> The Chaos of Disharmony
>  by Silver Melodies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Pictures: Don't read until you've read the first chapter of the story!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

These are just some pictures of what everyone looks like. It is to  help you know how to envision the characters as you are reading. If you wish to make up your own images, don't read any further!








Pinkie Pie




Rarity (though without the feathers and glasses)




Twilight Sparkle (except without the robot leg)




Applejack




Fluttershy (with a shorter dress)




Rainbow Dash




Pinkie Pie's Airship






> Introduction: The Mane Six
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Fluttershy twisted the wrench in her hoof, tightening the bolt. She glanced around to make sure she was done, then pulled herself out from underneath the machine she was working on. Her mane was a bit disheveled, with spots of oil and grease in it. Not that she minded, she kind of preferred the look. It was... nice.
“Okay.” She turned to the mare inside the machine. “Try it now.”
The pink mare flipped a few switches and pulled some levers. A loud groan came from the machine before it settled into a low hum. It shook a little bit, causing a bit of ruckus. One massive propeller began to spin, while the engines slowly hummed to life. Slowly, but surely, it began to lift into the air. The machine was huge. A long, football shaped body. On top, it had a small tower, for radio purposes and such. Underneath, a box where the pilot and the passengers sat. Under the cockpit was a two meter chaingun that fired .50 cal rounds. The inside was hollowed out, used for storing cargo. Within a few minutes, it was airborne. The mare inside it lowered it back to the ground then shut it down.
“Great job Fluttershy! Works great!”
Fluttershy shook her head. Pinkie was just trying to make her happy. She could easily tell it still needed some major tweaks and a few new parts before it would be able to really fly, without any trouble or shaking parts.
“I'll stop by the market in the morning to grab some more parts. I should have this baby up to one hundred percent functionality in... three days.”
Pinkie bounced around. “Cool! I'm so glad you're helping me, otherwise, Old Drifter here would'a never flown again!” Her eyes widened and her mouth opened wide in a gasp. “Can you imagine what that would be like? Never being able to do the one thing you've been made for! That would be...”
Fluttershy held a hoof to Pinkie's mouth. “Okay, I get it. I'll be back tomorrow.”
“Okie Dokie Lokie!”
Fluttershy packed up her tools and left Pinkie's garage, thankful to be out of there. As much as she liked her friend, Pinkie could get obnoxious to hang around with for too long. She had to be high on something to be that energetic.
She shook her head and thought about what still needed to be done on 'Old Drifter'. As long as that old thing stayed away from trouble, they'd be fine.





Rarity carefully dusted off the last artifact she had found at the dig site. It was a small vase, made for holding and storing wine, it seemed, dating back to the late Griffonian Era. It was worth more than most things you’d ever find in your life. And Rarity had five of them.
She placed the vase with the others and turned around to view the dig site. It was a large crater, or at least, it looked like a large crater. Underneath it all was an ancient village, made by the griffons when they once occupied these lands. The circular shape was how they built their villages, all the houses surrounding a central plaza, where they would have shops and the like.
She scanned the area for her sister. “Sweetie!” She always had to keep an eye on her. One time, the little filly had tried to unearth a portion of the dig site on her own. Long story short, she had to be dug out of a hole she had dug and then accidentally filled while she was still in it. She was lucky she hadn't suffocated!
“Sweetie Belle?”
“One minute, sis!”
She saw Sweetie Belle at the farthest end of the dig site. Rarity trotted over, knowing she must be up to something. Her dress got a little dirty since the place was dusty, which she didn't particularly like, but she didn't mind too much. The sun was setting, casting its last light on the archaeological gold mine.
Rarity found Sweetie Belle with Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. Rainbow told stories as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle listened with all the attention they could muster. Rarity rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash was always telling these outlandish and outrageous stories.
“So then, before the manticore could pounce, I leapt out of the bushes and tackled that thing to the ground. Of course, it wasn't hard for me, but I did save the merchant's life.”
“Wow!” Scootaloo squeaked. “That was so cool! You're awesome!”
“Yeah, well, I am.”
Humble much, are you? Rarity interrupted their little... story time. “Come Sweetie Belle, it's time to leave.”
“Aw, okay. Let me go grab my stuff.”
“I'll come with you!” Scootaloo said.
Together, the two teenagers left for their tent. Rarity wished they could always stay younger. The burdens of being an adult were stressful at times.
She turned to Rainbow Dash. “Listen, Rainbow. I'm paying you to keep my dig site safe, not fill my sister's head with nonsense. If you don't stop, I'll fire you. I have plenty of other adventurers to choose from should I need to.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. It's not like I NEED the job, I just was bored. But then again, guarding a dig site is also pretty boring.”
Rarity ground her teeth. The nerve of this pony! “Just stop talking to my sister, and you won't have to leave.”
The cyan pegasus flew away. “Like I care.”
Rarity, cheeks flushed with anger, tried to calm herself down as she walked back to the tent. The pegasus had some nerve! Acting like she was no more than a simple archaeologist. Rarity was one of the most important archaeologists of her time. How dare she treat her that way!
Before she could get to the tent, Sweetie and Scootaloo came bounding out. “Ready!” Sweetie Belle beamed.
Scootaloo looked around. “Where's Rainbow?”
Rarity pointed to the sky. Rainbow Dash was flying back to her home, apparently forgetting about her adopted sister.
“Oh! Thanks!' Scootaloo dashed into the sky, leaving the others to cough out the dust she stirred up.
Rarity put on the best smile she could manage and led Sweetie Belle toward their house, just up a nearby hill. Her thoughts kept turning toward Rainbow Dash. Her insolence, her attitude, her pride. It was infuriating. That pegasus was going to have to go, lest Rarity lose her sanity. Maybe a nice trip to somewhere different would ease Rarities mind.





Twilight looked up from the book she was reading when she heard a bell jingle. She closed the book , titled 'Explosive Potions and their Dangers' and gave her knew customer her full attention. It wasn't often she got customers, but when she did, she made a lot of money. Her shop wasn't exactly 'popular', but she was known. After all, famous adventurers came to her shop all the time.
She took a good look at her new customer. An orange earth pony, bounty hunter or adventurer from her apparel. She had a large trench coat on, as well as cowboy hat. She had two pistols at her hips and a shotgun on her back. Her face had a scar traveling down her cheek, as well as one on her right hoof. She looked like a badass.
She waited as the mare made her way to Twilight, eyeing the various potions and ingredients. She picked up a bottle and examined it before setting it back down and shaking her head. She obviously knew her potions. That potion wasn't the most stable, nor the most useful.
Finally, she made it to her desk. “Can I help you?” Twilight asked with a smile plastered on her face. Not that she was annoyed by her customer, but she didn't normally smile, so when she did, it was usually forced.
“Actually, ya can.” She laid a piece of paper on the desk. “Ah need all these potions, and Ah need 'em now.”
Twilight was a bit taken aback by this ponies rudeness. “Alright, let's see here.” She examined the list. Two numbing potions, three explosive potions, and an adrenaline potion. She looked up from the list to see a scowl on the orange mares face. “Right, one minute.”
She went about the shop, gathering the requested potions. Two numbing, three explosive...
“Would you like the normal or strong adrenaline potions?” she called out.
“I don't matter ta me, just hurry it up, will ya?”
“Why don't you try being patient?” Twilight mumbled under her breath.
She took the potions to her desk. “Okay, so two numbing, three explosive, and one strong adrenaline. That'll be fifty bits.”
The orange mare grumbled and tossed the bits onto the counter. She scooped up her potions and deposited them into her bag. She turned around and began to leave without a word. Twilight adjusted her monocle, thinking for a moment. Then it clicked in her head.
Just before the mare left, she stopped her as she was opening the door. “Wait! You're that famous bounty hunter. Apple... apple...”
“Applejack.” the mare finished as she left the shop, slamming the door shut.
Twilight sat there. That was odd. She knew that Applejack was tough, but not rude. Oh well, not her business. She took another look at her store. There were four shelves in the middle of the small room, each one stocked with potions she made herself. Her walls were lined with the various ingredients that she used. Yep, she loved this little shop, small as it may be.
She exited through the front door, turning the sign so it read closed and walked to her home, wishing something exciting would happen.





Pinkie  Pie sat the cockpit of Old Drifter, her precious airship. She always enjoyed sitting here, feeling the smooth leather seat she sat on, watching the flashing lights and hearing the hum of the engine. She especially loved flipping the switches and getting this baby airborne. Flying in the sky on a massive ship was just... freeing. No, not that. Exhilarating? No... relaxing? Sure, a little...
“Okay.” A voice called out from the outside of her cockpit. “Try it now.”
Pinkie began to flip buttons and pull levers. A loud groan came out for a little before settling into a hum. Her seat began to vibrate as her whole machine shook.
“He he he he!” She laughed. “Thi-i-is fe-e-e-ls fun-n-ny!”
Within a few minutes, it was airborne. Not as fast as Pinkie would have liked. She could normally take off in under a minute. Three minutes was too long. Plus, her baby was shaking so hard it felt like it was going to shake its self apart. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, instead taking in the view from up here. 
It had been so long since Pinkie had been this high, she wanted to savor the moment. After her unfortunate accident, she had crashed Old Drifter into the Fields of Gresha, a just outside of the Royal City of Avolan. She was lucky she wasn't hurt. Drifter, however, was not so lucky. She was lucky she found Fluttershy. The building and repairing the main frame of the ship, Pinkie could easily handle. But the mechanics, well, Pinkie wasn't so good with those.
A sudden jerk brought her back to the real world. She flipped back a few switches and the massive machine began its descent. A frown actually formed on Pinkie's face. It landed with a thud, and in only thirty seconds, where as it took three minutes to take off. It was sad to see her baby in this kind of condition.
After she landed, she shut it down and turned to yellow mare outside her ship. “Great job Fluttershy!       Works great!”
She saw Fluttershy shake her head. Oh well. Pinkie hopped out of the cockpit, beaming. At least her ship was working somewhat. That was a big step forward, right?
“I'll stop by the market in the morning to grab some more parts. I should have this baby up to one hundred percent functionality in... three days.”
Pinkie smiled wider while bouncing around. She was so happy! “Cool! I'm so glad you're helping me, otherwise, Old Drifter here would'a never flown again!” Her eyes widened and her mouth opened wide in a gasp. “Can you imagine what that would be like? Never being able to do the one thing you've been made for! That would be...”
She was stopped when Fluttershy held a hoof to Pinkie's mouth. “Okay, I get it. I'll be back tomorrow.”
“Okie Dokie Lokie!”
Fluttershy turned and left. Pinkie watched her for a minute, but then turned back to Drifter. She wanted make sure his hull was intact. She eyed it, clamoring back and forth underneath, trying to get a good view.
Once she was satisfied that he was in good shape, she closed her garage doors, which were massive, and headed into her house. She was so happy to have a friend like Fluttershy! Smart and knowing what she was doing. 
Now if only she could find more friends and they could go an adventure! Oh! To save the world! From chaos! But that would never happen.





Rainbow Dash was flying around the dig site. It was SO boring out here, just flying back and forth, making sure no one touched what Rarity didn't want them to. Why did she even take this job in the first place? Because she needed the money, and couldn't find anywhere to work and no adventures to go on.
The sun was beginning to set. Knowing her job was almost done for the day, she found Scootaloo. The teenage mare was like Rainbow's... assistant. She taught Scootaloo what she knew, and Scootaloo helped sometimes, like now. She need someone to talk to in this dusty hole of boredom. How archaeologist spend their whole lives in places like these was beyond her.
She found Scootaloo and her friend Sweetie Belle by the edge of the dig site. “Hey gals! What up?”
Scootaloo turned to Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash! I was just telling Sweetie Belle about your adventures! Can you tell us some?”
Well, Rainbow didn't have much to do anyway, and always enjoyed showing off. Plus, Sweetie Belle had a pair of puppy eyes armed, and there was no way she could say no to them.
“Okay, let me tell you about the time I was in the Lost Jungle.” This elicited some oohs. “It was a rainy day...”
Rainbow Dash began to weave her intricate tale, captivating the teenagers with her tales of awesomeness and daring feats. Yeah, who wouldn't want to listen to her? She was beginning to wrap up her tale as the sun was just about set.
“So then, before the manticore could pounce, I leapt out of the bushes and tackled that thing to the ground. Of course, it wasn't hard for me, but I did save the merchant's life.”
“Wow!” Scootaloo squeaked. “That was so cool! You're awesome!”
Rainbow Dash felt her pride swell up. “Yeah, well, I am.”
She didn't notice Rarity had been standing there until she spoke up. “Come Sweetie Belle, it's time to leave.”
“Aw, okay. Let me go grab my stuff.”
“I'll come with you!” Scootaloo said.
Rainbow Dash watched them leave then turned to see Rarity staring at her with red eyes. “Listen, Rainbow. I'm paying you to keep my dig site safe, not fill my sister's head with nonsense. If you don't stop, I'll fire you. I have plenty of other adventurers to choose from should I need to.”
“Yeah, whatever. It's not like I NEED the job, I was just bored. But then again, guarding a dig site is also pretty boring.” Rainbow hoped Rarity wouldn't call her bluff. She needed this job badly!
Luckily, she didn't. “Just stop talking to my sister, and you won't have to leave.”
Rainbow Dash flew away and decided to push a little more. “Like I care.”
She inwardly cringed when she said that. Why was she pushing her employers buttons? If she got fired, she'd have no job, and no money. There weren't any adventures to be had, so this was the only reason she wasn't on the streets right now.
She flew to her makeshift sky hut, a bit away, but still not too far for the fastest pegasus in the world. In this fact, she didn't boast. It was fact that there was no other pegasus in the world faster than her.
She reached her house and was about to enter when she heard someone call out to her. “Rainbow Dash! Wait up!”
She had forgotten about Scootaloo. She stopped by her door long enough for the orange pegasus to catch up. They both entered the house and Rainbow flopped down on the couch, waiting for Scootaloo to prepare dinner. What was she going to do? She couldn't continue this job, yet she had no choice! It wasn't like adventure was going to pop up out of nowhere!





Applejack walked down the street, taking her time to examine her surroundings. As a bounty hunter, she always payed attention to where she was, lest she be jumped by some wannabe thugs or bandits. She laughed at the thought. She was Applejack, the most famous bounty hunter in all of the whole damn world. Nothing could stop her. Until she ran out of jobs. Now no one would hire her, save for petty thievery and small stuff like that. She was mad. She was a bounty hunter, not a cop.
She found what she was looking for. A small shop, an alchemists shop. Just what she needed. She eyed the structure for a minute. It was small, and a little old looking, like it was worn down and ready to fall apart at any minute. This was where one of the best alchemists in the world set up shop? Why not choose a bigger shop closer to the center of town?
Ah well. She pushed the door open and was assaulted by a musky scent, which further darkened her mood. She slowly made her way to the lavender pony in the back of the store while examining the various potions.
She picked up a potion then put it back down. She knew what it was. A healing potion, known for having unknown effects on the user and also having minimal healing capabilities. Why was this pony selling something like this?'
She walked up to the desk. A lavender mare sat behind the desk, a monocle on one eye, looking expectantly at her. “Can I help you?” she asked. Applejack almost rolled her eyes. She could tell that the mare wasn't really smiling, just faking it. That annoyed her.
“Actually, ya can.” She laid a piece of paper on the desk. “Ah need all these potions, and Ah need 'em now.”
The mare picked up the list. “Alright, let's see here.” She took a look at the list. Applejacks frown turned to a scowl. Why was she here? She should have gone to a better shop. This place was just dank and smelly.
The store owner looked up. “Right, one minute.”
Applejack watched as she hustled about the store, gathering the potions until she disappeared around a shelf.
“Would you like the normal or strong adrenaline potions?” the alchemist called out.
“I don't matter ta me, just hurry it up, will ya?” Applejack wanted to get out of here. It reminded her of those underground caves, for some reason, dark, dank, smelly, and extremely dangerous. She wasn't afraid of danger, but those caves were homes to the most dangerous creatures on the planet. She barely made it out the first time.
The lavender mare placed the potions on her desk. “Okay, so two numbing, three explosive, and one strong adrenaline. That'll be fifty bits.”
Of course she picked the strong ones. Just had to make more money, huh? She dropped the bits on the counter, grabbed her potions and dropped them in her saddle bag, then turned to leave.
Before she could, the mare called out again. What did she want? “Wait! You're that famous bounty hunter. Apple... apple...”
“Applejack.” Applejack exited the shop and slammed the door shut. Finally, out of that hole. That was stupid. She turned and walked back the way she came. The sun was almost set, and she wanted to be home before dark. She wasn't scared, but she was a little cold, and she wasn't one to deny herself comforts when she could have them.
She sighed. Life was dull now. Why couldn't something dangerous happen? Then she'd perk up.
> Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     The sky was a clear blue, perfect weather for anypony. Fluttershy enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her cheeks. It was warm, comforting, and just nice. There were barely any clouds in the sky, and those that were there were a welcome, providing the occasional rest from the suns warmth for those who tired of it. Not Fluttershy, of course. She wished every day could be like this one.
She approached the stalls at the bazaar. Today was Sunday, so there was sure to be a lot of shoppers and a lot of bargains. She didn't really like the shoppers, but she did enjoy the bargains. After all, parts to repair an airship could be expensive.
She took her time to examine each stall selling the parts she needed. She wanted to make sure she got a fair price. One time, she had bought a part she needed, only to fin it for about half what she paid at a different stall. Each stall was different. Some claimed to be the best, trying to draw a large crowd, while a few just sat back and let their customers come to them.
It was in one of these quiet stalls Fluttershy found what she needed. She approached the vendor, a stallion with a brown coat. “I'll need two cogs, some wiring, and a piston.”
The shop keeper gathered the items. “Alright, that'll be... eighty bits ma'am.”
Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Eighty bits was a good deal, but she knew she could get a better one. “How about fifty bits?”
The stallion's eyes widened. “Fifty? That's outrageous! Eighty is a fair price.”
“Oh, come on.” Fluttershy said. “I know you just want more money. Tell you what, I'll up my price to sixty bits.”
The stallion bit his lip. Fluttershy knew she got him. It was the same with every shop owner. Haggle enough and you can get a better price. She learned that years ago.
“Alright, how about seventy bits?”
“Sixty five.”
The stallion chewed his lip. There was no way he could say no. Otherwise, he'd lose a customer. With a resentful sigh, he nodded his head. “Alright... sixty five bits.”
Fluttershy happily gave the bits to the frowning shop keeper. He mumbled as he handed over the parts and stashed his money in his lock box.
Fluttershy headed back to Pinkie's garage. Now she had all she needed to finish her work. That said, she still had a lot to do. She had to cut into the ship and rewire a few parts, replace some stuff, and then put it all back together. Some might have said that shouldn't take long, but it did. It wasn't easy to cut through three inch steel, nor rewire a very delicate system.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she came across a big stallion dressed in royal armor. Who was this guy? He looked important.
He held up his hoof. She stopped, not wanting to anger a royal soldier. “A message, from her Highness Empress Celestia.” He handed her a piece of paper and then took off, back to wherever he'd came from.
Fluttershy looked at the paper in her hand. What was written on it? Was it an arrest warrant? No, she wasn't a criminal. But she had heard of ponies being arrested for no reason. Maybe it was an invitation? Why would the Emperor invite her to something? She was just a mechanic. Oh! Maybe it was some money! That'd be nice. Or maybe...
She should just open it.
She took the paper and opened it up, carefully reading the words that had been penned onto it.


 My Dear Subject Fluttershy,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Fluttershy turned the note over. Me? The Empress wants me? A mechanic? That wasn't possible. There must be a mistake.
She read the note again, then again. Well, the Empress said me, and that it wasn't a mistake. But what could the Empress want? What happened? How important is it? Why me?
She closed the note and finished the walk to Pinkie Pie's house. The same though continued to spin through her brain. Why me? Surely there are more qualified mechanics the Empress could use. What made her so special?
Her musings were cut short when Pinkie Pie bounced into her. “Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy looked up. She was still a whole mile away from the house. She could see it, up on a hill. Why was Pinkie here? “Uh, hi.”
“Wow! I never thought I'd see you here! What are you doing? Oh! Right! You're here to help fix Old Drifter! I'm glad you came, I can't wait until he's back up and running. Well, more like flying, have you ever seen a airship run? I haven't. That...”
Pinkie's mouth didn't stop moving until they reached her garage. Fluttershy finally turned to Pinkie. “Please, I can't work with you... distracting me.” She pointed a hoof at Old Drifter. “If you want him to get fixed, please, you need to be quiet.”
Pinkie closed her mouth and bounced away. “Okay, I need to go to the market anyway. Gotta get some food!”
As Pinkie bounded out of sight, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god she was gone. The sun was still rising, indicating it was about nine o'clock. She retrieved her tools from the work bench, grabbed some wiring, and began to work on the airship.
The process was a long one, just trying to cut to the motherboard. She had to slowly, but surely, cut a square into the side of the airship with her welder, repeating the process until she was able to slide a huge chunk of armor off of the ship.
She slid herself inside after the cut had cooled off. She grabbed some pliers and wire and began to rewire the whole thing. She was baffled as to how this thing even flew before. The wires were all off, some of them weren't even attached. Sweat began to form on her head as she performed the delicate task.
Finally, it was done. She slid herself out and looked at the sky. It was now about three in the afternoon. She was about to get out when a large pink face materialized in front of her. “HIYA!”
Fluttershy jumped up, smacking her head on the inside of the ship. “OW!” She rubbed her head. “Pinkie, don't do that.”
Pinkie stepped back. “Oh, sorry. I was just going to bring you food, but you seemed so 'in the zone', that I didn't want to disturb you.”
“Um, how long have you been waiting?”
“About two hours.”
“You just stood there for two hours?” That didn't sound like Pinkie Pie at all.
“Uh, no! Of course not! I was playing checkers with myself for a while, then I began to go inside when I noticed you looked almost done. Then I sat there for... three minutes. It was so hard! Then I saw you getting out, so I surprised you!”
Fluttershy shook her head. She'd never understand Pinkie Pie. She walked over to her workbench to put away her toolbox and tools. Pinkie followed her. Would that mare ever learn the concept of personal space? Time alone? Any of that stuff?
She dropped a bag onto the workbench. “Here, you go, your lunch!” She then hopped away to eat her own food.
Fluttershy opened the bag to fin a hay sandwich. At least Pinkie got what she liked. As Fluttershy ate the tasty morsel, she thought about the letter she got. Just what was going on? What could be so urgent that the Empress needed her, of all ponies? A lowly mechanic, not even that well known. What singled her out? She wasn’t even the sociable one, like the kind that makes friends with a lot of people. How did the Empress even know about her?
All these thoughts stewed in her mind as she bit down on her lunch, yet she couldn't make sense of them at all.





Pinkie Pie awoke to a beautiful morning. The sun was shining and the clouds were sparse. She bounced out of bed and got ready for the day. It wasn't hard. She brushed her teeth, fluffed up her hair, and... that was about it.
She bounced down to her living room. Now, what was on her list today? She knew there was something really important going on. Oh! Right! Fluttershy was coming over to continue working on Old Drifter. Other than that, she only had some shopping to do. But that could wait. As much as she knew Fluttershy liked her company, she didn't want to bother her friend while she was working. So the shopping could wait until then.
So what should she do to kill the time? She could play outside, but that seemed kinda boring alone. She could play a game, but again, seemed boring alone. How about she get to cleaning up the inside of Old Drifter? Yeah, that sounded good. The inside was still dirty from the crash.
She grabbed a duster, a trash bag, and a broom and dustpan. Old Drifter sat in her garage, looking old, but ready to take on the world. She knew the opposite was in fact true, since he was in no condition to fly yet. She pulled open the roof to let in the sunlight.
She entered the cockpit. It was still dusty, despite all the shaking he had done earlier. She began to dust everything off, onto the floor. It didn't take to long. She then swept it all up, and stuck it in the trash bag. She then picked up the trash that was still scattered about. Not much, but she wanted this place to be as clean as possible. She looked outside to see it was about nine in the morning. Wasn't something going to happen?
She put everything away and dashed out onto the road. Maybe it was out on the road. She looked around and saw her friend, Fluttershy.
She bounced right into her friend. “Fluttershy!” 
Fluttershy looked around a bit, then turned back to Pinkie. “Uh, hi.”
Pinkie began to ramble on. “Wow! I never thought I'd see you here! What are you doing?” Then it clicked in her head. “Oh! Right! You're here to help fix Old Drifter! I'm glad you came, I can't wait until he's back up and running. Well, more like flying, have you ever seen a airship run? I haven't. That...”
She continued to talk, just like she always did, until they got to her garage. Fluttershy turned to her. “Please, I can't work with you... distracting me.” She pointed a hoof at Old Drifter. “If you want him to get fixed, please, you need to be quiet.”
Pinkie closed her mouth and bounced away. “Okay, I need to go to the market anyway. Gotta get some food!”
She bounced away, all the way to the market. Any other pony would be exhausted then, but not Pinkie. She was still up and running full steam, like she had an endless energy source.
She looked around for something to eat. She wasn't too low on food, but she always made to stock up when she could. She searched for what she needed. Some fruit, some sugar, some flour, some butter and cheese and milk, and...
She looked around for some sandwiches. Since Fluttershy was working on her airship, she figured she should get her something to eat. Then she found the stall she needed. She hauled her bag of groceries toward the stall.
“Hiya!”
The vendor turned towards her, a mare of a light green coat. “Oh hey... uh, Pinkie, was it?”
Pinkie nodded her head vigorously. “Yep, you got it!”
“Yes, I remember you from a few days ago, gave those extra bits.”
“Well, you needed them. Anyway, could you get me two hay sandwiches?”
“Sure.” The mare grabbed two bags and placed them in front of Pinkie. She pointed at her bag. “That's a lot of stuff.”
“Yeah, just my weekly shopping.” She tossed ten bits at the counter and grabbed the bag. “Thanks!”
The mare wore a confused look. 'Wait! It's only six bits for the sandwiches!”
“Go ahead and keep it!” Pinkie grabbed her bag of goodies and bounced away, back to her house, unencumbered by its weight. The walk was peaceful, with only birds and other forest animals to greet her. Until she ran into a royal guard.
“A message, from her highness, Empress Celestia.” He handed her a piece of paper then flew back into the sky, doing whatever it was royal guards do.
Pinkie wasted no time opening the letter.


My Dear Subject Pinkie Pie,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Her mouth opened in shock. The Empress wanted to see her? Pinkie Pie? No way! She read the letter again. Sure enough, the Empress wanted her.
“Oh... my...” She never finished the last word because she burst out laughing. This was going to be awesome! They were going to have so much fun! Maybe this was the adventure she always wanted!
She bounced back home, happy as could be. This was so awesome! The Empress, of all pony, wanting to see her! On a matter of great importance! What was going on? Maybe bandits! Or Minotaurs!
She got home to find Fluttershy still working on her ship. Well, it was only... one in the afternoon. She would just wait. She didn't want to interrupt Fluttershy's work.
Now what to do? She put her food away and grabbed a game of checkers and stepped outside, to keep an eye on Fluttershy. She proceeded to play five consecutive games, in which she lost to herself all five times. She was about to enter her home when she saw Fluttershy exiting the hole she cut.
Pinkie bounced over and stuck her face right next to Fluttershy's. “HIYA!”
Fluttershy jumped up, banging her head on the hole she had made. “OW!” She rubbed her head. “Pinkie, don't do that.”
Pinkie stepped back, a little sorry for causing her friend to get hurt. “Oh, sorry. I was just going to bring you food, but you seemed so 'in the zone', that I didn't want to disturb you.”
“Um, how long have you been waiting?”
“About two hours.”
“You just stood there for two hours?”
“Uh, no! Of course not! I was playing checkers with myself for a while, then I began to go inside when I noticed you looked almost done. Then I sat there for... three minutes. It was so hard! Then I saw you getting out, so I surprised you!” Pinkie laughed inside. There was no way she could stand still that long. That was just crazy.
Fluttershy shook her head as she grabbed her tools and put them back on the workbench. Pinkie grabbed her sandwich and dropped it in front of Fluttershy. “Here you go! Your lunch!”
Pinkie bounced away to eat her own sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully, wondering on all the magnificent things that could be in store for her at the palace.
> Rarity and Rainbow Dash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rarity sat on her couch. What to do? She couldn't go to the dig site today. Rainbow Dash had said it was closed off for security reasons. As much as she liked her dig site, she didn't ever even consider putting herself in harm's way. After all, she was a respected archaeologist. She didn't just go putting her life at risk, no matter how important the site may be.
She had told Sweetie Belle to go and do something in the city. So she was all alone now. Maybe a walk would do her some good.
She packed a small lunch and then set out the door. She decided to go to the city, since there was bound to be something worth buying there. She had her money, so why not? After all, a little shopping now and then is good for one's self.
The road was long and tiring. Why did she have yet to buy an automobile? It would be so much more handy in these situations. Her hooves were sore and she was getting hot, despite the nice weather. In the dig site, she usually worked in her tents, or under the sun but not moving to much. Out here, it was hot. She didn't mind getting a little dirty as the dust rose from the ground and settled on her dress, but she didn't care for discomfort.
As she was complaining in her mind, she came across a small bag. Naturally curious, she grabbed the bag and peered inside. It held about ten bits, not much to somepony like her, but to the common folk, it was a nice sum. Who would have left it lying on the ground?
She placed it back on the ground, not wanting to take what wasn't hers. As she turned around to leave, something wrapped around her front legs and body. She look down to see a rope, like a lasso or something. She struggled against it but it pulled her down to the ground. She looked up to see three thugs, each one carrying clubs, slowly approaching her. She gulped. This wasn't good. Despite being tied up, she was still able to move her back legs and managed to kick the first stallion that tried to approach her.
He reeled back as his friends laughed. “This one has some fight to 'er!”
The other one spoke in a low, guttural tone. “It'll make it all the more enjoyable while we have fun with her.”
Rarities eyes widened. They didn't want her money, they wanted... Oh no!
She tried to struggle again, but this time they tied up her back legs as well. “You ain't goin' no where, pretty.”
She tried to scream but one of them gagged her. She had never felt so helpless in her life, nor more terrified. She began to cry as they moved in.
Her eyes jolted open when she heard a loud bang. She looked around to see one of the stallions stumble backward, a large crater in his chest, blood and bits of flesh falling to the ground. Rarity turned her head from the sight to see the other two thugs looking around, trying to find where the attacker was.  Another bang. One of the stallions fell down, a hole going right through his head.
The last one tried to run, but was caught by a lasso. Rarity almost laughed at the sight. He struggled, but to no avail. Then Rarity saw her savior.
An orange mare, dressed in a trench coat and holding a shotgun, a smaller revolver strapped to her waist. She walked up to the struggling thug and rolled him onto his back. He immediately stopped when he saw a shotgun pointed at his face.
“Please!” He cried. “Don't kill me. We can work something out!”
His face was shredded to pulp as the shotgun unloaded its content into his head. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, causing Rarity to turn her head and shriek in disgust. She opened her eyes to see one of his ears fall right in front of her. She screamed again, trying to get up but being held down by the ropes.
The orange mare pulled out a knife and cut her bonds. As soon as Rarity was able to stand up, she jumped away from the carnage. The orange mare simply reloaded her shotgun then took off.
Rarity watched for a few minutes. That was... odd. She just walked off, simple as that, no words or anything. Her brain tried to make sense of what just happened. She had been assaulted by thugs, then saved by a mysterious orange mare. Who was she?
She tried to find where she was, but the orange mare had disappeared from sight. Rarity decided to continue toward the city of Avolan. She picked up her dropper purse then finished the trip. The whole time she was thinking about that mare. Who was she? Why did she save her? What had just happened?!
She was soon at the gates. They were massive, two bronze slabs, each one about five feet thick. They both had some intricate design on the front, not like symbols, just patterns. She knew they took about a minute to open and close, and so far nothing had breached them.
She went through the gates and into the city. It was bustling, since today was a Sunday. Ponies were going back and forth, going about their business, whether that be selling goods, buying goods, or simply talking with others. There wasn't a lot of room on the streets, leaving only the back alleys or some sidewalks left open.
Rarity decided to start by eating her lunch. It was high noon, and after her startling incident, she was hungry. She found a small table, just away from all the stalls where she could eat her meal and still observe the vendors.
She pulled out a small sandwich, not a hay one, but a leaf one. Perfect for a lady like herself. Her mind wandered back to her attack as she chewed on her food. It wasn't the first time she had seen a pony get killed. A few had died while working excavation sights she was at as well, so that didn't really bother her. It was more the fact they were mostly blown apart, and shown no mercy. Even though she was the subject of their attack, she was still willing to show mercy. But the orange mare showed none. That was what really bothered her.
She pulled her mind away from the past events. She watched as the ponies bought, sold, and traded various items. She wanted to know who was visited more often, who had more variety, and so on. She saw a blue earth pony stallion trading food with some black vendor. She saw a yellow pegasus mare haggling some poor old vendor for some mechanical goods. There was even two unicorns arguing over some book. It was almost amusing to watch.
Her mind began to wander back to her attack. Not knowing how else to help clear her mind, and having finished her lunch, she got up and began to shop. She didn't actually buy anything, but it was always nice to browse.
By about two in the afternoon, she was ready to go home. She left for the gates, careful to stay out of the crowd. They always got more intense by two to four. She was almost out of the city when she was stopped by a stallion.
At first she thought she was being attacked again, but then she recognized him as a royal guard. He held out a piece of paper. “A message from her Highness, Emperor Celestia.”
Rarity took the paper and opened it as the guard left. She read it out loud, though not loud enough to be heard.


My Dear Subject Rarity,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Rarity did a double take. The Empress? Wanted to see her? This was beyond anything she had ever imagined. She was wanted by royalty! This was a dream come true! This was incredible!
She was so happy that she skipped down the road back to her house, completely oblivious to the fact that the dead bodies were gone. She couldn't help it! She was going to meet royalty! She had tried all her life to get into the higher circles, yet she never could. Now, she had a shot!
She got home and shut the door. She had to pack, she had to prepare! She had a lot to do before she was ready to leave. And she only had two days!





Rainbow Dash sat in the sun, resting. She had told Rarity that the site needed to be closed for security reasons. Like the nitwit she was, Rarity believed her. So now Rainbow Dash had the whole day to do whatever she wanted. So she chose to rest.
She had been lying there for about an hour when she decided to go do something. She got up and headed toward the city. She heard that the market was always crazy on a Sunday.
The flight there was mostly uneventful. She flew high, she flew low, she did some tricks, but other wise it was just boring.
Until she ran into a trio of dead bodies. She landed to get a closer look. She wasn't afraid of anything dead, since it was kinda her job to explore dangerous caves full of things that wanted to kill you. But it was they way they were killed.
She found one stallion with a hole in his chest, big and pooling with blood. She could see his internal organs, most of which had shrapnel in them. She found another one with a hole in his head,, a gray matter on the dirt beside it. Finally, she found the last body. In place of a head, it had a pile of flesh, bones, and blood. That was kinda gross. She determined he had died from a shotgun, but who could be so cruel?
She shrugged her shoulders. Not her deal. Then again, she should at least give them some respect. She found a small ditch and hauled all three of them to it, minus the ones head, of course. She kicked some dirt over them, and, satisfied she had done her best, took of toward the city.
When she got there, she didn't do much. Sure enough, it was packed like hell, but she didn't care. She wasn't much for shopping anyway. But maybe someone had a tale for her to chase after. It sure beat hanging around this hole.
She asked around, but no one had anything to say. Maybe she could try the higher levels in this city. Wasn't that how it worked? She looked around but it all seemed the same. She tried to find some one who looked more important. No such luck.
She was about to leave when a royal guard stopped her. “A message from her Highness, Empress Celestia.”
He handed over a piece of paper then turned to leave. “Wait!” Rainbow Dash called out, but it was too late, he was out of earshot.
She looked at the paper in her hand. What was it? She opened it up and read it out loud.


  My Dear Subject Rainbow Dash,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Rainbow Dash folded up the message and threw it to the ground. Well, if the Empress wanted to see her for something important, that was bound to be more interesting that what she was doing now, right? She flew back to her makeshift cloud house. Scootaloo was reading a book, so she decided to catch a few Z’s before she her daily flight workout.
With a nod of her head, she was asleep, already dreaming of what the Empress might have in store.
> Twilight and Applejack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The sun was rising in the sky, so now would be a perfect time to start selling her potions. Twilight entered her shop. Luckily, it was close to the market, so there was a large crowd gathered outside her store. She did a quick check to make sure everything was in place. Every now and then, a thief might try to bust into her shop, so she had made it a regular thing to make sure she wasn't missing anything important.
Satisfied all was in place, she turned to sign to say 'open' then sat behind her desk, waiting. She didn't have to wait long before her first customer came. A yellow colt, unicorn, seemed kind of young, maybe just out of his teens. She had to be good at guessing their ages because she wouldn't sell dangerous potions to younger ponies, and when asked they often lied about their ages.
He walked up to the counter. “Hey. Could you help me? I need a weak paralysis potion.”
She looked him up and down. “How old are you?”
“I'm... twenty five.”
While outwardly she didn't move, inwardly she was laughing. Twenty five? Right, there was no way. He only looked maybe nineteen. That and he was a bad liar. His legs were shaking ever so slightly and his head had just the faintest amount of sweat.
Of course, she didn't let him know that. For what ever purpose he was needing a weak paralysis potion, it was probably for somepony else. So she looked around her shop and gave him a potion of strength.
“Here ya go.” She handed him the potion, “That'll be five bits.”
He tossed the bits to the counter then dashed out of the shop. She hoped she was correct about her hunch. One way or another, he wasn't getting anything dangerous.
She sat back down and continued to read the book she had left off on yesterday, 'Explosive Potions and Their Dangers'. She didn't have much else to do while waiting. She had already made all the potions she'd need, and they were all stocked on the shelves, and the shop was clean.
She was reading about how to alter an explosive potion so that it created a black hole effect when her door was opened again. She looked up then back down, not paying much attention to the customer. He was white, and had some sort of yellow clothes, a pegasus, maybe. Back to the book.
She was startled out of her thoughts when the customer banged on her counter. She jumped and looked up. This wasn't a regular customer. He was a royal guard. How had she not noticed that? He pulled out a piece of paper. “A message from her Highness, Empress Celestia.”
Twilight took the note. He could have just told her, he didn't have to go banging on stuff. “Thanks. Can I help you find something?”
The guard was already leaving.
She shrugged and opened the message.


My Dear Subject Twilight,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Wow. The Empress wanted her? That was... odd. Sure, she was slightly known around the world, but not enough to draw the Empress' attention. A few questions ran through Twilight's mind. How did the Empress even know about her? Why did the Empress want her? What was the matter of dire importance?
She tried to think through it all, but it just didn't make a lot of sense. Oh well. She read the letter again. Two days? Well, that should be easy enough. She didn't have much to pack. And her store didn't have to be open all week. In fact, she was mostly open on weekends, occasionally week days, so she was okay.
She folded the note up and put it away. Believe it or not, she wasn't a big fan royalty. They all seemed so high and stuck up, plus, they were the ones that caused the wars. She hated wars.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The rest of customers were all of age to buy whatever they wanted, and no more royal guards came to her. She was able to finish reading her book before the shop was closed. She closed early, not wanting to stay too late so she could get some shopping done herself.
She grabbed some money from her strongbox, enough to get some more ingredients for her potions. Actually, she wanted to get some and set them aside for the journey. She didn't have many to spare, and never left to any other city without something.
She entered the busy bazaar. Now that it was about three in the afternoon, the whole city was a buzz, everyone trying to find the best deals, trying to grab those last minute sales most shop keepers had. She  immediately had to try and find some ingredients without being trampled. It was hard, trying to muscle her way through the crowds. She had to resort to using magic on occasion to keep herself from being smothered. It was crazy!
She managed to find a vendor selling what she wanted, with relatively few shoppers. She took a second to regain her breath. Why did she shop on Sunday? It was a madhouse every time, like most ponies had no manners. Or even morals.
She regained her composure and began to browse what the stall offered. She found some things she wanted, like the fireweed, or some timber powder. But what really caught eye was the light blue powder in a vial. She racked her memory to find its name.
Oh yeah, it was ghost dust. But why did a vendor like this stallion have it? It was supposed to be one of the rarest ingredients in Equestria!
She pointed at the rare item. “Excuse, me, but where did you get this?”
The gray stallion adjusted his glasses before taking a look at the object of interest. “Ah, yes.” He said with a Scottish accent. “The ghost dust. I actually won it in a betting game. The other lad was so full of himself, he was sure he wouldn't lose.” He looked up at Twilight. “Are you wanting it?”
Twilight looked down. If he knew how much she wanted it, he would raise the price for sure. She thought up a lie as fast as she could. “Well, I don't really need it, but it would be nice to add to my collection.” She fished out ten bits. “Will this be enough?”
He took a look at the bits. “Hmm... no. Twenty bits.”
Twilight was nervous. She didn't want to spend twenty bits, but she really wanted that dust. She'd never had any before. Twenty was a good price, but she didn't want to spend all of her money right here.
She shook her head. “No, fifteen. Take it or leave it.”
The stallion cocked a brow. “I really doubt your in the position to be demandin' here, lass. But I admire your spunk. So tell you what. Sixteen bits and its yours.”
Knowing she wasn't going to be getting a better price, she resented and handed over sixteen bits. She payed for the rest of her things as well, then left. At least she had the ghost dust. What did it do again? She'd have to look it up when she got home.
Twilight scanned the mass of ponies going about their business. She wasn't going to fight through that again. She decided to take the back alleyways. They were bound to be empty, more quiet.
She found the nearest one. It wasn't dark, but she didn't really like the looks of it. Still, not much could be worse than the crushing crowds of Sunday's markets.
She looked up. It was about... four in the afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set. She needed to get back home. She had some research to do, and she wasn't one for wandering the alleys in the dark. There were, after all, some dangers in the backstreets of cities.
The walk was mostly uneventful. She was pleased to see it seemed empty, but not completely. There were a few hobos, some beggars, that sort, but nothing to bad. She wished she could help those without homes, but she didn't have any money left on her, so she had to settle with passing out the small snacks she carried with her. But eventually those ran out.
She was almost out of the alleys when she heard a gunshot. Her first instinct was to press up against the wall. The next was to drop down. She slowly crawled toward the sound of fighting, wary of a trap. She peered around a corner and wasn't able to believe her eyes. The same orange mare from her store yesterday was now standing amidst no less than five thugs, and she was kicking ass.
She held her shotgun firmly as she bucked, bit, and blasted away her attackers. They didn't even stand a chance. Three of them were already dead, and the remaining five were beginning to panic. Twilight could tell.
The shotgun fired again, this time in Twilight's direction. She ducked back behind the wall as the pellets tore into the corner, ripping away some of the stone. She waited for a few seconds before looking again. Now only three of the thugs remained. The mare dropped as one of them dived at her, causing him to hit the ground hard. She brought the butt of the shotgun down on his head, cracking his skull.
But her back was turned to the remaining two enemies. They took advantage of her lapse in attention to grab her and hold her down. They knocked the shotgun out of her hand. One of them picked it up. Checking to make sure it was loaded, he pushed it up against her chest as the other one held her down.
Twilight looked through her bag and whipped out a small device. It was circular, with four spike sticking out of it, kind of like a star.
She threw it the attacker with the gun. It whirred through the air before landing on his face. He stumbled back as the odd object clung to his face. He started swearing profusely as the spikes on it ejected from the device and dug into his face. He dropped the gun and began to swipe at his face. The mare took advantage of this and flipped her captor onto his back before hammering his face with her hooves, caving his head in.
She looked up to see the other one trying to ignore the pain as he stumbled toward her. She simply sidestepped and let him fall to the ground. She pulled out her knife. He tried to stand up, but she pushed him back to the ground. She grabbed his head and pulled it back. She pressed the knife to his throat and muttered something Twilight couldn't hear. Then she slit his throat.
He gasped as blood spilled out of his neck. She walked away, picking up her shotgun in the process. Twilight just stared at the carnage before her, dumbfounded. What had just happened? Why did the mare not even acknowledge her?
She carefully made her way around the dead bodies. She had seen some before, but not like this. It made her want to gag.
The body of the mare's last kill was still twitching, blood now slowly trickling out of his neck. Twilight hurried up and rushed home.





Applejack was lying in the bushes, crouched low, ready to pounce. She had been tracking these guys all morning. A local bartender tipped her off as to there whereabouts. Sure enough, they were here. She just had to wait to make her move.
She had been told that they had been preying and molesting female passerbys. This had to stop. She couldn't let a single soul be harmed by these shit bags anymore.
She saw a white unicorn, dressed rather formally, walking down the road. As she did, she was suddenly jumped and tied up by the thugs. Applejack wasted no time getting as close as she could. She saw the mare kick one of the thugs, causing him to reel back. She got closer. As they began to close in, Applejack sprung up, fired her shotgun, then dove back into the bushes. One of thugs dropped, a huge hole in his chest. The other two began to look around, trying to find her. She pulled out her pistol and fired one round in her next targets head. He collapsed with only a thud. The last one tried to run, but AJ had her rope out and ready. She lassoed his legs, causing him to fall.
She walked up to him, shotgun ready. As struggled to move, but she was on him before he could do anything. She rolled over onto his back and pointed her shotgun right at his face.
He immediately stopped struggling, and began to plead with her. “Please!” He cried. “Don't kill me. We can work something out!”
She felt no remorse for this wretched beast. He had his chance, he chose his path. She pulled the trigger, letting his face be pound into pulp by her buckshot. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. She shielded her face to keep it away from her head.
She walked over to the captive mare and undid her ropes. She then reloaded her shotgun and took off. She wasn't one for liking a lot of attention, so she always exited scenes of her battles as fast as she could. She hated the praise ponies would try to show her. She didn't like the attention. She did what she did because she had to. It was honorable, and it was just.
She walked up the road to Avolan. The road was quiet. She looked back to see the unicorn she had saved still standing there. Oh well. Applejack entered the city, looking only for a drink. She flipped open her watch. A rare luxury, for sure, but she had found it on the dead body of one of her targets.
It was about ten in the morning. She didn’t have anything else to do, she headed over to the nearest bar she could find. Luckily, the first one she found was her favorite one, the Top Hat Mug. It was loud, but it was also the best beer she could find in the whole Empire of Equestria.
She entered the bar and made her way to the bartender. “One Golden Flagon.” she said, tossing a bit to the bartender. A mug of a red colored ale slid her way. She grabbed it and sat down at a table in the corner, away from the others.
She sipped her beer slowly and thought to herself. What was she going to do? It had been too long since she had a good job, one that was more than just hunting some rogue thieves, or a gang on the road. Sure, every team she took down, the world was that much closer to being safe. But still, it was getting boring. She was too good for these guys.
She took a long drought, trying to drown her troubles. She was getting so bored. She needed to go an adventure, something that would rejuvenate her.
She emptied her mug, got up and grabbed another one. She sat back down and continued to drink.
All the noise suddenly stopped. She looked up to see what was going on. A white pegasus dressed in royal armor was standing in the doorway, scanning the crowd here. Applejack just looked back down, pulling her hat over her eyes.
She was startled when a loud “Ahem!” came from right in front of her. She lifted her hat to see the pegasus looking right at her. What did he want?
“A message from her Highness, Empress Celestia.” He handed a piece of paper to her then walked away. She took the paper and looked at it. Empress Celestia? Really?
She looked up to see most everypony staring at her. She frowned. She hated attention. “Well?” She shouted. “What're y'all lookin' at?”
Everypony turned back to their drinks. She opened up the letter, taking a sip as she read it.


My Dear Subject Applejack,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Applejack threw the note to the floor. What did the Empress need from her? Not like she was important. After all, she hunted down bad guys and killed them. Who'd want to know about some who did that?
Still, if something of dire importance has come up, it might be a good adventure. She might as well show up, you never know.
She finished off her mug then fell asleep. She didn't feel like walking all the way back to her house. She dreamed of dark things. Killing, stalking, falling. At the very end of the dream, she saw six balls of light, each one dimming until they flickered out. Then a demonic face filled her vision, screaming.
She awoke with a start, falling out of her chair. She looked around. A couple of ponies looked at her, then turned back to whatever they were doing. She got up and decided to go home.
As she stepped out of the bar, she checked her watch. Three and three quarters in the afternoon. She must have slept later than she thought. She looked at the streets. No way was she getting through those. She took the back alleys, knowing it the fastest way to get home.
They were dark, of course, but also full of homeless people. She tossed out a bit or two to each one, but there wasn't much else she could do for them. She just continued her walk, not stopping once for anything.
Until her ears picked up something. She drew her shotgun as eight figures stepped out of the shadows. They all bore menacing looks, and a few had knives. But that was it. Were they crazy? Didn't they see she had a shotgun?
The first one lunged for her, knife in hand. She kicked him in the stomach, sending him the ground. Another tried to attack her, but she whipped out her knife, threw it, and landed it right in his throat. He clutched at the air, trying to scream but instead spitting out blood. She then fired a round at the thug on the ground, tearing his chest open. She grabbed her knife out of the dead ones throat and planted it in the biggest ones eye. He yelled in fury until she twisted it, digging into his brain. He collapsed and she proceeded to continue the fight with the remaining five.
It wasn't easy, but she managed to subdue two more attackers using her shotgun, ripping one apart and knocking the other out. She dodged as another tried, yet again, to dive at her. She brought her shotgun down on his head, cracking it open.
Her vision blurred for a moment, causing her to pause. What was that? Probably the damn beer.
She felt something tackle her, knocking the gun out of her hand. She was turned onto her back to find her own shotgun pointed at her chest. She quickly analyzed her situation. She probably wasn't going to get out of this alive.
Something hit the stallion holding the shotgun in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. The device stabbed into his face as he let lose a massive amount of swear words.
Applejack took advantage of this to flip the stallion holding her down onto his back as she mounted him. She began to pummel his face with her hooves until he was dead. Then she turned her attention to the last attacker. He was looking at her, trying to ignore the small spikes in his head. He stumbled forward in a weak attempt to grab Applejack.
These guys just won't stop, huh? She sidestepped, letting him fall. She then pressed him down onto the ground, while pulling his head up. She grabbed her knife and pressed it up against his throat. She then leaned in and whispered into his ear.
“Nice try.”
The blade sunk into his neck and ripped across it. She left him there to die. She picked up her shotgun and left the alley, not bothering find out who had helped her. She didn't feel like talking right now. She just wanted to get back to her room in the hotel she was staying at. Then she'd take a bath. That sounded nice.
> The Griffon Land
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Despite being massive, the room was pretty much empty. Twilight looked around. She and five other ponies sat at a large round table. But that was about it. No other furnishing were in the room, not even some pictures or a weapons rack. It was odd, considering this was the palace. What kind of room wouldn't have any furnishings? A torture chamber? But the Empress had wanted to talk to them about something of great importance. Not torture them.
She looked at the five ponies sitting with her. She instantly recognized Applejack. She was kind of hard to miss. There was pink earth pony, wearing a a pilot's outfit, so Twilight assumed she was a pilot. A cyan colored pegasus, with a rainbow mane, dressed like some sort of explorer. A white unicorn, dressed like some high class citizen. Twilight guessed she was either dressmaking or some sort of diplomat. Or something like that. And lastly, a yellow pegasus., a little dirty looking, dressed in something that looked slightly formal. Her hair had spots of... oil? Was that what it was?
They were looking at each other as well. Seemed like nopony knew anypony here. At least, well.
“So, how is Old Drifter doing?”
Twilight looked at the pink mare, who was looking at the yellow one. The yellow pegasus shrugged. “He'll be done in about a day or two. Then you can fly him.”
Twilight took some mental notes. The pink one was a pilot. The yellow one was a mechanic of sorts, it seemed. And they both seemed to know each other. She did a quick check of each mare in here, trying to guess their ages. While she couldn't really guess their exact ages, she did generalize who was older. It seemed to go, Applejack, the cyan pegasus, then the yellow mare, the unicorn, and finally, the pink pony seemed the youngest.
Twilight couldn't stand the silence anymore. “Okay, so.”
Everypony looked at her. She gulped, not expecting this kind of stage fright. Of course, it could hardly be called stage fright, she was just nervous.
“How about you?” She pointed at Applejack, just because she was the only one Twilight even vaguely knew. “What's your name? What do you do? Something special about you?”
It took a minute for everypony to understand what was going on. Applejack seemed very reluctant to tell anyone anything. “Well, ma name's Applejack. Ah'm a bounty hunter, though now for only small time criminals. And somethin' special? Well, Ah suppose you could say Ah'm pretty good at fighting with ma shotgun.”
Now all the events she had seen the previous day made sense. Twilight was kind of surprised Applejack had spoken at all. At least since she had spoken, other might as well. Twilight looked towards the unicorn.
With a nod of her head, the unicorn began. “Well, my name is, Rarity. I am an archeologist, majoring in studies of Griffionian and Unicornian history. Something special, well, I suppose you could say I have a way with the higher-ups.”
Twilight took that in. She was an archaeologist? She didn't see that one coming. Not with the way she was dressed. Oh well. Next up was the yellow one.
“Well... my name is Fluttershy. I'm a mechanic, majoring in air ship mechanics. Um... a special thing about me? Well... I'm really good at what I do? Does that count?”
Twilight nodded her head. Yep, just as she thought. She was pretty good at reading people, if she did say so herself. She pointed at the cyan pegasus.
“Me? Well, I'm an amazing adventurer! I've explored caves and ruins and all that for fortune and glory! My name's Rainbow Dash, and I'm REALLY fast.”
Twilight smiled. So at least there were a couple of people who seemed to know how to fight. If they were all here for the same reason, then Twilight would need people who could fight, like herself. Last up was the pink mare.
“Oh! My name's Pinkie Pie! Oh wait, I didn't say what I do yet! Whoops! I'm a pilot! I fly my airship, Old Drifter! Isn't that a great name? I picked it myself. Special talent? Oh! I'm a good pilot? No that won't work. How about... oh! I'm good at dog fighting in my airship! Yessiree! I've gotten into more than one hairy situation before!”
Twilight just stared at the mare. Okay, so Pinkie was kind of... eccentric? No, hyperactive. Yeah, that was it. And she seemed to be one of those, glass-is-always-half-full types. Okay. Good. They might need that. Of course, assuming they were all here for the same reasons.
Applejack pointed at Twilight. “So what about you?”
Twilight stared at the mare. “What?”
“We all talked, now it's your turn. So, talk.”
Twilight was kind of taken aback by her attitude, as were the others, judging from the heads turning her way. She noticed this and slumped down into her seat. “Just sayin'...” she mumbled, looking down.
Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, my names Twilight Sparkle. I'm an alchemist, best one around for many, many miles. And well... I guess you could say I'm very good at judging another's character without even knowing them.”
Pinkie Pie bounced up “Oh! So you knew all about me before I even spoke?”
“Well,” shook her head. “Not ALL about you. But I did guess you were a pilot, and I kind of figured you'd be the always-happy type.”
Pinkie gasped. “Whoa! That is so cool!”
Twilight nodded. “Sure, I guess.”
An awkward silence settled on the room. Twilight was about to speak up when two massive doors on one side of the room opened up, revealing the Empress. Everypony got up and bowed, save Applejack. Twilight added 'stubborn' to her list of things to remember about Applejack.
Once everypony was seated again, the Empress spoke. “Welcome, my subjects. As you all know, I have a matter of grave importance with which to discuss.” She looked around the room. Everypony was listening to some degree. She continued. “Something has been stolen, an object not know to even exist by most, yet still the most important to ever exist.”
Twilight thought this over. What could it possibly be? She racked her brain, but she wasn't really educated in the history of.. anything, really.
Rairty poke up. “It couldn't be the fabled Harp of Peace, could it?”
The Empress looked a little stunned, then answered. “Yes, it is.”
Rarity nodded in understanding, obviously knowing something Twilight didn't. That almost made her mad.
“It is gone, taken by the griffons. They have taken it back to their homeland. We have only one goal, and that is to take it back, lest the land fall into chaos.”
Applejack spoke up. “Uh... if it's so important, how did they manage to get their claws on it?”
Empress Celestia gave Applejack a stern look. “It does not matter. All that matters is you manage to get it back.”
Pinkie bounced up again. “So where is it?”
“It is in the griffon's capital, of course.” She pointed to a massive map that hung on the wall. Wait, that wasn't there a minute ago, right? “I have a personal small army for you to lead into the enemy territory, so you won't be going alone.” The map disappeared. “But you six, alone, are the only ones who can ultimately save the relic, and the world.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “So, what's so important about this relic anyway?”
“It is what keeps the whole world at peace. Not without fighting, but with just general peace. So neighbors won't attack each other, and friendships don't dissolve.”
“Oh.” Rainbow Dash obviously still didn't understand, but oh well.
Twilight raised her hoof. “So, why us?”
“I believe you six are the most qualified. You will need to fly into enemy territory. You'll need to keep your equipment functional. You'll need to know where you are, you'll need to fight, to explore, and you'll need to be able to handle any situation with anything you have.”
Twilight nodded in understanding. That included all six of them. This was going to be... interesting. This was going to be fun.
The Empress left without another word. Not knowing what else to do, they all got up and left. As soon as they got outside, they were met by a gray pegasus mare. Her eyes were kind of... off. Twilight just ignored them. “Yes?”
“I'm Captain Derpy. My crews and I are going to fly with you into the griffon land.” She gestured for them all to look behind her. Twilight's mouth fell open. At least fifty different airships floated in the sky or were landed on the ground. Some were the same, others weren't. What really caught her eye was the airship floating in the center of all the others. It was at least the size of four palaces. It was massive. It seemed to decked out with cannons on both sides, and even some chainguns mounted underneath and above it. Looks like stealth wasn't an option.
Twilight heard Pinkie Pie mumble, “Wow. Old Drifter isn't near the size of most of those ships.”
> No Turning Back
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

     It was two days later and Fluttershy was all packed and ready to leave. Not that she packed much. Some clothes and her tools, that was it. The Empress had given them two days before they had to leave, so she had been able to finish Old Drifter for Pinkie Pie before they left. The hyper mare wanted to fly her own ship in this quest.
They had agreed to all meet at Pinkie's garage and that they would all fly in her ship for this adventure. The only one who objected to that was Applejack, on the grounds of she didn't like flying. But then they pointed out how silly that was, and that they would need to fly, regardless of what they wanted. So, with reluctance, she agreed.
Now Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stood there, waiting for the rest. They had to be out of here by around high noon, so they could meet up with the main fleet and leave. They had to get to the Sunset Mountains before nightfall. Well, technically, they didn't HAVE to, but they all wanted to make good time.
The first to arrive was Twilight. She was sporting a large bag stuffed full of something, and a belt with a bunch of weird looking objects on it. Huh. Considering Twilight was an alchemist, Fluttershy assumed Twilight's bag was full of... whatever she used in her potions.
Next up was Rarity. She looked... formal. Her dress was long, and her hair was styled. What? Why was she all dressed up? She did know they were going a quest to save, possibly, the whole world, right? She also had a satchel, probably full of... Fluttershy didn't know what Rarity was, so she just guessed something a high class citizen would carry. Did she say anything about her job that one day, at the palace?
Applejack showed up next. She was dressed exactly how she was at the meeting. A trench coat, a cowboy hat, and a shotgun. Well, she did have a few new things. She had a pistol as well, on her flank, and a satchel, carrying something Fluttershy assumed must be dangerous. That whole mare was dangerous. She also had shotguns shells lining her belt. Fluttershy saw no other clothes around the pony, so she assumed she didn't change much.
A finally, not long after the others, was Rainbow Dash. She looked... interesting? Her outfit was... kind of messy looking, and her hat was dirty. She wore some sort of gold shoes, and on her back was a machete and on her flank was a pistol. The strangest part was the war paint on her face. Red, yellow, and green stripes on her cheeks.
“Uh, Rainbow?” Applejack asked. “Ya think we're goin' ta war or somethin'?”
“Nah, I think this makes me look cooler.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Pinkie?” She turned to the pink mare, who was in the process of juggling a couple of balls.
“Yeah?”
“Is your airship ready?”
Pinkie threw the balls into the ship. “Yep! Old Drifter's ready to take off and start the adventure!”
“Well, let's get going.” Fluttershy said as she entered the ship. Everyone else followed, Applejack last. Fluttershy noticed she looked a little nervous. Maybe she really was afraid of flying? Well, she'd have to get over it.
Pinkie hopped inside the pilots seat, shaking with glee. This was the first time she'll have flown Old Drifter since the crash. She flipped some switches and pressed some buttons, and the old ship jumped into the air.
Fluttershy's stomach lurched. That was a fast take off, for sure. She heard a gagging noise and turned to see Applejack turning green. She almost laughed. A bounty hunter, and she's afraid of flying? How did she get around?
Soon, they were high in the sky, sailing through the air with ease. Fluttershy was pleased with how well the ship ran. No shakes, no coughs, no stalls. Smooth sailing. And considering how bad shape he was in before hand, she swelled with pride, though it went unseen.
She looked around the inside of the ship. She had flown in many ships before, but never this one. It had a... homely feel to it, despite being smaller. Not like she could live here, but it just felt, comfortable to be in. It seemed big enough to fit about ten ponies, not including the driver, twelve if they crammed themselves in there. It had seats, several windows, and a tall locker, but that was it. It all was made out of a gold colored metal, save the seats, which had cushions on them.
“Hey Pinkie.” She called. “This is one nice ship you have.”
Pinkie turned around and beamed. “I know! It's amazing, isn't it! I've had him for about... five years now. I remember one time...”
“Pinkie!” Applejack shouted. “Eyes ahead, please!”
Pinkie frowned. “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.”
As the words left her mouth, the ship lurched forward and down. Everypony gripped their seats as Pinkie fixed their course. Applejack cursed under her breath. But Fluttershy caught what she said. “Damn mare's gonna get us killed!”
Fluttershy looked out her window. The city below passed by fast. She saw the market, were she had visited just the day before to purchase some more food. She saw the palace, where they had all met, a couple days back. How small it looked from up here. The sun shone off it's gold exterior, giving it a radiant shine.
The were headed towards an area away from the city to meet up with the fleet. Rarity confirmed the area as close to her dig site. Fluttershy didn't really care. She just watched as they passed over the dig site. It was big, deep, and dusty. She looked again at Rarity. She tried to remember her saying she had been an archeologist, but nothing rang a bell. She must have forgotten. Everyone else seemed to remember her saying something as they nodded at her, complimenting her dig site. Okay, really only Twilight and Pinkie Pie said anything.
Soon, the fleet came into sight. Or maybe it was always in sight and she hadn't noticed, because when she saw it, it was already pretty close. Fifty airships, each one different than the other, yet the same in color and weapons. And of course, the biggest one of them all, the flag ship, piloted by Captain Derpy.
They flew into the swarm of mechanical wonders. Fluttershy noted out of all the ships here, only two were actually smaller than Pinkie's. All the others pretty much dwarfed her ship.
They closed in on the flag ship. It was obviously meant to be a mobile command center. It had several landing pads big enough for the ships that were twice the size of Old Drifter. They landed on one of those pads with a light thud. Applejack got out first, only to realize they were still flying. Standing out there to meet them was Captain Derpy, as well as a few other ponies. How did the Captain know they would land on this pad?
Pinkie bounced over to them “Hiya Captain!”
Fluttershy followed, as did the others, until they stood before the Captain. “Hi guys.” She said casually. Huh. Fluttershy thought Captains were supposed to be more... professional than that. “No need to stand on ceremony. This isn't the army right now. We're aren’t here to go to war, we're here to take back something we lost.”
She pointed to the ponies behind her. A stallion and two mares. “This fine stallion is Mac, he's in charge of all things security aboard this ship. While here, if you aren't answering to me, you answer to him.” He was massive, muscular, and didn't look like the friendly type, nor the talking one.
Fluttershy saw him constantly looking at Applejack. Did he like her?
“This,” Derpy said, pointing at one of the mares, “is Lyra, she is in charge of weapons. If you need a gun, go to her.”
The mare was an aqua blue color, with a mane the same color, though a bit duller, and a white streak going down it. She looked almost psychotic.
She pointed at the last mare. “This here is Octavia, and she is responsible for maintaining our ships.”
A gray mare, seeming to be sophisticated yet dirty at the same time. Like herself, she also had spots of oil in her hair. She seemed... like the snotty type.
Derpy gestured to a nearby ship. It looked like it was only slightly larger than Pinkie's ship, but it seemed a bit more decked out. And it's design was different. Instead of looking like a blimp, it looked more like... something alien like. It had a flatter body, and two wings jutting out the sides. It was also moving rather fast. The engines appeared to be under the wings.
“That is the ship of our best pilot, Spitfire. She couldn't come down to meet you, she's taking her ship on a practice run.”
Fluttershy noted that the shape of the ship seemed like it would make it more aerodynamic, making it faster and more agile.
“And lastly, my second in command, who is right now on our medical ship, so he couldn't come right now either.” She pointed at another ship, a bit away. It was big, but not the biggest ship, It looked like a hoofball, but with a lot of different wings and towers jutting out of it. It didn't look like it should have been able to fly.
“If you happen to meet a stallion named Caramel, that's him.” Derpy faced the group. “Well, that's enough introductions. Most of the fleet will be flying, but the smaller ships will be docking on this one until we need them. Feel free to explore. If you want, take a shuttle to the other ships if you feel like taking a look at them.”
Derpy turned and left, along with Octavia. Mac and Lyra and stayed, Mac wearing a look of shock on his face and Lyra eyeing each member of their group, like she was sizing them up. They all just stood there in awkward silence.
Mac spoke up. “Uh... sis... why are ya here?”
Fluttershy turned around. Applejack looked just as surprised as Mac did. Applejack was Mac's sister?
“Uh...” She seemed nervous. “I.. uh...”
Pinkie jumped up. “Oh! We were all given letters from the Empress, so we all answered her and then we met then we got ready then we left then we just got here!”
Everypony stared at Pinkie Pie. Applejack nodded. “Right... something like that.”
Mac grabbed his sister and pulled her away to talk to her. Fluttershy wondered about what they were talking about, but she was interrupted by Lyra, who was still staring intently at them.
“Hi! My names Lyra. Like you know, I'm this fleets armorer. You all look like you've never been in a fight, save that orange mare.”
Rainbow Dash sputtered out, “Hey! I've been in plenty of fights!”
Lyra gave her another look. “Um... no, you haven't.”
Rainbow tried to protest but was hushed by Twilight. “So what are going to do?”
“Well,” Lyra's eyes brightened up. “I'm going to outfit you all based on your style of fighting. Not really clothes, though there will be a few additions, but mainly weapons.”
Rarity didn't seem amused. “Well, I simply refuse to wield a weapon of any kind!”
Lyra gave her a blank stare. “Uh... you do know we are going to war?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “No, we aren't.”
“Well, you know what I mean!” Lyra looked annoyed now. “Look, you're more than likely going to have to fight, so if you want something to save your life, come with me.”
She turned around and walked away. Fluttershy and Pinkie followed immediately, then Rainbow Dash and Twilight. Rarity refused, instead deciding to tour the rest of the ship.
Fluttershy walked through the halls of the ship. It was really big for an airship. More like a super ship. It seemed big enough to house a whole city. The halls were small, but doors lined them all, leading to bedrooms, closets, and places Fluttershy didn't know.
They turned into a room which, from the weapons and armor hanging off the walls, looked to be the armory. 
Lyra turned to Pinkie Pie. “I'm guessing you are the pilot?”
Pinkie shook her head vigorously. “Yep!”
“How about some lighter weapons, and a mic to keep in contact with the other pilots?”
“Okie dokie lokie!”
Lyra handed Pinkie a pistol, a knife, and a mic. Pinkie donned her new gear and admired herself in a nearby mirror. While she oohed and ahhed, Lyra turned to Twilight.
“So let me guess. You've never been in a fight, but you aren't afraid to, but you also have little experience with weapons save the ones on your belt.”
Twilight nodded. Fluttershy was impressed. That took skill to know that about a pony's combat skill when you've never seen her before.
“So, how about something easy to use, yet still effective?”
She handed over a weird looking weapon thing. It was shaped like a crossbow, yet it didn't look like it held bolts. It had a space for something bigger.
“It can fire any sized vial of fluid, with enough force to shatter on impact. The heaters inside make sure the fluid is a gas, so it doesn't just splash and do nothing. Just be careful.”
Twilight looked over the contraption with a analytical eye. Pinkie was still staring at the mirror.
“So, Rainbow Dash.” Lyra said.
“How do you know my name?”
“Captain told me. I know you've fought before, but nothing serious, yet you can still use most weapons with relative ease.”
Rainbow's mouth hung open. Lyra picked out a weapon. “This baby here, it's called a harpoon gun. It fires spikes. Similar to a crossbow, but with more range, and a sleeker design. You can also attach ropes to it so as to create a zip line or anything like that.”
Rainbow Dash took the gun and looked it over. The look of awe was obvious in her eyes. She shook her head, trying to look unimpressed. “Meh, I've seen better.”
Lyra tossed a few balls to Rainbow as well. “Just pull the trigger on those, then throw. They send spikes every direction for a short distance.”
Rainbow Dash flew off with her new toys, trying to contain her excitement. Fluttershy rolled her eyes. Some adventurer.
Lyra finally turned to Fluttershy. “So, the mechanic, never been in a fight, yet somehow still knows how to use most weapons, specifically close quarters.”
How did Lyra know this stuff? Sure enough, Fluttershy was very skilled in CQC, but she had never been in a fight before.  “Uh... yeah.”
“Okay, here. I think you'll like this.” Lyra pulled a weird looking blade off of the wall. Well, actually, it was two blades. They both were thick, but not long. They also had small chains hanging off the ends of them.
“Here, wrap these around your forelegs, to keep your self from losing them in battle.”
Fluttershy did as she was told. The chains wrapped around her legs, making it look like she was wearing chain gauntlets. The chains connected to the blades hilts, long enough for her to mover her legs with ease if she had them put away.
She marveled at the blades. She had always been most skilled in the ancient art of sword fighting, yet she had never actually owned a sword, so this was like a dream come true. She would have to practice some more, but she didn't care.
Lyra seemed to read her mind. “There's a training ground down the hall, tenth door on the right.”
Pinkie Pie jumped up in front of Fluttershy. “Let's go!”
As they left, she remembered something. “Lyra!”
“Yeah?”
“Um... how did you know all that about us?”
“Skills.” she said, putting on her poker face. She couldn't hold it as Fluttershy looked at her with awe. “Nah, I'm just kidding. Celestia keeps records of all of her citizens, so I just read those before hand.”
Fluttershy nodded in understanding before exiting the room with Pinkie Pie. Well, she needed to practice, but she couldn't stop thinking about the quest, now that they had their weapons. This was actually happening. Huh.
She glanced out a nearby window. They were moving, high in the sky, away from the city. There was no turning back now.