves carry her to wherever her destiny may take her next.

Author's Notes:

What a journey it's been...I can't believe it's almost been 4 years since I started this single story, let alone the entire series! I've been on and off due to various things happening in my life and other commitments I had, only being able to stop and write a little more when I had downtime, but be assured that I'm not stopping until it's all done. I have been following a general outline I created when I started the series - and while I'm still heading towards where I had originally planned to take these characters, the path to get there did change quite a bit! I may or may not start the (planned) final story in this series soon, but I do want to eventually go back and fill in the gaps of my stories with detail, to flesh out the narrative a little more and make it a more enjoyable read. For those who are bearing with me and following the story, thank you.

Lost in a New World

by KingBrony

Sleipnir 1 - Ten Thousand Years

Twilight 1 - In The Cell

Fluttershy 1 - Wilderness

Cutie Mark Chronicles 1 - Under the Sleeping Sun

Peyton 1 - A World Away

Berry 1 - Crystal Life

Cutie Mark Chronicles 2 - Zebra Stripes

Berry 2 - Reunion

Fluttershy 2 - Safe Now

Cutie Mark Chronicles 3 - Tears from the Sky

Sleipnir 2 - Keeping Order

Twilight 2 - Attack

Berry 3 - Death's Door

Cutie Mark Chronicles 4 - Home

Twilight 3 - Rescue

Cutie Mark Chronicles 5 - Desert Ponies

Fluttershy 3 - On the Road Again

Peyton 2 - Primed for War

Fluttershy 4 - Race Against Time

Sleipnir 3 - Threats

Fluttershy 5 - Fate

Peyton 3 - The Battle of Canterlot

Sleipnir 4 - The Bloodbath of Canterlot

Cutie Mark Chronicles 6 - Harmony

Fluttershy 6 - In The Cell