> The Dusk Shine Anomaly
>  by H3lios
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Elements of Harmony Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia's School for Gifted Djinn was the pride of the city of Canterlot, well, after the royal palace of course. It was an internationally renowned university for its record of producing some of the finest spell casters in history. One misconception about the school was that only djinn, a race of human like creatures with the ability to bend magic to their will, were welcome there. This was simply not true, while the vast majority of the student body were djinn, it was not uncommon to see a member of another species there. A seraphim, winged humanoids with the gift of flight, could be found studying weather magic for their domain was the sky and they had power over the wind and the clouds. Even terrans, with nether wings nor a natural affinity for magic, could benefit from the school's teachings of enchantments and alchemy.

The normally peaceful grounds of Celestia's School for Gifted Djinn were interrupted by the sound of panting and rapid foot steps. A young man in a school uniform was quickly making his way down the path with several books in tow and a trail of loose papers behind him. If the papers were important he didn't seem to care as he made his way to a small building on the edge of the courtyard. Dusk Shine was his name, a djinn with lavender hair that had a pink and purple streak running through the left side. Like all djinn, he also possessed an oval shaped, royal purple mana gem on his forehead. The young man had a reputation of being the most talented spell caster since the great Mordenkainen.

"Spike!" he shouted as he burst through the door, "Spike, bro, where are you?"

"Back here," said an annoyed voice from behind the opened door. As it swung closed, out steeped a young dragon rubbing the end of his scaly nose. 

"Oh good, find me a copy of Predictions and Prophecies, I need to confirm something."

"My nose? Oh its fine, Dusk, don't worry about it," Spike replied, conveying his annoyance. "Lets see, predictions, predictions, oh by the way I picked out a present for Moondancer."

"Who?"

"Red-head, thick glasses, has a crush on you that's obvious to everyone BUT you?" Spike answered while looking through the books on the shelf. 

Dusk looked up from the notes he was reading, "Moondanc... oh right, her. Wait, crush? She does not have a crush on me."

"Right, she just always volunteers to be your lab partner and blushes whenever she talks to you because its the in thing right now, ah here it is," Spike handed the book to Dusk who opened it immediately, "are we going to her birthday party tonight or not?"

"Of course not, Spike, this is too important. Lets see, elements, e, e, aha here we go, Elements of Harmony, see: Mare in the Moon?" Dusk arched an eyebrow.

"Mare in the Moon? That's an old fairy tale isn't it?" Spike asked.

"It is, but I think there is a connection here, aha! Mare in the Moon, a fable dating back to early Equestria, it tells of a powerful unicorn who tried to conquer the world but was imprisoned on the moon by the Elements of Harmony. According to legend, on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal." Dusk finished reading and leaned back in his chair. 

"So, what does this have to do with... anything?" Spike asked.

"You remember how I said Celestia was acting strange right? Like she was nervous about something? Well yesterday I saw her looking at one of the stain glass windows in the throne room, the one that shows her defeat of the Nightmare Moon. I asked her about it but she just kept dodging the question, so I decided to do a little research. According to the old records I found, Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to seal Nightmare Moon away one thousand years ago tomorrow." 

"Wait, wait, Elements of Harmony? Like the ones from the fairy tale?" Spike asked, now somewhat interested.

"Exactly, Spike. All myths and legends are loosely based on true events or phenomena. What if the Mare in the Moon isn't a mare at all, what if its actually Nightmare Moon?" Dusk slammed the book closed and stood, he looked at Spike with all the seriousness of an academic laying out his thesis, "it would explain why Princess Celestia has seemed so stressed lately, she knows that Nightmare Moon is coming back!" Dusk walked over to the window and placed both hands on the ledge. He let out a sigh as he looked up at the sky.

"I don't know Dusk, that seems like a stretch. And even if you're right, I'm sure Celestia has it under control." Spike looked at the book detailing the old legend, skimming the text, he then closed the book and went to put it back, climbing on to the step stool so that he could reach the upper shelf. "Besides, she would tell you about something THAT important right?"

"Not if she didn't want me to worry..." Dusk trailed off as a thought came to him. "That's it!" he declared loudly, startling Spike into falling off the step stool for the second time that day, "she must be trying to keep me from panicking. She always was over protective of me." Dusk grabbed his royal purple windbreaker that bore his cutie mark, a pink six pointed star with five smaller white satellites of the same shape. Putting it on he headed for the door, "I bet when I tell her that I've figured it out and she sees that I'm perfectly calm and confident, she'll tell me all about her plan to deal with Nightmare Moon. Come on, lets go see her, court should be over by now."

Spike shook his head as he recovered from his spill and looked up to see an excited Dusk running out the door. "Hey, wait for me!" an excited Dusk was an oblivious Dusk, which meant that a level headed Spike was needed.


***


Moondancer looked at the invitation in her hand for the 4th time in as many minutes. It had to be perfect after all, Dusk Shine would notice any misspelled word or grammatical error, no matter how slight. She had spent two hours on this simple card with a mere two sentences on it trying to make it perfect. The first attempt was too casual which she feared suggested he was just another guest, the next was friendly but she didn't want him to think she just wanted to remain friends. The one after that had been a little too inviting and was crumbled up, burned and the ashes scattered to the winds all in a blind fit of embarrassment. This continued on for several more drafts until she finally settled on a set of words that she was sure conveyed friendship but left the door open for something more. 

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

But the redheaded girl could be forgiven for stressing on the details, after all, the invitation was an integral part of phase one in operation "Get New and Amazing Boyfriend with Date Under the Stars and Kissing" or G.N.A.B.-D.U.S.K. The G was silent. Once Dusk was at her birthday party, she would casually suggest that they go star gazing and watch the predicted lunar eclipse and during the event, she would tell him how she felt. Of course, knowing Dusk, she would have to be direct. Most guys would catch on when they realized it was just the two of them in a romantic setting but things like that didn't work with him. He would honestly believe they were two colleague observing a rare celestial event. 

Moondancer took a deep breath and steeled herself, determination shown through her round glasses. Her friends were right, no more shying away, it was time to put her plan into action. She wouldn't have to wait long, however, as she spotted her target running down the path with Spike in tail. 

"Dusk!" she called out as she ran to intercept him. "Dusk Shine, wait up!" Dusk didn't stop though so she got closer, perhaps too close as they eventually collided.

Moondancer shook her head and looked around, she saw that Dusk, to her inner otaku's disappointment, was not on top of her but off to the side on all fours, slowly getting back up. "ohmygosh I'm so sorry I thought you would stop are you ok?" 

"Ugh, yea I'm fine, sorry I was focused on something else," he said as he got to his feet and offered a hand to help her up.

Moondancer took his hand, ohmygosh hes holding my hand and got to her feet as well. "Say, you have a second?"

"Not really, I have something important to talk with the princess about. So if you're not injured then I have to get going."

"Wait!" Moondancer grabbed his arm as he turned to leave. "I... This is for you," she said, offering the invitation. 

"Oh, um thanks?" Dusk took the invitation and looked it over. Moondancer's heart was in her throat as he read it.

"It's an invitation, to my 20th birthday party. It'd mean a lot to me if you came... I mean because I'd like all my friends to be there," Stupid, let the card to the talking.

Moondancer looked for anything that might indicate what Dusk was thinking but so far the only one who's facial expression changed was Spike who for some reason had a smile that spoke of vindication. "Oh ok sure I'll be there but I really have to go. Important meeting with the princess. Later," Dusk placed the invitation in is jacket and resumed his race towards the palace. 

A few moments later, Moondancer let out a long deep breath and smiled the biggest smile she could. He said yes, woohoo. Phase one complete. To most people, Dusk's dismissive reply would have painted him as cold and cynical, but not to Moondancer. She had known him for a long time, since elementary school. He was very analytical and literal, but when he was enthusiastic about something, his passion shown like the sun. It was a side of Dusk only rarely seen and it was the side she loved. I better go get ready. Tonight's going to be the best night ever...


***


The afternoon sun shown brightly through most of the stained glass window, all except the dark blue of Nightmare Moon's terrifying depiction. In the shadow cast by her image stood two figures. The first was known by all, Princess Celestia, Custodian of the Sun and Moon and guardian of the realm of Equestria. Even in the shadowed light she had a radiance about her. From her back, just below her prismatic hair sprung several strands of light that flowed as if they were weightless. One might describe them as tentacles if 'tentacle' wasn't such an ugly word. They were more like rolls of cloth that had been unfurled underwater. These "wings" as she called them, were the defining characteristic of her station as a nephilim, an ancient guardian of harmony. 

The second figure, in contrast, was much darker than the princess. Standing a whole head shorter and clad in a dark colored trench coat, he would be almost invisible in the shadow cast by Nightmare Moon's window were it not for Celestia's ambiance reflecting off his dark chitin like skin. He had wings as well, but they were a far cry from the majesty of Celestia's. It didn't matter that they weren't beautiful, however, since his wings, and indeed any part of him, were never meant to be seen.

"I understand your concerns, K'vann," Celestia said before she turned to look at the shadowed man, "but I'm confident things will work out."

"I'm only asking what we should do if they don't," K'vann said in his coarse and grainy voice. "What if she's gotten stronger or smarter? A thousand years is a long time to gather one's strength." 

"True, but I've had a thousand years as well. I've prepared to the best of my abilities and once Nightmare Moon is subdued I can finally begin work on removing the darkness that plagues her mind."

IF its a darkness, what will you do if she chose this path of her own free will? K'Vann did not give voice to his thoughts, he knew the princess was aware of that possibility but she clung on to hope. Who was he to take that hope from her, after everything she'd done for him.

"Princess Celestia," a voice echoed from the end of the hall. K'Vann immediately surrounded himself with a green fire that lasted all but a second. When they vanished, they took with them K'Vann and in his place stood an average looking young man in an officer's dress uniform.

"Princess!" the voice called out again as Dusk Shine and his draconian companion ran down the hall towards the pair. "P Prin, hah, one sec," Dusk put his hands on his knees while taking deep breaths. I need to exorcise more he thought to himself.

"I shall take my leave, Your Majesty, Master Dusk, have a wonderful Summer Sun Celebration."

"You as well, Kevin," Celestia smiled as the young 'man' turned about face and walked towards the exit. As he strode past Dusk, he glanced down at the out of breath scholar and Dusk in turn looked up at him. Their eyes meet only for an instant but Dusk felt that all to familiar chill that he got whenever he saw Kevin. The man seemed nice enough the few times they had met in the past if a bit formal but Dusk could never shake the feeling that something was off with him.

Once Kevin had left the room, Dusk recovered enough to speak normally, "that guy gives me the creeps." Celestia merely giggled.

"Special Agent Kevin has an air about him, true, but it's born of his... unique experiences. Perhaps one day you'll learn about them, but for now, what brings you here in such a hurry, my dear student?"

"Oh, right!" Dusk snapped his attention back to the princess. "I've figured it out, Princess, and I want you to know I'm not scared. In fact I'm more than willing to help." Dusk said.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean Dusk."

"About the Mare in the Moon! She wasn't some ancient unicorn, she was Nightmare Moon, and according to the prophecy, her return is imminent. I know you're trying to look out for me and didn't say anything so I wouldn't worry and I appreciate that. But I am your humble student and its my duty to assist you in this matter." Dusk stood smiling in anticipation of the praise that was sure to receive.

Princess Celestia blinked, her expression unreadable for the moment then she let out a soft laugh. "Oh Dusk, you really need to stop reading those dusty old tomes."

Spike made a mental note to himself to hack into the palace security crystal footage so that he could re watch this moment as he was certain he heard an electrical sounding pop in the vicinity of Dusk's head.


***


It was early the next morning when five figures stood around a royal transport that was prepping for departure. Spike was busy loading the last of the luggage while a still disgruntled Dusk Shine was saying goodbye to his family. His parents, Nightlight and Twilight Velvet both hugged him but it did little to improve his mood. 

"Come on son, you gonna be moapy all the whole time your in Ponyville?" his father, Nighlight asked.

"I'm not moapy, I'm brooding. Moapy implies sadness."

"Now is that the kind of attitude a representative of the Princess should have?" Twilight Velvet asked. 

"No, mom, but I cant help it! I know I'm on to something, why else would Celestia be so vague and dismissive?"

"Maybe because there's really nothing more to tell and you're looking too deeply into it like you always do?" the fifth figure smirked. A young woman just a few years older than Dusk clad in royal guard armor. 

"Gleaming Shield! You're supposed to be on my side! What happened to 'SSSFF'?" 

"Aren't you two  a little old for that 'Super Shining Siblings' thing?" Twilight asked?

"We'll never be too old for triple S F," Dusk and Gleaming said in unison, then high fived each other.

"Well, we're ready to leave," Spike called out from inside the transport. 

Dusk sighed and gave his family one last farewell. "Take care of yourself Sweetie," his mother called to him as he boarded the transporter, "and don't forget to write home!"

"Come on mom, its not like I'm going to be living in Ponyville from now on."

Dusk barely said a word the entire flight from Canterlot to Ponyville, his mind replaying last night's meeting with Princess Celestia over and over again.

"I don't understand, how could Nightmare Moon not be real? I spent days studying ancient history and it all points to the same conclusion!" 

"I never said she wasn't real, Dusk Shine, but I promise you its not something you need to worry yourself about." Celestia never lost her loving smile as she placed a hand on Dusk's shoulder.

"Why not? Do you think I can't handle it? Do you... not trust me?"

Celestia's smile faltered a little at that, "Dusk, my dearest, most faithful student Dusk. You know that a value your diligence and trust you completely." Her tone was reassuring but authoritative at the same time, "but I need you to understand, there is more to a person's life than studying. That's why I have an important assignment for you." At that, Dusk immediately looked up, devoting his full attention to her. "I'm sending you to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration in this year's location: Ponyville. But, in addition to that, I have an even more important task for you," her face turned serious, "quite possibly the most important task I can ever give you."

Dusk gulped, "yes?"

Princess Celestia smiled once again before she spoke.

"Make some friends?" Dusk said to himself, "why is she treating me like a child? This is whole supervisor thing is clearly meant to keep me out of the way, and friends? I have plenty of friends!"

"Name one," Spike said without looking up from the list of supervisory tasks he was checking over.

"Hah, there's you, and Gleaming, and-"

"That's family, name one REAL friend."

"What do you mean real friend?"

"You know," spike waved a claw in the air nonchalantly, "someone you met that you hang out with and share hobbies with? A friend."

"Oh well there's, um..." Dusk thought for a moment, "there's Twinkleshi... no we talk at school but we don't really hang out. What about Mr. Astr... no hes a teacher. Huh,"  Dusk blinked, "I guess I don't really have any friends."

"Look on the bright side, the place we're staying is part of the town's library. Doesn't that make you happy?"

Dusk thought for a moment then smirked, "yes, as a mater of fact it does. You know why? Because I'm right! I'll check on the preparations as fast as I can then get back to my research. I'll find proof that Nightmare Moon is returning."

"And then will you work on making friends?" Spike asked, "it was part of the Princess' order after all."

"Her order's were to check on the preparations and I intend to do just that. But the friend part was just her trying to coddle me," Dusk returned his gaze to the window. The fate of Equestria does not depend on me making friends.

The transport arrived in Ponyville where Dusk and Spike unloaded into the town square. The pilot turned back to his two passengers, "We'll drop your suit case off at the library where you'll be staying," He said.

"Thank you Sir, I appreciate it," Dusk said as the pilot nodded and lifted off again. Dusk took in his surroundings. The square was bustling with people from all walks of life moving to and fro. Terrans walked about on the ground while the sky was filled with seraphim. As the duo took in the sights, Spike noticed a perky young girl coming their way. If he had to describe her in one word it would be... pink. Everything from her curly hair to her T-shirt, even her skirt and socks were all different shades of pink, all except for the emblem on her shirt which consisted of three balloons, two blue and one yellow. She bounded towards them, seemingly lost in her own rhythm.

"Maybe the people here are more interesting than you think," Spike gestured to the bouncing young woman as she came ever closer to the pair. "Come on just give it a try."

Dusk sighed, "fine." The pink girl came to a stop just as she reached Dusk. She eyed the two carefully for a moment, her smile slowly shrinking into a more neutral expression. "Hello," Dusk said as he offered his hand to the girl, "my name is Dusk Shine and I-" He never got to finish his sentence. The pink girl let out a huge gasp, her face taking on a look of shock and horror. Though she said nothing, she immediately dashed off in the opposite direction, running faster than Dusk thought humanly possible.

Dusk blinked, his hand still outstretched, "well, I guess we found the neighborhood drug dealer..."


***


Dusk and Spike walked down the dirt path leading to the outskirts of Ponyville coming to a stop at a large gate. The fence on ether side seemed to stretch on for several hundred yards but the gate itself was wide open. "Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres," Spike read the sign that arced over the top of the gate. "Come on in y'all".

"I don't think that sign was proof read," Dusk commented, "so what's the story with this place?"

"Well according to this, Sweet Apple Acres was founded by Apple Seed and his family 87 years ago. It's the major supplier of apples for nearly all of central Equestria and even as far south as Dodge City. They're famous for their Apple Cider, Zapp-Apple Jam and-"

"Ok I get it, they grow apples. They're also catering the Summer Sun Celebration, so who's in charge?"

"Um," Spike flipped through a few pages of his notes, "a woman by the name of Applejack. Huh, according to this shes only 21, thats pretty young to be running a whole orchard."

The duo ventured further into the orchard where they heard a commotion growing in loudness. As they approached what looked to be the main house on the property, they saw a sizable crowd of people, all terrans and all laughing and dancing merrily.  Suddenly a loud ringing followed by a folksy accent rang out across the gathering. "Soups on everybody!" a chorus of "Heehaw"s followed.

The voice belonged to a young blond woman about Dusk's age. She wore an orange flannel shirt that hugged her midsection and a par of shorts that, in Dusk's opinion, differently warranted the name. On the side of said shorts were a stitching of three bright red apples. Her skin was golden brown which, along with her well toned physique and the nature of their current setting lead Dusk to conclude that she spend a great deal of time out doors, most likely working the farm.  Topping off the look of "farm girl" was the leathery brown cowboy hat she wore on her head. All things considered, Dusk assumed she was most likely to be the "Applejack" they were looking for, or at least she would know where to find her. He sighed, "Well, lets get this over with. Excuse me miss? My name is Dusk Shine and I-"

"Well howdee-do there partner!" the girl exclaimed, grabbing Dusk's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Name's Applejack, but you can call me 'AJ'. We here at Sweet Apple Acres love making new friends! So what can I do ya for?"

Spike could barley contain his snickering, the look on Dusk's face was priceless.

"Thanks..." Dusk rubbed his hand, he was more than certain a few of his finger bones were dislocated by her grip. "I'm overseeing the preparations for the Summer Sun Festival and I understand you're in charge of catering the event?"

"Sure am, would you care to sample some? We got a whole spread laid out here." Although Applejack phrased it as a question, it was clear that she wouldn't take no for an answer as she grabbed Dusk's arm and pulled him towards the table where the rest of the gathering were already feasting merrily."Let me introduce you to the family, This here's Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp..."	She continued to name off family members one by one, each time she did the family member in question would wave, or tip their hat at Dusk. Finally she got to her core family members, "And this here is my brother Big Macintosh, my sister Applebloom and my granny Granny Smith," she pointed to an old lady sleeping on the porch. "Granny!" she yelled "Wake up, we got guests."

The old woman snorted in her rocker "We Wha- I don wanna fight no union..." she fell back asleep, oblivious to the world.

"Well lookie there, Granny nearly woke up from her nap. That makes you practically family!"

Dusk attempted to compose himself as he processed everything that had happened in the last minute. After a moment he turned his focus back to the apple farmer. "Well, I can see you got the food situation well in hand. I'll be off then," he tried to say but he felt someone tug on the back of his shirt. He turned to see a young red headed child about 8 or 9 years old, Applebloom if he remembered correctly, giving him the most heart wrenching puppy-dog eyes he ever saw.

"You mean your not gonna stay for lunch?" the sincerity of her otherwise obvious ploy was too much for Dusk to resist.

Dusk sighed, "Fine".

"Heehaw, clear a space at the table y'all!" 


***


"Well I'll be, so ya really hatched from an egg?" Applejack asked spike. After the two sat down for lunch they were bombarded with questions about themselves, particularly Spike, being a dragon after all.

"Sure did, and Dusk here was the one that hatched me," Spike gestured towards Dusk while he happily munched down on his 3rd apple fritter.

"Ha Ha! I just imagined you sittin' on an egg like a spring hen." 

Dusk turned a soft shade of red, "it wasn't like that! Spikes egg was artificially incubated with magic, I merely cast a time dilatation spell to accelerate his hatching."

"He sure did, went a little overboard too according to Celestia. I went from just hatched to a full grown dragon in just a few seconds! Although I don't really remember any of that since I still had the mind of a newborn."

"I was just a kid, besides it turned out alright. Celestia was able to revert you back to your natural age," Dusk retorted. "And slow down on the fritters, you know what sugar does to you."

"Why cant he have sugar?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He can just not a lot," Dusk explained. "Dragon stomachs have magically enhanced enzymes that rapidly break down almost anything. It allows dragons to eat pretty much whatever they can fit in their mouths but it also means that if they eat to much sugar, it will ferment into alcohol. In other words, were normal people would get a sugar rush, dragons get drunk."

"Well aint that somethin'..."

"Isn't," Dusk said absently.

"Whats that?"

"You said 'ain't', the correct word is 'isn't'."

"Oookay," Applejack blinked in confusion.

"Say Miss Applejack..." Dusk started but she interrupted him.

"Shucks partner, you can call me AJ!"

"Right, AJ. So, do you mind if I ask you a question? I've been curious about something since I came here."

"Go right ahead."

"I've been wondering, how did you come to be in charge of Sweet Apple Acres? You must be remarkably talented to have received your job at such a young age."

"Well honestly, it isn't so much my talent as a matter of circumstance," AJ's upbeat attitude seemed to falter a little. Reaching up, she removed the hat that had remained stationary on her head during the entire meeting. "My Ma and Pa were running the place but well, they're no longer with us."

"Oh," Dusk said, surprised "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to dig up old memories."

"Nah, it's ok. I miss em to death but I've already done mah grivin'. Anyhow, when they passed, some one had to take over the farm. Granny Smith is too old, Applebloom was just a kid and Big Mac, bless his heart, hes good with numbers but he ain't got a lick o' business sense. So that left me," AJ let out a sigh. "Lemme tell ya, it wern't easy..."

"Wasn't," Dusk said which earned him an annoyed look from AJ. 

"Y'all got a problem with the way ah talk?" she drawled out the "all" in talk but whether this was intentional or not Dusk couldn't tell.

"No, not at all," Dusk waved his hands defensively, "I was just pointing it out for future reference. Oh, would you look at the time?" Dusk glanced at his wrist, which had nothing on it. "Listen, thank you for the meal, it was wonderful, truly, I'm more than convinced you'll have the catering perfect for tomorrow morning but I really need to go now and check on the rest of the preparations." Dusk rose to his feet, grabbing Spike, making him drop what would have been his fourth apple fritter as he went. "I appreciate your hospitality, and hope to see you again."

Applejack tipped her hat, despite the fact that she was still a little miffed at her guests some what rude behavior, the tolerant attitude instilled upon her by her late parents won out. "Same here, shame we couldn't get to know each other better. Y'all come back and see us again some time, ya hear?" She shook his hand, albeit with less force that last time. A good firm handshake was for greeting people after all.

"Yea, sure," Dusk said absently has he and spike made their way down the trail leading to the gate and back into town. "Ok, Spike, food preparations; check. Lets hurry back, we need to make up for lost time."

"Ugh, don't make me run please," Spike begged while he held a claw over his belly. "I think I may have eaten too much." Dusk merely rolled his eyes and from his hand a purple aura began to form, the aura enveloped Spike, lifting him off the ground and on to Dusk's back. 

"If you vomit on me, I'm dropping you," Dusk said as they made their way into town.


***


"Ok, so, food is taken care of, whats next?" Dusk asked.

"Lets see, next is weather. There's supposed to be a seraphim by the name of Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds." The pair looked skyward, while there were several of the winged humanoids happily going about their business, Rainbow Dash didn't appear to be among them as there were a great many clouds filling the sky.

"Well ether she's slacking off or she and I have an extremely different idea of what a clear sky is," Dusk let out a sigh, he found he was doing that a lot lately. "Come on, lets go ask around and see if anyone knows where to find her."

"That girl there is heading our way, maybe she knows," Spike pointed to a seraphim girl that was flying towards them. 

Dusk turned to look at where Spike was pointing, and before he could react, the girl in question slammed into him knocking him face down in the mud. Wiping the mud from his eyes he was able to see the girl shaped missile was sitting on her bottom, legs spread and one hand supporting her weight from behind while the other was rubbing her head. Her hair was short and unkempt but its most striking feature was the fact that it wasn't one, two or even three colors but the entire spectrum of a rainbow. Around her neck were a pair of round flight goggles that dangled just above her somewhat small bossism. Her sky blue T-shirt boar a white cloud with a rainbow colored lighting bolt which most likely represented her cutie mark. Her grey gym shorts also had the mark on ether side. The color of her shirt matched that of her feathery wings which folded into her back.

"Ow, sorry," the girl said, "wasn't watching where I was going." She climbed to her feet and helped Dusk up as well. "Here let me help you with that," she offered after taking notice of the mud. With a flap of her wings she lifted off the ground and in the blink of an eye she was several feet in the air. Seraphim magic flowed from the tips of her wings into her hands as she grabbed a small tuft of cloud and brought it back down just over Dusk Shine's head. Striking a pose, she balled her fist as air began to swirl around it.

Dusk, realizing what she was about to do tried to protest. "No...no that's really not nec-" but he was too slow as the girl hit the cloud with the air ball she'd conjured causing it to release its moisture in the form of rain, completely drenching Dusk. Free of mud but soaked from head to toe, he let out a quick burst of air from his mouth to displace a rogue strand of hair on his face. 

The seraphim girl, upon seeing this, chuckled sheepishly. "Ops, hehe, guess I over did it. Oh I know how about this!" With another flap of her wings she began to circle dusk, going faster and faster until she was nothing more than a blur. Dusk soon felt as though he was in a wind tunnel as she picked up speed. The skin on his face stretched back as if he had accelerated extremely quickly. Finally, the rainbow haired girl stopped and landed right next to Spike who had been content to simply let events unfold. 

"Tada!" she declared, "I call that the Rainblow Dry, patent pendin-" she stopped short as she got a good look at Dusk's hair. It was, in a word, ridiculous. Tangled and curly with ends split in every direction and his pink highlight was meshed in with the purple. The rainbow haired girl couldn't contain herself as she fell to the ground laughing. Spike, having been caught in the gravity of her laughter, joined in as well.

Inhale, count to four, exhale. Dusk repeated in his mind to calm himself. "I take it you must be Rainbow Dash?" he asked as the girl picked herself up.

"The one and only. Did my reputation precede me, or was I too quick for it?" Rainbow radiated with pride.

Great, another jock. At least she seems to have some sense of empathy or she wouldn't have helped me up. "So your the girl in charge of clearing the clouds for the celebration tomorrow. Were you planning on actually doing that?" Dusk waved his arm at the cloud filled sky.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of that. I just got to finish up practicing," she said.

"Practicing? I mean I understand wanting to do something right, believe me, but from my understanding there isn't much to cloud dispersal."  

"Pift, not that! I could cloud bust in my sleep. I'm practicing for..." she paused to make a dramatic pose, "The WONDERBOLTS!"

"The Wonderbolts?" Dusk deadpanned.

"Yep, greatest flyers in all Equestria, and as soon as  I turn twenty-one, I'm gonna rock their world with my awesomeness!" 

Dusk suddenly had an idea. "Well don't get you're hopes too high..." he said with a grin.

"And just what the hey is that suppose to mean?" Rainbow's disposition changed from smug to angry in the blink of an eye.

"Oh nothing," Dusk replayed absently as he walked around her. "Just that I doubt the Wonderbolts would take a seraphim who can't even keep the sky clear..." The incredulous look he got from Rainbow told Dusk that he had her.

"Listen buddy, Ill have you know that I could have this whole area cleared out in. Ten. Seconds. Flat." She poked Dusk in the chest with each word.

Time to go in for the kill, thought Dusk as he prepared the ultimate weapon against arrogance. Two single syllable words that were like mind control command phrases for over-inflated egos everywhere, "Prove it."

And just like that, Rainbow Dash was airborne. She flapped her feathery wings furiously as she hit cloud after cloud, vaporizing them one by one. Sure enough, precisely ten seconds later, she landed in front of Dusk, panting heavily and the sky was completely clear. "Ha, what'd I tell ya. Ten seconds flat."

"Ok I admit, I'm impressed," Dusk said.

"Damn right you are. Now I'm gonna get back to practicing, catch ya later," and with that, she was off once more.

"Y'know," Spike said "That new style suites you."

Dusk rolled his eyes as he straightened his hair with a bit of magic. "Bite me, Spike"


***


Dusk and Spike made their way towards the town hall and Dusk's nerves were starting to wear thin. So far, he'd had his hand crushed, his legs worn out from walking, been dumped face first in mud, drenched with water and now his clothes were a complete mess. At least there's only two more items on our list, then I can go to a nice quiet library and make sense of this whole Nightmare Moon thing.

As they entered the town hall building, Dusk noticed, to his relief, that the decorations seemed to be in perfect order. The walls were lined with beautiful lace and strings with tiny flags were strewn across the ceiling. "Well it looks like the decorations are taken care of. What do you think Spike... Spike?" 

Dusk looked down towards Spike and saw that he was starring straight forward as though in a trance. His mouth was slightly ajar and his slanted reptilian pupils were so dilated they almost looked like normal round ones. "Spike, bro, are you alright?"

"B-beautiful..."

"I know, the decorations are pretty good, but I didn't think..."

"Not the decorations, her!" Spike pointed over to the stage where an attractive young woman had walked out from behind the curtains with a box of odds and ends. She wore an elegant white dress shirt which showed just enough cleavage to draw the eye but not so much as to be considered scandalous and a royal purple skirt which matched her hair almost perfectly along with her high heeled shoes. On the hem of her dress were three light blue diamonds arranged in a triangle pattern. Even from a distance Dusk could see that her skin was silky smooth and her nails were perfectly polished. 

"Dusk, how do I look? Do I have anything in my teeth? I knew I should have polished my scales before we left." Spike frantically checked over himself making sure nothing was out of place, running one claw through his dorsal fins while breathing into the other to check his breath. 

"Spike, I highly doubt she'll give you the time of day. Shes obviously one of those stuck up pretty girls that only date rich guys."

"That's why I need you to be my wing-man."

"Your what?"

"Talk me up, tell her how awesome I am and laugh at my stupid jokes." Spike tugged at Dusk's sleeve as he begged. 

"Even if you were to get her attention, aren't you over looking something? Namely the fact that your only twelve years old where as shes in her twenties?"

"So? Your dads ten years older than your mom."

"They met as adults though that's different."

"Please, Dusk, just do me this one favor? As much as I do for you?" Spike put on his best puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh, fine, but this better not turn into a recurring thing."

The girl seemed to be in her own world at the moment and didn't notice Dusk and Spike's approach. "No, no, hmmm no, definitely not." Dusk noticed something that he hadn't before, namely that she was using magic to sort through the various decorations. On her forehead was a sky blue oval shaped mana gem that was the distinguishing trait of all djinn. So she's a djinn just like me, first one I've seen since coming to this town. Beautiful, eye for perfection and a magic user? This girl is going to be a class A snob if I've ever seen one.

"Good afternoon miss, my name is Dusk Shine and I..."

"Just a moment, please! I'm 'in the zone', as it were," she grabbed a a ribbon out of the box with a reflective sheen. "Oh, yes! Sparkle always does the trick, does it not?" she beamed, "why, Rarity, you are a talent. Now, um, how can I help yo..." she turned to face the young djinn boy and froze, her eyes fixated on him or rather, his outfit. "Oh my stars! What in the world happened to your ensemble?!"

"My on san... you mean my clothes?" Dusk ran a looked at the mangled mess that was the result of Rainbow's parting gift. "Well, I ran into a seraphim named Rainbow Dash who-"

"Say no more, darling. I can already imagine what that rambunctious woman-child did." Rarity said with a sigh. "Oh but were are my manners, My name is Rarity, Fashion designer extraordinaire. Please to meet you Mr. Dusk." 

"MY NAME'S SPIKE!" Spike yelled out before Dusk could respond. "Ahem, I mean, I'm Spike, Spike the... el Draco, yep, Spike Del Draco." Spike took Rarity's hand and gave it a kiss then looked up at her while arching his eyebrows in what he at lest believed to be a seductive manner.

Smooth Dusk thought while rolling his eyes. 

Rarity looked down at Spike and, for a moment, Dusk thought that by some miracle Spike had managed to charm her. He wasn't entirely wrong.

"Oh aren't you just ADORABLE!" Rarity declared as she picked Spike up in a bone crushing hug, though given the placement of his head relative to her breasts, he didn't seem to mind.  "Oh your like a little plushy doll, I could just pinch your cheeks!." 

Dusk cleared his throat to get the djinn girl's attention. She dropped Spike on as she came back to reality. Spike sat on his rear with a dazed look about him. "That. Was. Awesome." He whispered. 

"Apologizes darling, I have a soft spot for cute things," she said.

"I'll say," Spike giggled, still some what dazed. 

"It's fine, really. I'm just here to check on the decorations. I'll let you get back to work." Dusk turned to leave but Rarity grabbed his arm.

"Oh no, no, no darling, I can't allow you to walk around in those wrinkled, mud-stained cloths all day. Come!" she said as she dragged Dusk out the door of the town hall. "My boutique is just across the road, I'll have you looking ravishing in no time!"

Dusk tried to protest but it fell on deaf ears, Rarity unwilling to take no for an answer and Spike lost in an infatuated daze. With a sigh, Dusk resigned himself to be herded towards Rarity's shop. Maybe some clean clothes would improve his mood. As they entered the shop, The Carousel Boutique as it was called, Dusk had little time to take in his surroundings as he was immediately ushered behind a privacy curtain and magically stripped down to his underwear. "E-excuse me!" Dusk stammered, suddenly feeling self conscious about his average physique. "What do you think your doing?"

"Relax, dear," Rarity said as she donned a par of red glasses and began taking his measurements. "I'm a professional tailor, I see men and women in their underwear all the time. Now hold still, so I can get an accurate measurement." Dusk did as instructed but was still a bit embarrassed despite Rarity's assurances. He decided to distract himself by wondering how he had gone from walking into town hall to half naked and being more or less felt up by a not unattractive woman in less than five minutes. There's a sex and politics joke there somewhere, he mused, but I cant think of one.

Rarity, to her credit, seemed completely neutral regarding the fact that her hands were coming dangerously close to some intimate areas and after a few more moments she rolled up her measuring tape. "All done, I think I have just the thing for you," Rarity dashed off taking Dusk's clothing with him. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself while he waited and Spike wasn't helping by sitting there with his head in his claws just gawking at Rarity while she worked.

"No, no, uh-uh. Too green. Too yellow. Too poofy. Not poofy enough. Too frilly. Too... shiny. Ah HA! Perfect," Rarity returned with a new pair of jeans a white undershirt along with a medium purple button down shirt. She passed them on to Dusk who quickly put them on, relieved to finally be dressed again. Rarity magicked a mirror in front of him and he had to admit, he didn't look half bad. As he looked himself over, Rarity started to make adjustments. "So, Mr. Dusk, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?"

"Oh I'm from Canterlot."

Rarity suddenly stopped and spun Dusk to face her. "Canterlot?! Oh, I am so envious! The glamour, the sophistication! I have always dreamed of living there! I can't wait to hear all about it! We are gonna be the best of friends, you and I... Emeralds?! What was I thinking? Let me get you some rubies! There!" she exclaimed as she switched out the emerald cuff-links with the ruby ones, "Rarity you've done it again!"

"Yea, I have to admit, I rather like it. How much do I owe you?" Dusk asked.

"Nothing, dear, consider it a welcome gift." Rarity said as she placed Dusk's old dirty clothes in a plastic bag.

"Really? Well that's awfully generous of you. Thanks" 

"Think nothing of it! Will I see you at the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow?"

"Yes, in fact now that you mention it, I have another stop I have to make. Thank you again." 

"The pleasure was mine. Ta-ta Mr. Dusk, you too Spikey-poo," Rarity waved as Dusk left the building, dragging Spike by the tail.

Now that Rarity was out of sight, Spike was finally able to speak again. "Wasn't she wonderful? And she thinks I'm cute!"

"Focus, 'Del Draco', that wasn't even proper Spanish by the way. Whats next?"

"Huh? Oh right, next is music," Spike said as he took the list out of his pack and looked it over. "According to this, its being headed up by someone named Fluttershy."

Dusk stopped in his tracks, "wait, doesn't D. J. PON3 and her cellist sister live here? Why aren't they handling the music?"

"Doesn't say, maybe they're just out of town for the weekend. What difference does it make?"

Dusk shifted, "no difference, come on lets go meet this Fluttershy."

"You wanted to get PON3's autograph didn't you?" Spike grinned

"Shut up."


***


The sun was approaching the horizon as Dusk and Spike made their way to their final stop to oversee the preparations. A cozy looking house tree on the edge of the forest just outside of Ponyville. The sound of birds singing soon reached their ears, but this wasn't ordinary singing. These birds were harmonizing with each other. Upon reaching their destination they soon saw why. A pink haired seraphim in a yellow sundress was standing before a chorus of birds, directing their tweets and whistles into an actual song. Her feathery wings were the same bright yellow color as her dress. She had the look of one who could be drop dead gorgeous if they wanted to but settled for simply pretty. What was really interesting about her, however, was the fact that she seemed to be talking with the birds.

"How is she doing that?" Spike asked.

"She must have Druid's Tongue," Dusk explained. "It's a rare phenomenon in the common races, only present in less than one percent of individuals. I wonder if she'd be willing to help me with some of my studies..."

"Um, stop please, everyone, um. Excuse me, sir? I mean, no offense, but your rhythm is just a teeny-tiny bit off," The girl said to one of her birds, having not noticed Dusk and Spike approaching. "Now, follow me, please. A-one, a-two, a-one two three-"

"Hello," Dusk said tapping the girl on the shoulder. This proved to be a mistake, however, as the girl let out a startled shriek, causing her birds to scatter. Dusk, seeing that he scared her, quickly withdrew his hand and tried to make himself unintimidateing. The girl whirled, seeing a stranger and a boy at that, blushed a deep red,  grabbed a lock of her hair and stroked it with her hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you and your birds," Dusk said and paused for her reply. It didn't come.

"Um...I'm Dusk Shine, and you must be Fluttershy, pleasure to meet you..." Again, no reply, Fluttershy simply starred at the ground, stroking her hair with her hands.

"Well... I'm just here to check up on the music and it's sounding beautiful."

This time, the girl did reply, sort of. "...nk you," she said quietly, never looking up.

"Sorry, what? I couldn't hear you."

"...aid, ank you," she replied in an even quieter voice.

"Sorry, I still didn't catch that."

"..." This time she was so quiet that whatever she said was completely unintelligible. 

Dusk wasn't quite sure what to make if this girl but by then the birds had returned. "Well, um, it looks like your birds are back, so I guess everything's in order. Keep up the good work!" That was easy, Dusk thought.

As he turned to leave Spike, who'd been standing behind Dusk admiring the scenery, came into view. "Oh my GOSH!" Fluttershy exclaimed, far louder than she had anything so far. "A baby dragon!"

"Baby? I'm not-" he cut off as he saw the shy seraphim mere inches from his face.

"I've never seen a baby dragon before! He's sooooooo cute!"

"Well, well, that's twice in one day. I really am a charmer," Spike beamed and Fluttershy squealed with delight.

"Oh my, he talks. I didn't know dragons could talk. That's just so incredibly wonderful I, I just don't even know what to say!"

"Well," Dusk started "I'm pleased to see you found your voice."

"Oh, um, I'm sorry," She said looking towards the ground again with a blush. "I'm not very good at meeting people."

"Hey, it's ok, nether is Dusk here," Spike said. Dusk grumbled while Fluttershy giggled a little. "So you can talk to animals? That's pretty cool."

"Oh yea, I just love animals. My mother says I get it from her, she's a dryad." Fluttershy suddenly put her hand to her mouth as a look of pure horror came over her. "Ohmygosh, I... Oh no. Oh nonono." She turned from the confused boys and hid her face acting like she had just exposed herself to them.

Dusk was confused. On the one hand, being a half-dryad explained both her Druid Tongue ability and her shyness, two traits that dryads were generally attributed. On the other hand, dryads, or at least pure blooded ones, hadn't been seen in centuries. They were few in number to begin with and it was commonly believed they had been breed out. This girls mother must be one of, if not the last dryad in existence. He thought. 

Spike on the other hand took a more empathetic approach. "Hey, you alright? Whats wrong?"

"Y-you think I'm weird now don't you?" she sniffed

"What? Why would anyone think that?"

"Be-because... I'm a-a half breed, a freak, my dad married a tree!" She was on the very edge of tears, her face and gentle sobbing told Dusk a story of childhood torment regarding her genetics.

"That's ridiculous," Dusk said. "Dryads are a Homo Genus race just like anyone else. You might as well mock some one for being a terran or a minotaur."

"S-so, you guys aren't going to tease me about it?" Fluttershy timidly asked.

"No. Of course not," Dusk and Spike answered together. 

"Oh, thank goodness. Um could you please, if you don't mind, not tell anyone else? I know its nothing to be ashamed of but I've had... bad experiences with telling others," she said sadly.

"We wont," Dusk said as he looked at the sun, which was touching the horizon, "well, if there's nothing else, we need to be getting back to our room. My poor baby dragon needs his sleep after all."

"I'm NOT a baby, I'm twelve years old!" Spike said.

"Aww hes so sweepy, hes getting all cranky," Dusk said in a mocking tone.

"Oh you poor little thing!" Fluttershy picked up Spike cradled him in her arms. "You simply must get some sleep. Don't you worry about a thing, I'll carry you to your room."

On the way to the library where Celestia had arranged for Dusk and Spike to stay, they learned a little bit more about Fluttershy. Though she was still reluctant to talk about it much, Dusk was able to gather that her father was a seraphim who injured his wing in a crash in the nearby Everfree Forest. He was found and nursed back to health by her mother, a dryad living among the trees. From there it was a text book example of the Nightingale effect, her father fell in love with her mother while he was recovering and they eventually married. 

The sun was half way set by the time they reached the Golden Oaks Library. Soon Celestia would have to put it to rest and set the moon on its path through the night. "Well, here we are," Dusk said, "I enjoyed chatting but I have work to do so... good night." He took Spike's arm and walked into the library, closing the door behind him before Fluttershy had a chance to say anything else.

"Wow rude much?" Spike said

The room was dark and Dusk needed a moment for his eyes to adjust so he could look for the light switch. "I'll make it up to her tomorrow." he said dismissively, "right now I have to finish my research. I have to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming and I have less than 24 hours. What I need is some peace and quiet. Ah, here's the light switch..."

Dusk flipped the switch, expecting his eyes to be assaulted by light. What he didn't expect was for his ears to also be assaulted by a loud chorus of people cheering "SURPRISE!"  

"Gah wha not yet I'm too young!" Dusk stammered about in confusion. While recovering, he saw that the common room of the library had been decorated with balloons and streamers along with a banner that said WELCOME TO PONYVILLE! Around the room were various people from town, including the three girls he'd met throughout the day. They all wore party hats and a few had party blowers and noise makers. The door opened and closed as Fluttershy entered, quickly making her way over to Rainbow Dash who handed her a party hat as well.

"Surprise!" shouted another voice as Dusk's world was suddenly filled with pink. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?" As Dusk pulled back, he saw that it was the girl he first saw when he arrived in Ponyville.

"Oh, I'm surprised alright. Aren't libraries supposed to be quiet?" That wasn't really what he wanted to ask but his mind was still rebooting.

"Well, that's silly! What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, duh, bo-ring! Y'see, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all 'hello' and I was all fawoom" she mimicked herself dashing off. "Remember? Y'see I've never saw you before and if I've never saw you before that means you're new, 'cause I know everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY in Ponyville!" 

Dusk groaned and rubbed his temples.  Looking around he spotted a table with a punch bowl and figured that he might as well have a drink. Pinkie Pie followed him, still talking at an impressive rate. "So you see when I realized that you were new, I knew I had to welcome you but I didn't have my welcome wagon and that's why I ran off so fast but when I came back you were gone so I asked one of the guard guys that dropped you off if he knew where you'd went and he looked at me and asked if I knew a Pinkie Pie," she paused for only a moment to take a breath before starting off again. "So I told him yea, I'm a Pinkie Pie and so he handed me a letter and you'll never believe who it was from, Princess Celestia! It said that she'd heard how I was the Super Duper Party Planner of Ponyville and asked if I would be willing to throw you a party so you could meet friends because you didn't have any and I thought if you don't have any friends then you must be lonely, and that made me so sad. So I said to myself, 'I must throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville!' See? And now you have lots and lots of friends!"

By the time she'd stopped her run-on paragraph, Dusk had fixed himself a glass of punch and took a drink. 

It wasn't punch. 

Dusk simply stood frozen as a fire in his mouth shutdown all capacity for rational thought. "Water..." was all he could say as he dashed off to the kitchen.

"Huh" Pinkie said to no one in particular, as she took a sip from the punch bowl. "The Trinidad Moruga Juice seems fine to me..."


***


Celestia let out a deep breath as she rested her hands on the balcony railing. Tomorrow  would come the date she'd waited a thousand years for. All the arrangements had been made, Dusk was safely in Ponyville for the time being. Part of her was afraid that, despite all her efforts, fate would force Dusk's involvement. 

She remembered the day she first met him, she would never forget that day, when he earned his cutie mark. It had taken all of her considerable will power to maintain her composure when she first laid eyes upon it. That six pointed star, The Star of Harmony. It was the missing peace to the puzzle, one she and her sister had searched for. It was why she took Dusk as her personal apprentice, something she swore she'd never do again after what happened with her first one.

Dusk had shown an incredible natural talent for magic, learning in days that which would take average djinn weeks.  His potential combined with his curiosity and desire to know everything he could about magic ensured we would become one of the greatest mages in history. And over the years, Celestia had grown to see him as the son she never had.

That was why she had sent him away. Perhaps it was a mistake, perhaps he would have made the difference, considering his talent and his mark. But the funny thing about fate is that it's not a river, its an ocean. There are currents that you can follow or fight against, or, if your know how, you can swim away from all together. Magic had come a long way in a thousand years and Celestia was confident she could save her sister this time without putting Dusk Shine at risk. Well, mostly confident.

"It's time." She said to herself as she reached out with her magic towards the sun. Grabbing it with her great power, she moved it below the horizon, where it's energy would gather in preparation for the next day. Satisfied, she then reached out to the moon to move it into position so that its ambient magic could ward the night. But something was wrong, the moon, which had always heeded her in the past didn't respond to her commands. She reached out again and still, it would not budge. It was as if something was holding it, keeping her from moving it no matter how hard she tried.  Celestia froze, there was only one being in Equestria with more power over the moon than her.

"Playing with mine toys without my permission again, sister? We see some things never change." An icy fear the likes of which she hadn't felt in millennia took hold of Celestia's heart. She turned and there in the doorway to her personal quarters was the one she had both desired and feared to see. 

The woman in the door way was a nephilim like Celestia, but her skin was pure black and covered in a silver armor that looked at once beautiful and terrifying. Her wings bellowed from her back like a ghostly white mist and held a more ridged form unlike Celestia's which flowed like ribbons in water. And most terrifying were her eyes, they were not the worm gentle eyes Celestia remembered but the slanted eyes of a snake.

"Nightmare Moon," Celestia said once she composed herself, "You're early." 

"Is that all thou hath to say to Us after a thousand years?" Nightmare smirked as she sauntered over to Celestia, "And here We hoped we could be family again," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You may have Luna's body, but your are NOT my sister." Celestia stared down Nightmare, "You're a parasite, feeding on the bitterness and envy of a misguided mind. Your ambitions will only lead to destruction."

"Ha, We're not here ten minutes and already We must suffer one of thine lectures," Nightmare shrugged. "Oh well, t'would be a lie if We said We did not look forward to this." With that, a black tendril shot forth from Nightmare Moon's shadow. The tendril struck the spot where Celestia had been standing but she was already in the air. Nightmare followed soon after, in her hands she conjured a mystical poleaxe with a blade curved back so as to resemble a waxing crescent moon. Umbra, it was called, The Warden of Night. "Make it easy on thine self, sister, and surrender."

Celestia closed her eyes and channeled her power. Great golden armor seemed to emerge from her body, replacing her royal trappings. She rose her hand to the sky and with a thundering crash, a white-gold spear appeared in her hands. This was Corona,  The Warden of Day. Celestia took the weapon and prepared herself as Nightmare charged.

They matched each other blow for blow. Nightmare slashed and Celestia parried, Celestia thrust and Nightmare simply teleported out of the way. For the first few moments of the fight, it was a stalemate.

"Come now, sister," Nightmare mocked as she charged a ball of dark energy in Umbra's cusp. "Quit holding back, or is this really all thy can muster after a thousand years?" She let lose the energy ball but Celestia deflected it with one of her own. Her breathing coming harder and harder. "Granted, We did intentionally wait to engage thee until after thou had expended most of thine power lowering the sun and then struggling to raise the moon." 

It was exactly what Celestia had been afraid of, the plan was to meet her during the day, when her power was at it's peak and a contingent of battle-mages at her side. But now, she was running out of magical energy, while Nightmare on the other hand was just getting started. She needed to end this and fast. Gathering her remaining strength, Celestia shot forward with blinding speed. Blinking back and forth, Nightmare couldn't land a single blow. Celestia prepared to deliver the strike that would disable her opponent but then, Nightmare simply chuckled.

"Dost thou know-est what We love best about thee, dear sister?" Nightmare said as she produced a dagger from her left hand and placed it in a vacant area in front of her, right as Celestia appeared on top of it.  A searing lance of pain shot through her as her body materialized around the razor sharp blade. The shock momentarily paralyzed her and she could do nothing but stair into Nightmare's slanted eyes, "Thou art predictable." Nightmare placed her hand on Celestia's chest and released a powerful blast of magic that threw Celestia back and down from the sky. She crashed through the roof of the palace and onto the floor of the throne room.

Her energy all but spent, Celestia could barley stand, using Corona to support herself. Weakly, she gripped the dagger still lodged in her abdomen and pulled it out, liquid light pored from the hole left behind. Nightmare landed softly a few feet away, holding Umbra upright like a walking staff. "Tis is familiar is it not? Thou lie battered and beaten before us, only this time, thou does not have the Elements of Harmony to banish Us. We win, sister." 

Celestia fell back to her knees, unable to even stand anymore. She searched her mind for something, anything she could do to buy time, to come up with a plan. "I-indulge my curiosity, Nightmare, how did you escape before the longest day?"

"Tis thanks to a trick We learned from the Nix, those nauseatingly adorable denizens of the moon who create dreams. As fortune would have it, some of their abilities are quite powerful when applied properly. Twas extremely tempting to simply enslave them all and use their power to rain night terrors down on all of Equestria, but then thou would have suspected us and interfered so we did not. For you see, We are a being of vision, We saw the true potential of that power and over the centuries, we created a new magic, oneiromancy."

Nightmare grabbed Celestia by her collar and lifted her up to eye level. "With oneiromancy, We can not only see into people's dreams, but alter them and through dreams, read memories and even implant false ones." Celestia's eyes widened as she began to peace together the puzzle. "Sadly, it isn't as exact as true mind control but with practice and subtlety, one can make a mind even as strong as thine own believe what one needs it to. So, to answer thine question, sister, We did not escape a day early, thou forgot what day it was." Nightmare finished with a laugh.

Celestia gasped as the realization came to her. For the past year she had felt as though she had been losing time. Ten minutes here, thirty there, she had chalked it all up to the stress of preparing for Nightmare's return, never did she expect that she was being manipulated in such a way. 

"Do not worry, sister, We shan't kill thee yet. No, first thy must know the pain We felt." Nightmare jabbed her hand into Celestia's chest, it melted through her as though her body was made of water and slowly, from the point where they were connected, outward, she began to turn to stone. "We will keep thee alive long enough to see the fate of Equestria. We would not want thee to miss seeing thin precious world remade as a land of darkness." The stone covered all of Celestia's body and finally her face. She was completely petrified but, to her horror, still fully conscious and able to perceive everything going on around here. "And now, We must away. For We have an invitation to extend to a certain, individual in Ponyville. That's right, We know all about Dusk Shine from thy dreams," she grinned wickedly. "Shame on thee, by the way, a teacher should not have such lecherous dreams about a student." Nightmare Moon's cackle could be heard throughout the palace, and might have continued if a blade hadn't erupted from her chest in that moment.

"Don't move," came a harsh voice from behind her. "I shift this thing a few centimeters left or right and your vital organs are sliced." 

Nightmare recovered from her momentary shock, "Thou art a master of stealth to sneak up on Us. Alas that it should serve no purpose." In an instant, she turned to smoke, causing the would be assassin to stagger for a brief moment due to the unexpected loss of balance. The smoke cloud arched into the air and hit the ground behind where they had been standing moments before and reformed into Nightmare Moon. Her ever present grin faltered for a moment when she saw that her attacker was no longer in sight. 

The attacker had taken to the shadows, glancing at the stone statue of Celestia and then at Nightmare who was currently looking around for him. Placing two fingers to his head he reached out with his mind to another presence he knew was waiting outside the palace. "Gleaming Shield, this is Kevin, we have total eclipse, I repeat, we have total eclipse. Take Romeo and get him somewhere safe."

"What about you?" a female voice answered, "and my brother, and Celestia? We cant just leave them!"

"I'm going to stall her for a moment while you make your escape, then I'll head to Ponyville to get Dusk. Now go! Get as far away as you can!"

K'Vann cut the link. He surveyed the situation before him. He could never hope to match a nephilim in one on on combat, but he didn't plan on doing that. Wait for an opening, strike from the shadows, retreat and repeat. That was his style, and he was damn good at it.

"Come hither, stealthy one. Thy skills are admirable, bow to Us as thy Queen and thou shalt be rewarded."

Her back was turned, he took the opening. He jumped from the shadows and struck with the twin blades protruding from his wrists. Nightmare was just barely fast enough to parry with Umbra. As he struck, she caught a brief glimpse of his black chitinous skin. "Sorry," he said, "I've had bad experiences with queens." 

"A changeling? How interesting, I thought your kind were wiped out long ago." K'Vann jumped back and fired  a bolt of magic. Nightmare easily deflected it but in that brief moment, he was gone again. As he moved from shadow to shadow, a plan began to form in his head. Transforming was useless, since Nightmare knew what he was, but he had other ways of getting away.

"Dost thou think to beat me with darkness? We art darkness itself!"

"Who said anything about beating you?" he said, drawing her attention as he darted back to her. From the glands in his mouth, he fired a sticky green resin right into Nightmare's eyes. She screamed in indignation as he retreated once more into the shadows with a back flip.

"Argh, VIAL INSECT! Wretched fel spawn, thou shalt pay dearly for that!" Wiping the goop from her eyes, Nightmare looked again for her opponent, weapon at the ready. "Thou thinkist to hide from Us? We shall bring down this whole palace if We have to!" She began tossing magic bolts at random, leaving destroyed pillars and walls in her wake. 

K'Vann had already made his way to the hole in the ceiling and took to the skies. Silently, he made his way south, towards Ponyville. I don't know what she want's Dusk for, he thought to himself but I'll be damned if I fail Celestia again...
> The Elements of Harmony Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk sat in bed with his back to the headboard looking up at the moon. He just couldn't stop thinking about the Prophecy of Nightmare Moon. Was he worrying over nothing?  It certainly wouldn't have been the first time. Spike had told him, his parents had told him, even Celestia herself had tried to reassure him that everything was under control.

Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about everlasting night "Just try and get through it, Dusk," he told himself. "You've gotten through anxieties like this before," he sighed. "Where's my OCD medication?" Dusk began looking though the suit case when Spike opened the door. 

"Shi-hic-Shiny! My brotha from a notha motha!" Spike stammered as he tumbled his way through the room. "Why are you doing up here? *Hic* Its rude to the, ah, the other people..."

"Spike," Dusk said in an exasperated tone, "how much sugar did you have?"

"I had..." Spike giggled and spread his hands wide "thiiiiis much." *Hic*

"Spike, go lay down, you need to rest. Also your drunk."

Spike made his way over to the smaller bed that was prepared for him. "I think a nice nap is justa regaluma snalgo and a *hic* ten dollars? That's ridiculous..." and with that, he past out on the mattress.

Dusk rolled his eyes and made his way down stairs. The other party goers had left but Pinkie Pie was still there, energetic as ever. "Hiya Dusky! Are you ready for a super exiting fantasterific Summer Sun Celebration?"

"As I'll ever be I suppose," he conceded, "considering its going to end with ether Nightmare Moon's return or me being wrong, ether way its the end of the world."

"Awww, whats got you so down in grumpy town?" she asked with a look of innocent curiousness on her face.

"Pinkie, in the last twenty four hours I've met a farmer with the strength of twenty men, a seraphim who can procrastinate and get away with it, a djinn who practically stripped me, another seraphim who can talk to animals and a terran girl with enough energy to power a small city. Is everyone in this town crazy?" Dusk was breathing heavily when he finished his little rant.

"Wow, who was the energetic one? She sounds fun!" Pinkie said.

Dusk threw up his hands in frustration. "Heey," Pinkie said, "Turn that frown upside down. I know! How would you like to be my date to the Summer Sun Celebration!"

Dusk thought for a moment, "I guess, I don't think Spike is going to wake up for a while." He grabbed his overcoat when a thought occurred to him, "um... just so we're on the same page, when you say 'date' you don't mean like an actual date do you?"

At that Pinkie giggled, "Of course not you silly, we only met a few hours ago and I need at least a whole day before I agree to a real date."

"But... how is that any... you know what? Never mind, lets go."

"Yay!" 


***


Dusk and Pinkie stood in the crowd inside town hall.  The room was packed with people all eager to meet the princess. Dusk took a small comfort in the fact that everything seemed to be going smoothly. Outside the sky had remained nice and clear and Fluttershy's birds were performing a pleasant chorus. Soon, the mayor would introduce Celestia, who would give a nice speech, then they would all join her outside where she would put on a show raising the sun.

"I'm so excited I could almost burst!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Calm down will you? It's starting."

The podium in the front was approached by an elderly terran woman who Dusk recognized to be the mayor. "Ladies and Gentlemen," She started "Thank you all for coming. As you all know, Ponyville was chosen to have the honor of hosting the Summer Sun Celebration!" She paused to allow the crowd to cheer. "Thank you, thank you. When I was told we-" 

The mayor's speech continued but Dusk's wasn't listing. Perhaps it was his sensitivity to magic, or his OCD driven paranoia, but something was off. The flow of ambient magic was shifting, like air being displaced by something massive. Other magically sensitive beings would have felt it as well, but just like with displaced air, they wouldn't give it a second thought. Only an analytical mind that searched for cause and effect relations like Dusk's would conclude that such a shift meant some powerful magic had just been used.

Inhale, count to four, exhale. Dusk tried to calm himself.

"-And so, I present to you, the Bringer of the Sun, Guardian of the Realm and Protector of Harmony, Princess Celestia!" The mayor announced proudly, as the curtains opened. The crowd let out a shocked gasp, for standing there was not Celestia but another figure. A tall foreboding woman with skin as black as night and nephilim wings of grey smoke.

"Oh raspberries..." Dusk whimpered.

There was a stunned silence, as the gathered crowd was unsure what to make of this new development, save for Pinkie who didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. "Love the new look, Princess, very goth." 

"Oh, my dear sweet subjects. Tis been too long since We've laid eyes upon thine sniveling sun-loving faces," Nightmare finished the last part with a sneer. "We see Celestia's reign has made thy as week and pathetic as ever."

"Hey emo freak," came the voice of Rainbow Dash, who had flown up to face her, "I don't know who you think you are, but no one comes into MY town, and disses us like that. Now how about you tell us where our princess is and then run on back to the costume shop before I get angry!"

Dusk panicked, even though Nightmare looked more amused than angry he could see the subtle gestures she was making with her fingers and recognized them as the prelude to a powerful attack. He had to do something.

"Oh my, thou art bold indeed. Subjects, look now to thine peer," Nightmare's face then formed into a scowl, "and witness what happens to those who defy me!" In a motion almost to quick to follow, she pointed her index finger at Rainbow's heart and fired a small beam of black and purple magic. It would have been fatal if no for a small sphere of lavender magic striking her hand just milliseconds before, throwing off her aim. The beam hit Dash in the shoulder causing her to cry out in pain as it pierced all the way through and out the other end, grazing her wing and knocking a few feathers off.

Rainbow fell to the floor, clutching her wound. Applejack and Pinkie ran over to their fallen friend to check on her, while everyone else stood on in shock. Nightmare, slowly lowering her hand, looked out into the crowd. Standing in a clearing, his own arm still outstretched was Dusk, a look of determination on his face. "Ah, thou must be Dusk Shine."

"Yes, and I know exactly who you are as well, Nightmare Moon!" the crowd gasped at his deceleration.

Nightmare grinned wickedly as she slowly walked towards Dusk, the crowd giving her a wide berth as she did. "Then thou must also know why We are here."

"To bring about darkness eternal, but that's not going to happen," Dusk raised his hands, using his fingers to shape the magic into a spell. "Starswirl's Lesser Missile Storm!" behind him the air rippled as five lances of energy formed and shot through the air to their target. Nightmare conjured a black translucent shield which they crashed into in succession, leaving her untouched. While she was distracted, however, he formed a binding ring above her head. The ring descended around Nightmare's arms and constricted tightly, "got you!"

Nightmare didn't say anything and merely jerked her arms outward, breaking the bond. "Thou art week, Dusk Shine, but fear not. We Shant kill thee. Thou will make a most amusing play thing." She took to the air with people cowering below her. "Remember this night, people of Equestria, tonight is the night of Our ascent! The Age of the Sun is over. Long live the Eternal Night!" A roar of magical lightning accompanied the end of her speech. 

As she laughed, people screamed. The crowed of people rushed out of the hall and into the streets, running for their homes. Dusk was swept up with them and soon found himself outside. "I can't fight her like this," he said to himself. "I need to get back to the library, there has to be something in one of those books that can help me find her weakness."

As he ran off, Rainbow Dash, who was still nursing her shoulder, hobbled out of the town hall, "you sure yer alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"I said I'm fine!" Rainbow replied, harsher than she meant to, her frustration evident.

Fluttershy and Pinkie were along side Dash as well. Pinkie bore a frown but it was more a frown of concern than anything. Fluttershy on the other hand was completely terrified. Behind them, Rarity ran up to the group and motioned for AJ's attention, "I sent Applebloom and Sweetie Belle home. The other children are with their respective parents. Now I don't know about you girls but I do believe it's time to run home and hide?"

"Hold on," Rainbow said, "Isn't that that new guy over there? Dusk Shine?" She pointed to the running djinn who was moving against the flow of fleeing people. "Where is he going?"

"Don't know, reckon hes got a plan?" AJ asked.

"I bet he's up to something," Dash took to the air, wincing at the pain in her shoulder, "and I'm going to find out what!" With that, she took off in his direction.

"Consarn it, Rainbow," AJ sighed, "come on girls, we better follow her. Maybe this Dusk feller knows how to stop this."


***


Dusk scrambled about the library, pulling book after book off the shelf and discarding it after a few glances. "Elements, Elements..." he repeated to himself. "Damn it, the index said there was a book here on the Elements of Harmony, where is it?!"

"And just what exactly are the 'Elements of Harmony', huh?" Dusk spun around to find the rainbow headed seraphim girl looking down at him with suspicion. "And another thing," she said as she landed and moved closer to Dusk, "how did you know who Nightmare was and what her plans were? Are you a spy or something?"

Dusk was completely unsure how to respond to the accusation but thankfully he didn't have to. AJ, having just arrived, grabbed the tail of Rainbow's shirt and pulled her back. "Come on now, Dash, He ain't no spy. Heck, he saved yer life back there."

"Humph, I could have dodged that..."

"Anyway, we were wonderin' if you could tell us what's goin' on and if we could help."

"Oh, right. Well," Dusk resumed his search while explaining. "Before I came here I was researching the history between Celestia and Nightmare Moon. I found out that the old story of The Mare in the Moon was based on that event and the prophecy in the story lead me to believe that Nightmare would return on this day, being the millennial anniversary," Dusk grabbed his copy of Predictions and Prophecies, showing the girls the passage in question. "Since it was right about her return, it can be concluded that its also about the way she was defeated, The Elements of Harmony. There's a book in here somewhere but I cant find it!" 

"The Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide," Pinkie read aloud.

Dusk darted over to the pink terran, "wha? How did? Where was it?"

"Under 'E'," Pinkie said nonchalantly.

Dusk blinked, then shook his head. "Never mind, let me see that," Dusk took the book and read it aloud so that the others could hear. "The Elements of Harmony are ancient and mighty gems of unknown origin and immeasurable power. First discovered by Princesses Celestia and Luna, their power was used only twice in recorded history. First to seal Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and the second time to banish Nightmare Moon!" Dusk looked up at the girls who were all watching him closely. "This is it! This is what I've been searching for."

"Well go on," Rarity said. "Where do we find these 'Elements of Harmony'?"

"There are five elements in total," Dusk continued, "that which shows mercy to those who would harm it is said to be 'Kindness'. That which finds joy in even the darkest hour is said to be 'Laughter'. That which gives in exchange for nothing is said to be 'Generosity'. That which does not obscure or distort the truth for personal gain is said to be 'Honesty'. And finally, that which stands by it's allies at the cost of personal victory is said to be 'Loyalty.' These five elements, in the hands of those hold their virtues close to their heart, bring the power of Harmony to bear against those who would seek to sew chaos." 

The five girls looked at one-another and back to Dusk but didn't say anything as he continued, "some scholars, including Princess Celestia herself, have theorized the existence of a sixth element but so far, no such element has ever been found."

"That's all good," Rainbow said, "But where do we find them?"

"According to this book, they used to be stored in the Castle of the Royal Sisters, there's no record of them having ever been moved. So that's where we need to look," Dusk said as he closed the book.

"An where in tarnation is that?" AJ asked.

"About five and a half miles into the Everfree Forest," a new voice spoke up, causing Dusk and the girls to look towards the door where a young man in a dark trench coat was standing, his arms crossed.

"K-Kevin?!" Dusk said, "what in the world are you doing here?"

"You know this guy?" Rainbow asked as Fluttershy hid behind her, out of site of the new comer.

"Sort of, he works for Celestia."

"We'll have to skip introductions, Dusk, I need to get you out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Dusk said adamantly. "I need to get this information to Celestia so she can-"

"Celestia is gone, Dusk."

There was a collective gasp, everyone looked desperate to know more yet too shocked to inquire. Dusk was the first to break the stupor, "w-what do you mean 'gone'?"

"Nightmare turned her to stone," at that, Rarity fainted in a dramatic fashion, the other girls just continued listening in horror, "she might be able to be saved if we defeat Nightmare but to do that we need to gather our forces. Once we get to the safe house we-"

Dusk cut him off, "no, if Celestia was defeated then we have to get the Elements ourselves."

"Dusk, don't be ridiculous, we cant go running off looking for a weapon that might not even exist."

"They DO exist, this book confirms it and now we know where they are. We have to go after them while we have the chance."

Kevin hesitated for a brief moment, "assuming your right, the Everfree is dangerous. We still need to gather our strength, assemble a team to go and retrieve them."

"There's no time, even if you ignore the fact that people everywhere will be suffering at Nightmare's hands in the mean time, there's every possibility that she knows where they are as well. I'm going, you can come with me and help or you can stay, but don't try and stop me, because the only way your going to do that is by fighting me and we both know that will draw Nightmare's attention."

Dusk stared Kevin dead in the eye, the five girls, including Rarity who had recovered herself, just stood watching. Finally, Kevin slumped his shoulders in resignation, "fine, but I WILL be going with you. Just in case."

"Well alright, lets get a move on," Applejack said. The other four issued their agreements, except for Fluttershy, but she didn't say no ether.

"What no, girls, I appreciate the offer, but this is our responsibility," Dusk said, surprised at their enthusiasm.

"No can do, sugarcube. We sure ain't lettin' any friend of ours go into that creepy place alone. We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple. Besides, you need people who know the forest. We may not go in there often, but we know a few of the trails."

"Well, but I... fine," Dusk sighed. Kevin grinned at him.

"Sucks when they use logic against you doesn't it."


***


The group of seven trekked though the dark forest of evergreens. From the outside it looked like any other forest, but once inside, Dusk could feel the ambient magic saturate the air. All around plants grew wild and untamed, in the trees, eyes could be seen watching them from the darkness. Everyone in the group seemed on edge except for Pinkie and oddly enough, Fluttershy who looked at the animals with fascination in her eyes.

"So, whats the story with this place?" Dusk asked

"Nobody knows," Rainbow said, grinning, "you know why?"

"Rainbow..." AJ said warningly.

"Because everyone who's ever come in, has never come out," Rainbow continued in a creepy voice.

"The Everfree used to be the capital of Equestria," Kevin said. "After Nightmare Moon killed Celestia's sister, she couldn't bare the sadness of living here, so she moved the capital to present day Canterlot."

"But wouldn't the castle and this whole area be a historical landmark then? Why is it so over grown, and unkempt?"

"You've heard of the Druids right?" Dusk nodded. "Well, they always believed that mortals using magic to control plants, animals and the weather was against nature. When Princess Celestia moved the capital, they formed a plan to take advantage of her grief induced apathy. Pooling all their magic into a single source, they cast a powerful spell over the whole region, causing a magic forest to appear overnight. These enchanted trees were unlike anything that had ever been seen, they acted as a ward against any form of mortal magic that would alter or otherwise control nature. They then made their home in the heart of the forest and declared that it would remain 'Ever Free'."

The group continued on for a time, Applejack stepped on a vine and jumped back as it wiggled under her foot and retreated into the brush. "This forest, I tell ya, it ain't natural."

"Isn't," Dusk corrected, "and weren't you listening? It's all natural."

Applejack sighed and moved to walk next to Dusk. "Sugar cube, can I be honest with ya?" she asked not waiting for an answer, "the way you keep correcting me and pointing things out? It makes you seem like kind of a know-it-all."

Dusk was taken aback by this, "but, I'm just trying to share my knowledge with others, whats wrong with that?"

"Ain't nothing wrong with sharing what you know, but there's a time and a place for it. When you correct my grammar, it makes me feel like you think I'm too stupid to talk right." 

"I don't think you're stupid at all!" Dusk tried to defend. "I was just, trying to inform you so you'd know."

AJ then smiled and, in a perfect Canterlot accent said, "I am well aware that 'ain't', a conjunction of 'am not' isn't recognized as a word by the Oxenford Dictionary, however, my family and I are disinclined to appropriate formal diction into our vocabulary." 

Dusk's mouth hung open as he stared at AJ, who put a hand on his chin and lifted it closed. "Means we don't like them fancy big city words."

"I...see. Well, AJ, I'm sorry I made you feel that way. Thanks for being honest and telling me," Dusk looked at the ground. "most people just let me go on making a jerk of myself and then resenting me behind my back."

"Aww, shucks, partner. You ain't gotta worry about that with me," AJ put her arm around Dusk's shoulder and gave him a friendly shake. "I'm a 'tell it like it is' gal, if you're doing something that's bothering me, I'll be the first to let ya know."

Dusk was about to reply when they were interrupted by a bellowing roar. 

"What was that?" Kevin asked, his wrist-blades shooting from the skin above his hands.

"Woah," Rainbow said, looking at Kevin with awe, "those are. So. Awesome! You're just like that guy from those comic books! Or no, no, more like that guy from that one game with the sunglasses and the robot arms!"

"Quiet! What made that noise?" the group instinctively huddled together with their backs to one another, all looking for the source of the roar. They didn't have to look long, from the trees sprang a great beast, easily twice the height of their tallest member. It appeared at first glance to be a lion, but it was far too big. It also had great bat-like wings and a tail that would not have been out of place on a scorpion.

"A manticore!" Dusk shouted. The beast looked at them but did not move to strike. Kevin lunged to the side, hoping to out maneuver the beast. He couldn't drop into his true form, it would take to long to explain things to Dusk and the girls, and there was no guaranty they would fully trust him without Celestia to collaborate his claims and he couldn't afford to lose their trust yet. In his terran form, however, he was slower, less stealthy and unable to use magic but he was not completely helpless. 

He brought his blades to bear on the manticore who parried with its tail. Kevin tried to use his second blade but it was blocked as the beast used its massive paw to strike him in the chest and send him flying. In that moment, Fluttershy thought she noticed something odd about it.

"Wait," she tried to say, but it was too quiet.

"Well, alright, lets wrangle this overgrown bull!" AJ hollered as she pulled the lasso from her belt and tossed it around the manticore's tail. "YEE-HAW! Git along, little dogie. Whoa!" The beast lifted its tail, taking the rope and AJ with it. Fortunately she let go a moment before it flung the rope completely and she fell to the ground rather than fly off into the forest. "Ugh," she said, rubbing her scraped arm. "All yours, Rainbow."

"I'm on it!" Rainbow yelled as she charged forward, fists raised.

"Wait!" Fluttershy said again, to no avail.

Rainbow's reckless plan, to the surprise of no one except perhaps Rainbow herself, failed spectacularly as she was swatted aside like a fly. Rolling on the ground, she was stopped by Kevin who helped her to her feet as Dusk, AJ, Pinkie and Rarity joined them. "Ok, guys," Dusk said, "I'm going to cast Iva's Invisible Armor, it'll protect us from his claws and that tail. Lets charge him all at once!" Dusk began the sequence for the spell as the rest of the group shouted their affirmation. A blue aura surrounded the group, forming itself to their bodies and then vanishing. "Alright, lets do this! CHARGE!" 

"WAIT!!!" Fluttershy screamed, still in a voice that was too soft to hear among the roaring and hollering, but this time she had placed herself between the group and the manticore. Dusk and the others barely stopped in time to avoid plowing over Fluttershy completely. 

"Fluttershy, what are you doing?" Rainbow asked.

"I think this is a misunderstanding, look," she pointed to the beast's right paw.

"I don't see anything," Rainbow said.

"No wait, shes right," AJ interrupted, "he ain't puttin any weight on that paw. I've been round animals long enough to know that means somthing's hurting em."

As she said that, the manticore shifted and the rest of the group saw that, indeed, it was avoiding putting any weight on the paw when ever possible. "Oh no! We didn't do that did we?" Pinkie asked with genuine distress.

"Pinkie, that was the point, we were trying to hurt it." Kevin deadpanned.

"No, no, Pinkie. I saw it like that when it first hit Mr. Kevin and I think I know whats wrong." Fluttershy hovered over to the great beast, undeterred by the protests of her friends. When she landed next to it, the size difference became even more apparent. She was barely as tall as the great beast's knee.

The manticore eyed Fluttershy with suspicion, letting out low growls of warning as she slowly extended her hand to its nose. "Shhh. Its ok, I wont hurt you," she said in almost a whisper.

"She wont hurt him?" Kevin said but was hushed by Dusk who was now watching with great interest. He had almost forgotten about the young seraphim's dryadic inherited abilities. His analytical mind was recording every detail of her actions as she worked to sooth the manticore. 

Fluttershy grabbed its paw and lifted it with such ease that it was almost certain that the creature was lifting it under her guidance. She turned the paw over to reveal a large wooden stick jammed into it's flesh surrounded by bits of dried blood. "Oh, you poor, poor little thing!"

"Little?" Rainbow quipped

"Now, this might hurt for a moment, but I have to get this nasty thorn out or you wont heal properly." Fluttershy's voice was so gentle that one would have thought the manticore her child. She grabbed the stick with both hands and pulled as hard as she could, she even flapped her wings for extra force. The stick budged then slid out causing Fluttershy to fall on her rump  in front of the monster. 

The manticore let out a great roar of pain and looked down at the timid girl who had caused it. It looked ready to pounce. Dusk's eyes went wide as he and the others all started running towards their friend in an effort to protect her, but they stopped when the heard... laughter?

The manticore was now purring and nuzzling Fluttershy, every now and then giving her a lick which, with its large tongue, covered Fluttershy entirely with its saliva. "Aw you're just a little ol' baby kitty, aren't you? Yes you are, yes you are." The manticore placed Fluttershy on the ground and then proceeded to fly away to parts unknown. 

As the group approached Fluttershy, Rarity cast a spell to remove the manticore's spittle from Fluttershy's clothes and hair. Amidst the various compliments and back patting she received from her friends, Dusk looked down at the stick then back to Fluttershy. "I don't understand, why did you put your life at risk when it would have been safer to tell us about the injury so we could finish it off?"

Fluttershy just smiled, "because we didn't have to. Some times a little kindness goes a long way."

Dusk couldn't respond to that, he just pondered the implications as they continued deeper into the forest.


***


After about ten minutes, the group found themselves before a river that, due to the unpredictable nature of the Everfree Forest's weather, had flooded. Rainbow Dash rejoined the group after having gone to look for a possible way to cross.

"It's no good," she said, "the only bridge I could see for several miles is completely underwater."

"Well," Dusk said as he thought, "can you or Fluttershy carry us across?"

"Fluttershy isn't strong enough. I could carry you guys one at a time, but it might take a while. Carrying people takes a lot out of ya, especially if they aren't seraphims themselves."

"Well we better get star- do you hear that?" 

They listened, and sure enough, in the distance, a soft sobbing could be heard. When the they went to investigate further upstream, there they found, on the bank of the river, a great serpent as tall as a building. His face was dragon like and currently burred in his claw like hands as he let out bellowing sobs. 

"Oh cruel world!" he said rolling his Rs dramatically. 

"Is that a river serpent?" Kevin asked.

"It looks like it, they're suppose to be quite friendly and playful. I wonder what happened to him." Dusk approached the crying mess of a river serpent and yelled to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir? Why are you crying?"

"Why? Why!" the serpent said and sniffled "Just look at me!" he lowered his hands and on his muzzle was one half of a very flamboyant mustache. "I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this nasty little cragodile swims up to me and just bites half my beloved mustache clean off, without so much as a how do you do. And now... *sniff* I'm hideous!" The wails continued even louder this time.

The reactions were mixed to say the least. Dusk rubbed his temples while Kevin pinched his nose. Applejack and Rainbow Dash whispered 'say what now?' and 'Are you kidding me?' respectively. Rarity, however, looked on with incredulity.

"Oh where are my manners," the serpent sniffed, "I'm Steven Magnet, pleasure to meet you." 

"Dusk Shine, and the pleasure's all mine. Say, Mr. Magnet, I'm sorry about your... mustache, but is there any way you could help us cross this river? Its really important that we-"

"Dusk. Shine!" Rarity interrupted, "how can you even think of leaving this poor fellow in his time of need?! Oh, just look at him. Such lovely luminescent scales," she said as she lightly brushed her hand across the serpent's scales.

"I know," sniffed Steven.

"And your expertly coiffed hair."

"I know, I know!"

"And that fabulous manicure! All ruined without your beautiful mustache!"

"Oh it's true, I'm disgusting, don't look at me!" Steven howled.

"My dear Steven, don't you worry one bit. For I shall NOT let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected!" Rarity declared. With that, she grabbed her own hair and formed it into a long pony tail. Then, to the shock of everyone, she cast a severing cantrip, cutting it off at the base. After that, she levitated the hair up towards Steven's muzzle and, with a few hand gestures, magically attached it to the point where his mustache had been cut. With a final wave of her hand, the hair was styled and died to match the blonde color of the other half. When she finished, she magicked up a mirror to allow Steven to see, to his great delight, that his mustache looked the same as if it had always been.

"Oh-hohohoho! My mustache. How wonderful. Oh bless you darling!" 

"Think nothing of it dear."

"Oh, Rarity, your beautiful hair..." Fluttershy said sympathetically. 

"Yes well, it'll grow back. Besides, short hair is in this season."

"That was awfully generous of you, Rarity," Dusk complemented. "I... I think I kinda owe you an apology."

"Why, whatever for?"

"Well, see, when we first met, I assumed you would be, well..." Dusk struggled to find the right words.

"Petty? Shallow?" Rarity offered.

"Y-yea. It's just, every other girl I've met who puts as much emphasis on looks and glamour as you tends to think that they're owed the world, and I thought you'd be the same. But I was wrong, twice now I've seen you give up something without asking for anything in return, and to top it off, you're here with us, putting your life at risk, to stop Nightmare Moon. So I'm sorry I was wrong." Dusk looked up at Rarity with his hand behind his head.

"Apology accepted, Darling. Everyone makes assumptions and I suppose I can see why you might think that. But I enjoy fashion and beauty for their own sake, not to make people adore me. Although," she smirked, "it's a nice bonus when it does happen."


"Guys, I hate to break up this moment, but we still have to cross the river." Kevin pointed out.

"Oh, Allow me. It's the least I can do," Steven said as he laid down in the water, extending his body so that his back formed a makeshift bridge. The grateful group said their farewells and crossed over with out issue. "Farewell little friends, do come back and see me some time!"


***


As the group moved out of site of the river, they could see, in the distance, an old castle amid a clearing of trees. As impressive as is must have been once, it was clear now that it had fallen siege to the one force no castle, however mighty, could withstand; time. A single tower still bore its roof while the others were dilapidated and caved in. The ramparts were riddled with breaches and covered in moss. 

"There it is!" Dusk shouted "that's where we'll find the Elements of Harmony!" He charged ahead heedlessly, and nearly off a cliff that he didn't see for the fog that was bellowing up from it's depths. "Whoa!" He stopped himself just on the edge of the cliff, struggling to balance himself when Rainbow caught up and pulled him back. 

"Dude, charging ahead is my shtick, you're suppose to be the smart one." Rainbow admonished.

"Right, right," Dusk looked around, "Look! There's a rope bridge, but its cut down from the other end." He and the others walked over to the wooden posts where one end of the ropes where tied. The bridge itself looked it good condition, save for the fact that it lead down into the canyon rather than across as it was supposed to.

"Well now what do we do?" Pinkie asked. Rainbow just cleared her throat as she raised her wings, "oh, right."

"Be right back guys," Rainbow dived into the canyon head first, spreading her wings to slow her decent. Grabbing the loose end of the bridge, she carried it up to the opposite end and tied off the first rope. She didn't notice but the fog had gotten thicker and thicker.

"Rainbow, can you hear us?" Dusk called, "The fog is getting thick, we cant see you." 

"Yea, I hear ya. Give me some slack, the rope is too short. Guys? Guys!?" she called out, but it wasn't Dusk or any of her friends who answered her.

"Rainbow..." came a voice as soft as a whisper, "Rainbow Dash..." It echoed in an eerie stereo and seemed to come from all directions at once.

"Who's there!?" Rainbow turned on her heal, looking for the origin of the voice. "I'm not afraid! I know karate!"

"Thou has no cause to fear me, young seraphim." The voice was clearer now but maintained it's disorienting echo. "Indeed, We have come to praise thy skills. For thou art the greatest flyer in the land are you not?" 

Rainbow relaxed a little bit at that, her pride taking over as she relished in the fact that Nightmare Moon, a creature of legend, was complimenting her abilities. "Yea, it's true," she said, "have you come to surrender to my awesomeness?" 

Nightmare's eyes would have twitched had she had them at that moment, but she pushed her pride down for the sake of her mission. This girl would suffer soon enough. "We are here to extend an offer, Rainbow Dash of Ponyville, a woman of your skill could have great power and respect in Our new world."

"If you think I'm going to just abandon my friends-"

"Thine friends care not for thee. Thou art but a pawn in Dusk Shine's misguided quest. He is leading you and thine fellows to destruction. He knows not the power of what he seeks, it will consume him and you as well."

"We could offer you so much more," suddenly, the fog began to swirl and morph until a vision appeared before Rainbow. She saw herself standing at the head of a massive army and she. Looked. AWESOME! Her vision self wore a set of armor right out of a fantasy game, shining a silver and purple hue with eagle wings adorning the shoulder pads and kneecaps. Her sword was every bit as awesome with the hilt shaped like a dragon's maw and the blade protruding from the mouth. In front of her were several figures she easily recognized as her personal heroes, the Wonderbolt Elites, Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot. Behind them were other famous Wonderbolts, and they were all saluting her!

Rainbow could only gawk at the image. It was everything she ever dreamed, to be respected, to be admired, to be a legend. "And you will be a legend, Sky Child, thou need only to reach out an take what thy desires," Nightmare said.

A million and one thoughts battled their way through Rainbow's head. Everything she ever wanted, all she had to do was switch sides. Who cared who was ruling the land, it wasn't as though she ever paid any attention to politics anyhow. Sure Nightmare may be a tyrant but if she were a general wouldn't she be able to do whatever she wanted as long as she stayed out of Nightmare's way? And If it were really that bad, she could use her position to help from the inside, that's how these things worked right?

Just as Rainbow was starting to reach for the image, a new series of thoughts began to appear in her mind. Thoughts of Fluttershy, her childhood friend and what would happen to her. Thoughts of the people in Ponyville and elsewhere being enslaved while she reaped the benefits of their suffering. Rainbow took another good look at the image, was that really what she wanted? The look on her vision self's face was one of stern, unyielding authority, the kind she hated. Sure they respected her, but it wasn't earned, it was forced through fear. 

A final memory entered her head, that of her last confrontation with Nightmare Moon and how, if not for the efforts of that egg head, Dusk, she'd be dead right now. That sealed the deal. 

"Sorry, Nightmare, but I'm gonna pass."

"What?!" the image vanished as Nightmare Moon took on her corporeal form in front of Rainbow. "Do not test Our patience, Sky Child!"

"I said, 'No', what are you? Stupid and deaf?" Rainbow crossed her arms, starring Nightmare right in the face.

Nightmare scowled at the girl, "In the end thou shall all serve, if not as Our general then as Our slave." She transformed once again into formless smoke and shot towards the ruined castle. As she did, the fog began to clear and Rainbow could once again hear her friends frantic calls from the other side of the canyon. 

"Rainbow! Are you alright? What happened over there?" Dusk called out.

"I'm fine! Lemme just tie off the bridge here... There we go, you guys can come on over now!" 

The group ran across the bridge and surrounded Rainbow, concern evident on their faces. "Rainbow Dash! What happened? We lost you in the fog and we couldn't hear you," Rarity asked.

"Nightmare Moon happened."

"What!?" they all said at once.

"She tried to get me to join with some BS offer of power and glory but I saw through her tricks right from the start," Rainbow said as she beamed with pride.

"Nightmare was here?" Kevin asked, "then she knows what we're up to," he looked over to Dusk with his arms crossed.

"Yes, but it also means we're on the right track! The Elements have to be there otherwise she wouldn't be trying to stop us!"

"Um, about that," Rainbow scratched her head as she looked at Dusk, "are you, like, sure that these Element things will even work when we find them? I mean, Nightmare Moon didn't seem worried as much as amused that we were going after them." 

"O-of course they'll work! I mean, the book said they did..." Dusk trailed off as doubt began to eat at his mind. What am I doing out here? I'm putting five innocent, well meaning girls in mortal danger on a mission that I still have no guaranty will succeed. Doubt was replaced by anxiety, his obsessive compulsive driven fear began to spiral out of control. I've lead them all to death, the world was doomed, all because of my need to be right. Dusk began to hyperventilate as rational fears gave way to irrational ones. Was this part of the plan? Did I mean for this to happen? Am I working for Nightmare Moon? The kind of fears that a normal person wouldn't give a second thought were made real by his obsessive compulsive disorder.

Just as Dusk feared he was about to fall into a full blown panic attack, he felt a pair of arms close around him. He opened his eyes to see Pinkie Pie giving him a hug with a big smile on her face. "Hey now," she said, "don't be afraid, auntie Pinkie's hear to help you laugh those mean old feelings away."

"I-I appreciate it, Pinkie, but it's not that simple. I have a condition that makes me... well it's hard to explain."

"Well, I know something that never fails to put a smile on someone's face. It's a song my Granny Pie taught me about not being afraid."

Dusk's breathing had slowed but the feeling of dread still lingered as it was wont to do. "I doubt a song can-" but he didn't get a chance to finish. Pinkie broke out into a joyous melody, dancing and spinning as she went.

"When I was itty-bitty and the sun was going down!" she sang as the others just watched in disbelief. "The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me frown."

The song proved every bit as ridiculous as the girl singing it, using every synonym possible for ghost and giggle. As it reached it's crescendo, Pinkie's infectious voice pierced the hearts of all present, removing any fear or doubt they may have had, if only for the moment. When she finished, she looked at Dusk expectantly, who couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing. The others joined in as well.

"Thank you, Pinkie, I needed that," said Dusk, "and thank you, all of you. You followed me in here when all I had was a hunch. If... if we make it out of this, maybe we could, be friends?"

"Of course!"

"Yea, you're alright. You know, for an egghead."

"Why that would be simply delightful."

"Shoot, like I said back on the farm, yer practically family."

"As long as it's ok with you..."

"I wouldn't mind hanging out," interrupted Kevin, "but we really should get moving. Who knows when Nightmare might get tired of toying with us."

"Right!" said Dusk, "Come on, guys, lets finish this!"


***


After about half an hour's walk, the group found themselves in the main room of the ruined castle. On the floor was a faded red rug that lead to two great thrones that were broken in various places. Tapestries adorned the walls but they were so dust covered that one could barely make out the design. 

"Ugh, this place is in dire need of a good dusting," said Rarity, "I'm going to have to wash my hair at least a dozen times when I get home."

"So, where to now?" asked Rainbow.

Kevin looked up from examining one of the crumbled statues, "a weapon like the Elements of Harmony would have been kept in a secure location. A specialized vault if I were to guess."

"Well, we'd better start looking" said AJ, "should we split up?"

Dusk was about to answer when he looked over to a corridor behind the thrones with stairs leading up. All of a sudden, he had the most bizarre since of deja vu. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like he'd been here before, like he'd seen that very same passage way. Every detail, right down to the chunk of stone missing from the third step, it was as clear in his mind as if he'd been there just yesterday.

Dusk rubbed his forehead. Rainbow noticed, "You alright Dusk?"

"Y-yea. I think... I think we need to go this way," he pointed towards the stairs. 

"What makes you say that?" asked Kevin.

"I... don't know," he confessed, "maybe I saw a picture somewhere but I swear I remember those stairs. I think the Elements are up there."

"Eh, good enough for me," said Rainbow as she flew to and up the stair case. The rest of the group followed behind her. 

At the top of the stairs was a set of large doors. There was an image on the doors of what looked like a tree of some sort, with five branches fanning out from the center. The tree's trunk had a three carvings, two of which Dusk recognized immediately, the first being one he saw every day, the shining sun cutie mark of Princess Celestia. The second was one he'd only ever seen in history books, a crescent moon belonging to Celestia's lost sister, Princess Luna. The final carving was missing a large chunk from its bottom so its true shape couldn't be determined, but whatever it had been, it seemed to have at least five points, each one pointing to a specific branch. The entire image was split in two by a seam where the doors would open.

"How in the world are we gonna get past this?" asked Pinkie. 

"Relax, I got this," Rainbow said as she walked up to the doors. She made a show of rolling up her sleeves and placed both hands on the door, pushing with all her might. "Hughhh," she grunted but nothing happened. She then placed her uninjured shoulder to the door and pushed even harder, her feet moved in place but the door itself didn't budge. "Huurrrgnnnnnah, yea that door ain't moving." 

"Lemme try," AJ walked up to the doors and began examining them, running her hands on the surface and tapping the stone with her knuckles. 

"Ha! Go ahead, AJ, but if I couldn't do it then you definitely can't... do..." Rainbow trailed off as AJ kicked the door in a precise spot, forcing it open. Rainbow hovered in her spot, her mouth agape. "Wha, but... how?"

"Just gotta know where to kick it," Aj winked at Rainbow. 

She and the others crossed the threshold while Dash continued to stair, unbelieving, "yea well, I loosened it for you."

In the center of the massive room was a large orrey, but instead of planets there were five gemstones of varying colors. Dusk approached the orrey while Kevin and the girls stood watching. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the sun that formed the center piece. Once again, he was struck with an overwhelming sense of deja vu. He'd seen this exact same device before, only instead of gems, there were stone tablets. 

Dusk quickly pulled his hand back. He was about to speak when a voice called out. "...Elements of Harmony, we've found them." He recognized the voice, but from where he couldn't say. It echoed and yet sounded as though it were coming from right next to him.

"Did you guys hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" asked Pinkie.

Dusk heard another voice, this time it sounded like Pinkie was counting something, except he was looking right at her and she wasn't saying a thing. Another disembodied voice, this time Rainbow's, could clearly be heard asking about a "sixth". 

"You guys really cant hear that?" Dusk wasn't sure if he should mention that what he was hearing were voices just yet.

They all admitted to not hearing anything. Dusk turned back to the orrey, as he did, the first unknown voice spoke again. "When the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed." Is it a clue? he thought to himself, only one way to find out. Using his magic, Dusk carefully removed the multicolored gems from their placement and arranged them in a circle on the floor.

"So, how do these work?" asked Rainbow as she picked up the red gem. There didn't seem to be anything special about it. 

"I have an idea," said dusk, "everyone stand back, I'm going to cast 'Identify Magic' but I don't know how they'll react." 

Rainbow returned the red gem to the circle and joined the others while Dusk began the sequence for his spell.  Identify Magic was a simple two motion spell that would make various magical effects on an object or person visible, but it was also easy to counter. If the enchanter of said object wanted the specifics of their spell to remain hidden, it was a simple matter to place a trap in the form of an enchantment that would remain dormant until it was visible. Dusk was aware of this and had prepared for pretty much anything. Anything except a simple recall spell.

"Dusk!" the girls all shouted in unison as both he and the Elements disappeared from the room.

"Where did he go?" asked Rarity.

Applejack caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. From a window, she could see the one tower that still had it's roof and a soft glow coming from its window. "Guys, look! I think he's over there."

"Come on then, we have to get over to him," said Kevin as he and the girls made their way back to the stairs.


***


"Ugh, well that happened," Dusk rubbed his head and climbed to his feet. Behind him, he herd an mocking, bone chilling laugh. "Oh raspberries," Dusk turned and there, in all her terrifying glory, was Nightmare Moon.

"Welcome, Dusk Shine of Canterlot, We've been expecting thee" Nightmare gracefully strode towards Dusk, Umbra in hand. "We even brought along a special guest to bear witness to this occasion..." she gestured over her shoulder and there, to Dusk's horror, was the stone form of Princess Celestia. 

"Y-you witch! I won't let you get away with this!"

Nightmare laughed, "Oh Dusk, that was cliche even in Our time," Nightmare continued towards Dusk.

"Not another step!" Dusk levitated the five gems into a circle that rotated in front of him. "I have the Elements of Harmony! I'll use them to seal you back in the moon where you belong!"

"Tis most amusing that thou think We fear the Elements. Indeed We could have destroyed them at any time. We held them in Our hands as We cast the recall spell on them that brought thee hither, but nay, We wanted thou to be present, to see with thine own eyes the hopelessness of thy quest."

Dusk ignored her taunts as he focused his magic. He began to feel the Elements power, they seemed to instruct him on their usage. If he started to channel his energy in the wrong way, he would feel a small sensation, almost instinctual, as to which was the proper way. Was that the origin of the voices? A mystery for another time, right now I have evil to beat. 

The mandala of gems spun faster and faster, Dusk was lifted off the ground as energy poured into him. It was euphoric. Without knowing how he knew, he realized that the spell was fully charged. He concentrated the power into a ball of pure energy and released it all directly at Nightmare Moon. The attack struck her directly.

Dusk floated back down to the floor, the gems still orbiting around him. He looked at where Nightmare had been standing and, for a brief moment, thought he'd won. That thought was dashed a moment later as the smoke cleared, revealing Nightmare still standing, her smoke-like wings embracing her body. She emerged from behind her wings with a wicked, condescending smile, "Twas a valiant effort, Dusk Shine of Canterlot, but a futile one."

Nightmare jumped in the air and buffeted her wings, creating a shock wave of air. Dusk, who was too stunned to react, received the full force of the wave and flew backwards into the wall. As he fell forward, he was certain he had broken a few bones. He struggled to his feet just in time to see Nightmare standing over the Elements of Harmony. She raised an open hand and the gems floated up to her as they had for Dusk.

"Insolent child, didst thou truly believe you could defeat Us? We are ancient. Thou never had a chance," Nightmare clenched her fist, when she did, the Elements of Harmony shattered and with them, Dusk's hope.


***


Applejack, Fluttershy, Kevin, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity had just entered the throne of the ruined castle and were looking for a way to the tower where they hoped Dusk and the Elements were. They hadn't failed to notice the sounds of fighting and evil laughter.

"We have to hurry, Dusk wont last long on his-" Kevin was interrupted by the sound of screeching metal. The group all came to a halt as they searched for the source. Fluttershy's eyes landed on a suit of armor holding a large claymore. 

It was rare that her curiosity overrode her timidness but in this case, she couldn't help but want to examine the image of a bunny on the armors coat of arms. She approached slowly, tilting her head. When she got within arms reach, however, the armor suddenly turned to look at her.

Fluttershy yelped and stumbled backwards as the armor began to walk towards her bearing its sword. Four more identical suits of armor stepped off their pedestals and joined the first in marching to the group. Fluttershy scrambled to her feet while the rest of her friends formed a protective line in front of her. 

"Revenants," said Kevin, "they must have been drawn here by Nightmare Moon." 

"How do we beat them?" Rainbow asked.

"Find the anchor, it looks like a little glowing dot. Break it and they'll be exercised from the armor," Kevin extended his wrist blades, "I'll take care of the one on the far left," he said and charged. Applejack and Rainbow Dash leaped on the the second and third ones, leaving the last two for Pinkie and Rarity.

Kevin crossed is blades to block as the revenant brought its massive sword down. Then, using his enemy's own force, allowed himself to be pushed down and between the revenant's legs. He rolled and jumped to his feet quickly and struck the armored legs, toppling it to the ground. Before he could impale the hollow suite of armor, however, it detached its arms and shot them towards his throat, forcing him to block. 

The arms returned to the armor, formed into a fist and detached again, shooting towards Kevin, then retracting back to the armor, repeating again and again like a pair of pistons. Kevin parried each one but soon found himself against a wall. Blast it, I need to get off the defensive, he thought, revenants rely on body heat to see so smoke screens wont work, if I could just transform for a moment... An idea formed itself, a smoke screen wouldn't hide him from the revenant but it would hide him from the girls.

Moving quickly, he reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out one of his smoke pellets. He always carried at least one in case he needed to disappear without revealing his true nature. He tossed it on the ground and within seconds he was concealed by a cloud of smoke. As expected the revenant was completely unfazed but he could no longer see the girls, which meant they could no longer see him. In a flash of green fire Kevin the man disappeared and in his place stood K'Vann the changeling.

The attacks from the revenant stopped, K'Vann's cold as death changeling body was completely invisible to its infrared sight. As the revenant cautiously searched, K'Vann made use of his pale blue changeling eyes that allowed him to see emotion. There, in the breastplate of the armor, shining like a beacon, was the anchor. Illuminated by all the hatred, and bitterness felt by the revenant. He had two maybe three seconds before the smoke cleared, it was now or never. K'Vann darted to the side of the revenant and jammed his blade between the joint at the arm and breastplate, striking the anchor and shattering it. His very next act was to wrap himself in green flame, changing back into Kevin just as the smoke dissipated.

The armor stuttered, and then fell apart, a ghostly mist floated up from where the anchor had been and vanished into the air. Kevin took a moment to catch his breath before looking to join the others.

Rainbow was buzzing about her opponent, flying close enough to throw a punch then darting back out when it swung its sword. "C'mon, slow poke," she taunted, "can you actually hit me with that big sword of yours or you just compensating for something?"  The revenant allowed its arm to detach with each swing, extending its reach, but it wasn't enough. 

Rainbow flew above it and with a downward kick, struck the helm of the armor, wedging it into the suit. The revenant fell over and Rainbow landed with a confident smirk. "You just got 'Rainbowned'," she said. With her back turned, however, she didn't notice the revenant stand back up and raise its sword over here. 

"Rainbow! Look out!" she heard Fluttershy yell. Rainbow turned to see the armor with the smashed in helm about to cleave her in half when she was suddenly tackled just before the sword came down with rock splitting force. 

Rainbow shook her head and opened her eyes to see Kevin climbing off her then offering her a hand. "Dude, you saved me."

"I wouldn't have had to if you weren't so cocky," he admonished, "this isn't a game or one of your silly competitions, these things will KILL us if we let them."

"I-I know that!" Rainbow retorted, although her tone betrayed the fact that it might not have completely hit home just yet.

"Whatever, just distract it so I can get at the anchor," Kevin deployed his wrist blades jumped back into the fray.

I'll show him Rainbow thought as she looked around for something to use. There, on the wall was a display case with a shield and a pair of swords. She had no idea how to sword fight but any idiot could use a shield to block right? Grabbing the shield off the wall, she turned back to the revenant that Kevin was currently fighting. She picked up a piece of rubble from the ground and bounced it in her hand. "Hey, can o' loser, heads up!" she yelled as she threw the object.

The projectile struck the revenant in the arm but did nothing other than draw it's attention to Rainbow. It moved on her, sword raised but this time, she was ready. She raised the shield between herself and her attacker as it struck, the impact sent numbing vibrations through Rainbow's arms. 

While the revenant was distracted, Kevin repeated the attack he had with the first, sliding his blade through the joint and striking the anchor. The creature collapsed in a pile of armor. Dash took a moment to catch her breath as feeling slowly returned to her arms. She suddenly had a new respect for the knights of old who had to block with only one arm while attacking with a sword in the other.

Rarity and Applejack had been holding their own fairly well, with AJ using her lasso to bind the arms of her opponent while Rarity was firing various spells at hers. 

AJ's revenant struggled and finally broke free of its bonds but not before she was able to jump on its back, wrapping her arms and legs around it's torso. "Yeehaw, now this is a rodeo!" The revenant twisted and flailed but to no avail as AJ used her weight to further confuse it's movements. As the revenant stumbled about, AJ took the opportunity to pull the helm off the armor and spot the glowing anchor inside, just under the left arm. She reached in with her right arm and used her thumb to press down on the anchor as hard as she could, it cracked under the pressure. The armor collapsed sending her rolling off on to the ground.

Rarity's attacker, although slowed by her barrage of spells, was slowly advancing on her. Rarity was no fighter and her stamina for magic was limited and starting to wear. The revenant closed in on her and grabbed her arm. "Ugh, unhand me you brute!" she slapped it across the cheek of the helm which, of course, did nothing. The animated armor raised its sword to finish the job. Thinking quickly, she reached into her pack and grabbed an aerosol can, the label read Hair Spray: Industrial Strength. 

With one practiced motion, Rarity used her free hand to pop the cap off the aerosol can and spray a healthy dose all over the revenant's sword arm. The arm slowed and then froze. The revenant dropped Rarity as it attempted to free it's frozen arm with its free one. Rarity crouched as she landed and continued to spray the legs and other joints on the armor. The revenant struggled slowly but eventually stopped altogether, frozen as a statue. 

"Humph, ruffian," Rarity scoffed, "making me waste my good hair spray." She straightened her hair with her hands before applying a tiny bit of the hair spray on herself, then replaced it in her pack.

Applejack had seen the whole thing and just shook her head. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it." She walked up to the armor, removed the helm and broke the anchor as she had with the other.

The remaining revenant was attempting to beat Pinkie Pie in a game of Wack a Mole, with Pinkie playing the part of the mole. When it would swing it's sword, she would duck behind a pile of rubble, only to emerge seconds later behind a fallen pillar ten feet away, every time saying things like "Over here!" and "Can't catch me!" much to the revenant's confusion and frustration.

Behind Pinkie was Fluttershy, watching her friends fight all while feeling helpless and weak. "Oh, I'm so pathetic," she whimpered to herself, "I want to help but I'm just so scared." She watched as Pinkie popped up from her hiding spot to hit the revenant with a pie that she had got from... somewhere. Pinkie clutched her stomach and laughed at the sight. So distracted was she, that she didn't notice that her attacker wasn't as blinded by the pie as she had thought. Fluttershy's eyes widened, "Pinkie! Look out!"

Pinkie looked up and was able to move just in time to save her own life, but not enough to avoid injury altogether. The sword swing caught her arm, causing her to yelp in pain. Fluttershy ran to Pinkie's side, "Oh my goodness, are you alright?" she asked as she pulled Pinkie's hand off her wound to look at it. The cut wasn't deep, but it would need to be cleaned and treated.

"Yea, I'm ok, it doesn't hurt too bad. Guess I got a little careless huh?" Pinkie said with a slight smile, but her words were distant to Fluttershy.

Rage, anger, Fluttershy knew what these words defined, but until now, she had never known what they meant.  Gone was her fear, gone was her sense of compassion and dislike of violence. She stood and turned to face the revenant, "How dare you..." she spoke in an abnormally calm and steady voice. "How DARE YOU!" Her fists were clenched and her glare was so intense that the revenant actually halted it's advance. 

"You think, just because you're an evil spirit, that you can go and hurt my friends!?!" as she spoke, she slowly advanced towards the revenant, stomping each step. "Your just a great. BIG. MEANIE!" With both hands, she shoved the revenant backwards, it stumbled and tripped over a ledge, causing it to fall through a glass window and down onto the rocks below. The impact shattered the armor and the anchor as well.

Fluttershy's breathing slowed as she began to calm. Putting her hands over her mouth, she turned to face her awe struck friends. "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Fluttershy, that was AWESOME!" Rainbow said, shaking her friend by the shoulder. 

"C'mon y'all, we got ta get to Dusk," AJ said. She and the others made their way down the hall leading out of the throne room and hopefully to the tower where Dusk had teleported.

Kevin followed behind, thinking to himself, It's always the quiet ones...


***


"Argh!" Dusk whimpered as he was magically slammed into another wall. This time he didn't fall forward but was held against it by Nightmare Moon's invisible magic force. He grunted as the pressure slowly increased, becoming more and more painful as he was crushed. Nightmare laughed as she took pleasure in his pain.

"Thou can end this, Dusk Shine," she said in her mocking tone, "swear fealty to Us, and We shall do more than spare thy life. Thou has proven cunning and resourceful, We could use one of thine skills. You value knowledge? Thu shalt have it! Secrets from beyond history, forgotten by even Celestia. You value power?  Thu shalt become the greatest mage that ever walked the Earth."

Despite the immense pressure on his body, Dusk managed to turn his head to face Nightmare. "g-go, ack... Go to hell!" he spat.

Nightmare scowled, "so be it, by Our power as queen, thy life is forfeit, Dusk Shine of Canterlot."

Nightmare pointed Umbra straight at Dusk, forming a dark ball of negative energy. Before she could release it, however, something struck her right in her side, sending her flying into a pile of rubble on the other side of the room. The pressure dissipated and Dusk fell to the ground. Looking up, he was shocked to see Rainbow Dash land were Nightmare was just standing.

"Aww yea, that one was for my shoulder, beyach!" she bent down to lift Dusk up onto her back, "guess we're even now, you ok, Egghead?"

"I've been better," he looked around to see the other girls and Kevin all running to him, "you guys shouldn't have come back."

"Shucks, partner," AJ said with a tip of her hat, "we're friends now, and you don't leave friends behind." She looked around the room, "what happened to the Elements?"

Dusk's smile fell, "They were-"

Dusk was interrupted as Nightmare exploded from the pile of rubble she was knocked into. "Miserable gnats! We shall make thee suffer a thousand, thousand times for this indignity!" 

"Fluttershy, tend to Dusk," Kevin said, "everyone else, lets depose this 'queen'."

"Come at Us all at once, twill make no difference in the end."

Dusk sat up as he watched his new found friends rush headlong into what was surly their doom. "I don't understand," he looked to Fluttershy, "none of you have to be here, you could have run when you had the chance, why are you doing this all for me?"

"Well, it's like Applejack said, you're our friend, and friends look out for each other. Not just because it's right, but because we want to," Fluttershy thought for a moment, "I suppose friendship is magical in that way."

"Friendship is magic..." as Dusk said those words, something clicked in his head. Another memory/premonition, just like the last two times. Closing his eyes he could see a vision of six figures. Horses? Spirit animals perhaps, he could only see their silhouettes, but around their necks were amulets, clad in gold with shining gems set in the center. He recognized each gem, they were shaped like the cutie marks of his new friends. The figure in the center had no necklace but a crown, it too had a gem and one he was familiar with most of all. It was his own mark.

The vision ended and suddenly, he knew exactly what needed to be done. "I've got it," he turned to Fluttershy, "the gems weren't the Elements, they were just a manifestation, a focus for their power. The real Elements of Harmony have been with us the whole time!" Ignoring the pain in his body, and the protests from Fluttershy, Dusk made his way to where the fragments of the shattered gems lay.

He gathered the orange shards in a pile, "Applejack, who told me how she felt about my attitude even though it might have offended me, I name you 'Honesty'!" 

Applejack had her rope around Nightmare's arm and  was tugging with all her strength. Nightmare easily sliced the rope with Umbra causing AJ's pent up momentum to send her flying backwards. Undeterred, she returned to the fight, too distracted to noticed an orange gem in the shape of her cutie mark forming just above her breasts. 

Dusk gathered the pink shards, "Fluttershy, who showed mercy to a manticore by tending it's wound when slaying it would have been wiser, I name you 'Kindness'!"

Unlike AJ, Fluttershy did notice the pink gem in the shape of her mark form on her chest. It felt oddly calming to her.

Dusk then turned to the purple shards, "Rarity, who gave her own hair, which she values greatly, to a mournful serpent and expected nothing in return, I name you 'Generosity'!"

"Alright you old hag!" Rarity shouted, "you want to be a queen with that style? Please, your hair and your outfit are practically ancient, and don't even get me stated on your complexion! Honestly, Darling, try some makeup next time." 

Infuriated, Nightmare shifted her focus towards the young djinn woman who was now sporting a purple diamond shaped gem below her neck. 

Only two piles left, Dusk gathered the red and blue shards and spoke as he had for the others. First to the red, "Rainbow Dash, who was offered the chance to fulfill her hearts desire at the cost of her friends, but remained faithful to those she cared about, I name you 'Loyalty'!" 

As Nightmare charged Rarity, Rainbow came out of hiding and landed a punch right on her face, a red lightning bold shining on her chest. The punch sent her flying right towards...

"Pinkie Pie," Dusk spoke to the final, blue pile, "who remained optimistic even in our darkest moments, and pulled me from my own disrepair with her joy, I name you 'Laughter'!" 

Pinkie was ready for Nightmare with a cream filled pie, slamming it right into her face. When the blue balloon formed on her chest, she giggled, "teehee, that tickles."  Nightmare was beyond furious at this point.

"ENOUGH!" Nightmare extended her wings and came to a dead stop in the air, the force of her magic eliminating any remaining peaces of the pie she had been struck with. "This farce ends NOW!"

The girls and Kevin, who had been needling Nightmare from the shadows, were all blown back towards Dusk and Fluttershy. "No more games," she said as she conjured a massive ball of energy, "DIE, INSECTS!" Nightmare released her attack, it struck true, its explosive force consuming the group, surly disintegrating anything within.

But when the dust cleared, there, completely unharmed and protected by a glowing golden aura were the five girls, floating just of the ground with Dusk in the center.  Kevin looked up at them with awe, blinded by the light of the aura. 

"Impossible..." Nightmare, for the first time, looked genuinely unsure of herself, "the Elements were destroyed, h-how?!"

"The Elements of Harmony cannot be destroyed," Dusk said, "because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are here, in the hearts of those who hold their virtues true." As Dusk spoke, a rainbow link connected each of the girls at their respective gems. "These five amazing girls have stood against everything you've thrown at them and more. And now, their spark will awaken the true power of the Elements of Harmony, by revealing the sixth element!"

"Y-you fool! There is no sixth element!"

"But there is! I found it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear them, to see them, how much I cared about them. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that all of them... are my friends! You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the Element of... Magic!" The rainbow link connected with Dusk on his forehead and the a gem formed in the shape of a six pointed star.

"I will not allow this! I am queen!" Nightmare pored all of her power into a beam of magical energy and fired it at Dusk.

Dusk harnessed the power for his own attack. The pool of energy was infinite, or at least infinite as far as mere mortals were concerned. He released his beam of white-gold energy which met Nightmare's beam, halting it in what appeared to be a stalemate. But where Nightmare Moon seemed to be struggling, Dusk was completely calm. 

"Nightmare, I once asked Celestia why she was called princess when there was no higher authority than her. Do you know what she told me?" Dusk asked, "she told me, that she is princess, because in Equestria, Harmony is king..." With that, Dusk directed the Elements of Harmony to finish the fight at last, "Friendship Fire!"

A double helix of rainbows swirled from his hands, engulfing both his and Nightmare's previous beams. "Nooooooo!" Nightmare cried as the attack consumed her. The grey foggy wings blew away first, then the inky black skin cracked and peeled away, revealing a sky blue skin underneath, finally, her armor and Umbra evaporated. When the attack finished, Nightmare moon had vanished, and in her place was a young looking woman wearing a dirty and torn gown. The woman fell to her knees and then collapsed unconscious on the floor.

Dusk released the power of the Elements back to their respective gems. As he felt himself slip into unconsciousness, he received another vision. No figures this time, no voices or strange feelings, just a single five letter word in all capitals: AURYN.


***


""Ugh, my head. Anyone else feel like they just did three rounds with an ursa major and lost?" Rainbow sat up and rubbed her forehead. She looked around and saw that her friends were in a similar state, save for Rarity who was busy admiring her newly regrown hair in a compact mirror.

"Oh, Rarity, it's so lovely," Fluttershy said.

"I know, I'll never part with it again," Rarity replied while stroking it elegantly. 

"No, I mean your necklace, it matches your cutie mark."

Rarity looked down to the purple diamond necklace she was wearing, "Oh my, your right!" she then looked up and noticed that Fluttershy had a similar necklace with a pink butterfly, "so does yours, Darling."

"Hey look at mine!" Pinkie said excitedly.

"Heh, pretty cool," Rainbow said as she looked at her own, "you know, for jewelry."

"Hey check out Dusk's!" Pinkie pointed at Dusk who had not a necklace but a crown, fit for a prince, with a six pointed magenta star as the center piece.

Dusk removed the crown to examine it, Applejack approached him as he did, "I got to admit, Dusk, I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really did it didn't we?"

"Indeed you did," came a new voice. The group turned and there, walking down from the rubble in all her majestic glory was princess Celestia.

"Princess!" They all gasped and dropped to their knees in respect, except for Dusk, you marched towards her, looking somewhat angry.

"Dusk Shine, my wonderful, amazing student, you did it."

"Yea, after you lied to me and sent me away!"

"Dusk! This is the Princess," Rarity said through clenched teeth. 

"She's also the one who told me Nightmare Moon was an old wives' tale and that the most important thing I needed to do was to make friends!" he sighed, "I'm sorry, Princess, I just don't get it." Dusk sat down on a fallen column and massaged his eyes.

"I told you that you needed to make friends, because, as you now know, the love between friends who will do anything for one another is one of the strongest magics there is." Celestia sat beside him, "Dusk, the day I met you, I knew you were destined for greatness. I knew that your talent, combined with the love of friends would be the key to destroying Nightmare Moon forever." Celestia's smile became a frown, "but I also knew that it would be a dangerous task, one that might even cost you your life. I had hoped I could subdue Nightmare on my own and then guide you and your friends on how the Elements worked so that, when the time came, you could safely purify Luna's spirit. I underestimated her, however and it nearly cost you all everything and for that, I beg your forgiveness." 

The girls weren't quite sure how to respond to Princess Celestia, the highest and most respected authority in the land, humbling herself before them and asking forgiveness. Dusk, though a little stunned himself, had grown close to the Princess over the years and recovered more easily. "I... I guess I can understand that," then something occurred to him, "wait! What did you mean 'purify Luna's spirit'? I thought that Nightmare Moon killed her in battle a thousand years ago."

"In a way, my sister did lose a battle with Nightmare Moon. However, it was not a battle of weapons and magic, but a battle of will. For you see, Nightmare Moon is Luna, in body at least." The group gasped at that revelation but Celestia continued, "Luna grew envious of the attention and praise lavished upon me by our subjects. It didn't help that I, in youthful foolishness, dismissed her grievances as childishness. The Nightmare, a creature that feeds on negative feelings, growing more powerful as it does, was attracted to Luna like a beacon in darkness.

"Luna alone knows precisely how it happened, but ultimately it took control of her, poisoning her mind and twisting her into the monster you fought today," Celestia grew somber at the memory. "The Elements, when wielded by a single individual, are merely a power amplifier, their true strength can only be unlocked in the hands of a group bound by friendship. I was alone, however, so I was forced to use them to seal Nightmare, and thus my sister in the moon."

"And then you waited a thousand years alone, because of my selfishness." Everyone turned to see the formally unconscious woman being helped to her feet by Kevin. Her voice was unmistakably the same as nightmare's but it didn't echo or carry the same sinister tone. She avoided making eye contact with anyone, "I...I am grateful for freeing me from the darkness, I am prepared for any punishment you believe jus-" She never got to finish as she was interrupted by a bone crushing hug from Celestia.

"Luna, my sister, it has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. I will not send you away again just as soon as I have you back. Especially not when I know your actions were not your own." Luna could feel Celestia's tears on her cheeks causing her to start tearing up as well. "It's time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, will you accept my friendship?"

Luna finally broke down into tears, "yes! A thousand times yes! I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!"

"I've missed you, too."

Sniffling could be heard all around as the others, mostly Rarity and Pinkie crying tears of joy at the scene. "Hey! You know what this calls for?" Pinkie asked, "a PARTY!"


***


The party at Ponyville that day was one for the ages. Everyone was thrilled to see Princess Celestia had returned and raised the sun. Luna's return was, at her request, not announced as she felt it wasn't the proper time. Kevin also kept a low profile, whenever someone would come up to him to socialize he would merely make light small talk then move away. 

Dusk and the girls, once their injuries were healed by Celestia, were the toast of the town, everyone praising their heroism and bravery. Rainbow was already on her fourteenth retelling of the story, each time growing more and more exaggerated. This particular retelling had her facing down an army of dragons while the others dangled in cages over a pit of lava. On the other end of the spectrum was Fluttershy, who was trying to make herself as small as possible.

Dusk sat at a picnic table with Spike, who wasn't sure if he should be mad or grateful that he had slept though such an amazing and terrifying ordeal. Sipping his fruit punch (which Pinkie assured him was actually fruit punch this time) Dusk looked on the festivities with slight melancholy.

"Why so glum, my student?" Celestia asked with a knowing smile, "are you not happy that your quest is complete and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?"

Dusk sighed, "this morning I would have been thrilled, but now," Dusk looked over at the five girls who had traveled with him, and in some ways, taught him more than he had ever learned from a book. "Now that I know what it's like to have friends, I have to leave..."

"LEAVE!?" Pinkie shouted getting everyone's attention, "Dusk, you cant leave! We just became friends!" The other girls all nodded in agreement.

Celestia smiled and turned to Spike, "Spike, take a note, please. 'I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the djinn Dusk Shine shall take on a new mission for Equestria. He must continue to study the magic of friendship. He must report to me his findings from his new home in Ponyville.'" 

All the girls, and the rest of the assembled crowd cheered as Celestia finished her decree. "Oh thank you, Celestia! I'll study harder than ever before."

Rainbow gave Dusk a punch in the shoulder, "aww yea, welcome to the neighborhood."

Applejack put her arm around him, "I think yer gonna like it her, partner."

Rarity clasped her hands together, "how positively wonderful!"

Fluttershy let out a quiet but audible, "yay!"

And Pinkie... "Isn't this exciting? Are you excited cause I'm excited I've never been so excited, well, except for the time that I went 'gasp' but I mean really-"


***


On the other side of the town square, Kevin took advantage of the jubilation to remove himself from the crowd. He took one last look back at Dusk Shine and his new friends and then in a flash of green flames, took on the form of a seraphim for the flight to Canterlot. Good luck Dusk Shine, he thought, if Celestia is right about you, you're going to need it...
> I've Got a Golden Ticket
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk leaned back in his chair and took another sip of his herbal tea. He preferred it to coffee, it helped him relax and relieved stress. On the desk in front of him were several books of varying subjects ranging from pre-Celestian history to cultural myths. There was also a note pad on the desk, at the top of which, was the word: AURYN. Below that was a long list of numerous ideas such as "mythological god", "ancient spell" and "code cipher" to name a few. Each one had been crossed out except for the one at the bottom which read "insanity induced hallucination," hence the current book he was reading entitled How to Tell When You've Finally Lost It by Dr. C. Thulhu.

It had been a week since Dusk and his new friends fought Nightmare Moon. A week of getting settled into his loft above the library in Ponyville. A week of learning to balance study with socializing. The entire time he had pondered the meaning of the word AURYN in the back of his mind and last night was his chance to finally focus on that mystery. 

Dusk let out a yawn as he looked out the window, the sun was rising, meaning he had spend all night on his search. He sighed and closed the book, "all night and I'm no closer now than when I started." Dusk picked up his pin and crossed out insanity induced hallucinations on the note pad then slammed the pin down in frustration. He thought back to his conversation with Celestia the night of the party.

"Princess, have you ever herd of something called 'are-in'? I may be pronouncing that wrong, it's spelled A, U, R, Y, N," he looked to the princess expectantly.

Celestia thought for a moment then shook her head, "I'm sorry, Dusk, but I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that term. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that, when I was near the Elements of Harmony, I started to... see things," he said. "Like, visions and feelings of deja vu. Each one helped me figure out how to find and use the Elements except for one. It happened at the end, just before I let go of their power, it was just the word 'aruyn'."

Celestia considered this new information before replying, "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you, my student. I have never known the Elements to behave in such a fashion, but they are powerful and mysterious beyond even my knowledge. It is possible they are trying to tell you something, though what that could be, I couldn't say."

A knock on the door roused Dusk from his thoughts. He proceeded down the stairs to the main room of the library and opened the front door to reveal Applejack. The young, farmer had one hand in the back pocket of a pair of long work pants that were covered in dirt and grass stains. The other hand was raised as if to knock again but halted when the door opened.

"Good morning, AJ," he answered, "what's up?"

"Morning, Dusk. Actually I was kinda wondering if y'all could give me a hand real quick? You're the only other person I know who's up this early and it'd really help me out."

For a brief moment, he almost refused out of habit, but that was the old Dusk. New Dusk had friends and friends helped each other. "Sure thing, AJ, I needed a change of pace anyhow," he turned back towards the stairs, "let me just go get Spike, he's been wanting to get out too."


***


In the private wing of Canterlot Castle, a lone figure waited outside the door to a room that had until a week ago been completely unused. The room was commissioned by Princess Celestia under the pretense that it was to serve as a backup guest room for visiting dignitaries. In reality, it was to be her sister, Luna's room. She wanted Luna to feel welcomed the moment she returned.

The figure outside was a nephilim, but it was nether Celestia nor Luna. It was in fact, Prince Mi Amoré Romeo, although he often insisted people call him Rome for short. His light-wings were a light shade of pink, the same color as his bangs which accented the sky blue heart shaped crest he wore around his neck that represented his cutie mark. His tall stature and broad shoulders were the only thing that offset his otherwise 'girlish' appearance.

From the room Celestia emerged, a tired but hopeful expression on her face. She looked up and saw the prince smiling at her, "Ah, Rome, thank you for meeting me," the two embraced each other in a hug, "you've been back for a week and I haven't made any time to see you."

"I understand, aunt Tia, it's been a hectic week," he replied. The pair broke their hug and walked down the hall, "so, how is she doing? I can't wait to meet her."

"Shes doing well, actually," Celestia's expression took on a slightly more somber look, "physically at least... she still blames herself, despite all my assurances to the contrary."

"I'm sure she just needs time," Rome comforted as they approached the main hall of the palace. Servants scurried to and fro while guards remained un-moving except to salute the pair of royals as they walked past. After a short bit of walking, they arrived at a private dining area with a table big enough for only four or five people. A very formal looking djinn, with well groomed brown hair and matching handlebar mustache was there to great them. 

"Good morning, your Majesties," he said with a bow, "I took the liberty of preparing tea and biscuits for you. If your Majesties require anything else you need only ask."

"Thank you, Kibits," Celestia replied as she sat down with Rome sitting opposite. Once Kibits had left, she took a sip of her tea and turned back to Rome, "so how was your trip abroad?"

Rome, smiled while stirring sugar into his own tea, "It was quite pleasant, actually."

"Rome, we're not in public you know..." Celestia grinned, spotting the barely contained glee in Rome's voice.

Rome, closed his eyes and sat down his tea, he then looked his adoptive aunt right in the eye, "IT. WAS. AWESOME!" he said excitedly.  "Oh I have so many stories! The Republic of Itaurus is so fascinating, I got to go to the Museum of Leonardo Bovineci, they had some of his original blue prints there! Oh, and we traveled to Anugypt, I got to see the pyramids, those things are sooo much bigger in person. Chipan was my favorite though, apparently I'm considered a 'bishounen' over there, whatever that means."

Celestia laughed at Rome's enthusiasm, "Rome, dear, slow down, I can hardly keep up."

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly, "I just had so much fun exploring other cultures. You were right, aunt Tia, it was such an unforgettable experience." The pair talked for a little while before there came a knock on the door. 

The door opened to reveal Gleaming Shield wearing her guard uniform, "you're Highness, sorry to interrupt but there's a petitioner here to see you." Gleaming blushed as she looked at Rome.

"Really? I could have sworn Kibits told me that I had no petitioners today," Celestia replied

"Um, actually, Princess, the petitioner's not for you its for Prince Rome."

"Wait, really? Me?" Rome asked, he'd almost never got petitions, not that he complained since politics wasn't really his thing.

"Yea, its a student from CSGD, she insists that her friend needs help and only you can do it."

"Well, I don't want to turn down someone in need," he hesitated and looked at Celestia, "oh but we finally got some one on one time..."

"It's ok dear, duty calls. Besides, I should have some free time tomorrow morning," Celestia said.

Gleaming followed Rome down to the petitioner's hall, her task was technically finished but as a royal guard she had a duty to escort the prince. That's what she'd tell the captain at least. "So... Rome, how have you been? We, ah, didn't get to talk much during the whole Nightmare thing," Gleaming said while avoiding eye contact.

"I know,  it's crazy how hectic everyone's schedules have become," he replied. "I kinda miss how we use to just hang out, not worrying about anything."

"Yea, about that, I was thinking, you're free this evening right?" she asked, Rome nodded. "Would you, maybe, like to go hang out at Doughnut Joe's, like we use to?"

Prince Rome smiled, "that sounds great! It'll be just like old times, you, me, the guys, heck, we can even invite little Dusty, I haven't seen him in forever."

"Um, actually," Gleaming said, "I was thinking it would be just the two of us..."

Rome stopped and turned to look at her, "Gleaming," he said with a grin, "are you asking me on a date?"

Gleaming returned the smile, "maybe I am. Guess you wont know unless you agree to it."

Rome laughed, "of course I'll go," he said. The two now stood before the doors to the room where petitioners met with the royalty, "let me take care of this then will say, six?"

"Works for me, I guess I'll see you then," she turned and started back down the hall.

"Oh and Gleaming?" Rome called out to her, she stopped and looked back, "thanks for taking the initiative, saved me the trouble of asking you out."

"You're welco- wait what?!" but Rome had already vanished behind the doors.

The door closed behind Rome and he smiled, he'd known Gleaming shield for a long time, since before his apotheosis. They had been going back and forth for a while now, Gleaming wondering if she was worthy of a prince and Rome struggling with his fear that her affection for him was just the result of being close to his magic which had the power draw out love in a person.  It was the night of Nightmare's return, however, when that all changed. 

When Kevin had warned them of Celestia's defeat, Rome had been forced to retreat to a safe location with Gleaming as his body guard. It was in those intense and uncertain moments that he felt it. The spark of love that burned in Gleaming's heart for him, and his for her. No amount of his magic could create that spark, that's how he knew it was genuine, they were meant to be. In the week that followed, Rome had been looking for a chance to approach Gleaming and take her on a proper date. However, it seemed that Gleaming beat him to the punch.

The room Rome had entered resembled a court of law, except instead of a judges bench, there was a throne positioned behind a very ornate desk with two royal guards standing at attention on ether side. Normally the petitioned, in this case, Rome, would sit behind the desk while petitioners would wait their turn from the rows of seats in the lobby. However, most of his requests were for advice on love and relationships and usually came to him by way of letter or casual request so Rome rarely ever used this room.

Sitting down at the desk, he waved his hand over a small gem-like object, "ok, I'll see them now," he said into the device.  The door opened and in walked a young djinn woman who had to be in her early twenties if Rome guess right. She wore her CSGD uniform which had her cutie mark, an hour glass, emblazoned in the top left corner just above her breast. Her white hair was highlighted with blue down the part, or her blue hare was dyed white, Rome couldn't tell, there were equal parts of both. 

"Good morning," Rome greeted, "pleasure to meet you Miss...?"

"Minuette, you're Highness," she answered with a bow.

"Just 'Rome' is fine, so what can I do for you, Minuette?"

"Well, you're High- Rome, it's about my friend, Moondancer. She's had her heart broken and, well, I know things like that happen all the time, but shes taking it really hard and I'm worried about her," Minuette said.

Rome nodded as he thought to himself, if I had a bit every time this came up..., "how long has it been?"

Minuette bit her lip, "that's the thing, it's only been about a week. But shes not depressed or crying in her room or anything like that!" she said quickly, "I mean, the first day she did but after that, when she came out she was... different."

Rome raised an eyebrow, "what do you mean different?"

"It was like, she just didn't care anymore! Every time we invite her to hang out she just says 'whatever' and acts all aloof. She says she's over that boy but I'm worried shes sworn off companionship all together! This is all that- that Dusk Shine's fault!"

Rome blinked, "wait, did you say Dusk Shine?"

"Yea, he promised to come to her birthday party and she was so excited. You should have seen her, prince Rome, I've known her since we were kids and I've never seen her so happy. But then he didn't show and she was crushed."

"Aaaannnnd, this happened a week ago?" he sighed, "I think I know what happened." Rome smiled internally, little Dusty has an admirer... or he did, maybe I can fix this. "Miss Minuette, I've decided to help your friend," he said in his best imitation of a royal voice, "come, let us pay her a vis- oof," he was interrupted by Minuette giving him a huge hug.

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!" she said. The guards behind the desk made a move to pry her off but Rome signaled them to stand down. This was the best part of being in a position of power for him, the feeling of joy when someone expresses their gratitude.


***


Rome sat down in his study a few hours later. He'd gone with Minuette to see this Moondancer and it was as bad as she had described. The poor thing had completely walled herself in, simply giving generic responses and pretending not to care. Rome could see into her heart with his magic, though, and he saw a young lady who was hurt, confused, and self doubting. He knew he had to get Dusk back here some how to reconcile with this poor girl. She was the perfect match for him and even if Dusk didn't reciprocate her feelings it would at least give her closure.

Rome leaned back in his chair as he thought, I need a setting for a date, but what? Suddenly he was struck with an idea, of course! The Grand Galloping Gala! It was still a ways away, plenty of time to work on Moondancer and build her confidence back up, I'll get aunt Tia to invite Dusty and Spike and then, when he arrives, I'll use a teeny tiny bit of my love magic to show them how good they are together. 

Rome grabbed a pin and some paper , "this is going to be fun..."


***


"Nope, nope, no," Spike mumbled to himself as he sorted through the apples in the basket. He, Dusk, and Applejack had spent the last few hours harvesting all the apples currently in the baskets loaded on a wagon that Dusk was pulling. Whenever they approached a tree, AJ would spread several empty baskets around the trunk and give the tree a good kick, 'apple bucking' she called it. The apples would fall into the baskets and she and Dusk would pick the rest up off the ground.

"Thanks again, Dusk," AJ said, "I never would have gotten all these into the store house by lunch on my own," she laughed to herself. "I can't wait to see the look on Big Mac's face, he said if I finished by lunch, he'd walk down main street wearing one of Granny's girdles."

"What would've happened if you didn't?" Spike asked.

"I'd have to wear one of Bloom's bows all day and I guarantee you Rainbow'd never let me live that down."

"Well I'm just glad the goal is lunch, I pulled an all nighter and I'm a little sleepy," Dusk said with a yawn.

"Yea, and all this hard work is making me hungry." 

Dusk rolled his eyes, "Spike, you've been sitting in that wagon all morning while we worked.

"You guys are the ones who told me to sort the good apples from the rotten ones," Spike retorted, It was at that moment when he felt a familiar pressure in his chest. *Burp* "ugh, Dusk, you got a letter."

Dusk caught the letter in the air and opened it. "Dear Dusk Shine," he read aloud, "Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of- yadda yadda yadda." Dusk skimmed to the end of the letter, "hereby extends and invitation to both yourself and one Spike T. Dragon."

Dusk looked inside the envelope and there he found two golden colored tickets.  He looked at the letter, then back at the tickets, "the Grand Galloping Gala... This. Is. AMAZING!" he cheered. "Spike, the Grand Galloping Gala! We get to go to the Grand Galloping Gala!"

"Pass," Spike said nonchalantly.

"Wait, wha-?"

"Dusk, if you want to lock yourself in a room with stuck up, over-dressed nobles who set out food that apparently no one is allowed to eat, be my guest, but I'd rather just stay home and read my comics."

"C'mon Spike," AJ said, "ain't nothing wrong with being a bit formal every once in a while. Why I'd give left leg for a ticket."

"You can have mine, there's no names on it."

"He's right," Dusk said, looking at the tickets, "it just says 'admit one', would you like to go?"

"Would I like to go? Land sakes, I'd love to! Do you have any idea how many investors I could attract to Sweet Apple Acres if I get one of those high influence fellers to say they like our apples? Why, with that money, we could build a new barn, get Big Mac that tractor hes been wanting and Granny Smith could get that hip replacement she's been needing."

"Well in that case-"

"Hold up!" came a voice from above. A moment later Rainbow Dash landed in between Dusk and AJ. "Did I hear you right? You have an extra ticket to G3?" she asked excitedly.

"Rainbow! Have you been napping in my trees again?" AJ crossed her arms, glaring at the seraphim.

"Only on the branches that are over your property line, you don't own those, I checked," she turned back to Dusk. "Now whats this about an extra ticket?"

"Well," Dusk started, "I do have one since Spike doesn't want to go, but why do you? It's a formal gathering."

"A formal gathering featuring the Wonderbolts!"

"Here we go," AJ rolled her eyes.

"Think about it, hundreds of young seraphim apply to be Wonderbolts but only the ones that stand out even get considered for a spot on the waiting list. Just imagine what an edge I'd have over the competition if I was able to meet them in person and show off my awesome moves!" Rainbow threw a few phantom punches and did an aerial back flip to emphasize her 'awesome moves'. "I'd top it all off with my Fantastic Phillydelphia Flash™, they'd probably make me a Wonderbolt right there!"

"There's just one problem," AJ chimed in, "Dusk already promised the ticket to me."

"Well technically I didn't prom-"

"Oh yea? Well I don't see the ticket in your hands yet..."

"Um, girls? If you could just-"

"He was about to give it to me when you barged in and stopped him!" Rainbow and Applejack were right in each others' faces.

"GIRLS!" Dusk separated the two with his magic, "we can decide this civilly."

"He's right," AJ agreed, "we can solve this like adults, lets wrestle for em! Spike, hold my hat."

"You're on!" Rainbow said as she took off her over shirt, exposing her tank-top, "no punching, five second pin, GO!" Within moments, the two were rolling on the ground.

"Girls... This isn't what I meant!" Dusk face palmed, the two girls may not have been trying to actually hurt each other but it still seemed like a waste of time which he hated. "It's my extra ticket and I think it should go to whoever has the most legitimate reason."

The girls paused their tussle, AJ holding Rainbow in a half-nelson, to look up at Dusk. "Well clearly I have the best reason since I'm trying to make money for the farm!" AJ said.

"You can do that anywhere," Rainbow retorted as she extended her wings to push AJ off, "how many chances am I going to get to talk to the Wonderbolts in person!"

"This is my livelihood!"

"This is my life long dream!"

"I'm too tired for this!" Dusk declared, "I'm going to go take a nap, I'll figure out who gets the ticket after, c'mon Spike."

As Dusk walked back towards town, AJ and Rainbow looked at each other, "wanna keep wrestling?"

"Like you gotta ask..."


***


Dusk was lost in thought as he wondered through town, "what am I gonna do, Spike? They both have good reasons to go."

"If it were me, I'd just ask Celestia for more tickets."

"I can't do that! The Gala is very exclusive, you can't just give someone extra tickets for all their friends. Besides, it would be rude to presume, whoa suddenly Pinkie!" Dusk cried as he found himself inches away from Pinkie Pie's face.

"Hiya, Shiny! Do you really have an extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala?!" Pinkie asked while bouncing up and down in place.

"How did...?"

"Pinkie Sense."

"Ok... going to log that one away for later, so why are you interested in my extra ticket?"

"It's the most amazing incredible tremendous super-fun wonderful terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always always always wanted to go!" Pinkie bounded around Dusk in her excitement. "Just think of all the new ideas I could get for my own parties. I'm already the best party planner in Ponyville but if I learn from the legends at the Gala, I'll be the greatest party planner in the world!"

"Well, I'm sorry to say Rainbow and Applejack already have-"

"Rarity!" Pinkie shouted, not listening to Dusk, "guess what? Dusk is taking me to the Grand Galloping Gala!"

Rarity, nearly dropped the bags of groceries she was levitating in her magic, "The Gala?!"

"Oh no..." Dusk whispered to himself while pinching the bridge of his nose.

Rarity was on them in seconds, "I design ensembles for the Gala every year, but I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour!" She looked at Dusk with a faux pout, "Dusk, I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can... party."

"It's a party, Rarity, what else would I do?"

"What I mean is, it's not that kind of party, Miss Pie, this is a formal affair."

"Rarity, Pinkie!" Dusk yelled, "I haven't decided who I'm taking yet. Rainbow and Applejack both want the ticket as well."

Rarity was completely floored, "Applejack and Rain- how can you even consider? What could those two even possibly want to go to the Gala for?"

"Well, AJ wants to attract investors to the farm and Dash wants to fast track her membership in the Wonderbolts."

"Well," Rarity composed herself, "be that as it may, I have an equally valid reason for wanting to go." Rarity turned and looked off towards Canterlot, her hands clasped in a cliche pose of a damsel in longing. "Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite fairy tail has been Cinderella, the story of a poor seamstress who is given a once in a lifetime chance to win the heart of the hansom prince at the royal ball," she twirled back to Dusk and Pinkie, smiling at the memory. "And now, it's finally my chance to live that fairy tell myself and meet... him."

"Him?"

"Prince Blueblood of course!" Rarity said wistfully, "charming, hansom, Canterlot's most eligible bachelor! The two of us will meet and fall instantly in love." 

"Uh, Rarity, about that..." Dusk rubbed the back of his head, "I've meet prince Blueblood and he isn't exactly... charming."

"Oh well of course you'd think that, but he has to behave as expected of a prince. I'm sure underneath that haughty surface is a charming and hopeless romantic just like me!"

"Well, in any case, I still need to decide who-" it was at that time that the ticket was snatched out of Dusk's hand by, of all things, a small bunny. Dusk blinked, staring at his empty hand, "ok, everyone else saw that right?"

"Um, excuse me, Dusk?" came the soft voice of Fluttershy, on her shoulder was the little bunny that had snatched the ticket. "I was wondering, if you haven't given it to someone else, that is, if maybe I could have the ticket to the Gala?"

"Fluttershy?! You want to go to the Gala?" Rarity asked with a tilt of her head.

"Well," Fluttershy looked down at her feet, "not the Gala exactly, but the royal garden." Fluttershy looked back to the group, her passion slowly overriding her shyness. "See there's a flower called the night-blooming cereus, they only bloom once a year and only for one night, the night of the Gala. My dad took my mom to see them once and she said it was one of the most magical things she'd ever seen. I've always wanted to see them for myself. And that's not to mention the rare and exotic animals that they keep in the palace garden."

Dusk had never actually visited the royal gardens except to gather ingredients for his studies and even then he was single minded in his task. Now, with the way Fluttershy was describing it, he began to regret that. Just another regret for the list. "That sounds lovely, Fluttershy."

"Hold it!" came a shout from above. Rainbow floated down to about a person's length from the ground with her arms crossed. "I had first... ish dibs on that ticket!"

"What the? Rainbow? Have you been following me this whole time?" Dusk asked incredulously.

"...N-no!" she hesitated, "ok yes, but I just had to make sure you didn't give away my ticket!"

"Now wait just a darn minute!" came the voice of Applejack.

"Aaaaannnd we come full circle..." Dusk sighed, "look girls, I'm really tired right now, can I please just take a quick nap?"

"But Dusk-" they all started at once.

"But nothing! It's my ticket and I'll figure out who gets it once I can think straight. Don't worry, I'll figure this out," and with that, Dusk walked off towards the park with Spike in tow, leaving the five others grumbling to themselves.


***


"Spike, what am I gonna do?" Dusk sighed as he sat on the bench at the park.  "All five of them have really good reasons to go to the Gala. Applejack, or Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy, Rarity... gah, why did they send me only one extra ticket?!"

Spike sat on the bench next to him, eating an ice cream cone, "I still think you should just ask Celestia for four extra tickets, if anyone can get them, she could."

"I can't just abuse my relationship with Celestia to get what I want, Spike! What would people think? What would she think!?"

"Well, then what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, how do I choose? And when I do choose, will the other four be mad at me?" Dusk pondered for a moment, "I suppose I could give up my ticket and give away two, but that would still leave three disappointed friends." Dusk sighed, "I need a quick nap, good thing it's nice and sunn...y," He trailed off as he looked around, people everywhere were rushing for cover or pulling out umbrellas as rain began to fall. Everywhere except on him. 

"Hey there, stud," Rainbow called from a hole in the clouds directly above him. "You enjoying this perfect napping weather?"

"Dash? What are you doing?"

"Oh I just saw the smartest, most generous and handsomest guy I know about to get rained on, so I figured I punch a hole in the clouds for ya," she said with a wink.

Dusk pinched the bridge of his nose, "Dash, I'm not going to give you the ticket just because you're doing me extra favors."

"But it doesn't hurt my chances right?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Just fill that hole back like it's supposed to be."

Rainbow shrugged, "if you say so." She patched up the hole she made with a tuft of white cloud, within seconds it turned grey to match the surrounding clouds and began to pour. 

Dusk sat on the bench with an annoyed look as the rain soaked him completely. Spike, who had already opened his umbrella handed Dusk one as well. "Maybe you should have grabbed this before you told her to close that hole," he said.

The two were about to make there way back to the library when Dusk was suddenly grabbed by none other than Rarity and pulled into her boutique. "Dusk, darling, you really shouldn't be out in the rain, you'll catch a cold."

When Dusk finally got his barrings, he couldn't help but notice what Rarity was wearing. A red dress so short that if she bent over at all it would reveal everything and strapless at the top which, combined with her six inch stilettos left little to the imagination regarding her breasts.  She even had a hint of perfume about her.

Dusk blinked a few times, he had to admit, Rarity could be a vision of beauty when she wanted. "I-um, thanks for letting us come in out of the rain. We appreciate it, right Spike, Spike?" Dusk looked around to find that Spike had fainted. 

"Oh it's no problem at all, my dear Dusk," she said moving closer as she did, "after all, friends do favors for each other..."

"R-Rarity, I know what your doing..." Dusk said, think un-sexy thoughts, think un-sexy thoughts!

Rarity batted her eyelashes at him with a finger to her lip, trying to look innocent, "why I'm certain I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're trying to appeal to my basic instincts as a male to increase my subconscious desire to appease you in any way I can to increase the odds of successfully mating," Dusk said, he didn't add that it was almost working.

Rarity gave a mock offended look, "are you implying that I'm using sex appeal to get your ticket?"

"Exactly," Dusk replied, "come on, Rarity, you're better than that."

Rarity let out a sigh as she took a seat on one of the sofa's normally used by waiting customers. "Oh, your right," she began to pout, "I just wanted to go to the Gala so bad, I'm so embarrassed, look at me, I look like a harlot." 

As she started sobbing, her face in her hands, Dusk began to feel bad. "Hey now," he said, "It's alright, we all make mista- wait a minute! Now your just using sympathy!"

"Drat, you're good at this," Rarity swore, her 'tears' stopping instantly. 

"Sorry, Rarity," Dusk walked to the front door, grabbing Spike as he went, "you're going to have to wait for my decision just like everyone else. Now if you'll excuse me, I've been trying all day just to get some sleep."

"Did somebody say 'lunch'?"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Dusk turned around, "Look, AJ, first of all I said 'sleep' not... lunch..." He trailed off when he saw that there was no one behind him. That's odd, I could have sworn I heard Applejack's voice, I must be more tired than I thou- his thought was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump.

"Oh, sorry there, Sugar Cube," he heard AJ say. "I saw you standing there all spaced out and I thought I'd make sure you were alright."

"It's alright," Dusk tilted his head, "did you... say something about lunch just now?"

"Uh... No, don't reckon I did."

"You're sure?"

"Dusk, I ain't said a word till I tapped you on the shoulder," AJ raised an eyebrow, "do you want some lunch? Because I can grab ya something from my apple stand."

"N-no, that's alright," Dusk shook his head, "so... what did you want?"

"Just wondering if'n you figured out who you want to give that extra ticket to," AJ said with a hopeful smile.

Dusk screamed internally.


***


Who could have thought being showered with favors would be so aggravating? Dusk thought to himself as he and Spike made their way back to the library. So far he had managed to avoid Fluttershy and Pinkie but who knew how long that would last. 

The answer was not long at all.

Upon opening the doors to his library home, he was greeted with the sight of Fluttershy with a feather duster cleaning his home and humming to herself happily. "ah AH ah Ah ha, ah AH ah Ah ha, Isn't the world a lovely place..."

Dusk froze, not because a lovely young lady with a beautiful singing voice was cleaning his house, but rather that song, it sounded... familiar. As he walked in, Fluttershy noticed him and dropped to the ground, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, hello, Dusk. I hope you don't mind, but I was doing a little cleaning for you."

Dusk snapped back to reality, "Oh, it's fine. Quick question though; that song, where did you learn it?"

Fluttershy looked up, "Oh that? It's an old Equestrian lullaby, its one of my favorites," she said with a smile.

Dusk thought for a moment, "I think I've heard it before, my mother used to sing it to me." Dusk shook it off, he was tired and not thinking straight, "anyway, are you just cleaning my house so I'll give you the ticket?"

"Um," she looked down, gripping the feather duster in both hands, "yes..." she said bashfully.

Dusk sighed, "Fluttershy, I really appreciate it, but I cant accept any favors until I've made my decision." He opened the front door to usher her out when he was suddenly grabbed and pulled outside by non other than Pinkie Pie.

"Surprise!"

Dusk found himself surrounded by at least a dozen of Ponyville's citizens all wearing party hats.  Pinkie grabbed Dusk by both hands and spun him around in a dance while she sung a little tune.

"Dusky is my very best friend, whoopie, whoopie!"

"Pinkie, what on earth-"

"He's the cutest, smartest, all around best guy-ie, guy-ie"

"Ok now that doesn't technically rhyme-"

"I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party!"

"Seriously, Pinkie, I'm getting dizzy-"

"He'll give his extra ticket to the Gala to me!"

"PINKIE! PLEASE!..." Dusk shouted as he finally broke free of her grip. He struggled to get his barrings as the world kept spinning. "Good grief, Pinkie, at least the others tried to be subtle about it."

"About what?" One of the people in the gathered crowd asked.

Pinkie giggled, "about the ticket of course."

"What ticket?" asked another.

Dusk's eyes widened, "Pinkie, for the love Harmony, don't-"

"His extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala!"

It is said that, in regions with wild weather, where no seraphim or harpies are available, that there is a calm stillness before a massive storm. It is also said that the calm is the most frighting part. Dusk, who had lived his whole life in regulated weather zones never understood why until that day, when all the eyes of the gathered people were upon him and not a single sound could be heard. It was only a second of silence but to Dusk, it felt like an eternity, and he could think of only one thing to say, "oh raspberries..."

All at once he was bombarded with offers of favors.

"I'll clean your house!"

"I'll tend you're garden!"

"I'll give you free haircuts for a year!"

The circle of people closed in on Dusk, each one talking over the other. Looking to his right, he saw that Pinkie was also growing uncomfortable, having finally realized what she'd unleashed. She grabbed his arm, "Duskie, what do we do?" 

Dusk didn't answer, he just closed his eyes, trying to think of a way out, any way out. He could teleport, but he'd never done that before, he only knew how to do it in theory. Concentrating, he pictured himself and Pinkie back at the library and channeled the magic necessary to complete the spell, preying that it would work.

There was a popping sound, like the flash of a bulb when a camera takes a picture, and Dusk felt himself pulled in the direction of his home. His eyes opened just in time to see the sitting room of the library come into focus from a swirl of light and color. He then felt himself and Pinkie fall to the ground.

"Whoa, that was fun, lets do it again!" Pinkie said as she bounced up.

Dusk climbed to his feet, shaking his head, "sure, as soon as I figure out how I did it to begin with." Looking around, he noticed that all of his friends had gathered in the library, likely looking for his decision on the ticket. Dusk looked at them all and let out an exasperated sigh, "you know what, I give up, I just can't decide." He collapsed on the couch, "it's important to all of you and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you, and giving me gifts and doing me favors won't make any difference, because I wanna make you all happy and I can't!"

The others all looked down, some what ashamed of themselves when Applejack spoke up, "Dusk, I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. If it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore, you can give it to someone else. I won't feel bad, I promise."

"Me too, I'm so sorry I made you feel so terrible," Fluttershy said.

"Yea, y'know, seeing the whole town go crazy kinda puts things in perspective," Pinkie said, "I'll go another time."

"I'd like to apologies for my behavior as well," Rarity added, "and I actually mean it this time," she added with a smile and a wink. That earned a chuckle from Dusk.

Everyone then looked at Rainbow Dash expectantly. "What?" she asked.

"Don't you have something to say to Dusk?" Applejack asked.

"Oh right, thanks for giving me the ticket, Dusk, even if it took everyone else backing out-"

"RAINBOW!" the girls all yelled at once.

Rainbow sighed, "just kidding, I still need to practice some more before I show off to the Wonderbolts anyway."

Dusk couldn't help but smile, "thanks, girls, I know what I'm going to do with the extra ticket now. Spike, take a letter please," Dusk called. Spike, who had been watching from the background, grabbed a pin and paper from his desk and waited as Dusk began to dictate.

"Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings, but when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to The Grand Galloping Gala." The others gasped at this, "I'd rather not go unless all five of my friends can go. Respectfully yours, Dusk Shine."

"Dusk, you don't have to do that," Applejack said.

"I've made up my mind. Spike, send it," he said as he handed Spike the two tickets.

Spike placed the two tickets on the parchment and rolled them into a scroll. He then sent it on its way via his Dragon Fire. "Done!"

Dusk felt so relieved, he wouldn't have to choose between his new found friends. Fluttershy, however, looked a bit worried as she voiced what the others were thinking, "But, Dusk, now you don't get to go."

"It's fine, really. I wouldn't have had any fun without you guys there anyhow."

Before anyone could respond, Spike, let out a loud belch. Rainbow and Pinkie both snickered but Rarity took exception, "Spike! That's hardly appropriate- whoa!" Rarity had to duck as Spike let out another belch, this one producing a spout of Dragon Fire that materialized an envelope.

"It's a response from Celestia," Dusk said as he grabbed the letter out of the air, "that was fast." He tore open the letter and read it aloud; "My dearest student, all you had to do was ask." Inside the envelope was six golden tickets, one for Dusk and each of the girls.

"One of these days I'm going to get tired of saying 'told ya so,'" Spike said with a smug grin. 

"Girls, look!" Dusk said undeterred, "Now we can all go!" The atmosphere in the room was one of elation as he and the others cheered. 

Spike just rolled his eyes, "oh no, I didn't get a ticket, guess I cant go..." he said sarcastically.

"Hey, I know how we can celebrate!" Pinkie chimed in, "lets all go to Sugarcube Corner! The cupcakes are on me."

"I guess, I could go for that, but afterwords I really need to take a nap," Dusk said as they headed out the door.

When they were all gone, Spike sat down with his arms crossed, "she could have at least sent me a ticket," he said to himself. "Not that I want to go or anything but she didn't have to ignore me." As he said that, he let out another loud burp, causing a small envelope to appear and float down to his lap. Opening it, he found a seventh ticket and a letter that said "and one for you, Spike."

Spike looked around to make sure no one was watching, then grinned to himself, "I get to go to the Grand Galloping Gala, sweet!"
> All Work And No Play Makes Applejack A Dull Girl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Well I guess we settled that argument, didn't we?" Applejack said incredulously to her brother who was currently lying in a hospital bed, a bandage around his midsection, "just because you can lift four hundred pounds doesn't mean you can carry it up a latter by yourself." It was the first time in the past two hours that she had shown an emotion other than panic.

When she first found Big Mac in the barn, on his back and clenching his side with the heavy load that he could 'definitely carry on his own' scattered all over the place, she had very nearly freaked out. Memories of her parents and that fateful night their freight hauler ran off road flooded her mind. It took all her will power to maintain her calm and contact the hospital.

Her emotions didn't level out until nurse Red Heart came into the waiting room to assure her that Big Mac would be fine and that she could come in to see him. The big dope had the audacity to smile at her when she walked in as if nothing happened. 

A doctor walked in shortly thereafter, he held a clipboard in his magic which marked him as a djinn and a white doctor's coat with an electrocardiograph cutie mark embroidery sewed above the left breast.  "Good morning, Miss. Apple, my name is Dr. Horse," he offered his hand for her to shake, "I've completed my preliminary of your brother and would be happy to answer any questions ether of you may have."

"Well, whats the damage, Doc?" she asked.

"Nothing serious, fortunately," he replied, looking up from his charts. "He's twisted his right ankle and pulled a muscle in the lower abdomen." He looked at Big Mac, "you should be fine in a few days but you need to stay off that foot and avoid any heavy lifting for at least a week."

"A week!" AJ shouted, "but, this week is when we have to harvest the south fields!"

"Eeyup," Big Mac added.

"Well, I'm sorry, Miss Apple, but that muscle is in a very fragile state, any strain on it before it heals completely could cause it to rip and then we're talking surgery." Dr. Horse's gentle but stern tone told AJ that this was not an opinion, it was fact.

AJ let out a deep breath while slumping into the bedside chair, her hands running down her face, "thanks, Doc," she said with resignation, "I don't suppose you can give us a second?"

"Of course, I'll come back in five minutes and we'll talk about whether or not you want any painkillers."

When Dr. Horse left, the room fell silent for a moment as the reality of the situation began to sink in. AJ turned to her brother with an angry scowl, "well, you done gone and did it now."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said with a resigned tone.

"Don't you 'eeyup' me mister!" she retorted, "thanks to your stubborn pride I have to harvest the whole south fields on my lonesome."

Big Macintosh was a terran of few words but not because of shyness. When he was young, he found that his deep baritone voice could be intimidating to other children his age and in particular his littlest sister, Applebloom who, as a baby, was often woken by it. So, he developed a habit of only answering with a 'yes' or a 'no' whenever possible. In this situation, it wasn't.

"AJ, the south field is our biggest crop, ain't no way y'all can handle it on your own."

"What choice do I have?" AJ waved her arms to the side, "Applebloom has her schoolin, and there's no room in the budget for more farm hands!" She placed her hands on her hips, "besides, I reckon I could do it. In fact, there's still plenty of daylight left, I'll bet I could take a bite out of this job by day's end."

"Biting off more than you can chew is just what I'm afraid of," Big Mac said.

"Are you saying I can't do it?"

"Eeyup."

"Why of all the... This is your sister Applejack, remember? The hardest and most dependable of workers?" her arms were crossed as she stared him down.

"But you're still just one person, and it takes one person a day to do an average of five or six acres. We're talking over thirty acres here. The math just doesn't add up."

"Now don't you go throwing numbers around to muddy the issue! I said I could do it and I'm gonna prove it. By the time the last freight train leaves on Friday, I'll have every last apple in the south field harvested and shipped all by myself!" AJ looked out the hospital window, from there she could see the edge of the south fields, there were quite a few apples. I hope.


***


Daisy Jo was quite satisfied with herself that day. She had made excellent time on her cattle drive and now the Ponyville train station was in site. In a few hours the train would pull in to the station so she could load her herd of cows onto the cars where they would be shipped off to auction in Chicacolt and she could finally go home and rest. 

She was quite happy to have arrived in time to catch the first train, with luck, she could probably avoid being ask the same question she was asked every time she encountered a Homo Genus with her herd of cattle; "Isn't it weird to have cow livestock since your a minotaur?"  It was such a stupid question, just because she had horns and a muzzle that automatically made her the second cousin of common cows.

Daisy removed her hat and took a swig from the water canteen she stored inside it. It was then that she heard an unmistakable sound, a rapid succession of short sharp sounds that could only belong to one creature, "Rattlesnake..." she whispered. She turned and there it was, a full grown diamondback rattler, right behind the herd and the town, the worst possible place it could be. 

Ok don't panic, she thought to herself, just have to get it away from the herd before they get spooked. The cows on the edge of the herd were already looking nervous at the site of the creature, all it would take would be for one of them to panic and then the rest of the herd would follow suite. 

Picking up a stick off the ground, Daisy slowly approached the rattlesnake. It turned it's attention towards her and began vibrating its namesake violently in warning. "Easy there," she said as the snake let out a loud, threatening hiss. She slowed even further with both the stick and her hand raised. With careful precision, she maneuvered the stick under the snake's belly, allowing it to coil around. 

The snake raddled and hissed but otherwise didn't move much. Daisy relaxed a bit, letting out a breath she'd been holding, confident that the hard part was over. The snake, however, took exception to the sudden exhalation. With a lightning fast movement, it snapped its fangs at Daisy. It wasn't able to reach her do to the length of the stick but it did have the effect of causing her to jump, flinging the stick and by proxy the snake as she did.

The snake flew through the air, landing right on top of one of the cows. The cow, as most creatures would, flew into a wild panic at the sudden appearance of a deadly predator landing on its back. Daisy Jo watched helplessly as one by one, the panic spread throughout the herd. The cows in the front didn't know what the problem was, but they knew that the cows in the back were running from something and that meant they should run too. 

Cattle drivers have two things they fear most, rustlers and stampedes. "Wait, stop!" Daisy called out even though she knew it was pointless, her herd was now charging full force right towards Ponyville. She hoped back on her horse and rode as fast as she could. She only hoped to stop them before anyone got hurt.

Meanwhile, in the brush, a lone rattlesnake slithered away, wondering why in the world that rude cow lady tossed him like that. He was only trying to say 'hi' after all.


***


Rainbow Dash hovered along the cloud line, reviewing her task list for the day. "Ok, we got one point two gigs of cumulus, today, so if I divide that by seven zones that leaves one point seven, one... ah screw it, the park needs sunlight anyway." She folded the paper in half and shoved it in her back pocket, "alright, lets get this thing cut into shaders and-" She stopped when she heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the south. "Damn it, Thunderlane," she sighed, "I thought I told you to stop discharging... storm..." she trailed off when she saw a herd of cows running head long into Ponyville.

"STAMPEDE!" she yelled. The people below looked in the direction she was pointing and began to scramble in panic. Dusk Shine and Pinkie Pie, who had both met up while shopping in the town square, were among them.

"Heeeeey," Pinkie said with a vibration to her voice, "this maaaakes my voooice sound silllllly!"

"Pinkie, MOVE!" Dusk yelled.

The herd of rampaging cattle was mere moments from entering town. Rainbow hovered helplessly above the road, looking around frantically to make sure no one was in the path when she spotted Applejack coming in over the hill on one of her horses, her Border Collie, Winona, following close behind. "Guys, look!" she shouted.

"Yeehaw!" AJ hollered as she and Winona came up behind the herd, "alright girl, straighten em out!" Winona let out a loud bark and split left as AJ rode to the right. With practiced team work, the farmer and the dog 'pushed' the scrambled herd into a more manageable shape. AJ could hear her faithful hound barking from the other side of the stampede and knew it as the signal that she was in position. 

Looking ahead, she saw that the closest building was mere seconds away. Gotta act fast, alright, which one o' you under cooked hamburgers is leading this thing? There! she spotted the cow that was at the head of the herd. If she could get it to change direction, the rest would follow. 

AJ readied her lasso, there wouldn't be time for a second attempt, this first one had to land. With skill that came from many years of rodeo competitions, she managed to land the rope right around the head of the lead cow. "Now, Winona!" she yelled and directed her horse to turn right. Winona let out several loud barks, barring her fangs to further persuade the cow to turn.

Slowly, the lead cow veered off to the right, the others in the herd following one by one. A few of the cows turned too wide causing them to trample the 'Welcome to Ponyville' sign but by and large the town was missed. The citizens cheered and Dusk let out a deep breath.

Now that the town was clear of danger, AJ had time to bring the herd to a stop. She pulled back on the rope attached to the lead cow, slowly bringing it to a halt. One by one, the cows all slowed and gathered into a huddle, still mooing excitedly but otherwise still. AJ jumped down from her horse as Winona ran up to her, "good girl," she said, running her hands through the dog's fur.

"Applejack!" AJ turned to see her friends, as well as the town Mayor, Jennifer Mann, heading her way. "That was awesome!" Rainbow stopped to hover just above the ground in front of her. 

"Indeed," agreed Mayor Mann, "on behalf of Ponyville, I'd like to thank you for your heroic actions."

"Aww shucks, Mayor, I was just doing my duty."

"Hey, is everyone alright?!" came a new voice. Daisy Jo pulled her horse up to the group and hopped off, "please tell me no one was hurt."

"Well howdy, Daisy," AJ said with a tip of her hat, "everyone's fine but what in tarnation happened?"

"Well," Daisy said, holding her hat shamefully, "there was a rattler and while trying to move it I... well, maaaay have tossed it at the herd. It was an accident!" she added quickly, noting the stairs she was getting, "it snapped at me and I sorta... jumped."

AJ gave a sympathetic nod, "I understand completely, but next time, try and point the herd away from Ponyville." AJ then mounted her horse, "well, I'd love to stay and chat but I got a ton of work to do back on the farm, c'mon, Winona," with a bark from Winona, the two were off to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Accident or no," Mayor Mann said once AJ had left, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to cite you for reckless endangerment and destruction of public property," she pointed to the destroyed sign.

"What!? B-but that'll take away from all my earnings for this entire trip!" Daisy cried out in alarm.

"I'm sorry but the law is the law, just be thankful that Miss Applejack was on hand to stop you're cows before they did any real damage to the town, otherwise you'd likely be in jail," the Mayor said sternly. 

Daisy gulped and whimpered out a reply, "I-I understand..." As the Mayor walked away, Daisy slumped down on a nearby rock with her hands on her face. "What am I gonna do?" she asked aloud, "without the money from this cattle drive, I wont be able to pay the mortgage on my ranch."

"Is it really that bad?" Dusk asked.

Daisy sighed, "I'll figure something out, I guess..."

Dusk pondered for a moment, this could be a good opportunity to solve a friendship problem! Also I should probably help her anyway, but how? Wait, I got it!

"Objection!" Dusk suddenly shouted, pointing his finger at Daisy. She and the other girls jumped as they turned to look at Dusk. He grinned and placed his arms on his hips, "Daisy Jo, you just leave this to me. Dusk Shine, Ace Attorney will get you acquitted of these charges!"

"Oh, I love that game!" Pinkie bounced excitedly, "can I be Maya?" 

Dusk rolled his eyes, "I'm serious, I've studied a lot about Equestrian law, I bet I can find a way to get Miss Jo off the hook."

"Uh, Dusk," Rainbow asked, "since when are you an attorney?" 

"Well, I'm not but I don't need to be to help someone through the process of appealing," he paused, "I'll bet I could get AJ to help as well. If anyone knows this towns farming and livestock laws it would be her."

Daisy's mouth hung open as she stared at Dusk, "Y-you'd do that for me?"

"I'd be happy to, I just hope AJ isn't to busy this week..."


***


The soft pink glow of the illumination crystals was the only light in the underground complex. For K'Vann, low light conditions weren't an issue, unfortunately, K'Vann's true identity was known only to the highest ranking and most trusted members of the Secret Magic Intelligence League of Equestria. To maintain secrecy, it was often referred to simply as 'the agency' by its members. At least that was the reason given by Director Furlong, the real reason was that he hated saying he worked for a place called S.M.I.L.E.

Kevin's natural abilities made him the perfect candidate to be an agent. His power to change shape at will allowed him to perform deep cover missions in criminal organizations and, if necessary, target elimination. Then, there was his ability to sense emotion, it made him the ultimate interrogator. That ability was rarely called on since he could only see emotion while in his changeling form, not to mention that emotion reading was technically considered a form of mind reading which was illegal thanks to Bigby's law. 

Kevin could tell when he entered the room that this would be one of those rare occasions where his unique talents would be called upon because the only other people present were Director Furlong, the head of S.M.I.L.E. and Princess Celestia. Two of the only people who knew his secret. They were standing in front of a large glass window that viewed into a plain white room consisting of nothing more than a table and two chairs, one of which was occupied by a seraphim bound by handcuffs and wing restraints. 

"Ok, so what's this guy's story?" Kevin asked when he reached the window. The prisoner in question sat still as a statue, eyes closed and a steady breathing the only indication that he was even alive.

Director Furlong handed a file to Kevin who looked through it as he spoke, "L-Sec got a call about a shady character sulking around the Canterlot hotel district. Caller was some minor celebrity or something so they figured it was just a fanboy who needed to be reminded of personal space. When they arrived though, they found this guy staring at the hotel like a hawk," Furlong gestured towards the prisoner. "According to the reports, when they approached him he began talking and acting all cryptic like."

Kevin looked at the description portion of the file, it named the prisoner as one Lock Tight with both a picture of his face and his cutie mark, an open padlock with a key. "Five-eight, one hundred and eighty pounds, brown hair, blue grey eyes, age: thirty seven,  occupation: locksmith," he read aloud, "nothing that jumps out at me." He closed the file and looked back at Lock Tight, "bit old to be a stalker too, who was the celebrity he was watching?"

"When she called L-Sec, she said and I quote: 'The Great and Powerful Trixie wishes to remain anonymous...'" Furlong said.

"I... see... So, do we know the real reason he was at the hotel? Because I know you wouldn't have called me down here, or be involved for that matter, if he was just stalking this, 'Trixie' person."

At that, Celestia finally turned her gaze from Lock Tight to Kevin, dropping her crossed arms as she did, "I believe there is more to this individual than appears. He speaks plainly and coherently, yet the things he talks about are nonsensical but what troubles me most is the fact that he apparently has knowledge of things that no ordinary citizen should. The Elements of Harmony for instance," Celestia paused and looked back towards their prisoner, "the only information I've released to the public regarding the Nightmare incident was that they were artifacts used to free Luna from a dark spirit. Yet he not only knows what they are but how they were found, where they're being kept and most troubling of all, the names and residences of the ones who welded them."

"That... is a bit disturbing," Kevin agreed, "any idea how he got his hands on this info?"

"That's what I want you to figure out," Celestia answered, "I'm authorizing the use of your emotion reading abilities. I want you to talk to him, see if you can find something we cant." Celestia turned her gaze back to Kevin, "he keeps saying he was told by some mystical force, but with your powers you can see when hes lying and what buttons to push to get him to talk. If there is a leak or, Harmony forbid, a spy deep enough in our ranks to get this kind of information, it is imperative that we root it out immediately." Kevin nodded and in a flash of green, the young man was replaced with an elderly looking gentleman wearing a formal brown suite and sporting a black goatee with hints of grey.

Kevin proceeded into the room and took a seat in the chair across from Lock Tight. The large window through which both Celestia and Furlong were watching had been enchanted to look like part of the wall from this side. "Good, afternoon," he said, "my name's Dr. Winslow. I'm a criminal therapist and I've been asked to speak with you today." 'Dr. Winslow' was one of Kevin's many, many aliases. He found that people were far more likely to open up to a therapist than an authority figure. It wasn't, strictly speaking, legal for him to interrogate under a false identity but then again, this whole thing was off the record.

Lock Tight opened his eyes and smiled at Kevin, "you've been asked to speak with me, because they don't understand. They're too afraid to understand." His voice was calm and level, just as they had said.

"You're right," Kevin said, "they don't understand you're behavior. That's what I'd like to talk about today." Kevin leaned forward in his chair, "lets start with the young lady you were following, who is she to you?"

The seraphim smiled, "she is the Antagonist of Evee," he said as if it were the most common knowledge.

"Antagonist?" questioned Kevin, "what has she done?"

"It is not what she has done but will do," Lock closed his eyes, "They Who Are In know, you see, they know everything. The past, the future, but the Antagonist of Evee will change the variable. Some changes are unavoidable but they have determined that the outcome of her epic soul will cause to much of a divergence, thus They Who Are In have decided the easier option is to prevent her epic soul in the first place."

Kevin wrote down several of the terms Lock had just used in order to question him further. It was all madness, of course, but it would allow him to further lower the man's defenses before he started asking the real questions. "So, you said she was 'the Antagonist of Evee', what is 'Evee' exactly?"

"Evee is a designation used by They Who Are In," Lock answered casually.

"And who are 'They'?"

"They are the ones who are in..." 

"What are they in?"

"They just are in..."

Kevin sighed, this was getting him nowhere, time to get to the real questions. "Lets change the subject, you seem to be quite well informed about certain things, things that, quite frankly, you shouldn't know without being in Princess Celestia's inner most circle." Kevin interlocked his fingers on the table. "Tell me," as he leaned in, he engulfed himself in green flame, becoming K'Vann, "how do you know about the Elements of Harmony's bearers?"

The sight of K'Vann seemed to flip a switch in Lock Tight's brain, going from cool and collected to terrified lunatic. "Y-you! You should not be! Not yet, its too early!" The man pulled back as far as his restraints would allow.

"Answer my question, seraphim, where did your knowledge come from?" K'Vann stood, starring down Lock with his solid, icy blue eyes. "Did you hear it from some one in the palace or do you have another source?" He searched the emotions of the man before him, but to his surprise, in addition to fear, was... confusion? 

"W-wrong, all wrong!" Lock began to take deep breaths, "The variable can't know! If it knows, it will deviate and They Who Are In will..." K'Vann grabbed Lock by the scruff of his shirt, lifting him up to the point where the restraints were tugging on the bolted down chair. 

Outside, Directer Furlong moved to open the door, presumably to stop K'Vann's aggressive behavior but Celestia stopped him. "Do not worry, Director, K'Vann has my full confidence, he will not hurt the prisoner." Furlong was still apprehensive but obeyed the Princess's wishes. 

K'Vann opened his mouth to reveal four sharp unnatural fangs, "listen to me, seraphim, with my power, I can reach into your mind and extract your memories by force if necessary. It is a painful process and often causes permanent damage to the victim. Now, you can tell me where you learned of the Elements of Harmony, their location and the names of their bearers or I can scramble your brain looking for it but one way or another I'm getting what I want. Now, make your choice." In truth, K'Vann had no such power but people tended to believe a lot when starring into the dead eyes of some unknown monster.

Lock Tight stared at K'Vann, fear in his eyes, "M-my house in L-Las Pegasus," he stammered, "there's a safe behind a poster of Daring Do, it has everything I know about They Who Are In, it's where I learned everything I know about the Elements-"

"Whats the combination?"

"Ten-ten-ten," Lock Tight pleaded, "p-please don't take my love, I don't want to be a cha- oof," K'Vann dropped him and, with a flash of green fire, resumed his guise as Kevin. He left the room, walking up to a confused Furlong and Celestia.

"Well, I can say this much," he said, "that man definitely needs help. Everything he said was, in his mind, true." He crossed his arms, looking back at the prisoner through the one way window, "whoever's giving him this information has some how infected his mind, I doubt we'll get much more out of him."

"He isn't thralled," Furlong argued, "L-Sec ran a test on him for mind altering drugs and mind control enchantments. They all came back negative."

"Those tests wouldn't find anything if the controller could jump in and out at will..." Celestia added.

"No spell can do that," Furlong retorted, "at least none that I've ever heard of."

"In any case, I think I should pay his home a little visit," said Kevin.

"I'll leave it to you then, K'Vann," Celestia said.

He nodded turned to leave.

"Wait," Furlong called out, "you need a warrant to search his house."

"Oh Directer," Kevin said with a grin as he was once again surrounded by green fire, this time taking on the form of Lock Tight, "why would I need a warrant to search my own home..."


***


It was Thursday morning and Dusk was pacing in the lobby at the Ponyville municipal court. In the seats behind him were Daisy Jo, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. "Jeez, Dusk, calm down," Rainbow said, "Jo is the one on trial here not you."

"It's not a trial, Dash, it's an appeal," Dusk said as he took a deep breath, inhale, count to four, exhale, "I just want everything to go right, I made a promise after all."

"Dusk, you've done more for me in the past few days than most people have in my life," Daisy put a hand on his shoulder, "whatever happens, I'll always be grateful for that."

Dusk returned her smile, "thanks, hearing that makes it worth it." Dusk's heart was lifted by the feeling of appreciation, he only wish he'd known how good helping others felt sooner. He looked up at the clock on the wall, "it's almost time, is Applejack all set?"

"Actually, I haven't seen her all week," Rainbow said.

"Not since the stampede," Pinkie added.

"She'll be here though, AJ is never late."

The door to the court opened and a bailiff ushered the group inside. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy took a seat in the front row while Dusk and Daisy stood in front of the bench. "The honorable Judge Fudge presiding," the bailiff announce. Rainbow let out a sinker but she was elbowed by Fluttershy.

An elder terran entered the room wearing a traditional black gown with a scales of justice emblem on the upper left side to represent his cutie mark. His long grey beard reached down to past his neck and stretched out wide enough to almost cover his chest. After seating himself behind the bench he banged his gavel twice, "Daisy Jo, approach the bench."

Daisy gulped as she walked forward with Dusk just behind her. "I understand you wish to appeal your fine for causing a stampede?" Fudge asked.

"Y-yes sir, I mean, You're Honor, um, actually, my friend Applejack is supposed to-" she stopped as the door to the court room opened. Everyone turned to see a very ragged looking Applejack walk in.

"I'm here, sorry I'm late- whoa," AJ stumbled into the wooden gate separating the gallery from the bench area. 

The judge looked at Daisy with a raised eyebrow. "Um, shes my uh... what'd you call it Dusk?" Daisy asked.

"Character witness."

"Right, that," Daisy turned back to the judge, "and I also gathered some, uh, presidents-"

"Precedence," Dusk corrected.

"Y-yea, precedence to um... show you why I shouldn't be... charged?" Daisy bit her bottom lip, she couldn't quite explain why she was so nervous. It wasn't like she was facing jail time but something about being in front of a judge seemed to drive a pick right through her confidence. 

"You're Honor," Dusk spoke up, "I have the preceding cases here." Dusk handed over the file he was carrying, "if You're Honor will please note the first case of Ponyville vs Troubleshoes wherein the court ruled that a first time offender may be forgiven if said offender can be shown to be of upstanding character and lacking of malicious intent." Dusk crossed his arms, looking pleased with himself.

"I'm familiar with that case, Mr. Shine, I presided over it."

Dusk smiled sheepishly, "ahem, right well, in any case, I included the testimonies of these three here," he waved to his friends in the gallery, "Rainbow who was the first to spot the stampede, Fluttershy, who spoke to the cows and can confirm that it was indeed a snake that triggered it and Pinkie who said the town's people were never in any danger. Something called a 'Pinkie Sense,' gonna have to look into that later, finally, Applejack here can vouch for Daisy's character." Dusk pointed to AJ, who was leaning on the railing with half opened eyes. Dusk cleared his throat, "ahem, AJ?"

"Wha? Oh right, Daisy didna menno harm..." she slowly trailed off as her eyes fell closed. The judge banged his gavel loudly causing her to jump awake. "What, oh yes Daisy's a good sort, she just made a mistake is all. I've known her for a couple ah years, she's always put the safety of others first." 

The judge stroked his beard for a moment then looked down to Daisy, "because this is your first offense, and because Miss Apple is one of our more respected community members, I'll wave the reckless endangerment charge." Daisy's elation was clearly visible on her face, "but," the judge continued, "I'm upholding the charge for destroying the sign, you must ether pay to have it fixed or repair it yourself," he banged his gavel twice, "case dismissed."

Daisy ran up to Dusk and embraced him in a bone crushing hug, "thank you so much, Dusk! How can I ever repay you?"

"S-stop crushing me?" Dusk said in a strained voice.

"Deal!" Daisy said as she dropped him, she then turned to AJ who had dozed off again while standing. "And thank you AJ, I owe you big time!"

AJ let out a yawn, " Yeah, I like helping the Ponyville folks and, *yawn* and stuff. Oh, uh, I got to get back to the farm, lots to do." AJ waved to the others as she stumbled out the door.

Dusk and the others stared after her, "was it Just me, or did AJ seem a bit..."

"Tired?" Rainbow offered.

"Yea, I'm going to go make sure she's alright," he turned back to his friends, "thanks for coming and helping you guys, and Daisy, it was great meeting you, hope you keep in touch." He followed AJ out of the courthouse and back to the farm.


***


When Dusk arrived at Sweet Apple Acres he found Applejack in her orchard leaning against one of the trees. In front of her was a spilled basket of apples likely meant for the cart that was half full of similar baskets. Dusk approached her with concern at first until he heard a loud snore coming from under her hat. Lifting the hat, he saw the side of  AJ's face scrunched up against the bark of the tree.

"Hey, Applejack!" said Dusk, she didn't move.

"Applejack!" he said louder, only to receive a snore in response.

Dusk furrowed his brow then remembered a trick his sister used to use on him. Sticking his index finger in his mouth, he twisted it to get it nice and wet, he then stuck said finger into AJ's left ear. It seemed to do the trick as AJ jumped and slapped her hand against the side of her head.

"Guah, what? Dusk?" AJ looked around in confusion before glaring at Dusk, "what'er y'all doing, going around giving people wet willies? I'm trying to work here." 

"You were asleep," Dusk countered, "what are you working on anyway? I thought we already harvested you're apples last week?"

"Those were a different breed, different apples get ripe at different times." AJ picked up the basket and moved it to the cart while they talked.

"Ok, fair enough but why are you doing it alone?" Dusk followed her to the next tree.

"'Cause Big 'I can carry four hundred pounds up a ladder on my own' Macintosh hurt himself," she said with irritation, "which means I should get back to work." AJ cleared her throat, "hint, hint?"

Dusk sighed but moved out of her way. AJ wobbled past, almost as if drunk. "AJ, you don't look so good..."

AJ turned to look at Dusk, her eyes were having trouble focusing, "ah, you're worrying over nothing, Mr. talking gumball machine, I'm just fine and dandy."

"Ooooookay, why don't you go and take a quick nap, I'll go get Spike and the girls and we'll finish-" 

"No way, no how." AJ interrupted. Having snapped back to reality at the mention of help.

"But you can't do this on your own."

"Is that a challenge?!" AJ glared at Dusk.

"No?"

"I'll show you! I'll show all y'all! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got apples to buck," AJ stormed forward with her cart to the next tree leaving Dusk behind.


***


Rainbow paced back and forth, her frustration growing with each change of direction. She was about to fly straight to Sweet Apple Acres when she finally spotted Applejack heading her way. "There you are," she said, dropping her hands to her sides, "I've been waiting all morning. Whats up with you lately? First that trial thing yesterday and now this?"

AJ let out a yawn, "sorry there, Rainbow. I was up late applebuckin' and I guess I over slept." In truth, she had intended to take a quick nap but ended up sleeping for four hours which, to her, was too long to keep up her schedule. "I don't mean to be rude but can we hurry this along? I still got to meet with Pinkie and Fluttershy and then finish my harvest all before Five o'clock."

"Ok, now, you see this thing here?" Rainbow pointed to a machine on a tripod with a long barrel and a basket of tennis balls on top. "I'm gonna fly out in front of it and you're gonna use it to try and hit me with those balls."

"Isn't that dangerous?" AJ asked as she looked at the ball thrower. On the back was a dial with three images, a slingshot, a rifle, and a mini-gun. The dial's arrow was pointing to the mini-gun image.

"No, see that's the thing, I'm going to dodge each and every one of them with amazing flips and spins, and Dusk over there is going to record the whole thing for me!" she waved over at Dusk who was standing about a hundred feet away next to a small floating crystal sphere. In between his hands was a projection displaying the sphere's point of view. Dusk looked up at Rainbow and nodded. Rainbow nodded back and began putting on a light blue helmet and matching elbow and knee pads.

"We'll alrighty then," AJ said as she got behind the ball thrower and tilted it so that it was pointing up.

Rainbow shot into the air, "Ready?" she called to Dusk as the camera sphere hovered beside her. Dusk nodded up at her. "Ok, one... two... THREE!" Nothing happened. Rainbow looked down to see AJ asleep while leaning over the ball thrower. Rainbow rolled her eyes and flew down to AJ, stopping to hover just in front of the device. "AJ, I thought you said you were ready?"

AJ suddenly snapped back awake, "wha, ready? Ok here we go."

Rainbow's eyes widened, "No no wait I'm not in posi-" Rainbow never got to finish. The machine hummed to life and pelted her with dozens upon dozens of tennis balls, "Oh, ah eek, oof..." A ball struck Rainbow right in the stomach causing her to double over. As soon as she did, another one slammed right into her forehead, dazing her enough to finally lose flight and collapse, back first, on the ground.

The machine eventually ran out of ammo and automatically shut off. AJ, who was too tired to think straight, merely tilted her hat at her groaning friend and said, "You're welcome," and headed off to her next appointment. 

Dusk rushed over to Rainbow who was groaning on the ground. "Are you ok, Rainbow Dash?" he asked as he lifted her upright.

"I can't even think of a good 'balls to the face' joke..." she groaned while rubbing her forehead. She then reached down and lifted her shirt just a bit to expose her midriff. Next to her navel, a large bruise was forming. "That's going to be sore in few hours."

"Here, let me see if I can fix that," Dusk said. He had been practicing the healing spell ever since he watched Celestia perform it on himself and his friends after the battle with Nightmare Moon. With practiced hand gestures, he combined several of the basic cantrips to form what was commonly referred to as the 'Lay On Hands' spell. Once his hand was glowing with a lavender aura he placed it on top of Rainbow's bruise, causing her to wince just a bit. 

At first, nothing happened, then, slowly, the bruise shrank and vanished under Dusk's hand. Rainbow rubbed her own hand over the area but found that she felt no pain. "Wow, thanks, man."

"You're welcome, but you might still want to go to the Hospital just to make sure you don't have a concussion," Dusk said, "and to heal any bruises that might be in more... private areas." Dusk said, noticing the edge of a dark spot on Rainbow's collar.

Rainbow grinned cheekily, "What's the matter, Dusk? Never seen a girl topless before?"

"I-I just don't have much practice with that spell!" he said, blushing furiously. "N-not that I'm a prude or anything, I just, I think a doctor should-"

He was interrupted by Rainbow's laughter, "Ha-ha, oh Dusk, you're too easy some times." She climbed to her feet and stretched her wings, "I'll go have a doc look at my head, you should probably go follow AJ, that girl needs some sleep."


***


Pinkie Pie rocked back and forth on her feet happily humming to herself. It was her first time cooking the treats for the Sugar Cube Corner bakery and with Applejack's help, it was sure to be a success. "Today is going to be the best day ever! Well, except for yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. And tomorrow sounds fun too, come to think of it."

"I'm here!" AJ said as she entered the kitchen where Pinkie was waiting.

"Yay! I'm so excited, I've already got the bowl and mixy thingy. You ready?" Pinkie asked.

"Yea, yea," AJ yawned, "um... what'er we making again?"

"Apple Fritters remember?" Pinkie asked, oblivious to AJ's condition. "You're gonna walk me though the recipe. Don't worry, I'll do exactly what you tell me!"

"Right, right, well letsseehere..." AJ walked over to the counter, "first thing ya need is... that stuff... fer baking... SODA! Baking soda," she shook her head to wake herself.

"Okie-dokie-lokie," Pinkie chimed as she filled the bowl with baking soda. "What next?"

AJ rubbed her eyes, "then ya take the eggs and the apples and the... tater chips in the bowl."

Pinkie paused, "potato chips? Hm, oh well, I'm sure you know what you're talking about." she shrugged and dumped a bag of Plays potato chips in the bowl along with several apple slices and an egg. "Now what?" she asked, "Applejack?" Pinkie turned and found AJ leaning against the counter with both hands, her eyes closed. 

"APPLEJACK!"

AJ snorted as she jumped awake, "I what? Vinegar!"

Again, Pinkie merely shrugged. She grabbed a bottle of vinegar out of the pantry and poured its contents into the bowl. 


***


Outside the kitchen, Dusk was at the counter talking to the middle aged tarren woman who owned the shop with her husband. "I'm sure nothing is wrong, Mrs. Cake, I just want to make sure. I'm worried Applejack isn't getting enough sleep."

Mrs. Cake rubbed her chin with her hand, getting pink frosting on her face, "now that you mention it, she did seem a little out of it when she came in."

That was when they heard a loud fizzing noise coming from the kitchen. "What on earth?" Mrs. Cake asked as Dusk went to open the door. When he did, an avalanche of fizz flowed out of the kitchen, covering both Dusk and Mrs. Cake. Pinkie's head poked out of the fizz with a guilty smile on her face.

"PINKIE!" Mrs. Cake yelled, "What IS this stuff?"

Dusk scooped a bit with his finger and gave it a taste, "if I had to guess, I'd say it was a sodium acetate solution, likely the result of a double replacement reaction." Both Pinkie and Mrs. Cake stared at him like he'd just spoken gibberish. "Someone mixed vinegar with baking soda," he answered the implied question.

"Pinkie, what were you thinking?" Mrs. Cake scolded the young tarren.

"Well, I didn't mean too," she pleaded, "I was just doing what Applejack told me. I figured she knew something I didn't."

"Well," Mrs. Cake said with a stern tone, "I expect you to have this mess cleaned up by the end of the day, young lady. Understand?"

Pinkie sighed, "yes ma'am." With that, Mrs. Cake headed up stairs, presumably to wash the fizz off herself.

"Wait, where is AJ? She was in there with you right?" Dusk asked worriedly.

"Oh, I think she got pushed out the back door. Said something about Fluttershy as she was swept away." Pinkie then grinned an innocent grin at Dusk. "Say Dusty, you wouldn't happen to have a spell that could help me clean all this up would you?"

Dusk rolled his eyes.


***


Applejack made her way to Fluttershy's cottage on autopilot. She was vaguely aware that it was noon and she had only five hours to finish the last of her trees and then get all her apples to the train station for shipping.  Hopefully whatever Fluttershy needed wouldn't take too long.  Something about rounding up a bunch of rabbits.

"Oh, hello Applejack," Fluttershy called when she saw her friend walk up the path.

"Howdy there, Flubbershy..." AJ answered, to tired to notice her mispronunciation.

"Oh my, are you ok? You don't look so good." Fluttershy asked in concern. She hovered over to AJ to get a better look.

"I'm fine, just in a bit of a hurry."

"Are you sure? You look-" 

"I said, I'm FINE! Now, what'er we doing here?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, um, well," Fluttershy stammered a bit. Something was clearly wrong with AJ but she just didn't have the assertiveness to do anything about it. "I was hoping, if you don't mind, if you could gather up all the bunnies from their warrens in the fields? See it's time for their annual checkup and census and I need-"

"Round up some rabbits, got it," AJ said and gave a loud whistle. A few moments later, a loud barking could be heard in the distance when Winona came running down the path. The border collie came to a stop right at AJ's feet, waiting patiently for orders.

Fluttershy tapped AJ on the shoulder, "Um, Applejack, these are bunnies. They're a timid bunch, are you sure Winona wont scare them?"

"We'll be fine, Flutters," AJ insisted.

"Well, alright then," Fluttershy lead AJ and Winona to the field where the rabbits made their homes. "Come out little ones, gather up in the middle," she called and several small white bunnies slowly poked their heads out of holes in the ground.

One by one the little critters began hopping around the field, that's when AJ jumped into action. "Alright, lets go! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!" she yelled. She then let out a whistle and Winona barked in acknowledgement, running around the bunnies in an attempt to heard them as she had been trained.

"Applejack, stop! You're scaring them!" Fluttershy yelled.

"We know what we're doing. Get along, little bunnies."

Winona skirted the edges of the group and growled, baring her teeth. The bunnies, upon seeing the fangs of an angry predator, bounded as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Winona was fast but frightened rabbits in an open field were much faster, they darted towards the town leaving a frantic Fluttershy and oblivious AJ behind.


***


Dusk was a man on a mission. Applejack had nearly ruined Daisy's appeal, mowed down Rainbow with tennis balls and wasted a perfectly good baking soda and vinegar reaction without a paper mâché volcano. The latter of which he had just spent an hour helping Pinkie Pie clean. He was going to find AJ and put an end to her stubborn pride. Nothing was going to stop him, not even a horde of rampaging rabbits... wait what?

The path to Fluttershy's cottage was covered by a sea of white as hundreds of little rabbits ran towards him at an alarming speed. "Oh raspberr-ieeeeeeeeees," he screamed as the horde engulfed him like a tidal wave."


***


Rabbits, everywhere there were rabbits. Every shop stall, every windowsill and every rooftop, all covered in little balls of fluff.  Merchants were trying their best to shoo the pests away from their produce while several little girls were darting from bunny to bunny trying to figure out which one was the cutest. 

At the flower shop, Lily Valley was holding her sobbing sister, Roseluck, as she lamented the destruction of their flower garden. "Every last flower," she stammered, "devoured by those... those monsters! The horror, the horror!"

Fluttershy was beside herself, "Oh my. Oh... Please stop, little bunnies. Oh no! Please, let's go home. Oh my goodness!" she cried when she reached the town square. There, laying sprawled out on his back with a little white rabbit sitting on his forehead, nibbling on a leaf completely oblivious to the indignation it was causing, was Dusk Shine.

"Dusk, are you ok?" she asked.

"Mousetrap..." he answered.

"W-what?"

"I wanted to play Mousetrap, you roll your dice, you move your mice. Nobody gets hurt," he said as he sat up. "But no, Rainbow needs some one to film her stunt flying, so I agree to help her out. Then AJ comes along looking like she's pulled several all nighters and knocks Rainbow out of the sky! So, because I'm a concerned friend, I follow her to Sugar Cube Corner, where I end up buried in sodium acetate and have to clean that up. Finally I head out to look for her again, but not before Pinkie has some sort of arm spasm and tells me to watch out for a bunny stampede. Apparently she can predict the future, REALLY need to investigate that. But to cut to the thesis of my rant, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH APPLEJACK!" Dusk punctuated his speech with heavy breathing. 

"Well," Fluttershy said meekly, "she went back to her farm after scaring off all the bunnies. Why don't you go talk to her, I'll gather up all my friends."

"Oh, I'm gonna talk to her alright..." Dusk said. Clasping his hands together, he pictured AJ's farm. Like last time, there was a pop sound and he felt himself pulled in the direction of the farm but now, with his eyes open, he could see the world stretch and shoot past him before coming back into focus as he landed among the trees. He staggered a little bit as he arrived a bit forward and above where he intended. Guess I need to practice more, he thought.

Over in the fields he saw Applejack kicking a tree for its apples. "Applejack! We need to talk," he said. Dusk marched over to her and spun her around. "AJ, you're not well, I can respect you're pride and desire to do things the traditional way but it's starting to effect you're health. You gave it you're all and no one can say otherwise, but it's time to admit defeat. You can't do this on you're own."

"Can't do it on my own, huh?" AJ said and pointed to the tree she just finished, "that there's the last apple tree. I just finished harvesting this whole orchard. All. By. My. Self! How'd you like them apples?"

"So, you got them all picked, huh? All packaged and ready to go?" Dusk asked with crossed arms.

"Yessir, every last apple," she beamed.

"How are you going to get a warehouse full of apples to the train station in three hours?" he asked knowingly.

"Well I..." AJ paused, the reality finally sinking in for her. "I... I'm not going to, am I?"

"Applejack," Dusk put a hand on her shoulder, "you're friends can help, why wont you let us?"

AJ sighed and removed her hat, letting the hand holding it drop to her side, "Everyone looks to me as the girl that can get things done. No matter what the situation, you can rely on Applejack to finish the job. I.." she bit her lip, "I've never failed before."

"But I don't understand," Dusk said, "how is asking for help failing?"

"Because I'd be giving up!" she put the hat back on her head and turned towards the barn. "I promised Big Mac that I'd be able to finish this all on my own, it was a challenge and if I ask for help, it'd be the same as giving up." She sat down against the tree, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"You know," she continued as Dusk took a seat beside her, "the night I lost my parents, they wrecked their freight hauler because the road was too muddy. Ma died in the crash but Pa, he lived long enough to get to the hospital." AJ paused for a moment to collect herself and even Dusk, who was until recently introverted knew that this was a situation where he should say nothing until she finished. "Me, Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny were all there, I'll never forget it. Big Mac fighting tears and failing, Granny was holding baby Bloom, trying to be strong for us with a sad smile but I could tell she was broken on the inside. And me? I was holding on to the bed, sobbing my eyes out."

"Pa, he... he said his goodbyes to everyone in the room one by one but I didn't really hear him. I was in too much shock. Then Pa grabbed my hand, he looked me in the eye and said 'Jackie, y'all are gonna to be the lady of the house now. Ya gotta be strong, because things are gonna be hard going forward. But I know ya can do it, you're honest and dependable. Promise me, Applejack, promise me that no matter how hard things get, no matter what anyone says, you'll never give up.'"

AJ wiped a tear that had been forming in her eye at the memory, "those were the last words he ever said to me." She turned to face Dusk, "that's why I can't ask for help, Dusk. I'm know this is impossible, hell I knew from the beginning, I just didn't wanna admit it. But even so I can't give up, I just can't."

Dusk looked at AJ and then at the barn. What on earth do you say to something like that? It took him a moment to choose his words. "Applejack," he started, "I never knew you're farther but, it sounds like he was a great man who loved his children." He turned to face her, "but I think you may be confusing giving up with admitting defeat."

"What do you mean? They're the same thing aren't they?"

"I once asked Celestia that same question," he said. "I was trying make a perpetual motion machine, impossible to do according to the laws of physics but I didn't know that at the time. Finally after staying up for three days straight, Celestia told me to take a break. She explained to me why my little project could never be completed but it confused me because I had always been told by both my parents, my teachers and every cliche crystalvid special that you should never give up."

AJ let out a small chuckle at this as Dusk continued, "so I asked her and she told me 'That depends on why you're quitting. Are you doing it because it's too difficult, or because you realize what you're doing isn't working?'"

AJ considered that for a moment, "I-I never thought of it that way."

Dusk stood, "well, it's two fifteen by my estimation, what do you say we give the girls a call and get these crates down to the station."

AJ smiled, "I think I'd appreciate the help."


***


It was eight P.M. by the time Dusk finally got home. Taking a relieved breath, he dropped the bag he was carrying and let himself fall on the couch as Spike walked in holding a piece of paper. "Hey, Dusk, long day?" he asked.

"You could say that," Dusk replied while kicking off his shoes. "The girls and I had to scramble to get Applejack's shipment down to the train station with enough time to load it. We just barely got the last case on board before the conductor closed the door. Then we went celebrating at Sugar Cube Corner, which reminds me," Dusk pointed to the bag he dropped by the door, "I brought you some dinner."

Spike eyed the bag with a lick of his lips. Dropping the paper, he ran over to the bag and began to rummage through for whatever treat his step-brother had brought home. "Thanks, so I guess you'll be turning in early tonight?"

Dusk yawned, "yea but first I have to wright a letter to Celestia, this whole thing with AJ would make a great friendship report."

Spike was about to bite into what looked like a delicious blue frosting cupcake coated with sapphire flakes when he turned to Dusk in confusion. "I thought you already did..."

"No, I've been with the girls all evening."

"Then what's that?" Spike pointed to the paper he dropped. Dusk picked up the paper and gave it a look.

Dear Princess Celestia, it read, My friend Applejack is the best friend a person could ever have, and she's always there to help anyone. The only trouble is, when she needs help, she finds it hard to accept it, so while friendship is about giving of ourselves to friends, it's also about accepting what our friends have to offer. Your faithful student, Dusk Shine.

Dusk turned the letter over and back, "Spike... I didn't wright this," he said in a confused tone. "I mean, that's my handwriting and that's also pretty much the wording I was planning on using but..." he trailed off, "where did you get this?"

"I got it off you're desk just now..." Spike said with a raised eyebrow, "are you sure you didn't write that? Maybe when you stopped by earlier to grab your bits for Sugar Cube Corner?"

Dusk rubbed his head, it was starting to feel like a small headache was forming. The pain vanished as quickly as it came and suddenly he remembered sitting down and penning the letter for Spike to send. "Y-yea, that's when I did it," he laughed forcefully, "I must be more tired than I thought."

"Here, send it off," Dusk passed the letter to Spike, "I'm going to go to bed. Good night, Spike." Dusk walked upstairs as Spike eyed him with minor concern. When Dusk disappeared into his room, Spike shrugged and breathed his dragon fire on the letter, sending it off to Celestia.

Dusk lay in his bead, still unable to shake the thoughts of the letter that had mysteriously appeared. Whats going on with me? he thought, first I start hearing things and now I forget a letter I wrote hours ago? I did wright that letter didn't I? That memory felt more like a dream, but what other explanation is there?

Dusk rolled over and grabbed his bottle of OCD medication, swallowing one of the pills with a swig of water. If this happens again, I'm going to call Dr. Meyer, I don't have time to go insane. His last thoughts were lost to him as he drifted off to sleep.
> Don't Worry, Be Harpy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash was in heaven, or at least the closest she could get to heaven without actually dying. Sitting in her pro-gamer chair, a fresh hot pizza on her left, a cold can of Dr. Pibb on her right and nothing but a weekend with no responsibilities ahead of her. In front of her was her prized 70 inch 4k Crystalvid. Rainbow didn't know what a 'k' was but this baby had four of them and high def surround sound. 

In her hand was a controller with which she would be playing her new favorite game, 'Damned'. Apparently it was a remake of a really old game that she'd once played on her dad's old machine but this one was sooo much better. Fighting endless hordes of monsters and zombies in an abandoned military base in Tartarus with fists, shotguns and chainsaws? Yes please! Rainbow powered up the game and grinned with satisfaction as the electric guitar music blared over the speakers. 

It was about thirty minutes into her play session after a particularly satisfying kill with the rocket launcher that she felt a vibration in her pocket. Sighing, she paused the game and reached into her pocket to pull out a small transparent peace of glass. Glancing at it, she saw a number that she didn't recognize flash on the surface as the glass continued to vibrate. "Sorry, don't know ya," she said as she ran her thumb to the left across the surface to stop the vibrating. Placing the object back in her pocket, she resumed playing. 

About five minutes passed before she felt the vibrations again. Once again, she paused the game, taking a drink of her Dr. Pibb while checking her glass. It was the same unknown number as before. Rainbow rolled her eyes, "some people just can't take a hint." Setting the glass down on the side table, she decided that now was as good a time as any for a bathroom run. 

Another few minutes passed when Rainbow returned from the bathroom, drying her hands with a paper towel. Looking back at her gaming area, she noticed that her glass was once again, glowing and vibrating. "I swear if that's the same guy..." she said angrily. She tossed the paper towel and marched over to her glass. Picking it up she looked and saw that it was indeed the same unknown number as the last two times. "Ok, that's it!" she said while swiping her thumb to the right across the surface.

"Listen!" she said, holding the glass up to her face, "I don't know who this is but if you call here one more time I'm gonna get my egghead friend to trace this number so I can come over there and kick your ass!"

"Ha, as if you could, Rainbow Dork," said a very familiar voice on the other end. 

Rainbow paused for a moment, her eyes widening, "G-Gilda?"

"Humph, so all those head injuries haven't damaged your memory. Damn, guess I owe you a drink."

"Gilda! Holy crap I haven't seen you since flight camp!" Rainbow said excitedly as she let herself fall on a nearby couch. "How've you been you bird brain!"

"You know me Dash, breaking hearts and takin names." 

"Ha, yea right."

Rainbow was awash with memories of her teenage years from not even a decade past. She had just enrolled in flight camp after turning fourteen. On her first day she came across a group of three seraphim boys and a creature she'd never seen before. It was a girl, that much was certain, and around the same age as all the other kids but she looked like a cross between a bird and a person. Her arms were covered in feathers and jointed in the same manner as a bird's wings. Her legs were also strange, from her knees down, they resembled eagle talons with three long claws in front and one in back. 

Rainbow flew down towards the group and overheard some of what the three boys were saying to he girl. Things like, "look at that freak, she looks like a bird," and "how did you put your clothes on with those hands? Did your mommy dress you?" The strange looking girl was trying to fight back with her own verbal barbs but it was clear she was losing by the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

If there was one thing Dash hated most, it was bullies. "Hey!" she called down, "at least her mom is able to stand looking at her long enough to be able to dress her. I'll bet your mom can't even stand to change your diapers."

The group all turned to look at her. She fluttered in front the the group of boys with her arms crossed. The lead boy spoke up, "well, well, if it isn't Rainbow Crash, what did the gay pride parade finally decide to get an actual flag?" He snickered and the boy to his left high fived him.

"Yea they did, I saw your dad hang it up myself."

"Pift, whatever. C'mon boys, lets go check out some of the hot new babes. We'll leave the chick to Rainbow Crash here." The three of them flew away laughing.

Rainbow walked up to the strange girl who had her back turned, presumably to discreetly wipe her tears. "Hey," Rainbow said, clasping a hand on the girl's shoulder, "my name's Rainbow Dash, what's yours?"

"Gilda," the girl said, "I totally had that under control by the way but still... thanks"

"No prob. Say if you don't mind me asking, what are you? I've never met anyone with wings like yours."

Gilda hesitated for a moment but relented when she saw the genuine curiosity in Rainbow's eyes. "I'm a harpy, we usually live out east, across the Celestial Sea." 

"Sweet. Say, you wanna hang out?" For the next four years, every summer, the two would meet up at flight camp and spend the whole six weeks together. Where one went, the other followed.

"Yoohoo, Dash, you there?" Rainbow was snapped back to the present by Gilda's voice.

"Yea, I'm here, just space out for a moment, heh. So, Gilda, where are you roosting these days?"

"Actually that's why I called, I'm in Canterlot right now, checking out the local scene."

"No way!" Dash yelled, "that's like an hour from where I am. You better swing by Ponyville before you leave or I'll come find you and drag you here myself."

"Ha, as if I'd miss a chance to remind you what a real flyer looks like. I'll be coming in tomorrow, we'll spend the weekend together. It'll be just like old times."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll see ya then. Later Big G." Dash laid the glass back on the table and did a fist pump, this weekend had just gotten twenty percent more awesome.


***


A soft popping noise signaled Dusk's arrival in the park clearing as he appeared out of thin air. Once again, he stumbled forward, falling on his hands just outside the small target area he'd painted on the ground earlier. "Grrr, that's the fifth time. Why can't I land where I'm aiming?"

Dusk was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of Pinkie Pie humming a jovial tune as she bounced toward him. "Hiya, Dusk! Whacha doing?" she asked happily.

"Trying to figure out why my teleporting spell keeps landing just outside of where I'm aiming," he answered looking back at the target on the ground. "I swear its like the spot moves right when I make the jump."

"Are you factoring in the rotation and orbit of the Earth?" Pinkie said completely casually.

Dusk blinked, then blinked again. Pinkie simply smiled as if she hadn't just solved a problem that had been gnawing at Dusk for the past week. "You know what, I'll get back to that, so what are you doing here?" 

"Looking for Rainbow Dash," she answered nonchalantly. 

"Oh, I think that's her right up there," Dusk pointed to a cloud above the park on which a leg could be seen dangling off the side.

"Rainbow!" Pinkie yelled, "Hey Rainbow Dash!"

Up on the cloud, Rainbow was relaxing peacefully in her favorite sky blue t-shirt and cargo shorts when she heard Pinkie's calls. "Ugh," she rolled her eyes, "what is it, Pinkie?"

"I need a favor!" Pinkie called up.

"Can it wait? I'm waiting on an old friend of mi-" she slapped her hand to her mouth as she realized who she was talking to. It was too late, however.

"An old friend!? Oh-oh can I meet them too, Dashie? What's their name? Are they nice?" Pinkie rambled on while Rainbow ran her hand down her face.

Figuring that there would be no going back to sleep now, Rainbow rolled off the cloud and hovered down to where Pinkie was still bombarding her with questions. "Look, Pinkie, her name is Gilda, shes a harpy from Griffonstone Mountain and if you tone down the annoying-ness I'll introduce you. Happy?"

"Got it," said Pinkie with a salute, "no annoying the new girl. So, is she nice?"

Rainbow laughed, "Gilda's not nice, shes 'real'."

"Well duh," Pinkie laughed, "obviously she's real. I wouldn't be able to meet her otherwise."

"No, no I mean she keeps is real. She doesn't pretend to be nice or happy when shes not. Or give fake compliments or junk like that." Dash struggled to define the abstract concept. "Like, she wont pretend to like something or tiptoe around a subject to spare someone's feelings. You know what I mean?"

"Ooooooh, I get it. Shes a jerk!" Pinkie nodded in understanding.

"Yea, shes a- No, no!" Rainbow waved her hands, "shes not a jerk shes just..." Rainbow sighed, "you'll see when you meet her."

About an hour later the two girls were standing at the Ponyville train station. Pinkie was bobbing up and down excitedly as was her wont and Rainbow tapped her foot impatiently looking at the clock. "Gah, what is taking that girl so long?" Rainbow asked rhetorically.

"I had to stop by Cloudsdale to say 'hi' to your dad," came a harsh yet playful voice. The two girls turned around. There stood a tall, broad looking woman with brown feathery wings for arms. She wore bright yellow lipstick with hair that was bleached white with light purple highlights on the tips. For clothes she had on a brown leather jacket worn open over a white undershirt that didn't reach down enough to cover her navel and just barely hid her large and unashamedly bra-less breasts. Her bluejeans were custom made to allow her light brown tail feathers with dark brown tips poke out over her rear. She wore no shoes leaving her talons on full display. 

Rainbow grinned a cocky grin, "Gilda, you bird brain, get over here!" She ran up to her friend and the two bumped fists, then slapped hands, then did several other gestures that Pinkie couldn't quite keep up with before Rainbow finally clasped Gilda's three fingered claw with her hand and drew her into a hug. "It's good to see ya again."

"Same here," Gilda said, then noticed Pinkie, "so, who's the ground pounder?"

"Oh, right. Gilda, meet my gal pal, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said drawing Pinkie forward. "Pinkie, this is Gilda Griffon, my best friend from Junior Flight Camp." Rainbow turned to Gilda, "hey, remember the chant?"

"Sha," Gilda scoffed, "they made us sing the damn thing every morning, I'll never get it out of my head."

"Sooo..." Rainbow asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Gilda rolled her eyes, "heh, only for you, Dash."

Rainbow and Gilda stood side by side and began the chant with practiced harmony. Rainbow with a bit more enthusiasm than her friend.

"Junior Speedsters are our lives, 
Sky-bound soars and daring dives. 
Junior Speedsters, it's our quest, 
To someday be the very best!"

Pinkie burst into giggles, "Oh that was awesome."

Gilda shrugged, "meh, I always thought it was cringe worthy."

Rainbow put her arms around both Gilda and Pinkie, looking between the two of them, "so lets go get you settled in at my place, G." She turned to Pinkie, "Pinks, you think you can grab us a couple of burgers from the Hey! Burger?"

"Sure, we'll meet in the park. See you guys in a bit!" Pinkie bounded away with her usual jovial-ness.

When Pinkie was gone, Rainbow and Gilda took flight towards Rainbow's cloudhouse. "So," Gilda started, "that Pink girl's a bit hyper isn't she?"

"Yea but shes cool, c'mon, You gotta check out my new pad."


***
 

"And then, when he hiccuped, all the letters he was carrying got sent straight to the princess. Pft ha-ha!" Pinkie covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggles, Gilda and Rainbow laughed as well. the trio were sitting at a park table swapping stories, Pinkie had just finished the time she jump scared Spike as he was coming out of the post office. 

"I didn't take you for a prankster, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said before taking a sip from her drink.

"Are you kidding?" Pinkie answered, "I love to pull pranks. It's all in good fun, and Pinkie Pie loves to have fun!"

"Sha, I groove on a good prank," Gilda smirked. 

"Say, guys, whatdya say we go on a pranking bender? I'll show ya some real funny pranks," Rainbow asked with a sly grin.

Gilda froze for a moment before turning to her friend, "Dash you promised me we'd get a flying session in this morning." 

"Oh c'mon, we can do that later," Rainbow dismissed, "lets go have some real fun."

"Yay," Pinkie cheered as she and Gilda got up from the table. 

Rainbow smiled to herself. Pinkie Pie was annoying but if her stories were to be believed, she was an excellent prankster. Maybe the three of them could have some fun.


***


"Ok," Pinkie said as they exited the joke shop, "we got sneezing powder, invisible ink, food coloring and a squirting flower. Who're we gonna prank first?"

"How about Rarity?" Rainbow offered, "I always said she needs to loosen up a bit." She pointed the group towards the Carousel Boutique. There, Rarity could be seen returning home with a bag in hand. 

Gilda looked over at the young djinn woman, right away she could tell that this Rarity was one of those high society types that just love to play dress up. Her makeup hid every little imperfection and her hair was expertly styled. That gave her an idea. "Ok, hand me the sneezing powder, I got a plan."

The bottle of sneezing powder came packaged in an unassuming bottle so as not to arouse suspicion. It was pressurized so that when the unfortunate victim opened it, the contents would be blown in their face before they could react. Gilda took the bottle and wrote on the side 'Free Sample from Berry Key to our Loyal Customer'. With an evil grin, she handed it to Rainbow who looked at the label and gave a snort of laughter before flying over to the front door of the Boutique. She placed the bottle on the doorstep before ringing the doorbell and darting behind the bushes where Pinkie and Gilda were already hiding.

"Just a moment," Rarity called from inside. Opening the door, Rarity looked around for a few moments before noticing the small bottle left on her doorstep. Curious, she picked it up and read the label. Gilda, Pinkie and Rainbow could barely contain their giggles as she let out a squeal of delight and unscrewed the lid.

The bottle ejected it's contents onto Rarity's face, covering her completely. *Cough* "What on Earth? What is thi- ah AH ACHOO!" Dust flew out of her nose and off her face as she sneezed. 

The trio of pranksters could no longer hold it in. Pinkie fell out of the bush laughing followed by Rainbow and Gilda. "Why you! ACHOO! I should have kno- ACHOO! Known. Come baACHOO! Come back here this instant!" Rarity yelled, but the three where already making a break for it, laughing uncontrollably the whole time.

"Oh man, that was great," Gilda said and looked at Rainbow, "so, now that that's over, how about the two of us head back to your place for some team shooter action."

"But, we still have more prank item thingies, lets do a few more," Pinkie protested.

"Yea I'm down, so, who's next?" Rainbow asked.

"Hmm," Pinkie rubbed her chin in contemplation, "Oh! I know."


***


"So then, since Earth is moving at 390 kilometers per second relative to the cosmic background radiation, then if I use that same frame of reference to compare how much inertia is lost when I teleport..." Dusk had spend the last several hours in his house/library/tree staring at a marker board trying to work out a way to improve his teleporting accuracy. It was tedious work that required much of his concentration, thus he never noticed the small, pink finger-nailed hand as it reached up from behind the desk that was to his left. The hand grabbed his pen and replaced it with a different, slightly less useful one. 

"That's it!" Dusk declared happily, "now I just need some equipment." He turned to his desk and picked up the trick pen and his note pad. "Lets see," he said, writing down the items as he listed them. "I'll need a chironometer, a thaumic compensator, an annihilation matrix, might have to borrow Celestia's, now all I need is a giant radio telescope." Dusk looked up from his note pad and tapped his chin with the pen while he thought, " now where can I get a giant radio telescope this late on a Saturday?" 

"Oh I know," Dusk said aloud while turning back to his notes, "I can re-purpose the radio station. I'm sure the people there will be nice enough to..." he trailed off when he saw that the list he'd just made was now blank. "What the huh?" Dusk turned the paper over, looked around the desk and then the room. 

"I know I wrote that down, where did..." Dusk looked up when he heard a silent laughter coming from outside his opened window. He went over to investigate and found Pinkie, Rainbow and a harpy girl he didn't know looking up at him and laughing hysterically. 

"Pfft, ha-ha, we got you good, Egghead!" Rainbow said while clutching her sides. "You should have seen your face."

"Yes, yes, real funny. Where's my pen?" Dusk asked.

"Tch, why? It's just a pen dude," asked the harpy.

"The MASA Space Pen is hardly 'just a pen'! It's a specially crafted writing instrument designed to function under water, upside down, at zero-g and in extreme temperatures. No ordinary pen can do that." Dusk beamed with pride, listing the merits of his favorite pen.

"Pencils can," Pinkie said innocently, causing Rainbow and Gilda to burst out laughing once more.

"That's not the poin..." Dusk stopped and sighed, "just give it back please."

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a bunch," Gilda replied. "Pinks, let em have his nerd pen back."

Pinkie complied, returning the silver sheen pen to its owner. "Ok, so who's next..."

"Actually, Pinkie, me and Dash were going to go flying after-"

"Hey, what about AJ? She looks like a she could do with a few laughs."

Gilda sighed, "Fine, we'll do a few more but after that you owe me a race, G."

"Sure, sure, whatever..." Rainbow said.


***


Applejack wiped her brow after setting down the cart of apples she'd wheeled in from the field. It was the final haul of the day and she was eager to get them into the cleaning still with the rest so she could spend the rest of the day relaxing. Wasting no more time, she pushed the cart of apples up a small ramp to the top of a large barrel filled with water and a large metal screw that, when activated, would tumble the barrel's contents, removing any accumulated dirt and dust. 

She opened the panel on the side of the cart to let the apples fall into the barrel then proceeded down the ramp to press a red button on the side of the machine. As the motors hummed to life, AJ walked over to the small fridge they kept in that particular barn house to grab a cool bottle of water. With her back to the barrel, she never noticed the snickering rainbow haired seraphim who quickly flew up to the top of the machine and poured a small vial of liquid into the large container.

Rainbow darted back to where her two friends were hiding and watched as AJ returned to the washer, bottle in hand. After a few minutes, the machine chimed, indicating that it was finished. AJ deactivated the washer and pulled a lever to release the apples into a strainer. When she did, she had to do a double take upon seeing the yellow colored water spill out along with an entire cart load of orange apples.

"W-what in tarnation?!" she picked up one of the apples, the still wet food coloring dripping onto her hand. "Now who in the world ever heard of orange apples?" she asked aloud, scratching her head.

It was at that time when the mischievous trio burst from their hiding place, laughing uncontrollably. "Oh man," Rainbow said between laughing spells, "we got you good."

AJ noticed the vial of food coloring and connected the dots. "Consarn it, Rainbow!" she yelled and grabbed a handful of apples to throw at soon to be dead friend and her accomplices. Pinkie, Gilda and Rainbow quickly took off, dodging apples as they went. "Y'all come back here so I can pummel you!" AJ yelled but they didn't stop. 

As AJ came to a halt, she looked down at the remaining apples in her hands. "Hmm," she hummed to herself and took a quick bite. The taste was the same, it appeared only the color had changed. Actually, this gives me an idea...


***


Rainbow, Pinkie and Gilda sat on the banks of Ponyville Lake just behind a patch of tall grass. "Ok, is the flower set up?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes-in-deedee," Pinkie answered, pointing to a small, inconspicuous looking flower across the water. propped up next to the flower was a small paper sign that read 'smell me'. 

"Just in time," Gilda said while peering over the grass, "someone's coming." The trio all ducked down out of sight. Gilda grabbed the trigger, letting out a some what sinister laugh as she did.

"So, who is it?" Pinkie asked. "Who're we gonna squirt?"

"Well, well, if it isn't 'can't fly' Fluttershy," Gilda answered.

"What?" Pinkie almost yelled, "Nononononono, we can't prank Fluttershy, I mean, you know how she is. It'll hurt her feelings, even our most harmless prank."

Rainbow sighed reluctantly, "yea, Pinks has a point Gilda." 

"C'mon, Dash, your not wimping out on me are you?" Gilda asked with a scowl.

"I-I'm not, its just..."

"Whats a little water to the face, she'll get over it."

"Forget it, we'll find something else to do," Rainbow insisted.

"Pift, lame," Gilda moaned but relented, though she leveled a glare at Pinkie. "Well then, what are we gonna do next then?"

"Well, we could have a flying race like we used to," Rainbow suggested hopefully. She had been itching to see just how much better Gilda had gotten in the few years since she'd last seen her.

"Oh, oh, I know!" Pinkie said, punctuating her speech with bouncing. "We could go to Sugar Cube Corner and I can make us some fresh cupcakes! You'll love em, they're delicious."

Rainbow nodded, "sure, I could go for some sweets." 

Gilda's eye twitched, "Dash, what about us? Weren't we gonna go flying and race and stuff?"

"We will, but you gotta try Pinkie's Cupcakes, they're delicious."

On the other side of the pond, Fluttershy poked the bizarre flower, unsure why the clearly fake flora was left on the path.


***


The trio walked into the bakery, enjoying the sweet smell of the confections. Gilda however, was not happy. This weekend was suppose to be just the two of them, hanging out and causing trouble like they used to.

Rainbow, on the other hand, was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Bringing Pinkie along had turned out to be a blast. By the time this weekend was over, she was sure the three of them would be gal pals for life or her name wasn't Rainbow Martha 'And If You Tell Anyone It's Martha I'll Pummel You' Dash.

Gilda excused herself to go to the restroom, on her way back, she couldn't stop thinking about Rainbow and her new friend. She took a deep breath as she put her hand on the door. Relax, she thought to herself, Pinkie is just a phase, Dash'll get bored with her eventually. It's not like she's is gonna replace... me... Her thoughts trailed off as she opened the door and spotted Rainbow teaching the secret handshake to Pinkie. That was THEIR secret handshake! 

"Ok, no," Gilda said, marching towards the pair. "Hey, Rainbow, can you give us a sec?" Gilda turned to Pinkie, "Pinkie we need to chat." She grabbed Pinkie by the scruff of her shirt and pulled her into the restroom. Pinkie never lost her smile throughout the ordeal. 

"Whats up, Gilda?"

"Whats up is you've been steeling my limited time with my friend all day today!" Gilda hissed, not wanting to be overheard.

Pinkie slumped, a frown of confusion forming on her face. "Whaddya mean, G? I'm just trying to have fun and make friends with my friend's friend."

"I mean, I'm only here for the weekend and I wanted to spend that time hanging out," Gilda said.

"We are hanging out,"	Pinkie chirped. 

"I mean just the two of us. Flying and racing like we use to."

"Yes..."

"Things that only the two of us can do because we can fly..."

"Alright..."

"But not if we're hanging with someone who can't..." 

Pinkie gave Gilda a blank stair. Gilda raised her eyebrows and motioned with her claws trying to get the young terran to take a hint. "...oooooh, you want me to leave," Pinkie said, probably happier than she should have been. "Well no problamo, why didn't you just say so?"

Pinkie bounced out of the restroom and called out to Rainbow as she passed, "hey Dash, I'll see you later. Enjoy your alone time together with Gilda!" Everyone in the bakery heard Pinkie's yell, a few grinned slyly at a blushing Rainbow while others whispered excitedly among themselves. 

One couple, a djinn girl with white highlights and a mint colored shirt and a terran girl in a cream colored dress looked to one another. The djinn girl grinned and said, "told ya so," as she held out her hand to except a twenty bit note from her eye rolling, terran friend.

Rainbow buried her face in her hands. "What the hell, Pinkie? She knows how I feel about people calling me gay!"

Gilda just shrugged, "meh, whatever, not my fault if that girl doesn't understand context."


***


Pinkie Pie sat outside the Hey! Burger enjoying the cool breeze with her favorite drink in hand. It had been a few hours since Rainbow had asked her to leave and she was starting to get bored. "Hmm, I wonder if Dash has had enough alone time with Gilda?" Pinkie wondered aloud. 

As Pinkie pondered how best to spend her time, her attention was suddenly drawn to an ally across the street. A flash, so quick and so subtle that she almost didn't even notice it and she wouldn't have given it another thought had it not been for the sight of Gilda emerging from said ally.

"Oh, oh! Gilda!" Pinkie hollered out, "Hey Gilda! Over here!" She stood and waved trying to get the harpy's attention. If Gilda heard her, she made no effort to respond as she walked through the market with an odd stiffness. "Huh, I wonder what she's doing."

Pinkie continued to watch as Gilda walked up to an apple cart where Applejack's grandmother, Granny Smith, was browsing. Gilda looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly grabbed an apple out of Granny's bag and walked off. Pinkie gasped, "she just stole that apple from Granny Smith!"

Pinkie was about to go confront the shoplifting harpy and make her apologize when she noticed Fluttershy was right in her path. The young half dryad was bent over and walking backwards, leading a small group of ducks and didn't notice that she was about to run right into Gilda. 

"All right little ones, this way, this way. Mama duck, you're free and clear. Just a little- oof," she nearly fell over when she backed into Gilda. "Oh my, Gilda? Please excuse me."

"Hey, I'm walkin' here!" Gilda yelled. For a moment, Pinkie thought she heard something off about her voice, but she couldn't quite place it.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, G-Gilda" Fluttershy stammered, "I-I-I was just trying to..."

"'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Why don't you just watch where you're going, doofus?" Gilda mocked, drawing the attention of onlookers which made poor Fluttershy even more uncomfortable.

Fluttershy, for her part, was completely at a loss. She remembered Gilda from flight camp but had never really been close to her. Gilda had always been brash, but never outright mean. "B-b-b-but I..." she clammed up upon seeing Gilda's eyes, her pupils dilated and contracted randomly, as if they were struggling to maintain their shape. They filled her with a horrible sense of dread.

"Move," Gilda commanded. 

Fluttershy could take no more, with a sob she ran back the way she came, her ducks having long fled the scene. Gilda continued walking as if nothing happened.

Pinkie couldn't believe what she had just seen. "S-she seemed so fun before, why would she steel and then make Fluttershy cry?"

As Pinkie pondered, she never noticed Gilda turn a corner behind one of the buildings lining the street. If she had, it would have raised even more questions when the harpy's body jittered then phased out of existence. 


***


"And she after she stole the apple, she was real mean to Fluttershy. FLUTTERSHY!" Pinkie paced around the library waving her hands as she talked. "I mean, she seemed like an ok person this morning, but she really is just a great big jerk!" 

"You sure she was being mean?" Dusk asked, not looking up from his book. His MASA pen was held firmly in his hand and had been since Pinkie showed up to ask for advice. "It's possible it was a cultural misunderstanding. Griffinstone is a providence of Equestria but it's still has it's own government and traditions."

"Dusk, she STOLE and apple right out of Granny Smith's bag! And she didn't even blink when Fluttershy ran off crying. What kind of tradition is that?" Pinkie argued.

Dusk closed his book, "you have a point, still I think you should talk to her about it. She might have just been angry and lashing out."

Pinkie thought for a moment, "I... guess that's true, but how am I supposed to talk to her? Hmmm," Pinkie sat down on the floor with her legs and arms crossed. She often refereed to this as 'Thinkie Pinkie Mode'. She closed her eyes while holding a look of concentration on her face. Dusk just shrugged and went back to his notes.


***


Inside Pinkie's head, several tiny Pinkies sat at a table, heatedly debating the problem. "I think we should bake them some cupcakes," said the first Pinkie, "everyone loves cupcakes!"

"And how would we deliver those cupcakes, Sweet Tooth Pinkie?" said another, "Gilda told us to leave them alone."

"Ugh, you're such a party pooper, Rational Pinkie," said a third, "that's why we don't invite you to these meetings more often."

"Girls, I got it! Lets write a letter to Rainbow with everything we want to say and mail it to her! That way we get out message across without getting close!"

"Great idea, Critical Thinking Pinkie!" said Sweet Tooth with a round of agreement from the others.

"Wait, Gilda is only here for the weekend, we'd have to express mail it," Rational pointed out.

"Where are we gonna get the money for that?"

"How about we tell that cutie sitting over there with his nose in the book that if he buys it for us, he can put his nose in our book," another Pinkie spoke up, licking her lips.

"Libido Pinkie!? Who let you in here?" Rational asked rhetorically while shoving Libido out of the room.

"Lets have a bake sale!"

"That's perfect! We just need a permit to set up shop for the weekend."

"But I think you need to pay for those too."

"Not if you're a veteran."

"And there's a recruiting station by the mayor's office!"

After a few more moments debating, the Pinkies all managed to agree on a course of action. Critical Thinking held up a paper she'd been writing on. "Ok, so we're all in agreement, we're buying a jet ski."

There was a round of nods and handshakes for a job well done, until Rational suddenly realized something. "Wait!" she cried, "this isn't going to work, the jet ski store went out of business last month." There was a chorus of disappointment as the Pinkie counsel members all threw up their hands in frustration. 

"Girls," Sweet Tooth spoke up, "I think we're going to have to resort to the all purpose contingency plan..."

"You mean... Plan B?"

"Yes... B."


***


"I got it!" Pinkie suddenly shouted, causing Dusk to jump. "I know exactly what to do."

"You do?" Dusk asked.

"Two words; A Party!" Pinkie said excitedly.

"A... party?"

"42 words; Yes a party! I'll throw a party and invite Gilda and Rainbow along with a few other people, that way they come to me and I don't upset Gilda by going to her. Then I can talk to them both in person!"

Pinkie darted off leaving Dusk to just stare, then began counting in his head, "39, 40, 41, 42... how does she do that?"


***


It was evening by the time Rainbow and Gilda made their way to Sugar Cube Corner for Pinkie's impromptu party. Gilda didn't want to attend at first but Rainbow had insisted that Pinkie's parties were pretty wild.

"Welcome, welcome," Pinkie greeted when they walked in, "Gilda! I'm so happy to throw you one of my signature Pinkie Pie parties, and I really, truly, sincerely, hope you feel welcome here among all us Ponyville folk."

"Cha, like I'd miss out on a wild party," Gilda said. There weren't any decorations but the tables and chairs had been moved aside and a long buffet table was set up with food and punch. Around the room, several of the townsfolk were mingling, including Pinkie's four other best friends, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Dusk.

"I hope you enjoy yourselves," Pinkie held out her hand for Gilda, grinning. Gilda took it and was immediately shocked. Pinkie and Rainbow both broke out laughing.

"Oh Pinkie Pie, the old hand-shake buzzer. You are a scream," Rainbow said.

"Yea," Gilda agreed while forcing a smile, "real funny."

"I'm gonna go help myself to some punch," Rainbow said. When she was out of earshot, Gilda turned to Pinkie.

"I know what you're up to," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, I'm watching you," she went to join Gilda, leaving Pinkie confused.

The party proceed fairly routinely from there. Gilda introduced herself to Rainbow's remaining friends who seemed to get along well enough save for Fluttershy who kept her distance.

"Hey Fluttershy," Pinkie whispered, "you alright? I saw what happened in the market today, if you don't want to be here-"

"No, no it's fine," Fluttershy said meekly, "I just... she's getting along with everyone. I don't want to cause any more trouble."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about mean old Gilda. Your auntie Pinkie Pie's got it all taken care of," Pinkie smiled.

"I'm a year older than you..."

Gilda, meanwhile, was browsing the snack table when she noticed the lemon drops that were set out. "Lemon drops," she mused aloud, "don't mind if I do." She tossed one in her mouth. For a few moments, nothing was amiss, then, "ah, AH, HOT!" Gilda spit out the 'lemon drop' and raced for the punch bowl. She was so focused on extinguishing the fire in her mouth that it took a moment to notice that the cup she was using had a hole at just the right height to spill half the punch all over her chest.

Placing the cup down, she heard Pinkie and Rainbow laughing once again. Looking down, she saw that her white undershirt was now soaked and stained red and much to her dismay, her nipples could be seen through the fabric. Gilda quickly grabbed the ends of her brown leather jacket and fastened it closed, her face almost as red as the punch.

"Ha-ha, oh man," Pinkie said as she calmed down from laughing, "pepper in the lemon drops, and the punch served in a dribble glass."

"Yea, hilarious," Gilda said dryly. With the spicy lemon drops still an after taste in her mouth, she reached for a can of salted peanuts on the snack table. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, they were trapped as well. When she opened the can, a colorful paper snake popped out, smacking her right in the face.

Both Pinkie and Rainbow burst out laughing again, this time joined by Applejack, who had come over to see what was so funny. "Spittin' snakes," she said, "Hah, somebody pulled that prank on me last month."

Gilda clenched her teeth behind a fake smile, "I bet I know who that was," she said, barely containing her rage. Rainbow didn't fail to notice this.

"Hey G, you're not mad are ya?" she asked.

"No, no, like I said, I'm down with a good prank..."

Despite her assurances to the contrary, the harpy was nearing her breaking point. She looked for a way to calm down when she noticed a group of party goers standing in a group, laughing and cheering. "Whats going on over here?" she asked, pushing her way into the group.  On the table was a bit coin and a list of people with names.

"It's called the coin roll," said a terran man who's name Gilda didn't know, "You hold the edge of the coin on your forehead, then try to roll it all the way down to your chin without removing it. Then you get to write your name on the list of winners."

"That's it?" Gilda asked, "how is that a game?"

"It's harder than it looks," a djinn woman said while grinning.

"Seriously? This is ridiculous," it was then that Pinkie showed up.

"Betcha can't dooooo it," she taunted.

"Oh yea? Watch me!" Gilda grabbed the bit without a second thought and placed it on her forehead. With ease, she ran it down the length of her face all the way to her chin without removing it then slammed it on the table. "There, ya see," she crossed her arms. It was then that she heard the snickering from the crowed. One by one, the assembled guests started laughing, one or two pointing at her while they did.

"What? Whats so funny?" she demanded.

"Noooothing," Pinkie teased while holding up a small mirror.

Gilda looked at the mirror and saw, to her anger, that a solid black line had been drawn right down the middle of her face. The whole 'game' had been a setup. The harpy had finally reached her breaking point. "GRRRRAAAAHHHHHH!" she yelled, causing everyone to cease laughing instantly. 

"This is your idea of a good time?" Gilda hissed, "I've never met a lamer bunch of dweebs in all my life. And you," she pointed to Pinkie Pie, "you are queen lame-o with your weak little party pranks. Did you really think you could make me lose my cool?"

"Gilda, what's your problem? It's just a few jokes,"  Rainbow asked.

"My problem, Dash, is that this pink bimbo has been bothering us all day long and now she set up this whole party to make a fool of me!"

Rainbow crossed her arms, leveling a glare at Gilda, "You know Gilda, I was the one who set up all those 'weak' pranks at this party."

Gilda's mouth fell open, "W-what? Dash, c'mon you're messing with me right?"

"They weren't all meant for you specifically, it was just dumb luck that you set them all off," Rainbow continued. "Pinkie asked me before hand if she could set up this party, she want's to make friends. If you have a problem with her, why didn't you say anything?"

Gilda couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed. All eyes in the room were still on her, judging her. She just wanted to get out. "You, you are such a, a flip-flop: cool one minute and lame the next." She stormed towards the door, "When you decide not to be lame anymore, gimme a call." As she left, the door slammed behind her.

"Ooookay," Dusk said from the corner of the room, "what was that about?"

Rainbow sighed, "I'm sorry everyone, for Gilda's attitude. And Pinkie Pie, I'm really sorry she ruined that awesome party you put on for her." She looked towards the door, "I guess I better go talk to her."

"I'll come too, she's mad because of me," Pinkie offered but Rainbow turned her down.

"No, better let me find out what's bothering her first, it'll be easier if it's just us. We'll come find you when she's ready to apologize." Rainbow walked out of Sugar Cube Corner and took to the sky, "now where did she go?"


***


"Stupid, lame, Dash," Gilda murmured to herself as she walked down the ally way. She didn't feel like flying and she really didn't want other people staring at her while she grumbled. The sun had already set but the ally she was in had no street lamps. Not that it made a difference to her. Harpies have very keen low light vision.

"Gah, I can't believe she'd just turn on me like that!" she punched a wall with her claws, it hurt but she was too angry to care. "And I have to go back to her place to get my stuff, I wish I'd never come to this stupid-"

Gilda was interrupted by the sound of something landing a short distance away, it was Rainbow Dash. Gilda scowled at the young seraphim, "what? Come to apologize?" Rainbow said nothing, she simply stood there with a neutral expression. Gilda narrowed her eyes, "because I know you don't expect ME to be sorry."

Rainbow continued to stand there, still as a statue, her face completely expressionless. The lack of response only made Gilda all the angrier. "Oh, I see how it is," Gilda said, her voice slightly trembling, "you move to a new town full of a bunch of country hicks, you impress them with your fancy flying skills and they worship the ground you fly over. Now suddenly you're too good for me, is that it?" Gilda approached Rainbow as she spoke. By the time she finished her rant, she was face to face with her former friend.

Rainbow hadn't moved an inch during the entire time. Gilda glared at her while she stood there, watching, judging. Gilda could take no more, "say something," she shouted in Rainbow's face. She didn't even flinch. Gilda formed her claws into a fist, "SAY SOMETHING! You condescending bitch!" she struck Rainbow dead in the face. Rainbow made no effort to block or dodge, in fact, she didn't have to.

Gilda could only stare in shock as her fist rested squarely on Rainbow's jaw, the punch definitely connected but had no effect whatsoever. "W-wha... Rainbow Dash?" She was about to pull her fist away when, faster than should be possible, Rainbow grabbed a hold of her arm. There was a strange noise, like the sound of an out of tune radio, as Rainbow's whole body began to jitter. It was as if she were a software glitch come to life, parts of her jumping back and forth like they were having trouble deciding where in space they should exist.

"What, who are you?" Gilda cried out, terrified, "let me go." She pulled and pulled at her arm in the fake Rainbow's grip but to no avail.

"Yo̵̶̧ù̢͟r̀͝ p̢͟art̛́ ̢i̴͜͞n̕ ̴t̕h̷͝҉i̶̡̛s̶̵ c̢͘͟y̷͜c̷͡͡l͟e ҉̵is͝ ҉co̶̸͡m͜pl͡͝eţ̀e,̸̸ ͘͢͟y̢̕o̧u͢͠ c͢͜a̴̕͜n̢͠͞n̕ot̀ ͠s͟t̸̡ą̵y̴͞.̸̀ ," the thing's voice was as alien as its body. As if it was trying to speak a language not meant for its tongue.

"LET GO!" she screamed, uselessly, "H-help, someone HELP!" During her struggle, she noticed to her horror, that her arm was beginning to jitter and move just like the creature's body. It spread from her arm, slowly overtaking her entire form until the world around her faded to static. In a flash of light, both Gilda and the creature disappeared. 

In the silence of the ally way, a few moments later, the real Rainbow Dash landed with a sudden thud. "Gilda? GILDA! Where are you?!" She searched frantically, having heard her friend's cry for help while in flight. Unable to see, she pulled out her glass and activated the flashlight function. 

Rainbow's breaths were increasing in speed the more she looked around and found nothing. "Gilda? Come on, dude, this isn't funny any mor-" she stopped when her light shone on a feather. It was too big to belong to a bird, and no seraphim in Ponyville had that particular shade of golden brown. It could only be one of Gilda's primaries. 

Rainbow picked it up with a shaking hand, "GILDA!"
> Go West, Young Changeling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Las Pegasus, jewel of the west and the last major city before the border of Equestria. To the south lay the San Palomino Desert and to the west was the famous Las Pegasus Bay which opened into the South Luna Ocean. Northwest, across the Everfree River was the imposing Mt. Rubicon and beyond that was the region simply known as The Undiscovered West.

In the skies above the suburban district, several cloud houses floated, at first glance, haphazardly. Their exact positions were known and monitored at all times, however, in order to avoid collision. It was thanks to this monitoring service that a certain middle aged, brown haired seraphim was able to easily locate 'his' house.

After a soft landing on the porch of the house, the man took a moment to look it over. All in all, it seemed like a typical middle class house. The man looked down at the paper in his hand and compared what was written on it to the address written on the mailbox, it was a match. This was the home of Locktight, 37 year old seraphim and locksmith turned insane stalker.

The man made no attempt to hide his approach to the front door. There was no reason to, at the moment, he was Locktight. To anyone looking, it would appear as if he were simply coming home after a brief trip to Canterlot. When 'Locktight' reached the door, he pulled a pin from his sleeve and inserted it into the deadbolt lock. With practiced ease, he quickly picked the lock and made his way inside.

When the door closed behind him, Locktight proceeded to make sure the house was empty and all the curtains were closed. Once he was satisfied that he had privacy, he was engulfed in a green fire and replaced by K'Vann the changeling. He then pulled out his glass and held it up to his mouth.

"Begin recording," he said and a little red light appeared in the corner of the glass screen indicating that the device had complied. "August 15, 1620 AN, I have arrived at the home of one, 'Locktight' and am beginning my search." K'Vann surveyed the various rooms, making note of anything out of the ordinary.

"Thus far, the home is as typical on the inside as it is on the outside," he spoke to his glass, "only thing worth mentioning is the handful of magazines." He picked up a small stack of magazines and listed them off one by one, dropping each one back onto the coffee table from which they came. "Natural Geographic, The Monthly Spelunker, and Archaeology Digest. He seems to have an interest in exploration."

K'Vann walked through the doorway leading to the main bedroom. Looking around, he saw only a single full sized bed, an adjacent night table with a lamp, a small Crystalvid and on the wall, a framed poster of Daring Doo. "The oddest thing about the bedroom is that there is nothing odd about it at all," he spoke. He then walked over to the poster, behind it was supposedly a safe containing the information that he'd come for.

The poster was easily removed, revealing a small wall safe with a combination lock just as Locktight had promised. K'Vann entered the combination he'd been given, 10-10-10 and turned the handle. The safe swung open smoothly and inside were some papers and what looked like a journal.

K'Vann took the contents and sat down on the bed as he looked them over. The first was a topographical map of the mountain range northwest of the city, specifically Mt. Rubicon as it had several spots circled in red ink. The next item were several photos that had been paper clipped together. The photos were... odd to say the least. They depicted what looked like writing of some sort although it was no writing K'vann had ever seen.

The Final item was a notebook that was, as K'Vann suspected, a journal. The first few pages offered more insight into Locktight's personality. "He grew up in L.P.," he spoke his findings into the glass, "kept to himself mostly save for one or two casual acquaintances and seems fascinated by the inner workings of mechanical locks and other similar mechanisms." He turned a page in the journal as he continued his dictation, "his interest in Daring Doo and exploration in general seems to have more to do with ancient trap mechanisms than archaeology."

The fifth page was where things got more interesting. "Entry five:" K'Vann read aloud, "I've finally saved up enough money for my trip to Mt. Rubicon. Like many before me, I'll start my tour of ancient sites with the so called 'Great Metal Door'. A site that has baffled archaeologists for centuries. I can't wait to see it."

K'Vann turned the pages once more, skimming the entries for anything interesting, "arrived at the mountain, hired a guide..." he mumbled to himself. "Entry eight: we've reached the site of the Great Metal Door and it's beyond anything I could have imagined. The pictures simply do not do it justice. I knew it was four stories tall but to actually see it... According to Rock Tumbler, my guide, it maintains it's metallic sheen all year long regardless of weather and it's never buried by snow. I can't wait to get closer and examine the inner workings."

"Entry nine: Damned bureaucracy! I've just been told that I'm not allowed to cross the ropes that quarter off the site. I'm only allowed to take pictures from a distance like a common tourist! The only way to get close is to file for an archaeological dig permit but they'll never grant one to an amateur like me. I have a plan though, tonight, while Rock Tumbler and his crew are asleep, I'll sneak in for a closer look."

The next few pages were written with far quicker and messier hand writing, possibly because Locktight had been in a hurry. "10: I just got close to the Door, it's fascinating. It's little wonder that no one has been able to figure out how to open it, there are no visible mechanisms yet there is clearly a panel here designed to allow for operation. I really shouldn't be doing this but if I could just get a look inside this panel."

"11: I almost got caught, one of the crew members got up to use the bathroom and nearly spotted me. I managed to get a look at the panel though, it's no wonder no one has been able to get it to work yet. There were so many redundancies and false triggers, it was beautiful. I'm confident I could figure it out but I can't do it like this, I need time alone with it."

"12: We're heading back today. I swear Rock Tumbler keeps glancing at me, he can't know I was awake last night could he? Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Once we're back at the village, I'm going to try and sneak back to the site alone. This could be my only chance, they said that my group would be the last to make the trip for a few days on account of a storm that will hit tomorrow. The trail is easy enough to follow, if I hurry I can beat the storm. It's risky but it would guarantee privacy. And just imagine how famous I'd be if I manage to crack the lock."

"13: I've made it back to the door. No one is around, but still, I need to work fast. The Storm will be here by tonight, hopefully I will have figured it out by then."

"14: Storm earlier than expected. No shelter. Freezing to death. Opening door only chance for survival."

"15: I did it! Praise Harmony, I did it! I thought for sure I was going to die out there. The solution was unbelievably simple in hindsight, yet beautifully hidden. And now I'm standing somewhere that hasn't been entered in thousands of years! This place looks so... alien, I cannot even begin to hazard a guess as to it's purpose. It's one giant room, completely empty save for what looks like a domed mound in the center. Did whoever built this place clear it out when they left? What on earth was all this space needed for?"

"Entry one: I say 'one' because this will be my first entry since my rebirth. I cannot hope to convey the truth of what happened to me in that chamber, nevertheless I shall try to give any future reader the best idea I can. When I approached the dome like structure I mentioned in my last entry, I noticed that the top was in fact a separate sphere set into a cone shaped housing. It was inert at first but when I placed my hand on it, the sphere came to life."

"It's surface was pure and reflective yet amorphous at the same time, like a floating ball of mercury. From the cone housing, a blue light surrounded it. It made no noise at all. I could only stare in wonder, this was no creation of mortals. As I watched, the object began to change its shape, morphing into a rectangular tablet with what I can only assume is writing. I didn't recognize any of it but I took pictures for later study. I found, though, that such measures wouldn't  be necessary."

"The object returned to it's spherical shape and that's when it happened. A part of it reached out, flowing like oil in water, and grabbed my hand. I was frightened at first but only because I didn't understand. The cold, metallic liquid snaked its way up my arm and onto my head. There, it seeped into my very skin, into my brain. In that moment, I was reborn. I heard them speak. It was hard to understand at first, the voices were faded and sounded alien. I asked who they were and they answered, 'we are in'."

"They Who Are In taught me many things, They showed me when and how Nightmare Moon, whom They call the Antagonist of Eaye, would return and how she would be beaten. I saw in my mind the fight as it took place, I saw the one they call The Variable harness the ancient power of Harmony. They know the past and the future and can control it as well. They have a grand plan for this world and that plan must be followed. If it is not followed, it will result in the end of all things."

K'Vann continued reading until he arrived at the final entry, "Entry seven: They Who Are In spoke to me again today. They believe I may be of some use. They spoke to me of a young woman in Canterlot, the Antagonist of Evee I believe they called her. She is one of many who will interact with The Variable over the course of their grand plan. If my understanding is correct, these interactions are referred to as 'epic souls' although I have no idea why. When I ask, They tell me I am denied. They Who Are In have told me many things but not everything. I have been made to understand that They, in their infinite wisdom, have foreseen that her epic soul could lead to a divergence of the plan and while They can intervene themselves, They have decided to send me in their stead. I am to go to Canterlot and prevent Evee from reaching The Variable by any means necessary. This is my chance to prove my usefulness and my devotion to the true gods of this world. I only hope I am able."

K'Vann closed the journal and deactivated the recorder. I need to see what he found, he thought, This could be much bigger than we imagined. 

He left the house in Locktight's guise and flew towards a secluded ally in order to dawn a less known form, all the while contemplating his next move. I could report back to Celestia now, but this lead needs to be followed while it's still fresh. If he really did manage to open the Great Metal Door, it's only a matter of time before someone else finds out. I can't risk over eager explorers contaminating- 

"Gah!" he grunted, grabbing at his chest. A feeling of pain and emptiness overtook him. It wasn't an unknown feeling, in fact he knew the feeling very well, which is what worried him. "N-no, not again. I thought for sure I'd finally had it beat." He wanted to believe it was something else but as his heart rate increased his body began a cold sweat, there was no denying it, Love Withdrawal.

Love Withdrawal was a condition that only affected changelings. It happened when they went for long periods without indulging in their addiction to the energies of love. It was like a drug to them, along with all the implied effects. The intensity of the withdrawal symptoms varied depending on just how long a given changeling went without love.

Many years ago, when K'Vann had surrendered himself to Princess Celestia, one of the conditions for his freedom was that he break himself of this addiction. It was a conversation burned into his memory. 

"You can't be serious?!" the undisguised changeling shouted as he stood from his kneeling position.

"I am very serious," Celestia replied, her voice calm and level, "love is something that can only ever be given. To take it by force, well, I am certian you are more than aware of the results." She gestured to him.

"But are you aware of what it does to us?" he argued, "without love we suffer a pain you can't imagine. It's called withdrawal, it's like starving but you aren't granted the mercy of death."

"Tell me, what happens to changelings who suffer from withdrawal," she asked, although her tone suggested that she already knew.

"It... it comes in waves, it's possible to ride a wave out but the longer you go without love, the more intense each wave gets. Eventually, you either satisfy your craving or it becomes so unbearable that you try to end it by any means necessary. And I mean ANY means. We can even fall into to what we call, a frenzy. Basically we lose all sense of self control and become animalistic."

"And has any changeling ever endured past that point?"

"None that I've heard of, why would they?" K'Vann wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"What if I told you, that I have reason to believe you're need for love energy is an addiction like any other, and that, like an addiction, it can be cured with enough will power and some help."

K'Vann wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Cur- but that's... it's not possible. There is no cure."

"According to who?"

"To Chrysal-" K'Vann froze as realization hit him with all the force of a meteor impact. In hindsight, he should have known anything said by his former master was purely to serve her agenda. He dropped to his knees, "she lied..." he whispered, "she lied to us so we would follow her without question."

"I'm going to be honest with you K'Vann, the path I have laid before you will be very long and painful. I will give you all the support I can, but ultimately it will come down to you're own resolve. Because if you give in, if you attempt to sate your thirst for love energy even a little, you will have to start all over again. If you are strong, however, you can free yourself from the shackles of your condition."

K'Vann stared at the floor for a long time. To finally be free, to never have to spend almost every waking moment looking for a source of love energy, it was every changelings dream. "I just have one question," he said, his voice still shaky, "what if I decide I'm not strong enough?"

Princess Celestia looked at him, her eyes full of both compassion and authority, "then you will be exiled from the kingdom. I cannot and will not allow my people to be harmed."

K'Vann inhaled, he'd expected that. Closing his eyes, he stilled himself, "OK, I'll do it."

K'Vann landed, trying to catch his breath. A few onlookers noticed, giving him worried looks and one even asked if he needed help. He ignored them all in an attempt to find a private area. As he staggered forward, he saw, to his dismay, the cause of his current condition, an outdoor wedding in a park clearing. 

Such a large collection of family and friends all sharing love for one another, it was intoxicating. He could feel his willpower fading, fortunately, he spotted a public restroom behind the gazebos. He quickly made his way to the men's room, the smell was terrible and concrete floor was wet with water and other less sanitary liquids but neither of those things concerned him. He stumbled into a stall on the far end, then, locking the door, he removed a pair of standard issue hand cuffs given to all S.M.I.L.E. agents from his coat pocket and attached one end to a metal hand rail and the other to his arm. Finally, with his last few moments of coherence, he cast a sound dampening bubble over himself.


***


K'Vann wasn't sure exactly how long he was out, only that the wedding was over and he had one killer of a headache. His memory of the ordeal was, thankfully, faded. Like remembering bits and pieces of a terrible nightmare. He recalled thrashing and hissing like a rabid animal, desiring nothing more than to grab the nearest person and drain them dry of all their emotions. Looking at his cuffed hand, he saw a trail of blood running from where he had apparently tried to gnaw it off to free himself. Thankfully, his frenzied state was too primitive in its mindset to use the key in his pocket.

He freed his hand from the cuffs and rubbed his sore wrist, letting out a deep breath as he did.  He sat there for a moment longer, reflecting on all the times he'd gone through this exact same thing with Celestia's help. Each time he would feel Celestia's compassion and pity, although these emotions did nothing for his hunger. As the weeks and months passed, his hunger and withdrawal pains grew, had Celestia not been there to guide him he would have easily given in. Eventually, the craving weakened and then faded almost completely. Granted, it didn't go away entirely but it was no longer a constant need. It finally got to the point where he could stand right in front of a couple, overflowing with love and not feel tempted to take it.

Today, however, had shown him that he still wasn't totally free and that a large enough concentration of love energy could still affect him.  On the one hand, he was glad to know that. Having a weakness one's not aware of isn't conducive to ones health after all. On the other hand, it meant that he still had a ways to go before he could finally call himself 'free'. 

K'Vann stood, taking another deep breath, then changed back into his terran guise, he was too exhausted to risk flying. Exiting the restroom, he noticed that the sun's bottom edge was touching the horizon. He decided his best course of action would be to find a hotel for the evening and rest.


***


"...and that about sums it up," K'Vann said to the magical projection of Princess Celestia. He was currently standing in a small hotel room which consisted of nothing more than a single bed, a CV with basic cable and a night stand. It was the kind of cheep hotel room used by people who needed a bed for one night, with little money, no reservations and no questions asked.

As soon as he checked in, he took a small pyramid shaped crystal from his pocket and placed it on the floor. The crystal was a two way communication device linked directly with Princess Celestia so there was very little risk of the transmission being intercepted. Upon contacting her, he replayed the recordings he made of his findings in Locktight's house and journal, stopping every once in a while to answer her questions.

"This certainly isn't what I was expecting," Celestia said as her image paced in thought. "Let me see the photo's of the writing he claims to have found." K'Vann pulled out the photos and handed them to Celestia. The projection they were using was the latest, most advanced ever built, it was tangible enough to hold objects, although the user on the other end couldn't feel them. She examined the photos closely, "these glyphs, I've never seen them before. They also look too uniform to be hand written."

"I figured the next step is to go to the Metal Door site and see what exactly he found there," K'Vann said as he took the photos back. "Can you tell me anything about it? Anything that wouldn't be public knowledge?" 

Celestia shook her head, "I'm afraid not. That place predates Equestria, perhaps even civilization itself. No one has ever unlocked it's secrets. I find it hard to believe an amateur like Locktight managed to open them, even by dumb luck."

"You think whoever 'They' are may have let him in?"

"I don't know, but I agree that the answers we seek will most likely be within. But please be careful, my friend. There is no telling what danger awaits you there."

He nodded, "I will, Princess." He was about to deactivate the projector when Celestia halted him.

"K'Vann, there is one more thing I'd like to discuss with you," she said and gestured to his bandaged wrist, "how did you hurt yourself?"

He paused, "I... cut it, nothing to worry about." He looked away to avoid her gaze, part of him knew she wouldn't believe that.

"K'Vann, you're too careful to simply 'cut yourself', and you're standing in the room of a hotel with... low standards when normally you'd already be on your way to Mt. Rubicon." Celestia's arms were crossed as she stared down at the changeling with her piercing gaze.

K'Vann sighed, he knew this conversation would happen, he just didn't want it to happen then. "I frenzied today," he admitted, "someone was having a big, outdoor wedding and the amount of concentrated love energy was too much. I locked myself in a restroom stall and cuffed my arm to the hand rail. I don't remember much after that..." He tried to meet her gaze but he just couldn't.

"I sense that more than just your wrist is hurt..."

"BECAUSE I NEARLY-" he stopped to calm himself, Celestia waited patiently with a look of sympathy, "I nearly hurt people today. If I hadn't secured myself in time I would have grabbed the nearest living thing and drained them until they couldn't even remember the word love." K'Vann hated showing weakness, weak changelings didn't get very far in the Changeling Kingdom. 

"And yet you didn't," Celestia pointed out, "you took the steps necessary to prevent harming others. You refused to let yourself give in to the frenzy at the cost of great personal pain. That alone shows great progress."

"I'm not free of it yet," he said quietly, more to himself than Celestia. "What happens next time when I can't get somewhere safe? I'm a danger to everyone I swore to protect."

"Instead of worrying about the what ifs, take comfort in the fact that it took an entire wedding ceremony to set you off. Do you remember the day we started, when simply showing you kindness was enough to make you hiss uncontrollably?" Celestia smiled at him in her motherly smile. "Take this night to rest and think about it. Don't worry about the investigation until tomorrow."

"I will, Princess. And... thank you." With a flash, the projection was gone and the room was dark. K'Vann picked up the projector and returned it to his pack. He then dawned his usual terran guise. He didn't particularly expect anyone to walk in on him while he was sleeping but being disguised while asleep was a good habit to have. 

He sat down on the bed, his back against the headboard with one leg arched in a triangle and the other laying flat. He wouldn't sleep under the covers, yet another habit born from the often dangerous places he often slept was the need to rapidly spring out of bed if the need arouse. As he drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts where of how far he'd come and how much further he still had to go.
> A Trixie Situation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The lights of City Hall's License and Registration office came on to reveal a room filled with tables, file cabinets and papers laying around in such a fashion that no one but a veteran employee could possibly hope to find anything. The room was long and rectangular with one side made from several windows from which to serve the public. The opposite wall was filled with various posters containing legal information that none but the most neurotic bothered to ever read. There was also a picture of a young terran girl with curly pink hair and a huge smile on her face. The caption read "Do NOT issue heavy machinery license to this individual!"

Surveying the room was a middle aged djinn woman with brown hair styled into a bun and a name tag that read "Paper Pusher". She held her coffee in her magic since her hands were full of various papers and files. She wore a business casual outfit and a look that said "I don't have time for your nonsense." 

Paper place her files down on one of the tables except for one. That one she carried over to a bulletin board that hung outside in the lobby. On the top of the board, a large sign read "MISSING. If you have any information, please contact your local authorities." There were at least half a dozen papers tacked below the sign, each with a picture of a different person and a few tidbits of information such as where they lived and where they were last seen. None of them lived or disappeared in Ponyville, until now...

With a sigh, the woman opened the file she'd been carrying and removed a picture that was similar to the ones on the board. This picture stood out from the rest, mostly because the person in the picture was a harpy. She had a cocky grin on her face and someone's arm around her shoulder, although the picture had been cropped so the owner of the arm was unknown. The other thing that separated it from it's piers was the location of the disappearance, Ponyville.

Her task done, Paper returned to the office room and was about to start sorting through the various other files scattered about when the door to the lobby burst open. In walked a young woman with flowing silver hair and what had to be the most ridiculous looking costume Paper had ever seen. A light blue dress skirt that was accented by a royal purple cloak dotted with stars and held in place by a large and clearly fake sapphire around her neck. Her hat matched the cloak and was pointed like the kind of thing a child pretending to be a wizard would wear. In her right hand was a rod that was capped off by a five point star. 

Despite the silly nature of her outfit, the way in which she carried herself practically screamed "I own this room and everyone in it." She sauntered up to the window and looked around for a bit before spotting Paper. "You there, clerk," she said in a commanding voice, "the GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE demands service!" 

With a sigh, Paper sat down at the window. It's going to be one of those Mondays, she thought. "How can I help you, miss?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie requires a permit so she can dazzle and amaze the citizens of this town with her unbelievable feats of magic and wonder." As she spoke, she waved her star capped rod about, causing it to leave a contrail of light in its wake.

"So... you need a performer's permit?" Paper asked.

"Of course! Where you not listening to Trixie?" she struck a pose with one hand on her hip and the wand pointed into the air. "With her magical wand and natural talent, The Great and Powerful Trixie will perform spells and enchantments that not even the greatest of djinn-"

"Ok, ok, just fill out this form." Paper handed Trixie the registration, hoping to get this crazy showgirl out as soon as possible.

Trixie filled out the form and returned it to Paper who looked it over. Everything seemed to be in order, except... "excuse me, Miss, Lulamoon, if you want your permit, you need to give the correct information," she said passing the form back to Trixie.

Trixie glared at Paper Pusher, "Trixie does not make mistakes, everything here is 100% accurate!" she said with indignation.

It was with a restraint that came from years of practice that Paper resisted the urge to tell her off. Instead she pointed to a section on the form with professional calmness. "Right here, where it says 'please check the box to indicate your race', you checked the box for terran."

Trixie didn't even blink, "the Great and Powerful Trixie is a terran you buffoon."

Paper almost did a double take, she would have retorted but now that she had a moment to really look at the young woman, she could see that she was indeed a terran as she lacked any kind of gem on her forehead. "I... My apologies miss, I saw your magic and I-"

"You assumed that magic is the exclusive domain of the djinn," Trixie interrupted. "Typical arrogance, The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need a mana gem to work her magic!" She held her wand aloft, "now if you would kindly grant Trixie her permit so she can be on her way?"

Paper Pusher quickly grabbed the correct permit, stamped it and handed it to Trixie, eager to finally be done with this crazy djinn/terran/whatever she was. Trixie grabbed the paper and turned to leave without so much as a thank you. Paper sighed as she returned to work, "I'm here five minutes and already I need a break..."


***


"Alright, Dusk, you got this!" Spike said with his claws in a fist in anticipation. Across the library's sitting room, Dusk took a deep breath, to relax himself. He clapped and shook his hands in preparation.

"Okay," he said, "here goes nothing." With a combination of hand gestures, he conjured a spell and projected it onto Spike's face. A bolt of lavender magic shot from his hands and landed harmlessly onto the dragons upper lip. As the magic faded, a mustache instantly appeared beneath his nose. 

Spike turned to look at himself in the mirror then back to Dusk, "you did it! Mustache growing magic, that makes 25 spells that you invented from scratch!" Spike turned once again to the mirror, pinching one of the ends of his mustache, "so, what are you gonna call this one?"

Dusk thought for a moment, "I don't know, I was thinking 'Instant Mustache'." 

"You really ought to name one of your spells after yourself," Spike, still admiring himself, suggested. "All the greats have spells named after them; Starswirl, Mordenkainen, Issac, Bigby..."

"Yea, they all have powerful or revolutionary spells named after them," Dusk walked over to his journal and flipped through it. It listed detailed information about all the spells he'd written since he'd become Celestia's apprentice. Dusk sighed as he came across past creations, things like altering one's perception so that red objects appear blue and vise versa or one that let a person taste something simply by touching it. Although they demonstrated his talent and understanding of the art of writing magic into more complex spells, they were hardly of any practical use. "I want to write a spell that's actually useful."

Spike was only barely listening at that point, twirling his mustache and talking to himself. "Oh hello, Rarity. What? Oh it's just my awesome mustache."

Dusk rolled his eyes, "as enticing as you look, you can't keep it. Sorry." Dusk waved his hand to cancel the spell. The mustache vanished from Spike's face leaving behind a disappointed looking dragon.

"Aw..." Spike moaned.

"Come on, lets head over to Sugar Cube Corner for a snack. Since you agreed to be my guinea pig for the day, I'll make it my treat." That seemed to cheer Spike up as he was already at the door by the time Dusk grabbed his purple windbreaker.

Half an hour later, the pair were walking through the town, Spike with a jewel topped ice cream cone and Dusk with a cinnamon role. "It's still pretty cool that you've written 25 spells," Spike said between bites, "even if they are useless ones. Most djinn only ever learn a handful of spells related to their jobs, let alone writing their own."

"It's just difficult for some people I guess," Dusk said, "but it's always come naturally for me. Probably because my special talent is magic."

"And you know a ton of magic."

"Okay, Spike, that's enough. I'm sure there are lots of djinn right here in Ponyville that know just as much magic as me," Dusk said... to Spike's confusion.

"Uh, Dusk, I didn't say anything," Spike said looking to at his friend with a raised eyebrow. 

Dusk stopped walking, his face also taking on a look of confusion, "yes you did, I heard you clear as day. You said 'and you know a ton of magic'."

Spike just stared at him for a moment. "Dusk, I promise you I didn't say a word after mentioning how cool it was that you wrote your own spells. Not that I don't think you know a ton of magic and I doubt there's another djinn in all of Equestria with your abilities but I figured you already knew that." Spike tilted his head, "have you been getting enough sleep?"

Dusk thought for a moment then sighed, "now that you mention it, no, not really. I got up early to finish that mustache spell and the night before I was working on that whole auryn mystery." Dusk looked off into the sky, "I really feel like I should know what that word means."

In the weeks that followed the Nightmare incident, as the press had taken to calling it, Dusk had spent his spare time studying all the known lore on the Elements of Harmony and Harmony in general. It was all in an effort to try and decipher the mysterious word that had appeared before him in a vision right after unleashing the Fire of Friendship, auryn. So far he'd come up empty. Every obscure book, every ancient legend, even 100 pages worth of links on Googleplex, the premier crystalnet search engine, yielded nothing.

Dusk shook his head as he came back to reality, "in any case, I think we should-" Dusk was interpreted by two young boys running down the street in their direction.

"Out of the way! Coming through!" the fist one called out, he was tall for his age with unkempt hair and and a t-shirt with a picture of a snail on it. His companion, a shorter, stouter boy with a blue shirt and a slight overbite ran alongside him. They both came to a stop just before they crashed into Dusk and Spike.

"Augh, Snips, Snails? Watch where you're going would ya?" Spike said to the pair.

The shorter one, Snips, shrugged dismissively, "cant talk now, we're in a hurry!"

"Why? Whats going on?" Spike asked.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Snails asked, "there's a new girl in town. They say she's got more magical powers than any djinn ever! And get this, she's a terran!"

"Really?" Dusk asked.

"Horse apples! How can a terran use magic?" Spike demanded.

"See for yourself, shes in the town square, come on!" Snails said and ran off in the direction he indicated.

"Yeah, come on! Whoo!" Snips added as he followed, leaving Dusk and Spike to stare off in the direction they ran.

Dusk looked down at Spike, "well, might as well go check it out."

"I don't get it," Spike said as they walked towards the town square, "how can a terran use magic? I thought you needed one of those gem things on your head." Spike gestured to the smooth, lavender colored, oval shaped gem on Dusk's forehead.

"Technically, all you need to cast a spell is magical energy inside your body," Dusk explained. "Any living thing that has magic inside it could use it to cast a spell, the trick is getting that energy. Djinn are borne with mana gems which naturally absorb magical energy from the environment. However, if a non-djinn had a way to infuse themselves with a conduit, like say, a wand or an amulet, then they could manage some rudimentary magic. The problem is that wands and the like are slow and inefficient which would limit what the user could do."

The pair continued their walk to the town square, meanwhile, from a rooftop overlooking the street, a mysterious figure tracked them with it's gaze. After a moment, the figure's body stuttered and shifted before it vanished completely.


***


Half way across Equestria, in a small village at the base of Mt. Rubicon, Kevin sat at a table in the local inn. He was in his djinn guise with an acid green mana gem on his forehead. Across from him was a middle aged terran with a broad chest and golden blond hair. He wore a wool sweater with an image of a pair of ice climbing axes forming a cross embedded over his left breast. 

"I am already telling you," the man spoke with a heavy accent that reminded Kevin of a breezie he once met,  "the touring season is over. You will have to be coming back next year."

"That isn't an option Mr. Rock Tumbler," Kevin said. "I'm on an... errand for Princess Celestia. These papers," he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and passed it to Rock Tumbler, "should allow me access."

Rock Tumbler took the envelope and examined it. Inside was an official looking document allowing the bearer access to The Great Metal Door, complete with Celestia's signature and royal seal. However, the mountain guide wasn't fully convinced. "And just what sort of errand requires you to go to an ancient monument all alone, with no equipment and during the snowy season?" he asked. "Dis whole ting smells of the fish."

Kevin leaned back with his arms crossed, not for the first time he wished he possessed the ability to mind control people like the changeling queen did. "The exact details are classified I'm afraid. Let's just say I'm re-tracing the footsteps of a certain individual." He placed his hands on the table, "I don't suppose you know anything about a seraphim by the name of Lock Tight?" 

Rock Tumbler tapped his chin, "ja, I think I remember hem. Got real mad when we is telling hem he can't touch the door." He turned to look back at Kevin, "but what is he having to do with you?" Suddenly, his eyes widened, "Siripat sulat! Did dat riskin flakin do anything to my door!" he demanded.

Kevin shrugged, "one of many things I'm to investigate. So are you going to grant me access? If not I can always call Princess Celestia and you can explain to her personally why you're hindering a royal investigation."

Rock Tumbler sat motionless for a moment in consideration. "The nights get very cold dis time of year, how do you plan on surviving dat?" he asked.

"I have my ways."

"Very well," Rock Tumbler finally relented, "but I am coming with you. If dat flakin did anything to my door, I want to see it for myself."

Kevin sighed internally, having him along will complicate things, but as long as it gets me there sooner... "very well, how soon can we set out?"

"I just need a half hour to get my gear."


***


In the middle of Ponyville's town square, a few feet from Ponyville Fountain,  a crowd of townsfolk stood gathered around a small wooden stage that was attached to what appeared to be a wagon of sorts. The stage was designed to fold out from the side of the wagon so as to make it mobile. Dusk and Spike managed to push their way to the front of the crowd to get a better view and were met by three of their friends, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash. AJ noticed Dusk first and greeted him.

"Well howdy, Dusk, come to see the show?" she asked over the chaotic noise common among large gatherings.

"Thought I might come to see what the big deal is, yea," Dusk then looked over at Rainbow. She was sitting on the rim of the fountain with crossed arms and a disinterested look about her. "Dash is still worried about Gilda, huh?"

"Yea," AJ nodded and turned to look at Rainbow, "hear they officially declared her missing this morning." She looked back at Dusk, "I guess something about an 'official declaration' makes it real, not that it wasn't already but, ya know?"

Dusk nodded in understanding, on the night of the party, Rainbow returned to the party claiming that something had happened to Gilda. Dusk and his friends spent the next several hours combing Ponyville for any sign of the wayward harpy with no luck. As Rainbow became more and more worried for her missing friend, Dusk decided it was time to take the matter to Ponyville's L-Sec department. Unfortunately, the PLSD was unable to take action as Gilda had only been missing for a few hours. Rainbow Dash was... displeased to say the least, had AJ and Dusk not been there to calm her anger at their inaction she likely would have spent the night in jail.

Now that it had been more than 24 hours since Gilda had last been seen, the PLSD was able to officially treat the case as a missing person. AJ and Dusk walked up to Rainbow's side, she glanced at them and gave a very dismissive "sup". 

"We're just wondering how you're doing, Sugarcube," AJ said while sitting beside her.

"I'm fine," she shrugged.

"Dash, you're worried about Gilda," Dusk said while AJ placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, we all are. You don't have to hide it-"

Rainbow quickly brushed AJ's hand off her shoulder with her wing, "I said, 'I'm fine!'" she declared and quickly rose to her feet with her arms crossed. She kept her back to her friends just in case she lost the tenuous hold she had on her tears. "I'm just..." she took a deep breath, "I'm not in the mood to talk right now, okay guys?"

AJ and Dusk shared concerned looks but before they could respond, a loud voice boomed from the stage getting everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen!" it declared loudly as fog began to flow from behind the curtains, off the front of the stage and onto the ground in front of the audience. "Get ready to be awed by the Amazing, the Beautiful, the Talented, the One and Only, the Great and Powerful, Trrrrixie!" 

From the sides of the stage, fireworks fizzled and popped as out from the curtains jumped a young, silver haired woman wearing a blue skirt, matching knee high boots and draped in a star spangled cape and wizard's hat. Her arms were extended wide and around each wrist was a cloth loop that was attached to the matching ends of the cape so that it extended as well. In her right hand was a silver rod with a star shaped cap that left a trail of magic as it moved.

The crowd cheered as Trixie posed, "Watch now in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed!" As the audience was mesmerized by her performance, Dusk took note of the star wand she used. "That wand must be what she's using to cast her spells," he said, "whoever crafted it is a master of their art." 

"Whatd'ya mean?" asked AJ.

"Like I was telling Spike, a wand doesn't usually absorb magic as quickly as a djinn's mana gem so wand users are limited to a spell or two every few minutes." Dusk nodded towards Trixie who was currently drawing shapes in the air above the stage with lines of fire, "she's casting several spells in rapid succession. Either she's spent days drawing in massive amounts of magic, which isn't exactly healthy, or that's the most efficient wand ever made."

The crowd cheered again as Trixie conjured a large fireball and exploded it high above the stage to top off her current act. "That's right denizens of Ponyville, bask in the amazingness that is the Great and Powerful Trixie! For she is the greatest EVER!"

Rainbow, already in a sour mood, took issue with that claim, "Yea, greatest as long as you have that little toy of yours," she yelled. The audience silenced their cheers and turned to look at the disgruntled seraphim.

"Well, well, well," Trixie grinned with her hands on her hips, "it seems we have some naysayers in the audience." with a flick of her wand, a pillar of light shown down on Rainbow. "And who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"

Rainbow folded her arms while leveling a glare at the magician. "So you can make some noise and light a few lights. Big deal, what makes you think you're so much more awesome than me? The fastest seraphim in Equestria."

Trixie smiled, "because, only the incredible magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie was enough to vanquish..." Trixie raised her wand hand to the sky, from it, a series of blue sparks emerged and formed into an outline of a large bear like creature. "...The dreaded ursa major!" she declared, followed by more fireworks and fanfare.

The crowd gasped as Trixie released even more blue sparks from her wand forming a small village. "When all hope was lost, the good people of Hoofington had no one to turn to." The illusory bear marched toward the village, "but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in," another image formed, this time resembling a silhouette of Trixie, "and with her awesome magic, vanquished the ursa major, sending it back from wince it came!" The image of Trixie let lose a powerful blast, blowing away the bear creature.

The crowd cheered once more. Snips and Snails were completely blown away, "That settles it!" Snips said.

"Trixie really is the most talented mage in all of Ponyville!" Snails added.

"No, it the world!"

Dusk, for his part, was strangely conflicted about the situation. On the one hand, he really wanted to go up there and show that girl and her little toy what a real mage looked like. Yet in the back of his mind, something was clawing, screaming at him that he should let well enough alone. 

"It's true, my enthusiastic little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville," she said with a smug grin.

Dusk couldn't help himself, "Oh really? Well Q.E.D. Trixie, if you're really the best, prove it." There was a sudden ringing in Dusk's ears but he ignored it.

Trixie glared at Dusk, "Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie? Well then," she waved her arms wide, "I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians. Anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest who has ever lived!?"

Dusk would have happily stepped on stage but he was gripped with a sudden onset of anxiety. Anxiousness out of nowhere was a common thing with OCD, however, this felt strangely different than normal. He couldn't really describe it but something was telling him that going up on stage wasn't a bad idea but rather it wasn't supposed to happen.

Fortunately, he didn't need to step up because AJ, it seemed, had had enough. "Alright, Missy, it's high time I showed y'all what talent really looks like." She climbed onto the stage, "y'all got a rope I can use?" she asked.

"But of course," Trixie said confidently as she levitated a rope from backstage.

"You show her, AJ!" Spike called as AJ took the rope and tied it into a lasso.

"This here's how a real terran does things," AJ said and began twirling the lasso, "not with some fancy magic doohickey, but with actual skill." With practiced ease, she rotated the loop of the spinning lasso into a vertical position, then, while it still spun, she leaped through the hole again and again, never once touching the rope itself.

The crowd whooped and hollered as AJ took a bow, "beat that, Trixie," she said.

"A moderately impressive feat," Trixie said with a fake yawn. "Now behold the power of Trixie's magic!" With a wave of her wand, the rope was enveloped with a light blue aura and levitated into the air. The rope then snaked around forming various patterns before it tied itself into not one but two lassos on each end. The lassos rotated at high speeds in between each other at varying angles without once becoming entangled. With a final flick of her wand, the rope straightened itself, untied the lassos and coiled into a neat pile on the stage floor. The audience, particularly Snips and Snails, went wild.

AJ just looked on with a defeated sigh, "well, shoot. Don't reckon I can do that..."

"Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie prevails," Trixie shouted.

Dusk was clenching his fists, an conflict raging in his mind. Go up there, that pathetic display is nothing compared to yours, he thought. No!, declared a part of his mind, the part that filled him with fear and was becoming strangely more aggressive in the past few weeks. You must not get involved, look at how your friends are reacting to her. Imagine what they'll say about you. 

Spike turned to look up at Dusk, "hey, you alright, man?"

"I-I'm fine," he lied, "just a small anxiety attack, no big deal."

Unbeknownst to Dusk, or anyone for that matter, a silent being stood sentinel on the roof of the town hall just out of sight. Its jittery eyes focused intensely on Dusk.

When Dusk turned back to the stage, he found that Rainbow had also taken up Trixie's challenge. "Alright, Trixie, there's only room for one arrogant show-boater in this town and that's me!" she pointed to herself with her thumb. Rainbow then took off into the sky with lighting speed. She dove towards the Ponyville water fountain, pulling up just as she grazed the surface of the water. Using her seraphim magic, she held the water in a globule behind her, gradually releasing it as she corkscrewed in an arc over the stage before performing a three point landing. The water refracted the light forming a rainbow above the stage, to the delight of the assembled people.

"They don't call me 'Rainbow Dash' for nothing," she said proudly over the audience's applause.

Trixie was once again unimpressed, "When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is loser." With her wand, she cast a spell that solidified the rainbow that her challenger had just created and brought it down like a rope to wrap in around Rainbow. It spun faster and faster until she eventually got too dizzy to stand.

"Whoa! Whoa-a-a-a!" Rainbow cried as she stumbled, "I think I'm... I'm gonna be sick."

"Seems like anyone with a dash of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great Trixie," she punctuated her statement by conjuring a lightning bolt to strike Rainbow in her rear.

"Ow!"

Are you just going to stand there and let her treat your friends that way? Dusk argued with himself. You do not want to go up there, the other voice said, growing increasingly hostel your friends will HATE you!

Rainbow returned to where her friends were gathered, "what we need is a real magic user to challenge her. Someone with some magic of their own."

Dusk shifted uncomfortably but Rarity stepped forward before he could. "I take your hint, but I consider myself above such nonsense," she said running a hand through her hair. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack may behave like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace."

"What's the matter?" Trixie taunted. "Afraid you'll get a curl out of place in that rat's nest you call hair?" There was a choirs of 'ooohs' at that.

Rarity slowly turned to face the magician, her pupils like pinpricks. "Oh, it. Is. ON!" She marched onto the stage, "you may think you're tough with all of your so-called powers, but there's more to magic than your brutish ways. Magic needs to be more than just muscle. Magic needs to have style." With ballerina like grace, she raised both her hands to her head, palms facing inward. Then she slowly lowered them down in front of her body, her hair and clothes being replaced by a fashionable due and beautiful blue dress as she did.

The audience clapped as Rarity took a bow, "magic is not magic without grace and beauty." Trixie, however, was unimpressed. Lazily she waved her wand, firing a bolt of blue white magic at Rarity's hair. Rarity, blinked her eyes to recover from the flash and noticed the audience's shocked expressions. A few started to giggle.

"Quick! I need a mirror!" she screamed. "Get me a mirror! What did she do to my hair? I know she did something terrible to my hair!"

"It... it's fine, really," Rainbow said.

"Yea. It's, um, gorgeous," AJ added.

"It's green," Spike said, earning him glares from two girls. "What?"

"G-green? GREEN?!" Rarity cried. "No, anything but green!" The commotion drew Dusk's attention from his internal conflict. True enough, Rarity's hair was an ugly shade of mossy green and wrapped in a bun with split ends from all directions. She tried to cover it as she ran off the stage and towards her home, desperate to fix her image.

That's it! he reasoned, I have to go teach this girl a lesson!. As he thought this, the pressure he'd been feeling on his head began to intensify. You MUST NOT! came the strange voice that Dusk was now sure was not his own. You will fail and be humiliated! his ears were starting to ring at this point. 

I AM going up there!

Y̶o̡͜u͡ ͢͞͡mu҉͘͏s͡t̷҉̛ ̷̸n̸̕͢ot̵̵͏ c̷͠h͡al͝҉l͟e͘ń̵g͢é ̶̵̛t͏hé̕ Aǹ̶̡t̡͜a͠g̵̡͘o͜ǹ̛͞i͘s̸̛̛t of͡͠ ͡E̛v̢̛e͢e!҉́ This time, the second voice wasn't a metaphor for thought, he actually heard it. It sounded alien and angry. The pressure on his head and the ringing in his ears were intense. Dusk wasn't sure what was going on but there was no longer any doubt that something was very wrong. So he fought back.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, surprising everyone in the crowd. On the roof of the town hall, the unknown figure hissed in anger as it felt its hand was blown back by an invisible force. Suddenly, the pressure and the ringing in Dusk's head stopped, he felt fine, better than normal in fact. Except that everyone was now staring at him. "Ahem, I mean that's enough bragging from you, Miss Trixie, I'll take your challenge."

"Hah! You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent? Well, come on, show Trixie what you've got. Show us all." The crowd parted as Dusk made his way on stage, a few of the onlookers cheered him on.

Trixie and Dusk stood across from each other on the stage. Trixie's arms were crossed with her wand sticking out of her right hand and a smug grin on her face. Dusk stood resolute, his hands raised, ready to cast. The two stared each other down for a few tense moments until Trixie finally acted.

"Draw!" she shouted. Aiming her wand at Dusk, she fired a bolt of lightning from the tip. The bolt flew towards Dusk who quickly countered it with a small barrier. "Hm, not bad," Trixie said, "but can you dodge this?" With a wave of her wand, she caused a torrent of magical bolts that resembled falling stars to fall from the sky above the stage. Moments before they struck, Dusk vanished from sight, the starbolts crashed into the area where he was standing moments before causing the audience to gasp.

"W-what? Where did-" Trixie looked around in confusion.

"Over here," came Dusk's voice. Trixie and the audience to turned to find him standing on top of the Ponyville fountain. 

"Y-you can teleport? But how- I mean aha, teleportation, a cheep trick for cowards." Trixie did her best to hide her stammering but it was starting to show. "Now watch as the Great and Powerful Trixie combines her magical talent with her natural terran strength to cover the same distance with style!" A blue aura formed around Trixie's legs before fading. In her hand, she could feel her wand getting hot but she ignored it. She would not lose to this plebeian!

Trixie crouched into a runner's starting position then, took off towards the edge of the stage. Once she reached the end, she jumped off the edge, high into the air. She quickly caught herself in her magic and used it to propel her several feet higher than would otherwise be possible. Her wand was beginning to vibrate violently under the strain but she held on. Finally she performed a mid air summer-salt before landing on top of the fountain, just inches from Dusk. The crowd below cheered in approval. 

"Impressive," Dusk said, "but not as impressive as this..." Dusk teleported down to the ground at the base of the fountain, once there he grabbed the water in the fountain base in his magic and lifted it into the sky. He then made a pushing motion with his hands, repeating the gesture over and over again. As he did, the globule began to spin faster and faster, slowly flattening into a disk shape. Once he was satisfied with the shape, he quickly performed several small hand gestures. "Minos' Flash Freeze," he shouted with both palms facing the water disk.

The disk froze solid, the crowed watched in awe as he lifted the sheet of ice high into the air. Dusk then pulled one hand back to his hip and shouted, "Solarium's Disintegration Wave!" He thrust his hand forward as a powerful beam of magic shot towards his target. The beam struck and, as it's name suggested, disintegrated the sheet of ice in a beautiful explosion. The audience shielded their eyes and when they looked back up, tiny flakes of snow were slowly falling on them. 

The audience immediately burst into applause, cheering louder than they had for any act so far. Dusk bowed while Trixie stared at the scene slack-jawed. "T-this can't be! I'M the greatest and I'll prove it!" 

The audience and Dusk turned their attention back on her as she pointed her wand skyward. "Behold, the greatest magical feat you've ever seen!" She pulled as much magic as she could into the wand, doing her best to ignore the violent shaking and intense heat. The star on the cap of the wand began to glow red as sparks of magic flew from the surface. "I shall show you the power of-" she was cut off as the wand, having apparently reached its limit exploded in a loud bang. Black smoke covered the area, the audience gasped in shock at the sudden turn of events.  

A few tense moments passed with no one sure of the magician's fate. When the smoke finally cleared, they could see Trixie sitting on the ground with one hand supporting herself and the other holding a frayed end stick that used to be her wand. She was coughing and covered in soot but otherwise unharmed. Slowly and shakily, she stood back up, "T-Trisky's O.K.!" she said in a shaky voice.

Once they saw that the young mage was okay, the crowd turned to Dusk, as one by one, they began chanting his name, "Dusk, Dusk, Dusk!" Dusk himself, stood back with a confident smirk while Trixie could only watch in horror as her grasp on the audience completely vanished. 

"N-no... This can't be!" Trixie cried, "how could I be upstaged by a... a commoner?" She looked down at the ruined wand in her hand then discarded it in anger. "This isn't over!" she shouted, drawing Dusk's attention. "Trixie will be back! You caught me unprepared is all, I'll show you real magic!" With a flurry of her singed cape she retreated into her collapsible stage wagon, slamming the door behind her.

"Ha!, what a sore loser," Rainbow laughed as she punched Dusk's shoulder. "C'mon, guys, let's go celebrate! AJ's buying!"

"That sounds like a great idea- wait what?" AJ asked as the group made their way to Sugar Cube Corner.  

In the excitement of Dusk's victory, no one noticed that an inconspicuous stranger had joined the crowd at the last moment. No one payed any mind as the stranger stayed behind when they dispersed. The stranger looked on at Trixie's wagon, staring with jittering eyes. As it stared, a series of words began to form in mid air. These words could only be seen by the stranger, they read simply, "Initiate option 2".


***


The wind was beginning to pick up as Kevin and Rock Tumbler reached the ancient site known simply as "The Great Metal Door." Snow and ice covered the ground and rocks completely except for the door itself. Even the base remained exposed, the ground in front of it was snow-less in a semi-circle several feet in radius, as if some invisible force field blocked the area off. 

The door was build into the mountain edge in such a way that it almost seemed as though it had come first and the mountain formed around it. It reached skyward about four stories high with a perfect metallic sheen, an outward extrusion about a tenth the width of the door itself stretched from the bottom to the top, interrupted by a circular shape about three fourths of the way.

"You see how the snow is not touching the door?" Rock said as he pulled down his coat mask. "Not even wild weather can hurt it." He turned to Kevin who was dressed in similar winter gear. "Hurry up with your investigation, we are needing to get back before nightfall."

Kevin made his way to the base of the door, placing a hand on its surface. It was perfectly smooth, the angles of the extrusion were so fine as to almost be sharp. He looked around for the panel that Lock Tight mentioned in his journal but couldn't find it. "Mr. Tumbler, where is the access panel?"

At that, Rock Tumbler loosed a deep laugh, "access panel? You must be joking, der is no access panel. No one has ever opened dis ting."

Kevin said nothing but continued to move his hand across the smooth surface. Yet he found one, he thought. So then, how am I supposed to get in? He pulled out his glass and browsed the copies he took of Lock Tight's photos. He'd noticed before that on one of the photos, a word was hand written unlike the others. It was also written in Equish script unlike the others although it was still an unknown word.

On a hunch, Kevin decided to give it a try, "neipoh..." At first nothing happened, all that could be heard was the sound of the wind blowing through the crags. Then, a loud "bhwaaaam" echoed throughout the area as the Great Metal Door slowly took itself apart. The surface was illuminated by a grid of squares from the bottom up. One by one, the squares flew backwards into a cave hidden behind the metallic monolith. Once the door was halfway gone, Kevin could see that the square bits were positioning themselves over a large chasm inside the cave, they were making a bridge. 

After a moment, the door was gone completely and once again, the only noise was the increasingly intense wind. "Okay, so 'neipoh' means 'open' in Door-anese," Kevin remarked, "good to know." Storing his glass, he continued inside. Rock Tumbler had stood completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape during the whole sequence, Kevin's remark snapped him out of his stupor. 

"Hey, wait for me, ja?"


***


Trixie sat at a wooden table inside her wagon, or rather in the little house in Hoofington that the wagon's door had been enchanted to lead to. Buying a mobile way-gate, as it was called, was the single most expensive thing she'd ever purchased. She'd been forced to sell her late father's house just to finance it but to her it was worth every bit. As long as one door remained at her small, one bedroom home and the other attached to her wagon she could literally take her entire house with her where ever she went.

On the table in front of her was a scattered assortment of tools such as cutting knifes of various sizes and scribe brushes. On her head she wore a device which mounted several magnifiers that could be adjusted as needed. Currently she was using it to make intricate carvings into a new wand. Despite the careful motions of her hand, in her mind she was fuming.

I can't believe I let myself be beaten by that... that jerk! she thought in anger. Damn djinn are all the same. They think magic belongs only to them. Trixie pushed the magnifying lens back into its unused position and blew the shavings off her newest wand before examining it for imperfections. When I finish this beauty, they'll all see. Trixie is not some low borne, dirt farm-

A strange sound caught her attention, she looked around and there, standing behind her was a creature the likes of which she'd never seen. It was humanoid in shape but had no face, it's entire body was silver and almost translucent. A strange aura was radiating from it making it look scrambled and unnatural. Every now and then, entire sections of its body would rapidly shift in one direction then return to its place less than a second later. 

Trixie would have screamed but before she could even react, the creature's hand shot directly into her forehead. Suddenly, her head felt cold, as if someone was poring water on it from the inside. It trickled down past her ears and she felt as though whatever it was should have poured out of them. The last thing she remembered was a deep voice that spoke inside her mind, "Elskpatik tlc htlbutbk imckx cownloaded to neural network," then she blacked out completely. 


***


Kevin and Rock Tumbler arrived at the central chamber that Lock Tight had written about. Just as he had described, the room was huge and clearly artificial as the walls were perfectly flat and the corners came together in perfect 90 degree angles. Rock Tumbler was at a complete loss, looking around in awe. Kevin, on the other hand, had his eyes set on the dome like structure in the center which he knew from Lock's writings was the heart of this facility. 

Kevin approached the dome and, just as it had for Lock, the mercurial sphere rose from the center and hovered at eye level. Rock Tumbler, it seemed, finally found his voice again, "Alright, now what is going on here?" he asked. "No one is finding dis place in thousands of years, den you come along and just stroll right in!"

"I'm not the first," Kevin replied. "Lock Tight found his way in here by examining a panel on the outside."

"But I am telling you der is no panel."

"Or, it can only be seen in certain conditions," which means that Lock Tight stumbling across it is either the biggest coincidence in the world, or it was put there for him to find it. Kevin observed the sphere, he remembered from Lock Tight's journal that touching it directly would cause it to try and infect his mind. Instead he reached out with a bit of his magic to try and manipulate it.

The sphere morphed into a rectangular shape, displaying messages in the bizarre foreign language that was becoming common in this case. Kevin braced himself in case it tried to enthrall him as it had it's prior user but so far nothing had happened. Rock Tumbler walked up beside him, "w-what is dis?"

"A computer screen if I had to guess," he answered. On the "screen", if indeed that's what it was, the alien characters ran in all directions. Near the bottom, a small circle was blinking in a regular interval. Carefully, and wearily, he pressed his hand to the flashing circle. The moment he did, the circle enlarged to fill 3/4ths of the surface area. It displayed a single word in Equish script; "A. U. R. Y. N."

Immediately after, a voice spoke. It came from every direction at once and sounded female although each word had a different tone as though the sentences were pieced together from prior recordings. "Equish language dot e x e successfully loaded. User K'Vann identified as <level 2: privileged user>."

Kevin tensed as he looked about the enormous room for the source of the voice but found nothing. Rock Tumbler was visibly shaken, too stunned to say anything. "Who are you?" Kevin asked, "How do you know my name?"

"This is the vocal interface for the Auryn system," the voice replied. "You are designated as a level 2 user by <ERROR: data not found>."

Auryn, 'are in', Lock Tight must have misunderstood what he heard, thought Kevin. "What is this place?"

"This facility serves as an observatory for Auryn Central Core."

"And what is that?"

"Error 227: requested information requires <level 3: admin user>. Access denied."

"Then how does one become an admin?" Kevin asked with his arms crossed.

"Error 227: requested information requires <level 3: admin user>. Access denied."

"I don't suppose you could point me to one?" Kevin had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Error 227: requested information requires <level 3: admin user>. Access denied."

"Of course," Kevin sighed. He decided to change topics for a moment, hoping this... whatever it was would be more forthcoming about a certain seraphim that lead him here in the first place. "What can you tell me about a man named Lock Tight?"

"Lock Tight was originally designated an irrelevant parameter. When Auryn determined the variable's interaction with antagonist <Evee> had a high probability of deviation, an intervention was deemed necessary. Use of an irrelevant parameter to prevent interaction ran the lowest risk. Lock Tight was granted entry in a fashion concurrent with his skill set."

Kevin decided it was time to get to the big question, the one that brought him here in the first place, "how is it you know of the Elements of Harmony?"

"The Elements of Harmony are an integral part of the-" a soft beeping sound interrupted the voice. "Advisory: antagonist <Evee> has reached designated location."

Kevin frowned, "what are you talking about?"

"Do you wish to activate tracking camera?"

"Wha- Fine, sure, activate it."

On the monitor, a new screen appeared showing a young woman with silver hair dressed in a flamboyant outfit and wizard hat. She stood in front of a cave in the middle of what looked like a forest clearing, her eyes had an empty look about them.


***


Trixie entered the mouth of the cave. She wasn't sure why she was there or what she was doing, everything was a dreamlike haze. As she ventured further in, she became aware of a musky smell and a low, rumbling sound. She knew that meant her goal was near, although how she knew that or even what she sought was still a mystery to her. 

As the darkness became too great, she pulled out her new wand to light her path. When the cave was illuminated she saw, towards the back, the slumbering form of a massive creature. A great bear who's body was a translucent blue with a constellation of stars in the center of it's body forming a very basic frame.

The sight of  it filled Trixie with fear, yet her body moved ever closer towards the great beast. She wanted to scream, run, anything but she could do nothing but watch as her hand aimed the light of her wand directly into the creature's eye. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, the ursa minor's eye opened wide and stared directly at Trixie.


***


"What is she doing!?" Kevin shouted at the image on the screen before him. The young terran was in serious danger and all he could do was watch as she literally woke an angry bear. "Computer, where is this footage coming from?" he asked. If there's a camera drone or something of the sort there, I might be able to use it some how to save her.

"This footage is being captured via the P. O. V. cameras equipped on the Sentinel unit," it replied.

"Give me control of the unit. Now!"

"Unable to comply.  Requested action requires <level 3: admin user>."

"Damn it!" he swore. On the screen, the girl was now fleeing from the angry ursa, and leading it right to Ponyville. The sentinel, whatever it was, followed closely behind. "There has to be something..."

"M-maybe you is calling someone?" Rock Tumbler, who until then had just been trying to process everything suggested.

Kevin's eyes opened wide, "of course!" He pulled out his glass and quickly looked through his contacts for a certain individual.


***


Dusk was sitting on at the end of a table in Sugar Cube Corner enjoying a delicious pastry and chatting with Spike and his five friends including Rarity, who had taken some convincing to come out of her house, even though her hair had been fixed. Word spread fast of his impressive defeat of the boastful magician and once Pinkie caught wind of it, what was originally going to be a simple victory snack turned into a full blown party.

"I've never seen snow made like that," Rainbow said, "it was so awesome!"

"Thanks but actually it's terribly inefficient," Dusk replied. "You could probably make three times as much snow with less time and effort using weather magic."

"It was still pretty impressive, Sugar Cube," AJ said.

"Heh, you know I was considering-" Dusk was cut off by the sound of a base heavy techno song coming from his right front pocket.

"Oh, is that from PON3's latest album? I didn't know you were a fan, Dusk." Pinkie chimed.

"Yep, believe it or not, regular oscillating beats actually stimulate the brain. Makes for a great study aid," Dusk said as he pulled his glass out of his pocket and examined it.

Rainbow laughed, "how did I know it would be for some egghead reason?"

"Hmm strange," Dusk said, ignoring her. "ID just says 'K'," he slid his finger across the surface to answer it. "Hello?"

"Dusk, I need you to listen to to me very carefully. We don't have much time," the voice on the other end said. It took a moment for Dusk to recognize it.

"Kevin? How did you get-"

"LISTEN! You have about 60 seconds before a very large, very angry ursa minor arrives on your doorstep."

Dusk's eyes widened, "ursa minor? What are you talking about? Where are you?" The girls all exchanged confused looks as he spoke.

"I'll explain later! You're going to have to drive off the ursa and detain Trixie Lullamoon, if the ursa hasn't gotten her yet..." Kevin added.

One million questions raged through Dusk's head, but first and foremost was, "how in the hell do you expect me to fight off an ursa minor?"

"Don't worry," Kevin said calmly, "there's a simple spell you can use that will-" Whatever he was going to say cut off by a loud roar from outside. Dusk the girls and Spike ran out the front door of the bakery and there they saw the fearsome beast. Easily as tall as many of the buildings, it shook the ground as it stomped towards them. It appeared to be searching for something as it lowered its head down to sniff Trixie's wagon. It must not have liked what it smelled because with a single swipe of its paw, it crushed the wagon completely.

"K-Kevin... It's here, what's that spell? I need it NOW!" Dusk yelled into the glass. A mistake, as the ursa heard him.

"Stay calm, it's a combination of para-" he got no further. The ursa minor lunged towards the group. The seven friends scattered just in time but were knocked down by the force of the impact. Dusk dropped his glass as he rolled across the ground. After a few moments, he climbed to his feet and began frantically searching for his lost device. After a few seconds, he found it, right as the ursa's massive foot came down on top of it.


***


"K-Kevin... It's here, what's that spell? I need it NOW!" Dusk's panicked voice came over the speaker on Kevin's glass. He could hear the loud roars and screams in the background.

"Stay calm, it's a combination of para-" he was interrupted by the sound of a loud crash coming from the other end of the line. Incomprehensible pops and static sounds indicating the device was rolling. "Dusk?" Kevin called, "Dusk can you hear me?" There was no answer. "Dusk Shine!" The only sound coming from the glass was a snarling noise followed by a loud pop then nothing.  On the glass' screen, the words 'connection lost' displayed. 

"DAMN IT!" was all Kevin could say as he just barely stopped himself from throwing his glass away in anger.

"Um, Mr. Kevin, the ting is doing someting," Rock Tumbler said while pointing at the computer monitor.

Kevin turned to look at the monitor. The feed from the Sentinel had been replaced by a new window displaying the words 'DUSK SHINE password accepted' and below that, a progress bar that was quickly filling.


***


On the outskirts of Ponyville, the Sentinel maintained a constant vigil of the unfolding chaos. Suddenly, its attention was grabbed by a signal from the observatory. "ALERT: Unknown subroutine has been activated. Intervention requested." In a flash, the Sentinel vanished into the night.


***


The progress bar finished by the time Kevin returned his full attention to the monitor and at that point, a new voice spoke. It was male and unlike the previous one, it maintained a consistent tone with each word. It sounded familiar to Kevin, yet he couldn't quite place it. "If you're listing to this recording then you've found your way to Auryn. I'm sure you have a lot of questions but we have little time. The Sentinel will have undoubtedly detected this program's activation."

At the base of the monitor, a small object materialized. It was a crystal clear cube in the center of which was a small sphere of what appeared to be the same material that the monitor had morphed from. "If I did everything right, you should now see a cube drive beneath this screen. It should have the answers you're looking for. I only hope that the technology at your disposal is compatible with it. Take the cube and leave as soon as you can. The Sentinel's speed is finite but it's still faster than anything you're use to."

The voice, or recording, Kevin realized, ended. He took the cube shaped object and examined it before placing it in his pocket. "I think we should leave," he said as he turned to Rock Tumbler.

"Hold on," Rock Tumbler said, "what is dis all about? What was all dat just now?"

"I honestly don't know but in my experience, when an advanced alien computer tells you to run, it's usually a good idea to run." The pair turned towards the exit...

...Only to find it blocked by a levitating silver humanoid with shifting static like body.


***


Dusk and the girls were scrambling to get the situation under control. The ursa was normally fast considering its size, however, in the confines of Ponyville it was having a difficult time maneuvering.  Currently, Rainbow was distracting it by buzzing around its head like a fly while Dusk and the other girls were discussing possible options.

"Can't you try talking to it, Flutters?" AJ asked.

"N-no, he won't listen to me and I can't quite make out what he's saying," Fluttershy said meekly. "It's like talking to an angry toddler. I'm sorry"

"A toddler huh?" Pinkie said, "maybe he IS a toddler." 

"That's right!" Dusk said, "ursa minors are young versions of ursa majors, what if this one is a REALLY young one?"

"Begging your pardon, darlings, but how does that help us?" asked Rarity.

"If he's a toddler, then he's probably just angry from being woken up." Dusk considered for a moment, "I got it! Girls, can you distract him for a few moments? I have a plan," he then proceeded to go over the details with each of the girls. 

The group broke from their hiding spot, AJ and Pinkie ran towards the ursa while Fluttershy flew up to Rainbow to rely Dusk's idea. Rarity ran ahead of the group to where the ursa was going to be led. Spike was rounding up stray townsfolk who had come out of their homes to see what was happening.

Dusk got into his position and prepared his spell. Before he did, however, he was struck in the back by a magical bolt. He grunted as he picked himself up from the ground. Looking around, he saw the young terran magician from that morning, but something was wrong. Her eyes were distant and void of any emotion and her face lacked any expression. 

"T-Trixie? What are you doing?" he stammered.

She said nothing, instead she aimed her wand towards Dusk, charging it for another attack. Dusk quickly channeled a barrier spell to absorb the blast and countered with one of his own. This isn't some petty pay back, he thought, something is controlling her. A roar diverted his attention back to the original problem of the ursa. AJ and Pinkie were leading it to the town lake as he had instructed, it would only be a few moments before they arrived.

I'm gonna have to take her out, he thought. "Sorry Trixie. Starswirl's Greater Missile Storm!" The air behind Dusk rippled as twenty bolts of energy materialized and flew towards their target. Trixie cast a barrier just before the bolts impacted but it wasn't enough. It shattered after the first dozen found their mark leaving the remaining eight to strike her directly. When the dust cleared, she was on her hands and knees.

"Dusk!" AJ called out, "we're here!" Dusk looked over his shoulder. AJ and Pinkie were at the lake with the ursa closing in on them fast. Rarity was waiting nearby to magically pull them to safety as soon as he began his spell. "Okay, here we go-ah!" he suddenly found himself on the ground, having been tackled by Trixie. They rolled to a stop with the terran on top, aiming her wand directly at his face.

"Um, Dusk? Anytime now, partner..." he heard AJ yell.  Unfortunately there was little he could do as the brightness of Trixie's wand forced him to close his eyes.


***


Kevin dodged to the side as the Sentinel struck the ground with it's hand which had morphed into a large spike. Turning on his heals he raised his wrist blade just in time to parry a follow up strike. The Sentinel vanished in a flash and instantly reappeared behind him, leaving Kevin only moments to dodge a fatal blow. The attack grazed his side causing him to grunt in pain. 

Kevin quickly spun and jammed his blade into the Sentinel's abdomen. It passed right through it as though nothing were there. The Sentinel then grabbed his arm. Thinking fast, Kevin used his free hand to quickly conjure up a small lighting spell. Static pulsed through his palm as he grabbed the Sentinel's face. This seemed to finally have an effect as the Sentinel's body shifted in and out of existance far more violently than it had been.

Kevin managed to jump back and land just outside its reach. The Sentinel recovered and its faceless form levitated a few inches off the ground between him and the monitor. He had a clear path to the exit but this thing was fast, impossibly fast. 

Kevin looked over to the corner where Rock Tumbler was huddled in fear. He knew the poor terran wasn't going to like what he had planned but he saw no other choice at this point. Every time he hit the Sentinel his blades just went right through it. Kevin reached into his pocked and pulled out a small, round device roughly the size of a golf ball. 

Slowly and with the item hidden in his hand, he made his way towards the center of the room. The Sentinel followed his movements, rotating so that its face, or rather where its face should be was always looking directly at him. Kevin, without taking his eyes off the creature, whispered to Rock Tumbler. "When I say 'Now' you run. Got it?" He saw Rock Tumbler nod out of the corner of his eye.

The two combatants stared one another down. The Sentinel crouched, bringing it's arm spikes up in preparation. Kevin squeezed the object in his hand tightly. I hope I remember how to do this, he thought. 

A few tense moments passed until finally, "NOW!" Kevin shouted. In that instant, several things happened. Rock Tumbler made a mad dash for the exit as Kevin and the Sentinel charged one another. The Sentinel jabbed with its spike but was parried by Kevin's blade. He then attempted to counter, but the Sentinel was too quick. In the opening created by Kevin's attack, it ran its other spike through his chest.

Then, something strange happened. As the spike pierced through to the other side, Kevin's body shattered. The Sentinel looked around for any sign of its prey until it heard a quick, high pitched whistle. It turned to see Kevin standing next to the monitor's housing holding a small sphere in his hand. It focused its vision on the sphere, a quick scan revealed it for what it was. A bomb and a powerful one at that.

"Let's see what's more important, catching us or saving this station." Kevin dropped the bomb into the cone housing below where the monitor had emerged then darted towards the exit. His gambit payed off as the Sentinel let out an unearthly noise in its rage and shot towards the monitor. 

If the Sentinel had one weakness, it was protocol. Regardless of the situation, there were a series of rules in place that needed to be followed. One of said rules was that only a user could access the housing panel. It hovered there, running countless calculations through its head trying to work out a solution. If one existed, it didn't come fast enough.

With a flash of light and a ear splitting bang, the explosion rocked the mountain side.  Kevin leaped to the right as soon as he passed the threshold to avoid the shock wave. Inside the chamber the pristine metallic floor and walls were now marred with char marks, the Sentinel and computer were nowhere to be seen.


***


Dusk waited for the final blow from Trixie, but it never came. Opening his eyes, he saw Trixie in the same position he'd last seen her in, only now the lifeless hollow look in her eyes was fading. As the light in her wand went out, her eyes rolled back and she fell over on the ground, unconscious. He was momentarily distracted by such an odd occurrence until he heard AJ yell once more. 

"Dusk, Help!"

Dusk looked over and saw AJ and Pinkie were backed up against the shore of the lake, the ursa right on top of them. Quickly, he shot a bolt of red magic into the sky. The signal for Rarity to pull them safely over the water to the other side of the lake.  Rarity wasn't a magic specialist by any stretch but she had a slightly above average pool of mana thanks to her daily exercises and self defense classes. Levitating two adult terrans across a lake proved difficult, however, she managed to get them within swimming distance of the shore.

Now that his friends were safe, Dusk channeled his power into a levitation spell of his own. His magic surrounded the ursa, lifting it off the ground. The ursa clearly had reservations as it struggled and flailed about to break free. Dusk grunted, feeling the pressure on his arms as the energy being channeled began straining his muscles. 

Ignoring his body's protests, he channeled a second spell, one of his own creation this time, to vibrate the air around the reeds of the lake to create a soft, low pitched hum. At the same time, he rocked the ursa in a slow, gentle motion. The beast's struggling slowly eased and eventually stopped as it was soothed to sleep.

Confident that the creature was pacified, Dusk used what was left of his power to created a temporary cage for the ursa. The bars, roof and flooring consisted of solidified magical energy. It wouldn't last long, but it would hold for a few hours. Long enough to get the ursa back where it belonged.

His task done, Dusk collapsed onto the ground. Breathing more out of relief than exhaustion. He didn't have long before his friends surrounded him, each one equally relieved to see that everything was alright.

"Dusk, that was the most amazing thing EVER!" Rainbow cheered.

"It was pretty impressive alright," AJ added, helping Dusk to his feet.

"Good heavens, Darling, I could barely manage to get these two across the lake," Rarity exclaimed. "How in the word did you manage that?"

"Oh, you know," Dusk said with a sheepish grin, "I read it in a book once..." The girls all laughed, but they halted when the groan of pain was heard from the figure on the ground a few feet away.

"Ugh, my head..." Trixie sat up. She rubbed her forehead and looked around, "w-wha? Where am I?"

Dusk walked up to Trixie who hadn't noticed him yet. "Trixie, are you alright? Do you need-"

"Y-you!" she snapped when she turned and saw him. "What have you done to the Great and Powerful Trixie? Why is she here? Ouch, and wha-whats wrong with her head?"

"Trixie, listen to me," Dusk said, trying to calm her, "I think you were mind controlled. Do you remember anything?"

Trixie crossed her arms but looked thoughtful for a moment. "Trixie remembers being in her home... then she remembers having a really weird dream where she was running from an ursa, seeing her wagon get smashed, then fighting with you." She let out a small laugh, "good thing it was just a dream right?"

Dusk and the five girls exchanged nervous glances, "Trixie, I don't know how to say this but..."

"Your wagon got pulverized," Rainbow blurted.

"WHAT!" Trixie screeched. Her headache forgotten, Trixie bolted towards the town leaving the others to follow. After a solid minute of nonstop sprinting, she arrived at the location where she'd parked her wagon... and fell to her knees in despair. Where the wagon once stood was now a crumpled mess of splintered wood and ripped cloth, but one part drew Trixie's attention and made her feel as though her world was ending. The way-gate that lead to her home was snapped completely in two.

The others arrived just in time to see Trixie fall to her hands and knees, tears dripping onto the dirt below her. She didn't care that they saw her, nothing mattered anymore.

"T-Trixie?" Dusk asked.

"I-I'm stranded..." 


***


In another part of the word, hidden from the sight of mortals, the Sentinel stood motionless apart from the passive shifting and jittering that was beyond its control. Less than a millisecond after the bomb had detonated, it teleported itself to its current location and hadn't moved since. 

For hours it waited, then, at long last, it finally received new orders from Auryn. The Sentinel then vanished once more, now set on its new task.
> Dragon Your Friends Up A Mountain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"K'Vann, if it were anyone else but you, I'd call them mad," Celestia said. The two were standing in a private room in the Canterlot Castle that was often used whenever Celestia needed to discuss matters that were off the record, so to speak. K'Vann had just finish telling his princess of all that had happened in the cave two days prior. "The creature you encountered, this 'Sentinel', are you certain it's destroyed?" she asked.

"There was no body," he answered, "but given the nature of the thing that doesn't surprise me."

Celestia paced the room in thought. Her radiant light-wings flowed calmly, belying the anxiousness she was feeling. "So, we know that 'They Who Are In' is actually Lock Tight misinterpreting the word 'auryn', but that still begs the question, who or what is auryn? And," she continued, halting in her pacing to look back at K'Vann, "what else did he misinterpret?"

"Antagonist of evee and epic soul where the other terms he used," K'Vann said. "When the device spoke to me, it mentioned the antagonist evee but it dropped the 'of' part. It also didn't say anything about an epic soul." He thought for a moment, "Lock Tight said Luna was antagonist eaye and now we know Trixie is antagonist evee."

"You said it displayed the word auryn like an acronym, yet it pronounced it 'are in'. What if it did the same for eaye and evee?" Celestia asked. "That would make it E. I. and... E. V.?"

"The last bit of evee is slightly longer sounding, maybe E. V. E. or E. V. I.? Regardless, we still have the same problem of what exactly they mean."

"Perhaps it will all make sense when we unlock the secrets of this object you found," Celestia said, indicating the small transparent cube with the amorphous glob of silver liquid in its center. "If the recording you heard is to be believed, this is a storage device of some sort."

"I'll put in a call to S.M.I.L.E. now then," K'Vann said as he pulled out his glass. "We'll have our top scientists working 24/7 to crack this thing-"

Celestia held up a hand to halt him, "that wont be necessary." 

"You're Highness?"

"Both the recording and this object appeared when you spoke aloud the name of my student, Dusk Shine, correct?" K'Vann nodded. "After the Nightmare Incident, Dusk confided in me of a strange phenomenon he witnessed while using the Elements of Harmony. A single word appeared to him in a vision, 'auryn', and from what you and he have told me of the recent events in Ponyville, I fear my dear student my be at the center of this mystery."

K'Vann frowned, "I hope you're not about to suggest what I think you're about to suggest," he said.

Celestia smiled that infamous knowing smile, "I want you to take the cube to Dusk. Let me finish..." she said quickly, interrupting K'Vann before he could protest. "Letting a team of experts examine it is the obvious course of action, but my intuition is telling me that Dusk Shine is the key to this whole affair. If there is one thing I've learned after more than one and a half millennia of rule, it's that you should trust your instincts." 

K'Vann wanted to protest but he couldn't, especially since his own gut feeling was telling him that the object was meant for Dusk. It was his name that was the password after all. "May I make a request then?" he asked.

"Of course."

"I'd like to stay in Ponyville as long as the cube is there. I want to see this case through to the end."

"Granted," Celestia said. "Truthfully, I was hoping you'd be willing to relocate as there is another task I wish you o perform..."


***


"Not too fast now, Angel bunny. You don't wanna get a tummy ache," Fluttershy said to the small white rabbit. She watched her beloved companion while sitting on her legs in a bright yellow one piece dress with a pink ribbon adorned yellow sunhat.  She loved all her little animal friends but Angel was her favorite. He was greedily eating the food she had set out for him but stopped when she spoke. It wasn't her voice that halted him however, as he noticed something odd from behind his caretaker. 

"You really should eat more than that, don't you think?" Fluttershy said, but Angel didn't resume eating. Instead he bounced up and down, trying to point to something behind her. Communicating with Angel was a difficult task. He couldn't speak, not even to Fluttershy, so he was forced to pantomime everything. 

This, of course often led to misunderstandings, "It's not play time yet. I know you want to run, but... just three more bites," Fluttershy asked. Angel shook his head and pointed violently behind her.

"Two more bites? One more bite? Pretty please?"

Angel decided to change his tactics, he let out a fake cough and pointed behind her once more. Unfortunately, Fluttershy remained adorably oblivious. "Oh, goodness. Are you okay?" she asked.

Angel smacked his face and coughed again. "Are you coughing because there's a carrot stuck in your throat?" Another cough, "Because you need some water?" Finally, Angel jumped up, hopped past Fluttershy and gave one last loud cough while pointing to the thing he was trying to direct her attention to.

Fluttershy looked up, "is it because of that giant cloud of scary black smoke?" Angel gestured his furry white paws in relief. "I'll take that as a yes," Fluttershy said. Indeed there was a very large cloud of black smoke billowing down from the Baltimare Mountain. The ominous cloud was moving at a rapid pace, carried by the winds and creeping closer and closer to Ponyville.

"Oh my..." she shuddered, "I-I have to let everyone know. We could be in danger!" With that said, she spread her butter yellow wings and flew towards the town.


***


"346, 347, 348..." Rainbow Dash counted each time the small beanbag ball bounced off her feat. Her sky blue tee and tan cargo shorts hung loosely off her limbs, waving with each motion. In the days that followed the ursa attack she had somewhat come out of her state of depression over Gilda's disappearance. She hadn't stopped worrying about it, not by a long shot, but she was slowly starting to return to normal. Physical activities helped her to take her mind off it, hence her current actions.

With her in the Ponyville Park was Pinkie Pie in her favorite pink skirt and matching shirt, watching her with the excited giddiness of a child. "Woo-hew, go Rainbow Dash!" The terran girl was so enthralled with Rainbow's efforts that she didn't notice Fluttershy softly land behind her.

"Oh Pinkie, Rainbow, thank goodness I found you," she said meekly. "Something terrible is happening! There's a horrible cloud of smoke. It's headed this way and-"

"Flutters, please! I'm trying to concentrate. 364, 365, I'm going for the world record in hacky sack, 369, 370..." 

"Oh this is sooooo exciting! We need to celebrate!" Pinkie cheered.

"But Pinkie, this is no time for a celebration. There's this cloud-" Fluttershy tried again to no avail.

"We're going to need balloons! And cupcakes!" Pinkie continued. "Let's see, how many will we need? One, two, three..." she counted aloud on her hand while thinking of all the potential invitees. 

"388, 389..."

"4, 5, 6..."

"Three nine... six, or wait..." Rainbow stammered as she lost count. The ball dropped to the ground. "Damn it, Pinkie! You made me lose count," she said in frustration. Rainbow bent down to pick up the ball, "now I got to start all over." She picked up the ball and stretched her arms to loosen them.

"Girls please!" Fluttershy pleaded, "this is an emergency. I-I need everyone to-"

"Everyone listen up!" came a new voice, the park goers all turned their attention to the speaker. It was Dusk Shine, in his signature lavender windbreaker worn over a white undershirt. "There's a large cloud of black smoke heading our way, if we don't act fast it will engulf our little town in a noxious fog."

There was a murmur of fear among the gathered crowd. "That's what I've been trying to-" Fluttershy started but was cut off once again.

"But don't worry everyone," Dusk continued, "I've just received a letter from the Princess. Among other things, she has informed me that it is not coming from a fire."

"Oh, thank goodness," Fluttershy sighed with relief.

"It's coming from a wild dragon."

"O-oh my..." Fluttershy squeaked.


***


After gathering Applejack and Rarity, the seven friends sat in the common room of the Ponyville Library. In the same room but sitting off on her own was Trixie Lulamoon. With the destruction of her way-gate and barely enough bits to buy food, she had been forced to accept Dusk's invitation to sleep on his couch. Of course she had denied it at first, saying she didn't need his charity. When she looked around town, however, she found that any available lodging was ether too expensive or the landlord in charge refused her because of her arrogant attitude.  It was the middle of the night on the day after the ursa attack when she finally knocked on Dusk's door, claiming that he was the reason she was in this situation and he should allow her to sleep on his couch until she could find a proper place to stay. 

Apart from that, she hadn't spoken to ether him or any of the others since. She quietly sat in a chair, reading a book on enchanting while listing to the conversation happening in the rooms center. 

Dusk opened a book to a page with a picture of a large green dragon, "so, what we're dealing with is an adult, male wyrm. Probably 200 to 600 years old," he said.

"Worm? I thought you said it was a dragon," Pinkie said.

"Not worm, wyrm, with a 'y'. It's a type of dragon," Dusk corrected. "Specifically, a wyrm is the kind that walks on all fours and has wings."

"What in the name of Harmony is a full grown wild dragon doing in Equestria?" asked AJ.

"Sleeping," he answered casually. The girls all looked at him with deadpan stares. "I'm serious, it's the snoring that's causing the smoke."

"Ok, so what are we to do about it?" Rarity asked.

"Well duh," Rainbow said, "we kick his butt of course." Unseen by the others, Trixie rolled her eyes.

"If it comes to that, but first we're going to try and reason with it," Dusk said. "The six of us will head up to his cave and if we can't convince him to leave, we'll have to, uh, evict him."

"Wait, six of us?" AJ asked, "is Spike not going?"

"Are you kidding?" Spike answered, "I'm not going up there, that's a freaking dragon!"

"But... you're a dragon too, Spike," Rainbow pointed out.

"Exactly! I know what we're capable of..."

"It wouldn't matter anyway," Dusk added, "Spike is an Equestrian dragon. Wild dragons consider them no better than any other race." Dusk looked around at each of the girls, "so, everyone ready?"	There were several sounds of affirmation.

"Well um... actually-" Fluttershy said meekly but it went unheard.

"Great, then lets get moving. It's an hour's train ride to Mt. Baltimare." He turned to Trixie, "Trixie, I'd like you to come with us," at the shocked expressions of his friends he added, "your magic is pretty good, we could use your help."

Trixie merely scoffed, "Trixie has no interest in climbing mountains and fighting dragons."

Dusk thought for a moment, "how about this, you come help us and I'll pay for your train ticket back to hoofington."

Her eyes widened, the price of a ticket was the one thing keeping her stranded in what she considered to be hill billy hell. She hated the idea of having to follow the one she considered responsible for her current situation but if his offer was genuine, then she was willing to suck it up. It could literally be her ticket home.

"Very well," she said as she closed the book she'd been reading. "I suppose it would be irresponsible of me to allow you all to go on such a dangerous mission without my amazing skills. But I fully expect you to honor this agreement, Dusk Shine!"

Dusk rolled his eyes as he and the magician joined the group heading for the train station. Spike pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a quick message, Mac, Dusk and the girls are gone for the rest of the day, come on over. I managed to get my claws on a 1st edition O&O rule book, lets break out the dice and try it out. He sent the message on it's way and began clearing the table.


***


The train pulled up to the station at the base of Baltimare Mountain. Further to the East, the city of Baltimare for which the mountain was named was mostly obscured by the black smoke coming down from the peaks. As the group exited the train, they were greeted with the sight of a large crowd of people attempting to board the departing train. 

The noise was deafening and several tired looking L-Sec officers struggled to maintain some semblance of order. "Everyone's trying to get out of Baltimare and we're the only ones trying to get in," Trixie noted. 

"Alright, girls," Dusk said as he pulled out a map, "I've mapped out the fastest route, but we've all got to keep a good pace if we expect to make it up the mountain by nightfall."

"A-all the way... to the t-t-top?" Fluttershy asked as she stared at the imposing heights of the mountain. Balimare mountain wasn't the highest peak in Equestria but one would be hard pressed to imagine something taller when standing at it's base.

"Yep, the dragon is in a cave at the very top," Dusk said as he folded up the map.

"Seems a might cold up there," AJ pointed out.

"That'd be the altitude," Rainbow responded. "Higher up you go, the colder it gets, harder to breath too."

"We won't be going that high, fortunately, but we still might want to bundle up," Dusk said.

"Um, excuse me, Dusk? I know you're busy, but..." Fluttershy tried to get his attention, but between her soft voice and his focused attention span, she couldn't get a word in.

"Trixie, do you know any utility spells that might be useful?"

"...If I could just have a second..."

"That's Great and Powerful Trixie to you, Dork Shine! And of course I do!"

"...So, um, I was thinking that, um, maybe..."

"Oh really? Alright, which ones?"

"...if it's alright with you that is..."

"Ha! Well there's... um... Trixie doesn't have to list them off to you! When they are needed, Trixie will use them."

"...that I should just stay here at the train station?"

"Uh-huh."

"Really? Oh Good, I'll stay here and-" the excitement in Fluttershy's voice finally caught Dusk's attention.

"Wait! Fluttershy, you have to come," he said, turning to face the timid young seraphim. "Your... unique gift makes you our best chance at a peaceful resolution." Dusk had almost said 'dryadic heritage' but remembered not everyone in their little circle was aware of that. "If anyone can speak to the dragon and convince him to leave it's you."

Fluttershy hated being confrontational, especially if it meant letting down her friends but she just couldn't bare the thought of facing a full grown dragon. "Oh, I don't think you really need me, I mean dragons are intelligent, anyone can talk to them."

"Yes but not everyone has your, um... gentle disposition," Dusk countered. "Come on, once we get going you'll be fine."

"But... but I... oh my," she lamented.


***


Everyone was gathered at the trail that lead up the mountain. The air was clear of smoke here, much to Fluttershy's chagrin as it allowed her a perfect view of the mountain's massive height. 

"Oh... it's so... high!" she stuttered.

"It is a mountain after all," Trixie said mockingly.

Dusk was about to reprimand her when they were suddenly startled by a deafening rumble. The mountain itself seemed to shake as tiny pebbles rolled off it's rocky edges. Birds were frightened from their trees and flew off in droves, cackling angrily. 

"Whoa, what was that?" Rainbow asked.

"I think the dragon may have yawned," Dusk said.

A yawn?! thought Fluttershy, if that was just a yawn, how scary is it going to be when he roars?

"I'm gonna fly up there a check it out," Rainbow declared but was halted by AJ.

"Hold on, now. I think we should all go together. Safety in numbers and all that."

"Fine..." Rainbow said with crossed arms.

The group began their climb, the trail wasn't too steep but it was winding and rocky. While they walked Dusk turned to Trixie, "so, you know anything about dragons?"

Trixie scoffed before she answered, "big, dumb, greedy and breaths fire. What more is there to know?"

"How will it react to seeing us? What can we do to convince it to leave?" Dusk offered his examples with annoyance.

"Pift, please. The dragon will take one look at Trixie's amazing power and run screaming."

"Geese, is this what I sound like?" Rainbow whispered to AJ who elected not to answer.

"How in the name of Harmony can you be so arrogant?" Dusk asked angrily.

"Ha! That's rich, coming from a djinn."

That caught Dusk off guard, "w-what in the world does my genus have to do with-"

Another loud rumble interrupted Dusk as the mountain side shook. The sound reverberated through the crags causing lose rocks to fall over the cliff's edge. The group braced themselves against the cliff wall until the trimmers halted.

"Sounds like we're getting close," Rainbow said.

Getting close... getting close, her voice echoed off the cliff walls, much to Pinkie's delight.

"Teehee, Echo!" she yelled. Echo... echo.

"Shucks, watch this," AJ said. "Yodelayheehoo!" yodelayheehoo... yodelayheehoo. As AJ's voice bounced off the cliff walls, larger rocks began to tumble down from above. The sound of each bounce was enhanced by the acoustics of the crag. 

"Girls I think we should be quiet," Dusk cautioned. "This may be an avalanche zone."

"A-avalanche?" Fluttershy asked meekly.

"We need to move carefully," he said. The group slowly and without comment made their way further along the path. Each step echoed and in the eerie silence, every little sound could be heard. They passed the half way point without incident, then a tiny rock that was just barely hanging on was nudged out of place and landed on Fluttershy's head.

"AVALAN-" she started but was quickly cut off by the others as they all simultaneously placed a hand on her mouth. Avalan... avalan, her cry traveled through the crag and seven very nervous mountain climbers held their collective breaths listing for any sign of rocks falling.  After a very long 10 seconds, they all sighed in relief.

That did it.

It started with a small rock landing on a ledge that was already at it's breaking point. The added weight caused it to break off, dropping it's massive load on the cliff side below. The larger rocks knocked lose ever larger ones and within seconds, a full blown avalanche was bearing down on Dusk and his friends.

"RUN!" Dusk yelled. The group made a mad dash for the end of the crag. Small rocks pelted them on the head as the terrifying rumble of the larger rocks drew ever closer. Rainbow weaved and dodged in the air, narrowly avoiding a large bolder that shot past her. To her horror she noticed it was heading right for Dusk.

"Dusk! Watch out!" she cried. He looked up just in time to see the multi ton projectile heading straight for him. Thankfully AJ noticed it as well and was able to tackle him out of the way just in time. A second, smaller rock fell towards Trixie who was able to deflect it with a spell from her wand. Rarity and Pinkie were likewise occupied helping a catatonic Fluttershy run towards the path's end.

The rumbling slowly faded as the girls and Dusk stopped at the edge of the crag to catch their breath. The path behind them was cut off by a large pile of rocks. "I guess we're going to have to take the long way back," AJ said. "Everybody okay?"

There was a round of confirmations from everyone save for Rarity who was distressed at the state of her scarf. "Uh! This is why a girl always packs extra accessories," she said while pulling out a new one from her pack. "Oh, please tell me I brought the hat that goes with this."

Dusk was about to turn his attention back to the path ahead when suddenly he felt a searing lance of pain on the back of his head. The last thing he heard was his friends crying out his name before his vision faded to black.


***


Everything was black, Dusk could feel a throbbing pain in the back of his head but little else. He could hear distant voices but they were all jumbled and faded, almost like he was hearing from underwater.

"...usk, wake up!"

"...onumental discovery..."

He recognized the voices. The first came from one of his friends, the other, it sounded like a man and it was very familiar but he had no idea where from.

"...Dusk! Come on!"

"...don't fully understand how it works..."

The mystery voice was getting louder and for some reason, it made Dusk angry.

"...oh no, oh my. This is all my fault..."

"...hat happened to you, Miles? When did you..."

They were getting clearer now. Dusk could hear the panic in Fluttershy's voice and what sounded like pleading in the unknown speaker's words.

"...'ll be alright, Fluttershy, this isn't your fault."

"...elieve yourself a god?!"

Suddenly, Dusk felt himself pulled from wherever he was as a bright light filled his vision.

"DUSK!"


***


Dusk woke with what was probably the worst headache. He opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of his five friends looking at him with concern except for Fluttershy who was in tears. When he sat up, they all let out a collective sigh of relief. "Ugh, what happened?" he asked.

"A rock came down and smacked you in the head like, wham!" Pinkie answered, slamming a fist into her hand to demonstrate.

"Knocked you out cold, gave us a bit of a scare," AJ added. "Good thing Trixie was able to fix you up with a healing spell."

"Wait, Trixie did?" Dusk asked. He looked around and found the magician examining her wand.

"You're surprised?" she said while sparing a glance. "Trixie isn't so cold as to let someone die just because she does not like them. The Benevolent and Generous Trixie is kind to all, even her foes."

"Well, thanks I guess," Dusk said while rubbing the back of his head. He could feel where the wound had been and it was still a bit sore so it wasn't a complete healing, but he was out of danger for the moment. The sound of quiet sniffling drew his attention back to his friends where he spotted Fluttershy holding herself with tears running down her face.

"Hey Fluttershy, whats wrong?" he asked.

"N-nothing *sniff* I'll be alright, you just gave me a scare is all," she said with a forced smile but Dusk somehow doubted that was all that was bothering her. He wanted to probe deeper but a call from Trixie distracted him.

"Hey, if you losers are done sharing your feewings," she yelled mockingly from around the bend in the path, "Trixie believes she has found the dragon's lair." As the group rounded the corner, they found themselves at the mouth of a large cave dug into the cliff side. The black smoke was pouring out of the opening and floating down to the world below. A loud, almost guttural snoring could be heard coming from within. 

"Good HEAVENS! What is that ghastly odor?" Rarity cried as a breeze blew past the cave in their direction.

"Sulfur, from the dragon," Dusk said while holding his nose. "I heard that some dragons eat it to make their dragonfire stronger, that might be what's causing him to snore black smoke." Dusk used his free hand to make a few casting gestures and the group was covered by a wave of lavender magic. The smell vanished, in fact, the air was now as fresh as any of them could remember it ever being.

"Febreze's Fresh Air Shroud," Trixie commented, "simple but effective I suppose."

Dusk ignored her and turned to Rainbow, "alright, we need to clear up this smoke. You think you can handle that Rainbow?"

"On it!" she said and shot into the sky. Air began to swirl around her hands as she blew large portions of the black clouds away.

"Okay, Rarity and Pinkie, you two will create a diversion to distract the dragon should things get out of hand," he continued.

Rarity nodded. Pinkie, who was now wearing a camouflaged colored army helmet and holding a toy popgun against her shoulder, stood attention and saluted. Dusk fought back his urge to question it.

"Applejack and Trixie, you two be ready in case he decides to attack. Hopefully it wont come to that."

AJ cracked her knuckles while Trixie merely humphed and crossed her arms.

"Fluttershy, you're with me. Alright, lets do this," he said and entered the cave. As he trekked deeper, his mana gem began to glow, allowing him to see. In the back of the cave, he could make out the shadow of a large creature that could only be the dragon.

"So, what is the best way to wake up a sleeping dragon without upsetting him?" he asked. No answer. "Fluttershy?" he asked again, this time looking behind him. Outside the cave, he saw the shaking seraphim nervously holding her hands up to her chest. "Oh, come on!"

Returning to the outside, he walked up to Fluttershy who hadn't moved an inch. "Fluttershy, whats wrong?" he asked.

"I... I... I can't go in the cave," she said meekly.

Rainbow sighed, "oh great. She's scared of caves now, too."

"I'm not scared of caves," she said with a shake of her head. "I'm scared of... of..."

"Scare of what, sugar cube?" AJ placed a hand on her shoulder.

"...of ...of," the dragon let out another loud yawn, shaking the cliff side and causing all present to cover their ears. When it passed, Fluttershy was  squatting down with her hands over her eyes. "I'm scared of dragons!" she said quickly.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow exclaimed, "We've seen you walk right up to a horrible manticore like it was nothing."

"Manticores aren't dragons," Fluttershy responded.

"What about Spike? The day we met you were gushing all over him and he's a dragon," Dusk pointed out.

"Yes, because he's not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a person in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!"

Dusk massaged his temples, inhale, count to four, exhale, he mentally chanted to himself. "Fluttershy, first, dragons don't eat people, eating a sapient creature is cannibalism even to them. Second, if you're so afraid of dragons, why didn't you say something before we came all the way up here?"

"I-I tried, but no one listened to me."

"Alright, look," Dusk said, "Fluttershy, you stay out here, I'll go talk to him myself. Dragons can be reasonable... at times." His friends all exchanged glances but didn't answer. Regardless, Dusk stilled himself and returned to the cave.

After a short trip he emerged into a large cavern. Inside was a fairly large horde of bits as well as articles of jewelry scattered here and there. However, Dusk's attention was drawn to the center of the cave where a massive red wyrm was sleeping soundly. The great beast was easily the size of a one story house with gleaming red scales that reflected the light emanating from Dusk's gem. Long dorsal fins rose and fell as the dragon breathed and the noxious smoke poured out of his nostrils at a steady pace.

Well, here goes nothing, Dusk thought. "Excuse me, Mr... Dragon?" Dusk called out. The creature didn't move so he tried again. This time, shining his light on the dragon's eye. "Excuse me, Mr. Dragon, I need to have a word with you, please."

The wyrm stirred, opening his eyes and focusing them on the little intruder that was disturbing his rest.

"Oh, good, you're awake. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dusk Shine, Representative of Equest-" As Dusk spoke, the dragon opened its mouth to let out a great yawn. Dusk was momentarily stunned by its shear size, he could easily stand on the dragon's tongue with his arms raised and still not be able to reach the roof of the mouth. His front teeth were long and sharp while his rear ones were flat and jagged in order to grind up gems and other rocks that they ate. Dusk also noted, to his relief, that the palatal valve, a flap at the back of a dragon's throat, was closed meaning he wasn't about to breath fire.

"...Equestria," Dusk continued, "I've come here to respectfully request that you find another spot to take your nap. It's just that you seem to be doing an awful lot of snoring, and every time you do you send out a terrible cloud of smoke. Equestria simply can't survive a hundred years in a dark haze. You understand, don't you?"

The dragon continued looking at Dusk with an idle curiosity, then, he raised up onto his hind legs and stretched out his limbs. Dusk let out a sigh of relief, "So, you'll find another place to sleep?"

With an earth shaking thud, the dragon let his body drop back to the ground, returning once more to his dreams. 

"I'll take that as a no," Dusk said with a disappointed sigh.

As Dusk exited the cave, his defeated disposition as well as the lack of a 20 foot tall monster told his friends that the negotiations had failed. 

"So much for asking nicely," Rainbow said.

"Well, now what do we do, oh glorious leader?" Trixie said mockingly.

Before he could answer, Rarity stepped up. "Obviously, this situation just calls for a little 'womanly charm'," she said. "Allow me, girls."

Rarity approached the sleeping dragon. As she did, she couldn't help but be taken in by piles upon piles of gold and jewels. She nearly forgot her mission as she ran over to a particularly large diamond. Oh my heavens! Just imagine what I could make with such a perfectly flawless- she was broken from her thought process by a loud throat clearing noise. Turning around, she saw the owner of said gem eyeing her with a look that said "don't even think about it."

Rarity composed herself, but kept the diamond in the corner of her eye. "I'm so sorry to interrupt your sleep," she started, "but I couldn't possibly head back home without mentioning what handsome scales you have." At this, the dragon raised to its full height to look down at the small and unexpectedly polite mortal. 

"And," she continued, "those scales have to be hidden away in some silly cave for a hundred years? What a shame."  The dragon ran a hand over his dorsal spines, it was rare to receive complements, especially from mortals who usually just wanted to chase him off or rob him blind, sometimes both.

While the dragon was basking in the praise, Rarity inched ever closer to the diamond, boldly picking it up to admire while she spoke. "Personally, I think you should skip the snoozing and be out there, showing them off," she said. "And of course, I would be more than happy to keep an eye on your treasures while you're gone."

The dragon snapped out of his revelry and looked down at the djinn woman who was currently fondling his most prized diamond. With a crash, he slammed his claw down on the cavern floor to get her attention. Rarity looked at the suddenly much larger than before dragon with a guilty grin. He glared angrily at her and held out his claw.

Rarity, seeing that she had been caught, obeyed the dragon's unspoken command to return the diamond. "I... ahem... I was just, getting it for you," she said sheepishly while placing the diamond in his claw. Once the diamond was safely back in his possession, he let out a bellowing roar causing Rarity to scream as she ran from the cave.

Outside, her friends looked on in concern as she burst from the cave opening and came to a panting halt once she was beside them. "Rarity, are you alright?" Dusk asked.

"I'm fine, dear," she said, "but I was this close to getting that diamond!"

"You mean... getting the dragon to leave right?"

"Hm? Oh right, right, that too."

"Alright losers," came the unmistakable arrogance of Trixie, "stand back and be amazed as Trixie, Dragon Whisperer, saves the day!" Without waiting for the opinions of the others, Trixie marched herself into the cave. The dragon, now fully awake and annoyed rolled his eyes as yet another mortal brazenly entered his lair. 

Outside, Dusk paced back and forth while the others sat and waited. A loud roar was heard from the cave accompanied by a soft glow. They looked on with worry until Trixie emerged shortly after, a scowl on her black soot covered face and a small flame on the tip of her hat. Without a word, she marched over to the group and sat with her arms crossed. "'Go to Ponyville', they said, 'it's an easy gig', they said," she mumbled to herself. Meanwhile, Pinkie casually blew out the flame on her hat.

"Alright that's it!" Rainbow declared. "We tried talking, flattery, and... whatever the hell Trixie did, now it's time to get physical." She cracked her knuckles and flexed her wings as she spoke. "I'm going in!" Before any of them could protest, Rainbow darted into the cave. Perhaps if she had been a little slower, she would have had time to take in the dragon's colossal size and deadly weapons. As it was, she didn't stop to consider the situation until after she punched him square in the face.

The dragon liked to think of himself as a somewhat decent fellow. Like most wild dragons he considered his race to be the most majestic in Equestria but he generally didn't look down on mortals. He'd been patient, hoping they would take the hint, he even gave the goofy looking one with the hat a slight scare with his dragonfire. Getting punched in the face, however, was a step too far.

The dragon rose to his full height, spreading his massive wings and bearing his teeth. Rainbow looked up and up and up as the great wyrm filled the cave with its massive form. As it fixed it's furious eyes on her, a single thought ran through her head, whelp, I dun goofed.

Outside, the others jumped with a start as they heard a loud, angry roar followed by their friend flying out of the cave with an uncharacteristically frightened look. "Ok, so..." she said as she landed, "good news is, I got him to leave the cave." The ground shook with each step as the dragon emerged from his lair. He pointed his head to the sky and let lose a massive jet of dragonfire. not particularly caring that his race's traditional challenge call was most likely lost on the tiny mortals.

If the group was scared, Fluttershy was completely petrified. Her worst fears were playing out right in front of her. She watched helplessly as they tried to defend themselves. Dusk tried to conjure a shield but the dragon back handed him into a rock wall before he could. Applejack tossed a rock in the air and roundhouse kicked it into the dragon's side but it bounced right off the thick scales. All in all, it didn't look good for the group of would be dragon wranglers.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, unable to move. She tried to push her fear away, to think of something. It was then that Rainbow crashed onto the ground in front of her. She groaned in pain as she struggled to stand. "Oh no! Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy yelled as she reached down to grab her friends hand. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh, I'll be fine, he just knocked me down is all," she answered. 

Fluttershy looked at her bruised and scratched friend, then back at the dragon that was currently closing in on Dusk and the others who were huddled together. All of a sudden, she felt a familiar feeling, just like she felt when fighting the revenants back at the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was an anger that swelled from deep inside her. She knew what was coming and it scared her almost as much as the dragon itself. Breathing heavily, she thought back to what her mother had once told her.

Many years ago, Fluttershy was sitting on a chair outside the Principle's office of Cloudsdale Elementary School, her eyes red from endless tears. The door opened and out walked a tall, beautiful woman with brown skin and long flowing hair the color of summer leaves. She looked down at Fluttershy with a sad expression.

"M-mama..." Fluttershy sniffled, "I-I'm so sorry... I just couldn't control myself! *sniff* I saw that kid picking on Zephyr Breeze and I just... I don't know what happened. I saw red and the next thing I knew I was on top of him and he was crying and my hands were covered in b-blo..." she couldn't finish the last word, the thought of what she'd done made her sick. "P-please don't let them banish me mama, I'll never do it again!"

"Fluttershy," her mother spoke in a soft whisper. She knelt down and embraced her daughter who returned it with both her arms and her tiny yellow wings. "It's going to be ok, my little sapling. Your principle said if you and that boy apologize to one another, she'll let you off with a warning."

Fluttershy felt a great deal of relief at that, but something still bothered her. "Mama... am I a bad person?" she asked as they walked home from the schoolhouse.

"Of course not, sweetie. Why on earth would you think that?"

"When I... hurt that other kid, I couldn't stop myself. I was just so mad. W-why would I do something like that if I wasn't a bad person?"

"Sapling," she started, "do you remember when I told you that mama was different?"

"Because you're a druid?"

"Dryad, sweetheart, not druid. A druid is someone who worships nature. But more importantly, because I am a dryad, that means you are part dryad as well." She looked down at her daughter who was watching her with curiosity. "You know how you got the same hair, wings and skin color as your papa? Well, you got some things that I have as well, but the things you got from me are inside you. Your love of animals for example. And you definitely got your smarts from me and not your father," she grinned cheekily causing Fluttershy to giggle. "You got something else from me as well," she continued, "something all dryads have but few people know about."

"What's that, mama?"

"Fury," she said with a serious tone. "Dryads are meant to be the guardians of the forest but we are kind and gentle beings who deplore violence, so, we developed a trait that allowed us to call upon the wrath of nature herself. You see, Fluttershy, when a dryad sees something or someone they care deeply about being threatened, we feel an anger. It's an anger that takes over our minds and makes us do things that would normally be unthinkable." She looked over at her daughter who had a growing fear on her face. "That's what you felt today, sapling, when you saw your little brother being bullied, your dryadic fury was triggered."

"W-what if I do it again?!" Fluttershy cried. "Oh no, every time I get mad I'll hurt someone! I-"

"Sapling!" her mother interrupted her and knelled down to look her in the eye. "That wont happen, I promise. I can teach you how to control your fury so that you don't ever go too far, also, you'll only feel fury when you're really, really angry. And you're too sweet to ever get that mad very often." She smiled and booped Fluttershy on the nose.

Fluttershy smiled affectionately at her mother and they continued their walk home. "So, how do I control it then?" she asked.

"The most important thing to remember is, when you feel it coming on, think about what you want to do. You don't want to hurt the one you're angry at, you just want to make them back down. There's one technique that's been passed down in our family from mother to daughter, it's called The Stare...

Fluttershy closed her eyes and tried to focus. "I don't want to hurt him," she said to herself, "I want to stand up to him and tell him he's wrong." The anger continued to build but she continued to whisper what she wanted to do. Slowly, her fear melted away and the anger, although still present, began to feel more like determination. Finally, as it reached it's peak, she knew what she had to do.

The dragon closed in on the group of huddled friends with every intention of sending them home with chard clothing and third degree burns when a shout from his left drew his attention. "Listen here, mister!" The dragon turned to see a tiny seraphim who was now flying eye level with him. He growled menacingly to frighten her off but it failed.

"Fluttershy, don't! He'll get you too!" Dusk yelled but was silenced when she held up a sturdy and confident hand.

Fluttershy gazed into the wyrm's eyes, "Just because you're big doesn't mean you get to be a bully! You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke, and breathe fire. But you do not, I repeat, you do Not! Hurt! My! Friends! You got that?"

The dragon looked into the tiny seraphim's eyes. He couldn't understand why, but he felt a powerful aura radiating off her, a pressure of authority that he had only felt from two other beings in his entire 400 year life. The first was his loving but stern mother, and the second was in the presence of the great dragon lord, Torch. His mind told him it was a logical absurdity, this mortal was barely larger than his pinkie claw. A puff from his dragonfire and she would be nothing more than ash, yet, he felt like a child under her gaze.

"But that rainbow one kicked me..." he spoke for the first time.

Fluttershy spared a glance at Rainbow Dash who was currently leaning against a bolder for support. Rainbow shrugged with a guilty smile. The yellow winged seraphim returned her gaze to the dragon, "and I am very sorry about that," she continued. "But you're bigger than she is, and you should know better. You should also know better than to take a nap where your snoring can become a health hazard to other creatures."

The dragon wanted to feel indignant but instead he felt something he'd never actually felt before, shame. "But I-"

"Don't you 'but I' me, mister!" Fluttershy interrupted. "Now what do you have to say for yourself?" Her glare intensified, "I said, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I-I'm..." and then the dragon spoke two words. Two words that were rarely, if ever spoken by any dragon, "I'm sorry."

Fluttershy smiled  a warm and loving smile as she patted the dragon's snout. "There, there. You're not a bad dragon, you just made a bad decision. Now go pack your things. You just need to find a new place to sleep. That's all." Her gentle tone and bright smile filled him with a warmth that he'd not felt in years. With a nod, he turned back towards his cave, took a deep breath and let out a massive jet of green dragonfire. Then he spread his wings and took flight. 

Fluttershy landed in front of her slack jawed friends who stood in silence for a few moments, unable to believe what they'd just witnessed. Dusk was the first to break the silence, "Fluttershy, you did it!" He and the rest of the group surrounded her with cheers and words of congratulations with the exception of Trixie who was staring at the dragon's receding form while scratching her head and Rarity who had gone to check the cave.

"Oh drat," she said with a pout, "the treasure's all gone."

"He must have used his dragonfire to send it away," Dusk noted as he joined her by the cave.

"I'm just glad it's over'n done with so we can head back ho-" AJ was interrupted by a strange sound that drew the attention of all towards the mouth of the cave. While the others looked with curiosity, Trixie felt a cold fear shoot down her spine. Her heart started pounding and her breathing became heavy, she'd heard that sound before.

Pinkie noticed Trixie and was about to ask if she was ok when the sound of footsteps echoed from the cavern. Dusk stared in confusion, it wasn't possible for there to be someone in that cave, it was filled with dragonfire literally less than two minutes ago. He looked back and saw Trixie was now shaking, a fearful expression on her face.

Dusk decided to investigate the cave, he was followed by the others with Trixie trailing in the back, still looking incredibly nervous for some reason. As they entered the main chamber where the dragon's horde had been, they found it completely empty save for one thing, a creature the likes of which Dusk had never seen. Humanoid in shape but with a grey, and shifting body that looked like a software glitch personified. 

"What in Harmony's name-" Dusk started but he was cut off by a shriek of terror from Trixie. Her scream drew the thing's attention as it turned towards the group and they saw, to their shock and confusion, that it had no face. 

Before anyone could do anything else, Trixie let loose a volley of magical blasts from her wand. She grunted with each swing, launching bolts as fast as her wand could draw energy. The creature dodged each bolt by blinking from one position to another as fast as the eye could see. "Stay away!" she yelled in a panicked voice. 

"AJ, Rainbow, hold her!" Dusk yelled as he conjured a protective barrier around the group.

AJ and Rainbow each grabbed one of Trixie's arms, stopping her frantic casting but not her struggling. "Let me go!" she cried, "that thing's after me!"

Dusk, with his hands outstretched to hold the shield, chanced a look back at Trixie, then looked back at the monstrous thing. It stood mere inches from him now, separated only by the thin pink bubble of magic. He stared at it's hauntingly faceless visage, "What are you?" he whispered.

The creature said nothing, instead it backed up a few feet and in a flash of light, it vanished.  Dusk waited a few moments before dropping the barrier. He looked around cautiously but the thing was nowhere to be seen. Behind him, he heard Trixie hyperventilating, she slumped to the ground, holding her wand close as if it was her last lifeline. 

"Shhh, it's alright. The bad thing is gone now," Fluttershy said gently as she and Pinkie slowly managed to calm her. Trixie said nothing as they walked her out of the cave, leaving Dusk, Rainbow, AJ and Rarity.

Rainbow walked up to Dusk's side, "So..." she started, "obvious question but, what the actual hell was that?"

"I have no idea," he answered looking around the cave. In the back, where the thing had first been standing, he spotted a small, odd looking object. He illuminated his mana gem for extra light as he walked over to it. The object looked like a quartz about a foot long with a point on each end. Its smooth surface was so perfectly black that it actually stood out from the shadows. 

Dusk reached out and touched it with his magic. There appeared to be no ill effects so slowly, he extended a hand to its surface. It was cold to the touch and smooth like glass. He picked it up to examine it further, upon closer inspection, tiny writing was embedded into the surface but the characters were unrecognizable. 

"Rarity, have you ever seen a gem like this?" he asked.

Rarity walked up to take a closer look at the object in question. "Oh my, I'm afraid not, darling. Though it does have a sort of menacing beauty to it." Whatever it was, it seemed to be related to the thing that had appeared so Dusk decided to keep it for later. Perhaps Celestia would know.

When Dusk and the others exited the cave, he saw that Trixie was leaning against one of the rocks with a distant look in her eyes. "Trixie, are you alright?" he asked.

"Trixie is fine..." she said dismissively. 

"You sure? Because I know what it's like to have panic attacks."

"I said I'm fine! Trixie does not need help from anyone. Especially from you, djinn!" she spat. 

"Hey, what's your problem?" Rainbow yelled.

"Yea, Dusk's only trying to be nice," Pinkie added.

"Trixie doesn't have to explain herself to you, you'd never understand it." She turned towards the path that led downward. "The dragon is dealt with, Trixie no longer has any reason to be here."

"Why that ungrateful-" AJ started but Dusk grabbed her shoulder.

"Let's let it go," he said. "I don't know what she has against djinn but that... thing clearly had an effect on her. Lets give her some space."


***


The ride home was a relaxing one, even though Trixie kept to herself, the others couldn't help but feel relived by their success. The sun was setting as they pulled into the station. While the girls all went to their homes, Trixie followed Dusk back to the library. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the night and leave in the morning? It's been a long day."

"Trixie is sure," she replied. "I don't want to spend any more time here than I have to."

Dusk sighed but he expected as such. He opened the door to see Spike sitting in the common room and he wasn't alone. "K-Kevin? What are you doing here?"

Kevin looked up to greet the pair, "ah, Dusk, and you must be Trixie," he said as he walked towards her.

"I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. Who are you supposed to be and why should I care?" she asked irritated.

"I am Special Agent Kevin of S.M.I.L.E. and as for why you should care..." in one quick motion, he bound her right hand to his left with a pair of hand cuffs. "Trixie Lulamoon, by order of Princess Celestia, you are under arrest."
> No Shaman Being Different
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was a good five minutes before Trixie was able to calm herself. During which time she had gone through all the stages of depression in record time. 

Denial: "You can't arrest me, do you have any idea who I am? I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie!" 

Anger: "I'll sue you for everything, you hear me? Marks my words you will rue this day! Rue it I say!" 

Bargaining: "Dusk Shine! My best friend, tell him I'm innocent. I'll do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't involve physical labor." 

Sadness: "Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaa!" 

And finally, Acceptance: "So be it! I'll serve my time but this is not the end of Trixie! I'll be back and better than ever."

Kevin, who's arm was now sore from being jerked along via the handcuffs during Trixie's performance glanced over at Dusk with a raised eyebrow. "Is she always like this?" he asked.

"Pretty much," he answered, "but more importantly, why exactly is she under arrest?"

"Let's have a seat," he said and gave the cuffs a slight tug to prompt Trixie to follow, "I'll explain everything." Dusk first asked Spike to make them something to drink then followed Kevin and his prisoner to the dining room. He took a seat in one of the chairs while the other two sat perpendicular to each other. Spike joined them a moment later with a tray and four cups of hot tea. "First, let me start by saying that this isn't as bad as it sounds." He looked to Trixie, "officially, you're being charged for unleashing a class 9 dangerous creature in a public area."

"But that wasn't my fault!" Trixie shouted. "That weird... thing thralled me. Tell him, Dork Shine!" she looked to dusk with pleading eyes.

"It's true," Dusk said, "her eyes were unfocused and her behavior was erratic. She also suffered headaches and slight memory loss, all symptoms of enthrallment."

"I know," Kevin said simply. At the confused looks he continued, "your 'arrest' is just the official story for anyone who asks. In actuality I'm here both to protect you and continue an ongoing investigation." He leaned in, "what I'm about to tell you three is considered a national security issue and cannot leave this room. Understand?"

When Dusk, Spike and Trixie all nodded in understanding he continued, "on the night of the ursa attack I was following a lead on a potential security breach, it lead me to a strange facility where I was able to watch the whole attack unfold through a computer monitor of some sort." 

"So that's how you knew the ursa was coming," Dusk said. That had been bothering him for some time. "But, how were you able to see everything?"

"The creature that thralled you," he said to Trixie, "I was able to see through its eyes. I believe it to be a construct of some sort, the computer called it the Sentinel." He then turned to Dusk, "it also identified itself as Auryn, I believe you're familiar with that word."

Dusk stood with enough force that his chair slid back several inches. "Auryn?" he asked, "as in A U R Y N?"

"Exactly."

Dusk's mind was running a mile a minute but Trixie on the other hand, couldn't be more confused. "Ok, back up. Can one of you please tell Trixie what in Harmony's name is going on? What is that creature? What is Auryn? And WHY is Trixie still in handcuffs?" she demanded.

"I believe it started with the Nightmare Incident," Kevin answered. Dusk went on to explain how he and his friends defeated Nightmare Moon and how, after using their full power, he had a vision of the word AURYN. He didn't mention the other visions or the minor hallucinations he'd had in the days that followed as they didn't seem important. Kevin then told his part of the story, explaining about Lock Tight, the deranged writings in his journal and finally his interaction with the strange device beyond the Great Metal Door. 

"...and so Princess Celestia sent me here because she thinks you might be able to unlock the secrets of this artifact," Kevin indicated to the data cube on the table. "She also wants me to watch over you, Miss Lulamoon, in case the Sentinel decides to attack you again."

While Dusk eyed the cube with fascination, Trixie drummed her fingers with a deadpan look. "So let Trixie see if she has this straight," she said, "this buffoon, along with you and five other unremarkable girls from this one horse town in the middle of nowhere defeated an ancient evil that was able to overpower the woman who controls the sun. Then, some creep who's stalking Trixie tells you how to get into an ancient ruin that no one has been able to open in over 10,000 years, inside which you find an advanced computer that gives you a trinket after saying Dork Shine's name. Then you blow it up and come here to arrest Trixie for something you know she's not guilty of. Have I left anything out?"

"Nope, that about sums it up," Kevin replied casually.

"Do you honestly expect Trixie to believe this?" she asked.

"You gotta admit," Spike spoke up for the first time, "it does kinda sound like the summary of a lame Power Pony fanfiction."

"Well, you can believe it or not but the fact is that you're involved now," Kevin said. "And for your own protection, as well as being a part of this investigation, you'll be staying in my custody for the foreseeable future. I've secured a house for us, a little two bed two bath set up on the other side of town."

"Just great," Trixie sighed, "I was this close to getting out of here." That's what she voiced anyway but to Dusk, it she almost seemed relieved. Perhaps she was still worried about that Sentinel thing. 

"Oh!" Dusk said as he suddenly remembered the strange crystal they'd found in the cave, "Kevin, that Sentinel, we saw him after we ran off the dragon today."

"So it is still alive, I was afraid of that. Did it attack you?" he asked.

"Of course it did!" Trixie yelled, "it tried to get me like it did last time."

"Actually," Dusk said, "you attacked it. It teleported away without doing anything."

Trixie looked at Dusk with shock, "Are you a fool? We all heard what it said, Trixie can't believe she was the only one who tried."

There was a pause as Dusk stared with confusion. "Trixie, it didn't say anything. It made some techno dub-step sounding noise then you tried to blast it."

Trixie's mouth hung open in disbelief, "how could you not hear it, you were right in front of the thing! It said, clear as day, 'Antagonist E-V-I Trixie located, attempting removal.'" She stood with her hands flat on the table, "don't you see? It want's  to kidnap Trixie for her great magical prowess."

Dusk was about to retort but Kevin held up a hand, "are you certain it said 'Antagonist E-V-I'? As in the letters E, V and I?" he asked.

"Yes," she said as she slumped back into her chair. Glad at least one person seemed to believe her. "I'll never forget that things voice."

"But no one else heard it say anything," Dusk protested, "I'd think they would have mentioned it by now."

"A mystery for another time," Kevin said. "Is there anything else about your encounter worth noting?"

"Yes, we found a strange crystal object with weird markings under the surface. The... Sentinel, did you call it? It was standing over it."

"I'd better take a look at it in the morning, right now I'm sure you two are tired," Kevin said. "Miss Lulamoon-"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Trixie," he continued and removed the handcuffs linking them, "I apologies for the scare with the handcuffs but I couldn't risk you running off. Not before I placed the binding spell anyway."

"You did WHAT!" Trixie yelled in indignation. Binding spells were unethical at best, even down right illegal in some areas.

"It's a lenient one, I assure you. All it does really is alert me if you leave Ponyville. Again, this is for your own protection, Trixie."

Trixie was fuming but managed to maintain at least some of her composure."Hmph, it must have been a weak one. Trixie didn't even feel it."

"Or you didn't feel it because I'm that good," Kevin smirked.

"Ha! I bet you didn't even cast one, you don't even have a catalyst."

"Oh I do, made it myself and it's quite powerful I assure you."

"No one makes wands stronger than the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"The name's Kevin, not 'no one'."

"Why you..."

The pair of them continued to bicker back and forth with Kevin clearly enjoying himself too much and Trixie getting more and more frustrated. Dusk and Spike sat at the other end of the table watching the whole affair. "Well, they seem to be getting along," Dusk whispered sarcastically. 

Spike shrugged, "meh, I'd still ship it."

"Enough of this," Trixie finally said. "It appears Trixie doesn't have a choice. Can we at least go to this house you mentioned earlier? Trixie is tired and wishes to sleep."

"Actually, the house isn't furnished yet, that happens tomorrow. So Dusk," he turned to Dusk, "I hope you don't mind if we sleep here tonight."

"Not at all," Dusk answered.


***


Dusk found himself alone in a dark void. He couldn't tell if his eyes were open or shut. He floated weightless with no indication of direction or time. His attention was drawn by a flash from behind him. He turned and saw what appeared to be a star shining its light upon a metallic ring on top of a tall obelisk. The ring encircled the star and the obelisk extended down several hundred meters to its base which was on top of a pentagon shaped building. The building was positioned atop what he could only describe as a massive chunk of earth floating in the middle of nowhere. 

As Dusk stared transfixed, the light from the star grew brighter. Two specks of light rose out from the star's top and bottom, shot off in opposite directions and vanished into the distance. Before long, they returned, passing over and under the star respectively before returning back to the void. 

The motes of light continued this behavior of returning and vanishing causing Dusk to theorize that they were on a circular path. The time between their disappearance and reappearance shortened with each trip meaning that wherever they were going, they were gaining speed. Eventually, the lights were moving so fast that they no longer resembled specks but rings that seemed to stretch out forever. At that point, the gap between them began to shorten. 

The light rings moved closer and closer together, eventually into the star and finally into each other. When the two rings fused into one, they vanished in an unimaginably bright explosion that forced Dusk to shield his eyes as the shock-wave consumed him.


***


Dusk quickly rose from his bed. Blinking a few times, he placed one hand on his forehead as he recalled the vivid dream from which he'd just awoken. The memory was slowly fading but he remembered two rings of light coming together in a massive explosion.  He'd had weird dreams before but that was one for the records.

Shrugging it off, he looked over to his clock to see that it was just past 8 AM so he decided to get up for the day. After dressing, he proceeded down stairs where he heard a two familiar voices. 

"That is NOT how you make an omelet, you plebeian! You need 3 eggs not 2."

"If I used 3 eggs I wouldn't have room for the milk."

"M-milk? What kind of- who adds milk to their omelet? Trixie will not stand for this!"

"Maybe Trixie should make her own breakfast and let Kevin make his then."

Dusk stood in the door to the kitchen as he watched the pair bicker back and forth. After deciding that it was simply too early for such things he made his way to the common room to join Spike on the sofa. "How long have they been at that?" he asked.

"About half an hour," Spike said. He then noticed the bags under Dusk's eyes, "you alright?"

"Yea I'm fine, just a... weird dream," Dusk said as Kevin and Trixie entered from the kitchen. Kevin sat down with his omelet while a very irate Trixie stomped her way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Dusk asked.

"If Trixie must put up with that insufferable idiot, she will only do so after a proper breakfast!" she answered angrily and slammed the door on her way out. Kevin sat at the table with his breakfast with a similarly annoyed expression. 

"It's going to be a loooong investigation," he sighed. "Omelet?"


***


It was mid morning as Dusk was walking through the town market. Kevin had some final arrangements to make for his new housing so the young djinn and his draconic companion decided to go see where Trixie had gone and perhaps get some shopping done in the meanwhile. 

"Wow, what a gorgeous day," Dusk commented, "I guess Rainbow actually did her job for once."

"Yea," Spike nodded, "weird that no one is out today."

Dusk stopped in his tracks and looked around. Sure enough, there was no one to be seen. The stalls were all closed, the streets were empty, even the sky was clear of any and all seraphim. "That is weird..." Dusk said, "where is everyone?"

"Is it a holiday?" Spike asked.

"Not that I know of."

The pair walked further down the street, checking every corner and window as they did but found no one. Spike was beginning to get nervous, "Man, I'm getting a '28 Moons Later' vibe here..." he said remembering a zombie movie he'd watched once and had nightmares for weeks after.

"I have my doubts that it's zombies, Spike."

Before Spike could retort, the two of them were suddenly pulled into a nearby building. Dusk prepared an offensive spell while Spike flailed until a moment later when the room lit up and they were able to see their abductors. It was the girls, AJ, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy. In addition, Trixie was there along with a younger girl with a red bow in her hair that Dusk remembered as AJ's little sister, Apple Bloom.

"G-girls?" Dusk said as he calmed himself, "what's going on?"

In response, the young Apple Bloom rushed up to Dusk, "Did you see her, Dusk? Did you see Zecora?" she asked excitedly.

"Apple Bloom!" AJ scolded, "I told you never to say that name."

"I hesitate to ask but, who is Zecora?"

All at once, the girls pointed out the window towards the center of the market area. Dusk looked towards where they were pointing and saw what looked to be an individual wearing a grey robe with a hood standing idly next to one of the market stalls. The hooded figure suddenly turned and looked in their direction causing the girls to all gasp at the glowing yellow her it's eyes.

"Did you see that?" Pinkie asked.

Dusk blinked, "I saw her glance this way..."

"Glance evilly this way!" Pinkie added.

"...And then all of you flip out for no good reason," he finished.

"No good reason?" AJ said indignantly.  "You call protectin' yer kin no good reason? Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora walkin' into town, she started shakin' in her lil' boots." For emphasis, AJ shook Apple Bloom by her shoulders.

"I wasn't shakin'," Bloom tried to retort but AJ wasn't listening. 

Dusk turned back to the hooded figure to see them staring at the ground, "so what did she do?"

"What?" AJ asked.

"Zecora, what did she do that made everyone in town scared of her?"

"Well..." AJ hesitated, "It ain't what she's done, it's just that... she's creepy."

"She's mysterious," added Fluttershy.

"Sinister," said Rainbow.

"And spooooooky!" Pinkie finished.

At that moment, Zecora removed her hood and Dusk got a good look at her face for the first time. Her skin was a brownish black with three ebony stripes tattooed from the bottom of her eyes down her cheeks. Her hair was done up in a mohawk style and dyed silvery white with black highlights that matched the stripes on her face. For jewelry, she wore golden hoops on her ears and around her neck. Finally, Dusk noted that her eyes no longer glowed yellow but from his distance he couldn't make out more detail than that.

The girls all shrieked and backed away from the window causing Dusk to roll his eyes. "Would you please cut that out?" he said with annoyance.

"But just look at those stripes!" Rarity declared, "so garish."

Dusk continued to observe the stranger for a moment before he came to a realization, "She's an aziza."

"Ah what?" Everyone but Trixie asked.

"An aziza, have none of you ever heard of them?" he asked.

"Hmph, Trixie has... But perhaps you should explain to everyone what they are, Trixie will fact check."

"Right... Anyway, azizas are one of the fae races. Those stripes aren't a fashion choice by the way, she was born with them." Upon hearing that, Rarity gasped and fainted in a dramatic fashion. Dusk continued on regardless, "they come from a land far to the south, past the Badlands. They rarely travel far from their homes, where exactly does she live?"

"That's just it," AJ said, "she lives in... the Everfree Forest!"

"Dun dun duun..." Dusk flicked Spike in the ear.

"Ain't nothin' good ever came out of the Everfree Forest." 

"And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil... stuff! She's so evil I even wrote a song about her!" Pinkie said excitedly. She then cleared her throat and took a breath.

	Oh here we go, Dusk thought.

"She's and evil enchantress and she does evil dances,
and if you look deep into her eye, she will put you in trances.
Then what will she do? She'll cook up an evil brew,
and she'll gobble you up in a big tasty stew.
So... WATCH OUT!"

Pinkie finished her song with her hands raised high in a pouncing formation. All Dusk could say was "Wow, catchy."

"Thanks, I just came up with it this morning," she said.

Dusk shook his head to bring himself back to reality. "This is all just a lot of gossip and rumors. Now tell me; what exactly have you actually seen Zecora do?"

"Well," Rainbow started, "once a month, she comes to Ponyville."

"...and?"

"Then, she lurks by the stores." Rarity added.

"NO!" Dusk said in mock disbelief.

"And then, she digs at the ground." Fluttershy said while timidly pointing to Zecora. Dusk looked and saw the so called evil enchantress disturbing the dirt with her left foot.

"No, not the ground! We need that to walk on!" Dusk mocked as he turned back to the girls. "Seriously, how is any of this bad? Maybe she comes to town to visit?"

"Yeah!" Bloom added, "everyone likes to shop. You know what I think?"

"Apple Bloom, hush and let the adults talk." AJ scolded causing Bloom to mutter something under her breath.

"What about digging at the ground? You've got to admit that's weird," Rainbow pointed out.

"Clearly, it's part of a ritual tribute to the Lich King Grogar," Trixie said in dramatic fashion, causing Fluttershy to squeak in fear.

"Or maybe it's a nervous habit. If anyone here were actually brave enough to approach her, they would find out the truth," Dusk countered. 

Upon hearing that, Apple Bloom suddenly got a brilliant idea. I'm brave enough; I'm gonna find out myself. That'll show sis. While the others were distracted, she made her way quietly to the door and snuck out.

Dusk, however was still trying to convince his friends of their error. "You girls are being ridiculous! This Zecora person has done nothing to warrant such fear."

"Well, I heard that Zecora eats hay!" Pinkie chimed in.

"Have you ever been to a restaurant in Canterlot? A lot of them use hay for flavoring, its a good source of fiber."

Everyone in the room looked to Rarity. "Well, I mean it really depends on the dish, plus it's not like it's right out of a field or anything..." she answered the unasked question.

"Wait! Where's Apple Bloom?!" AJ asked alarmidly. 

Everyone quickly looked around the room until Fluttershy noticed that the door was opened. "Oh my, she went outside."

"Look! She's following Zecora back into the forest." Rainbow added. Sure enough, the aziza was making her way back to the woods and behind her was the youngest of the Apple family only visible from the distance because of her bright red bow.

"That silly lil' filly! I told her to stay put!"

As the girls took off after her, Dusk turned to Spike, "you stay here in case the kid comes back without us seeing."

"Will do!" Spike said.


***


It was the middle of the day and yet Apple Bloom still had trouble seeing in the dense forest. Thankfully the trail was still somewhat visible, she'd lost track of Zecora and without it she would be completely lost. The trail strangely curved around a patch of blue flowers rather than pass right through it and even though she could just barely see it continue on the other side, she decided to follow it around just in case.

She was on the other side of the flower patch when she heard her name called out. "Apple Bloom?" She turned around and saw, to her disappointment that AJ and her friends were behind her. They ignored the path completely and trampled the blue flowers as they made a straight line towards her.

"You get back here right now, Missy!" AJ said angrily. She marched up to Bloom and stared down at her with a scowl. However, once Dusk and the others caught up, they were all startled by a voice from the distance.

"Beware! Beware, you Ponyville folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

Zecora, who had her hood on once more was looking at them from behind the trees. AJ picked up her little sister and held her protectively. "Y-you keep your creepy mumbo-jumbo to yourself, ya hear?" she said and the others save for Dusk shouted in agreement.

Dusk, for his part, merely rolled his eyes.

Zecora stared for a moment longer then turned and continued down the path. She shouted out one final "beware" as she vanished into the fog.

"Yeah, back at ya, Zecora!" Rainbow taunted, "you tell me to 'beware'? Because I'll tell you where to be! Away from my friends!"

"Damn straight!" AJ added before looking at her sister, "and you! Why couldn't you just listen to yer big sister?"

"I..." Bloom started but AJ cut her off.

"Who knows what kind of nasty curse Zecora could have just put on you?"

Dusk, however, felt the need to point out a hole in AJ's logic. "Applejack, there's no such thing as curses."

"Dusk, don't you use magic all the time?" Rainbow asked.

"Magic is different," he explained, "it's tangible, measurable and it obeys natural laws. Curses are made up nonsense meant to scare people into believing the impossible."

"For once, Dork Shine is right," Trixie added. "Curses are all show and no substance."

"So, kinda like you?" Rainbow quipped.

"Shut up!"

AJ remained unconvinced, "Just you wait, Dusk," she said as the group began making their way home, "You're gonna learn that some folk tales are true."


***


Later that afternoon, Dusk settled down on the couch in the library common room for a quick nap. He was feeling unusually tired but attributed that to the excitement of the morning. In the room with him was Kevin who had spent most of the day examining the strange crystal Dusk had brought back from the dragon's cave and Spike who was dusting the shelves.

As Dusk dozed off, he began to dream once more. Although this dream was less coherent that the one from the previous night. He heard the disembodied voice of Pinkie Pie singing her Evil Enchantress song as well as Zecora saying 'beware'. Images began to appear of his friends in mortal peril while Zecora laughed manically. Finally, he heard AJ repeating what she'd said in the forest. "Just you wait, Twilight; some pony tales really are true." Wait, Twilight? Who was that, and what did ponytails have to do with anything?

Dusk woke from his nap with a deep gasp causing Spike and Kevin to look his way. "You alright, Dusk?" Spike asked.

"Yea... yea I'm fine," he said. "Just another weird dream." Despite his reassurances, the other two occupants of the room continued to stare, making Dusk a little uneasy. "Um, what are you guys looking at?"

"Dusk..." Spike started, "do mana gems... grow?"

Dusk looked at him in confusion, "what on earth are you talking about?"

"I think what Spike is trying to say is that your gem is looking a bit... horny," Kevin said.

"What are you-" Dusk stopped as he felt his forehead with his hand. He felt something hard and pointy jetting out of the spot where his mana gem should have been. He jumped off the couch and rushed to the bathroom to look in a mirror. He saw, to his horror that instead of the smooth, glassy, lavender colored oval gem there was a long and spiraling purple horn. 

Dusk, being the man of science and logic that he was, did the only rational thing he could think of in his current situation. He screamed like a little girl.

"No no no no no!" he cried as he ran to the nearest book case and proceeded to rummage through them. "There has to be a cure. Why do none of these books have a cure?" 

"Dusk, calm down," Kevin said. "Whatever this is, we'll figure it out."

"Ugh! There has to be a real reason for this!" Dusk said, a little calmer but still frantically searching for an explanation. "An illness? An allergy?!"

"A curse?" Spike offered.

"Don't you start," Dusk replied.

"Here's a book that might help," Spike said, passing a worn book to Dusk.

"Supernaturals?" Dusk read the title. "the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies, all make-believe fairy tall stuff."

"Said the wizard to the dragon..." Kevin mumbled.

"But what if you're wrong?" Spike asked, "What if it really is a-"

"Ah pfurse!" someone suddenly said.

"Gah! Pinkie? Where did you come from?" 

"Prom tha pout phide!" Pinkie spit. Her tongue was stuck outside her mouth and covered with several colorful poke-a-dots.

"Pinkie? What happened to you?" Kevin asked.

"Pee pah Zthecora! Sthe put a cursthe on me!"

"Hey, say it, don't spray it, Pinkie!" Spike said while covering his face. Just then, their attention was drawn by a thud coming from the other side of the door followed by an 'ow' from Rainbow Dash. Dusk opened the door to let her in. As she flew in, he noticed that her wings were actually upside down. 

"Rainbow! Are you ok?"

"No I'm not ok!" she yelled as she crashed into a wall. "Ow, that Zecora bitc- ow, slapped us all with a- ow curse!"

"I'm afraid I have to agree," came the voice of Rarity... beneath a mass of purple hair. Behind her was Fluttershy and Apple Bloom who placed a tiny toy sized Applejack on Dusk's coffee table.

"I hate to say I told ya so, Dusk, but I told ya so!" AJ's voice was very high pitched.

"Whats all that noise down there?" Trixie called from upstairs. "How is one supposed to get their beauty slee-" she trailed off when she saw the assembled group of friends. There was a moment of silence before she burst out laughing. "Aha ha ha!"

"Shut it, Trixie!" Rainbow yelled.

"Oh, oh this is too much," Trixie said between laughs. "this is the funniest thing the Grape and Sour-filled Trixie's ever-" she stopped immediately. 

Rainbow snickered, "what did you call yourself, Trixie?"

"I-I am the Lame and Stupid Trixie! ...No!" she yelled. "The Lose and Slutty Trix- gah!"  she clapped a hand over her mouth, face red with embarrassment. 

"It's a curse, I tell ya," AJ insisted. "That Zecora got everyone what was in the forest this morning."

"What about Fluttershy," Dusk asked. "She seems fine, right Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy didn't say anything but merely nodded. The expression on her face was one of unease, however.

"Fluttershy? Are you okay?" Dusk asked.

Again, Fluttershy merely nodded. 

"Good gravy, girl! What's wrong with you?!" AJ squeaked.

Fluttershy sighed and in a deep, heavy, male voice said, "I don't want to talk about it."

Spike, who had been struggling to contain himself finally lost it and burst out laughing. "This is hilarious! Look at all of you! We got: Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Apple Teeny, Flutterguy, Mixie Trixie and... uh... I got nothin'... Dusk Shine. I mean seriously, I can't even work with that."

"This is no joke, Spike," Dusk scolded. "Now start looking for more books so I can find a cure!" When attempted to grab a book with his magic, the horn on his head changed into a drooping daisy instead. "What the...?"

"There we go!" Spike cheered, "Daisy Head Dusk!"

Meanwhile Rainbow, who was recovering from her latest crash, offered a suggestion, "I think we'll find a cure to this curse at Zecora's place!"

"Still not a curse!" Dusk said, though his attention was more focused on the sink faucet that appeared on his head when he tried once again to cast a spell.

"The G-Gra-Grating and Boisterous Trixie.... Ragh!" Trixie took a breath then continued, "is incliend to agree with Rainbow Crash. We shall go to Zecora's and force her to remove this hex!"

While the others were arguing, Apple Bloom sat in the corner looking at the floor with her arms crossed. This is all my fault, she thought, If I hadn't followed Zecora in the first place, none of this would have happened. Looking back up, she clenched her fist with determination, I just gotta fix this. While no one was looking, she quietly snuck out the door.

Unbeknownst to Bloom, however, someone was looking. "Now where does she think she's goin' this time?" AJ muttered to herself.

"I don't care what you say, Dusk," Rainbow insisted. "It's time to man up and confront Zecora. Come on, girls. Are you with me?"

"Ah am-ptf!" Pinkie tried to say.

"And I as well." Rarity agreed.

"I- the Irritable and Noisy Trixie- am in as well," Trixie blinked. "Great, the one time Trixie tries to use first person and it doesn't work."

"I don't know," Fluttershy said in her deep voice, "seems awfully dangerous."

"What about you AJ?" Rainbow waited but didn't receive and answer. "AJ?"

"Pthee's gonth!"

"Oh no! Did someone step on her?" Rarity immediately checked her shoes, as did everyone else.

"Quick, check Rarity's hair!" Rainbow said. Pinkie quickly dove into the mass of hair in search of AJ much to the chagrin of Rarity. 

"Wha, Pinkie! What are you doing? Ouch!" Nether could be seen under the mass of hair which now resembled a purple colored fight cloud often seen in old cartoons. ""Excuse yo- waha! That doesn't go there! Eek, You ever hear of personal space?"

Finally, Pinkie emerged from the mass of tangles. "Nopthe, noth there."

"Hey," Kevin said, "wasn't there a little girl here too?" 

"He's right! Apple Bloom's gone too!" Dusk said after noticing the absence of AJ's sister.

"Could they have gone after Zecora?" Rainbow asked.

"I bet they did. Come on, Girls, lets go make sure they're ok." The group all filed out of the library, some with more difficulty than others due to backwards wings and long, trip-able hair. Dusk turned back to Spike and Kevin, "you guys coming?"

"Nah, I'm gonna stay and look for a cure," Spike said.

"I'll be helping him," Kevin added, "you got my number in case things go south."

Dusk nodded and turned to follow his friends who were already making their way back into the forest.


***


For the second time that day, Apple Bloom found herself following the trail in the Everfree Forest. Ok, everything's goin' good, she thought to herself, just gotta keep following the trail and eventually I'll end up at Zecora's place... I hope.

"Hold it right there, young lady!"

"Eep," Bloom squeaked at the high pitched but still unmistakable sound of her sister's voice.	

She looked to her right and saw AJ climbing down out of her hair and on to her shoulder. "You just turn around right now, missy!" AJ scolded, although her authority was somewhat marred by her comically small and unimposing presence. A fact that wasn't lost on Apple Bloom.

"No," she said simply.

"No!?" AJ said, taken aback, "you can't tell me 'no' I'm your big sister!"

Bloom grinned mischievously as she plucked AJ from her shoulder and placed her on a tree branch. "Actually AJ, I'm the 'big sister' now." Sparing only a quick glance to make sure AJ was secure on the perch, Bloom turned and continued on her path, all while giggling at the situation. 

"Apple Bloom, you come back here right this instant!" AJ yelled, "I'mma tell Big Macintosh on you!" but her calls went unheeded. Apple Bloom felt a little guilty but it was worth it. Sure, she was going to be grounded for eternity (or one month in adult years) but if she managed to find the cure, at least she'd have a clean conscience. 


***


Meanwhile Dusk and the others were beginning to catch up. They were slowed by Rarity tripping over her own hair now and then but otherwise made good time. 

"Come on, girls, they cant be that far ahead," Dusk called.

"I- woah, never thought I'd say this but, whaa, wait for me!" Rainbow wobbled through the air, still unable to control her direction with her wings upside down. Despite her best effort, she was losing altitude fast. Once they entered the forest, maneuvering through the trees and brush was all but impossible. "Guys I, wha, oof, sonofa, ouch!" Rainbow bounced off various branches and landed on her back in a bush.

"Rainbow! Thank Harmony!" Rainbow shook off her daze at the sound of Apple Teeny's voice. She looked and saw her small friend climbing up onto her shoulder carrying one end of her lasso.

"AJ? What are-"

"There's no time to lose!" AJ interrupted her, "I need to get to Zecora's pronto!" She ran across Rainbow's collar and reached down to grab the other end of her lasso rope. With both ends in each of her hands, she sat herself down on Rainbow's chest and held the rope like a bridle. "Giddy-up girl!"

"Ex-CUSE you?!" Rainbow said with indignation, "what do I look like? A Pony?"

AJ ignored her protests, however and gave Rainbow a soft kick, "YEEE-HAW!"

To Rainbow's surprise, she found herself involuntarily lifting off the ground. "What the..." she struggled to get control but her inverted flight controllers made it impossible. 

"No, Rainbow, the other way!" AJ yelled as they slammed into a tree.


***


Not long after entering the forest, Dusk, Fluttershy, Rarity, Trixie and Pinkie found themselves outside a small cottage in a clearing. Dusk, who now had a carrot in place of his mana gem, slowly crept up to the window followed by the others. Inside they saw what could almost pass as a cozy living room, except for all the bizarre furnishings.

The walls were lined with wooden masks, painted in a variety of colors and expressions. More than one had tusks that rose up to where the nose would be. The shelves were lined with hand carved fetishes and clay jars with foreign writing. Several herbs were laid ut, some bound together by string while others had been ground up and stored in more clay jars. In the center of the room, suspended above a small fire pit, was a black cauldron filled with a bubbling greenish liquid and most troubling of all, Zecora standing over it with a wooden stirring stick.

"Plis place plooks horrible!" Pinkie wisper-spat.

"What did you say about my face?!" Trixie asked.

"She said 'place', darling, and I agree. It really does look horrible," Rarity added. "Nice decorations, if you like creepy!"

"Tatu zaidi lazima kufanya hivyo." They all jumped at the sound of Zecora speaking for inside the house.

"Sthe sthtole my sthong!" Pinkie said.

"Well Dusk? Do you believe us now?" Rarity asked.

Dusk continued to survey the room, his doubt starting to get the better of him. "It-its all circumstantial... those masks and evil sounding chants could be perfectly harmless," he tried to defend.

Unfortunately, Zecora chose that moment to speak her next sentence in Equestrian. "Ah! The perfect temperature, I presume. Now, where is that little Apple Bloom?"

"...okay that's pretty hard to dispute."

It was then that the group heard the battle cry of their tiny friend as she came riding in on Rainbow Dash. " I'm comin' for ya, Apple Bloom!"

There was a mass of confusion as AJ and Rainbow burst through the door to Zecora's hut. Still unable to control herself, Rainbow bounced off the wall opposite the door while Zecora herself jumped back in surprise. 

"Nini duniani?" Zecora spoke.

AJ pulled back on her makeshift reins to try and help Rainbow right herself. "Easy, Rainbow Crash," the nickname earned her an angry scowl from her mount.

"Wewe ni nani!?"

"Ahh, oof," Rainbow cried as she finally fell to the floor. She picked herself up and quickly turned to face Zecora with her fists up. AJ Jumped up onto her shoulder in an attempt to look menacing. 

"Unataka nini?"

Behind Rainbow and AJ, Dusk and the other girls entered the hut to stand next to their friends. The urgency with witch they entered combined with the small size of the hut caused them to knock over a jar or two on the shelves. 

"No! Hayo ni ghali!" Zecora shouted.

"Alright Zecora," Dusk said, "what have you done with Apple Bloom?"

"Genera? What is this you..." she addressed them in Equestrian for the first time but before she could finish, Rainbow let out a cry of pain.

"Ahhhh!" A stray drop from the bubbling cauldron hit Rainbow on the arm causing her to jump on reflex. In the process, she accidentally kicked the cauldron, spilling it's contents into the fire pit.

"No! You know not what you do! You've gone and spilled my precious brew!" Zecora yelled angrily. She fixed the group with an angry stair.

Dusk didn't back down, however, "We're onto you Zecora. I didn't want to believe that you cursed us, but the evidence is overwhelming!"

"You ruined my hair!" Rarity accused.

"You ruined my voice!" Fluttershy added in her heavy bass. 

"Pu pad pe peak predpicpulus!" Pinkie spat.

"And you had the audacity to make the Pale and Pasty Trixie self insulting!"

The aziza returned the glares with one of her own. "How dare you?! You destroy my home, destroy my work. Then rudely accuse me of being a jerk?"

"You put this curse on us," Rainbow said, "now you're gonna uncurse us or else!"

The two sides continued their standoff for a moment before Zecora took a deep breath. "Do not continue down this road, least your actions make my anger explode."

"Fine, just tell us what you did with Apple Blo-" Dusk was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Everyone turned to look and there they saw the little red headed girl completely unharmed and carrying a basket full of grasses and roots.

"Zecora, I think I found everything ya asked for-" she stopped when she noticed her sister and friends as well as the giant mess of broken bottles and spilled liquids. "What in Harmony is goin' on in here?"

"Apple Bloom! You're okay!" AJ called from Rainbow's shoulder.

"Yea, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because Zecora is evil and was gonna... cook... you..." Dusk slowed to a stop as he listened to what he was saying. "Damn OCD," he said while smacking himself in the head.

Both Apple Bloom and Zecora burst out laughing. "Dusk, did those silly girls finally get in yer head?" Bloom asked.

"If you will remember back," Zecora spoke, "the words I said were quite exact. 'Beware, beware you Ponyville folk. Those leaves of blue are not a joke.'"

"She was tryin' ta warn ya. Those blue flowers are called Poison Joke."

"A plant that is much like poison oak," Zecora continued, "but instead of a rash it plays a joke."

"What the hay does that mean?" AJ asked.

"It means this plant does not breed wrath. Instead this plant just wants a laugh."

"Do y'all always talk in rhyme?"

Zecora laughed. "Rhyming is the Aziza way, it makes one think before they say."

"So what you're saying is, when we ran in to save Apple Bloom, we ran into the poison joke. All our problems are just little jokes it played on us," Dusk concluded.

"So then what was in the cauldron?" Rainbow asked.

"And what were you chanting?" Fluttershy added.

"And what's with the creepy décor?" Rarity asked as well.

"These masks are treasures of the land I am from," Zecora pointed to a particularly fierce looking one, "this one means 'hello', and 'welcome'. As for the words I chanted at the time, they are what you might call a nursery rhyme."

"And the cauldron was just a pot of boiling water, it wasn't for me, it was for all these herbal ingredients. The cure for poison joke is a simple old-natural remedy. You just gotta take a bath in it!"

"Theres just one last thing that I don't get," Dusk said, "if the cure is just a simple mixture, why didn't I find it in any of my books?"

To that, Zecora picked up an open book from a nearby table, "Here is the book, you see? Sad that you lack it in your library."

Dusk took the book and read the title, "Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That Are Simply Super." He stared at the now familiar book in his hands. "That's just deliberately misleading..."

"Maybe next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book," Zecora said with a chuckle.

The group of afllicted friends shared guilty looks, except for Trixie who stood with her arms crossed behind the group. "Trixie knew all along this was no curse."

"Oh hush, Trixie, you were right here with the rest of us pointing the finger," Rarity said.

"Humph."

"Gosh, Miss Zecora, we're all a might sorry we accused ya without even knowin ya," AJ squeaked while removing her tiny hat. The others all agreed.

"Zecora, Would you be kind enough to mix up another batch of the herbal bath?" Dusk asked humbly.

"Mix it up I certainly will. Yet I am missing an herb from Ponyville."

"But see whenever she comes to town, the shops are all closed because everyone's too scared of her," Bloom added.

"My cloak is enchanted so in the dark I might see, though I suppose the glowing yellow eyes are a tad eerie."

"Don't worry, Zecora," Dusk said proudly, "we can help with that..."


***


A few hours later, Dusk and the girls were enjoying a relaxing bath at the Ponyville day spa. The girls all had on one piece bathing suits provided by the spa specially designed to allow water to flow freely through the fabric while still concealing private areas. Dusk was wearing a similar par of bathing shorts provided for males.

After returning to town with Zecora in tow, Dusk spoke to the citizens of Ponyville that they met along the way to the market, explaining the situation as well as who Zecora really was. The townsfolk, although uneasy at first, slowly began to warm up to the aziza, especially after she explained that her menacing looking hood was a common accessory in her homeland. 

Once she had gathered the missing reagents she needed from the market, Zecora was able to quickly and easily make a replacement curative for Dusk and the girls. Lotus Blossom, a terran who co-owned the spa with her twin sister offered the use of their facilities as a sort of apology for suspecting Zecora of being evil.

"Miss Zecora, I vould love to get ze recipe for dis bath. It's simply luxurious!" Lotus said while dipping her hand into the mixture. 

"Now that the town sees me for true, I'd be happy to share my recipe with you."

Of all the girls in the spa, none were more excited to be back to normal than Pinkie. "Oh, my gosh! I never realized how horrible it is not to be able to talk. I mean, I love talking so much, and when I couldn't talk anymore, my tongue was all 'ehhhh'! It was the worst! Don't you agree, Trixie?" She inserted herself directly in the terran girl's face, splashing her in the process.

"If Trixie could, she would remove your mouth completely," she said.

Everyone laughed. Dusk, running his hand over his once again smooth, oval shaped mana gem, reflected on the day's events. "It sure has been a busy few days, hasn't it?"

"Yea, no kidding," Rainbow agreed.

"Hard to believe it's only been a week since Gil- oh!" Rarity stopped herself as she realized what she was about to say. She glanced at Rainbow who's smile had faltered a bit. "I'm terribly sorry Rainbow, I didn't mean to-"

"It's cool, Rares," the blue winged seraphim waved her off. "Gilda's a tough bird, wherever she is, I'm sure she's fine." Her smile was blatantly fake but no one pressed her on it. After all, there was little they could do but prey that L-Sec would find the missing harpy.

"Speaking of changing the subject," AJ broke the silence, "did y'all ever find out what that crystal thingy was, Dusk?"

"Oh yea," Pinkie chirped up, "that was the thingy we found after we made that dragon leave." She thought to herself for a moment, "sure feels like a while ago."

"That was yesterday, Pinkie," Fluttershy said.

"Really? Feels like twelve weeks ago..."

"To answer your question, AJ," Dusk said, ignoring Pinkie's antics, "no we haven't quite figured it out but Kevin is working on it diligently."

"We'll, whatever it is, I doubt we have to worry about it." Rainbow said as she slumped down into the bath water to better relax.


***


In the basement of the Ponyville library, all was dark except for a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, shining it's light down on a wooden table. Sitting at the table was Kevin, who was focused intently on the object in front of him.

On the table was a fairly large quartz shaped crystal that Dusk had recovered from the dragon's cave. Kevin had spend the last hour carefully examining it's jet black surface, photographing the golden runes that seemed to exist below the glass surface. Given the nature of the object, he didn't want to risk losing any potential clues should something happen with what he was about to do.

One rune had caught his attention right from the start. Two lines intersecting each other at 90 degrees and capped with circles on the ends of both lines. He'd seen that symbol before, at the base of the monitor where he'd originally found the data cube. Kevin removed the data cube from his pocket and slowly placed it on the crystal so that it's center was right on the point where the cross intersected. Nothing happened but he noted that the lines that made up the cross were the exact length and width of the cube.

Kevin sat back in his seat and sighed. In hindsight he wasn't sure what he expected to happen and although the matching sizes were interesting they could have just as easily been a coincidence. He wasn't deterred, however, setting the cube aside for the moment, he returned to puzzling the meaning of the other runes. 

Had he held the cube for a moment more, he might have noticed the surface that had been in contact with the crystal was slightly warmer than the rest.
> Don't Mine At Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The air around the sentinel distorted as its body continued dancing in and out of existence. Silently it scanned the dry hills of the appleloosian desert, completely indifferent to the early morning chill in the air. Its gaze stopped on a large rock formation carved by centuries of wind and sand erosion.  The natural wonder was highlighted by a yellow-green line visible only to the sentinel as lines of text began to appear before it.

"Analyzing:
-Remote location
-Indistinct characteristics
-Within range of ER Field
Area is suitable. Commencing placement of entropic reversal device."

The sentinel held out its hand, the air began to ripple with distortion as a large black quartz shaped object materialized in its hand. The silent being carefully placed the device at the base of the stone monolith. It ran its hands across the smooth glass surface causing the runes below the glass like surface to glow. As it moved its fingers, the runes would follow, one by one, it arranged the runes in a particular order.

That done, the sentinel backed away from the stone formation. "Device in place, beginning camouflage protocol." With its arms folded, it would've looked to an observer like it was merely staring at the rock. A moment past before several lines appeared out of thin air, forming a wire frame box around the rock pillar. Several more lines appeared on the surface of the box forming a grid of smaller squares then, one by one the squares appeared to vanish until finally the box and everything within disappeared completely.

It was then that the sentinel noticed that it wasn't alone. On the other side of the rock formation, a terran girl stood petrified at the sight before her. The sentinel quickly took in her appearance, analyzing her faster than any mortal mind could process. She was an adolescent, with reddish brown skin and dark hair. She wore hand woven clothing with dozens of strands on the arms and legs. On her head was a strap with two eagle feathers sticking out proudly. On the ground in front of her were several small logs, chopped in equal length and scattered as if dropped. The sentinel compiled the evidence and concluded that this was a member of the buffalo tribe of Appleloosian nomads.

The sentinel began to advance on the frightened young woman who took a few steps back in fear, only to trip over one of the dropped logs. She landed on her rear but that didn't stop her from trying to escape using her legs and hands to scoot back as much as possible. The creature caught up to her and grabbed her by her collar, lifting her up to what would be eye level if it had eyes.

The terrified terran struggled to free herself but could do nothing to pry apart the thing's cold grip. Unbeknownst to her, the sentinel was having a conversation in its mind. "Identified as <Minor Character XXI-A, Little Strongheart>. Containment protocols activated."

The young terran woman screamed in fear as her body began turning to static until it disappeared entirely along with the sentinel. As the sun rose above the horizon, its light greeted nothing but a few pieces of dried wood in lying in the middle of nowhere.


***


A few weeks of relative calm had passed since Dusk and the girls had befriended Zecora, her skills in alchemy and botany proved to be a great boon to the people of Ponyville. The citizens were somewhat less welcoming to Trixie. Shop keepers would treat her with indifference, as though she were just a stranger they'd never meet again, although they no longer overcharged or out right refused service so... progress?

Unfortunately, the one vendor in Ponyville who had the most cause to be angry with Trixie was the one she needed at the moment. She stood outside the Carousel Boutique in her purple dress and blue overcoat mentally prepping herself to deal with the djinn woman who dwelt within. Letting out a sigh, she opened the door and walked in. 

A bell chimed as she entered the building. Inside were all manner of dresses and other outfits on display. "Just a moment," she heard from the back room. In walked Rarity, wearing an elegant purple dress and light blue shirt. On her head was a pair of red glass which she removed and placed on a shelf. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! Where everything is- Oh," she stopped herself when she noticed it was Trixie who had entered. "Hello, Miss Lulamoon, what may I do for you." 

The way Rarity spoke was slightly dismissive, the way one would speak to a customer on a busy day when you just want to move them along. It wasn't that she disliked the terran mage, in fact both she and the rest of the bearers of harmony were trying to be friendly but Trixie's attitude made it difficult.

"Trixie was told you're the one to talk to about rare gemstones," Trixie said, speaking just as dismissively.

That piqued Rarity's interest, "why yes! Rare gems are my specialty. In fact they're my special talent, as you can see." She lifted the sleeve of her shirt to show the three diamond pattern. "Why I dare say my knowledge of precious gems is rivaled only by my keen sense of fashion."

Trixie made no effort to hide her eye roll, "Trixie needs malachite and it needs to be pure and uncut. Trixie will not have a faulty gemstone in her wands."

Rarity thought for a moment before answering, "I do have some malachite but they're already cut I'm afraid. I could show them to you if you'd like, perhaps one is cut closely enough to suit your needs." she gestured for Trixie to follow her into her work room.

"Doubtful but Trixie will check anyway," she replied as she followed Rarity. The room they entered was roughly half the size of the main room and filled with boxes and shelves on which several different fabrics had been placed for easy access. The floor was littered with cut scraps and crumpled pieces of paper that had missed the trash basket in the corner. In the center of the room, six manikins had been set out and draped with what looked to be unfinished outfits. One manikin had a broad shoulders, flat chest and was draped in royal purple while the remaining five had wider hips, bumps on the chest and were each draped with a variety of colors. One male, five females, gee, I wonder who those could be for, Trixie thought rhetorically. 

"Pardon the mess, I'm currently designing outfits for Dusk, the girls and I for our trip to the Gala. Don't tell them though it's a surprise," Rarity winked and began opening a series of drawers.

"Gala? Trixie was not aware that Ponyville hosted such events," Trixie said idly as she inspected several of the tools laid out on the cutting table. Some where quite similar to the tools she used in wand making.

"We don't, at least none regal enough to be called a gala. Ah ha! found them," Rarity lifted a tray filled with several teal gemstones and carried it over to the table where Trixie was waiting. "Have a look, darling, see any that might work for... erm, what was it you needed one for again?"

"Wand making," Trixie answered as she reached into her pocket and removed a loupe* which she placed in her eye to inspect the gems.

"Oh, I see. I thought  most wands just used thaumic quartz."

"Trixie's wands are different," she replied matter of factly. She turned each gem over in her hands, inspecting them closely placing them back on the tray and moving on. An uncomfortable silence fell between them which didn't bother Trixie in the slightest but caused Rarity to fidget a bit. 

Finally, Trixie finished her inspection of the gems with a sigh. "Trixie will admit, these are high quality gems but as She suspected, none of them are cut how She needs them."

"Well, I suppose you'll just have to wait till this afternoon then," Rarity said as she took the tray of gems back to where she'd gotten them. "I was actually just about to leave to gather some to use as accents for the gala outfits. I'll be sure to pick up some malachite while I'm there."

"You? Mining gems?"

"That's right," Rarity said nonchalantly while grabbing a brown leather bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

"You? Miss 'prim and proper, takes a 15 minute detour just to avoid a muddy road' are going to get down and dirty looking for gems?"

Rarity turned to face Trixie with a look of slight indignation. "First of all, it was a 3 minute detour and I had to, those were brand new Prada heels. Secondly, I don't need to actually get 'down and dirty,' as you put it. My special talent allows me detect gems with my magic."

"And the djinn win again," Trixie mumbled to herself. 

"What was that, dear? I couldn't quite hear you," Rarity asked earnestly.

"Trixie said... She would like to accompany you. Trixie needs to make sure the gems are of the correct quality, and..." she hesitated, "Iwanalearnthatspell..."

"What was that last part, darling?"

Trixie sighed, "I want to learn that spell! There, are you happy?"

Rarity grinned cheekily, "say 'please'."

Trixie's eye twitched. She took a quick look around to make double sure they were alone then, with a deep breath said, "p-please." Her smile was so forced it bordered on creepy.

"Very well," Rarity grinned happily. "We'll be leaving Ponyville so be sure to tell Mr. Kevin, I'll meet you over by the east bridge out of town."


***


On the other side of town, Dusk Shine was in a state of distress. He was under attack by an enemy that no amount of prep work or study could have prepared him for. Ancient horrors that possess princesses? That he could handle. Rampaging magical monsters and irate dragons? Easily dealt with. But this..?

"Cutie Mark Crusader Lab Assistants!"

...This just wasn't right.

"Girls, please!" Dusk pleaded, "you're making a mess."

Three tween girls, best friends and well meaning trouble makers were currently attempting to assist Dusk with his studies by doing everything they'd ever seen a scientist do in cartoons and comic books. Apple Bloom, Apple Jacks younger, red headed sister, was pouring random potions into beakers. Scootaloo, a tomboy seraphim with short purple hair and unusually short orange wings was pushing buttons on random devices asking what each was for as she did. Finally, Sweetie Belle, Rarity's sister, a djinn with flowing pink hair and matching pink dress was trying to use magic to lift one of the note pads on Dusk's desk.

The trio of insurance deductibles also known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were always on the look out for some way to earn their very own cutie marks. Dusk made the disastrous miscalculation of offering to watch Sweetie Belle for Rarity while she was out gem hunting, not realizing until it was far too late that what he thought was a sweet, innocent little cherub was actually part of a tribunal of terror.

"Scootaloo, that's not a toy! Woah, Apple Bloom, don't point that rod of disintegration at me! What the..? Sweetie, you just summoned Hastur!" The girls ran about and laughed while a frazzled Dusk confiscated dangerous weapons and banished the eldritch deity. As he worked to contain the chaos, the three girls  gathered in the center of the room.

"Anything yet girls?" Scootaloo asked as she and her two friends lifted the sleeves on their shirts to check their shoulders. They let out a groan of disappointment when they found all three of them remained blank.

"I guess we ain't cut out to be lab assistants after all," Apple Bloom said sadly.

"Hey Dusk," Sweetie Belle chimed, "you know any spells that will give us cutie marks?"

Dusk didn't answer at first, as he was preoccupied with forcing a yellow clad figure with a white mask down through a crack in reality. Once it was finally through, he clamped the spacial rift closed and, for good measure, pushed a heavy box over the area and sat on it. With a sigh of relief, he turned to address the inquiry. 

"Sorry but no, there isn't any spell that can give a cutie mark," he said. 

"Has anyone ever tried?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yea! Maybe you could make one!" Scootaloo added with excitement.

Dusk shook his head, "no can do girls. A cutie mark is inherently tied with a person's inner magic. I highly doubt there's anyone out there that would be morally ambiguous enough to even try messing with cutie marks, much less succeed."


***


On the other side of Equestria, in an area miles from any form of civilization, a single cottage stood at the end of a long stretch of road. Inside a young djinn woman with long purple hair with light blue highlights and matching light blue shirt sat at a desk. In front of her was a large piece of draft paper that had a drawing of her house as well as drawing of several identical copies laid out so that they lined the road on either side. The woman smiled to herself as she looked at the paper, "it's all coming together," she said to herself. "All I need now are some like minded individuals and my plan will- ah-ACHOO!" She blinked and wiped her nose with a tissue, "huh, where'd that come from..."


***


"You're going to have to earn your marks like everyone else," Dusk finished. The girls let out a dejected sigh.

"But how?" Scootaloo asked, "we've tried everything."

"Hey Dusk," Sweetie Belle squeaked, "how'd you get your cutie mark?"

At that, the other two suddenly perked up. "Hey yea!" Apple Bloom said, "maybe if we hear how other people got their marks, it'll give us an idea of how to get ours."

Now the trio were excitedly crowding around the hapless djinn in eager anticipation. "Tell us, Dusk, tell us!" Scootaloo said with her tiny wings buzzing rapidly.

Dusk, taken aback by the sudden interest in his cutie mark story, decided that he had no other option. "Ok girls, if you really want, I'll tell you." He settled himself on his chair and cleared his throat.

"It was around 12 years ago, on the day of the entrance exam for Celestia's School for Gifted Djinn. I'd studied for weeks prior and was about to take the practical portion of the test. Of course I'd already aced the written portion, my answer to the essay question was a stroke of genius if I do say so myself. It was about thaumiological inconsistencies on the atomic level and..."

"Dusk!" all three girls shouted at once.

Dusk blinked in slight embarrassment, "uh, right. Anyway, for the practical portion, we we're told to select from a list of tasks to perform that would demonstrate our magical abilities. Since the princess herself was watching, I wanted to do something that would really wow them all. So I picked the most difficult task on the list."

"What was it?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Manipulating time," Dusk answered proudly. "I was supposed to cast a spell on a dormant dragon egg in order to make it hatch. A dormant dragon egg can take decades, even centuries to hatch so I had to make time pass faster for the egg than for everyone else. Unfortunately, the spell turned out to be harder than I thought. Despite my best efforts, I just couldn't focus enough energy to trigger the event."

"So did'ya fail?" Scootaloo asked.

"It seemed like it at the time. I decided to give it one last try, I focused harder than I ever had before when something strange happened."

"What!?"

"There was a loud bang like thunder and I felt the flow of magic shift. I don't remember much, only that I never felt so powerful in my life. I lost control of my magic and began casting at random. My first spell hit my mom and dad, turned them into cacti but my second spell, it hit the egg and caused it to hatch. Unfortunately I didn't exactly have any control over the spell so it kept going, ageing the poor thing all the way to adult hood. Imagine a full grown dragon with the mind of a newborn."

"Whoa," the girls said in wonder.

"Wait a minute," Apple Bloom chimed in, "I remember ya saying you did something like that to Spike back when we first met."

"Wait so you mean..?" Sweetie asked.

"Yep, the dragon that hatched was actually Spike." Dusk answered.

"So then, you're like Spike's Dad?"

"Ye... No!"

"Hey girls, I got an idea!" Scootaloo said, the trio clearly no longer listening to Dusk. Lets go ask Rainbow Dash how she got her cutie mark, I bet it's a way more awesome story."

"Oh yea, and we can ask mine and Sweetie's sister too!" Apple Bloom added, "if we ask enough people, we might get some ideas for our own cutie marks." The three girls, now set in their tasks made a break for the stairs out of Dusk's basement leaving the bewildered bookworm before he could even get a word in.

When Dusk's mind caught up to what happened he jumped to his feet and followed after them. The logic part of his mind saying they were fine on their own but the OCD part demanding he continue to supervise them just in case. 


***


To the east of Ponyville, across the Everfree river, sat the cavernous valley of Rambling Rock Ridge.  A wide and dry plane sandwiched on either side by steep limestone cliffs. Most geologist believed the valley was most likely the remains of a prehistoric river, perhaps even the Everfree river itself had once flowed here but shifted course over the millennia. One thing was known for sure about the area, it was the largest deposit of gemstones in the world.

It was here that Trixie and Rarity found themselves. Rarity was dressed in what she referred to as her 'work clothes' which consisted of a long and narrow grey skirt and white dress shirt with short sleeves and a sunhat. Trixie was still in the same clothes from that morning.

"We're here," Rarity said as she stopped and removed a pair of red embroidered sunglasses. 

"Finally," Trixie mumbled to herself. "So now what?"

"Now we start our search," Rarity raised her arms so that her hands were level with her eyes. She then positioned her fingers so that her thumb and index fingers were pointing up, her middle fingers were at an upward angle and finally, her pinky and ring fingers were at a downward angle. She then brought the tips of her middle and ring fingers together so that they touched, forming a diamond shape. The dark purple gem on her forehead began to glow as it drew in mana to charge the spell. "Rarity's Fabulous Gem Hunter!"

The space between Rarity's fingers turned a light, translucent blue and as she pulled her hands apart, the blue diamond expanded in scale. When the construct was about 3 feet wide, she closed her fingers in a scissor motion leaving it floating in mid air, free of her hands. Then, she turned to Trixie with a grin, "ta da! Now, any gem within 100 yards will glow bright white when seen through this."

Trixie stared for a moment before speaking, "that's it?"

Rarity lost her self satisfied smile instantly. "Whatever do you mean 'that's it?' I'll have you know I spent a great deal of time and effort writing this spell!"

"It's just a watered down version of Starswirl's Discern Location."

"Oh really? Well, can Starswirl's Discern Location do this?" Rarity maneuvered the construct until she spotted what she was looking for. Through the blue screen a jagged bright white object could be seen clearly about 20 yards away and buried in the dirt. Rarity then placed her hand on the construct and a light blue field of magic emerged from it's center heading straight for the discovered gem. The gem, a peridot as it turned out, was plucked from the earth and returned to Rarity's awaiting hand. 

The fashionista's smug grin returned once more as she looked at Trixie who only seemed slightly more impressed. "So you modified the weave a bit to make it dig them up for you, big deal."

"It was FAR more than just a modification!" Rarity retorted. "I made this from the ground up. How many spells have YOU written?" she asked knowingly. 

"None... How many record breaking wands have you crafted?" It wasn't the best come back but Trixie needed to say something.

"I don't need wands."

Trixie was triggered.

"You... you stuck up, self entitled... drama queen!"

"A pleasure to meet you Pot, my name's Kettle, are you aware that you're also black?" Rarity turned her back on Trixie with a huff and crossed arms.

"I don't have to take this from some over-privileged genie," Trixie spat. 

All pretense of ladylike behavior from Rarity vanished as her jaw hung open and her eyes bulged. 'Genie' was probably the worst thing one could call a djinn. In the old days, it was the technical term for a djinn or any magic user that was bound in slavery. In more modern times, however, it became synonymous with the radical, (and widely unpopular) idea that djinn couldn't be trusted and should be subjugated and controlled. Suffice to say it wasn't a word used in polite conversation.

"I... in all my years I never... How dare you?!" Rarity screamed. "I'll not associate with one who uses such derogatorily words, good day Miss Lullamoon!" 

As Rarity stormed off, Trixie turned on her heels and marched in the opposite direction. I shouldn't have called her that, Trixie thought to herself. Still, where does she get off? Flaunting her natural magic like that. She's no different than he was.

Before she could continue down that line of thought, there was a sharp pain on the back of her head causing the world to spin. She tumbled to the ground as everything shifted in and out of focus. The last thing she saw was an unconscious Rarity a few yards away being tied up by a stout creature with long shovel like claws on it's hands. Her vision was obscured by the silhouette of another creature of similar shape as it raised it's foot and brought it down on her head, then blackness.


***


Applejack was busy looking over a receipt as she walked down Ponyville’s market street. “Sour apples are down by 2 bits but red galas are up by 5,” she mumbled to herself. “Good thing we grow all kinds of apples.”

“This way, Dusk”

A voice pulled Applejack out of her train of thought, “was that bloom?” Sure enough, Apple Bloom along with her two friends and a clearly being dragged against his will Dusk where heading her way.  The group of four ran right up to her so fast they nearly crashed into each other.

“Heya sis! Y’all got a minute?” Bloom asked excitedly.

“Apple Bloom, what in tarnation are y’all doing running all over the place?” She looked up at Dusk who was out of breath and mouthing ‘help me’.

“We wanted to ask how you got yer cutie mark,” the little apple sister said.

Applejack was a bit taken aback by the unexpected question. “Shucks, you mean I never told you that story?”

“Hey hold on!” Scootaloo interrupted, “I thought we were going to ask Rainbow Dash.”

“We will but come on, we need all the help we can get."

"Ugh, fine."

"So whatda say sis? Will you tell us?"

Applejack couldn't help but smile at her sister's enthusiasm. "Shoot I'd be happy to. Let's go find a seat, I think Dusk will appreciate a bit of a rest." They walked towards one of the nearby public benches, she began telling the story as they did.

"So when I was just a little lady, even littler than y'all, I didn't want to spend my life on a dusty old apple farm. I wanted to see all the amazing things the world had to offer. So when Ma, Pa, Big Mac and I when to Manehattan, I just knew I'd find out who I was meant to be."

Dusk's eyebrow rose for a moment. He didn't know exactly why but something about Applejack's story seemed... off. "Your whole family went?" he unintentionally voiced his thoughts.

"Uh, yea," Applejack answered, "we were all going down to the annual Farmers of Equestria showcase to look at all the fancy new equipment they'd come up with. All cept for Granny Smith o'course, she didn't want to bother with the big city. Anyhoo, when we first arrived, I was completely overwhelmed. I'd never seen such big buildings or so many people in one place. Not to mention the noise, it never stopped, even at night."

As Applejack told her story, Dusk couldn't help but focus on that one little detail about her parents. She never mentioned her parents going with her to Manehattean, he thought, last time I heard this story, she went to say with her aunt and uncle Orange... Wait a minute! What am I thinking 'last time I heard this story'? AJ's never told me where she got her mark. So why does it sound so familiar?

"Dusk?"

Could I have just had a weird dream and confused it with a memory?

"Dusk?"

It wouldn't be the first time...

"DUSK!" he snapped back to reality to find Applejack and the three girls giving him worried looks.

"You alright there, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked, "looked like you zoned out there for a moment."

Dusk shook his head and gave an apologetic laugh, "Yea sorry, I was thinking about something. I'm still listening though, what happened next?"

Applejack looked at him a moment longer but then shrugged it off and continued, "well, like I was sayin', I was looking through the hotel window trying to decide if I really wanted be a city girl or stay on the farm. That's when all of a sudden, there was this loud bang in the sky. I looked up and there was the brightest rainbow I'd ever seen, and it was leading me back to the farm. I knew it had to be a sign that I was meant to be a farmer and that's when my cutie mark appeared." For emphasis, she rolled up her sleeves to reveal three bright red apples on her shoulder.

"I've been happily workin' the farm ever since."

"Aw. That was such a sweet story!" Sweetie cooed.

"Sweet? Try sappy," Scootaloo mocked gagged, "Come on! We've got to find Rainbow Dash and hear the cool way to get a cutie mark." The little seraphim took off once more with her two friends following shortly after.

Applejack gave a hearty chuckle, "ha ha, those three sure are a hand full some times, ain't they Dusk?"

Dusk sighed, "it's my own fault for agreeing to watch them before I knowing what that meant." As he turned to follow, he stopped for a moment and looked back at Applejack. "Say AJ," he asked, "this might sound random but... do you have an aunt and uncle named 'Orange'?"

The farmer thought for a second before answering, "Noope, at least none that I can reckon." She looked thoughtful for a moment, "then again, Ma didn't hardly ever talk 'bout her side of the family much. All she'd ever say is that her daddy lived in Vanhoover and that she'd tell us the rest some day... Never mentioned any siblings though, why'da ask?"

"Oh, just idle curiosity," he lied. "I'd better go catch up with those girls. See you latter, Applejack." He closed his eyes and teleported.

Applejack was sure he wasn't being quite honest about his reasons for asking but decided to let it go for the time being. 


***


Kevin sat back in his chair as he awaited the results from the computer. A requisition from S.M.I.L.E. and the most sophisticated machine available outside of the military. The most advanced hardware ever assembled combined with state of the art software, engineered by Equestria's finest. The perfect platform for hacking into the mysterious Auryn Cube, as he had taken to calling it. 

After 6 grueling hours of analyzing, jury rigging and data crunching, the computer was finally ready to interface with the cube. A dialog box appeared on screen asking permission to proceed with the process. Kevin leaned in, this was it, the moment of truth. Soon he would have all the answers he'd been desperately searching for. With a grin, he clicked the button marked 'yes'.

"Error 227: requested information requires <level 3: admin user>. Access denied."

To this day, members of the S.M.I.L.E.  I.T. department speak in hushed whispers about the agent who somehow managed to punch a holographic monitor.


***


Rarity groaned as she slowly regained consciousness, she felt cold, wet and her head ached fiercely. "Errwah, what happened?" she moaned as she set upright. She tried to rub her head but found that her hands seemed to be stuck behind her back. Confusion turned to fear as she realized she was tied to a chair in a strange room. She began to breath heavily as it became more apparent that this wasn't some weird dream. "Hello?" she cried, "can anyone hear me? Someone, please help!"

"Will you be quiet," came a familiar voice from behind her. "Trixie's head hurts enough without your shrill voice piercing it like a knife."

"T-Trixie, is that you Darling?" Rarity tried to turn around but couldn't quite manage due to the chair being tied to a column of some sort. She could only assume that Trixie was on the other side of the same column bound in a similar state. Realizing that moving was impossible, she spoke again to her fellow prisoner. "What in Harmony's name happened? Where are we?"

"We were attacked," Trixie said matter of factly, "by Dwarfs."

"Dwarfs?" Rarity asked, then it slowly started to come back to her. After arguing with Trixie, she'd been accosted by a filthy looking mole like creature that she know recalled as a Dwarf. She had made trade deals with the Dwarf Trade Guild for gems in the past but they had always been cordial. "I don't understand, why would the D. T. G. attack us?"

"They didn't," came a gruff voice from the darkness. Trixie and Rarity looked towards the sound to see a figure emerging from the darkness. The figure had grey skin and narrow eyes, he wore a dirty torn jeans and a torn red vest. Flanking him were two additional figures, one short even by dwarf standards with brown skin and a grey vest. The other look like a walking mass of muscle, a whole foot taller than his companions with teal skin and a very menacing look about him. All three wore dog collars with diamond studs. 

"We are are the Diamond Dog Cartel," the one in red said, "and you two were stealing our gems."

"Stealing?" Rarity said indigently, "now see here, I don't know who you think you are-"

"Rarity!" Trixie tried to interrupt.

"-but prospecting laws clearly state that we were fully within our rights to look for gems in that region-"

"Rarity!!!"

"-and I'll have you know that I have contacts within the Guild and one call can have you all-"

*SMACK*

Rarity's tirade was cut off as the red clad dwarf delivered a sharp slap to her face. Rarity looked stunned as her aggressor simply grinned at her. "We are not with the guild, little genie," he laughed, "and your silly little laws don't mean shit to us." He motioned to his two henchmen one of which approached rarity and undid her bindings, the other untied Trixie. Rarity stood and with her hands free, rubbed the sore side of her face.

"Now, listen closely," the leader said, "the name's Rex and don't forget it. Normally when we catch someone stealing in our territory, we simply persuade them to look elsewhere." When he emphasized 'persuade', his cohorts let out low chuckles that sent shivers down Rarity's spine. "However, we noticed you seem to have an interesting ability, one that could be very useful to us." Rex crossed his arms, never taking his eyes off of Rarity. "So here's the deal, we'll overlook your transgressions if you agree to help us find red quartz."

Rarity's eyes widened. Red quartz was a rare and highly controlled magical mineral. Harmless in it's natural state but when refined into it's pure form it was very volatile. It had no real use other than being weaponized, or aiding in scientific studies. And these guys didn't look like scholars. 

"And if I refuse?" Rarity asked with some trepidation.

All three dwarfs gathered around her staring quite menacingly. "Let's just say that we always get our due," Rex then looked up towards Rarity's forehead, "djinn mana gems go for quite a bit on the black market you know..."

"I... I see, well it seems I don't have a choice then."

"Good. Now then, you will find the gems and you," he turned to Trixie, "will dig for them. I think this will work out nicely." The three dwarfs laughed with Rarity and Trixie looked at each other with fear in their eyes.


***


Back in Ponyville, Dusk and the crusaders had run into Fluttershy while searching for Rainbow Dash and much to Scootaloo's dismay, her friends wanted to hear her cutie mark story as well. 

"I remember I was about your age," Fluttershy started, "my mother was taking me and my brother on a trip through the forest." Once again, Dusk was listening more intently than he thought he would. Some of the details were not adding up in his mind.

"While we were walking, I saw a cute little bunny off the path and I wanted to get closer to it. But, before I knew it I got separated from Mom and Zephyr," Fluttershy looked a little abashed at that. "When I looked up and they weren't there, I was terrified. I curled up into a little ball and cried." 

"The next moment I felt a little tickle on my leg, I looked up and saw the little bunny I'd been following. He wasn't alone either, there were some birds and butterflies and all sorts of critters all coming up to me. I picked up the bunny and held him close, it made me feel a lot better."

"What about the explosion?" Dusk asked without thinking. Everyone stopped to look at him.

"Um, how did you know about that?" Fluttershy asked.

"Wait, there really was an explosion?" Scootaloo asked, suddenly more invested in the story.

"I uh... I thought I remember you saying something about that once?" Dusk lied with a grin. 

"Oh, well there was an explosion, or at least I think there was. I remember a loud bang that scared all the animals away. It startled me too, but when I saw how afraid the little animals were, I couldn't help but want to comfort them the same way they did me. So that's exactly what I did, I went to each of them slowly and gently and I told them there was nothing to be afraid of. They all came back to me looking to me for comfort and protection. I knew in that moment that I wanted to keep them safe forever, and that's when my cutie mark appeared."

Fluttershy showed her shoulder where three pink butterflies in a triangle arrangement stood out proudly against her smooth peach colored skin. "Mama and Zephyr found me a little while later, she was so proud of me for earning my cutie mark that she let me keep the bunny. He made me feel safe when I was scared so I called him my little guardian angel."  At the sound of his name, Angel Bunny hopped on to Fluttershy's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.

"Aww that's so sweet," Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said at the same time. Scootaloo, once again, rolled her eyes.

"But, what about Rainbow Dash?" Dusk asked.

Fluttershy looked at him with confusion, "Dusk, I didn't meet Rainbow Dash until I went to flight school."

Dusk held a hand to his head, that's not right, I remember hearing this story. She fell off a cloud while Rainbow was racing.

"Dusk are you alright?" 

Dusk snapped out of his thoughts, he saw Fluttershy and the girls looking at him with concern. 

"Yes!" he said quickly, "yes I'm fine." Except I'm going crazy...

"Well now that, that's out of the way, can we PLEASE go find Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo insisted.

"Oh," Sweetie Belle piped up, "let's go ask my sister, I think she mentioned something about needing to see Rainbow today. She'll know where to find her."

The three girls hurried off with Dusk following close behind, though his mind buzzing. Twice now he could have sworn he'd heard his friend's cutie mark story and twice now he'd been wrong. Just what was going on in his head. 


***


Kevin was busy setting up his replacement holographic monitor when he felt a tug in the back of his mind. It was the ward he'd placed on Trixie signaling that she was out of her allowed perimeter. He knew, of course that she was heading out with Rarity that morning to gather gems or something of that nature so he'd temporarily expanded the range. If it was going off now then she was well outside the boundaries of Ponyville. 

Standing up, he drew a circle in the air with his right hand while making specific gestures with his left. A crude circular map appeared in the air with basic shapes representing landmarks and features. In the middle was a small caricature of his face surrounded by a few squares representing buildings and to the right, waaay past the red boundry line was a blinking, blue Trixie face complete with wizard cap and winking eye. Under the Trixie icon was a set of coordinates.

"What are you doing way over there?" Kevin asked himself as he punched the numbers into his Glass to get a more accurate map. When the map loaded, his eyes widened and his breath caught. The pointer was right in the middle of a big red square labeled 'DD territory'.

"Ah hell, this is going to be a long day..."