> Friends and Fairy Tales
>  by CrackedInkWell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time…
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s no secret that the Princess of Friendship has always had a love affair with books. After all, even before her assentation, she was a librarian that organized and distributed books of every kind to the citizens of Ponyville. Those who knew the lilac mare named Twilight Sparkle would find it rare to even see her without a book nearby.

For Twilight, she developed not only the passion of learning wisdom from whatever books she could get her hooves on, but also adored all things fictional as well. From foal stories to classic literature, she was always fascinated by different time periods and countries that opened a window into cultures strange and wonderful to her.

As of today, inside her crystal tree-like castle that she now calls home, it was a slow day for both her, and her assistant who goes by the name of Spike. Sometimes when Twilight gets too invested in reading an intriguing piece of literature, the baby dragon would carry out whatever chores so that things can run smoothly.

It was on a day like this that the princess was in the throne room was where Spike found her.

“Okay Twilight,” the small dragon said. “I think I’m just about finish with my chores.”

The mare he was addressing looked up from her book before she marked her place with her magic. “About? What’s there for you to finish?”

“Well,” he took out a scroll that listed his tasks, “the only thing I have left is to mail those book orders to Canterlot. Not to mention to pick out the girls books as well to give them out as well.”

“Is that all Spike?”

“I should think so,” he told her after putting the list of chores away. “But none of that has to be done until later this evening. So with that in mind, can I go out to see if Rarity needs anything?”

“Alright, but be sure to be back here before five. That-”

“I know, I know, we’re going out to dinner with the rest of the gang at six. I haven’t forgotten.”

After saying good bye to the dragon assistant, Twilight returned to her book. After a while, she submerged herself into the story of her book almost to the point that she didn’t noticed a ringing sound that brought her back into reality.

Getting up from her seat, she knew immediately where that sudden ringing was coming from. In one of the rooms of the castle, where most of the books were kept was a magic mirror that’s hooked up to a machine, and a book with a cover of a sun of yellow and red. It is from this book that the ringing was coming from.

Lighting up her horn, Twilight summoned the book over to her, and opened it up to reveal a message.

‘Dear Twilight,’ it read, ‘I am writing to you because I need your help on an interesting matter.

‘You see, in the wake of having magic in the Human world, I’ve ran some tests on not only on what effects it has on the girls, but to see if any objects have absorbed it as well. Turns out, I was right. Thanks to some of the technology, I was able to detect some magical artifacts. In particular, seven books of well-known fairy tales that has somehow absorbed large amounts of magic.

‘Since it has such a huge amount, I personally wouldn’t dare risk testing what these books could do. In fact, I’m skeptical if it’s even safe for even humans to handle. This is why I’m planning to send these books over to you for testing them in an environment that’s safe to control.

‘If you agree to do this, I will send these books over to you immediately. Yet, I would advise for you to use extreme caution since the ratings these books give are off the charts, and I have a bad feeling coming off of them.

‘Please write back soon,

‘-Sunset Shimmer.’

This got Twilight intrigued. “She’s found magical artifacts in the human world? Well, this is new. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at these books.” Picking up a quill pen, she wrote back that she would be looking forward into investigating in what Sunset had found.

Fifteen minutes later, she got the message to open the portal so that she could receive the books. Placing the book upon the machine over the mirror like placing an important gear in a mechanism, the contraption becomes alive. Soon, the mirror was open to the world where Sunset was, allowing Twilight to cross over to collect those books.

Once on the other side, she was greeted by her friend with the fiery hair. “Hey Sunset,” Twilight said as she hugged her. “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, I’m doing alright so far.” She lifted the backpack off of her, “What about you Princess? Anything new as of late?”

“No, it’s been a slow day for me. So what was it about books you want me to look at?”

“Here, let me get them,” unzipping her bag, Sunset pulled out a set of books wrapped in twin. “You know, I was actually surprised that I was able to find these. You wouldn’t think that this world would have enchanted books as well.”

“Neither would I,” Twilight confessed. “This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve dwelt with these things. After all, my friends and I have been sucked into one of Spike’s comic books once.”

“Really?”

She nodded, “That, and that one time spike found an enchanted book in which he gave to Rarity that made her go crazy.”

“I guess I’ve asked the right per- sorry, pony for the job huh?”

“Indeed,” Sunset handed the stack of books over to Twilight. 

When she looked at the titles, she asked, “Where did you get these books anyway? Are they from the school library?”

Her friend shook her head. “Except for one, I found those scattered throughout the town. With all the incidents we’ve keep having with Equestrian magic, I’ve checked to see if any objects were affected like I said. While I did found some that have small traces of it, those were overall harmless. But these are a different ball game altogether. In fact, they’ve came off with so much magic that I don’t know if it’s even safe to open them, which is why I bought most of them. Considering the fact that all of these are really famous fairy tales, there’s no telling what these books are capable of.”

Twilight nodded, “I understand. I’ll take these back to Equestria and I’ll be absolutely careful with these and see if they’re dangerous or not.”

“Thank you Twilight,” her friend told her, “be careful.”

_*_

“Interesting,” the lilac princess mussed. In one of the many rooms of the palace that’s been turned into a lab, she carefully examined each and every book that’s laid out on a table. As she noted, while each of the seven tomes varied in page density, the art on each cover, even signs of age from each of them, all of them confirm what Sunset had told her.

Not only did all of them seemed to have soaked up magic like sponges, but all seven of them contained abnormally large amounts of it.

Jotting down some notes, Twilight moved on to her next test to see if there’s any sort of magical signature to them. Looking over to the spell book beside her, she scanned through it one last time before lighting up her horn, and let her aura touch all of the books.

“What?” she asked herself as she measured each tome at the same time. Letting go of the spell, she wrote down in her notes: ‘I have never seen anything like this! After testing to see if there would be a signature spell that was casted, I have found that there’s no clear frequency that is recognizable to me! It’s as if that these books possess a different, if not wilder magic then anything known to Equestria’s knowledge. I wonder if I’m dealing with a different breed of enchanted books considering that they were found in the human world.

‘What’s more, it still raises the question whether or not these books are even safe. I’ll need to schedule a full day’s worth of research to get to the bottom of it.’

After finishing her notes, Twilight looked up at the clock and found that it was almost fifteen minutes ‘til six. “Already?” she asked herself as she went out of the room. “I wonder if Spike is still around. Spike!”

A few more calls later, her assistant answered, “Yeah?”

“First of all, where are you?”

“In the library, I’m just filling out the orders here.”

After teleporting over to the room, she found a large stack of books besides the step-ladder as the little drake placed a book on top of the stack.

“How close are you from finishing?” she asked.

“I just need to get Rainbow Dash’s book, then I’ll go packing the books to be sent to Canterlot. Speaking of which, do you know where the cardboard boxes are?”

“They’re in the lab. Do you need some bags for the girls so that we can give it to them while we’re at dinner?”

“That would be a good idea actually,” he said as he pulled one of the Daring Do novels off the shelf. “I’ll tell you what; I’ll go down to the lab so you can meet me with those bags.”

Once Twilight had agreed to this arrangement, Spike picked up the stack that was a little taller than him and made his way down the hallways and into the lab. Not to say that he did had some trouble navigating since he had to balance the books, and had his vision obscured in seeing where he was going.

“Now, where did she put them?” he muttered to himself, as he gently swings his body so that he could see where the boxes were. There underneath one of the tables were folded up boxes, each stacked one inside of another. “There they are,” was all Spike said before he bumped into a table, in which most of the books fell off onto it.

The baby dragon cursed under his breath as he tried to gather up the books and try to reorganize them in their proper places.

“Hey Spike,” he heard Twilight’s voice call, “I’m ready to go.”

“Give me a sec,” he answered back as he quickly piled the books back up. He went over to the cardboard boxes and took out one to be filled with the proper books that needed to go to Canterlot. After sealing it up, he breathed green fire on it until it was nothing but ashes flying away towards its destination.

Hearing the princess’s hoofsteps, he swiftly took the tower of books outside of the lab in time for Twilight coming to the door with five separate bags.

“All set to go Twi,” he told her as he placed the pile of tomes down on the ground. “I’ve already sent the order to Canterlot before you got here.”

“That’s good. Now let’s hurry and get these separated so we can go out to eat.”

Spike obeyed as Twilight held each bag with her magic, placing the set of books into each of them of the checked-out books that their friends will received. Once everything was organize, the princess placed each bag in her saddle bags, “Thanks Spike, now let’s hurry. I don’t want us to be late.”

The two of them left the crystal palace, heading in the descending evening towards the café that all six mares agreed to meet. Yet, what Twilight doesn’t know, is that in the lab, on the table where she promise to continue her research, all seven enchanted books were absent.

For the moment, the alicorn and the dragon rushed through the streets of Ponyville, completely unaware of the extra books they were carrying with them.
> (Newly Arrived Books for Royalty)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I really hope that those Zebras will give me a break tomorrow,” Prince Blueblood commented, rubbing his temples. “I swear that if they call me up tomorrow to have a debate with me over trading camping supplies in rhyme again, I’m going to scream.”

“So I take it that you had a bad day,” Luna inquired as she ate through her breakfast.

“Don’t get me wrong Auntie Luna; I don’t mind doing all the negotiations from time to time,” the white unicorn illuminated his horn to pick up his wineglass. “But these ambassadors are very tricky to talk with, and that’s saying something! I don’t see the point why they want me to speak to them in rhymes as well, I mean, the last one didn’t mind of me speaking like this.”

“So were you able to get through with them?” Celestia asked, picking up a forkful of red velvet.

“Barely, I was lucky that they understood that Equestria wants to open up tourism in their country, to see the savanna and such –although, I’m still embarrassed that I was rather slow at rhyming on the spot. It makes me wish that I was a little more prepared.”

“I think you’ll eventually get the hang of it nephew,” the Sun Princess replied, “that the act of spontaneous rhyming will come to you.”

Blueblood narrowed his eyes and bitterly took a sip.

“Pardon me, Your Majesties,” the three royals looked up to find a Solar Guard entering into their private dining room. “The packages from Princess Twilight’s library have just arrived.”

“Good,” the prince stood up from the table, “Unless either of you have any other concerns, I would like to retire to bed early. Perhaps a good bath and some sleep might do me good to prepare better.”

Luna looked over at the window, “But evening is a couple hours away.”

“I just want to relax. Now, if neither of you mind, thank you for the meal, and good night,” Blueblood bowed before he left, taking his class of wine with him.

“Lu,” Celestia started up a new conversation, “Don’t you think that we’re overbearing him with these responsibilities?”

The Moon Princess shrugged, “We know how valuable he is with his negotiation skills, and he doesn’t seem to mind. However, perhaps he deserves to be given a break from politics for a while. The Zebras that I’ve met are wise but some of them could be stubborn at the worst of times.”

“I know, I may not show it, but I can emphasize with him a little.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, “How so?”

“Well, a bit of variety from the mundane politics is good for one’s wellbeing. After all, you have more of a life then I have during the nightly hours.”

“That’s because I know how to have fun Celestia,” she smirked.

“You know; I wouldn’t mind that every so often, just now and then, mind you – that for a day, I would have a different occupation. For example, painting a picture, or learning how to cook this dish, or taking care of some sick animals; something like that to break the day-to-day task of signing my name on petitions.”

“Sounds like to me that we’re in need of a… what do you call them? Vacation? Holiday?”

“Not really, just a day off is enough. Now I have some things that I need to do before I head off to bed.” Celestia rose from the table, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning Lu.”

“Enjoy your slumber, sister.”	

_*_

After a two hour long soak of the purest spring water, expensive soaps, shampoos, and perfumes, his mane, tail and coat painstakingly removed of any greasy dirt, Prince Blueblood emerged from his bathroom in his dark blue evening robe with a precession of servants following behind.

“Will that be everything, Your Grace?” his butler inquired him.

“At the moment, it is Mr. Brass. I’ll be taking a look through the books Twilight had sent me before I head off to sleep.”

“Very good,” he nodded, him along with the staff bowed before they exited the prince’s room to close the double doors behind them.

The unicorn, now left alone, turned his attention to the desk at the pile of books neatly set out. Trotting over, he illuminated his horn to pick up and examine the books. “History of Zebraca Vol. 6… The Rhyming Thesaurus… Voyage to the New World… Pride and Prejudice…” Blueblood looked at the next book, and blushed at the title. Sliding the book underneath his bed, and underneath a loose floorboard, he muttered: “A bit of me time…” he looked at the other titles, “Fall of the Maneigha Empire… Philosophies of the Crystal Empire…” Then he came to a book that puzzled him. “What’s this?”

Putting the other books down, he placed the book in his hooves. Unlike the other books, this one didn’t look very old, not even a hardback. If anything, this little book had a blue cover, with dull yellow lines that formed pictures of oddly shaped creatures. A family on the left and a taller one on the right in a dress and holding onto a carpetbag with a flowery hat, above them in the crudely shaped stars, was the title: “Mary Poppins. P. L. Travers.”

“Did that princess get this mixed up?” Blueblood asked himself as he flipped the book over before opening it. Among the text and conversations, there were hoof-drawn pictures of the weird creatures from the cover. “Is this a foal’s boo- OW!” Blueblood immediately dropped the book as he felt a sharp pain in his right hoof.

“Oh perfect,” he grumbled, finding that his pristine white hoof had a red line on it, “Stupid paper-cut.”  The prince went over to the rope that hung by his bedside to ring it, noticing that as the closer he got to it, the more lightheaded and dizzy he became. But he was able to ring it, summoning his butler up.

A moment later, the summoned stallion opened the door, “What can I do for you, Your…” but he trailed off as he watched his employer suddenly fainted. “My Prince! Prince Blueblood,” he rushed over, checking his vital signs. While relieved that he was still alive, he called out for help.

While this was going on, the white unicorn as soon as he hit the floor, suddenly found himself dreaming. He dreamed that he was being blown by the East Wind to a red brick home, known as number seventeen, Cheery-Tree Lane.
> Chapter 2: From Lands Far, Far Away…
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“There you guys are!” Rainbow Dash said as Twilight and Spike made their way towards the café.

“Sorry, I’m really sorry for being late,” the princess said as she unstrapped the saddlebags from her.

“On the contrary,” Rarity waved, “We’ve just barely arrived ourselves. None of us had gotten the chance to order anything yet.”

“Oh good, I was doing some tests and I almost forgot what time it was.”

“Let’s worry about that none sugar cube,” Applejack told her. “Y’all are on time as always.”

The babe dragon was the first to take his seat, “How have you guys been doing?”

“Super!” Pinkie grinned, “I helped out Mr. and Mrs. Cake with the twenty-six cupcake order where we had to bake a different flavor each for Button Mash’s birthday. Although, I don’t see why he couldn’t have ordered more, I mean, there are flavors out there that cupcakes can be made from like passion fruit, ginger-root, root beer, avocado with grass clippings, ghost chili flavored with cream cheese frosting, cheery orange, orange watermelon, huckleberry-”

The rainbow maned Pegasus put a hoof in her mouth, “Pinks, I think we’ve get the picture.”

By now, Twilight got the chance to sit down beside her friends, “So Fluttershy, anything new with you?”

“Not very much,” the yellow mare said humbly, “I’ve just sorted a dispute with Mr. Beaver this afternoon with Ms. Groundhog, and I’ve given the Robins their vaccines as well. Outside of that, I haven’t seen Angle since he finished lunch.”

“Did he go somewhere?”	

“I’m not sure. He’s been disappearing more often around the afternoons, but always come back home by dinner. I’ve already prepared a salad for him in case he does come back to the cottage.”

“Pardon ladies and gentledrake,” a new voice was heard that six mares and a dragon looked over to see the waiter there. As he passed out the tray of ice water, he asked, “Are we ready to order or do you need a moment?”

“Can we have a menu?” Twilight inquired, “We’ve just got here not too long ago.”

“Certainly,” a moment later he returned with extra menus. And several minutes later, all seven decided on what to eat. When the waiter was gone, the Princess of Friendship turned to the apple farmer.

“How are things on the farm?”

“Ta be honest, it’s been real slow season,” Applejack admitted. “We’ve already planted the new saplin’s, as well as the garden. As of now, we’re lookin’ forward ta is wait fer the apples ta grow in the commin’ months.”

“In the meantime,” Rainbow leaned forward, “you and I need to do another Iron Pony competition to see if you’re still fit enough after staying inside for the winter.”

“Don’t you fret Rainbow, Ah haven’t forgotten all about it, and Ah’m still gonna whop yer flank inta the next week.”

“Hey, easy you two,” Twilight interjected. “We don’t want ourselves to go overboard again.”

The Pegasus snorted, “C’mon Twi, it’s just friendly competition, we’ve already learned our lesson the last time.”

“And Ah don’t mind,” Applejack added, “‘sides, at least it’ll give me somethin’ ta do.”

“Which reminds me,” Pinkie turned to the little drake, “Hey Spiky; wanna be co-host tomorrow when AJ and Dashie go at it like last time?”

Spike shrugged, “Why not, if I get my chores done on time then I’d be happy to do so.”

Twilight turned her attention to Rarity, “What about you?”

“I’ve been keeping myself busy, thank you for asking darling. I have a client that’s coming tomorrow morning, and all I need to do is to take a look from those books I need to borrow to put some of the final touches.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got all of your books right here,” she patted her saddlebags. “Before everypony leaves, I’ll make sure that you’ll get your books you need.”

“Speaking of books,” Rainbow interjected, “did you guys happen to find ‘Daring Do and the Sands of Katfar’?”

“And ‘The History of the Wonderbolts for Dummies,’” Spike said with a nod. “Yes, I know this because I was the one that picked the books off the shelves. Along with everypony else, we did have those books you guys asked for.”

“Excellent,” Rarity commented, “I simply can’t wait to read more about Shadow Spades. It’s been almost a year since one of her books has been published.”

“And I can’t wait to go home and read that comedy that I’ve keep promising that I would read but never gotten around to it,” Pinkie said. “I think it was the one about a talking toad.”

Fluttershy tilted her head, “That wouldn’t happen to be ‘The Misadventures of Mr. Leg Springs’ wouldn’t it?”

“That’s the one,” the baker smiled. “How’d you know?”

“Pinkie, I haven’t read that story since I was a filly.”

“So?”

“Forgive me Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, twirling her mane with her hooves, “but uh… y-you do know that story is a children’s book, right?”

“Well duh, of course I know. I just want to have it so I can read it to the twins. Well that, and I heard it’s a pretty good story too.”

“Makes sense,” Spike agreed, “I remember Twilight reading that to me as a bedtime story a couple years ago.” Here, the baby dragon snickered, “There were some really funny lines that came out of it. I remembered it being really witty.”

“I think you liked it for the pictures,” Twilight pointed out. There was a round of laughs by the time their food had come.

After a meal and a long talk later, the lilac Alicorn distributed the books out to her friends from her saddlebag. One by one, each mare excused herself, all longing to return to their homes with their borrowed books. Even when they took a glance inside their bags, they didn’t noticed right away, that alongside of the books about stories, recipes, animal heath, history of fashion and Wonderbolts, that each mare had carried an extra book.

_*_

“Ah’m home,” Applejack cried out as she entered the front door.

It didn’t take too long for her to be greeted by one of her siblings, “Hey sis,” little Applebloom came up to her. “Did ya get the book?”

“Jus’ give me a sec, Ah’ve got everypony’s right here.” She lowered the bag she was carrying off of her back, letting it hit the floor with a thud. “Now let me see…” after opening the bag she stuck her hoof in, moving some of the books until she pulled out the one she was looking for. “Is this it?”

“Yep, thanks sis,” she said as she took her reading material with her mouth. As she trotted upstairs, Applejack’s older brother emerged from the kitchen.

“Hey Mac, how was dinner?”

“Pretty good,” the red stallion shrugged. “Did ya get the recipe book that Granny wanted?”

“Yeah, jus’ let me get it,” Applejack reached into the bag once more; however, she paused when she spotted something out of place. “Huh? What’s this?” She pulled out a small book with an emerald cover. On it, there was a picture of a white lion with a faded red mane in the same green outline. Above it was what drew the farmer's attention to. “The Wonderful Wizard of… Ooz? Oz? Ahuz?” she turned the book over in her hooves, by now her brother approached her. “Never heard of it. You?”

Mac shook his head, “Looks old.”

Looking at the cover again, her brother was quite right. The very binder was barely holding together to the spike. And even the pages looked a bit yellowed as well.

“Maybe it’s one of those rare books,” Applejack thought aloud as she opened it. “Twi tends to collect anything with a cover or what-have-you.”

As her sister flipped open the pages, he saw some of the drawings that flashed before them, “Maybe it’s a foal’s book?”

“Ah guess, though Ah might say that these pictures do mighty look- OW!” She immediately dropped the book, clenching one of her hooves with the other.

“You alright?” Mac asked.

Applejack unfolded her hoof, “Yeah, jus’ a paper cut. But boy did that hurt. Oh shoot, Ah think Ah’m bleedin’! Hey Mac, can y’all go fetch a band-aid real quick?”

He nodded and returned to the kitchen. While opened drawers to open for a first-aid kit, he heard his little sister coming down the stairs.

“You alright?” Applebloom asked.

“Yeah, Ah’m fine, why’d you ask?”

“‘Cause Ah heard you yell like somethin’ fell on ya.”

The elder sister laughed, “Nah, its jus’ a paper cut AB. Although, it almost was like the book jus’ up and bit me.”

“The book bit you?”

“No, it just what it… felt…”

There was a pause as Mac moved on to the next drawer.

“Sis, you okay?” the younger Apple asked.

“Why’s the room spinnin’?” There was a stumbling of hoofsteps, “Ah think Ah need ta lie…” as far as she got before Mac heard a thud.

“Sis!” Applebloom cried in alarm. “Applejack, you okay! Sis! MAC!”

With brotherly instincts possessing him, Macintosh hurried out of the room to hind his sister on the floor with Applebloom trying to shake her awake. “What happened?”

“Ah don’t know,” she admitted, “We were jus’ talkin’ then she passed out.”

Moving his little sister out of the way, Mac checked for vital signs, and was relieved that she was still breathing. He checked her forehead, but couldn’t find any fever.

“Now what’s all this here commotion?” an elderly voice asked. Both siblings turned to see Granny Smith making her way down the stairs, “And why’s AJ on the floor?”

“Somethin’ wrong granny,” Bloom told her, “she jus’ fainted and none of us know why.”

“That’s weird,” the green mare said as she reached the bottom of the stares. “Ah never seen AJ do this befor’. Did she get ill all of a sudden?”

“Ah don’t think so,” Mac shook his head, “What do we do?”

“Let me see,” Granny sat down in front of Applejack, and examined her head to hoof. “Fer one thing, give this girl a Band-Aid. Her hoof’s bleedin’ a little. Second, Ah think she’ll be fine, so there’s no need in callin’ a doctor. Fer now, let’s get the dearie to her room and put her inta bed. But if she doesn’t wake up by mornin’, then we’ll get someone to look at her.”

Following the older mare’s instructions, Applebloom covered the paper cut while Big Mac carried his sister on his back. But before he did, he sorted out the books from the bag and carried in his mouth Applejack’s books, including the emerald one up the stairs and into her room.

Once upstairs, Mac unrolled the covers and put his unconscious sister in her bed. Then he placed the books on her nightstand and turn off the lights, “Ah really do hope y’all wake up,” he said gently before he left, closing the door behind him.

As for Applejack, she wasn’t sick at all of course, but dreaming. In that dream, she was a little filly again, only she was in a place that she was unfamiliar with. Instead of being on the farm, or Ponyville, or even Manehattan, she dreamed that she was in a place where there was a lack of trees. All around her as far as she could see, she was in a land of gray. The wooden shack of a house was gray, the roads were gray, the grass and sod was gray, even the very clouds that rolled overhead in the wind was gray.

Then she heard barking. Looking down, she found a little black, silky dog with long hairs and shiny, yet, happy eyes that was glad to see her. “Hello there,” Applejack leaned down to pet the dog. “Ah don’t suppose you know where Ah am, don’t ya?”

The little dog panted, letting his tongue hang out as she stroked its fur. As she did this, a name came to her. Although she had never heard of this name nor knows what it meant, it was as if she somehow knew this name all her life. “Is your name, Toto?”

“Bark!” the dog replied.

While they start to play, another name came to Applejack. “Kansas,” she muttered. “Toto, what sort of name is Kansas anyway?”

“Dorothy!” she turned to the shrilling voice that was coming from the tiny farmhouse. In the doorway stood a woman who was just as gray as the landscape screamed at her. “Quick, Dorothy! Run for the Cellar!”
> (Applejack and the Land of Oz)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as Aunt Em called out to her, Applejack noticed quickly that the winds had suddenly grew stronger, and turned to what the woman was looking at. Her heart dropped as she saw a gray cyclone that towered up into the sky was quickly coming their way. Scooping Toto into her own hoof, she raced inside the one-room house were the Aunt had flung open the trap door that lead to the narrow cellar.

However, the dog suddenly jumped out of her grasp and dashed underneath the bed as the noise of the wind grew. “Toto!” the apple farmer galloped over across the room. Aunt Em jumped into the hole in the middle of the room, calling out for “Dorothy” to follow.

But Applejack didn’t hear this as she snatched the little black dog again before heading towards the trapdoor. However, as she was only half-way across, the entire house shook violently as the winds shrieked to the point that the orange pony found it impossible to stand up and landed on the floor.

Then, something extraordinary happened, from the windows, the house moved two or three times around before the whole wooden structure lifted off from the ground. Applejack felt like she was going up in a balloon.

“What in tarnation!” she yelled as the winds from the north and south swirled around them, lifting the house higher and higher, mile after mile into the air. Letting Toto loose, she crawled over to the center where the trapdoor was still open, blowing out wind into the house. Yet, it showed that she was, indeed, in the very center of the cyclone.

“NOPE!” going over to the other side, she used her whole body against the planks to close it with the latch in order to prevent anyone, or anything, from falling out. “How in the hay did Ah get in here?”

All around in this one room cabin, plates and cups rattled, pieces of coal rolled all over the floor, the chairs have long been knocked over with the table threatening to do the same. Applejack picked up Toto and hopped the larger of the two beds to latterly ride out the storm. There was so much noise inside and outside the house that the mare could barely hear herself think.

She couldn’t tell how long they stayed up there inside the cyclone, worrying what would happen if everything came apart or if they would survive the eventual fall.

However, the Earth Pony did as she, along with everything else felt the forces of gravity as they fell right out of the sky, Applejack screaming her lungs out, holding tightly to the little dog. Offering a quick prayer that if she gets out of this alive, she will offer up to whatever universal forces the best cider from the family cellar for a year.

The house came down with a loud, crackling THUD! The mare was thankful for the bed to help soften the landing, as well as being grateful that the only damage from the impact as far as she could see was the roof nearly collapsed in. Toto got off of the bed and pawed the door.

“Great idea,” Applejack said, still shaken, “Let’s get outta here.”

She opened the door, but paused as she took in the color of the landscape. As far as she knew, this didn’t look like any part of Equestria that she knew. Everywhere there where patches of lively green, with wild trees that bear rich and luscious but strange fruits. There were banks of unusual but very colorful flowers of various shapes and sizes. And a ways off there was a small brook, which rushed with sparkling water in the morning light. Above Applejack saw exotic birds of rich plumages that sang and fluttered among the trees and bushes.

Stepping out, Applejack flung the silky black dog onto her back, “Hey Toto,” she said, “Ah don’t think Ah ain’t in Equestria no more.”

Her widen eyes fell upon four figures that were coming up to her. In a way, they reminded her of Aunt Em, only they were a little shorter than her. Three of them were men who they all wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells that lined around the brim. These men were dressed head to toe in blue with polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The fourth was a woman who was as tall as the others, only she wore white gown. All four of them, from Applejack’s point of view, seemed very old with their wrinkles and the woman’s white hair.

As they neared her, she could hear them whispering from one another until the woman in white went up to her, made a low bow to her and said to her in a sweet voice: “You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”

Applejack had to do a double take at what she heard, “Beg yer pardon ma’am, but what the hay are y’all talkin’ about? Ah haven’t killed nopony.”

“Your house did, anyway,” she replied with a laugh; “and that is the same thing. See!” she pointed at what remained of the wooden shack, “There are her two toes, still sticking out from under a block of wood.”

The apple farmer gasped in shock, at one corner she saw two feet sticking out, with silver shoes that pointed upwards. Applejack looked between the legs and the old woman. “N-Now wait-a-minute! Ah didn’t do this on purpose! This was an accident Ah tell ya!” The earth pony trotted up to the legs sticking out, “Oh what do Ah do now?”

“There’s nothing to be done,” said the little woman calmly.

“Who was she?”

“She was the Wicked Witch of the East, as I said. She has held all the Munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day. Now they are all set free, and are grateful to you for the favor.”

Applejack turned to her, raising an eyebrow, “What’s a Munchkin?”

“They are the people who live in this land of the East, where the Wicked Witch ruled.”

“Are you one of ‘em?”

“No; but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North. When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Munchkins set a swift messenger to me, and I came at once. I am the Witch of the North.”

“Hold up,” Applejack backed away from her, “Witch? You’re a witch?” she eyed the old woman suspiciously.

“Yes, indeed,” she answered. “But I am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself.”

Toto barked as he leaped from the mare’s back, sniffing the lady in white, “Sorry, but aren’t all witches… you know, bad?”

“Oh no; that is a great mistake. There were only four witches in all the Land of Oz, and two of them, those who live in the North and the South, are good witches. I know this is true, for I am one of them myself, and cannot be mistaken. Those who dwelt in the East and the West were, indeed, wicked witches; but now that you have killed one of them, there is but one Wicked Witch in all the Land of Oz – the one who lives in the West.”

“Huh,” Applejack thought for a moment, “Really now? Ah hope what yer sayin’ is true ma’am. Guess this is one of those times Ah hope that Granny is wrong.”

“Who is Granny?” the old woman inquired.

“Granny Smith is mah grandmother that lives in Kann- Equestria,” Applejack quickly corrected herself. ‘Why did Ah think that? Granny isn’t from Kansas. Where did that come from?’

The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, “I do not know where Equestria is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?”

Again, Applejack raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, why?

“Then that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left; nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. Therefore we still have witches and wizards among us.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Equestria has its share of Wizards and Sorceresses too, yet there’s civilized. Tell me; are there any other wizards around?”

“Oz himself is the Great Wizard,” answered the Witch, sinking her voice to a whisper. “He is more powerful than all the rest of us together. He lives in the City of Emeralds.”

Before Applejack could ask her another question, one of the other Munchkins that have been standing nearby shouted, and pointed to where the Wicked Witch of the East was.

“What is it?” asked the old woman, who looked and gave a laugh. The apple farmer looked too and was surprised to find that the legs of the dead witch had disappeared, leaving only the silver shoes behind.

“She was so old, that she dried up quickly in the sun.” The Witch of the North explained, “That is the end of her. But the silver shoes are yours, and you shall have them to wear.” She reached down and picked up the shoes, and after shaking the dust off of them, handed them over to Applejack.

“Now hold on,” Applejack protested, “Ah can’t take these! They ain’t even mine.”

“The Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,” one of the Munchkins told her; “and there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never knew.”

Applejack decided to take the shoes into the house, and came back out asking if there was some way to return home. The four of them looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. They explained that to the East and South of Oz is a great desert that nothing could live to cross it. One of the Munchkins told her to never go to the West because that was where the other witch rules with the Winkies, to pass into that land was instant slavery.

“The North is my home,” said the old lady, “and at its edge is the same great desert that surrounds this Land of Oz. I’m afraid, my dear, you will have to live with us.”

The orange blond mare sat down on her hunches, Toto came up to her, nuzzling at her hooves. As she petted him, she took a moment to think, “Did you say that this Oz fella is more powerful than the rest of ya?” The old woman nodded, “Would it be possible if I could speak with him for me to go home?”

“Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz could indeed help you.”

“Great, so where’s the city?”

“It is exactly in the center of the country, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”

Then a thought came to Applejack, “So is he a good Wizard, somethin' like you?”

“He is a good Wizard.”

“Okay, so how can I get there?”

“You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.”

“But aren’t you at least gonna come with me? You’d seem to know better about this place then Ah do.”

“No, I cannot do that,” she replied; “but I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.” She came close to Applejack, kissing her on the forehead. “The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick,” she added, “so you cannot miss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear.”

The other tree Munchkins bowed low to her, wishing her a happy journey before they walked way through the bushes and trees. As for the Witch of the North, she gave her a friendly nod; whirled around on her left heel three times before she disappeared, leaving a confused Applejack, and a barking Toto behind.

“Well, this day is jus’ gettin’ weirder and weirder,” the mare said to herself. Looking at the nearly collapsed house, she looked down at the dog, “Come on Toto, let’s salvage what we can get before we head home.”

Applejack searched through the dusty farm home for whatever food and supplies to take with her. Before she left, however, she spotted the sliver shoes on the bed, which she noticed had somehow enlarged for her hooves to fit in.

Curious, she placed them on her hindlegs, finding to her surprise that they were a perfect fit. “Alright,” putting the basket around her neck, she trotted out the door, “Let’s go Toto, the sooner we find this yellow road, the sooner both of us can get home.”
> Chapter 3: There were Two Curious Little Girls…
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing that she woke up to was the cool but wet tongue of a dog that urged her to be awake.

“Stop it Toto,” she moaned. Dorothy Gale wasn’t quite ready to wake up yet. She could sense the rays of the sun beaming down on her that she shut her eyes tighter. As she moved her body away from the light, she could feel the sheets and blackest being pulled with-

“Hold on,” she said to herself, “That’s not right.” It was then that Dorothy opened her eyes, and saw that she was not only in a bed, but in a room with a dog sniffing at her face.

“What?” sitting up, she whipped the sleep from her eyes and got a good look around. Not to say that she was startled for the fact that she didn’t remember being put in a bedroom with red apples on the walls and even the bed frame as well. Through the window, she saw rows upon rows of trees that were as bright and lush as they were in Oz. For her, all of this was for a moment quiet frightening.

But at the same time… it wasn’t. Dorothy couldn’t explain it to herself, but somehow, in some way, all of this was familiar. Although she had never seen this room in her life, it was almost as if she has been in here many times before.

There was a bark that drew her attention to the dog on the bed, whose black eyes were just as excited to see her as her little black dog. Around its neck was a red collar with a golden coin linked to it that as Dorothy leaned forward, saw that it had a name.

“Winona? Is that your name?” the dog didn’t replay as it panted with her tongue hanging out. “Well, aren’t you the…” She was about to pet it to stroke its fur, but she trailed off when she saw her hand, wasn’t a hand anymore. There she saw entire right arm was not only orange, but she saw a flat hoof at the other end. Her widen eyes followed the hoof down to her body in which she became frighten again.

She frantically felt this alien form with what used to be her hands. Touching her chest, neck and even face to find that somehow, during the night, she was no longer a human – pulling the covers off of her quickly confirmed that she even had a tail as yellow as wheat.

Dorothy screamed from sheer shock as she stumbled out of bed. This was quickly followed by a thundering of hooves that stampede towards her until one of the doors was flung open.

“AJ, you alright!” Dorothy’s jaw dropped when she not only saw ponies where one was yellow with a red mane while the other, larger one was red with mane as golden as her new found tail.

When she didn’t respond, the smaller yellow pony trotted up to her, “Applejack, are you okay?” The orange pony blinked, when she didn’t respond, the smaller one came up to her. “You’re not hurt, aren’t ya?”

“Um… no,” Dorothy answered. As confused as she was, she was again feeling something familiar about this pony that was touching her forehead. 

“Ah don’t feel that you’re too warm, that’s good. Not only that, but you’re up too.”

As she looked into this yellow pony’s face, in which she found amazing that it was talking to her, Dorothy found a name that came to her like a long forgotten memory, “Applebloom?”

She nodded, “Yes sis?”	

Dorothy looked over to the bed and back again, “How did I get in here?”

“Y’all mean you don’t remember?” the other red pony asked as he walked into the room. “You came home last night when ya suddenly fainted out of the blue.” As he spoke in that deep voice, another name came to Dorothy’s mind, Big Macintosh, except she couldn’t put her finger on why she knew that.

“Yeah,” Applebloom nodded, “You kinda scared us last night. So you’re not sick, are you?”

She looked at her orange hooves, “I… I don’t think so.”

“Ya sure?” Bic Mac asked, “We couldn’t wake you up after you fainted. So do ya need some air or somethin’?”

Dorothy said that she would like that, and tried to stand on all four of her legs. Admittingly, she hadn’t done anything like this since she was a baby because she was so used to walking on only two legs. As she walked out of the room, the other ponies couldn’t help but see how stiffly her movement was, especially when she took a long time going down the stairs, taking one hoof at a time.

“Applejack, there you are dearie,” she turned her head to see another pony who was as green as spring, but as old as time flipping flapjacks. “Good to see you up. Come, have some breakfast.”

“Actually,” Dorothy said, “I think I need some air.”

“You sure?” the mare asked as she laid the pancake on a plate, “Aren’t you a little hungry?”

“Maybe later,” she said as she headed towards the front door. “I think I might be sick.”

Before the elder mare could respond, Dorothy opened the door and walked right outside. “What is going on here?” she asked herself as she walked away from the farmhouse. “Why am I a pony? And orange? And why can I talk?” Another question popped into her head as she paused to look down at all four hooves. “Where’re the silver shoes? Did someone take them off while I was asleep?” However, she shook her head, “But I thought he Witch of the North said that they were enchanted, and that they’ll protect me.”

Dorothy took in some deep breaths, “I wonder where I am. Is this still Oz, or am I dreaming?

“Oh come now, listen to yourself! This must be a dream. After all, ponies are talking, and are in different colors too. Besides,” she looked down at her withers, “I don’t have my dress on. So yes, maybe this is a dream… but… when did I go to sleep?”

As she thought of this, Dorothy Gale started to walk forward, into the grove of trees. Trying to recall her journey in the Land of Oz. “Let’s see… the munchkins told me to just follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City… then I met the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and a…  Lion, yes that’s right. We’ve crossed through dark forests, escaped wild beasts, and got over to the other side of the river… But what else? What am I forgetting…?” As she walked further, she tried to think very hard, “The last thing I remember… we were in a field of red poppies-”

She came to a sudden stop as she ran into something alive. After her and whatever she bumped into fell, she heard: “Oh! I beg your pardon!”

Scrambling to her hooves, Dorothy’s eyes widen when she saw what she had ran into. It was another pony, about as big as she was, with a butter yellow coat and a pink mane. But what really caught her attention was the pair of wings on her side.

As the yellow mare got to her hooves, she said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t really see where I was going.”

“You… you have wings.”

The mare looked at her, “Well, yes indeed. And I didn’t know ponies have orange coats.”

“Me neither,” she sat on her hunches to dust off the dirt off as best as she could. “I wasn’t exactly like this yesterday.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s… I’m not sure. It’s hard to explain, but… yesterday I was a person. But I woke up looking like this.”

The yellow Pegasus tilted her head, “I’m sorry, but have we met before?”

Dorothy looked at her again, in the back of her mind, she did look oddly familiar. Just like the family that she woke up to. “Does the word… Flutter shy means anything to you?”

“That’s what those animals back in the cottage over there,” she pointed with a wing, “were calling me. And looking at you… does the word Applejack have anything significant?”

“Actually, when I woke up this morning, that’s what those ponies in that house have been calling me. Somehow, I don’t know why, but it’s like I’ve known them for all of my life, only that I’ve never seen them before. It’s as if that I have new memories that are not my own.”

“You too? And I’m guessing that you don’t think you’re Applejack, but someone else?”

“How do you know?”

“Here,” the Pegasus sat down in front of her, straighten up, and lifting a hoof to her, “Good morning, my name is Alice Liddell, how do you do?”

The orange mare lifted her hoof and wrapped it around hers to shake it. “Hello, my name is Dorothy Gale, and I’m from Kansas.”

Alice tilted her head, “Where’s that?”

“America.”

“You’re American? I’ve never met one before.”

“Where are you from?”

“Oxford, England.”

Dorothy let go of Alice’s hoof, “I never met anyone from England before either.”

“How old are you?”

“Me? I’m going to be turning six soon. You?”

“I’m seven-and-a-half exactly.”

Dorothy smiled, “Well, I’m glad to find someone almost my age that’s sure they don’t exactly belong here.”

“Like wise. Where were you going?”

“Oh… I don’t know. I was just wondering about this place and why I was turned into this.”

“I understand that,” Alice nodded, “although, I do admit that from all the queerness that I’ve endured, this is by far the strangest I’ve ever experienced.”

“Do you think that we’re asleep? And that this might be a dream?”

The yellow mare put a hoof to her chin, “I’ve once heard that if you pinch yourself in a dream, you should be able to wake up.”

“But how do we pinch?” Dorothy pointed out, “We don’t have hands to pinch with.”

“True… Wait, I have an idea. Give me your hoof,” she did, in which Alice leaned down and bit it.

“Ow!” Dorothy quickly withdrew her foreleg, “That really hurt.”

“But you didn’t wake up,” then she looked at her own hoof and offered it to her, “Do that to me. I want to be sure as well.”

Although raising an eyebrow, Dorothy obeyed as she bit down on the other’s hoof.

“Ow!” Alice drew back, rubbing her hoof. 

“Well, I guess this isn’t a dream then.”

“I’ll say,” the Pegasus said, “So if this isn’t a dream, then what is this place?”

“For one thing, we’re not in Oz or Kansas,” the orange mare explained. “I’ve spend some time in both places, and I’ve never heard, nor seen ponies that talk.”

“But I have been to places where animals talked, both down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass.”

Dorothy gave her a puzzled look, “Rabbit hole? Looking glass?”

“It does sound rather peculiar,” Alice admitted, “but it is the truth. I have been to places where white rabbits talk, along with birds, a caterpillar, a Cheshire Cat, and much more that I had a conversation with.”

Still, the orange mare with the golden mane looked as confused as ever, “Maybe you should explain that to me later. For now, maybe we need to find what this place is, and if there’s any way to get back to Oz with my friends.”

“Is Oz a country?” Alice wondered.

“I think so. My home was picked up by a cyclone and was dropped in the Munchkin Land of Oz. I was told that if I were to go back to Kansas, I had to the Emerald City to speak with the wonderful Wizard that might help me and my friends.”

“Maybe you should tell me the full story sometime, I would be interested to hear all about it.”

“Same with me, but for now, we need to find a way to get back. But where do we start?”

Alice looked around and spotted something among the trees, “What about there?”

Dorothy looked towards where the Pegasus was staring at, and saw that from the tops of the trees was a crystal structure that seemed to have grown like a tree, and carried a castle along with it.

“I guess that’s a good place to start.”

“Maybe on the way,” Alice suggested as they headed towards the crystal structure, “would you tell me about Oz?”
> (Fluttershy and the Pool of Tears)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I shouldn’t have done that!” The yellow pegasus exclaimed. Once she ate a tiny cake that said: “Eat Me,” Fluttershy found herself growing taller by the moment. She looked down at the light blue dress with the white apron she was wearing, “How is it that this thing isn’t tearing? Is the dress, like everything in here is enchanted too? Oh what am I saying? This is a dream after all, weird things always happen in dreams… right?”

Just then, she bumped her head against the ceiling, and thankful that she didn’t grew any larger than nine feet high. Craning her neck down to the three-legged glass table, where on it was a golden key and the empty bottle that had the tag, “Drink Me,” laying on its side.

“Oh I wish that I hadn’t gulped down all of it,” Fluttershy said to herself. “Now what do I do?” With an increasing feeling of hopelessness, her ears drooped back as she sat on her hunches. “Why does this happen to me?” She could feel tears swelling up from her eyes. “No, don’t get sad. Stop it right now!” But despite scolding herself, the tears did fell. Shedding gallons upon gallons of tears until they formed a rather large pool around her about four inches deep and reaching about half the hall.

After a while of feeling sorry for herself, she heard the pitter-patter of paws down the hallway. Fluttershy, as quickly as she could, dried her eyes to see who it was. Although she knew that the white rabbit that was in a hurry, carrying a pair of white kid-gloves in one paw and a large fan in the other wasn’t Angle. After all, this one looked a little too round and the Angle she knew never wore a waistcoat with a pocket watch in its pockets. The furry creature trotted in a great hurry, Fluttershy could hear him muttering to himself, “Oh! The Duchess, the Duchess! Oh! Won’t she be savage if I’ve kept her waiting!”

At this point, Angel or not, the yellow mare was desperate to ask anyone for help. So, when the Rabbit came near to her, she said in a low, meek voice, “If you please-” However, this was as far as she got before this well dressed rabbit was startled. So much so, that he dropped both the gloves and the fan before scurried away into the darkness as fast as its legs would let it.

Since the hall was very hot, Fluttershy carefully lifted the fan and the gloves with one hoof and went on trying to cool herself. “What a really weird night this is. One moment, I was coming home feeding Angle Bunny, getting myself into bed for my nightly readings, the next I’m chasing another rabbit in clothes, falling down in a unusually deep rabbit hole, now I’m in a hallway that has a tiny door with a lovely garden behind it. Plus there’s a drink that make you shrink, a cake that makes you grow, a dress that is never too loose or too tight, and there’s a glass table that appeared out of nowhere. And to top it off, I’m recalling memories that aren’t my own! I don’t even know who or what Alice is, but somehow it’s like I’ve known her all my life!

“Still, I still remember being Fluttershy last night. I couldn’t have just changed into somepony else… Could I? But, if that’s true, am I still Fluttershy or am I Alice?” Then a thought came to her that terrified the mare, “And if I’m neither, then who in the world am I?”

She then tried to recall everypony she knew, to see if she could have changed into any of them. “I know I’m not Tree Hugger, that’s for sure.” She sniffed her free foreleg, “I don’t smell like smoked Poison-Joke. And I’m sure I’m not Mable, for I know all sort of things, and she, oh, she knows very little!” Fluttershy blinked, “How do I even know that? Come on Flutters, stop talking nonsense. Just… recall the things that I know. Let’s see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is– oh dear! I won’t get to twenty at this rate!”

The pegasus shook her head, “Math doesn’t count for anything. Let’s try some geography. Canterlot is the capital of Ponyville, Ponyville is the capital of Trottingham, and Trotting ham is the capital of Prance, and Prance is– no! That’s completely wrong! I just know it! Maybe I really did turn into Mable. No, no, don’t panic Flutters, how about do a very simple rhyme, like reciting ‘Twinkle-Twinkle.’”

Here, she folded both of her forelegs like how a little filly would do in a strict school to recite a poem. However, her voice sounded hoarse and strange, and the words did not come the same way they used to do:

“Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

“How I wonder what you’re at!	

“Up above the world you fly,

“Like a tea-tray in the sky…”

She shook her head, and tears once more formed, “I’m sure those are not the right words!” Fluttershy sobbed, “I must be Mable after all, and now I’ll have to live in that little poky house with no toys to play with, and so many lessons to learn! No, I won’t! I’ve changed my mind! If I really am Mable, then I’ll stay down here! That way, if somepony stuck their heads down to call for me to come back up again, I’ll just look up and say, ‘Who am I then? Tell me that first, and then, if I like being that pony, I’ll come up: if not, then I’ll stay down here until I’m someone else’ – but, oh dear!” a river ran down Fluttershy’s cheeks. “I wish they would put their heads down! I’m so tired of being alone down here!”

As she said this, the mare started to wipe the tears away with the gloves, in which she noticed were bigger than she last saw them, ‘What?’ she thought, looking at her surroundings, ‘Am I getting smaller again?’ Indeed, she found that she was shrinking rapidly. So much so, that she was forced to drop the fan from one of her hooves in which it made a splash into the pool of tears.

Fluttershy went up to the glass table, but she found that she was too small, she spread her wings and flew up to the table where the golden key was. The mare tried to lift the key with her, however she found that it was not only too big, but she also lost her balance and fell of the table, key and all into the pool below. As soon as she landed with a splash, she instantly thought from all the salt water that she fell right into the sea.

“I wish I hadn’t cried so much,” she commented to herself as she swam about. “I can’t even reach the bottom. Where did that fan go? I really don’t want to drown in my own tears. That would be a weird way to go I’m sure of it.”

The wet pegasus then heard the sounds of splashing not too far off. At first, she wasn’t quite sure what it was that was swimming around in a sea of her own tears. But as she got closer, she found that it was a mouse that she reasoned had slipped in like herself.

“Excuse me, O mouse,” she called out, “do you happen to know which way to get out of this pool? I’m getting very tired of swimming around. O mouse?” The creature looked at her with curiosity, and seemed to wink with one of its little dark eyes, but said nothing.

‘Maybe it doesn’t speak Equestrian,' she thought. ‘Maybe it’s a… a French mouse, that came over with William the Conqueror.’ But for a moment she paused, ‘What’s French and who’s William the Conqueror?’ Fluttershy shook her head with these thoughts, dismissing this questioning since she’s already in a very strange situation. “Let’s see…” she thought for a moment of whatever language that came to mind and blurted out the first sentence from one of the few Prench language books she’s ever read, “Ou est… ma… chatte?”

But as soon as those words left her mouth, the mouse gave a sudden leap out of the water, and quiver in fright. Fluttershy quickly realized her mistake, “Oh! I’m very terribly sorry,” she quickly apologized, “I didn’t realize what I was saying! Of course you would be naturally not like the mentioning of cats.”

“Not like cats!” cried the Mouse, in a shrilling, passionate voice, “Would you like cats if you were me?”

“Of course not,” Fluttershy said in the most comforting voice she could muster. “Please forgive me, I’m rather lost myself and you’re the first that I’ve gotten the chance to talk to. For a moment I thought you spoke Prench, which I’m not that good in speaking. So if you want, we won’t talk about cats.”

“We indeed!” cried the Mouse, who was trembling down at the end of his tail, “As if I would talk on such a subject!  Our family always hated cats: nasty, low, vulgar things! Don’t let me hear the name again!”

“Alright, I promise,” Fluttershy said. “So, are you… are you at least fond of other creatures like… like dogs?” The Mouse didn’t answer her, so the mare went on: “There are several that come to mind, even from a girl name Alice, there’s a cute little terrier with red eyes and long curly brown coat! Although a puppy, the little thing would gladly fetch things for you, and would happily catch rats and… Oh dear! I’m so sorry!” when Fluttershy realized what she was about to say, she noticed that the Mouse she was talking to started to swim away as hard as it could. “Wait! Please I’m sorry! I honestly didn’t mean to offend you!” It paused for a moment, “I understand perfectly why you wouldn’t like cats, but I don’t understand what you have against dogs.”

When the Mouse heard this, it slowly turned around and swam back to her. The yellow pegasus noticed that it was quite pale, and spoke to her in a trembling voice: “Let us go to shore, and then I’ll tell you my history, and then you’ll understand why it is that I hate cats and dogs.”

Fluttershy thanked him, and it was about time to go because the pool was beginning to fill up with other birds and animals that seemed to have fallen into the pool. There was a duck, a dodo, a Lory, an Eaglet, along with several other curious creatures. The damp pegasus lead the way, and the whole party swam with her to the shore.
> Chapter 4: A Little Boy That Never Grew Up…
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Alice and Dorothy walked out of the orchard and onto the dirt path, the orange mare told the yellow Pegasus her adventures. She recalled about her gray life on the Great Plains, and the day that her tinny home was taken up by a cyclone with her in it, also accidently landing on the Wicked Witch of the East in which the Munchkin people were thankful for. Dorothy told her about the Good Witch of the North, and how she was set on the yellow brick road, in which she met a Scarecrow that wanted a brain, a Tin Woodman that wanted a heart, and a lion that wished he had courage.

“…. But when we got out of the forest, there was a wide river in our path,” Dorothy explained. “At first, none of us knew what to do until the Scarecrow had an idea of building a raft by having the Tin Woodman cutting some of the trees. So we made a raft that was big enough for all of us to fit on it. Scarecrow tried to steer the raft with a very long stick at first, but I guess it got stuck in the mud when he was suddenly was pulled off the raft, leaving him in the middle of the river.”

“Oh dear,” said Alice, “what happened next?”

“Well, the Lion had the idea that he could swim to the other side if we held on his tail.”

“That must be very uncomfortable for the lion. Cat’s don’t like being pulled by their tails.”

“How do you know?” Dorothy tiled her head.

“It’s because I have a cat and two kittens at home. The mother is called Dinah, and her children are Snowdrop and Kitty. Such a mischievous creature Kitty is! Dinah has taught Snowdrop to behave, but I’m afraid that Kitty hasn’t been disciplined enough.”

The orange mare giggled, “You know, in a way, it’s why that I have a dog. Toto has always been loyal to me, and without having that dog around, than I think I would have no reason to be happy about.”

“I think I understand,” Alice nodded, “Oh how I do miss Dinah sometimes when I go out to these strange adventures.”

“Do you think we’ll see them again, your kitty cats and my Toto, or our friends and family?”

Looking up the path in which cuts through a row of trees, she answered, “I’m not sure myself, but I do think that we will.”

“Really?”	

She nodded, “I think I can see a town over there… and… it looks familiar too.”

Dorothy looked over to the pastoral village below, the name of Ponyville came to mind, and “I do… but why?”

“I don’t know, maybe we might ask someone from-”

Before Alice could finish her suggestion, suddenly there was a cry coming from above them as something blue and covered in leaves fell behind them. Naturally, the two of them jumped away in shock, but quickly turned to curiosity.

Hissing on the ground and rubbing its head, was a Pegasus whose coat was as blue as the softest of skies and has the mane and tail of every color of the rainbow. But what was curious to both of the girls, was that the same colorful Pegasus was wearing a suit of leaves and they could clearly see that the only thing that was keeping it together was tree sap.

“Ouch!” the pony groaned in a gravely, but still identifiably a lady’s voice.

“Are you quite alright?” Alice asked as she offered a hoof to the fallen Pegasus.

Ignoring the pain, the pony in leaves quickly stood up, “Yes, I’m fine thank you.” She said before bowing her neck respectively. “I’m not hurt at all, I just… slipped.”

“Excuse me,” Dorothy asked, “Why are you covered in leaves?”

“What do you mean? They’re my clothes,” as soon as she answered this, the blue pony began to laugh childishly, “Where are your clothes?”

For the little Kansas girl, she had no replay and blushed furiously at the question.

Alice however, did have an answer, “I don’t believe there’s a rule for ponies or horses to wear clothes, because that would be silly.”

“For you, maybe,” the colorful Pegasus said as she spread her wings, “But I’m not a pony. Or at least, I wasn’t one yesterday.”

This got both of the girls’ attenuation.	

“What do you mean?” Dorothy wondered aloud.

“Oh! I nearly forgot to tell you who I am, have I? I’m Peter Pan, and I’m not a pony, I’m a boy.” At this, both orange and yellow ponies giggled like mad. Peter however, looked offended, “What’s so funny?”

“I do apologize,” Alice said through her laughter, “But, didn’t anyone tell you that you’re a girl like us.”

“I’m not a girl!” Peter protested. “I just… happen to look like one is all.”

“This is too funny,” Dorothy guffawed, rolling in the grass nearby.

“Stop it!” The Pegasus yelled as he flew up to the orange pony, “If you don’t stop it right now, you’ll be sorry!”

“Now look here,” Alice went up to Peter, “I’m sorry that we laughed, but that’s no way to talk to anyone, especially to a girl.”

“I…” moaning, the leafy pony backed away from Dorothy, “You’re right, and I’m sorry, it’s just I don’t like being laughed at.”

“And I’m sorry too,” the American girl said as she got up. “We just weren’t expecting anything like this. We thought that we might be the only ones to have woken up like this.”

Peter snapped his attention towards her, “You too?”

“Why yes,” Alice nodded, “both of us have woke up this morning as ponies, and having memories that we don’t quite remember having either.”

The blue Pegasus looked at one pony, then the other and back again. “Well,” he said finally, “at least I’m not the only one.”

“Maybe we should reintroduce each other,” Dorothy suggested, “Good morning, I’m Dorothy Gale. And this is my new friend Alice.”

“How do you do,” the English girl said, “and where you might be from?”

“Neverland,” Peter answered, in which he got very confused looks. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve heard of Neverland,” Dorothy told him, “Where’s that?”

“It’s second to the right, straight on ‘til morning.”

Both young girls looked at each other, exchanging a look of confusion before returning to their new friend. “The second to what,” Alice asked.

“The stars of course,” Peter scoffed. “I swear, you two are almost like…” He trailed off when he realized that he’d forgotten something. “Wendy.”

“Who?”

“How could I forgotten!” he cried as his blue wings lifted him in the air. “How could I have forgotten about Wendy?”

“I’m sorry, but who is Wendy?” Dorothy asked.

“Why,” Peter landed in front of the American girl, “She’s my mother and… I remember now! Before I woke up in this body, Wendy, the Lost Boys and I were battling Pirates in the Mermaid Lagoon. But then… Hook wounded me, and we were stranded on Marooner’s Rock as the tide was rising. The last thing I remember, a kite that Michael made a few days ago flew over to us, and it could carry only one of us. So, I let Wendy go back to the Island from the kite’s tail, leaving me alone while the sea was rising.” It was here, that Peter didn’t say a word for over a minute; Alice asked what was wrong, “Am… Am I dead? Did I drown and not know it?”

This was a startling revelation to the two little girls. “That’s funny,” Dorothy said soberly, “The last thing I remember before this morning was that my friends and I were crossing a field of red poppies. I was so sleepy that I just laid down, but, the last thing I’ve heard from my friends was that they had to carry me out because if I stay too long, I would… Oh my,” she gasped, “What if Peter’s right! Are we dead?”

“Something’s not right,” Alice said. When the other two asked what she meant, she put a hoof to her chin in thought, “The last thing I remember, I wasn’t in any danger at all, or at least, I don’t believe I was. After all, before I woke up in that cottage of animals, that I had met Humpty Dumpty.”

“Humpty Dumpty?” Peter went up to her, “As in the same Humpty Dumpty in the stories that Wendy tells – the one that an egg fell off a wall?”

“The same,” the yellow mare’s mood soured, “He was one of the most unsatisfactory persons I’ve ever met!”

Before Dorothy could ask about that, all three felt their stomachs roar, demanding that something delicious to be put in their bellies. “Maybe we can talk about this some other time, perhaps we should find something to eat?”

The leafy Pegasus hummed, turning his attention towards the village with the towering structure in the center. “Something tells me that we don’t have to go too far. My other memories tell me that there’s a place, and a pony that will give us food.” He looked back with a cocky grin, “How about we go on an adventure?”

_*_

Spike was having such a lovely dream. It was the one where he was the strong hero, and his Lady was in the clutches of a cackling monster. Drawing his sword, he mightily hacked and cut through the armed minions as he approached near. He had faced many battles before, of course, but this time proved to be a challenge as he had to use all his strength and wit to even get close to the creature. When he got close enough, he threw his sword at the heart of the beast, thus vanquishing the monster once and for all.

Suddenly his Lady was falling, although out of breath, he ran as fast as he could to catch the beauty from her death. Before hitting the ground, Spike the Brave caught her just in time!

“Are you okay, milady?” he asked.

She lifted her vale, to reveal the heavenly marvel that hid beneath, with a wide smile, the white mare said, “Now that you are here, I am in safe hooves. Thank you good sir,” she leaned forward towards his face.

Spike had waited this moment for all his life, and he was prepared to receive her gift. So leaning forward towards those soft lips, he-

“SPIKE!!!” a voice shook out of the dragon’s dream like an earthquake. Waking up from the sheer shock of hearing Twilight’s scream knocked him off of his bed and onto the crystalline floor.

Before he could ask the question of what was happening, there was a flash, and the Princess of Friendship, with her mane curling and an eye twitching appeared before him.

“Twi? What’s going on?”

His answer came as he was picked up off the ground and was met face to face with the violet alicorn demanded, “Where are they?”

“Huh?”

Another flash later, Spike found himself in the castle’s lab, which looked like Discord came in and turned the room upside-down and back again.

“The books,” she said, pointing towards the table. “The ones I was studying yesterday are gone. I last saw them on that very table. If I remember right, you were here to get some cardboard boxes to be mailed. Therefore, only you could have known where those seven books have gone to, so where are they?”

Spike blinked, “What are you talking about? You didn’t tell me that you were studying a bunch of books. I didn’t know they were in here to begin… wait,” he put a claw to his chin, “unless…”

“Yes,” Twilight hissed through her teeth. “Spike, what are you unlessing?”

“Uh… I may or may not have accidentally have bumped into that table while I was carrying all those books to be sent out to your friends and I quickly had to reorganize the piles that were knocked onto it.” He said, finishing with a sheepish smile.

Twilight let the purple and green dragon go, “Not good.”

“What? What’s not good?”

“Spike, those seven books came from the human world, in which Sunset Shimmer had found to be enchanted by the wild magic that’s going on over there. The worst part is that I have no idea how powerful those books are nor have a clue what they even do!”

“Hey, calm down Twi,” Spike said as he got back up, “who’s to say that the girls have even touched those, or even have one? Maybe a good chunk of them are just lying around somewhere with one of the girls.”

“Which is why we need to find them,” another strand of hair curled upward, “Maybe we should start with Pinkie Pie’s, she’s the closest.”

“Oh I see, start from the center and work your way-” whatever Spike was going to say was cut off with a knock on the castle door.

Curious, Twilight and Spike went to the front entrance and opened the door to find Mr. and Mrs. Cake there.

“Oh thank goodness you’re here,” the stallion said, “Princess Twilight, we need your help.”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s Pinkie,” the blue mare beside him answered, “she’s acting stranger than usual. She’s been talking nonsense all morning and-”

“What’s weird about that?” the little drake questioned, “I mean, what are she doing defiantly then Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie?”

“She’s making candy and really weird food,” Mr. Cake said. “Ever since we’ve found her in the kitchen this morning, she keeps calling herself, Mr. Willy Wonka.”
> (Nocturnal Neverland)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although the rainbow mare didn’t want to admit, it was a bit uncanny of successfully teaching wingless, apelike creatures to fly. Still, she still felt very proud for doing so with the help of brightly glowing fairy that, although the tiny thing spoke like bells ringing, she can understand her perfectly. So it was for her to safely assume that she was having a weird, yet, very enjoyable dream.

Flying up ahead, she was followed by a small ground of those that call themselves the Darlings: Wendy, John and Michael that were playing along with her version of follow the leader. Rainbow Dash couldn’t really tell how long they have been flying or many seas and lands, be it hours or several days, she was still full of playful energy to show off the children behind her.

Even when napping, her wings seemed to move on their own as she lead them to a place where the golden arrows in the skies pointed towards. At one point when she had her eyes closed for a moment, she could hear the children behind her.

“Do be more polite to him,” the one called Wendy, the eldest of the tree, whispered to John.

“Then tell him to stop showing off,” said John.

Rainbow Dash smirked at the comment.

Even when she thought she was dreaming, the pegasus did took care of the Darlings on the way towards Neverland. For example, she help feed them by teaching them how to snatch food right out the beaks of birds in flight. This of course led the birds themselves trying to snatch the food right back, in which they and the children would go chasing one after another for miles on end until they parted with the mutual expression of good-will.

However, the mare did give themselves the opportunity for some fun when it present itself, such as playing a game of how many shark tails they could touch, or how well they could dodge the clouds they flew by. Yet, being new to this sort of situation with these creatures, she had at several times forgotten what their names were. Not to say that she didn’t recognized their faces, but for the moment, it was their names she was having trouble with.

“I’m Wendy,” the eldest said agitatedly.

Still, Rainbow couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed each time. “Look, I’m sorry Wendy,” she whispered, “If it looks like I’m forgetting you, just keep on saying ‘I’m Wendy,’ and then I’ll remember.”

The five of them continued towards their destination towards the enchanted Island. Soon, when the sun was setting on the horizon, they at last spotted land.

“There it is,” said Peter calmly.

“Where, where?” the children asked as they peered at the horizon.

“Where all the arrows are pointing.”

Above them, a million golden arrows were pointing it out to them, all directed by the sun who wanted them to be sure of their way before leaving them for the night. At one point, Rainbow looked back at the children who stood tip-toe in the air as they saw the island for the first time. She couldn’t blame them, as odd it was for her as it was for them, Rainbow somehow recognized the island itself. Only, there wasn’t a sense of excitement, but rather uncertainty like a surprise visit of an old friend one hasn’t seen in years.

“John, there’s the lagoon.” She could hear the children say.

“Wendy, look at the turtles burying their eggs in the sand.”

“I say, John, I see your flamingo with the broken leg.”

“Look, Michael, there’s your cave.”

“John, what’s that in the brushwood?’

“It’s a wolf with her whelps. Wendy, I do believe that’s your little whelp.”

“There’s my boat, John, with her sides stove in.”

“No, it isn’t! Why, we burned your boat.”

“That’s her, at any rate. I say, Hon, I see the smoke of the Indian camp.”

“Where? Show me, and I’ll tell you by the way the smoke curls whether they are on the war-path.”

“There, just across the Mysterious River.”

“I see now. Yes, they are on the war-path right enough.”

While Rainbow was a bit annoyed at the three of them for knowing more about the island then she did, part of her was new to this. However, that sense of dread grew stronger when the sun had lowered beyond the horizon in which all the arrows in the sky had faded until only darkness draped over all of them.

A sense of caution was felt when they flew closer to the mainland, just above the tree line. They moved much slower and anxious this time over the shadows below. There were the sounds of wild beasts and unknown calls of birds crying out in the nighttime. Yet they persisted. Rainbow, with a sleeping Tinkerbell on her back, had both ears and eyes scanning for any signs of danger as they flew over, searching for the perfect place to land.

Her other memories, the ones that has the name “Peter Pan” attached to, reminded her why she was doing this. She and the Lost Boys were at war with the Pirates who could be anywhere on the island. Still thinking this is a dream, she decided to play along.

In the darkness, she spotted a figure leaning up against a tree. Slowing down even further, she flew side by side to John and asks casually, “Would you like an adventure now or would you like to have your tea first?”

From Wendy, she said “Tea First,” Michael pressed her hand in gratitude. John however seemed a little hesitant.

“What kind of adventure?” he asked curiously.

“There’s a pirate asleep in the pampas just beneath us,” Rainbow told him. “If you like, how about we go down there and kill him?”

“I don’t see him,” John said after a long pause.

“I do, right over there,” she pointed downward.

“Suppose,” John said, a little huskily, “he were to wake up.”

“Well duh,” Rainbow rolled her eyes, “you don’t think well kill him while he’s asleep? We’re at war with them! I have to wake him up, then kill him like I always do.”

“I say! Do you kill many pirates?”

“Tons.”

John said “how ripping,” but decided to have tea first. He then asked if she knew how many pirates were on the island.

“I’m not quite sure.”

“Who is captain now?”

A name came to the blue pegasus’s mind. One that was dripping with bitterness, “Hook,” she answered; her face became very serious as she said that word.

“Jas. Hook?”

“Yep.”

Then Michael began to cry, and even John could speak in gulps only, for they knew Hook’s reputation.

“He was Blackbeard’s bo’sun,” John whispered. “He is the worst of them all. He is the only man of whom Barbecue was afraid.”

“That’s the one,” answered “Peter.”

“What is he like? Is he big?”

Another memory that wasn’t Rainbow’s came to her, “He’s not as big as he was.”

“How do you mean?”

“I cut off a bit of him.”

“You!”

“Yes me,” Dash said sharply.

“I wasn’t meant to be disrespectful.”

“Oh, alright then.”

“But, I say, what bit?”

“His right hoo-” Rainbow dash suddenly coughed as she realized she was about to say the wrong word. “His right hand,” she corrected herself.

“Then he can’t fight now?”

“Oh, he still can.”

“Left-handed?”

“Not really, he uses the iron hook alright. He claws anyone with it.”

“Claws!”

“Do you have to repeat practically everything I say? Now John?”

“Yes?”

“There’s one thing I everyone that serves under me has to promise, so you, Wendy and Michael must do also.” All three asked what that was. “It is this, if we meet Hook in open fight, you must leave him to me.”

All three of them promised.

Even with Tink awake, giving them some extra light as she circled around them, it still didn’t offset the eeriness of the nocturnal Neverland. Suddenly, the bright fairy stopped and went up to Rainbow Dash to deliver the bad news.

“Peter, what did she say?” Wendy asked.

“She told me, that the pirates sighted us before the darkness came… and they took out Long Tom too.”

“The big gun?”

“Seems so.” She listened to Tink a little more, “Uh-oh… Of course they would see her light, and if they guess we are near it, then they are sure to let fly.”

“TELL HER TO GO AWAY AT ONCE, PETER!” the three cried simultaneously.

Tinkerbell had Peter to tell them, “She can’t. She thinks we’ve lost our way, and she’s scared. I don’t think it’s a good idea to send her out when she’s afraid.”

“Then tell her,” Wendy begged, “to put out her light.”

“Fairies can’t put out their lights,” Rainbow replied, “They could only do that if they’re asleep.”

“Then tell her to sleep at once,” John almost ordered.

Again, Tink gave her objection, “She says she can’t sleep except when she feels sleepy, and it’s the other thing fairies can’t do.”

“Seems to me,” growled John, “These are the only two things worth doing,” Here he got a pinch from the fairy, and not a loving one.

Rainbow tried to think fast, “If only one of us has a pocket…” Still she looked around to figure out how to put out her light. Then she looked at John, “I’ve got it!” she exclaimed, “John, give me that hat!”

The bright fairy agreed to travel by hat as long as it was carried in someone’s hand. Minutes later, John gave his hat over to Wendy to carry in which she held the black top hat against her stomach to snuff out the light.

Back in the darkness, the whole island was very quiet. The sounds below were very still as if the mainland was holding its breath. For several minutes, it was the longest silence any of them have ever known, not even the wind whispered nor even the birds sang at this moment.

“If only something would make a sound!” Michael complained, the loneliness of sound was being too dreadful for him to bear.

Unfortunately, his wish did come true. The air was shattered by the most tremendous crash any of them have ever heard. Instantly everyone knew that the pirates had fired Long Tom at them.

The roar itself echoed all over the island and rick-a-shaded between the mountains as if to cry out savagely, “Where are they, where are they, where are they!” The sound along was so fierce that it knocked Rainbow off course to be carried away by a strong wind current away from the island.

As for the Darling children, the thunderous crash had made all three forget which way was up. Wendy had let go of Tink out of the hat in which she too had escaped from. John was busy trying to get himself right-side-up, while Michael without knowing how to float was floating.

“Are you shot?” John asked in which it came out as a trembling whisper.

“I haven’t tried yet,” Michael whispered back.

All three took noticed of Tinkerbell ringing at them, as if pleading them to follow her. Wendy called out to her brothers that it would be a good idea to see where the fairy would lead her until they find Peter once more. Completely unaware of the sudden, wicked idea that Tink had in mind to solve her jealously of Wendy.
> Chapter 5: A Creative Chocolatier…
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derpy Hooves was looking forward towards her breakfast. As far as she knew, she has about half-an-hour before she has to report to her job of delivering the mail. However, in her pouch, she has enough bits from her last paycheck to pick up something to eat this morning, and for the afternoon. She was headed towards Sugar Cube Corner to get her meals.

Sure, the local bakery does have some good muffins, although she personally prefers to make them herself. However, she had woken up later then she intended, but at least she got her daughter up and ready for school. Still, she had some money on her, and she needed something to eat before she headed to work.

But as she rounded a corner, she was surprised to find that there was a crowd around the gingerbread building. Not that the crowd itself was unusual, even she knew that this was home of the local (if not questionably sane) party mare that she sometimes held parties at the bakery. However, Derpy has never seen a crowd this early before.

As she approached, she heard, “Morning Derpy,” she turned to find a mare with an orange mane.

“Hey Carrot,” she said as she landed. “What’s going on?”

Carrot Top lifted a half-eaten muffin, in a color that the gray Pegasus had never seen before. It was light green with a wide range of chips in every color. “You have got to try this, it’s… it’s incredible.”

“What is it?”	

“Pinkie made it this morning,” Carrot said between bites, “Although, I think she’s gone a little off her rocker, but who cares when we’re eating this.”

Now Derpy was confused, “Why’s that?”

“It’s,” her friend took another bite, “It’s really hard to explain. You need to go in and see for yourself.”

Raising an eyebrow, the mailmare entered the shop, and the first thing she noticed was the smell. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, but somehow, among the recognizable smells of cakes, cookies and muffins, the air had a sweeter, richer smell, only she can’t figure out what it was.

The next thing she noticed was that the bakery was just as crowded inside as it was outside. However, what really drew her attention was at the cash register where she found Pinkie with a black top hat, a plum colored tail-coat of velvet, a vest of bottle green, and a smile as she juggled the muffins and bits in her hooves.

As she got in line, she noted that the contents behind the glass counter where baked goods and candies of every shape, size, texture, colors, and smells sat together side by side. With tubs of ice cream that sat in the open, but haven’t shown any signs of melting.

“Hello, greetings, welcome, and how do you do,” a voice from behind the counter said, making Derpy realized that it was her turn. “What will it be today ma’am? I’ve just got everything pulled out and invented some new stuff for your taste buds. So what would you like?”

This caught her off guard, “Pinkie, it’s me, Derpy… Derpy Hooves?”

The mare tilted her head to the side, after a moment of thinking, she burst out laughing. “Oh! I’m really sorry. No wonder why you look familiar, you must be one of the ladies from my other memories, silly me! The one that comes in here for muffins, give me a second,” as the mare in pink dove under the counter she added, “It’s rather funny of all the things that’s been coming to me this morning. Like yesterday, I didn’t have a clue how to make a cupcake, but now I know two-hundred-and twenty-six ways of doing one, isn’t that funny! Ah, here it is!”

She popped out from behind the counter with one of the muffins that Carrot Top was eating, “By the way, my name isn’t Pinkie Pie, its Willy Wonka, and here you go, have a taste.”

Derpy took hold of the muffin and eyed it with suspicion, “Well, I don’t know.”

“Come on, just start out with a nibble,” Mr. Wonka hopped in place. “I promise that it’ll be worth it.”

She had one eye on this strange muffin and the other on the pink pony, “Well… maybe just a little bite won’t hurt.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Derpy tore a tiny piece of the top and pop it in her mouth, “Is that… orange dreamsical?”

“Take another,” Mr. Wonka urged on.

She did, “Mash potatoes?” another bite, “red velvet?” and another, “grilled cheese?” She stopped, “What kind of muffin is this?”

“I just invented it this morning,” the pink mare explained, “I call it the Million Flavored Muffin. Each time you take a bite, it will change flavor so that you will never taste the same thing twice.”

Derpy took another bite, sweet potato with brown sugar. “This is incredible! How much can I get for a dozen?”

Mr. Wonka grinned, “I knew you like it. Let’s see… how about… six bits?” As the mailmare hoofed over the amount over, he added, “You know, I would have made so much more, but that kitchen has such a limited amount of ingredients, I feel like I’m starting all over again. It’s quite refreshing in a way, liberating, like old times.”

“Old times?”

“Oh yes,” the pink mare opened a box and started to load the special muffins in it. “Years upon years ago I started out simple. Where it was just me and a tiny shop where I did everything. From the cooking to the finances, it was once run by me. I guess it’s rather funny how far you go when you put some imagination in what you love. Here you go ma’am,” after folding the lid over, he gave Derpy the box, “come again soon,” adding with a smile.

Derpy accepted the box, but not leaving without giving the mare a strange look. 

Not too long after the mailmare had left the shop, the door swung open to a frazzled Alicorn and a baby dragon. When they entered, Mr. and Mrs. Cake followed suit.

“Salutations, good morning, how’d you do,” Mr. Wonka said as Twilight and Spike came in. “How can I-“

“Pinkie,” the Princess of Friendship interrupted, “Are you alright?”

The pink pony gave her a confused look, “Pardon me, but do I know you?”

“It’s me, Twilight Sparkle, as in your friend.”	

“And Spike,” the little Drake added, “the Cakes said that you were acting a bit weirder than usual.”

Willy blinked, “Twilight and Spike… Hold on!” with eyes shot wide, he pointed, “You must be the one of the ladies and the little fella from my other memories.”

The alicorn turned a paler shade of purple, while Spike asked, “Other… memories?”

“I know it sounds strange, even I’m a little stumped like solving a complicated riddle, by the way, would either of you like to taste test something? I’ve got with me some bubble balloons, ice cream that will never melt, squares that look round, and many more that I’ve just made myself-”

“You see Princess,” Mrs. Cake said, “This is exactly what we were talking about. She’s just not making any sense than usual.”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight spoke up, “something’s not right here. What did you mean by other memories?”

“Ah,” Mr. Wonka put a hoof to his chin, “It’s rather difficult to explain, but to put it in the simplest of terms, I know that yesterday, I didn’t know that ponies could talk. Why I was just showing some five children and their parents around my factory the other day, then the next thing I know, I wake up here. Ha-ha, isn’t that funny? Why, when I woke up this morning, I didn’t know a thing about making anything other than chocolate and candy; know suddenly I’m open to all sorts of recipes for cakes, brownies and cookies that I never knew before… Why are you looking at me like that?”

On the faces of the two, Willy only saw worry, “But… you’re still Pinkie Pie, aren’t you?” Spike asked.

He snorted, “My dear, I know that I’m certainly not. Oh! I don’t think I’ve introduced myself have I? Hullo, I’m Willy Wonka, Chocolatier extraordinaire, a pleasure to meet you my dear.” The pink pony ended with a smile. “So then, are we going to talk all day or would you like to have something? Maybe I could interest you in-”

“Hey! Give that back!” a voice cried out from outside. Both Twilight and Spike looked at the windows in which they saw something multicolor flying out of view. “Thief! Come back here!”

Curiosity and concern drew them out of the shop in which they found a very upset Derpy Hooves in the air. Twilight took flight herself and went up to her, “What happened.”

“Rainbow stolen my mail pouch!” the gray pegasus said bitterly, “She just came out of nowhere and took my pouch with my breakfast, lunch and my bits with her!”

The princess was taken by surprise at this. Rainbow stolen a mail pouch? It doesn’t sound like her at… Then a thought came to her, “Wait, where did she go?”

“She went that way,” a stallion on the ground pointed towards the direction of town hall.

Horn flaring, she lifted the baby dragon onto her back, “We’ll have to come back to Pinkie later, for now we need to catch up with Rainbow Dash. I think she had one of the books.” Twilight flew away from Sugar Cube Corner, towards the direction of town hall. After asking several ponies around where they last saw Rainbow, they helped pointed the way until the last pointed towards the Everfree Forest.

“Oh joy,” Spike sighed, “This is going to take-” a loud belch was heard, followed by the green flame overhead.

Twilight quickly caught the falling scroll with her magic, “Huh? This is Luna’s seal. Why would she be writing to me?” After she broke the blue wax seal, she unrolled it; the mare read aloud, “‘Princess Twilight, your presence is required in Canterlot. Prince Blueblood has disappeared and Celestia… has gone mad.’” The alicorn paled a bit. “‘Please come at once as soon as you receive this letter. I’ll have Cadence and Shining be sent for as well for I’ll need all the help I can get. Signed Princess Luna.’”

“Oh great,” Spike said, “now what?”

The Princess of Friendship thought for a moment, “You do know your way to Zecora’s home, do you?”

“Yeah? Why?”

Twilight landed just outside of the forest, “I hate to do this, but by the looks of it, I don’t have much of a choice. Spike, while I’m gone, go find Zecora to locate where Rainbow Dash is, and round up the rest of our friends if they are behaving differently. I have to go to Canterlot immediately to find out what’s going on with Blueblood and Celestia.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Spike, we need to take some priorities here. For now, I need you to go to Zecora’s first so she could help you track where Rainbow Dash has gone off to. Bring everypony that’s acting differently to our new home to keep them there until I get back. I know I can trust you in doing this task, can’t I?”

The dragon looked between her and the Everfree, “Twilight, I’ve caused this, and I’m going to help you fix it.”

Twilight gave her assistant a hug, “Be safe,” she said before she flew off towards the direction of the train station. Meanwhile, Spike ran into the forest, determinate but still filled with worry.

“I hope Celestia is okay,” he said to himself, “and I really hope that nopony else is affected, least of all Rarity.” The baby dragon followed the memorized trail, passing by trees and over jagged rocks until he started to spot the colorful Zeberacain masks as he neared the shamare’s home.
> (Pinkie Pie and the Chocolate Factory)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost a rare thing that the hyper pony would dream anything of anything that was made out of sweets, or confetti, or both. She was used to having wild, imaginative surreal dreams of Candylands in celebrating… whatever it was they were celebrating. She could hop away like mad from minty fields to Popsicle forests where she encounters someone that was always in the mood for a party.

This time, however, was something a little bit different then she was expecti- “Hey, narrator,” she spoke to the ceiling, “I think everypony already knows that everything is off. I mean, I was supposed to have a cake-pie fight with Dr. Whipcream on Thursdays so I know this is already weird. So can get to the part to where I am?”

… I suppose so. (Clears throat,) This time, she found herself leaning up against a chair, staring at a clock on the wall. Looking around, all the walls were a pale pink color with the lights were soft and pleasant. Standing on her two hooves, she found that she was dressed. “I have clothes on?” Indeed, she reached up to touch a silky black top hat, a tail coat of plum-colored velvet, trousers of bottle green, and two socks on her front hooves of pearly-white in which one hold onto a golden tipped walking cane.

“What’s next, do I have clown make-up?” she felt her face, but only disappointed to find that it was clean.

She next noticed about her surroundings. The hallway she was in that was next to a big red door was very warm like a hot spring day. Next to the door were a line of coat pegs that waited for hats and coats to be hung from. Pinkie sniffed the air; it was perfumed with many wonderful smells that had mixed up at once: roasted coffee, burnt sugar, mint, violets, crushed hazelnuts, apple blossoms, caramel, lemon peels just to name a few.

Down the hall, she could hear the never ending hum of machines down the hall. For a moment, Pinkie wondered where in the world she was, “Not really,” she said looking up. “I’m in a chocolate factory with a funny name.”

Wait, how do you know that?

“Duh, the sign under the clock,” she pointed at a shiny, brass plaque on the wall, “See, ‘Welcome to Mr. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.’ I’m surprised you didn’t mention that with all the smells and sounds of the place.”

I was about to get to that ma’am. But I think the readers out there wished to get on with the story.

“Okie-dokie-lokie,” she saluted, “Lead the way!”

The clock on the wall chimed ten times, in which her attention was now to the big red door. Reaching a hoof into the pockets of her tail coat, she pulled out a ring of keys. “Wait, how do I know which one to use?”

The smallest one on the ring, “Oh… found it!” she unlocked the door, and opened it up to the cold morning of fresh February snow. Before her is a courtyard where on the other side is an iron gate of bars where five children and their parents were waiting. Behind them where photographers, journalists, and a large group went silent as that gate too opened.

Hopping out into the snow, she heard someone shouted, “There he is! That’s him!”

“At least they’re expecting me,” she said to herself as she neared the outer gate. Lights from cameras flashed as she stepped outside of the factory limits, “Hello everyone! Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome, Bienvenidos, and Huānyíng kids to the factory. If you have your tickets, please come up one at a time so I can get to know my new friends,” she ended it with a smile.

The first to come up with a golden ticket in his hands was an enormously fat boy who looked like he had been blown up with a powerful pump. Great flabby folds of fat bulged out from every part of his body, and his face was like a monstrous ball of dough with two small greedy curranty eyes peering out. “I am Augustus Gloop,” he said.

“Augustus,” Pinkie took both of her hooves to shake his hand. “Glad you can make it! Safe trip I presume? Are these your parents? How nice! Come in! Come right in! Don’t be shy, just step right through the gates!”

“My name,” said the next child in line, “is Veruca salt.”

“Oh! So that’s what a Veruca looks like! Charmed little missy! You have a really fascinating name, don’t you? Ver-u-ca and salt, it sounds like the name of a vegetable that your parents are forcing you to eat, doesn’t it? But I have been proven wrong before! Ooh! Is that real mink? I didn’t know they still exist! But come right in with you! Who’s this? Your dad? How are you two, Mr. and Mrs. Salt? Quite overjoyed to meet new faces! Yes I’ll take those tickets, thank you! Please go right in!”

“Name’s Violet,” said the next child who introduced herself proudly, “Violet Beauregarde.”

Pinkie looked around the crowd, “I don’t see a bull anywhere to be guarding. But I kid! Hello to you too!” she too shook her hand, “You’re going to really enjoy it here, I’m sure of it! If I remember right, you searched for that ticket for what…? Three months? Yes that’s right; it’s coming to me now! You have dedication there young lady! So give me the ticket, and we’ll have you and your parent’s right through!”

The next child to come up to the bubble gum mare was a boy who was covered in belts that held onto toy weapons that Pinkie had never seen before, “I’m Mike Teavee,” he said, “How long is this tour going to take, there’s a show at twelve and I don’t wanna miss it.”

“In good time Mikey,” she said after she said her hello’s to him and his parents before the last child stepped up with a just as skinny grandfather.

“Hello there, who’s this?”

A small, nervous whisper came from the thin child, “Charlie Bucket.”

“Charlie!” Pinkie cried shaking his hand “Weren’t you the one that found the last ticket the other day? You were! Well just in time then since I can have everyone here! Really looking forward to today’s tour of the old place, you’re gonna love it here! And you must be his, what? Grandfather? Yes? Well nice to meet you as well! Please set right in the both of you! Now, that’s five children plus parents! Good! Now keep close! Don’t wonder off! The last thing I want from this dream is to have a lawsuit! Now come on, let the grand tour begin!”

Across the snowy courtyard and through the big red doors they went. “Here we are,” Pinkie said, “Nice and warm! I have to make my factory warm because all of my workers are used to a very hot climate! They all despise the cold, why if any of them were to go out, they would instantly freeze!”

“But who are the workers?” asked Augustus Gloop.

“Just you all wait,” she smiled, “We shall all see them at work soon enough! Is Everypo-” the mare coughed, being reminded by the narrator that it’s “Everybody” and not “Everypony.” ‘So persnickety with the vocabulary today, aren’t we?’ she thought before continuing. “Is everybody in here? Yes? Could one of you close the door? Thank you.”

Now that the group of fourteen was inside, they too took in their surroundings of the humming hallway. “Now this, my dear Children,” Pinkie cried out above the noise, “Is the main hallway. Now before we move any further, would you place your coats and hats on those pegs over there? That’s the way! Good! Is everyone ready to go? Right then, follow me!”

The earth pony bounced her way through the large hallway with the group behind her following close by. “Come along slow pokes,” she called out behind her, “We won’t be able to see much of the factory at this rate!” then she thought for a moment, ‘How do I know where I’m going?’

Not to worry, I’ll lead you. (Clears throat) Soon, she turned right off the main corridor into a slightly narrower passage.

Then she turned left.

Then left again.

Then right.

Then left.

Then right.

Then right.

Then left.

It was truly a maze as they went further into the factory. “You might have noticed,” Pinkie craned her neck back and explained. “That the hallway is sloping downwards! We’re now going underground to where most of the rooms I’ll be showing you all are located!”

“Why is that?” someone asked.

“Because they would take way too much room if I had them build on the surface! Why, many of the rooms you’re going to see are enormously huge! There’s no building anywhere that could house them all! So that’s why they’re made underneath because here, I have all the room I could ever need as long as they’re dug out of course!”

‘How do I know that?’ the mare asked herself. ‘I’ve never even been here before, how do I even know where I’m going?’

All in good time ma’am, but for now, just carry on with the tour.

“Mr. Wonka,” turned right.

Then she turned left.

She turned right again.

The passages were sloping ever so steeper downhill now.

Then suddenly, Pinkie Pie stopped. In front of them there was a shiny metal door. The tour group crowded around. On the door, in large letters, it said:

THE CHOCOLATE ROOM.

While Pinkie reached into her pocket of the tailcoat, she said, “Now this is the second most important room in the whole factory! This is the very heart of the entire business, not to mention beautiful! For I always recommend that each room has to be beautiful because I can’t stand ugliness in factories, don’t you? So in we go! Now, do be very careful dear children! Whatever you do, don’t lose your heads, don’t get too excited, and try to keep very calm!”

After she opened the door, five children and nine grownups pushed their way in. Each one of them gasped, if not completely dumbfounded at the sight of the enormous sugary wonderland before their very eyes.
> Chapter 6: … And a Curious Sultana.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Then she just up and left without having any breakfast.” Applebloom told her friend, “It was like she was in a big hurry or somethin’.”

Scootaloo tilted her head, “Huh? Did she say why?”

“Nope, she looked at me funny when she woke up, almost as if she didn’t recognize me.”

“Hey girls,” the two friends looked behind them to find their unicorn friend trotting up. “You ready for school.”

“Yeah,” the orange pegasus said, “You’re a little late than usual this morning. Where you’ve been?”

“Well… let’s just say that this morning was rather… interesting.”

“How so?” Applebloom inquired.

“Big sis has been acting a little weird today,” Sweetie Belle explained. “She’s been talking funny, almost didn’t recognized me, and she’s forgotten how to cook breakfast!”

“You too?” the yellow earth pony asked, “Mah sis was like that the same way. Tell me, did she even walk funny too?”

“How’d you know?”		

“AJ’s doin’ the same too, she step right out of the house, sain’ she needed air, and didn’t come back for breakfast.”

“Okay, something’s going on,” Scootaloo pointed out as they neared the schoolhouse. “But what do you guys think it is this time?”

“Hey Applebloom?” Sweetie asked, “Did your sister come home last night with an extra book?”

The filly in question quickly turned her head, “Wait, how’d you know that?”

The unicorn undid her saddlebag, and with her magic, pulled out a thick blue book that had several complex geometric designs of gold, white, turquoise and red. It had the title: “The Arabian Nights. Translated by Sir Richard F. Burton.”

“I saw it when she gave out my books when she noticed this, and I found it again this morning on her bed. She’s been insisting that she’s some queen of a place I’ve never heard of.”

Applebloom sat down for a moment to take out “The Wizard of Oz,” out of her saddlebag. “Y’all think that these books are enchanted too?”

“Maybe that’s what happened,” Scootaloo suggested, “maybe Twilight got these books mixed up or something that’s making them go crazy. Maybe by the time lunch time comes around, we ought to swing by Twilight’s place to give them back.”

“If that’s true,” Sweetie Belle added, “Do you think if anypony else got these books too?”

“Ah hope not,” Applebloom said before the school bell rang that class was about to begin. As they walked towards the building, a thought came to the filly’s head. “Sweetie, what’s yer sis doin’ now?”

“She’s still at the boutique. I encouraged her to stay there until I come back and not to go out until I get back – however, I am a bit worried.”

“Over what?” Scootaloo asked.

“She has been really curious about everything since she woke up. Like she starred at the bathroom sink and was amazed that she could turn on hot and cold water as if it was the most amazing thing she’s ever seen. I hope that she doesn’t just wander all over town, especially when she’s talking funny.”

_*_

It wasn’t the first time that the Sultana had beheld wonders that rival her stories. She had peered through spyglasses that could spot a shepherd’s boy miles away. She had viewed beasts that were brought from distant lands into the Royal Gardens, even witnessed the bight and colorful display of Chinese fireworks. Yet, Scheherazade had never dreamed that she would wake up to find herself in a town full of intelligent ponies. 

Before she stepped out, she picked out a cloak as blue as night to drape over her. After she covered her mane with the hood, she pinned a blue vale that the only thing made viable was her horn and her eyes. Besides, pony or not, she didn’t feel too comfortable of exploring until she’s comfortable with what she was familiar with.

Scheherazade took the back entrance out while leaving the front was locked with a “Close” sign for the time being. The only thing she brought with her was a bag of coins in which she thought would come in handy if the need should arise. The Sultana of Persia trotted over to the sides of the boutique, sticking out her head out to the ponies that went about their day.

Gathering up the courage, she stepped into the streets and begun her exploration. All around there ponies of various shapes, colors, sizes that she never saw before. Some of them had wings in which they could fly in an instant while others used the glowing magic form their horns to manipulate things in the air.

“Rarity!” a voice called out. Scheherazade located a gray mare with a silky dark mane was waving at her. She was sitting on her hunches by a table with a few other mares. “Just the one I want to speak with; won’t you come and sit with us for a moment?”

Somehow, Scheherazade recognized her, along with the other mares at the café table, but couldn’t figure out why. Curiosity drove her to approach them as she reasoned that perhaps she could learn more about this land she’s in from them. Sitting down, the names of Octavia, Lyra and Roseluck suddenly came to mind.

“Morning Rarity,” the mare with the red mane said as she sat down, “What’s with the new clothes?”

She looked down at herself, thought for a moment for a response, “They are… experimental.”

“Considering that it’s not even that cold,” Octavia said, “It is a rather curious choice to be out and about in that.”

“Kinda reminds me of something out of Saddle Arabia if you ask me,” Lyra commented before sipping on a straw.

“Why… Yes, I hath become fascinated with their clothing and wished for me to try it myself.”

“Must be something for next season,” Roseluck shrugged.

“Since you’re here,” Octavia spoke up, “I want to ask you how close are you repairing that black dress for the premiere?”

For a moment, Scheherazade panicked. She looked over into the other memories to come up with an answer, “I am afraid that there hast been a large demand for my craft. If everything is to go right, I may have thine dress to be sewn up by two days’ time from now.”

The gray mare blinked, “Forgive me Rarity, but is it me, or are you talking a little funny?”

“Whatever doth thou meanest?”

“See, you’ve done it again,” Octavia pointed out, “you’ve been using words like ‘hast,’ ‘thine,’ ‘thou’ and ‘meanest.’ Nopony talks like that Rarity, so are you?”

“Is there a Reneighsance fair coming up?” Roseluck asked.

“Why… yes, indeed,” the Sultana lied, “I am practicing their speaking mannerisms to give it an authenticity at this fair.”

“I didn’t know you go to one of those, Rarity,” Lyra commented. “I’d never take you to be the type anyway.”

“Adventure is good for the soul.”

The green unicorn shrugged, “Can’t argue with that. Now since you’re here, give us some gossip, what’s new with you?”

“Oh no, do not start with me, I wish to hear from the three of you first.”

“Alright,” Octavia said, “For starters, I’ve finally chosen the right music for the upcoming concert. At least, what I’ll be playing before we get to the newer stuff.”

“Let me guess,” Roseluck cut in, “You’re gonna play something complicated like Buch again?”

“Not really. I was thinking of doing something from Tchaicoltsky for a change. Something elegant before we get to the new piece, but other than that, I’m starting to regret Vinyl being my roommate.”

“Huh? You mean DJ-Pon3?” Lyra asked. “What’s wrong with her?”

“It’s rather annoying when she has her headphones on; it makes it difficult to know if she’s even listening at all.”

As the three of them talked on, Scheherazade listened to their conversation carefully. Mentally, she was very surprised at what she was hearing. One mare was a lead musician for a national orchestra, one said she bought a thing called “a radio” in which would allow her to listen in to conversations, plays and popular music from vast distances, while the last talked about her business of selling flowers. In the back of her mind, she wasn’t surprised to hear such everyday things from her other memories as Rarity, but Scheherazade was convinced that she was truly in a different world entirely, particularly at the level of freedom that these mares have.

“So, what about you,” Roseluck turned to her, “anything new with you?”

“I am afraid that I do not for the time being. For thy tales art more interesting then what I hath been doing for the past several days.”

Octavia chuckled, “Sorry, but I must say, your Old Equestrian speaking is very good. I would say that it rivals Princess Luna’s.”

“I’ll say,” Lyra commented, “It’s like we’re talking to a character from a Shakespearian play.”

“Pardon me, ladies,” a new voice inquired. They looked to find it was a unicorn waiter, “Here’s your bill.” As he placed it down on the table, he noticed Rarity there, “I’m sorry, are you eating here?”

“Oh, no thank you,” the Sultana rose up, “I was only speaking to my friends. I was just leaving.”

“Aww, really,” Lyra asked, “But you just got here.”

“I do apologize, but I have other things to be carrying out.”

Octavia shrugged, “Very well, but do remember to fix up that dress when you get the time. I really do want it back.”

“Surely, thou hast my word, for I do keep my promises.” With good byes being exchanged, Scheherazade continued on into this fascinating town.

_*_

Twilight’s ride to Canterlot took about a half-an-hour, but the mare still wished that the locomotive would have gone faster.  She was worried about what Luna had told her from the hasty note about Celestia and Blueblood. After all, one is deemed crazy while the other is missing. No doubt that Princess Luna is probably stressed out at the moment to find her elder sister had gone insane and her nephew is gone.

She hoped that this has nothing to do with the missing enchanted books. Yet, her mind plans out many worst case scenarios that involved having no way of reversing what was done, possibly having the original ponies she knew and love being faded away, and the end of Spike’s Nachos as she knew it.

“Canterlot,” the conductor said as the train slowed to a halt, “This stop is Canterlot!”

With a dash, the young Princess flew out the passenger door and headed straight towards the palace. Several minutes later, she was at the drawbridge, completely out of breath. “I’m here… Princess… Luna… sent me…” she told the guards between breaths.

The Solar guard immediately escorted her to the Throne Room where the Princess of the Night was pacing, “Ah, Twilight Sparkle, it’s such a blessing to have you here.”

“I came as fast as I could,” Twilight said. “Didn’t your note say that Candace and Shining would be coming here soon?”

“You are the first to arrive. Still, I’m very glad you did, come, let me show you Celestia first while I explain what happen on the way.” The lilac alicorn obeyed, once in the hallways, Luna spoke, “I noticed early in the morning that my sister hasn’t raised the sun, but I also found that she was nowhere in her room as well. So after taking up the responsibility to raise it, I went looking for her. Asking everypony if they have seen her at all, in which they pointed me to her, finding her doing something very peculiar.”

“What was that?”

“She was picking up lentils from the ashes of a fireplace. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. She was covered in soot and dust, and when I went to confront her, she was very nervous around me. Not only that, but she spoke in Old Equestrian mannerisms, and she claimed to be somepony else.  Yet, that too isn’t even the weirdest part of all.”

“How’s that?”

“Well, after I confronted Celestia, one of the guards informed me that Prince Blueblood had gone mad too. So I rushed over to his quarters to find him battling the other guards with a carpetbag and an umbrella. The guards there tried to prevent him from jumping out the window!”

“What!”

“But that’s not all; Blueblood got lose and did proceed to jump out. Yet, he did not fall. Instead, he was carried away by the wind. While my sister is being kept under a watchful eye, nopony knows where Blueblood has gone off to.”

Soon enough, the two Princesses stopped in front of a door to the Ball Room. “When you said that Celestia thinks she’s somepony else,” Twilight inquired, “Did she insisted that she had a different name?”

“She does,” Luna nodded, “She said that’s she is a maid called Cinderella.”
> (Rarity the Storyteller)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In truth, Rarity had a fantasy of being married to royalty one day. When she was once a filly when she didn’t have to do any schoolwork or wasn’t inspired to create a new combination for her collection of costumes, she would pretend that she was a princess being married to a handsome prince. However, her point of view on the fantasy changed when she met the reality of it at one Galloping Gala when she introduced herself to a Prince Blueblood.

It was a wonder then, how on one night; she was in her cozy, familiar room ready to sleep – and the next she is married to an insane Sultan. By the looks of it, from the design of the palace to the colorful mosaics of exotic animals and birds and even the clothing, the white unicorn would have sworn that she was in Saddle Arabia. Yet, the creatures around her were anything but ponies. Wearing colorful robes, they were tall, walked only on their hind legs. In a way, they were like highly intelligent apes where they’ve learned how to groom themselves.

For Rarity, the past twenty-four hours or so was indeed a strange on, especially having the memories of somepony named Scheherazade, the eldest daughter of the Vizier and certainly the bravest that convince the mare to go through the same plan that this other woman had meditated on. Now in the same bed with her new “husband,” and her “sister,” was laying on a couch at the hoof of the bed, Rarity was still awake for most of the night, hoping to Celestia that this insane plan would work.

There were a few candles that were still lit in the colorful glass lanterns above, and the sweet incents have long burnt out, Rarity waited until just before dawn in order to save her life from the threat that the king next to her had in mind. She heard from the Vizier that ever since his last wife had betrayed him, he took upon himself to have a new girl to marry, only to have her executed the following morning. She looked out the window at the twilight sky over this new land as she felt that the Sultan turned in his bed once more.

Rarity decided that she had waited long enough and woke Dunyazad, the sister to execute their plan. When she rose at the end of the bed, she said: “Allah upon thee, O my sister, recite to us some new story, delightsome and delectable, wherewith to while away the waking hours of our latter night.”

“I would do so gladly,” Rarity said, turning to the Sultan, “That is, with the permission of his majesty would permit me to tell the both of you a story.”

The king, being restless, rose up from the satin bed and leaned his back upon the pillow. “Tell on,” said the Sultan, “since I cannot fall asleep, give unto us a tale while I still let you live.”

Rarity gulped, “Very well, tell me, O generous and auspicious king, have you ever heard of the story of a gryphon couple by the sea whose husband got greedy?”

Scratching his head, the Sultan replied, “I do not believe so, what is so delightsome and delectable of a couple of gryphons?”

“Well, I have heard that long ago by the sea, there was once a gryphon that lived in a nest that faced the open sea. The two gryphons had a hard life in which the husband was forced to conserve everything he had, including what few money they had. It was so hard, that their very nest was made out of uncomfortable sticks, branches and old hay that all rested upon an old, dead tree.

“Now, in order to make their living, the couple was forced to fish from the sea and sell it to the village that laid inland. If they were lucky, they might have enough to buy a pot for cooking or some canvas to put over the nest when it rains.

“One day, the wife was sitting on a rock with a fishing rod, hoping that she might pull in something big to sell at the market. She waited for hours in the hot, miserable sun with the cool water lapped at her lion paws. But then, suddenly she felt a pull. Excited, she reeled back on the string as quickly as she could before the fish got away.

“Then, out from the water, came the biggest fish that she had ever seen. It was about as big as her and it thrashed furiously about in the water. But what amazed her, however, was that this fish started talking! ‘Wait! Please! Let me go! There’s been a big misunderstanding!’

“‘What’s this?’ said the wife, ‘You can talk? How could you do that?’

“‘Please ma’am!’ cried the fish, ‘I don’t want to be eaten! If you let me go, I promise that I will grant whatever wish you have!’

“This, as you could imagine, caught her attention, ‘Are you really telling the truth?’”

“‘I am, I am! Now please, get this hook out of my mouth, it really hurts!’

“Filled with compassion, the wife undid the hook from the mouth, in which the fish expressed, ‘Oh thank you ever so much for spearing me! My name is Blue Tail of the Oceana Spirits, and I am in your debt! For now on, if you have a wish you would like to see to be fulfilled, just call out my name and I will come to you!’

“Stunned, the wife told the fish that she would think it over, and with one more expression of gratitude, the magical fish swam away.

“The wife had returned to the nest, and told her husband about what had happened to her that day with the talking fish, when she got to the part where she told the fish that she would think about its offer, her husband said, ‘What do you mean you hesitated! If that fish was what it said it was, why didn’t you ask it for a better home then this? Surely you could have wished for a… I don’t know a cottage or something nice.”

“She agreed, and the lady gryphon went out to the spot where she met the fish. The sky was clear and calm when she cried out, ‘Oh Blue Tail, if you can hear me, would you please come, I have a wish to make!’ And before she knew it, the talking fish poked its head out of the water.

“‘Yes, what can I do for you?’

“‘My husband made a point, I was hoping if you could give us a much nicer house then the twiggy nest we’ve been living in. Perhaps one with a garden, and a pantry filled with food. You know something comfortable.’

“‘Go to your husband,’ the fish said, ‘You already have it!’

“Curious, she flew back as fast as she could, and to her amazement, the once uncomfortable nest of a home was now replaced with a cottage. ‘Wife dear, come and look at this!’ her husband said, ‘You just have to see what’s in here!’ Indeed, she found that the place had all the things she could ever hope for. A soft bed, a table with chairs, a pantry filled with good food, a garden with ripe vegetables, and a roof over their heads to protect them from the harshness of the sea.

“While the wife went to bed happy that night, the husband was well awake thinking. This was incredibly lucky that his wife happen upon this magic fish that was able to deliver just as they needed. But he also wonders how far he could push this luck. ‘Darling, wake up,’ he said one morning, ‘why not you go back to see that fish again, and ask him… for a castle!’

“‘A castle?’ his wife asked perplexingly, ‘We’ve already got a cottage that’s comfortable. Besides, I thought only nobles get to live in castles.’

“‘Then ask the fish to make me one, and a castle too! Now go on ahead,’ and so, the wife went out to the same spot out at sea, in which she noticed that the sky was several clouds that day.

“She called out, ‘Oh Blue Tail, if you can hear me, would you please come, I have a wish to make!’ And before she knew it, the talking fish poked its head out of the water.

“‘Yes, what can I do for you?’

“‘Good morning sir, while I’m thankful for what you’ve done for me, I was wondering if it might be possible if you could not only make us nobles, but for us to live in a castle as well?’

“‘Go to your husband,’ said the fish, ‘You already have it.’

“And so, the wife flew back to her home, and found that the cottage was replaced by massive stone castle! Horns were sounded as she approached the structure where her husband came out, excited to show her around. Inside the castle, there were legions of guards and servants that were there to serve them at their every whim. The husband showed her the treasure room filled with gold, precious jewels and silks in a variety of colors. That night, they were feed a feast in which they had more food than they ever had in a month! So you could imagine that the wife went to bed satisfied.

“However, the husband was not. Sure, life was now better than the cottage, but greed leaked into his soul that demanded more, bigger, grander things in life. So the next morning, he told his wife, ‘My dear, this castle is quite impressive, but… Let’s admit, it is rather dark in here at times, isn’t it? Why not you go back out to the sea again and ask the fish to make us Emperor and Empress where we could live in a palace?’

“‘But dear husband,’ said the wife, ‘wouldn’t that be asking too much to ask? After all, having ourselves royals and a place seems a little bit… excessive would you say?’

“‘Oh listen to yourself! You can ask favors of a magical fish for crying out loud! He said that he can grant you anything you want, now go get and ask for that palace!’

“She obeyed and flew out to sea, back on that marooned rock, only this time the clouds above had grown darker. Still, she called out, ‘Oh Blue Tail, if you can hear me, would you please come, I have a wish to make!’ And before she knew it, the talking fish poked its head out of the water.

“‘Yes, what can I do for you?’

“‘Well, my husband and I were wondering if you could make us Emperor and Empress where we could live in a palace.’

“‘Go to your husband, you already have it.’

“Thanking the fish, she returned to find a palace made out of marble and gold, this one was even bigger than the castle! When she went in, she found that it was crowded of visitors, dignitaries, guards, servants, and nobles from all across the world paying their respects to her, and her husband in the throne room. There, on a bejeweled throne of solid gold, her husband was grinning happily at her. ‘Well dear, what do you think of this place? We have a privet orchard of oranges and lemons in the back, all to ourselves! Also, you should really take a look at the treasury!’

“Later that night, while the wife was sleeping, the new emperor when to bed, still unsatisfied, his greedy heart still demanded something even more impressive.

“‘But what,’ he thought, ‘I have absolute power and all the riches to last me for several lifetimes, what more could I want that no one has?’ He pondered this question all night, and when the sun came up, glaring it’s rays into the royal chamber, the gryphon complained, ‘If only I could just tell the sun not to rise, then that would…’ he stopped. Shaking his wife awake he said, ‘Wake up, wake up, I have something for you to ask the fish!’

“‘What are you talking about?’ her wife rubbed her eyes, ‘What more do you want? You are emperor after all.’

“‘Ah, but that’s just it. There is one more thing that I want above all else, something that you could ask that friendly fish for. My dear wife, I want you to go out there, and ask him to make us Gods!’

“Her wife gave a horrified gasp, ‘But you can’t be serious! No one should hold that much power! Least of all us! The palace is fine! We rule the world now! Why would you want us to become Gods?’

“‘Because anyone could easily gain their fortunes and power, but I want the kind of power that no one could touch! One in which I could tell the sun, or the stars themselves to move at a wave of a claw! A power in which we could make it any season we want! Not to mention that we’ll never grow old and remain this way for all time! Now go, quickly ask this fish for this one last favor!’

“Reluctantly, the wife returned to the sea, now she found that there was a tempest roaring about as she made it to the rock. ‘Oh Blue Tail, if you can hear me, would you please come, I have a wish to make!’ And before she knew it, the talking fish poked its head out of the water.

“‘Yes, what can I do for you?’

“‘My husband wants us to become gods and control everything!’

“‘Go to your husband, you will find what both of you deserve.’”

By now, the sun has come up above the horizon and Rarity ceased her story right there and then.

“Well?” the Sultan asked, “What happened next?” But the white unicorn didn’t answer, “Did the gryphons get their wish?”

“Please forgive me,” she said, “But I’m so tired of talking, that I’m afraid that I can’t go on.”

“What?”

“For one, it’s morning.”

“So?”

“Well, for one, I really need my sleep. And second, it just wouldn’t have the right atmosphere if I told the rest of the story in the sunlight. Don’t you agree?”

The Sultan, with anger in his eyes, rose out of bed, but before he could say anything, the door opened to the Vizier. “Your majesty,” he asked, “Shall I sent for thee the executioner?”

For a tense moment, Rarity looked at the king in concern, hoping that this plan would work.

“You,” he pointed at her, “will finish the story of the two gryphons, tomorrow night.”

With a sigh, she slumped into the bed. At least the plan was working.
> Chapter 7: The Three Children and the Nanny
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Everfree Forest has always been a home to the unpredictable. A normal pony would steer clear from this patch of land because of its untamed magic of the plants, animals, and several uncertainties that beasts call it home. For only the brave, the wise, the desperate, the foolish, the ignorant, or the adventurous would go into these dark woods regardless what time of day it was.

In a clearing, munching away or spitting away at what Peter had brought them, the children had taken a moment to sit down for their breakfast. “I say Peter,” Alice spoke between bites. “Was stealing that lady’s bag really necessary?”

“Of course it was,” the Neverland boy chomped down on another blue muffin. “As far as I know, none of us got any money to use with, and we’re all hungry.”

“But shouldn’t we give it back?” Dorothy wondered, “After all, the bag isn’t ours and that… Derpy I think it was, looked rather upset when you stole it.”

“If my other memory is right,” Peter said, “I think I know where she lives. Once we’re done with breakfast, we’ll just drop this off at the front door and be on our way.”

“Yes, to that castle over there,” Alice pointed to the direction in which they came. “Perhaps to get some answers as to why we’re here.”

“Why do you got to be so serious all the time?” The boy flew up to her, “Don’t you think this is a little bit fun? I mean, we’re in a new place that even I have never seen before… or at least, I don’t think I have… Just imagine all the adventure that’s out there!”

“But I’m still trying to get home,” Dorothy protested. “Aren’t you trying to get back to your mother?”

“Huh?” he gave the Kansas girl a confused look, “What are you talking about? I never…” then he realized what she was saying and laughed, “Oh! Wait a minute! You actually think that Wendy’s my real mother?”

Both girls looked at each other, “I thought you said she was,” Alice asked.	

“Oh, no no no no no no!” Peter giggled, “You must be mistaken, Wendy isn’t my real mother, but she and I agreed that she should be!”

“So… are you an orphan?” Dorothy asked, “Just like me?”

“I… I’m not sure, if you mean that my real mother and father died then… I don’t know. Come on, let’s get back to the village.”

The three children were retracing their path through the forest. The American was still curious about this blue pegasus flying above them. “So what’s it like?” Dorothy asked.

Peter tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“Neverland.”

“Oh,” Peter flew upside down looking at Dorothy from above, “It’s an island. Although it’s small, we’re always between one adventure and another. Its home to the Lost Boys, and I’m their captain of course.”

“Lost Boys?” Alice inquired, “Who are the Lost Boys?”

“They are the children who fall out of their perambulators when the nurse is looking the other way.” He explained, “If they are not claimed in seven days they are sent far away to the Neverland to defray expenses.”

“How do they get to Neverland?” the yellow mare asked. “Are they sent there by mail?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You don’t get even a letter when you live on the island. They came the same way I did, by the fairies who find them lying about.”

“Is that true?” Dorothy asked in alarm, “Goodness, do those little things take care of something that might be easily as big as a house to them for a week?”

Peter giggled, “It’s not all bad, why I was raised by them in Kensington Gardens, and I do go there from time to time with Tink.”

“Kensington Gardens?” Alice put a hoof to her chin, “You mean in London?”	

“Yes,” Peter tilted his head, “Why?”

“Oh nothing, I suppose, but why there?”

“What do you mean why there? The place I was born wasn’t too far from when I ran away from.”

Both of the girls gasped, “You ran away!” Dorothy said, “Why, how long ago?”

“All I can remember,” Peter then landed between the two of them while continue walking. “Is that I ran away on the day I was born. And I know it’s because I heard father and mother talking about what I was to be when I became a man. But I don’t want to ever be a man! I want always to be a little boy and to have fun. So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a long, long time among the fairies.”

“You still remember how old you really are,” Alice asked, “Don’t you?”

The rainbow mare shrugged, “I don’t know how old I am. But I know I’m still quite young, and I intend to remain as such.”

“I see, that explains why you had Wendy be your mother then?”

“Of course! We boys on the island don’t know some of the things that Wendy does. Like making pockets or telling us stories like that one lady who lost a glass shoe on the staircase, hoping for the Prince to find her.”

“You mean Cinderella?” Dorothy asked. “I know that story from Aunt Em.”

“And I’ve read that story as well,” Alice commented before adding. “Do either of you suppose we might actually meet her?”

“Who,” both Dorothy and Peter wondered aloud.

“Why, Cinderella of course. I have met Humpty Dumpty, as well as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Not only that, but we found ourselves as colorful ponies in a land of other ponies that could speak, fly and do magic tricks. What would be the chances of such a thing not happening while we’re here?”

“Don’t be silly Alice,” the orange mare told her, “Cinderella is just a lady from a storybook, this is real-”

“Why are the three of you are not in school?” The children jumped at this new voice. However, this surprise quickly turned into confusion at what they were seeing. As if carried by the wind, a white unicorn with an umbrella and a carpetbag descended behind them. “Furthermore, what are you children doing out here for?”

The three of them looked at one another, “Pardon me, who are you?” Dorothy asked. “You look familiar to me.”

Once the stallion’s hooves touched the ground and folded up the umbrella, the unicorn answered, “You may call me Marry Poppins. I’m afraid to say that I think I’ve gotten myself lost somehow.”

Peter was having a difficult time suppressing his laughter, “Mary? Isn’t that a girl’s name?”

“It is indeed a girl’s name,” the Nanny raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

The blue pegasus only laughed harder, “Oh! I did not expect this at all!”

For Alice, however, it didn’t take long to figure out what was happening, “Beg your pardon Ms. Poppins, but were you by chance a human yesterday but have woken up like this, having the memories of someone you don’t know?”

“At least it’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one,” she said, sticking the umbrella into the bag. “Somehow the three of you look familiar to me, only I’m not exactly sure as to why other than I have indeed seen you before. All of you look grown up, but I can sense that isn’t the case.”

“Well… yes,” Dorothy nodded, “All three of us know that we’re under ten years of age.”

Marry sniffed, “I see. Well, come along then,” the stallion moved forward. “Since it’s clear that you’re unsupervised, I’ll be your nanny until we get this sorted out.”

“Nanny!” all three of the children cried in surprise.

“Yes, that is my job after all, being a nanny. Since Bank’s children are nowhere to be seen and I happen to find three children that are in the same circumstance as I am, then I’m obligated to look after you until the four of us return home. I spotted a town in that direction, so I believe it is best to find out what’s going on from over there. Tell me; what are your names and ages?”

“Well, I’m Alice Liddle and I’m seven-and-a-half. That’s Dorothy Gale; she’s six years of age. And this is Peter Pan… and I’m not sure how old he is.”

Marry blinked, she opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and shook her head, “Very well, come along then, the sooner we get to that town, the sooner we could find out what’s going on.”

“I’m not following a grownup,” Peter objected, “Especially when they’re a nanny!”

The nanny’s eyes narrowed, “I’m afraid, Peter, you don’t have much of a choice in the matter.”

“Yes I do, I can do this,” suddenly, the sky blue pegasus spread her wings and took off straight into the sky, only to jerk back to the grown as something was caught on the tail. Looking over, he found a blue light at the very tip of the tail, which the white unicorn’s horn as glowing in the same light.

“Now don’t doddle,” Mary said as she moved forward, dragging Peter along with her. “It would be easier if you just followed us.”

“No I won’t!” the Neverland boy reached for whatever his blue hooves could grasp, at rocks, roots and bushes, but the pull was stronger. “Alice, Dorothy, help me out!”

“Well…” Alice said, “Ms. Poppins is the only grownup that is in the same situation as we are.”

“I agree with Alice,” Dorothy commented, “she is a nanny after all, perhaps it would be easier for us to get home this way.”

“Traitors!” Peter cried.
> (The Bird Woman)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘How long is Celestia going to make me go through this,’ the Prince thought, ‘After all, it’s been several weeks for crying out loud!’ Once again, he stopped at another shop window to catch his reflection. In truth, he was barely getting over the fact that not only is he wearing a dress, but a plain dark blue one that came with a white apron, a black overcoat and a pink scarf. In fact, during his time being a “nanny,” in a place called “London,” that’s crawling with “humans,” he was very surprised at the fact that no one was ever curious of the fact that the only talking unicorn stallion in this town was wearing a dress.

At least he could be a little thankful that he was able to buy a new hat with pink roses. Personally he would prefer to have something that suited for the stallion, but considering the fact that the one who sold that hat saw him as a human woman, he decided to just play along until this punishment was over.

‘Come to think of it, why is she angry at me for?’ he wondered as he walked between the two of the four children he was assigned to be taken care of. ‘I have done everything they wanted when it comes to negotiations and greeting foreign ambassadors. But what stretch of the imagination did I do to deserve this?’

The children, Jane and Michael, seemed very excited today. For Blueblood, he didn’t get it. Their mother had agreed to see their father to join him for tea and something called “shortbread fingers,” when Mr. Banks is given a break. At this point where he discovered that he could slide up from a stair’s railing, have given the children (as well as himself) some medicine that for him tasted like Crème Brûlée, was able to spend the day inside a chalk drawing on his day off, spend time levitating in a room filled with laughing gas with somepony named Mr. Wigg, could understand what dogs are saying perfectly, had to tell the children a story about a dancing cow, and when Michael decided to be a brat founded a compass that could take them to all four corners of the world… he decided to just give into the madness until it all washes over.

By now, they came to a building that is just as a mystery to him as much as he somehow knew the name of it. St. Paul’s Cathedral, or as it was known by its builder who shared the name of a bird. Perhaps that’s why there’ always so many birds that come here: Sir Christopher Wren’s Cathedral.

“There she is!” cried Michael suddenly, Blueblood looked down at him in his excitement in which he was dancing on his toes, pointing. Looking to what gotten him and Jane so excited, he found on the steps of the cathedral. There was a woman who might be as old as the building was sitting there. Flocks of birds roamed around and on her old clothes with a basket that lay on her lap.

“Don’t point Michael,” he said, giving a last glance at the pink roses from the window of a carpet shop.

“She’s saying it! She’s saying it!” cried Jane, holding tightly to herself out of delight.

As they got closer to the steps, the Prince could hear the call from the old woman, “Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” she chanted this, over, and over, and over, and over as if she was singing a song that has no beginning or ending. “Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” As she said this, she held out a bag of breadcrumbs to anyone passing by. “Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!”

While Michael went up, Blueblood could only look on in confusion. Why would these children be excited about this for? After all, it’s just an old homeless woman selling bags of crumbs and a fleet of unclean birds of many shapes and sizes swarming around their only food source.

The boy handed the lady four halfpennies to her. “Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” said the Bird Woman, as she traded the bag for the coins that she puts it away into her large black skirt.

“Why don’t you have penny bags?” asked Michael. “Then I could buy two.”

“Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag!” it was here that the Prince wondered if that’s really all the lady was capable of saying.

‘Well, at least it explains why she’s out here,’ he thought. 

After the bag of crumbs was divided out, Jane, Michael and Blueblood spread the crumbs into a circle on the ground, and slowly, one by one at first, then in twos and threes, the birds came down from St. Paul’s.

From them, there was pushing, scrambling and shouting from the birds. The Prince himself admits to himself that it was impressive how quickly these feathered creatures were able to get every crumb clean off the cobbled walkways. With one fluent movement, the birds jumped up as they were certain that no more food remained and flew over to the Bird Woman’s head. Their calls and squawks echoed the endless chant of the old woman. One of them landed on the hat of the Bird Woman, as if pretending to be part of a decoration. And another mistook the Prince’s new hat for a rose garden and plucked one off.

“Hey! Off of my head!” cried Blueblood, and swung his umbrella at the bird. The pigeon, very offended, flew back to the Bird Woman and, to pay out the Prince, stuck the rose in the ribbon of the old woman’s hat. “Why you! You ought to be in a pie – that’s where you should be,” he shouted. With a huff, he turned to Jane and Michael. “Time to go,” he said, flung a parting glance of fury at the pigeon. “I believe we still need to go see your father over tea.”

Yet, the bird only laughed and flicked his tail and turned his back on him.

“Good-bye,” said Michael to the Bird Woman.

“Feed the Birds,” she replied, smiling.

“Good-bye,” said Jane.

“Tuppence a Bag!” said the Bird Woman and waved her hand.

The two children left her, walking one on either side of Prince Blueblood.

“What happens when everybody goes away – like us?” Michael asked Jane.

She looked back at the cathedral. Although irritated, the unicorn did noticed that she did had a thoughtful look. “At night when everybody goes to bed --” began Jane.

“And the stars come out,” added Michael.

“Yes, and even if they don’t – all the birds come down from the top of St. Paul’s and run very carefully all over the ground just to see there are no more crumbs left, and to tidy it up for the morning. And when they have done that --”

“You’ve forgotten the baths,” Michael interrupted. It was clear to the stallion that they were starting to make up a story.

“Oh, yes – they bath themselves and comb their wings with their claws. And when they have done that they fly three times round the head of the Bird Woman and then they settle.”

“Do they sit on her shoulders?”

“Yes, and on her hat.”

“And on her basket with the bags in it?”

‘Well of course they would,’ Blueblood thought to himself, ‘Why else wouldn’t they?’

“Yes,” Jane continued, “and some on her knee. Then she smooths down the head-feathers of each one in turn and tells it to be a good bird--” 

“In the bird language?”

“Yes. And when they are all sleepy and don’t want to stay awake any longer, she spreads out her skirts, as a mother hen spreads out her wings, and the birds go creep, creep, creeping underneath. And as soon as the last one is under she settles down over them, making little brooding, nesting noises and they sleep there till the morning.”

‘Sounds a little unsanitary if you ask me,’ Blueblood thought.

Michael sighed happily. Turning up to the unicorn, he asks, “And it’s all quite true, isn’t it?”

“No,” said the Prince as he felt a strong wind coming from behind.

“Yes,” he heard Jane say.

Before he could point out all the plot holes in that little story, the wind from behind grew stronger. Looking behind and holding onto his hat, he was surprised to find that the cathedral was not only no longer in sight, but he was back on Cherry Tree Lane. Looking forward, not only were the children gone, but he found himself being blown to their front door!

Blueblood blinked, “How did I get back here?” before knocking on the red door. 

A moment later, Mrs. Banks answered it, “Oh, good afternoon, you must be the new nanny?”

He blinked again, “New nanny?”

“Please come right in,” she opened the door wider, allowing the confused stallion to enter. “So, may I ask what your name is?”

“What do you mean? You already know me.”

“Marry Poppins? Well, how do you do?”

He shook his head, “What? No, I told you, it’s Prince Blueblood of Equestira.”

“You’ll find that they are very nice children,” Mrs. Banks went on. “And that they give no trouble at all. Now, about references-”

“Are you deaf?” Blueblood asked, “What’s going on? Why are you acting like this? Mrs. Banks, what’s going on?”

“But I thought it was usual,” she said. “I mean – I understood people always did.”

“Wait, didn’t you say that when I first came here?”

“Very well, then. We won’t bother about them. I only asked, of course, in case you – er –required it. The nursery is upstairs,” with that, Mrs. Banks turned to the railing and started to head up the stairs.

Blueblood watched. No, he did hear her say all of that before! She said it in the same way, in the same dress, the same jewelry. It was as if the stallion somehow went… Then a thought came to him in that moment, this is the first day he came here all over again! It was all happing again!

A force compiled the stallion to move like a puppet. Sitting on the railing, he slides up as he did on the first day. He was introduced to Jane, Michael and the Twins, just like the first day. He even unloaded his carpetbag, gave them sweet tasting medicine that tasted differently for everyone, just like the first day.

Once that was all done, Blueblood excused himself and went into the bathroom, locked the door, and screamed the only word that came to mind: “NO!”
> Chapter 8: Interviewing Cinderella
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight tried to mentally prepare herself before opening the door to the ballroom. Using the breathing technique she learned from Cadence, she breathed in deeply, lifting her hoof to her withers before exhaling while extending that hoof. With a calm mind, she was ready to face her teacher.

Pushing the door open, she found there where Solar guards and maids alike that all stood at a distance from the pony at the center of the room – the white alicorn sat down next to a soapy bucket and using a rag to clean the marble floor until it shown her reflection. As far as Twilight could see, Celestia did not have her crown, or any of the usual golden jewelry, her alabaster coat was patched, even caked in dust, soot and dirt. And while it was almost noon, her former teacher looked very tired.

Twilight went up to her, giving a gentle smile, “Hello.”

The alicorn looked up from her work, “Oh, do excuse me, I’m nearly finished with the floor and I shalt be out of thy way.”

“Don’t you recognize me?” Twilight asked, “Even a little bit?”

“Somehow… I do, but I do not understandeth how it is possible. For I hath never seen thee in my life, yet, somehow… it is as if I have known thee well.”

“Do you know my name?”

The alicorn on the floor paused to think, “Thou… art Twilight Sparkle?”

She nodded, “Yes, remember? I was a student of yours?”

“But that I do not understand,” the sun alicorn returned to her work, “This morning, I hath woken up in land that I never seen, in a body that is not of my own, and have memories that I do not recall possessing. Surely, knowing thee and this place is not of mine own. Even with knowledge of me being a Princess of the Day called Celestia of Everfree. Yet, I know that it is not true, for my name is Cinderella.”

Twilight looked around the Ballroom, “Why are you cleaning this room all by yourself? You have maids that would gladly do the job for you.”

“These ponies hath asked the same question as thee,” said Cinderella. “But I cannot allow it because I am a maid. Although my stepmother is not here, she would still expected me to continue on with the choirs that still need to be done. Perhaps they hath gone to the festival again, and oh so much is there to be done!”

The lilac alicorn sat down on her hunches, “Can I ask you something, I don’t know if it’ll help but I think it might be worth a try. Cinderella, would you tell me about yourself?”

Cinderella looked up at her in surprise, “What?”

Taking a dripping wet rag from the bucket, Twilight told her, “Look, if I would help you clean, would you tell me about who you are – not as Celestia, but as Cinderella. If I’m going to help you in any way, I might as well try to get to know you first.”

She looked down at her reflection before the maid said, “Perhaps that seems fair.”

“Okay,” Twilight said, as she rubbed the rag around in circles, “so where are you from?”

“In the Holy Roman Empire of the region of Baden-Württemberg, by the Black Forest.”

“How long have you been a maid for?”

Cinderella dipped her rag into the bucket, “Since the day my father hath married my stepmother who brought me my two stepsisters. This happened when I was but a little girl after my mother died.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry.”

Sighing, Cinderella added, “She made me a promise that as long as I remain good and pious, the good God will always protect me and mother will always be near me, so ever since that day, I hath wept over her grave to remind myself of the promise that I hath long kept. Before that dark day, I was happy that father was a rich merchant, and mother had a kind heart. But when father remarried, he brought home three women who art pretty of face but vile and black of heart. ‘Is the stupid goose to sit in the parlor with us?’ said they. ‘He who wants to eat bread must earn it; out with the kitchen-wench.’ From that day, they took away my pretty clothes, put an old gray bed-gown upon me and given unto me wooden shoes to wear.  ‘Just look at the proud princess,’ they mocked, ‘how decked out she is!’”

“That sounds awful,” Twilight commented. “Does your father know about this?”

Cinderella sniffed, “Father, being a merchant, is away for months at a time to make his fortune, and has little time to be at home. For when he is not there, my stepmother has me work from dusk ‘til dawn with a list of tasks for me to do. Each day, I have to get up at daybreak, carry water, light fires, cook and wash. Beside this, my stepsisters did every imaginable injury unto me – they mock me and emptied my peas and lentils into the ashes, so that I was forced to sit there and pick them out again. Also, Twilight Sparkle, I am called Cinderella because each night, I am always so weary from my work, and since I do not hath a bed to sleep in, I lay in the ashes by the fireplace where I always wake up dusty and dirty, in which my sisters gave me the name.”

It left the Princess of Friendship speechless. For it was one thing to read about this sort of abuse in fiction, but it was entirely different when hearing it described from somepony that has gone through it, “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“However, as of recent, I hath found a reason to be happy.”

“Oh?”

Cinderella dipped her rag back in the water, smiling, she said, “For the past two nights, I was blessed to dance with the Prince!”

“But how-”

“Twilight,” the Princess turned around to the door, finding Luna stuck her head into the Ball Room, “My guards have told me that your brother and Cadence have just arrived.”

“Coming,” she stood up, putting her rag into the bucket, “Cinderella, I’m going to talk with a few ponies and then I’ll come right back to help you. I’m interested in how you’ve met this Prince of yours.”

“Well, I believeth that I shall finish this task quite soon. But if thou still wish to speak with me, I shalt be sweeping the kitchens.”

“Thank you, I’ll be right back,” Twilight headed out the door, and Luna escorted her to the private study. “I wonder if there’s any way to reverse it?” she asked the Princess of the Night.

“Hopefully there is. I refuse to believe that both she and Blueblood would have gone mad overnight. There must have been something that would cause this suddenly insane.”

“Actually, I think I might have been responsible for it,” the violet Princess said sheepishly.

This got Luna’s attention, “You? How?”

“My friends have been affected the same way. I went to see Pinkie this morning when the Cakes came over to tell me that she’s been acting unusual.”

“But wouldn’t that… (how do you say) Pinkie being Pinke?”

“Did I mention she was making candy?”

Luna blinked, “Come again?”

“Like Celestia, she thoroughly believes that she’s somepony else and claims that while she still has Pinkie’s memories, she said that she knows it isn’t hers. Saying that she’s… give me a moment… Willy Wonka. I saw that she was selling things that I didn’t know was possible, like displaying a tub of ice cream that doesn’t melt, or muffins that change flavor every time you eat it. I saw a jar that had the label: ‘Cinnamon Firecrackers,’ which I’m a little afraid what those do.”

“But I fail to understand how you’re responsible for any of this,” the blue alicorn pointed out.

Sighing, Twilight replied, “To put a long story short, Sunset asked me to take a look into some enchanted books she found in the human word. Apparently, all seven books are from fairy tales that are well known in the human world. I guess what happened is that there must have been a mix up when Spike sent the books to you and to our friends. What’s really frustrating is that I don’t have any idea how they activated the books or how to reverse it.”

“I do think you’ve given us a place to start,” said Luna, “our top priority is to locate these enchanted books, find the ponies that have been affected and work our way from there.”

They reached the study, in which they found Shining Armor and Princess Cadence waiting. Twilight went up to her older brother, giving him a hug and a nuzzle, while to the pink alicorn they exchanged their “secret hoofshake.” 

“Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!”

“Thanks for coming on such short notice,” Twilight said hugging her.

“Anything for family,” the Princess of Love replied, “is there anything we can do to help?”

“Actually there is,” Luna said. She and Twilight told the couple of the enchanted books and how they affected Celestia and their friends. When this was done, the Princess of the Night added, “I think the first thing that needs to be done is to locate these foals books while we go check on Cel to see how she’s doing.”

“What about Blueblood?” Shining asked, “Has anypony found him?”

“Not to my knowledge, the Equestrian Guard is on the lookout for him now. But at present, Cadence, you go look in the Prince’s room while Shining can go into my sisters to see if you can locate the books.”

“But how do we know what they look like?” Cadance asked.

Twilight thought about it, “Well, try looking for a book or books that look like they don’t belong. Remember, they’re fairytales, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find I should think.”

“And where will we find you?” Shining asked.

“We’ll go into the kitchens to see if Celestia has started sweeping.”

With that, Twilight and Luna went down a hallway, while Cadance went downstairs and Shining upstairs.

_*_

“Okay, then what happened?” asked Twilight.

Cinderella was on the floor, using the broom to get underneath the massive ovens. “On the second night, after I asked the hazel-tree again and said, ‘Shiver and quiver, little tree, silver and gold thrown down over me.’ Then the bird threw down a much more beautiful dress then from the previous night and I swiftly went to the festival. Once there, I’ve heard many who were astonished how beautiful I was. When I found the Prince, he told me that he waited for me to come, and as soon as he saw me, he took my hand and dance no other woman but me. Even when others came up to invite to dance with me, he would say, ‘This is my partner.’”

“And then what happen?” Luna asked.

“When the hour came for me to return home, I noticed that the Prince hath tried to follow me, I presume to know where I live. But I went into a garden behind the house where grew a tall pear tree in which I climbed and jumped over the stone wall. I quickly changed out of my dress before my mother and stepsisters returned. By the next morning, I returned the dress at the hazel-tree in which the bird taken it away.”

“Anything else?” Cadence questioned.

It was here that Cinderella stood up with a blank expression, “I… I don’t know. Before I could go to the festival a third time, suddenly I awoke here. Pray tell, can thou tell me how I came here?”

Before either of them could answer, the kitchen door flung open to a Solar Guard, “Your Highnesses, come quick!”

“What’s wrong?” the Princess of Love asked.

“It’s your husband, he’s knocked out cold and none of us knows what happened.”

The alicorn turned a paler shade of pink. “Where is he?”

“Celestia’s chambers,” was all Cadence heard before her horn flared brightly, teleporting them directly into the Sun Princess’s bedroom. Lying on the floor with a green and golden leafed book laying open face on the floor was the blue maned unicorn.

“Shining!” Cadence went up to him, scooping him up in her hooves. “Shining, can you hear me?”

Twilight meanwhile went up to the book that was flung on the floor, closing the book; she looked at its silver-leaf title: “Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales.”

“Shining,” the pink alicorn slapped her husband’s face, “Shining, are you there!”

The white unicorn’s face scrunched up at the sudden pain, “Ow,” he said. “Why did thou hit me, Gretel?” opening his eyes, he saw the pink pony’s face and screamed: “THOU ART NOT GRETEL!”
> (A Tale of Two Grimm Situations)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Cinderella!” the voice of the stepmother cried. “Come up here at once!”

Celestia sighed and put the broom away. It was already the afternoon and yet she felt exhausted. She didn’t have any idea that the life of a maid could be so… grueling. Day in and day out, with her magic was useless and her wings refuse to help fly away from this horrible place – month after month she has been forced to do all the dirty work for her so called “family” – and year after year, this awful family mocks her at every step of the way.

Not to mention that she’s always filthy. The Solar Princess wished that for at least one day that she could bathe to get the ash and dirt off of her coat. She missed the days in which she had on clean, fine clothes that didn’t involve the gray bed gown and wooden shoes she was wearing.

“Cinderella!” the mother yelled, “We art waiting!”

“Coming,” she called back. Up the stairs to the bedrooms, she found her- no! Her other stepfamily if these other memories were right. In the dressing room were her two stepsisters and stepmother. “You called?” Celestia asked.

“Yes,” the stepmother asked while looking in a mirror. “Comb our hair for us, brush our shoes and fasten our buckles, for we art going to the festival at the King’s palace.”

She obeyed, picking up the comb, she began with their hair, “Do you think it would be possible,” Celestia asked, “that I might come along too? After all, I have been working hard.”

“Thou go, Cinderella!” her stepmother scoffed, “Thou art dusty and dirty and wouldst thou go to the festival? Thou hast no clothes and shoes, and yet wouldst dance!”

The sisters too laughed at the idea, “Canst thou imagine?” one said, “All the most beautiful women in the land will be coming to this three day festival, and she wants to go?”

“Cinderella,” said the other, “the King is looking for a wife for his son, not some filthy wrench for his kitchens!”

“So what?” Celestia questioned, “Everyone deserves to have some fun once in a while, including me.”

“The festival would require knowing how to dance,” the stepmother pointed out, “Yet, thou can’t dance, if you were to go, we shall be the laughing stalk of the whole kingdom.”

“But there must be some way that I can go.”

The stepmother thought for a moment, “Cinderella, once thou art done, I shall empty a dish of lentils into the ashes for thee, if thou hast picked them out again in two hours, thou shalt go with us.”

Celestia agreed, once she combed their hair, brush their shoes and fasten their buckles, they went into the kitchen in which her stepmother tossed her uncooked meal into the fireplace.

Of course, the Princess knew that there was no way she could accomplish such a task without her magic. But she did know one trick from her other memories. She went through the back-door into the garden, and called out, “You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to pick the good into the pot, the bad into the crop.”

Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen window, and afterwards the turtle doves, and at last all the birds beneath the sky, came whirling and crowding in, and settled among the ashes.

“I must say Cel, that’s a really impressive trick,” Celestia’s ears perked. Quickly returning into the kitchen, she gasped as she found Luna among the birds. “Perhaps you should teach me that if I wanted to scare off some of our most annoying of nobles.”

“Luna!” Celestia rushed over, embracing her sister, “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Missed me?” Luna stepped back, with a confused look on her face, “What are you talking about? It’s almost half a day,” she said before she yawned.

“What?” the dusty alicorn asked in confusion, “What are you talking about? I’ve been trapped in this dreadful place for years. Luna, where have you been?”

“Well, this is certainly new,” she said. “To tell you the truth, it’s rather very interesting. While the real you is indeed still asleep, your body however is not only awake, but has a different personality running it too. Apparently, she goes by the name of Cinderella.”

Celestia’s eyes opened wide, “What? You mean that sorry girl is controlling my body in the awaken world?”

“Fortunately, we think that we might have an idea what it was that has trapped your consciousness here. Twilight Sparkle had accidentally sent an enchanted book she was studying when it somehow fell into your hooves. And apparently, a character from that book now possesses your body while she too says that she has, ‘other memories’ of you.”

Sighing, the Sun Princess sat down on her hunches, “I think I see… So what is going on while I was working like a slave?”

“I’m sorry to tell you that the Prince’s Blueblood, Shining Armor, and all of Twilight’s friends in Ponyville have fallen into the same predicament. As for me, I’m lending a helping hoof in hopes to find the cause of all of this. Tell me, do you remember anything before you came here?”

“It feels so long ago, back when I was much cleaner than this,” she looked down at her gray bed gown. “All I remember was that I was getting ready to go to bed when I open the package that Twilight had sent me. I was looking through those books when I came across something that I didn’t remember ordering, a book of fairy tales. Curious, I went to bed to read through a couple of stories when I came across a curious title of Cinderella… And I think that I got a paper-cut when I turned its pages before the world became blurry. The next thing I know, I was at the deathbed of a mother that although I’ve never met before, yet I wept as if I’ve known her all my life. She promised me to be good and kind so that she’ll watch over me, that was before that… that witch with her children came along.”

“Out of curiosity,” Luna said, “have you by chance been to a festival?”

She shook her head, “No, at least I hope so. Luna, could you help me get out of here now?”

The dark blue alicorn lit up her horn, “Unfortunately, I can only interact but not wake you up. Something’s blocking that.” After the aura died away, she added, “But do not worry Celestia, me and Twilight will do everything in our power to rescue you. And I vow that I will not sleep until it’s all settled.”

For the first time since she arrived in the house, Celestia smiled, “What did ever do to deserve such a sister?”

“You have forgiven me, so that’s quite enough. In the meantime, just play along until we fix this. And I promise you that I will fix it.”

_*_

Shining had been hungry before. But even with the strict diets during his training years, it didn’t compare to the emptiness in his stomach. For the first time, the Prince understood perfectly what the word, “starving” meant. For three days, he and his “sister” have been lost in a dark forest with no food or water.

If anything, he’s still shocked over what had happened. One moment he got a paper-cut from a weird looking book with an equally weird title, the next he’s playing the role of a brother whose father and stepmother had twice left them alone in the woods to fend for themselves while there was a famine going on. He couldn’t believe the cruelty of this so called “mother” had even convinced this poor fellow that all he does is to collect firewood, to leave his children to starve in the middle of the woods.

Of course, the unicorn tried to use magic to solve this, but he found that something was blocking him to perform said magic. He then tried getting cleaver by leaving a trail of shiny stones from the first time, but when the mother had locked the door, he stupidly used breadcrumbs in which he quickly realized that the birds had quickly eaten the trail.

“How big is this forest anyway?” Shining asked to no one in particular. Looking up at the sky of the morning of the third day, he tried to see where the sun was. He could feel the little girl named Gretel still riding on his back shift while keeping her arms around his neck. 

“I don’t know,” she said. “I never knew if there is another village across the forest.” Gretel looked down, “Hansel, dost thou want to rest? I think I can walk.”

“No, I’m alright,” he lied, “I can still go on for a while.” In truth, Shining was anything but alright. The emptiness in his gut was hurting, his hooves were blistering, and his strong legs were stiff.

He heard a roar coming from behind him, and it didn’t take long to figure what it was. “I’m so hungry.”

“I know me too,” he said, “Maybe there’s a village somewhere. I would think that there should be one nearby.”

“Why does our stepmother hate us?” Gretel asked.

“I don’t know,” the unicorn sighed, “Even with little food, this is very wicked for her to do.”

“Do you think we’ll ever see any food again?”

“Gretel, let’s not talk about…” he trailed off when his nose caught something sweet. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?”

Shining followed his nose through the forest. The sent was something fresh, sweet, and his stomach wanted something else then tiny berries that weren’t poisonous. Eventually, the Prince spotted something, “Gretel! I see a house and… smoke! We’re saved!”

The unicorn galloped straight towards the clearing, and when they got into the grass, he slowed down before coming to a complete stop at what they were seeing.

It was a house alright, but in a way it reminded of Sugar Cube Corner in Ponyville only nothing on the house looked fake. The house’s walls were made out of bread, the roof was covered in cakes and the windows looked like they were made out of clear sugar.

Looking up at the little girl that was getting off of him, Shining asked, “You’re seeing this, right?”

“It’s beautiful,” she went up to one of the windows and took a lick, “it’s real! Hansel, try something!”

Curious, Shining hopped on a rock, stood on his hind legs and took a nibble at the roof. To his surprise, it was made out of real cake!

Soon, the two of them began to attack the house like animals, breaking off pieces of the house and feasted on their first meal in days.

Then from inside the house, came a soft voice: “Nibble, nibble, gnaw, who is nibbling at my little house?” Suddenly, the door opened, and a very, very, very old woman stepped right out of the house using crutches to walk. Whatever Shining and Gretel were eating they quickly drop it onto the ground in the sudden realization that in the mist of their hunger, they’ve forgotten that someone was inside it.

“Oh, we’re so sorry,” Shining apologized, “We’ve been lost for three days and when we saw that your house was made out of food we-”

“Oh you dear children,” interrupted the woman, “who has left thee out here? Do come in and stay with me. No harm shall happen to thee.” Thanking her, the pony and the little girl went inside. “Thou must be very hungry? Come sit at the table, food I shalt bring thee and perhaps thou can tell me why art thou here.” Several minutes later, the lady returned, placing on the table milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples and nuts.

“Would you mind if we eat this first before we tell you?” Shining asked.

The lady sat down across from them, “Take thy time,” she said with a smile.
> Chapter 9: Gather the Children
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zecora stopped suddenly, craning her neck down to the forest floor. Behind her was Spike that went around her, “Did you find something?” he asked.

The shamare hummed, “From these hoofprints I see, there were once three…” she looked further down, “Yet it seemed that sometime before, a group of three became four. Here three ponies have legged, and there the fourth was dragged.” She went up closer to the ground in which she spotted a strand of hair. “It seems that Rainbow Dash was pulled to that hill, in the direction, my guess, towards Ponyville.”

“So wait,” Spite thought aloud, “how do you know if Fluttershy or Applejack were here?”

Zecora walked further up the path in which she picked up a yellow feather and another strain of golden hair. “Judging by this hair and this feather, I could safely say that they were together.” She looked around the forest floor once more. “Although I must confess, whoever is the fourth is a work in progress. Perhaps it’s a Pegasi that had come directly from the sky. Yet, rests assure Spike, the direction we go is what you’ll like. For if we head towards the town, our friends maybe found.”

“Okay, so to Ponyville then,” the baby drake asked and she nodded. “Well, come on; let’s see if we could find them.”

The mare nodded and the two began to head towards the town, “There is something that I wonder, about your friends you have yet to answer.”

“What do ya mean?”	

“For if you require my help, especially when you arrived with a yelp. ‘My friends have gone missing,’ you say, but you’ve neglected in what has gotten you concerned today.”

Sighing, he replied, “I’ve messed up big time Zecora. Twilight was studying some enchanted books from a different world, in which I’ve accidentally gave to our friends. Since this morning, Pinkie isn’t acting like Pinkie, and Rainbow had stolen something from Derpy. Whatever those books have done, I think it changed their personalities completely. I don’t if I or Twilight has any idea if we can change them back.”

“Perhaps help from me is in need, if to bring our friends back is to succeed. Perhaps the best way to solve this confusion is to find the simplest solution.”

“Yeah, but first thing’s first, we’ve got to find where they are. That is, if we’re lucky.”

_*_

“Now what do we say?” Mary Poppins asked.

Peter grunted, nudging the mailbag closer to the gray pegasus, “I’m sorry I stolen your bag even though we were hungr- ow!” It was at this moment that the nanny gave a whack against the rainbow mare’s head with the back of the umbrella. “What was that for?”

“Keep your temper,” said the unicorn.

“Is that it?”

“No, don’t grumble while saying your apology, it’s very rude.”

For Derpy, she picked up the mailbag and looked inside it, “How many muffins did you eat?”

Alice thought for a moment, “I know I had one and so did Dorothy. But Peter had at least three or four.”

The gray mare sighed as she put the bag around her neck, “At least I can still eat while delivering the mail.” She turned to Mary, “And thanks for helping me giving my bag back. I never thought that a Prince yourself would do so.”

The Nanny sniffed, “Manors are everything, even if this Prince Inside hardly knows it.” She tapped the side of her head. “Now my mind is a little fuzzy, but could you please tell me where the school is? Perhaps I could help these children find their teacher so I could locate their parents.”

Derpy blinked, “You do realize that they’re not kids, right?”

“Well they certainly act as such,” Marry sniffed again. “May I repeat, where is the school?”

“I think it’s that way,” she pointed down a road, “Just go down three streets and go… left. Keep going straight and you’ll run right into it.”

“Thank you very much,” the white stallion turned down the street with the two girls and a dragged pegasus following behind.

“Can I ask a question Ms. Poppins?” Dorothy asked.

“You may.”

“Why did you ask where the school was? I thought you were helping us go home.”

“I am. Teachers tend to know a lot of things. If we find the teacher, then we can know where in the world we are, and, what’s more, we can know where to go from here.”

“I never thought of that,” Alice commented. “Perhaps she might know what’s going on.”

“Or maybe we could fly,” Peter said, fore legs crossed but still dragged by the tail. “Or is that something that you haven’t thought of?”

Mary huffed, “It is never a good idea to fly off without knowing where you’re going.”

“Where’s the fun in that? If you want to find something that can’t be found you have to be lost first. Otherwise, everyone would know where to find-” Then Peter was cut off when there was a loud explosion that came from behind them.

All four turned towards the source of the sound and saw red sparkling fireworks in the air. “I knew I added too much cinnamon.” A high speaking voice said before stepping out from the alleyway. “That was way bigger then I anticipated.”

“Young lady,” Mary said getting the Pink mare’s attention, “Did you set off that firework?”

The mare in a plum suit giggled, “Two things: A, although I look like a girl, I know for a fact that I’m a full grown man. And two, that was no firework. That’s a new candy I’m experimenting with that went wrong.”

“But it exploded,” Alice pointed out.

“It was supposed to,” Mr. Wonka said, “That’s supposed to be my latest creation – the Cinnamon Firecracker. It’s supposed to be very spicy when in your mouth and it explodes when outside like a firework. I’m making it for children who don’t have enough money to buy fireworks on any given holiday around the world. Of course they only come in red at the moment but perhaps I could use other flavors to make them explode in a verity of colors.”

“That is the most outrageous idea that I’ve ever heard in my life,” Ms. Poppins told the Candy Maker. “To think that children would come in contact with these things, what if they start fires or burn those that are eating these things?”

“Well that would be unlikely sir,” the pink mare grinned. “Everyone knows that you can’t ignite an edible firework if it’s in your mouth because your saliva is made out of water. Besides, I’ll put a warning of course to tell children to make sure that they have these outside in a place where there’s a less likely chance of something catching fire.”

“Can I have some?” Peter asked raising his hoof.

“Absolutely not, I still haven’t gotten it quite right yet, there’s too much cinnamon in it that cause too big of an explosion… I say, I know this is rather out there but, is it me or have I seen all of you before?”

Alice step forward, “For some reason, the name Pinkie Pie comes to mind, only I’m not exactly sure how I know.”

“Do tell me that you woke up this morning as this too?” The Candy Maker asks, “As if that you know you’re really human but for some reason you’re a talking pony.” All four of them nodded, “In that case, how’d you do? I’m Mr. Willy Wonka.”

“Alice, get away from that stranger,” Mary said.

“Oh come come ma’am, how can a stranger be a stranger if you said ‘hello’ and told you their names? Why at that point, I’m a bit of an acquaintance am I not?”

“Wonka’s got a point,” Dorothy confessed. “Well hello, I’m Dorothy Gale. This here is Alice Liddle and that’s Peter Pan. Oh, and this is the nanny name Mary Poppins.”

“Is that so,” the pink mare went up to the sky blue pegasus, “You’re name is Peter? Funny, I think I understand how you feel. About knowing that you’re a fellow but somehow you woke up in a body that isn’t exactly for you.”

“Especially when I know I’m still a boy,” the Neverland child said. “Do you want to come along with us? To see if we can get back to where we’re supposed to be?”

“I don’t know what good that will bring, but that Mrs. Cake in the shop had told me to go on break for a while, so I don’t suppose that a little wondering around would hurt. Besides, I’m rather curious about this place myself.”

“If I allow you to be near the children Mr. Wonka,” the nanny said, “do I at least have your word that you won’t cause any explosions?”

“Well I don’t have any matches in my pockets and that last test of mine defiantly needs to go back to the drawing board, so you have my word.” Mary told the children to stay close as the Candy Maker hopped behind, “By the way, where are we going?”

“To the schoolhouse to hopefully get some answers,” Ms. Poppins said.

_*_

“Honey, please come out from the table,” Cadence pleaded. “I promise that there’s no witch that’s here to eat you.”

A head peeked from underneath the tablecloth. For Twilight, she can’t tell if seeing her older brother like this was amusing or heart wrenching. “Thou art a trick, I know it,” Hansel said before ducking underneath the white cloth once more. “I want my sister, I want to go home.”

“Hansel,” Twilight said, “we are telling the truth. You’re safe, see? No cannibalistic witches here. We want to help you get home as well as soon as possible.”

The Princess of Love lay down on her belly, gently lifting the edge of the cotton cloth with her hoof so she could see her “husband” beneath that’s curled into a ball, his back right up against the wall. Hansel wasn’t shaking in fear, but his eyes defiantly showed it. “Do you want somepony else to talk to?”

He nodded.

“Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know a place called ‘The Black Forest?’”

“Yes,” he said meekly, “me and my sister live next to it.”

“What if I get somepony that happens to live around there, would you be able to talk to them?”

Again, he nodded.

Twilight immediately caught on what Cadence had in mind. She summoned Cinderella up to the solar bedroom several minutes later. “Cinderella, could you help us talk Shi- sorry, Hansel out from underneath this table. He’s too scared to talk with us, but we think he might be able to listen to you.”

An eye peeked from underneath the cloth, “Hello?”

The maid looked down at him with confusion, “Why art thou hiding there?”

“Because I know I’m still trapped in the witch’s house with my sister. This must be a spell that is making me see things that art not there.”

“Thou speakest the way I do. Pray tell, where art thou from?”

“Baden-Württemberg.”

Cinderella blinked, “By the Black Forest?”

“Yes?”

“Tis funny,” the maid cautiously approached him, “I come from there too. How old art thou?”

Hansel thought for a moment, “Eight.”

“Be not afraid child, I too am confused as to how I come about here. And fear not, these two are good and pious like me, for we shalt not harm thee.”

The unicorn stallion inched his head out from underneath the table. “If thou art not a witch, then tell me the Lord’s Prayer. My father hath told me that a witch cannot bear to say it.”

“Very well,” the tall alicorn knelt down and begun saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the glory be thine, forever and ever. Amen.” 

This did the trick; Hansel crawled out from underneath the table and went over towards the maid. He smiled, “At least I know that I am not alone.”

“Since I hath gain thy trust,” Cinderella asked, “Doth thou know anything about the festival?”

Hansel looked up at her in confusion, “Festival? What festival?”

“The one the king has called forth in hopes to find his son someone to marry.”

“Why would the king do that? There is a famine that is starving everyone.”

Now it was Cinderella’s turn to be confused, “What famine, I have not heard of this?”
> (Of Beasts and Crowded Trains)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By now, the party now consisted of Applejack, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion that pressed through this dark forest. Although the ration of food has already ran out, the only source of food for her and the little dog was a basket full of nuts that the Scarecrow had clumsily gathered from last night.

The five of them continued on the road of yellow brick, the farmer hoped that she would see the sun again once they get out of the thick foliage of the forest. Yet, they have been walking on this path for days, wondering if they’ll be able to find a way out. To add to the discomfort, they heard strange noises coming from the depths of the dark woods.

“I think we’re in the country belonging to the Kalidah’s,” whispered the Lion.

“What’s a Ka-lid-ah?” the Earth Pony asked.		

“They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers,” replied the Lion; “and with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I’m terribly afraid of the Kalidahs.”

“Fer that, Ah wouldn’t blame ya,” Applejack commented, “Ah wouldn’t like ta meet anythin’ like that alone in a place like this either.”

Before the Lion could reply, they suddenly came up to a gulf across the road; but this one was so broad and deep that the Lion knew just by looking at it that jumping across it would not be possible.

So they all sat down to think about what was there to be done. After a serious thought, the Scarecrow suggested, “Here is a great tree, standing close to the ditch. If the Tin Woodman can chop it down, so that it will fall to the other side, we can walk across it easily.”

“That is a first rate idea,” said the Lion. “One would almost suspect you had brains in your head, instead of straw.”

“Ah’ll say,” Applejack added, “that’s actually mighty smart of ya.”

The Woodman set to work at once, and so sharp was his ax that the tree was soon chopped nearly through. Then the Lion put his strong front legs against the three and pushed with all his might. Applejack soon joined in as she bucked against the tree, and slowly the big tree tripped and fell with a crash across the ditch, with its top branches on the other side.

“Well that was easier than Ah thought,” the mare said as she, along with her new friends began walking on their improvised bridge. But just as they started to cross, they heard a sharp growl that made them turn, and to their horror, they saw two growling beasts with bodies of bears and heads of tigers running towards them.

“They are the Kalidahs!” said the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble. 

“Quick!” cried the Scarecrow, “let us cross over.”

Thus the group made a mad dash over to the other side. The Lion, however, being the last in line and was afraid, turned to the Kalidahs , and then gave a powerful and terrible roar that made Applejack scream, the Scarecrow to fall over backward, and even the frightening beasts stopped short in surprise.

But seeing that they were clearly bigger than the Lion and that there was two of them and only one of him, the Kalidahs rushed forward while the Lion ran across the fallen tree to the other side. However, the beasts began to cross the bridge as well, and the Lion said to Applejack, “We are lost, for they will surely tear us to pieces with their sharp claws. But stand close behind me, and I will fight them as long as I am alive.”

“Wait a minute!” called the Scarecrow. He turned to the Tin Woodman, “Can you cut this side of the tree as well?”

The Woodman began to use his axe at once, and just as the two Kalidahs were nearly across, the tree fell with a crash into the gulf, carrying the ugly, snarling brutes with it, and both were dashed to pieces on the sharp rocks at the bottom.

“Phew!” Applejack said, “That was some quick thinkin’ Scarecrow.”

“Well,” the Cowardly Lion said, after drawing a long breath of relief. “I see we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive. Those creatures frighten me so badly that my heart is beating yet.”

“Ah,” said the Tin Woodman sadly, “I wish I had a heart to beat.”

“Oh quit it you two,” the mare told them, “You both had kept us safe, so that ought ta count fer somethin’. The point is nopony’s hurt and that’s all it matters. Now let’s get a move on, there’s no tellin’ what else might come if we wait here.”	

_*_

“Tickets, please!” said the Guard, putting his head in at the window. Before Fluttershy knew it, everyone was holding out a ticket: they were about the same size as the people holding them, and seemed to crowd the carriage.

“Now then! Show your ticket, child!" The Guard went on, looking angrily at the Pegasus.

It was then that Fluttershy heard a tiny voice that although she could hear it clearly; she had no idea where it was coming from. “Don’t keep him waiting, child! Why, his time is worth a thousand pounds a minute!”

“I… I’m afraid nopony’s given me one,” the yellow pony said in a frighten tone. “I didn’t see a ticket-office on the way here.”

“There wasn’t room for one where she came from,” the little voice cried. “The land there is worth a thousand pounds an inch!”

“Don’t make excuses,” said the Guard: “you should have bought one from the engine driver.”

“The man that drives the engine?” the tiny voice questioned. “Why, the smoke alone is worth a thousand pounds a puff!”

“Then I guess there’s no use in talking out of this,” Fluttershy said softly.

“Better to say nothing at all,” the voice agreed. “Language is worth a thousand pounds a word!”

All this time, the Guard was looking at her, at first it was through a telescope, then a microscope, and then settled on a pair of opera-glasses. At last, he said, “You’re travelling the wrong way,” and shut up the window and went away.

“So young a child,” said the gentleman sitting opposite to her who was dressed in white paper, “ought to know which way she’s going, even if she doesn’t know her own name!”

A Goat that was sitting next to the gentleman in white said loudly, “she ought to know her way to the ticket-office, even if she doesn’t know her alphabet!”

Next to the Goat was a Beetle, and it would seem that it was his turn to speak, “She’ll have to go back from here as luggage!”

Fluttershy couldn’t see who was sitting next to the Beetle but had a hoarse voice spoke next. “Change engines– ” it said, and was obliged to leave off.

“He sounded rather hoarse,” she said to herself.

“You might make a joke on that,” said the tiny voice in her ear, “something about ‘horse’ and ‘hoarse,’ you know.”

Then a very gentle voice in the distance said, “She must be labelled ‘Lass, with care,’ you know.”

And a good many deal of voices went on, saying things like: “She must go by post, as she’s got a head on her-”

“She must be sent as a message by the telegraph-”

“She must draw the train herself the rest of the way-” and so on.

But the gentleman dressed in paper leaned forward and whispered in Fluttershy’s ear, “Never mind what they all say, my dear, but take a return-ticket every time the train stops.”

“I don’t think I can,” the mare said impatiently. “I don’t think I belong on this train at all. I was in a forest a moment ago; I wish I could get back there.”

“You might make a joke on that,” said the little voice, “something about ‘you wood if you could,’ you know.”

“Don’t tease,” Fluttershy looked around to find the source of the voice. “if you want to start cracking jokes, why don’t you make them yourself?”

She heard a deep sigh that somehow tickled her ear, “I know you are a friend,” it went on: “a dear friend, and an old friend. And you won’t hurt me, though I am an insect.”

“What kind of insect?”

“What? Then you don’t know that I’m a –” it began, but it was suddenly drowned out over the shrilling scream of the steam engine, and everyone in the car jumped.

Fluttershy felt the entire car shook, she covered her ears over the loud noise and closed her eyes at the thought she was about to enter into a crash.  

“– then you don’t like all insects then?” 

The mare opened her eyes to find that she was no longer in a noisy car but sitting underneath a tree. Above her, she found the voice that was coming from a Gnat about the size of a chicken.

“I… I don’t mind them all that much.” She answered, “I never knew any that could talk as clearly as you can compare to where I come from.”

“What sort of insects do you rejoice in, where you come from?” the bug required.

“I don’t rejoice in insects,” she confessed, “it’s because I’m afraid of some of them – or at least the larger kinds. Not that I’m afraid of you, for you seem nice enough. I could tell you the names of them if you like.”

“Of course they answer to their names?” the Gnat remarked carelessly.

Fluttershy blinked, “I never knew any that do.”

“What’s the use of their having names, if they won’t answer to them?”

She shrugged, “No use to them maybe. But it is useful to ponies who name them, I think. Then again…” she put a hoof to her chin, “Why do things have names at all?”

“I can’t say. Further on, in the wood down there, they’ve no names – however, go on with your list of insects: you’re wasting time.”
> Chapter 10: Piecing Things Together
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Out of all the curious and wonders things that the Sultana of Persia has seen in the town, the one thing that drew her attention was towards was the enormous crystal structure in the heart of Ponyville. Although for Scheherazade that she was seeing this for the first time, it would seem as if she already knew her way around. Somehow, she knew where she was going, after all, if she was to figure out where in the universe she was, the best place to look is at a library.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” she called out, only to hear echoes come back to her. “Why wouldst one hath a castle like this and hath no one to take care of? Or is it a place that Allah has blessed to be taken care of itself? What a strange thought too.”

Scheherazade found her way into the library that was as empty as the castle. At first, she wondered how she was going to be able to find the books she was looking for until she noticed that there was a pattern. Although she had never seen this sort of alphabet in her life, the Sultana suddenly deduced where the books on Equestria, Geography and History were kept. She selected tomes that were promising and she immediately began looking for answers.

_*_

“Lunch Break everypony,” Cheerlee announced, and soon the fillies and colts rushed outside of the schoolhouse.  Among them were the three Crusaders that were in full gallop. They were heading towards Twilight’s castle with concerns in their heads, and two enchanted books in their saddlebags.

“Ah really hope that Twi is there,” Applebloom said.

“What if she’s already figured out what’s going on?” Scootaloo asked aloud. “What if she and everyone else are already trying to solve this?”

“But even so,” Sweetie Belle interjected, “We need to give their books over to them. We don’t know what kind of magic these things h-” this was as far as she got before the three of them ran into something solid and tumbled over.

“Sorry!” a voice cried out, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t… girls?”

The three of them looked up to see what they’ve ran into, it was Spike and Zecora.

“Spike,” the young apple exclaimed, “Thank Celestria we’ve ran into y’all. We think somethin’ weird is happenin’ to-”

“Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, and I’m guessing Rarity too?” Spike asked and the three of them nodded. “What are you three doing out here? School shouldn’t be out by now, isn’t it?”

“We want to give these to Twilight,” Sweetie Belle levitated one of the books from her bags.

“And this too,” Applebloom hoofed over her book over to Spike.

The little drake took the books into his claws, “These must be it! How did you get these?”

“They said they found it this morning,” Scootaloo explained. “Of course, we didn’t open them since we don’t know what these things do anyway.”

“Well, that’s one problem solved,” Spike said, “but where are your sisters anyway?”

“Spike and fillies of three, please listen to me,” Zecora stepped in. “I have a thought, and it might save us a long trot.”

“What is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“If what I’ve learned from Spike is true, perhaps what we need to do is to look from their point of view.” The shamare put a hoof underneath her chin in thought. “If those with these books woke up with new memory, perhaps finding them is elementary. Tell me if you were new, what exactly would you do?”

The four of them looked at one another, “Maybe figure out where we are?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“How would you do that, if you’re not sure where you’re at?”

“Well,” Spike scratched his head, “Maybe I would try finding a map, or…”

It was in that moment that a Dragon and three fillies came to the same conclusion, “A library!”

Zecora nodded.

“At least we have a start,” Scootaloo said, “come on; let’s hurry over to Twilight’s place.”

And so, the five of them rushed towards the Crystal Castle, up the steps, through the front door and down a few hallways, they stopped at the library in which they found a white unicorn there. The Persian Queen sat before many open books that she scanned and compared to one another. 

“Rarity?” The baby drake spoke as he approached her, getting the Sultan’s attention. But then, Spike paused for a moment before asking, “Wait, are you Rarity?”

“The other memories I would agree,” said she. “Only I know that as true as the sun that I am not. Somehow, thou art familiar to me, a friend if I ought to think.”

“But if you are not Rarity,” Zecora asked, “then who are you supposed to be?”

The mare stood up, regal in her stance, “I am the Sultana Scheherazade, wife of Sultan Shahryar of the great Persian Empire and defender of the faithful.” 

Sweetie Belle now stepped forward, “I thought I told you to stay at the Boutique until I get back?”

“That is true, but I could not resist to look around at this wonders place, and learn from it. For I could I not but be curious of this new world that’s somehow familiar. Even more so, how did I come to be here when I hath not moved during the night.”

“So you have no idea how you came here?” Spike asked, and the Sultana shook her head.

Sweetie Belle then took out the blue book she was carrying around, “Would this help?”

Scheherazade raised an eyebrow, “What is that?”

“I found it in your room this morning. It was something that I didn’t recognized, and Applebloom’s sister has had a book that we don’t know where it came from. Do you know it?”

The book was placed on the desk, in which the Sultana opened it up. With her hoof, she flipped over a few pages before pausing. Her expression turned to bewilderment as she flipped through several more. “These… These art my stories, how…?” She quickly read through a few paragraphs, “These art my words. My characters,” she flipped towards the beginning in which her eyes widen, “‘The… Tale of… Scheherazade?’ What sorcery is this?”

_*_

Although she was tired and the call to sleep was louder than ever, Luna trotted through the hallways of the Palace to where Celestia and Shining Armor were. After spending some time in the dreamscape, she went up to the door to give the two other Princesses what she found. “Eureka,” she announced as she opened the door, “I have found a connection.”

“What connection?” Twilight asked.

“These two,” Luna pointed at Cinderella and Hansel, “have both had a paper-cut on their hooves before they passed out. Not only that, but it would seem that they are caught up in a loop.”

“A loop?” Cadence wondered. “What does that mean?”

“From what I could gather,” here, the Night Princess yawned. “Excuse me. Anyway, they explained at one point while they are what I assume in their worlds, they would reach a certain event before the whole thing starts over.” Luna then marched forward to her older sister’s bed, “Now if you don’t mind, I’m just going to rest my eyes for a bit,” she said before she fell right onto it, snoring.

With the blue Alicorn fast asleep, the other two Princesses looked over to the other two royals that were looking at the book of fairy-tales.

“It is unnerving,” Cinderella said, “To find one’s story in a book in such perfect detail.”

“I’ve never heard of these Grimm Brothers,” Hansel commented, “how doth they know so much about us? Except…”

This got Twilight’s attention, “Except what?”

“This here,” he pointed at the book, “When Gretel pushed the Witch into the oven, I know that I don’t remember that at all.”

Cadence went right up to him, “Are you absolutely sure?”

Cinderella took hold of the book and flipped it to her story, “And I don’t recall about getting golden slippers either. So yes, we art certain that these things never happened to us.”

The two princesses looked at each other, “Wait a minute,” Twilight thought aloud, “Celestia and Shining are in a time loop, Cinderella and Hansel don’t remember certain parts about their stories… and paper-cuts…?” It was then that a light went on in her head, “Hansel, could you come here for a second?”

He obeyed while Twilight levitated the book over to her, opening to his story. “Hansel, what was the last thing that you remember again?”

Hansel closed his eyes for a moment, thinking hard, “The Witch hath dragged me into a little stable, and locked me behind a gated door. She forced Gretel to cook the best food for me to become fat while she ate nothing but crab-shells. I hath been locked away for four weeks, but I hath tricked the witch.”

“How so?” she asked as she scanned through the story.

“We noticed that she cannot see well, so every morning when she cries, ‘Hansel, stretch out thy finger that I may feel if thou wilt soon be fat.’ But I give her a chicken bone to feel each time, however, I fear that she is growing impatient and will soon eat me.”

Twilight carefully flipped a few pages with her magic until she stopped at a certain paragraph in which it describes exactly as Hansel had. Looking up, she said, “Hansel, I think there might be a way for you to go back.”

His eyes widen, “Hath thou heard a word I said! There’s a witch that’s trying to eat me, and thou sayth that thou want to send me back there?”

Turning the page, Twilight read through the last paragraph, “Apparently, you and your sister get out of it in the end. It says that you’ll be going home, the stepmother is dead, and you’ll find yourselves with pearls and precious stones. It looks like you’re going to have a happily ever after.”

“What?” Hansel questioned, “Let me see.” The white unicorn looked over into the book, and was astonished at the last paragraph of the tale. “But… can it be true? Will I and my sister escape from the witch after all?”

“It looks like it. Now then,” Twilight flipped back a page, “I want to try something – run your hoof down the edge of this page, particularly around where this paragraph is. I want you to try to get a paper-cut.”

Cinderella raised an eyebrow, “What good wilt that do?”

“At this point, I’m not sure,” Twilight confessed, “But I’m sure that it’s worth a try.”

Skeptical, Hansel gently let his hoof rest on the every corner of the page, slowly sliding along the side of it until suddenly he cried out, “Ouch!” and immediately pulled away. “That book bit me!”

“Are you alright?” Cadence asked as she approached the stallion.

The unicorn shook his head quickly, as if trying to clear it, “I feel… light headed… dizzy.” Suddenly, the stallion fell over, only this time his wife was there to catch him.

“Shining? Shining! Can you hear me?”

For a minute, her husband didn’t respond until he flickered his eyes open. “Huh? Cadence? Please tell me that’s you?”

“Shining!” she cried before kissing him. “I was so worried about you… it is you, right?”

“Yeah hon, it’s me. By-the-way, Cadence, I know this is going to sound odd but, can you make sure for now on that I don’t ever see a single gingerbread house ever again?”

Twilight on the other hoof was bouncing with joy, “It worked! I can’t believe it was that simple! Alright Cinderella, now it’s your…” she trailed off when she noticed the look on the maid’s face. The white Alicorn stepped backward when she turned to look at her, “Uh, Cinderella?”

“Please answer me this truthfully,” she inquired, “if I and Hansel art only characters of a story book – am I real?”

The Princess of Friendship blinked, “Sorry?”

“Although to me, all that I hath suffered underneath my stepmother and my stepsisters for years. All the choirs and humiliation they hath given unto me seem very real. So tell me this, if I am indeed real, doth thou wished to return me to that life where I would still hath to face them, even if I already knew my fate?”

“But, you’re going to have a happy ending too. What does this have to do with anything?”

Cinderella shook her head, “But doth thou not see, if I am real, then being this Princess Celestia is indeed my happily ever after. If I am real, and that I have this body, which means that no more shalt I sweep the floors, or carry water, or sew clothes ever again! If I am not real, even I know that there should not be a reason to care about being happy. So tell me, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Friendship, am I real?”
> (The Battle of Marooner’s Rock.)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the southern part of the island, there is a place that the Lost Boys like best. Mermaids’ Lagoon in the day was the play grown for half-fish creatures to surf and sing their haunting melodies. While they weren’t exactly civil with the Lost Boys and the Darling children, they didn’t shy away from Rainbow who could chat with them for hours and even sit on their tails whenever she got cheeky. On sunny days in the Lagoon, the mermaids would play games with bubbles to pass back and forth with their tales.

However, Wendy told her that she never seen the Lagoon after sunset. In which Rainbow Dash was willing to do so, thus promoting the other boys to come along as well. In the moonlight, the cove seemed empty for the time being. Wendy was still up, stitching up new pockets, looking over towards the lonely rock in the very center of the Lagoon when she senses a change in the water. Shadows glide across it, turning the water cold and she could no longer see her needle.

When she could barely see, she heard something over the ebb and flow of the sea, voices and muffled oars. Even Rainbow Dash sat up, sensing something was wrong.

“What is it?” Wendy asked.	

The mare stood up, her ears perked towards the water. A smile broke on her face, “Pirates!” she cried, waking up the other boys. “Wake up, we’ve got company.” Rainbow looked towards the sea once more before giving the command, “Dive!”

After disappearing behind trees and in bushes, the Lagoon seemed to be deserted once again with eyes spying the dinghy rowing into the cove. They could make out three figures. Two of them were indeed pirates, Smee and Starkey, and the third was bound in rope that to their surprise was Tiger Lily. The captures rowed around with the dim light of a dark lantern, heading towards the rock in the gloom.

“Luff, you lubber,” cried an Irish voice that was Smee’s; “here’s the rock. Now, then, what we have to do is to hoist the redskin on to it and leave here there to drown.”

Even when the two pirates lifted the girl onto the lonely rock, Tiger Lily was too proud to offer a vain resistance. After all, as the chief’s daughter, she must not show fear.

“Peter,” Wendy next to Rainbow whispered, “Do something!”	

The multi-mane Pegasus thought for a moment to figure out what to do. Then she got an idea, focusing lower the tone of her voice as much as possible, she yelled out, “Ahoy there, you lubbers!”

“The captain!” said the pirates, staring at each other in surprise.

“He must be swimming out to us,” Starkey said, when they had looked for him in vain.

“We are putting the redskin on the rock,” Smee called out.

“Set her free,” Rainbow answered back, intimidating Hook’s voice.

“Free!”

“Ay, cut her bonds and let her go.”

“But, captain –”

“At once, d’ye hear!” cried Dash, “Or I’ll plunge my hook into you.”

Although conflicted, the two pirates cut Tiger Lily’s cords, and immediately she slipped into the water.

“Boat ahoy!” came another voice, at once; they knew that it was the thunderous sound was Hook’s. In the light of a lamp, a new dinghy rowed up to the rock. The captain took the lantern into his hook, “Is it done?” he demanded, “Where is the redskin?

“That is all right, captain,” Smee ansered complacently; “we let her go.”

“Let her go!” cried Hook.

“ ‘Twas your own orders,” the bo’sun faltered.

“You called over the water to us to let her go,” said Starkey.

“Brimstone and gull,” thundered Hook, “what cozening is here?” His face had gone black with rage, but he saw that they believed their words, and he was startled. “Lads,” he said, shaking a little, “I gave no such order.”

The pirates conclude that something strange was going on, and no one, not even the captain likes it.

“Spirit that haunts this dark lagoon tonight,” Hook cried, “dost hear me?”

Grinning from pointed ear to pointed ear, Rainbow Dash yelled out, “Ay, what do you want?”

For one tense moment, Hook didn’t blanch, even at the gills, but Smee and Starkey clung to each other in terror.

“Who are you, stranger, speak?” Hook demanded.

“I am James Hook,” she replied, “captain of the Jolly roger.”

“You are not,” the pirate captain cried hoarsely.

“Brimstone and gall,” Rainbow spoke back, “say that again, and I’ll cast anchor in you.”

“If you are Hook,” he asked inquiringly, “come tell me, who am I?”

Rainbow thought or a moment, “A cockroach,” she replied, “only a cockroach.”

“A cockroach!” Hook echoed back, hearing the sound of his pride crack. He saw his men draw back from him.

“Have we been captained all this time by a cockroach?” they muttered. “It is lowering to our pride.”

At this point, Rainbow Dash and Wendy tried and failed to suppress giggles from what had happened. 

“Hook,” the captain called, “have you another voice?”

With a hoof on the dagger, the cocky mare couldn’t help but play along. “I have.”

“And another name?”

“Yes.”

“Vegetable?” asked Hook.

“No.”

“Mineral?”

“Nope.”

“Animal?”

“Yes.”

“Man?”

“Never!” this answer rang out in the Lagoon.

“Boy?”

Rainbow shrugged, “Maybe.”

“Ordinary boy?”

“No!”

“Wonderful boy?”

“Close enough!”

“Are you in England?”

“No.”

“Are you here?”

“Yes.”

Hook was stumped. Turning to the other two pirates, he said while wiping his brow, “You ask him some question.”

Smee tried to come up with one. “I can’t think of a thing,” he said regretfully.

“Can’t guess?” crowed Rainbow. “You give up?” They gave in. “Well then,” the mare drew out the dagger. “I am Rainbow Dash!”

In no time, Hook was himself again, and the two pirates were his faithful henchmen. “Now we have him,” Hook shouted. “Into the water, Smee. Starkey, mind the boat. Take him dead or alive!”

Rainbow flew out of her hiding place with a battle cry, “You ready boys!”

“Ay, ay,” shouted from various parts of the lagoon.

“Let’s kick their flanks to the moon!”

Thus the battle began. The Lost Boys went into the water while the pirates drew their swords and knives. Not to say that there was confusion during this short and sharp fight as soon as John capsized one of the boats. Here and there, heads appear and disappear beneath the waves where cries and war whoops rang in the lagoon.

As for Rainbow, she was after a much bigger fish in the water. Hook himself was swinging his iron claw underneath the waves as the Lost Boys and Pirates alike were trying to stay out of his way. However, the mare wasn’t afraid, she was up for a fight when the captain swam up to Marooner’s Rock for air that the Pegasus met him. The rock itself was slippery so the captain was having trouble trying to get on.

“Hey Hook,” Rainbow called out, stretching her hoof over to him, “Come on up so we can really fight.”

The pirate captain did, in which he took this moment to strike. Before Rainbow could react, she felt a sharp pain in one of her wings. Hook had clawed her through her feathers and flesh, in which the Pegasus used her other hoof to try to cut the arm that hurt her. However he reacted quickly and clawed at her hoof that was holding the dagger, letting fall into the sea.

Pushing her onto the rock, Hook climbed up on Marooner’s Rock, drawing his cutlass, “Finally,” he said. “Your luck has at last run out.” Rainbow couldn’t do anything but back away as he lifts the cold steel over his head. “Proud and insolent youth,” said Hook, “prepare to meet thy doom.”

Rainbow, knowing she was defeated, shut her eyes for the enviable. That was, until there was a new sound over the splashing of the waves.

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock.

When the mare didn’t feel death’s grip, she peeked to find that Hook had turned white with fear. Before she knew it, the captain called for a boat for retreat. In no time, the pirates rowed up to the rock in which he jumped in. Sitting up, Rainbow looked around to see what brought this sudden but very fortunate good luck.

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock.

In the moonlight, she could have sworn that she saw the back of a huge crocodile pursuing the pirates.

“Peter!” her ears picked up on Wendy’s voice. “Where are you?” Rainbow looked around on the slippery rock, and found Wendy swimming towards the rock, looking exhausted. “Peter?”

“Up here,” Rainbow said, carefully trying to reach out to her with her uninjured hoof. “I’m hurt Wendy.”

The girl climbed on the lonely rock, completely out of breath and dripping wet. The Pegasus tried to dry her off with her only workable wing. “We’ve really got to get off this rock,” she said, “I think the tide is raising.”

“We must go,” Wendy said, almost brightly.

“Of course we’ve gotta go.”

“Shall we swim or fly, Peter?”

Rainbow shook her head, “Can you swim or fly to the island without my help Wendy?”

“I don’t think I can, I’m too tired to do so.”

The multi-color mare moaned.

“What is it?” the human asked anxiously.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no way I can help you. Hook busted my wing and my hoof. I can’t fly or swim.”

“Do you mean we shall both be drowned?”

“The water’s rising fast. And… I don’t know what to do.”

Both of them had the thought that they would drown on that rock, which was until something brushed up against Rainbow. She looked to find it was the tail of a kite. The mare recognized it as the one Michael made a few days ago but got lose and flew away.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash got an idea, “Michael’s kite, that’s it!” she grabbed the tail of it, pulling it down towards them, “If this thing lifted Michael off the ground, then why not you too?”

“Both of us!”

“But this thing can’t lift two; Michael and Curly tried it already.”

“Let us draw lots,” Wendy said bravely.

“I am not taking no as an answer,” Rainbow forcefully place the tail into Wendy’s hands. A wind from the sea came, and the kite flew, taking the girl with her.

“Peter!” she cried as she was lifted off from the rock.

“Don’t let go Wendy!” the mare cried out, watching the girl fly towards the island, hoping that she would be safe while she was left alone on Marooner’s Rock. She looked down as the waves lapped over the stone again and again.

For the first time since coming to this island, Rainbow Dash did feel fear. She couldn’t fly, she couldn’t swim, and she was alone. With no one, not her old or new friends to help her out, the sea was rising, threating to swallow it and her along with it. Only a thought came to her head before she felt the wind in her face.

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.”

She blinked a few times as the wind grew stronger, and before she knew it, she was flying again towards the window of the nursery.
> Chapter 11: Defiance.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shining Armor, after shaking his head to clear it, stood back up on his hooves. “Look… Cinderella isn’t it?” the white alicorn nodded, “We need to have our Celestia back.”

“But why? I hath all of her memories and experiences. Why couldn’t I rule if I have within me thousands of years of wisdom inside mine head?”

“Because the Celestia we know is our family,” Cadence stepped forward. “Even if you have all of her memories, I don’t think that makes you her all of a sudden.”

“Cadence is right,” Twilight chimed in. “If anything that Luna has said was true, our Celestia is living and reliving your past over and over again. Do you honestly want an innocent pony to go through what you did in a continues loop for all eternity?”

“But,” Cinderella step backward, her wings open up. “Why would it matter if it never was real to begin with? If I go back, I’ll return knowing that I and everyone that I know doth not have a choice at all since it’s been already written for them. Every word they say, every action they commit, and every event that has, is, and will happen is already written down. Knowing that my life is a fairy tale for children, why wouldst thou return to that place in which thou hast no free will?” At this, she kicked open the door.

“Cinderella,” Shining asked in alarm, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Doth thou not see? Here, I have true freedom. Where fate cannot touch his icy hand to do or make me say things that I do not wish to see. No stepmothers to abuse me, no stepsisters to humiliate me, and no author for me to be their plaything. Because here in this land of Equestria, I am free. And I do not wish to lose it.”

Before any of them could react, the white Alicorn suddenly took off.

“Hey!” the trio yelled as Cadence and Twilight too spread their wings and gave chase while Shining called out to assemble the guard.

“Don’t let her out of the castle!” the Prince cried. While the guards saluted and they too went after her, Shining opened a window to cast a shield over the palace. 

_*_

“Cinderella, wait!” Twilight yelled. Neither she nor Cadence has any idea where the white Alicorn was going. They’ve cast spells over the windows and doors so to prevent her from getting out, but still she is still running.

The maid did have an idea where she was going. She knew that going out any of the doors or windows to the outside isn’t going to happen. However, her other memories told her that there was another way out of the palace. In the meantime, she cut the chains of chandlers, barricaded doors, melted locks, just so to give her enough time to reach it. 

But that didn’t stop two Alicorns in pursuit, along with legions of guards that try to stop their mad Princess.

“Where is she going?” Twilight asked. “She’s not taking any of the exits.”

“Maybe she’s not taking a direct root,” Cadence suggested. “She’s going towards the lower levels of…” her eyes widen, “Twilie, we need to split up.” She turned to the guards following them, “You guys follow Cinderella, and the rest follow me!” With that, two groups were made that split off in different hallways of the castle.

Twilight followed Celestia as she tried to barricade each room that she passes. But with a blast or two of her magic she and the Solar Guard follow her as they went down into the basement levels of the castle, into the catacombs of Mt. Canterlot.

“Cinderella! Stop! We can work this out!” but still, she kept on running.

Luckily as they went down a passage, they found that the white Alicorn stopped at a wall of her brother’s aura. But before the maid could escape someplace else, she found herself walled up by another’s magic at which point Cadence walked out from.

“Enough of this!” she said, “Cinderella, we can help you. You don’t have to run from us.”

“Oh yes I can,” the white mare said as her horn flared a blinding light. The next thing everypony knew, they found her galloping on the other side of Shining’s field, heading deeper into the darkness.

_*_

Zecora had promised to look after Scheherazade while the three fillies returned to the schoolhouse. The mare promised them that she will do all she can to return them back to normal. Spike meanwhile has gone into town to see if he could find any clue as to where Rainbow, Fluttershy and Applejack had gone off to.

“Look on the bright side,” Scootaloo said, “at least your sister is in good hooves now.”

“I suppose,” Sweetie Belle replied. “But it does make you wonder about everypony else, doesn’t it? I mean, we thought that they would have headed towards the library, but they’re not there. Where else would they go to figure out where they are?”

By now, they were getting closer to the school grounds in which they found a good number of students crowding around at either by the tree or at the schoolhouse window. Applebloom picked up a familiar rainbow mane where the tree with the swing was, “Ah think Ah’ve found them.”

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo inquired as they looked to where their yellow friend was looking at. Their curiosities lead them into the playground where they saw what all the foals had gathered around. It was Rainbow Dash alright, but for whatever reason she was covered in leaves.

“…. So what’s it like?” one of the fillies asked.

“It’s an island,” Peter said as he climbed up the ropes of the swing. “It’s so small that we barely have time between one adventure and another. Where it’s winter, summer, spring and fall, all at the same time on different parts of the island. It’s a place where fairies come for adventure, where in a Lagoon the Mermaids swim, where the Indians hunt, where bloodthirsty pirates protect their treasure, and home to the Lost Boys that I’m captain over.”

“Rainbow?” Scootaloo pushed through until she got up to the swing. “What are you doing?”

The sky blue Pegasus leaned over to the filly that addressed her. Peter cocked an eyebrow, “You look familiar… Scoots aren’t it?”

“Well, yeah. But what are you doing here for? Aren’t you supposed to be practicing or taking a nap?”

“I would be doing something fun by now,” he said, “If it weren’t for that stuck up nanny.”

The Crusaders blinked, “Nanny?”

Peter looked over at the schoolhouse before giving a wicked smile, “But since she’s not looking, how about some of you like to go play?”

“But we can’t do that,” somepony in the group objected. “We’d get into trouble.”

“So?” Peter swung around in the ropes. “What’s the point of having fun if there’s nothing to make it all exciting about? Especially if there’s no risk involved? So what do you all say? How about we form a new Lost Boys among ourselves?”

The colts and fillies talked among themselves, intrigued at the idea. “Would that mean that nopony gets to tell us when to go to bed?”

“No,” Peter answered.

“And that we can eat whatever we want, whenever we want?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“So we don’t have to spend the whole day in school learning things, and instead we can just play all day long.”

“A Lost Boy is always free,” the Neverland child grinned. “Come with me, for I am Youth, Liberty, and Joy to all children! Let us have ourselves an adventure now!”

The foals agreed to this, and with Peter Pan spreading his wings, he urged them to follow him, leaving the Crusaders behind.

“Well that was a sudden turn of events,” Sweetie Belle commented.

“Ah’ll say,” Applebloom agreed. “We need to get Ms. Cheerliee now before somepony breaks a bone.”

“Actually,” Scootaloo said, getting an idea, “why not you two go get Cheerliee while I go see where they’re going. That way I can let you girls know what’s happening and where they’re at.”

“Okay,” the yellow filly nodded. “Ya go along ahead, and if there’s any real trouble, come and fine us.”

With a solute, the orange Pegasus hunted down the new Lost Boys. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle entered into the schoolhouse to find the most surreal thing they’ve seen outside of Discord coming to town. Sitting down in the by the tinny desks were Applejack and Fluttershy that sat there like students, while their teacher was talking directly to one of Equestria’s princes who for some reason held a umbrella and a carpetbag in one hoof.

“Surely you must have some idea where Great Britain is,” the white unicorn said, “Or at least heard of the British Empire that stretches all over the globe.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling well, Your Majesty?” the purple Earth Pony looked at the stallion puzzled with a hint of worry.

“There you go again,” Mary poked at her withers, “changing the subject. I say, really Ms. Cheerliee, when someone asks you a question you give it straight forward and not dancing away from it.”

“But I’m telling you, I don’t understand what you’re even talking about.”

“You are a teacher, are you not?”

“Yes?”

“And you’re responsible for teaching children what they need to know about the world such as countries and whatnot.”

“Well yes but-”

“Then asking you if you know which way is to England should be a simple problem to answer.”

While the two of them went back and forth, Applebloom went up the orange mare that was sitting in Dinkie’s seat. “Sis?”

“Huh?” she looked at her, “Oh, it’s you again.”

“AJ, uh… it is you, isn’t it?”

“If you’re implying that she’s Applejack,” Alice said who was sitting the desk beside her. “Them I’m afraid you’re mistaken, her real name is Dorothy Gale, from Kansas.”

“And this is Alice,” Dorothy waved over to her, “she’s from England.”

“Oh joy,” Sweetie gave a heaved sigh, “Just as we thought. First my sister thinks she’s a queen, Rainbow Dash believes she’s the captain of some island, and now this?”

“What’s Prince Blueblood doing here anyway?” Applebloom asked.

“Ms. Poppins is looking over us as we’re trying to figure out how to get back,” Alice answered. “Although I do think that she gets offended a little too easily.”

“I heard that,” Mary told her before resuming arguing with the teacher.

“So why are y’all sittin’ at the desks for?” the little apple inquired. “Ya look a little ridiculous sitting down at the when yer so big.”

“But we’re still children,” Dorothy answered. “So until Mary or the teacher says otherwise, we have to sit here.”

“Children?” both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle asked simultaneously. 

“Now hold on,” the little unicorn asked, “How old do you two think you are?”

“She’s five,” the yellow mare told them, “and I’m seven-and-a-half exactly.”

“Dear Luna, this day’s jus’ gettin’ weirder and weirder,” Applebloom pulled her face with her hooves. “Can this day get any stranger?”

As if a direct reply from the universe, they heard a “POP!” and a certain pink mare dropped from the ceiling and onto the desks. Not to say that it made most of the ponies in the room jump as Mr. Wonka collapsed onto the floor with his face covered in a sticky pink bubblegum before he licked it clean with his stretchy tongue. He then took out a little spiral notebook and started to jot down, “Too much flour.”

“Pinkie?” Sweetie Belle asked, “Where’d you come from?”

“That’s Mr. Willy Wonka to you little mis,” he replied. “And I haven’t come from anywhere; I’ve been on the ceiling for a good five minutes, far too long if you ask me. I would have introduced myself earlier if the bubble that was holding me up there popped earlier.”

Applebloom looked up, “Ya mean like you blew a bubble and you’ve been floatin’ up there?”

“Exactly,” Mr. Wonka nodded. “Although I was hoping it would have lasted for a full minute instead of five. I guess I put in too much flour in to make me stay up there for so long.”

“Where’s Peter?” Mary asked, taking noticed out the window of the Rainbow mare’s absence.

“Oh! That’s what we’ve came in fer,” Applebloom went up to her teacher. “Ms. Cheerliee, Rainbow’s convinced a good chuck of the class ta follow her in… Ah don’t know some youth revolution or somethin’ and left the playground. Ah don’t think that she’s in her right mind, just like them,” she gestured over to the other adults in the room.

“Where did they go?” their teacher asked.

“By the looks of it,” Sweetie Belle leaned over at an open window. “It looks like they’re headed towards town.”

Mary frowned, “That boy is much more difficult than I anticipated.” She put down the carpetbag, opened it, and pulled out a yardstick out of it. “Alice, Dorothy… Mr. Wonka, if you could please remain here, I am off to discipline that troublemaker.”

“I’m coming too,” Cheerliee said, “You know what, class is dismissed for the day girls. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, can I trust taking Applejack and Fluttershy back to their homes?”

“Ah don’t see why not,” Applebloom said.

Mary nodded, “Very well. How old are you two?”

“Ten,” both Crusaders replied.

“We can take them to Sweet Apple Archers until this settles down,” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“Now that’s settled,” Poppins began marching forward, “I have a rudely boy to find.”
> Chapter 12: To Ponyville!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Great, just great!” Twilight paced around the Royal Library. Her mane was curling cowlicks as her stress levels climbed higher and higher. “How come I’m just learning about those emergency tunnels now? That expands to all over Equestria no less!”

“Twile,” her brother spoke but her sister didn’t hear it.

“So what do we do now? There’s a fictional character that’s running around with the most powerful Alicorn in existence and nopony know’s where exactly she’s gone to!”

“Twilight,” Cadence started but was too ignored.

“Not to mention that my own friends are in the same state too! Come to think of it, did any of them have the personality of a villain? What would Equestria do if a monster from a book I’ve never read were suddenly to pop up while we’re looking for Celestia’s body?”

“Uh Twilight,” the pink Alicorn said a little louder before her sister-in-law started to fly up to the ceiling.

“Oh, did I forget to mention that Luna is pretty much out cold at this point with being so sleep deprived? How are we going to find anypony at this point where I don’t exactly have a spell to even locate where any of them-”

“TWILIGHT!” the couple screamed before the Princess of Friendship could impale the ceiling.

Cadence was the one that help lowered the Alicorn back to earth. “Twilight, I know perfectly well how stressful this is on everyone and that we have so many problems. But let’s deal with them one at a time. And Twilie,” she had her use the breathing technique of drawing her foreleg close to her withers before extending it out.

“Right then, priorities first,” Shining said, turning to the map of Equestria. “We can look for your friends later, but for now we ought to focus on where Cinderella has gone to.”

“But did you forget the part when I specifically mention about ‘tunnels’ and ‘extending all over Equestria?’” Twilight deadpanned, “How are we going to find her if she could have taken any route to anywhere?”

“She has Celestia’s memories,” Cadence pointed out. “Maybe that would give us a clue.”

Both Shining and Twilight looked to her, “What do you mean?” they inquired.

“Think about it, if you were tossed into an alien world where you’ve gained the memories of somepony that knows that world like the back of their hoof – and not to mention that you’ve grown up in a household that treats you like a slave, that you want to avoid from ponies as much as possible, where would you go?”

The siblings turned to the map once more in deep thought. “She would most likely avoid the cities or the national parks,” the white unicorn said.

“And she would certainly want to keep away from anyplace that’s dangerous too…” Twilight added. “What if she goes someplace that’s rarely visited yet, familiar?”

“So that only leaves…”

Both brother and sister pointed to the only part on the map that matches up their deductions, “The Castel of the Two Sisters!”

Twilight turned to Cadence, “Do you still have that crystal train of yours? I think we need to make a stop in Ponyville.”

_*_

“Huh, this certainly gotten out of hoof pretty quickly,” Scootaloo said to herself at what was unfolding before her.

It wasn’t uncommon to see a creature or a supervillain try to take over the world starting from Ponyville. Nor was it uncommon to see some chaos going on every now and again that had nothing to do with Discord. This however took the cake.

Apparently from Peter, he suddenly decided to play a game called: “Pirate Raid.” In which the goal of it was to capture as much treasure that the foals valued as possible. Although the adults tried to stop them, colts and fillies were running off with bags and carts full of toys, candy, comic books, crayons, just to name a few. 

Some of them have somehow either trapped the adults or tied and gaged them while the others made off with whatever they wanted.

Then she found the Rainbow mare as she was ransacking Sugar Cube Corner.

“Rainbow Dash!” the orange filly called out, “What are you doing!”

“Ah! Just what we need,” Peter sloop down to her scooter, “I see that candy maker has gotten loose. Go have her chase you while the others get the good stuff.”

“Have you gone insane?” Scootaloo questioned. “Rainbow-”

“Peter,” the blue Pegasus corrected.

“Whatever! Do you have any idea how much in trouble you’re getting yourself into? Don’t get me wrong, I like doing risky things as the next filly, but out right robbery?”

“We’re playing pirate-”

“This isn’t pretend!” Scootaloo shouted, in which several foals turned their heads to her. “I mean look around! Kids are robbing from their parents and their friend’s parents? Tying them up? At what point do you think that maybe, just maybe that this is going too far! For Celestia’s sake, I don’t care what or who you say you are, YOU, ARE, AN, ADULT! This isn’t you Rainbow and I know it!”

Once the filly was finished with her rant, she took noticed at the wide-eyed audience that heard her. She looked up at Peter who blinked.

“I couldn’t say it better myself,” a voice said before Peter got smacked over the head with a ruler.

“Ow! What the-” Peter covered his aching head, looking for who hit him. And he wasn’t surprised when he found Mary and Cheerliee behind him.

“Peter Pan,” the white unicorn scolded, “I thought we’ve already talked about stealing this morning. So it’s clear that you haven’t learned anything from it, apart for leading a mob too.”

Cheerliee step forward, “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves; following a blind leader into doing all of this. Now, all of you return what you’ve stolen, give the owners an apology, and untie all the parents as well.”

“Don’t listen to her!” Peter cried, “She’ll undo all we- OW!” another smack to the back of the head.

“Come along Peter,” the nanny said as she started to walk off, taking the blue mare by the ear with her new magic. “You young man, are going to the schoolhouse, and I’m not going to allow you to leave until you write the phrase: ‘I will not steal or start a revolution,’ One hundred times.”

“But I can’t write,” The Neverland boy protested, “or count for that matter.”

“First I teach you, and then you’ll wright ‘I will not steal or start a revolution,” a hundred times.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Neither is leading a rebellion, now come along!”

It was then that a piercing stretch was heard and it was coming from the railroad tracks.

_*_

The Crystal Train pulled up to the tinny station in which the passenger car opened up to let three ponies out. Twilight was leading Cadence and Shining as they galloped towards the town. “There’s a path that goes into the Everfree,” she said. “I think if we’re lucky, we might be able to find Cinderella.”

“But what do we do if we find her?” Shining asked. “She broke through my shield for crying out loud!”

“Don’t worry,” she said as they entered into the town square. “I still know a few spells we can try to catch her.”

“Okay, and Cade, you do you have any idea where exactly she might be popping up? Cadence?” Shining looked around to find that his wife stopped a little ways behind, so taking notice, that siblings went up to her. “Hon, why are you standing around for?”

“I think I found Bluey,” she said, pointed down one of the streets to where a white unicorn was dragging a fussing blue Pegasus behind by the ear. The Princess of Love trotted over to the stallion, calling out, “Blueblood!” The blond unicorn looked to see who was calling. “Bluey, what are you doing way out here?”

Marry blinked, “You seem familiar, have we met?”

“What are you talking about? It’s me, Cadence. Your cousin?”

The nanny tilted her head, “I think I’ve seen you in my other memories. The optimistic one I think that goes around with a white knight by your side. But at the moment, I’ll have you know that I am not Prince Blueblood. My name is Mary Poppins, and this child is in desperate need of discipline.”

“Rainbow?” Twilight trotted behind, “Why are you covered in leaves?”

The Neverland boy groaned, “For the last time, it’s Peter Pan! Why can’t anybody get that righ- ow!” there was a tug on the ear.

“That’s enough from you,” Mary scolded, “You’ve already caused enough trouble for one day.” She turned back up to the trio, “Now if you’d excuse me, I have to take him to the schoolhouse.”

“Why the school?” Shining inquired.

“So I can make sure he writes out, ‘I will not steal or start a revolution,’ two hundred times.”

It was then that Twilight got an idea, “Actually, why not you go to the castle over there.” She pointed over, “There’s a huge chalkboard that I’m not using over there that’s a good deal bigger then what they have at the school.”

Mary raised an eyebrow, “Is that so?”

“Yeah, I use it to solve some complicated mathematics, but since I’m busy today, I could let you borrow it for as long as you need to. All you have to do is go right in and turned right to the first hallway until you go into the library.”

The nanny considered this for a moment, “Very well. At least it will be a shorter walk then the school. Although I still need to pick up the two other children as well.”

“What children?” Cadence asked.

“They’re two little girls that are in the same predicament as we are. There’s a yellow Pegasus name Alice and an orange pony name Dorothy. Those two should be going towards a farm called Sweet Apple… something. I hope you know what I’m referring to?”

“Sweet Apple Acres,” Twilight said.

“That’s the one. If one of you could fetch them sometime and bring them over to the castle, that would be much appreciated.” The unicorn started to walk towards the Crystal structure in the center of town, dragging the rainbow mare along.

“I wish I had my dagger with me now,” Peter muttered.

“And for that, you’ll be writing three hundred.”

“Ugh!”

“Four hundred then,” Mary said as she made her march.

As for the trio, Twilight commented, “Well, at least that mostly takes care of one problem. Now come on, the path towards the ruins are this way!”

_*_

Cinderella pushed against the false stone wall until it started to crack open. Pushing away the caked on dust and cobwebs until there was enough room to slip through. Although she knew that she never been to this place in her life, part of her looked on at the vast room in familiarity. Looking up, she can see that part of the tall stone roof has been long collapsed, opening itself to the sky.

One of the things she noticed was how quiet it all was. The ruins of the abandoned castle had an odd tranquility among the light and shadow.  As she walked further in, she took notice of both stonework and vegetation that continuously die and regrow over the years. Here and there, she spotted tapestries from long ago still hung, still move in the breeze.

But for the maid, she had an idea where she was going. With the help of her wings to propel her up some of the shattered stairs, she came up to a door that with on tap had disintegrated. Jumping over the sawdust, she was inside of a bedroom in which she found that the ceiling was still intact. Not only that, but she was thankful that there was still a bed, ancient books, and a fireplace. Of course, it was in desperate need of dusting and the bed needs to be stuffed with fresh straw, but otherwise, it was a good hiding place.

“What a perfect place to begin a new life,” she said to herself as she went to the window. “I do believeth that a forest such as this would yield plenty of food to gather, and a river to carry water from. With this new knowledge of magic also, my daily tasks shalt be an ease of a burden upon my shoulders.”

Yet, what she didn’t know that at the gate of the castle, three ponies were preparing a plan for her.
> Chapter 13: Of Playtime and Confrontation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For two of the three Crusaders, they had their share of weird days before. Sometimes those events were taken place with their sisters as they became part of their adventures. But both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle have to agree, out of all the strangeness they’ve endured, this was probably go on top of the list.

“But how could one swift kick to any tree help bring down so many apples?” Alice asked, “And would those apples go everywhere other than the baskets?”

“They jus’ do,” Applebloom answered. “Ah don’t know how all the apples fall anywhere other than the basket, but they jus’ do. Maybe it’s some sort of magic Ah guess.”

“And where does magic come from?” Dorothy inquired. “It’s something that my other memories knows, but doesn’t know how.”

“Uh…” the yellow apple turned to her friend. “Any answers?”

“You two are asking a lot of tough questions,” the white unicorn pointed out.

“That’s because you two are older than us,” Alice replied, “Even if it’s by a few years.”

Applebloom sighed, “This is still weird.”

“Look,” Dorothy said as she trotted up to Applebloom, “Where I come from, I never had a sister or a brother even. Although I know we’ve never met until this morning, it’s as if I’ve known you for all my life. So it’s rather odd for me as well, but at the same time, it’s comforting.”

The yellow pony looked up at her, cocking an eyebrow. “Comforting?”

“You see, while I was in Oz, all I can think about was to figure out how to get back to Kansas where I left my Uncle and Aunt behind. They were the closest thing to family I have because my real mother died when I was just a baby. So I don’t have any memory of her.”

“Neither do Ah,” she said, her ears folded back.

“But here,” Dorothy smiled, “I have memories of having a wonderful little sister, a big brother, and a grandmother that I never had. Sure, I may not have Uncle Henry and Aunt Em, but at least I have a family here.”

“Except,” Sweetie said, “If you’re actually younger than us, wouldn’t that mean that you’re actually her little sister?”

“She’s right you now,” Alice commented. “Even though we may look older, we’re still children in here,” she tapped the side of her head.

Dorothy looked around the apple orchard they’ve been walked through, “Applebloom, where are going again?”

“To our clubhouse up ahead,” she said. “Ah think it’ll be a good place to stay until this sort of thing settles down. But fer now, maybe we can play.”

“That is if you want to,” Sweetie added.

Alice and Dorothy looked at one another, “What do you want to play?” the yellow Pegasus asked.

_*_

“Okay, before we go in,” Shining said as they were in the entry of the old ruin castle. “Does everypony remember the plan?”

Twilight nodded, “Once we find Cinderella, Cadence will distract her while I use my freeze spell to hold her in place while Shining place the anti-ring as well as bind her wings and legs. After that, we take her to my castle to convince her to return to the book.”

“Question,” Cadence said, “While we were casing her in the caves, how come you didn’t use it?”

“Because I know it wouldn’t last,” the lilac Alicorn answered. “The spell, especially on somepony like Celestia, would require a good amount of energy just to keep her still for a minute or two. This is why Shining has brought the things to keep her still until we sort this out.”

“Right,” the white unicorn held up the anti-magic ring and some enchanted rope. “Now all we need to do is to find where she is.”

Cadence thought for a moment, “If she comes here to hide, I think the first thing she would do is to find a place where it’s suitable to hide in.”

The three ponies agreed, and they set off, quietly, into the remains of the castle. They watched their step as they quietly went up staircases and down decaying hallways, keeping their ears perked for any sign of Cinderella.

For several minutes, they didn’t hear anything except for the occasional bird call or a buzzing bug. But then they heard the opening and closing of a door, followed by hoofsteps. After listening closely, they figured that it was coming from above.

Knowing where the stairs was, Shining and Twilight separate while Cadence went to confront the white Alicorn. The Princess of Love found her as she was descending the stairs. Cinderella’s eyes opened wide, “What! How did-”

“Wait, please listen to me,” it was as far as Cadence got before Cinderella spread her wings. “Wait! Hear me out!”

“Why? So thou can drag me back to that awful life?”

The pink Alicorn shook her head, “I’m not trying to do that.”

“Then what?” Cinderella questioned bitterly.

Taking in a deep breath, she replied. “Simply put, I want the Celestia I know and love to come back. Even though you have her memories and knowledge of her experience, we both know that you’re not really Celestia. And before you accuse me for not knowing your story, I have read it on the way here.”

“Of course you’ve read it! My whole life has been dictated by someone that has me suffer many years of my step-mother! One in which I had no say in! How would thou like it if thou hast found out that thy life was dictated by a writer that’s beyond thy control? In which that writer did not ask thee what thy fate ought to be?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes it matters!” Cinderella’s wings lifted of the staircase. “It ought to concern thee as well! How dose thou know if thou art real at all?”

“This moment, this situation is real to me. Just as it was for Shining as he was in the middle of the woods starving, and was taken advantaged by a witch that wanted to eat him. Even if it was written down in a book, it was all too real for him. Just ask him.”

Cinderella flew over Cadence’s head until she was past her. “Why could thou not leave me alone? What harm hath I done unto thee?”

“It isn’t like that! Look, Cinderella, I am truly sorry for what you’ve been put up with. Everypony, regardless if there are one or not, should be given kindness and respect that they deserve and not be put through such abuse. But do you honestly want Celestia, my aunt, to go through a continuous loop of being a slave to your stepfamily?”

This gave Cinderella a moment of pause. “No. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. But what doth thou wish me to do? Go back?”

Cadence cautiously decended the stone stairs, “It brought my husband back.”

“But what about me?” she questioned. “I know that Princess… Twilight had convinced Hansel to return with the promise of happiness in the end. But how do I know if I wilt see it at all? Not every fairytale hast a happy ending.”

“I’ve already read your story.” The Princess of Love pointed out, “Do you want me to tell you how it ends?”

The white Alicorn shook her head, “I prefer that fate doesn’t tell me so I can be left with the last freedom I have.”

“What is that?”

“The freedom to choose my own destiny,” she answered. “Besides, I’m afraid of going back into the lion’s den once called home.”

Before Cadence could respond, a bright, violet flash appeared over Cinderella, in which she saw that she was held still. “We’ve got her!” her husband cried. The staircase was soon joined with her husband and sister-in-law. “Now let me get these-”

“Shining,” the Princess of Love interrupted. “Let her go.”

This got a shocked surprise from them, “Excuse me?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t think the ring and the ropes are necessary anymore,” she answered. “Twilight, let me handle this, please?”

Reluctantly, she did.

Cinderella, once released from being paralyzed for a moment, looked at her, “What art thou doing?”

“You said that you wanted that freedom of choice, well, I’m giving you that choice.” The pink Alicorn said as she walked forward. “As far as I can see, you have one of two choices: you can either run now, or you can help us.”

“Help thee?”

“Twilight’s friends and Celestia’s nephew are too trapped in the same situation as you are. If I heard right, some of them have the mindset of children. They are lost and confused. They are in need of somepony that knows what you’re going through right now, and looking for guidance. Tell me, do you remember what you’ve promised your mother?”

Cinderella bowed her head, her ears folded back, “‘Dear child, be good and pious, and then the good God will always protect thee, and I will look down on thee from heaven and be near thee.’”

“What do you think your mother would say if she were here?” When the white Alicorn didn’t answer, Cadence places a hoof on her shoulder. “From now on, we won’t force you to go back home. I’ll allow you to think it over. But for now, will you help us setting things right.”

There was a hesitation until the maid nodded.

_*_

At the Crusader clubhouse, the game of pretend was in full swing. Much to the foal’s surprise, both Dorothy and Alice were very good at it, especially when they recreated their adventures in the cramped room. At the moment, they’ve already set out all the chairs and crates out in a long line with toy tea set, apples, and flowers scattered along the table. At the head, Alice was wearing a large newspaper hat asking, “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”

Dorothy scratched her head, “Golly, if only I had any brains, then I might answer that.”

Applebloom rested her chin on her hoof in deep thought. “That’s one tough riddle Mr. Hatter.”

“I’ll say,” Sweetie Belle nodded, “It’s probably as hard as that one riddle. You know the one that asks what walks on four legs at morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening.”

Both fillies thought hard for a while, eventually, Applebloom said, “Welp, Ah give up.”

“Same here,” the little unicorn turned to the yellow Pegasus, “What’s the answer?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea.”

Dorothy cocked her head, “Then what good are riddles, if you don’t know the answer to them?”

“She’s right,” Sweetie agreed, “Doesn’t it seem like a wasteful of time to be asking something like that if there are no answers?”

“If you knew Time as well as I do,” Alice said, adjusting her paper hat, “you wouldn’t talk about wasting it. It’s him.”

“What are you talking about?” Dorothy asked.

“Well of course you don’t!” she said, tossing her head disapprovingly. “I dare say that you never even spoke to Time!”

“Maybe not,” Sweetie said, “but I do know that I have to beat time when I learn about music.”

“Ah! That explains it,” Alice nodded. “He won’t stand being beaten you know. Why, if you were on his good terms, he’d do almost anything you like with the clock. Like for instance, suppose it were nine o’clock in the morning, just time to begin lessons: you’d only have to whisper a hint to Time, and round goes the clock in a twinkling! Half-past one, time for dinner!”

“Y’all are talkin’ as if Time were a pony,” Applebloom pointed out.

“And that accounts for it, you’ve never met Time.”

“There you guys are!” suddenly, Scootaloo burst into the clubhouse. “I’ve been looking for you guys everywhere.”

“So what’s going on,” Sweetie asked, “What’s Rainbow doing?”

“Okay, the good news is that the students that followed Ms. Crazy may or may not have nearly set the town on fire. But at least Cheerliee and Blueblood put a stop to it before things got really out of control.”

“Blueblood?” Dorothy questioned, after thinking a little, she reprise it as, and “You mean the nanny?”

Scootaloo shrugged, “What are you guys doing?”

“We’re playing,” Alice said. “Would you like to join us? We’re having ourselves a mad tea party.”

“Eh…” the orange Pegasus wrinkled her snout, “I think I’ll pass.”
> Chapter 14: The Nanny and the Sultana
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the royal trio was off to fetch Cinderella, Mary Poppins was dragging Peter by the ear towards the massive crystal structure that seemed to take the form of a tree. “For a Princess that has a palace in the middle of a town, one would think there ought to be guards around,” she thought aloud as they walked up the steps and through the front door. As she did so, she entered into a great hall that towered over her in violet, blue and yellow crystal, giving her a moment of pause. ‘Why do I keep having the feeling of déjà vu, especially in here?’

But the nanny shook her head and resumed to go to the first hallway on the right and go forward to the library at the end.  “Now then Peter, what is it that you’re about to write six hundred times?”

The blue Pegasus groaned, “’I will not steal or start a revolution.’ But I keep telling you, I can’t write, not even the smallest word.”

“And I’ll tell you once more, I’ll teach you how.” She opened the library door, “After that you may start your-” This was as far as she got before she ran into something.

“Oh! Beg your pardon,” Mary backed up to find that she ran into a Zebra, “I didn’t see you barged in.”

“Who are you?”

“Zecora is my name, though I could ask the same. Are you are Blueblood, the Princely stud, or maybe you are some other character in a different cover?”

“Well, since you asked. My name is Mary Poppins, tell me, do you know where there’s a nearby chalkboard?”

The shamare looked over the unicorn’s shoulder. “Is that Rainbow Dash in your shadow, or is it some other that you know?”

“It’s none of your concern,” she said. “You haven’t answered my question.”

With a raise eyebrow, she pointed over to where the huge chalkboard was. “What you seek is over there, and I should let you be made aware that this does concern me, because I’m dealing with a pony like thee.”

“You mean there’s someone else here?” Peter asked as the nanny pulled him towards the board.

“What did I say about talking?” Mary asked scornfully.

“To answer the question from the rainbow, there is another pony that I know. One that I’ve been trying my best to console that she sees her reality isn’t whole.”

Mary raised an eyebrow, “Is that so? So I assume that she’s like us then?”

“She realizes that she is a character of a book, it is still over there if you wanted to look.”

The nanny looked over to where the Zebra was pointing at, and levitated the tome over to her. “Hmm… Tell me, dose this pony say that he or she is a child or an adult?”

“A frighten Queen from afar that realizes she’s in a situation bizarre.”

“Where is she now?”

“Next door in one of the guest rooms, I was off to fetch my special tea before her panic resumes.”

“Why do you rhyme?” the Neverland boy inquired.

“Peter, it isn’t polite to ask personal questions,” Mary then picked up a piece of chalk and wrote down the sentence on the blackboard, “Now copy it.”

“Before I leave to get the tea,” Zecora said, “could you do a favor for me?”

“What?” Mary asked, getting annoyed.

“Could you make sure that she is still in her here now and then, just so she doesn’t try to run off again?”

The nanny placed the piece of chalk into Peter’s hoof, “Very well. But please hurry back, I have this boy to watch over as well.”

_*_

Never in her entire life did Scheherazade ever think that something like this would happen to her. Not in her most wild of fantasies of her universe of an imagination had ever conceived of being in such a situation before. This Queen of Storytellers had invented the remarkable tales of Ali Baba, the rags to riches of Aladdin, and weaved his husband’s personal favorite stories of the Voyages of Sinbad.

But never, with all the sleepless nights of telling the Sultan where she had to improvise each and every story, did she ever thought she would become one herself!

In a guest room, the Sultana was recovering from having such a shock at realizing this. She never thought that she would hold a book in which contained not only her and her husband’s life story, but all of the stories she had ever told him. Even some that she clearly didn’t remember telling him about!

“By Allah, was any of it real?” she asked herself. “Could it hath been that I fell asleep and dreamet it all? That I read from the Arabian Nights and mine sleep convinced me that I was once that Queen of Persia. But why even now that it is still fresh in my memory? Where did that book and this place come from? And why am I here?”

Her mind was spinning. Although she was a cleaver woman, being in such a predicament was giving her a headache. The Zebra, Zecora, had promised that she is going to fetch something to calm both her mind as well as her nerves.

Then, her ears picked up something. It was part tapping and part scratching that was very slow. Curious, Scheherazade rose from the bed to investigate where the sound was coming from. Opening the door, she could trace that it was coming from the library. There was squeaking and at time high pitch grinding as she round the entrance.

There by the enormous chalkboard was a Pegasus as blue as the sky with a piece of white chalk in one hoof and a frown on her face was writing the same thing over and over.  Sitting on a cushion behind the grumpy Pegasus was a white unicorn with a blond mane, forelegs folded with a solemn look.

Scheherazade tilted her head, “Do I know thee?”

Mary looked up and so did Peter, in which Poppins pointed a hoof towards the board. With a frustrated sigh, the Pegasus resumes writing clumsily. “Somehow, I know your face. I think we’ve might have met before. Correct me if I’m wrong, but was cake ever involved?”

“And the feeling of ire against thee as well?” she asked. “I believe so, doth thou knowest the name of Rarity as I am being referred to?”

“I don’t remember your name, but your face is familiar to me.” Then Mary tilted her head, “Why are you speaking in Shakespearean English?”

“Tis the way that I always speak, but tell me, what is thy name?”

“Apparently I have two names today,” Poppins answered, “One is from a cleaver but overall unpleasant stallion name Prince Blueblood. The other, which I know is the real me, is Mary Poppins.”

“How peculiar, so am I, only I do not know which one is the real one. For either I am Rarity, or Queen Scheherazade.”

Peter paused for a moment, “What did you say your name was?”

“Scheherazade?” she raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I think I might have heard from you before,” he said, resuming to coping the same words on the blackboard. “Wendy tells us stories every night from what she heard from her mother. I think she mentioned your name before, that you told a story every single night to the king to save yourself from execution.”

“The story of my life,” she nodded, “I suppose thou hast read my story as well?”

“Are you kidding?” Peter snorted, “I can’t read. Wendy is the one that knows all kinds of stories before any of us Lost Boys go to sleep. She would tell about brave adventurers like Sinbad, or the cleaver bloke Ali Baba and Aladdin. So, are you really her? The first one to tell those stories?”

“What did I say about personal questions?” Mary stepped in. “The sooner you finish your work, the sooner you’ll get to leave.”

“Please excuse me,” the Persian Sultana asked, “But why is he writing the same thing over and over?”

“It’s his punishment,” the nanny said. “This troublemaker has been causing mischief all morning, or at least, one of many.”

“Really? What did she do?”

“I’m a boy,” Peter corrected before Mary pointed at the board.

“It’s rather a long story I’m afraid,” the nanny told her. “With all that has happened to me and the children, I’m not so sure if I’m ready to return to London until everything is straightened out.”

“What is London?” Scheherazade asked, in which she received stunned stares from the two ponies.

“Are you daft?” Mary questioned, “The capital of the British Empire? London, England.”

The queen shook her head, “I’m afraid that I hath no knowledge of this place. I have read adventures of travelers that went to all corners of the world and studied maps from days of yore. But I’m afraid that I do not recall a city called London. Pray tell, what is it like?”

Mary looked on in disbelief until a thought popped in her head, “Hold on, something isn’t right here… Peter, do you know what year this is?”

Peter looked over his shoulder in confusion, “Year?”

“Yes, what year is it, or don’t you know?”

The Neverland boy scratched his head with the tip of his wing. “If I remember this right from Wendy, I think it’s… nineteen-hundred-and… eleven? Why?”

Mary quickly turned to Scheherazade, “What about you? What year do you think it is – from the Gregorian calendar?”

“The calendar of the Christians?” she asked, “Let me think…” the Persian Queen calculated in her head over this question, “I maybe off, but if I’m right, it would be… nearly twelve-thousand-and-seventeen years since the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him). Why would thou ask about the Gregorian cal-”

“Don’t you see there’s a pattern?” Mary asked. “Peter is from the year nineteen-eleven, you’re from the thirteenth century, while I’m from nineteen-thirty-four! Somehow, in some way, we’re not in our own time-frame!”

“But, if thou art right,” Scheherazade said, “then that would mean that not only art we not in our own world, but we art from different periods in history?” She put a hoof underneath her chin, “That… might explain a lot.”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked.

“Tell me, apart from thy pony memories, doth any of thee know about this land called Equestria?” They shook their heads, “What if there’s a reason that we know this now? This morning, I hath found a book in which contained my life, and that of my husband’s, in which holds in the written word, all of my stories done in perfect detail. Then suppose, for a moment, it is the same for both of thee? That out there in this world, there’s a book that contained our lives therein. Each is taken place in a different world, a different city, a different time and circumstance. Suppose, if we art real, these books art but… pockets of our own reality we know so well? But, now we somehow gotten out of it, and here we are. Above all, what if this is a good thing?”

“How, in the name of sanity, is any of that a good thing?” Mary Poppins questioned.

“The fate of a character is set in a book, are they not?” Scheherazade questioned. “That one can open any page of a book, or any part of a scroll to any time of their lives and that character has no say in how it ought to end or begin because everything in a book is fixed. But, if I am right, then that means we art free to do with our fate as we please. The other characters we know from our lives cannot do anything, time for them is frozen until we somehow return to it. Thus giving us all extra time here to do whatever we please, even if we knew how to return, where is the rush?”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded, “this world, this Equestria is full of adventure! For you Poppins, you can go anywhere, take all the time you want and be back in time for tea.”

“I suggest that you use your time wisely,” Mary said, “and get back to that writing.”
> Chapter 15: Family Imprint
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Wonka gave a low whistle, “I wonder what happened here?”

As he hopped back into town, he noticed as he passes by, the adults wore frowns and the children were pulling behind them in their toy wagons or bags of various items around town. The air was perfumed with apologies from the grown-ups as things were being exchanged. He didn’t have to be a detective to see that he was in the middle of an aftermath of something frustrating.

“Ah! There you are!” The chocolatier looked to his right to find a rather crossed Mr. Cake coming his way, “Pinkie, where have you been on your break? Things have been going haywire lately.”

“My apologies sir,” he said. “I’m afraid that I got distracted elsewhere. What happened here?”

The yellow stallion sighed, “The foals were rioting a while ago. Sugar Cube Corner has been ransacked, taking everything, including that new candy that you’ve made out of the counter. We were barricading ourselves in the kitchen this whole time.”

“Really?” Mr. Wonka blinked, “Everything?”		

“Everything that wasn’t in the kitchen, that’s for sure.”

“Oh phew,” the candy maker said in relief. “At least no one gotten into the experimental stuff, that’s good.  What about your wife and the twins?”

“We’re fine, it’s just we have to close shop until we can make everything up again.” They started to head towards the gingerbread shop, “How fast can you make the stuff you made this morning?”

The Chocolatier thought for a moment, “If there are enough ingredients, probably an hour, if not, half an hour.”

Mr. Cake looked on in surprise, “That fast? How is that even possible?”

“It’s quite simple really, even if you find that you simply don’t have enough of anything, you get creative. You’ll be amazed how quickly one can improvise when they need to.”

“What does-”	

“To the kitchen!” Mr. Wonka charged head on into the back door of the shop. As he stepped through, he saw that Mrs. Cake was taking down the barricade of chairs and mixing machines while the twins were crying. 

“Oh there you are dearie,” the blue mare said settling a chair down. “Could you help me with the twins? I’m afraid that I have my hooves tied as it is.”

The Cady Maker scooped the foals into his fore legs, “Now what’s this crying about you two?” he asked. He cautiously sniffed the two, “I don’t think you need changing.” Then he put one ear against Pound’s stomach for a moment, tapping the sides of it gently. Humming, he did the same with Pumpkin, “Hollow, I’m guessing you two are hungry then?” This got a nod from the twins.

“Okay,” looking around the somewhat reassembled kitchen, he went from place to place a bird in a park – checking the fridge, the cabinets and the pantries of all the ingredients that were still left untouched. In the back of Mr. Wonka’s mind, something told him that there was a recipe that came from his other memories. It was the one that the family had taught how to make a kind of mashed dish for the infants.  “Sweet potato mash…” he said to himself before inspiration struck.

In a flash, the Candy Maker’s creativity was in full swing as he snatched up the potatoes, spices, sugar, flour, corn syrup, mixing machines, vanilla extract, milk, cream, eggs, salt, and whatever was lying around and immediately set to work.

“Don’t worry you little Cakes,” he said to the twins as they looked up at him, “you’ll get your meal in no time. You two just gave me an idea.”

_*_

With the final basket of apples stacked into the cart, Big Mac whipped his brow. It’s already the afternoon and he hadn’t seen Applejack anywhere since this morning. ‘What is she doin’ anyway?’ he wondered as he trotted over to the front to hook himself up to the cart. It was on his mind a lot since he saw his sister run out the door shortly after she woke up.

But with or without her, he still got a job to do. With the freshly harvested apples behind him, the red stallion started heading over to the barn when he saw his little sister walk right in. ‘Here already?’ he thought as he looked up at the sun in the sky. ‘Shouldn’t she be gettin’ out of school later?’

His curiosity drove him up to the barn where he unhitched himself before walking up to the door. There he found the smallest Apple looking around. “Applebloom,” he asked aloud, “what are ya doin’ here?”

“Oh, hey Mac,” she said. “Ah’m playin’ hide and seek,” Looking around the barn for a moment she asked, “Ya haven’t seen Alice come in here too by any chance, have ya?”

The crimson stallion tilted his head, “Who’s Alice?”

Realizing what she just said, she corrected herself, “Oh! Ah mean Fluttershy. It’s… kinda a long story.”

With a raise eyebrow, Mac decided to change the subject, “Y’all haven’t seen Applejack around, have ya?”

“You mean Doro- Ah mean, not yet. Ah think she’s hidin’ here somewhere.”

“You mean she’s playin’ with you?”

“No, me and the Crusaders too,” Applebloom looked over into one of the stalls. “Again, it’s a long story.”

With a frustrated snort, he said, “Ah thought she was goin’ ta help me today. Why is AJ playin’ with y’all?”

When his little sister checked the haystacks, only to find it empty, she turned her attention to her big brother. “Do ya remember last night, when AJ jus’ fainted out of the blue when she brought our books home?” he nodded. “Ta make a really long story short, Princess Twi had accidently got a bunch of enchanted books mixed up, and now AJ, Shy, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rare’s and Blueblood now got completely different personalities. In fact, Applejack and Fluttershy think they’re jus’ little foals.”

Big Mac looked at her for a good solid moment, “When ya say, ‘think they’re jus’ little foals,’ how little are we talkin’ about?”

“Well…” Applebloom put a hoof to her chin, “Ah know that Alice- er, Fluttershy, say that she’s seven-and-a-half, while AJ says that she’s six.”

The red farm pony sat on his hunches, rubbing his temples, “Good Celestia,” he moaned. “So why are ya in here again?”

“I think I saw AJ come in here,” his little sister resumed looking around. She peered over at the hay lofts up above in which she saw something moved. Heading towards the latter, she climbed up as quietly as she could. Up into the opening, Macintosh’s little sister disappeared into the upper loft for a moment before she cried out “Found you!”

“Aw,” the older brother heard AJ’s voice say. “How did you know I was here?”

“Saw yer tail,” he then saw Applebloom descend from the latter before the orange pony did.

Dorothy looked over her shoulder at the red stallion near the barn door. As soon as her hooves reached the ground, she trotted up to Big Mac, “I overheard everything,” she said. “In the back of my mind, I somehow knew that I had chores that needed to be done, but I thought that things would return to normal soon. Although I did see you this morning, I think I should introduce myself, my name is Dorothy Gale, how do you do?”

Big Macintosh could do nothing but blink, he could instantly tell that although it still looked like Applejack, and has the same voice, he couldn’t help but notice that her accent had changed dramatically. “Weirded out,” he finally said. “Though, Ah can’t exactly say that Ah’m that surprised given all the weird things around town lately. Is this permanent?”

“I… I don’t really know,” Dorothy confessed. “We’ve been trying to figure out how all morning, but we’ve ran into someone that is helping us once everything is calmed down a bit.” Here, she offered up an apologetic smile, “But I am sorry for not helping you today, even if I’m not Applejack.”

“Ah… think Ah see,” he replied.

“There you are,” they suddenly heard new voices. Big Mac turned around to see the other two Crusaders plus Fluttershy come trotting up. “Do you still want to play hide and seek?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Dorothy Gale looked between her new friends and the red stallion, “Actually,” she said, “I don’t want to play anymore, can I help out my big brother?”

It was then that Alice gave a worried look, “Dorothy dear,” she said. “I thought we were going to wait until Ms. Poppins would come back to get us?”

“I know,” the orange mare replied, “but I just want to get to know my other family for a little while.”

“That’s very kind of you, but don’t you think it won’t be long now until we return home?”

Dorothy again looked at her and the Apple siblings, “Well, couldn’t I stay just a little longer?”

“What?” Applebloom interjected, “Ah thought y’all wanted to get back to yer Aunt and Uncle?”

“I do. But… I don’t want to go just yet.”

Alice’s jaw dropped, “What! After all that we’ve been through this morning, and talked about figuring out how to return, you want to stay!”

“Not forever,” Dorothy said. “It’s just that here, I have a family, a real family! One in which I have a grandmother, a big brother and a little sister, something I didn’t have in Kansas.”

“But Dorothy, do you realize what you’re saying?” Alice questioned, “That you’re in no hurry in getting back to the family that raise you to be with someone who you think is your family?”

“Yes!” the American girl narrowed her eyes. “Because here, although they’re not exactly people, these ponies have treated me like I’m a part of them. As Applejack, I have more friends, relatives, and adventures then I could ever dream back in Kansas!” she stomped a hoof, “If you want to go back to England so bad, then do it! At least leave me be with these ponies that actually care about me!”

“Well I-” Alice’s facial features soured at this before she too stomped a hoof, “Alright, fine! If you want to be stuck here, acting like such a baby over it without using your head, go right ahead! I’ll be going home!” She sharply turned away, heading towards the Crusaders’ Clubhouse. “Of all the unsatisfactory people I’ve met…”

Dorothy, meanwhile, looked up at Macintosh, “Come on, big brother,” she said. “Let’s go harvest some apples.” She said before walking in the opposite direction.

The Crusaders looked at one another, “Well that escalated quickly,” Scootaloo commented.

“Although,” the white unicorn said, “You have to remember that mentally, they’re not as mature as we are.”

“Ah’ll say,” Applebloom looked on as Dorothy and Mac walked into the Northern fields. “It was all goin’ so good too. Ah mean, to had her see them be a kid fer once.”

“So what do we do now?” the orange pegasus asked.

“Maybe we can help,” a familiar voice said. The three fillies quickly located where the voice was coming from, and bowed.

_*_

There were three knocks on the guestroom door, “Hey, you in there?” Spike asked, holding a tea tray up with one claw. “Zecora’s back with that tea she promised.” But from the other side, there was no answer.

Using his free claw to open it, Spike found that the room was empty. “Rarity?” he asked, setting the tea set down before checking the bathroom nearby. “Hello?” he knocked, but after he put an ear to the door, it was completely silent.

“Where did you go?” picking up the tea tray, he went looking for the white mare by going to one of the last places he’d saw her – the library. As he got closer, he heard the sounds of chalk on a board, ‘Is Twilight back already?’ he wondered as he pressed against the double doors. “Hey Shair-, Shar-, Czar-, your Majesty,” he said as he entered, “I brought you your- Blueblood?”