How it Begins

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Princess Platinum glowered across at her compatriots. "Now see here, I don't see why it's so hard to understand. It's perfectly logical for the nobility to rule our new shared country. That's what the nobility is for, after all."

General Hurricane slammed his hoof down on the table they were gathered around. "Except that all the nobility are unicorns! Your tribe's the only one that ever bothered with that 'inherited title' nonsense. This country's still untamed, it'll take generations before it's completely safe to live in. Whether we like it or not, only the strong will survive. It only makes sense for us to be lead by the strongest!"

Chancellor Puddinghead leapt onto the table. "The Earth Ponies will never stand for that! We have always been led by a council chosen by the people! Any leader not chosen by the people will never have the honor and respect of the Earth Ponies. We must elect our leaders!"

"Elect?" Platinum gasped in shock. "But then I could be bowing to some peasant! The nobility would go into open revolt at the mere notion! Can't you see that we must do things as we've always done?"

"That's what we're trying to do!" Hurricane and Puddinghead shouted together.

Outside the tent, Clover the Clever sighed resignedly, shaking her head. "Sorry about Princess Platinum," she said to her friends.

"Don't mention it," Smart Cookie replied. "But...sorry about Puddinghead."

"It's not a problem, really," Pansy replied. "Although I'm really, really sorry about how stubborn Hurricane can be."

All three friends sighed. "It's not fair, really," Clover said at last. "We were so close! The three tribes were at peace, we were getting ready to start tending the earth and shaping the weather. Everypony was ready to live in peace and harmony..."

Smart Cookie sighed. "And then that one weird lookin' Earth Pony had to ask who was in charge."

"What makes you say he was weird looking?" Pansy asked.

"He didn't look hungry, and he was wearing that weird thing around his neck."

"You mean the tie?" Clover replied. "Yeah, that did look a little out of place. And I don't know what that word he said when he ran away after was."

"Sounded like 'bugger'," Pansy spoke up. "I wonder what it could mean?"

"Not that it matters," Clover said sadly. "Unless we can find some way to solve this rulership issue, the Windigoes will be back before long."

The three friends once more sighed in resignation. "Something tells me this isn't going to be easy."

"Yeah," Clover replied sadly. "It's not like the perfect candidates are going to just drop out of the sky."

WHUMP!

Clover and the others heads snapped up at the sound. Standing in front of them in two smallish divots made by a heavy landing were two ponies the likes of which they had never seen. They stood taller than the largest of earth ponies. Their wide, swooping wings folded gracefully to their sides as musculature shifted noticeably beneath their frames. Long, spiraling horns rose from the center of their foreheads. And to top it off, a curiously decorated crown sat upon the stallions head, and a tiara sat gently in the mare's flowing mane.

Clover stood up, taking a closer look at both ponies. The stallion was as black as a moonless night, and his mane waved in the windless calm, seeming as though all the starry universe were contained therein. His eyes were a deep blue, glowing like stars. The mare's coat was a glowing gold, and her blue/green mane flowed like ocean waves (Clover managed to convince herself that no, she did not see a fish jump out of the mare's mane before diving back in). Her eyes were a deep hazel, no glow within them.

The stallion pawed at the ground with his hoof. "Huh, looks like we missed a blizzard of some sort," he commented mildly.

"Not possible," the mare commented idly. "It was summer when I was here - not a month ago - to choose the spot for our new home."

The stallion shrugged. "Don't know what to tell you, Earthsea. The ground shows signs of frost."

Earthsea rolled her eyes. "Bloody Windigos at it again, probably. Well, time to see about making our home now. Fetch the base, Starfall."

Starfall rolled his eyes. "Right." He lifted his head, and his horn began to glow.

Clover felt herself pressed to the ground by the sheer magical pressure of the spell the stranger stallion was casting. She knew every unicorn in the area would surely respond. Sure enough...

"Clover!" Platinum shouted out as she stormed out of the tent. "What is the meaning of-" She fell silent at the sight of the stranger stallion. "You sir! Just what do you think you are doing! Stop it at once!"

Starfall turned, letting his focus on the spell fade. "Yes? Was there something you needed, Miss?" Seeming without meaning to, he assumed a stance of royal dignity, gazing down his nose at the Princess as he towered over her. The rapidly approaching blazing rock of massive proportions falling from the sky behind him probably helped with the overall impression that sent Platinum to her face in the dirt. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern. "Did you trip? Are you ill?"

"ASTEROID!" Clover shouted out in fear.

"Meteor, actually," Starfall commented mildly. "See, an asteroid is mostly ice, while a meteor-" He blinked. "Oh, right." He turned his head, and his horn glowed.

The meteor froze, ten feet above the ground, hovering there with no sign of effort on Starfall's part. "So Earthsea," he asked calmly, "where should I put the new mountain?"

Earthsea took a look at the meteor. It resembled a massive fist of rock, stretching backward into the air like an arm, coming to a point at the terminus. It was also, as Starfall had pointed out, somewhat larger than any mountain Clover had ever laid eyes on. Taking a look around at the area, Earthsea gestured with her horn. The Earth in the indicated spot suddenly tore open, looking like the open maw of a fanged beast awaiting a treat. "Just set it down in there," she said calmly.

Nodding, Starfall gestured with his horn, and the wide base of the meteor settled down into the gap, which closed up around it. Earthsea then sent a beam of magic at the ground around the base, causing the entire area to become briefly molten, fusing the spot together, before rapidly cooling. Earthsea then yawned. "That's enough for one day," she said calmly, laying down on the ground. "Put out the light, would you, dear?"

Smiling, Starfall glanced up at the sun. It immediately completed its - somewhat delayed due to the conference - trip to the western horizon, and the moon rose into the sky. "Sleep tight, dear."

Seeing this last thing, Clover seized on a desperate strategy to restore order to the leaders of the three tribes. Rushing forward, she genuflected before him. "All hail King Starfall, divinely ordained ruler of all ponykind! May his reign last into eternity!"

Catching the hint, Smart Cookie and Pansy joined her. "All hail!"

As the three tribe leaders also bowed from a distance, Starfall was distinctly nonplussed. "Umm...excuse me?"

Clover immediately went to his side. "Look, Your Majesty," she said in a hurried whisper, "we just now started founding a country for our three tribes to live in peace in here in Equestria. But we need somepony to be in charge or it will all fly apart. So please, please, please just take the throne so that we don't wind up going to war and bringing back the Windigoes. You're a king, you know how these things are."

Starfall looked somewhat panicked. "But...but I'm not a king!" he said in desperation. He gestured to the crown. "This is costume jewelry! We were at a party!"

"For the love of the Maker, please never let Platinum hear you say that!" Clover gasped out in desperation. "Look, I'll set the government up, I'm good at that. There will be councils and everything to take care of most political matters, you'll only have to do a few major things at first. I promise, with luck you'll be pampered figureheads within a decade. What do you say?"

Starfall rubbed the back of his head. "Look, this all seems like a really nice offer...but Earthsea and I are newlyweds, and I don't think we really want to-"

"Starfall!" Earthsea called out. "Are you shirking responsibility again?"

Starfall sighed. "No dear," he called back over his shoulder.

Clover smiled. "I take it she was also your childhood friend?"

Starfall nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll be your King...but only if Earthsea's Queen and my equal." He suddenly grinned wickedly. "In power and responsibility."

Clover giggled. "I'll have the constitution drafted by tomorrow."

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An undetermined amount of time that's probably but not guaranteed to be at least several centuries later...

Celestia sighed to herself as she walked along the hallways of Canterlot Castle. At the ripe age of 16, she was beginning her training as a Princess, to see to Royal Duties of tending to her subjects. This did not exactly suit with her own plans for her life, as what she would really rather be doing with her free time was partying, spending time with her friends, and teasing her boyfriend. However, what she was really upset about was that these Princess duties cut into the last bit of time she had to spend with her baby sister, Luna.

As she thought about this, a blue ball with a crescent moon upon its surface bounced off her forehead. "Tia!" a happy voice called out to her.

Celestia smiled despite herself, turning to the source of the voice. A tiny blue filly with tiny wings and horn waddled along on four hooves, running up to her. The diaper she still wore was held with a crescent moon pin. "You'we hewe to pway with me, wight?" Luna gasped out, bouncing happily.

Celestia sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Luna, but I can't. Now that my training is complete, I have to actually start seeing to Royal duties. I just don't have time to play anymore." She started to reach out to Luna.

Luna frowned, backing away. "You nevew have time fow me anymowe!" she pouted. "You'we aways off smoozing ow fwiwting ow studying! I just wanna pway with my big sistew!" Luna turned and ran off, crying.

Celestia sighed sadly. "Oh, Luna," she said sorrowfully. "I wish I could spend more time with you. If only you were big enough to go out and make some friends." She turned to head back to her duties.

Then she stopped. "Maybe you're not big enough...but I am." Forgetting her duties for the moment, she headed out into Canterlot.

Walking the streets, she quickly came across her destination, a day care center. She stepped inside. "Hello?" she calle out.

The head of the center, an elderly unicorn mare, immediately turned. "Yes, can I help- Princess Celestia!" The mare immediately bowed low. "Please, tell me how I can possibly assist you on this fine day."

Celestia smiled. "Yes, you see, my parents and I are having difficulty making time to spend with my little sister, Luna. She's been getting lonely, so I was wondering if I could bring a few fillies and/or colts her age up to the palace for her to play with. I know it's not exactly regulation, but-"

"Oh, of course, Princess!" the matron replied eagerly. "Please, choose whichever ones you like!"

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Now, before anyone speaks up about how irresponsible this is of the matron, let's cover a few things.

First off, Clover obviously failed in turning Starfall and Earthsea - Celestia's parents - into figureheads by the end of the decade. The exact reason for this is unimportant, but is partially due to the fact that most of Equestria began viewing the King and Queen as flesh and blood gods. It took a long time, but eventually they managed to get the populace to treat them as just monarchs without worshipping them. All effort along those lines went out the window when Celestia was born.

You've likely heard about parents who would - metaphorically - move heaven and earth to make their children happy? Well, Starfall and Earthsea were that sort of parents...except they actually could move heaven and earth. Now imagine what it's like living under doting parents who can reshape the world to their child's whims. Once more, the royal family was seen as gods.

As much as Celestia disliked it, had she asked the matron for her immortal soul to dine on, she would have asked how she wanted it seasoned.

-----------------

Celestia sighed to herself, but stepped into the main area of the day care center. She glanced around at the fillies and colts, looking for a group she could bring back to the palace to play with her sister. She glanced around. There were so many, but she didn't want to flood the palace with children, nor did she want to overwhelm her sister. She decided that just six would be perfect...but which six?

"Incoming!" a small voice shouted out, causing Celestia to duck instinctively. A rainbow blur passed over her head, crashing into a nearby pile of books. Celestia turned to look. A cyan Pegasus filly with a rainbow colored mane and tail with a magenta lightning bolt pin on her diaper was tumbled together with a purple unicorn filly with a pink and purple mane and tail. Her diaper was held with a star shaped pin.

"Wainbow!" the unicorn complained. "I'm twying to wead hewe!"

"Suck it, Twiwight!" the Pegasus - Rainbow, presumably - spat out. "I'm twying to fwy!"

"You can't fwy yet, you too small!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yuh huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

As the two fillies continued their argument, Celestia looked on. Hmm... she thought to herself. Luna always did like when we played adventures. Rainbow would likely be adventuresome enough for her. And Twilight there would keep things in check, keep her from getting in too much trouble. Glancing around, her eyes briefly skimmed over a large pile of stuffed animals, until she realized that there was a filly in the middle of them by the light glinting off her pink butterfly diaper pin. The yellow Pegasus was practically buried under her pink mane and tail and the surrounding plushies. She was clinging to a large white bunny plushie, only one blue eye visible, staring out at the other ponies. On noticing Celestia's eyes upon her, the filly "Eep!"ed and pulled behind the bunny.

Too cute...Must get a picture of her and Luna cuddling... Managing to shake herself out of her cuteness induced stupor, she noticed a white unicorn filly standing near the plushie pile. Her purple mane and tail was immaculately curled, and she had two filly dresses behind her. Her diaper pin was a purple diamond. "Fwuttewshy!" she called out to the Pegasus in the pile. "It's time to pway Pwetty Pwincess Dwess Up!"

"...okay," Fluttershy replied from the pile.

Luna playing dress up...must see! Having now selected four, Celestia looked around for the last two perfect potential friends for her sister.

"Beg pawden," a little voice said from her hooves. Looking down, she saw an orange earth pony filly with a blonde mane and tail, with an orange apple diaper pin. "Ah ya hungy?"

Celestia smiled at the little filly. "Maybe just a little."

The filly pulled the oversized Stetson hat she was wearing off her head and pulled out an apple. "Hee ya go!" she said happily.

Celestia smiled, levitating up the apple in her magic. "Why thank you," she said, taking a bite. The apple was delicious. Well, she certainly seems nice enough. A bit more of an anchor, to keep things grounded in reality. Luna might need that-

"Fun?" a happy voice said from above her head.

Celestia tried to look up. "Who said that?"

"You going to the pawace?" the voice said, this time from her tail. "Can I come?" it asked again, this time from between her forelegs. "Pwease, pwease, pwease, pwease, pwease?!" The voice came from all over her body, and Celestia felt...something randomly appearing across her body.

"If you'd hold still for ten seconds, I'd be happy to take you!" Celestia gasped out in desperation.

A pink earth pony filly with a poofy pink mane seemed to appear in front of her, sitting calmly on the floor. The blue balloon diaper pin glinted in the light of the room. Celestia examined the filly carefully.

"Time's up!" the filly said happily before bouncing up onto Celestia's head, grabbing the edges of Celestia's mouth and pulling them into a smile. "Smiwe big fow Pinkie Pie!"

Celestia blinked her eyes. And I promised to take her to the palace...what have I gotten myself into? Celestia looked towards the matron. "These two," she said, gesturing to the pony who had given her an apple and Pinkie Pie, "those two," she gestured to Rarity and Fluttershy, "and those two," she finished, gesturing to Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

"Alright," the matron said. "I'll let their parents know they're up at the palace when they come to pick them up."

Celestia nodded, hoping she'd be able to keep control of them until she got there, let alone until their parents arrived.

---------------

"Awe we thewe yet?" Rainbow complained.

"No, not yet," Celestia sighed as she pulled the small carriage she'd borrowed to transport the fillies.

"I'm so excited!" Twilight said happily. "I'm going to get to see the Woyal Pawace!"

"I know!" Rarity - the white unicorn - yelled happily. They hugged each other with a high pitched squeal.

"Ah don' wanna go to da castwe," Applejack - the orange filly - complained. "Ah didn' even wanna come to Cantawot. I don' wike big cities. I wanna go home."

"Don't be such a pahty pooper!" Pinkie said happily. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Fluttershy, thankfully, was quiet for the entire ride, still clinging to the large bunny plushie that Celestia had convinced the matron to let them take with them, for her comfort.

Finally pulling in to the palace, Celestia sighed. "Alright, we're here." She glanced around. "That's strange. Why are all the light off?" She stepped inside. "Mother? Father? Luna?"

"Did you seek to wepwace me so easiwy?" a small, angry voice spoke up. "Just because I compwained, you thought to bwing these six to take my pwace!"

Luna stepped out from behind the basement door, a flash of lightning illuminating her. She had donned Starfall's war helm in an attempt to look menacing, but the fact that it was big enough to cover her entire body except for the slippers that stuck out the bottom hindered that intention.

Celestia struggled not to squeal. "Luna, I would never replace you! I know I haven't had time to play with you lately, so I brought these six fillies your age over to keep you company. So you could make friends-"

"WIES!" Luna proclaimed. "I shaw not twust youw woods! I am Woona no more! I am Nightmawe Moon, and I pwocwaim that this dawk night shaw wast...fowevew!" She reared back on her hind hooves. "MUAHAHAHAHAHA-whup!" She overbalanced, and she - along with the helm proceeded to bounce down the stairs to the basement, accompanied by several clanging sound and the occasional "oomph" from Luna.

"LUNA!" Celestia called out, rushing forward to aid her sister. However, in the dark, she tripped on an upturned rug corner and wound up crashing face first into the wall, knocking herself out.

The six fillies sat there, staring at the unconscious princess. At last, one voiced all their thoughts.

"Wuh oh!" Pinkie Pie said, a huge grin on her face.

The Nightmawe

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Twilight glanced around somewhat fearfully. As dark as it was, without a grownup to protect her, she was on the verge of panic. She was afraid of the things that went bump in the dark, the things that would leap out from under the carpet, the thing that lurked in the toilet whirlpool, the thing in the bathtub drain...

"Dahk is scawy...somepony tuhn on da wight!" Applejack begged, shaking.

Twilight blinked, remembering something. "Oh yah," she said. She focused, and a small spot of purple light ignited at the tip of her horn, illuminating the area. The lighting was still somewhat spooky, but at least everyone could see. "Fogoht I cud do dat," she admitted sheepishly.

"Wow!" Rarity said. "I can't do any Magic yet! Can you do mowe twicks?"

Twilight shook her head. "Nope. Just this." She hung her head, once more feeling down about her lack of skill. It didn't matter how many times her parents and big brother told her that - for a filly her age - even making light was a humongous achievement, especially with how easily she could sustain it. It was never enough for Twilight.

Rainbow strutted up as best she could, although her strut was distinctly waddle like due to her diaper. "Well, it's pwetty obvious what we gotta do now!"

"Stay hewe and wait fow Gwanny?" AJ asked hopefully.

"Cupcakes?" Pinkie offered excitedly.

"Dwessup?" Rarity asked eagerly.

Rainbow face hoofed. "No. Save da day!" The others blinked at her. "Cewestia bwought us hewe to be fwends wit Woona. Now Woona's eviw, and Cewestia's uncouscous...uncomfy...out cold! Dat means it ouw job to make Woona good again and bwing back the wight!"

"Nuuuu!" Fluttershy whimpered from behind the plushie. "Not the hungwy ghosts! Don't eat me! I dun taste gud!" The bunny shivered from Fluttershy's body shakes.

Rainbow face hoofed once more. "Not the wight, the wight! You know, make da pwace bwight?"

"Oh," Fluttershy replied. "The wight."

"That's what I said..."

Twilight smiled. "You wight, Wainbow! We must save Equestwia! Into the basement aftew Woona!" She started to take a step forward.

"WAIT!" Pinkie called out. "If we gonna save the day, we gotta make it epic, wight? Six might wawwiows questing thwough dangewous enviwons to save a Pwincess! We need epic names for da pwaces!"

"Ya mean wike pwetend?" AJ asked curiously.

Rainbow tilted her head. "I didn't undewstand haf a what you said, Pinkie, but it sounds wadicaw...I mean gnawy...awesome!" She smirked. "Yeah, I can say dat wight. Awesome!"

Twilight glanced around. "But, I onwy count five of us..."

Rainbow shook her head. "But ouw mightiest wawwiow is there!" She pointed towards the plushie.

Twilight stared. "What, behind the wabbit!"

"No you foow, it is the wabbit!" Pinkie cried suddenly, before giggling uncontrollably.

Rarity sighed. "Fwuttashy, you need to join us fow dis. We can't do it witout you."

Fluttershy sighed from behind the bunny. "Okay, Wawity." She stepped out nervously.

Twilight smiled. "Awight! The six of us now jouwney into the unknown wands of..." She paused, coming up with a good name. "Da Evewfwee Fowest!"

"Ah don' see no twees," AJ said bluntly.

"The gwus ate dem," Rarity piped up.

"I buy dat," Pinkie replied.

"What's a g-g-gwu?" Fluttershy stammered.

"I dunno," Rarity replied. "Something Papa talks about wit his gaming buddies."

"Well, into the unknown weaches we go!" Twilight asserted, walking forward. For lack of anything better to do, the others followed her up to the stairs. "What ho!" Twilight proclaimed. "A dangewous cwiff! We must safewy scawe to da bottom!"

Rarity looked down. "How we gonna do dat?"

Twilight examined the stairs. "Vewy, vewy cawefully. Othewise..." The rug beneath her suddenly slipped. "AHH!"

"AHH!" the other five fillies agreed as they started to fall down the stairs on the tumbling rug.

After a while of tumbling, Twilight came to a halt at what she imagined to be the uttermost edge of the precipice of the cliff, hanging just barely above a bottomless gorge into which she'd fall forever. She felt strong hooves grip hers, and opened her eyes. "Applejack! Don't wet me go!"

"Don' wowwy, Twi, I gotcha!" Applejack started to pull up, but she wasn't strong enough. "I can't puww ya up!"

Twilight's eyes widened in fear. "What am I gonna do?"

Applejack looked around, then looked down at Twilight. "You gonna have to wet go."

"WHAT?" Twilight asked, shocked. "You cwazy!"

"Wisten," Applejack insisted. "Twust in ya fwiends, okay? Dey won't wet ya down." She smiled reassuringly at Twilight. As Twilight began to calm down, Applejack concluded, "Besides, yew hooves awe wike, two centimetews off da gwound."

Twilight blinked, looking down. She was as close as Applejack said. In point of fact, her tail touched the ground. Flushing, she let go, dropping lightly to her diaper clad butt as AJ hopped down, the others gathering around her. "It wooked a wot higher fwom on top," she muttered, embarrassed.

As everyone else smiled at her, she got to her hooves, and the group waddled deeper into darkness, Twilight's light their only guide.

-----------

After a time of walking - having managed to cover a total of three feet - Rarity plopped down. "I'm pooped!" she whined. "Somepony cawwy me!"

"None of us awe big enough," Rainbow pointed out. "You gotta cawwy yousewf."

Rarity grumbled under her breath, turning. She then let out a scream. Everyone turned to what she was screaming at.

There in front of them all was the most frightening wooden creatures they had ever seen, reaching for them.

As most of them screamed, running back and forth and bumping into each other, Pinkie started laughing. They all stopped. "Pinkie," Twilight said. "Why awe you waughing?

Pinkie stopped her giggles. "Aw, gews, don't you see?" She started shaking herself back and forth as music began playing from nowhere.

"♫Now I'm just a wittwe fiwwy so when the sun goes down
The dawkness and the shadows, they sometimes make me fwown
I hide undew my piwwow from what I tink I saw
But Gwanny Pie says dat isn't da way to deaw wit feaws at all!"

Rainbow blinked. "Den what is?" Pinkie continued singing.

"♫She says, Pinkie, you gotta stand up taww,
Weawn to face you feaws
You see, dat wit a waugh,
Dat you can make dem dissappeaw!"

Turning towards the scary creature, she went, "Ha, ha, ha!" As Twilight approached, her light showed the creature was in fact an elaborately carved end table leg. As Pinkie grinned, she led them in song.

"♫Sooooo...giggwe at the ghostie
Guffaw at the gwoss-by
Cwack up at da cweepy
Whoop it up wit da weepy
Chortle at the cooky
Snortle at the spooky"

"And..." Pinkie began. "And...and..." She giggled. "I fowgot the west!"

Everypony stared at her for a time, and then they all fell over, cracking up laughing. After a time, they got back to their hooves and continued walking.

Some time later, Twilight spotted something at the edge of the illuminated area. "Watch out!" she said, pointing. They crept closer, and Twilight began to make out the shadowy form. "It's a vicious manticowe!" she proclaimed.

Mr. Muffin, Earthsea's pet panther, turned his head to stare at the filly in consternation. A manticore, really? Standing up, he paced over towards the group.

Applejack suddenly leapt onto his back. "Yeehah!" she shouted. "Giddy up, pawdnaw!"

Mr. Muffin glowered. He did not give rides. Tilting his body, he dumped the filly off his back. Seeing Rainbow Dash running towards him - as best she could - he turned away, his tail accidentally sending her tumbling.

Hearing grunts, he looked down. Rarity was trying to hit him in the chin with her hindhooves, but had only succeeded in flipping herself onto her back, and now could not get back to her hooves. He stared down at her.

"KITTY!" Fluttershy called out happily, zipping through the air to glomp onto Mr. Muffin's head. She began nuzzling him while cooing, scratching him in just the right spot between his ears. He flopped down onto the ground, letting her continue her affections. This one smelled nice. After a time, Mr. Muffin fell back asleep.

The other fillies stared at Fluttershy in awe.

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"Awwww!" Pinkie said meltingly.

No, no, no...Awe. A. W. E. As in marvel and wonder.

"Ooo!" Pinkie corrected herself.

That's better. Although it is Fluttershy, so the first was accurate, too. Now stop it, Pinkie. There's too many references in here as is.

-----------------

"Fwuttewshy," Twilight breathed, "how'd you do that?"

Fluttershy blinked at her. "But...he's so fwuffy and cuddwy and cute! How could I not cuddwe him?"

"Mighty wawwiow my diapew," Applejack commented under her breath. "She's da dipwomancew."

"Dipwomancew?" Rarity asked, confused.

"My big bwothew games wit yer Papa, and he tewws campaigns as bed time stowies."

"Ah."

The six fillies walked along together, deeper into the dark recesses of the 'Everfree Forest'. A sudden flash of lightning spooked all of them as the illumination turned an eel in a nearby fish tank into a frightening sea serpent.

Fluttershy blinked, then started to wail.

"Fwuttewshy," Rainbow asked, "what's wong?"

"I-I-I-I p-p-p-pooped!" she wailed. A single glance was enough to show everypony that, yes, Fluttershy had thoroughly soiled her diaper in fright.

Twilight blinked. "W-wat do we do about this?" she asked, confused and afraid.

Rarity stepped forward. She grabbed hold of Fluttershy's diaper pin and pulled it out. Taking the soiled diaper off, she folded it up and tossed it under a nearby dresser. She then pulled some wipes out of the dress she's insisted on wearing to the palace and cleaned Fluttershy off, tossing the soiled wipes after the diaper. She then removed her own - still pristine - diaper and affixed it around Fluttershy, pinning it with the butterfly pin. She stuck her own diamond pin behid her ear in her mane.

Fluttershy stared up at Rarity, blinking. "How'd you do dat?"

Rarity sniffed. "Mama and Papa can nevew get my diapie wooking wight, so I weaned to wedo it mysewf." She patted the diaper gently. "Aww better now, wight?"

Smiling, Fluttershy hugged Rarity. The group then turned to walk further into the basement...but eventually came to a wide grating in the floor, with dangerous footing.

"W-w-we can't cwoss dat!" Applejack said in fear.

"I can!" Rainbow said happily. She immediately ran across the grate, her natural agility coming into play, allowing her to find safe footing.

"Wainbow!" Twilight called after her. "You need to go on witout us! Woona must be saved!"

Rainbow shook her head. "No way!" Glancing around, she saw a rolled up carpet. Pushing it over with a grunt of effort, she unrolled it across the grate. "I dun weave my fwiends behind!"

Smiling together, everypony crossed the rug.

Some time later, they heard sniffling. They followed the sound. They came upon Luna, still huddled in her father's - now dented - war helm. She glowered out at them. "You!" she said angrily. "You da ones Tia wepwaced me wit! What awe you doin hewe?"

Twilight took what she thought was a dramatic stance. "Nightmawe Moon! We have come to cweanse you of da dahkness, and fwee Woona fwom youw eviw cwutches, and westowe wight to da wand!"

Luna blinked at her. "Umm...wat?"

Pinkie raced over to Luna's side. "The game you stahted, wemembew? Nightmawe Moon, night wast fowevew, then escaping into da Evewfwee Fowest? Now we come all dis way to defeat you and save da day, then weunite you wit Cewestia so you can make up! Then we can have wots of fun togethew!"

Luna blinked, shocked. "You...you came to pway wit...me?"

Pinkie nodded. "Yeppews! Gwown ups awe bowing, too much emphasis on wuwes! But now we gotta finish the game wight, wight?" She popped back over to the others, resuming her original position.

Luna blinked for a time, then smiled happily. "FOOWS!" she proclaimed. "You have not the powew to stand against the Mistwess of da Night!" She then peeked through one eye hole of the helm. "How was dat?"

Pinkie gave her a conspiratorial wink. Then she got herself going. "We wiww not faiw! Too much counts on us!"

"Besides," Twilight said with a confident grin, "we have with us a powew you cannot defeat!"

"Weawwy?" Luna asked. "What's dat?"

Twilight paused. She thought for a time. Then she turned to the others. "I got nothin."

"Weww," Rainbow said, "if it's gonna be an awesome finish, it's gotta have an awesome name. And it's gotta invowve aww of us."

"Maybe it could be an ewementaw powah?" Applejack offered. "Ya know, like the power of da wand?"

Rarity shook her head. "No. We'we hewe to be Woona's fwiends, so it's gotta have something to do wit fweindship."

"Maybe we couwd use music?" Fluttershy asked. "I wike singing."

"Me too!" Pinkie said happily.

"I got it!" Twilight said. She turned back to Luna. "We wiww defeat you using...the Ewements of Hawmony!"

Luna clapped her hooves. This was fun. Then she got back in character. "No! How could you have discovewed the secwet powew of Equestwia's cweation? It's impossibwe!"

"Ooh!" Pinkie said. "Nice impwov!"

Twilight grinned. "Because Equestwia was cweated by fwiendship, and it is the Ewements that make Fwiendship wowk that power it!" She gestured. "Appwejack, who saw da twuth of the scenawio and wet nopony shy away, wepwesent the Ewement of...Honesty!"

Grinning, Applejack showed off her diaper pin.

"What awe you doin, Appwejack?" Rainbow asked.

"Weww, we gotta use somethin' to wepwesent the Ewements, and these diapa pins wook wike a set."

"As wong as you don't poke me with them!" Luna called out.

Twilight continued. "Pinkie, who used humowous ditties to scawe away fwightening phantoms wepwesents the Ewement...of Waughtah!"

Pinkie bounced up onto her fore hooves, shaking her rear in the air so her balloon pin caught the light, causing Luna to giggle.

"Fwuttewshy, who tamed the fewocious manticowe-"

"You mean Mistah Muffin?" Luna asked. "He wikes being scwitched between the eaws."

Twilight nodded. "That's how she did it, meaning she wepwesents the Ewement of...Kindness!"

"Whewe awe you getting these?" Rarity asked, confused, as Fluttershy posed, filled with new confidence.

"Making it up as I go awong," Twilight admitted. "Wawity," she continued louder, "who gave up hew own diapie fow hew fwiend's comfowt, wepwesents the Ewement of...Genewosity!"

"Ooh, nice!" Rarity said happily, stroking her diamond pin. "Might be the wong design, though. But then, what would..." She quickly became lost in thought as she tried to mentally design a runic image to represent Generosity.

"Wainbow," Twilight continued, "woud not weave hew fwiends behind, despite the gweat effowt it took to hewp dem. She wepwesents the Ewement...of Woyawty!"

"Awesome!" Rainbow said happily, spinning around a few times in excitement.

Twilight grinned. "And I..." She thought for a time, her grin fading. "I..." She turned back to the others. "What did I contwibute?"

"You wit ouw way," Applejack pointed out. "We'd nevew have made it this faw without you wight."

"But that don't weawwy fit," Twilight argued. "Wight doesn't weawwy match up."

"You make it wit magic," Rainbow pointed out.

"Magic?" Twilight asked. "Is that an Ewement of Fwiendship?"

They all paused in thought. "You got anyting bettew? Cause we need to end this nawwative somehow so we can get the wights on."

Twilight nodded. "Magic it is." She turned back to Luna. "And I wepwesent the Ewement of Magic, the ineffabwe, the inexpwicabwe fowce that ties us aww togethew and causes fwiendships to fowm!"

"Ooo, that's a nice descwiption," Fluttershy said happily.

"And now, wit the Ewements of Hawmony, we will cweanse you of Dawkness, Nightmawe Moon!" Twilight proclaimed.

Luna grinned. "And how do you pwan to do that?" she demanded. "Do you know how to use the Ewements?"

Twilight thought for a time. Then she grinned. "Get hewe, giwws!" she yelled, charging forward.

Letting out a mock scream of fear, Luna turned, trying to scoot away under the helmet. The six fillies bulled into her, knocking the helmet over, and began tickling her into submission. It wasn't long before Luna began counterattacking, her more developed wings giving her a distinct advantage. Before long, they were all collapsed on the floor, out of breath from laughing.

"So," Twilight gasped out at last, "we've...defeated Nightmawe Moon...fweed Woona...and now we need to end the etewnaw night."

"How do we do that?" Pinkie asked.

"Wike dis!" Luna said, igniting her horn. The switch to the circuit breaker glowed with her telekinetic aura and shifted back into the 'on' position.

My Littlest Pony: Friendship Starts Small

by Tatsurou

How it Begins

The Nightmawe