> Freedom Shall Ring
>  by Piemaster128
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> Prologue
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Equestria. A land that, thousands of years ago, was home of the alicorns, ponies with wings, horns, a deep connection to the earth through their hooves, flowing manes, and more magic than any other being on the planet. They existed in harmony with nature and the many other races of the world, living for millennia in peace and prosperity. Their source of good fortune? The elements of harmony. With these six powerful jewels and the tree of harmony in the center of their land, they were able to keep peace and happiness all across the world. But unfortunately, things eventually took a turn for the worst.
Though the elements were strong, they would occasionally need to be returned to the tree of harmony to regain their strength. After the defeat of the Spirit of Chaos, Discord, the elements were returned as normal.  It was a few months later when everything went wrong. A dark black cloud filled with particles of red dust suddenly and swiftly invaded Equestria. It did not kill, but instead ruthlessly stripped the magic of anyone or anything it touched. Alicorns, unprepared for this assault, found themselves stripped of all magic and dragged deep into the depths of the cloud. Alone and trapped in small bubbles of air only a few feet big, they could do nothing but weep. 
With each alicorn captured, the cloud grew in size and speed, soon spreading out and covering nearly half the world, all within the first twenty-four hours of its appearance. Other species were similarly attacked, but unlike the ponies, were not kept alive. Was it because they served no purpose to the cloud? Was the cloud simply toying with the guardians of the land? No one knew. As the cloud expanded, the rest of the alicorns fled, abandoning the tree of harmony and the elements, for they knew they could not remove them. They could only remove the elements once they had regained their strength, but not enough time had passed. Instead, they prayed as they ran, their numbers less than a hundred strong. 
They prayed for a miracle.
With the defenders gone, the cloud moved in and attacked the tree of harmony, attempting to drain its magic. But just as it thought it had drained the last of the tree’s magic, as the crystal grew grey and cold, the elements fought back. They ignited the magic that had been stolen, obliterating the abomination from the inside. The resulting explosion left a giant crater where the tree of harmony had once stood. The plan worked, but at such a high cost. 
The fleeing alicorns, upon hearing the explosion and upon seeing their pursuer vaporize, realized the threat had been vanquished. Upon returning to Equestria, the alicorns found the land damaged and torn to pieces. Green hills were brown. Trees were withered. Clear streams were brown and purple from excess magic. But what surprised them the most were the ponies they found. Every pony captured by the smoke was found and accounted for, but each only retained one-third of their magic. The alicorns with only their horns were renamed unicorns. The alicorns with only their wings were renamed pegasi. The alicorns with only their connection to the land were renamed earth ponies. The new species of pony were terrified, each having lost something that made them who they were. 
The remainder of the alicorns devised a solution. Their magic could help to repair the land and remove the taint, but there was no telling how long it would take, so each one divided the new pony races into groups and took them to a small plot of land. Here, they built their homes and began the arduous task of fixing Equestria. The alicorns would provide protection, and the other races would work for them to insure they had the resources and strength to repair the land. Thus, The Alicorn Pact, as it would later be called, was formed. 
In it, each of the new races was brought to serve the alicorns while they cleansed the land, and in exchange they were given protection, food, and an area to build a single city, one for each race. The pegasi built Cloudsdale high is the sky to serve as a weather factor, the Unicorns built Canterlot on one of the few remaining mountains to serve as a center of magical research and a meeting place for the alicorns, and the Earth ponies built the city of Manehattan as a center of trade and manufacturing, as well as a place for what remained of the other species to meet. Alicorns also lived in these cities, but they worked to make sure that each city fulfilled its role rather than direct rulers. At least at first. 
But what of the elements of harmony?
The ten-mile blast site had become filled with what is now called “The Miasma.” Any pony who enters it finds that their magic is slowly eaten away, leaving horns, wings, and even hooves riddled with small holes, like termites devouring a log. However, thanks to the unicorn Star Swirl the Bearded, a spell was devised that would allow ponies to survive and explore The Miasma. Why risk the exploration at all? Shortly after the return of the alicorns, the Element of Kindness was found. It was damaged, with cracks running all across its surface, but it still glowed softly, showing that it was not yet gone from this world. 
Fearing the return of the cloud, the alicorns locked the element in an anti-magic glass case, one that would prevent any external magic from contacting the element, as well as masking its presence from those who may seek it out. As time passed, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter were all located and locked away. The elements were also kept separate, to insure that if one were to fall to the cloud, that the others would still be protected. The Element of Magic, however, has never been found, even after nearly three thousand years. Some say it is still in the Miasma, which is why even today alicorns or their ponies explore it despite the risk. 
But despite its good intentions, The Alicorn Pact had one fatal flaw. It gave alicorns all the control. As the centuries have passed, alicorns have become more ruthless and demanding, instilling sometimes crippling punishments for disobedience or rebellion. A few still upheld the original idea of the treaty, treating their ponies with love and compassion, but others…

‘Why am I remembering Equestria’s history now of all times?’ Night Light thought before wincing as the whip struck again. Night Light was a blue unicorn with a dark blue mane and two crescent moons as a cutie mark. Despite being chained to the stage with four hoof cuffs and a neck restraint, he was able to look around slightly as the whip continued to strike. He was in Canterlot, the city of gold and white marble rising all around him, and all around ‘lesser ponies’ as his lady, or his alicorn master, called them, watched. There were also a few other alicorns as well, some ignoring the spectacle, others smirking at the unicorn being put in his place, and one or two looking on in horror and disgust at the abusive treatment being issued. There was even a mother alicorn covering the eyes of a young filly, also an alicorn. 
Despite the species difference, alicorns could still breed with the other three races, occasionally producing an alicorn offspring. When the cloud attacked, only female alicorns had escaped, most saved by their husbands, who stayed behind to buy them time. As such, all alicorns were currently female and had to rely on the other species if they wanted kids of their own. It had, over the years, allowed the alicorn race to bounce back a bit. Those who were born to an alicorn but not alicorns themselves usually became overseers of the other ponies, and their attitudes usually matched that of their parents. 
The reason there were so many alicorns in Canterlot today was because one of their own had died less than a week ago. Although immortal, alicorns could still die of wounds or magical exertion. The latter had happened in this case, but for the life of him Night Light couldn’t remember who had died. Because of this death, alicorns from all across the land had gathered for her funeral. Night Light had been brought along as a servant of his ‘house,’ the term used to refer to a family of alicorns, their ponies, and the land they built their homes on. He was to assist his lady while she was attending the funeral in whatever she may need. However, shortly after their arrival, he had been chained and brought to the central square for punishment. 
What crime had he committed that demanded such a brutal punishment? Giving away blank paper to his wife. He was a Keeper, a guardian of knowledge, responsible for preserving and sometimes copying knowledge found in books that had survived the cloud’s attack. It’s how he knew so much about Alicorn history, while most ponies probably never even realized that they were descendants of alicorns in the first place. His wife, who always dreamed of running a library, had been trying to write a book about the basics of unicorn magic so that other unicorn children could learn how to cast even the most basic of spells. But Lady Thorn, an alicorn with a red coat, black mane, red eyes, and a red rose as a cutie mark, had seen it in a different light. Rather than see his wife’s book as a way to teach children, she saw it as a way for the ‘lesser ponies’ to gain power, rise up, and overthrow the alicorns. Ludicrous, yet here he was.
“PLEASE! STOP!” 
A filly’s voice rang out. Night Light took the break in the whipping to see who had called, and his heart skipped a beat. He had told his wife Twilight Velvet, a unicorn with a white coat, white and purple striped mane, and three purple stars for a cutie mark, to take their two children away before it began. But now she, his son Shining Armor, who was still a young stallion about fifteen years old, and their seven-year-old filly Twilight Sparkle were being forced to watch by two muscle bound earth ponies. His daughter was trying to break away from her mother and brother, crying in horror at the sight before. 
“This is the price of disobedience, you brat!” Thorn spat as she whipped Night Light again. Night Light cried out for the first time, this last strike much more forceful than the last.
“NO!” Twilight screamed, fighting against her mother’s grip as her horn sparked slightly before returning to normal. 
“This is the cost of rebellion! The cost of forgetting your place! THE COST OF THINKING YOU ARE ANYTHING MORE THAN DIRT BENEATH MY HOOVES!” she yelled, whipping as she finished each sentence. Nightlight felt his head starting to spin from the pain as each whip stroke grew more and more powerful. Thorn continued to shout and whip him even more forcefully.  “AND!” Snap “YOU!” Snap “WILL!” Snap “LEARN!”
“NO!”
Twilight Sparkle’s eyes suddenly went pure white, her horn flaring to life and throwing out a wall of force that repelled her mother, brother, and the guards away from her. Even Nightlight, in his half-conscious state, could feel the raw magic coming off his daughter. Slowly she began to rise off the ground, her mane starting to flow as a breeze kicked up and quickly became so strong that nearby ponies, or at least those who hadn’t already fled, were struggling to stay in one place. But the wind only slightly blew Nightlight’s mane.
“What do you think you’re doing you lit—” Thorn began before a massive blast of magic sent her flying at breakneck speeds through the nearest building. And the one behind that. And the one behind that. Night Light stopped counting after five. 
“AHHHHHH!”
Twilight screamed, the energy in the air spiking again as more and more magic continued to pour out of her horn. She was now almost entirely surrounded by a ball of light purple light. Streaks of lightning began to fire in all directions as magic was randomly discharged. One of the guards became a chicken, while the other became a potted house plant. The lightning never hit Nightlight, Twilight Velvet, or Shining Armor. 
The nearby alicorns, who had up to this point been watching in shock at the sight of such power, now leapt into action, attempting to bring the filly under control. But it was clear they were fighting a losing battle. Every spell, even some designed to cause actual damage (much to Night Light’s horror) were simply absorbed by the glowing ball of magic that was his filly. Anyone who tried to get close was driven back by a flurry of lightning from the sphere as it continued to grow, the energy in the air growing heavier as each second passed. 
Then, out of nowhere, two new alicorns appeared. Night Light recognized them. Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. 
Luna was a dark blue alicorn with a mane like the night sky and a cutie mark of a crescent moon. Celestia was a white alicorn with a rainbow mane of light pink, blue, green, and purple stripes. Her cutie mark was the daytime sun. Unlike most alicorns, these two sisters had taken over raising the sun and moon, a task that had originally been left to the Keepers before their births. This was because after the attack of the cloud, the remaining alicorns found they could no longer touch the sun or moon with their magic. So instead, each house would donate one keeper a month to assist with raising the sun and moon. Due to the strain, they were swapped out each and every month so that they could regain their strength. When the sisters had taken over centuries ago, it had removed quite a large burden from the Keeper’s shoulders, however, Keepers were still taught the spell just in case. 
Moving quickly, Lady Luna’s body dissolved into a starry mist that easily avoided the lightning. Getting closer, she changed back to her solid form and struck the sphere with her horn. A long channel opened up, cutting a path through the out-of-control magic. Lady Celestia was already inside as it finished and, faster than Nightlight could see, crossed her horn with Twilight’s. 
Instantly, the magic cut off and all the random changes that had occurred were suddenly reversed. Twilight’s white eyes slowly returned to their normal purple, but Nightlight could just barely see in his current state that there were still trails of tears running down her cheeks. 
“She wouldn’t stop. She just wouldn’t stop,” Twilight muttered continuously, staring endlessly into space. As she and Lady Celestia slowly returned to the ground, Celestia gently extended her wings and cradled the sobbing filly.
“Shhhh, it’s ok,” she whispered, her horn lighting as a soft sleeping spell was cast on the small filly. “Everything is ok. Your father is ok. Just rest, you’ve had a very trying day.” With this final command, Twilight’s body slumped as her eyes finally closed and the square was filled with the sounds of her breathing.
Already, Butlers of Celestia and Luna’s house were moving in, surrounding Lady Celestia and assisting Twilight Velvet and Shining Armor back to their hooves. They also had a small colt with them. He was a ‘Butler-in-training,’ with orange fur and a blue mane and was dressed in the traditional attire of a butler: a black suit with a shirt matching his mane color and the cutie marks of his Ladies on the front sleeves of his jacket.
Despite their name, Butlers, whether mare or stallion, were some of the most dangerous ponies in the world at this point in time. They not only worked for the alicorns as their personal servants, but they also were their personal bodyguards. Butlers of all races were taught to use easily concealed weapons and how to use and counter a variety of alchemic chemicals. They were also, on rare occasions, used as assassins by alicorns to take out those they saw as threats, whether they were their own ponies, other alicorn’s ponies, or sometimes even other alicorns, although this last type of attack was usually done to cause fear rather than death. They were fiercely loyal to their Ladies and would almost always follow any order without question. Even now Nightlight could see the young colt had a pair of wing blades, although they were most likely made of wood rather than metal since he was still in training. 
As the Butlers removed Night Light’s restraints, he heard the two sisters whispering to one another, followed by a nod from Luna, who turned and flew off towards the castle. Night Light tried to stand, but his body had had enough and he simply groaned and sank down. One of the Butlers, a mare with a red mane and cream colored fur and glasses came forward and pulled a medical kit from one of her suit's enchanted pockets.
As the mare began to work, and as the pain slowly began to ebb away, Night Light found it harder and harder to keep his eyes open, and quickly found himself submitting to sleep. Had he remained awake, he would have seen his family and himself being escorted towards the castle in the center of the city. He would have seen Celestia refusing to surrender his daughter to the angry alicorns nearby. He would have felt the soft touch of an alicorn sized bed as he and his family were allowed to rest under the watchful eye of Lady Celestia and her Butlers.

A short time later, in the grand meeting hall of Canterlot Castle…

There was chaos among the alicorns far worse than any had seen in many years. While argument over the treatment of their ponies was common, this was the first time an alicorn had been seriously injured by a non-ascended pony, let alone a filly. 
The meeting hall was a large and elegant room with a small stage and podium in the center and raised rows surrounding it, as well as a larger, singular area for the Queen. The Queen had a black coat with a bright green mane that matched her eyes. Her cutie mark was blurred and distorted, a side effect of those who had survived the attack of the cloud. What could still be seen appeared to take the shape of a scythe wrapped in red flames. The Queen was the strongest of the alicorns, one of three surviving members that had seen the Cloud with their own eyes, and she was also approximately twice the size of Celestia. However, for the moment, the Queen simply watched with an unreadable mask from atop her mound of cushions.
“I’m telling you, we need to break that little brat’s horn!” Lady Thorn yelled angrily at her opponent. Thorn had been bandaged and treated after being shot through twelve buildings by Twilight’s flare. Her horn was cracked, but it was an injury that would heal. Or at least it would if she stopped trying to use it.
“Are thou mad!?” Luna yelled. “Thou would be crippling the most powerful unicorn in recorded history! Not to mention she is but a FILLY!” 
“She threw me through TWELVE BUILDINGS! SHE IS A THREAT THAT COULD ONE DAY TRY AND OVERTHROW US!” 
“Maybe there wouldn’t be talks of rebellion if you didn’t resort to such barbaric methods,” a white alicorn with a gold and pink mane said from the sidelines. Her cutie mark was three golden hearts. She was Lady Golden Heart, Ruler of the Crystal Empire. Nearby, her daughter Mi Amore Cadenza (or Cadence as she preferred to be called) was glaring at Thorn. Cadence was a pink alicorn with a yellow, pink and purple mane and a crystal heart and two golden branches as a cutie mark. Her mother was loving, kind, and cared deeply for all her ponies, traits that Cadence had also developed, despite still being a young mare. 
“Your ponies are soft and weak,” Thorn replied with a scoff. “Mine are strong. If the cloud were ever to return, you would be the first to fall, and even your little invention would shatter under the stress.” 
“The crystal heart fought back the frozen north and created a bountiful oasis. You’re still just mad you can’t even purify a river of tainted magic.”
“Why you…”
“ENOUGH!” the Queen’s voice boomed as she let loose a small burst of magic that shook the room, causing the room to drop into silence and all arguments dropped immediately. 
“Your majesty, the filly…” 
“Has gained a pink, six sided star as part of her cutie mark,” the Queen replied, causing the entire chamber to gasp. It was well known what the element of magic looked like, and if what the Queen had said was true, this meant that Twilight was not only VERY powerful, which had already been proven, but also that she may actually have a chance to find the element of magic. The last pony with such a mark had been very strong magically and had improved Starswirl’s protection spell.  
This fact only reinforced Luna’s resolve. Twilight must be trained, and no unicorn could train her correctly, just as Celestia said. 
“My Queen,” Luna called out, “I would like to request that the filly and her family be brought under the care of House Shining Star immediately.”
Before Thorn could protest Luna trying to take her ponies, the Queen responded, “Approved.”
“You can not be serious! You can not possibly expect me to accepts this—” Thorn protested, only to be immediately silenced.
“YOU DARE QUESTION ME?!” The Queen thundered, her magic flaring and causing the room to immediately darken. Many of the alicorns winced in terror while Thorn nearly collapsed from fright. Even Luna took a step back in fear. There was a reason she was queen. No alicorn could match her strength. “I do not care for your ramblings or conspiracy theories, Thorn,” the Queen rumbled as her magic died down. “This filly has far too much potential to be crippled like so many other ponies under your or your sister’s care. If she can help us find the Element of Magic, then she MUST be trained. Any threat she poses is insignificant. So long as she doesn’t interfere with our efforts to locate the Element, she could overthrow you for all I care.” Thorn gasped at this while Luna just smirked internally. 
“Luna,” the Queen said in a much more even tone. “You and your sister were successful with in training other powerful unicorns in the past.” As she spoke, hey eyes drifted over to the guard captain of Canterlot. She was a mare with orange fur, and red and yellow striped mane, and a red and yellow sun for a cutie mark. She was only a few years older than Cadence, but she had already proven herself to be the strongest and most competent of the guard captains in the history of Canterlot. 
Said mare was Sunset Shimmer. Like Twilight, she had a strong magic flare as a filly, though not quite as strong, so Celestia and Luna had personally taken on the task of training her. She lacked the temperament for a Butler or Keeper, and was uninterested in becoming a Seeker (those who braved The Miasma and other dangerous locations in search of pre-cloud artifacts and knowledge). So, in the end, she had become a guard, and had quickly taken to the role like a fish to water.
“Can you train this new filly?” the Queen asked. “I understand your mother’s death is still fresh, so if you can not…”
“We can,” Luna responded confidently, looking the Queen in the eye and never backing down. “We will ensure that whatever her talent may be, it will be put to use in assisting us in the search for the element.” 
The Queen nodded. “Very well. You and your sister will take her and her family under your care. Assess the filly’s potential and keep me posted with monthly updates, just as before. Dismissed.” She stood and trotted out of the room, a slight limp in her step. With a nod, Luna turned and walked towards the nearest exit, her tail smacking a stupefied Thorn in the nose as she left. Once out of the room, Luna turned to the right and began to walk back towards the suites reserved for her and her sister. Normally she would take time to talk with Lady Golden Heart, but right now she needed to speak with Celestia. 
When she arrived, her two Butlers outside their rooms nodded before opening the door. Her room was still empty, but was connected to her sister’s room via a door. Luna knocked quietly. After a few seconds, the door opened and another Butler bowed slightly before standing aside. In the room, Celestia was lying on the edge of her bed while the rest of the unicorns were lying on a pile of pillows in the center of the bed. Night Light was heavily bandaged and was lying completely on the pillows with a gold blanket draped over his lower half. Next to him, his son Shining Armor was also asleep, and Luna could tell from his tremors that he was still reliving the day’s events in his dreams. On the other side, Twilight Velvet was the only one still awake and was cradling her sleeping daughter.
Celestia looked up as her sister entered the room. A slight nod was all she needed to know. Returning the nod, Celestia stood up and stretched, prompting a look from Twilight Velvet. 
“My lady?” she asked nervously, her expression one of concern. “What… What’s going to happen to my daughter?”
Luna looked over at the mother and smiled lightly. “Thou have nothing to fear, Miss Velvet. Your daughter has an incredible talent in magic and as such, the Queen has decreed that she is to be trained by myself and my sister. As of today, your family is now under the protection of House Shining Star. Lady Thorn will not be able to hurt thou anymore.”
Twilight Velvet’s eyes widened at the declaration. “R-really?” she whispered. Luna nodded. “C-can I write my book? I-I was writing it to help my daughter learn magic. L-Lady Thorn wouldn’t allow it, but…”
“I would be grateful for a book to help train our young unicorns,” Celestia said with a smile. “For now, however, I think you should rest. You have all had a long day. Our Butlers will be here to protect you. If you need anything, just let them know. Flash?”
“Yes, my lady?” The young colt responded. 
“You should get some rest as well. I want you to wait on the family tomorrow. Get them anything they need."
The colt nodded and bowed slightly. “Yes, my lady.” 
“Thank you, my lady,” Velvet replied before yawning. Celestia smiled before casting another light sleep spell. Luna cast a dream spell as well to eliminate any nightmares the family might face that night. Soon, Velvet had also fallen asleep and all four members were sleeping peacefully. Flash, meanwhile, had moved to one of the smaller side rooms to rest. With a nod to the rest of the Butlers in the room, Celestia and Luna moved back to Luna’s room. With a flash of Celestia’s horn, a sound-proofing spell surrounded their room. 
“News?”
“The Queen agrees with your assessment. Twilight Sparkle may be connected to the Element of Magic. She believes that training her may allow her to one day help us find the element of magic.”
“It is still too early to tell what she can do. Thank you for convincing the Queen to allow us to train her.”
“Our work with Sunset Shimmer paid off. Tell me, sister, do you really believe Mother’s final prophecy to be true?”
“She was never wrong,” Celestia said, pulling out a small slip of paper and reading it one last time before setting it on fire. Their mother, Lady Faust, better known as “The Prophesizer,” had recently passed on. Lady Faust had the uncanny ability to see the future, and had never, ever, been wrong. She had helped save thousands by predicting an earthquake and countless other by predicting a rogue dragon attack. She was one of the most revered alicorns in existence, despite having one of the smallest houses. Unfortunately, she had no control over her talent and the magic responsible for it was highly toxic. It slowly ate away at her health until she passed away. 
As the fire slowly consumed the paper, one could just make out the words before they disappeared.
When the Element of Magic is found, the child of magic shall ascend. This child shall liberate the ponies of Equestria, and bring an end to the tyranny of the alicorns. When the Elements are liberated, Freedom Shall Ring. 

> Act 1 Begins: Chapter 1: A Normal Day
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Twelve years later…

A fair distance away from Canterlot Mountain lay the estate of House Shining Star. Although the property was one of the smallest, it had some of the nicest land in the still damaged Equestria. The grass was green, the river flowing through the edge of the property was cleaned by magic filters the House invented, and there were plenty of full-grown trees. In the center of the land was a small town. 
It was here that the ponies of House Shining Star lived their lives. Even though not technically related to the inhabitants of the house, they were still under protection of the house and as such were considered members. Unlike members of other Houses, here ponies could own their own homes, would be given gems that could be used as currency, and for the most part they could choose their own careers unless they showed particular skills as a Keeper, Seeker, or a Butler. 
In the center of the town lay a huge mansion that belonged to Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. Most of the mansion was open to the public and both Ladies would pay frequent visits to their ponies to check up on them. They had no children of their own, but many thought they viewed their ponies as their family, especially considering how warm and caring they were. 
The staff of the house included the Butlers, maids, cooks, occasionally Seekers, and the Keepers. Each of the rooms was fairly large and could be personalized to fit the pony’s taste. There were also a variety of rooms that, although smaller, would serve as rooms for the entire town’s population on special holiday celebrations, or as a place for them to stay in case the town was ever attacked. Near Celestia and Luna’s suite, which rested on the top floor of the mansion, lay smaller rooms reserved for very special ponies. In one of these rooms, the permanent inhabitants had yet to awaken.
Said room was simple, minimally furnished, with doors leading to the adjacent bathroom and bedroom. A small basket, from which snores could be heard, lay by the bed. It was into this room that the maid Twinkleshine, a unicorn with a pink mane, white coat, and three blue stars as a cutie mark, entered, carrying a covered tray. After closing the door, she quickly moved over to the occupied bed and placed the tray on the nightstand. 
“Miss Twilight, wake up,” Twinkleshine said, gently shaking the bed. The mass of covers simply groaned and rolled away from the noise. Twinkleshine simply rolled her eyes. “Come on, Twilight, you need to get up. You know what I will do if you don’t.” 
“Don’t wanna,” Twilight mumbled, pulling the pillow over her head. Twinkleshine just rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. 
“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Twinkleshine raised the lid of the tray with her magic long enough to pull out a cup filled with ice cubes. With a wicked grin, she proceeded to dump the entire cup of ice on Twilight’s exposed back. 
“AAAHHHH! COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD CO—” THUMP! Twilight Sparkle groaned as she lay on the floor, rubbing her back where it smacked onto the floor. “You know I hate it when you do that, Twinkleshine,” she groaned.
“Well, what kind of friend would I be if I let you oversleep?” Twinkleshine asked with a giggle. She then walked over to the basket at the foot of Twilight’s bed. “Come on Spike, you need to wake up to too.”
“Ok, ok,” the basket grumbled, the blanked moving back to reveal a small purple dragon with a green underbelly and green scales on his heads and green eyes. “Just don’t pour ice on me.” 
“Never,” Twinkleshine said with a smile before proceeding to the nearby closet and laying out Twilight’s clothes for the day. This mostly consisted of a simple yellow dress with a pink scarf around its collar. Spike meanwhile climbed out of his basket and walked over to help Twilight get to her hooves.
A few days after the incident in Canterlot, Lady Celestia and Lady Luna had given Twilight a variety of tasks to try and determine just how much magic she had at her disposal. It was shockingly little compared to what they had seen originally. So then Lady Celestia had given her Spike’s egg and told her to hatch it. She had nearly given up when a massive rainbow shockwave had suddenly blasted across the sky, startling Twilight so much that her magic flared once again and proceeded to hatch the egg and thus, well, Spike. Thankfully, Celestia was there to bring her magic under control before something truly destructive happened. Since then, Twilight had raised Spike and he had become her assistant. 
As a side effect of this event, Twilight had gained the ability to now use all of her magic, as thought a clogged sink had been cleared, allowing the water to flow through. One of the biggest thing she had to learn after this event, however, was control. With her magic now easily accessible, she would sometimes lose control if under too much stress or trying to hard to cast a spell. Thankfully, after years of training, Twilight was almost always in complete control of her magic. 
After a quick thank you to the dragon, Twilight walked over to the dresser and began to get dressed. “I still don’t think that was necessary, Twinkleshine,” she said as she combed her mane. 
“Well, given how late you were up last night in the library, I thought you could use a little pick-me-up,” Twinkleshine replied. “Besides, I wasn’t sure if you finished that assignment for Lady Celestia yet, and we all know how you get when you think you’re going to be late for something.”
“You try and use time spells to get more work done ONE TIME and no one ever lets you live it down,” Twilight grumbled, pulling the lid off the nearby tray. Inside was a glass of orange juice, some toast with honey and some scrambled eggs. There was also a small bowl of gems for Spike to eat as well. “And yes, I finished the assignment yesterday afternoon,” she said before beginning to eat her breakfast.
“Wow, three books in one day plus the four you read in your free time? That’s a new record,” Spike said with a smirk, earning him an unamused glare from Twilight and a giggle from Twinkleshine. Soon breakfast was eaten and both Twilight and Spike were dressed. Spike wore a casual suit on a daily basis, purple and green to match his scales. After saying goodbye to Twinkleshine as the maid began to clean cleaned the room, Spike and Twilight left the room with Spike riding on the mare’s back. 
“Hello, my lady,” a voice said almost as soon as they closed the door. 
“Hey, Flash Sentry,” Spike said with a wave, earning a smile from the suit-wearing stallion with an orange coat, blue mane, and a blue shield with a lightning bolt cutie mark. After Twilight and her family had moved to House Shining Star, Flash had been assigned to be the family’s permanent assistant while he completed his Butler training and had eventually become Twilight’s personal guard due to both his combat skills and alchemy knowledge. As such, he also had a room next to Twilight’s so he could respond quickly should an emergency arise. 
“Hello, Spike,” Flash said with nod. “So Twilight, did you sleep well?”
“I would have slept better if SOMEONE hadn’t dropped a sleeper bomb on me last night,” she said with a partial growl, giving Flash a very fiery glare. She was referring to a special bomb Flash made that released a crushed herb into the vicinity, causing the victim to fall asleep almost instantly. Flash didn’t even flinch. 
“You’re just upset because I interrupted one of your late-night reading sessions. Seriously, it took me two hours to find you with all the wards you had put up in the library.”
“I was reading Clover the Clever’s book on advanced transfiguration and magical enchantment.” 
“Which you already read last month.”
“And now I have no idea where I left off!”
“I put a bookmark in the book before I had to carry you back to your room. Again.”
“I don’t see what’s wrong with staying up just a little bit to do some light reading.”
“It was one in the morning, and it was one of seven books you read yesterday. That goes beyond light reading and into the territory of obsession.”
“I’m a Keeper. I NEED to keep updated on the information in the library.”
“Updated, not obsessively rereading every book or every new version of a book. Seriously, you once read a history book three times in five days just because another Keeper added two small sections updating the most recent history of Equestria.”
“He’s got a point,” Spike said, smirking at Twilight’s frown as she tried to think of a reply.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I used a sleeper bomb on you,” Flash said with an apologetic smile. “But my job is to keep you safe, even if that means protecting you from yourself. And don’t you give me that look, we both know if I hadn’t intervened you would be awake all night, which would mean you would be exhausted today and you would be so worried about messing something up that you would be so full of anxiety that we might have another time travel incident.”
“It was one time,” Twilight muttered.
“Yes it was, but my point is that I’m just trying to look out for you.” Flash’s smile became more understanding. “Being a Keeper isn’t easy, and some would say it’s harder than being a Butler. So its ok to have somepony, or somedragon, looking out for you.”
Twilight sighed. “You’re right, again,” she said before reaching over and giving him a quick hug. “So thank you for throwing a sleeper bomb in my face.” She smirked ruefully.
“Anytime,” he replied nonchalantly. And with that, the trio walked to the main library. Upon opening the doors, they were greeted with a grand three-story room filled to the brim with books and scrolls alike. Some were on shelves, some were on the floor in piles, and yet more flew through the air as the automated sorting spells did their work. 
“Hey, Twilight,” the head Librarian Moondancer said without looking up from her work. “Here to read all day again?” Moondancer was a cream colored unicorn with a red mane that contained two different violet streaks running down it. Her cutie mark was crescent moon with three purple stars around it. She wore a simple dress like Twilight, but also a necklace with a small metal book emblem on the end to signify her status.
“That depends on the schedule Lady Celestia has for me,” Twilight said. “And if you’re going to kick me out again.”
“Here’s the schedule.” Moondancer levitated a scroll over to Twilight and looking up at her with a smile. “And you know I don’t like kicking you out, but unlike you, I actually need to sleep at night. That, and the library has strict hours of operation and you know it. Even you begging Lady Celestia for longer hours got you nowhere.”
“I was not begging,” Twilight replied, blushing slightly. 
“You were on your knees, pleading for an extra hour of study time,” Spike said, causing Twilight to blush deeper. 
“Why do you always bring that up?” 
“Because playful and lighthearted teasing is the sign of a good friend,” Moondancer said, grinning. “Now go on, go read another four books.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” Twilight said with a smile and a roll of her eyes. As they began to walk into the maze of shelves, Twilight turned back to Spike. “What’s our day look like, my faithful assistant?” 
“Lets see…” The dragon unrolled the parchment. “So it looks like we have until noon to finish the reports we already got done yesterday, followed by lunch with Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. Then, umm…”
“Umm? What ‘umm…’?” Twilight asked. 
“Well, it just says ‘Surprise!’, followed by a small reminder that we’ll be going to Canterlot tomorrow morning.”
“’Surprise?’ Oh no, you don’t think she will be giving me a surprise TEST do you!? What if she wants to test me on everything I’ve ever learned! What if I fail and—” A purple claw clamped down over her mouth. 
“Twilight, relax. Celestia has never given you a surprise test before, and I highly doubt she would start now. Besides, maybe it’s a good surprise, like her telling you that you had passed your Keeper exam.”
“But…but I haven’t done anything amazing recently,” Twilight said. “What would we be celebrating?”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out,” Flash said as he placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Just focus on the work you have today. I’m sure what ever the surprise is will be perfectly fine.”
“Right, ok.” Twilight took a deep breath, held it, and let it out, just like Celestia had taught her. “Work now, worry when and IF something bad happens.”
“Well, at least she’s getting better,” Spike whispered to Flash, who nodded. After the incident with Thorn, Twilight had developed a rather severe case of anxiety, especially when it came to failing Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. Thankfully, they had proven time and time again to be far more benevolent that Thorn. Their care had reduced Twilight’s anxiety considerably, but not completely. 
As they walked, the group finally arrived at Twilight’s main desk. It was plain wood with a few drawers, a small container of quills, and a few new inkwells. The desk would have looked rather organized if it wasn’t surrounded by piles of books that Twilight was reading or had recently read. The books appeared to be stacked randomly, but anyone who knew Twilight knew that she reorganized the books so constantly that only she could keep track. She found quite a bit of pleasure in reorganizing her things. The only reason she didn’t reorganize the shelves in the library was because Lady Luna had forbidden it after she had spent a whole day reorganizing the books, only to reorganize them again two days later. 
A mixing station was set up a bit behind Twilight’s desk. It was here that Flash would make use of his alchemy skills to create various mixtures. This could be anything from potions that assisted with healing, smoke bombs, poisons, flash bangs, or even more sleeper bombs. Sleeper bombs in particular ran out rather quickly. 
There was also a small cushion nearby for Spike to rest on while he wasn’t running errands for Twilight. It was light blue and well worn from Spike’s naps during Twilight’s late night reading sessions. 
With the reports titled “The History of Equestria” already complete, the next few hours became leisure time for the trio. Twilight picked up on the reading she had begun the night before (Flash had been kind enough to put the book on her desk after knocking her out), Flash made a few more sleeper bombs, and Spike took a nap followed by some much lighter (easier to understand) reading than Twilight. Before they knew it, it was time for lunch. 
After a quick check to make sure everything was in order, the group departed for Lady Celestia and Lady Luna’s personal lounge. Rather than eat in the dining hall, the sisters would traditionally eat in the lounge for lunch. The lounge was far more comfortable and it allowed them to implement an ‘open door’ period, where anypony that had a request could come forward to state it. 
The entrance to the lounge contained finely crafted wooden doors depicting the two sisters raising their respective celestial body. Inside, the room contained two large couches for the alicorns to rest on and a variety of cushions of all sizes for visiting ponies. Other than that, the lounge had elegant wallpaper, a few bits of pottery, and a large portrait of Lady Faust. A large window gave them a glorious view of the small town of House Shining Star. All in all, it was a wonderful room that still made Twilight stare every time she came inside. 
As Twilight, Flash and Spike entered, they saw that Lady Celestia and Luna were talking with the town’s primary dentist Minuette. She was a light blue unicorn with a mane and tail that was half silver, half dark blue. Her cutie mark was an hourglass and she was wearing a simple blue dress. Twilight could hear Miunette ask for more supplies to make toothpaste. Considering her elated smile, it was not hard to guess that her request had been approved.
Also, off to the side, the unicorn Lyra was playing softly of her lyre. She was a mint green unicorn with a light green and white mane. Her cutie mark was also a lyre and she was wearing a simple green dress. Lyra had shown a large amount of musical talent as a filly and had become one of the premier musicians in the town. Lady Celestia and Lady Luna had set up a system where ponies could volunteer to play for them during their lunch period, and it looked like today was Lyra’s turn. 
Twilight had gotten to know both unicorns a few weeks after she had first moved to the land owned by House Shining Star. Although not taught by the ladies directly, they were still part of the school Celestia and Luna had set up to teach unicorns how to use their magic. Twilight had spent time there in the mornings before being taught by Celestia in the afternoon and Luna in the evening. 
Celestia and Luna wore dresses the townsfolk had made for them as birthday gifts the previous year. They were richer and more intricate than what Twilight, Minuette, and Lyra were wearing. Both had colors to match their respective wear’s celestial body, with Celestia’s being a bright orange and red while Luna’s was a cool silver.
“Hi, Twilight,” Minuette called as the group entered the room fully. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have an appointment in ten minutes so I need to get back.” She rushed over and quickly embraced the unicorn. 
“That’s ok,” Twilight said, returning the embrace. “We can talk after I get back from Canterlot.” Minuette nodded before rushing off down the hallway, waving a quick goodbye as she went. 
“Any request?” Lyra asked with a smile as Twilight turned back around.
“Do you remember ‘Ballot of Harmony’?” Lady Luna asked. “I seem to recall you performing that as your graduation project.”
“Indeed I do, my lady,” Lyra said. Lifting her lyre, Lyra began to strum the instrument with both her hooves and her magic. Unicorns using magic for something like lyre playing was uncommon, “Ballot of Harmony” was a song that could not sound right without it. The melody flowed over the room, soft, light and gentle.
Lady Celestia gently raised her wing in invitation. Twilight smiled before coming over and climbing up onto the couch next to her. The sun alicorn let her wing fall gently over Twilight, pulling her closer before levitating over their lunches. Twilight’s was a simple daisy sandwich, one of her favorite meals. It was also the first meal she had eaten after the incident in Canterlot, so it held a fair amount of emotional significance for Twilight. It was a meal that always served to calm her down, and despite not showing it, Twilight was still a little stressed about tomorrows trip. It was times like this, though, that helped to ease her worries. Spike and Flash settled onto nearby cushions with their own lunches. For a while, no one spoke as they ate and listened to Lyra’s music.
“Something is troubling you, Twilight,” Celestia said at last, looking down at the unicorn, who flinched and automatically retreated a bit more under the wing. “Are you worried that I put ‘Surprise!’ on your schedule again?” She gave a knowing grin. Twilight just weakly giggled and looked away, blushing slightly. “Well, you need not worry. I think you will enjoy this surprise very much.” 
As if on cue, there was a knock on the still-open door and Twilight gasped. 
“Hey, Twily,” Shining Armor said with a big grin. “How’s my little sister today?”
“SHINY!” Twilight yelled, leaping off the couch before sprinting over and tackling her BBBFF (big brother best friend forever) into a hug so strong she knocked him to the floor. His armor, minus his helmet, clanked and rattled against the ground. 
Shining Armor was a white unicorn with a dark blue mane with a light blue streak running down it. His cutie mark was a shield containing a six-pointed pink star with three light blue stars above the shield. Despite being older than Twilight, he had discovered his cutie mark later on after defending Twilight from some bullies. 
“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked. “I thought you were up at the Crystal Empire with Golden Heart and Cadence.”
“He was,” came Golden Heart’s voice, the second door opening to reveal her and her daughter. Cadence waved, showing off her stunning pink dress, while Golden Heart’s smile was as bright as her even more stunning golden dress. “But, since we need to be in Canterlot tomorrow anyway, I thought a little trip to see my old friends and to let my most trusted guard see his little sister would be a nice treat for all of us.” Behind her, her Butlers were already bringing in some her supplies. 
About three years after the Canterlot incident, Shining Armor had saved Cadence from a large shard of falling ice caused by a weather factory malfunction. Impressed with his shield spell, Golden Heart had asked if he would be interested in coming to the Crystal Empire to train as a guard. 
Although alicorns had Butlers, some also had guards designed specifically to protect the ponies under their care. This was especially important since a few opportunistic alicorns would occasionally try and steal ponies from other alicorns, especially in harsh conditions like the frozen north. Others simply kept their important ponies near their mansions, leaving the less important ones (in their eyes) on the outskirts of their properties to be kidnapped. 
After some persuasion from Cadence and assurance from Twilight that she would be ok, Shining agreed to go, and had since then become the head of the guard after saving no less than ten ponies from a single kidnapper. Since then, not a single pony had been kidnapped from the Crystal Empire, a record Shining was very proud of. He would still visit as often as he could, and Cadence and Twilight had developed a very close friendship and even their own song and dance greeting. 
“Also, I thought Twilight might want to hear the news,” Golden Heart said with a sly smile, causing Cadence and Shining Armor’s eyes to widen.
“What news?” Twilight asked, looking at her brother questioningly.
“Well…” Shining Armor began. 
“You see…” Cadence continued nervously.
“They’re dating,” Golden Heart said after it became clear that neither of them was going to come out and say it. 
“MOM!” Cadence cried, blushing.
“What? There’s nothing wrong with finding love, dear. You remember the story of how I met your father don’t you?” Cadence said nothing, but nodded, lips pressed. 
“OH MY GOSH! THIS IS SO EXCITING!” Twilight exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly. “You’re dating CADENCE! This is the best news I’ve heard in months! OH! OH! How long has it been since you asked her out? What happened? Did you ask her in the crystal garden she likes so much? Did you have to ask more than once? What—Mghhh—” 
Twilight was interrupted by Cadence’s magic firmly clamping down on her mouth, causing Twilight to blush in embarrassment. 
“I asked him, he nearly fainted, it was two months ago, and we’re still just learning more about each other in a completely normal way,” Cadence said gently, trying to conceal her own blush.
“And you should take all the time you need,” Golden Heart said. “I don’t mind waiting for grandkids.”
“MOM!!!” Cadence screamed, her face now as red as a cherry. Shining was not doing much better. Twilight’s mind was trying to comprehend what Golden Heart just said, while Spike was on the floor with laughter. Flash and Lyra smirked. Celestia and Luna just giggled and shook their heads. They knew Golden Heart had a thing for helping couples find love, but also that this kind of teasing was very characteristic of her.
“Just be sure that we are invited to the wedding,” Luna said with a smirk as she stood up and looked at Golden Heart. “We nearly missed yours after that letter was misplaced by my forgetful sister,” she said, smirking as Celestia just stuck her tongue out at the younger alicorn.
Suddenly, music that wouldn’t have been out of place at a wedding began to play from Lyra’s lyre. Shining and Cadence both glared at the unicorn, who merely stuck out her tongue and winked.  
“Grandkids?” Twilight asked, her mind finally coming out of its stupor. “But… but they just started dating, and statistics show…”
“Never underestimate love, my dear,” Golden Heart said with a wink before leaning down and whispering, “And besides, wouldn’t you want Cadence as a sister?” 
Twilight blinked before saying, “Well… she is a pretty amazing pony.”
“Then be sure to tease them as much as you can,” Golden Heart whispered back with a wink. Twilight giggled and nodded.
‘Poor Shiny,’ she thought. ‘I doubt Lady Golden Heart will let up on him, whether they get married or not.’ 
The rest of the afternoon was an enjoyable whirl for Twilight and Shining Armor, and Cadence even dragged Flash into the fun. Somehow, Cadence managed to get poor Flash to stay still for a full makeover, and the dismay on his face made Twilight laugh all the harder. Twilight’s parents were living and working in the town, Nightlight as an astronomer and Twilight Velvet at the local school. The siblings got to go pay them a surprise visit, and both took joy in the surprised looks on their faces when they showed up. Once news had gotten out about Shining and Cadence’s relationship, however, both parents couldn’t resist a bit of playful teasing as well. Lady Celestia and Lady Luna were curiously absent all day, as was Lady Golden Heart, but what they were doing, Twilight did not know.
As the day wound down, Twilight, Spike, Flash, Cadence, and Shining Armor all returned to the house to get an early start on their sleep. Twilight knew the next few days would be important, but Celestia had insisted she try and keep calm. It was very rare for the Queen to directly call every alicorn to Canterlot for a meeting. Whatever the reason, it must be big. Twilight tried not to let this fact distract her, though it took quite a while before she slowly lost consciousness and fell into a quiet slumber…
> Chapter 2: A Very Abnormal Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A flash of steel…
A terror-filled scream…
A flare of purple…
A resounding crash…
Horror, pain, confusion, sadness…
Guilt…
The eyes…

Celestia burst into Twilight’s room, rushing faster than any normal pony could after hearing her blood-curdling scream. The sight that greeted her was one that she had unfortunately seen before. Twilight lay on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably and hugging both Spike and Flash Sentry so tightly that both were a bit blue in the face. Flash was without his suit, having hurried to Twilight the second he heard her scream.
The room looked like a tornado had torn through it, with all the furniture toppled and broken and the sheets and walls scorched by magic. Celestia took in the damage with a saddened sigh, knowing just how bad this dream must have been.
“The eyes, the eyes, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I-I-I didn’t m-m-mean t-to,” Twilight muttered over and over, squeezing her eyes shut as she clutched her friends. Approaching quickly, Celestia used a quick telekinetic spell to free Flash and Spike, pulled Twilight to her chest, and wrapped her wings around the sobbing mare. Twilight latched on to the alicorn and kept crying even as Celestia slowly rocked her and whispered soft words of encouragement. 
Soon Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Golden Heart arrived. Luna immediately approached Twilight and her sister while Golden Heart let her magic fill the room, fixing the damage and replacing the furniture. Cadence and Shining Armor stood back despite wishing to immediately comfort the sobbing mare, knowing better than to interfere with what Luna was about to do. This was not the first time this had occurred. 
Slowly, Luna lowered her horn to Twilight’s head, causing the mare to immediately fall to sleep. A few seconds later she was thrashing and whimpering again, so Luna took a minute to create a peaceful meadow dream, softly placed Twilight’s consciousness inside, and sealed it off to prevent more nightmares.
As the purple mare stilled and Luna backed off, Cadence and Shining Armor quickly approached. Spike and Flash, now free from the soreness and bruises from Twilight’s crushing hug thanks to Golden Heart, hurried to help move Twilight back to bed.
After returning her to bed, Spike climbed up onto the mattress and laid down next to Twilight, providing what little comfort he could. Flash slipped to his room and returned with a sleeping mat that he dropped at the foot of the mare’s bed. He had learned long ago that after a night terror, Twilight woke pained and exhausted and would likely need help getting up.
Shining and Cadence grabbed sleeping mats as well. After what happened a few months into Twilight’s stay at House Shining Star, they hadn’t left Twilight’s side, helping her recover her strength and peace of mind. To help Twilight, the group as a whole would normally refrain from talking about the nightmares unless absolutely necessary. They hadn’t been with her during a night terror in four years, but hoped that they could give her the same help now.
After the four ponies and dragon were situated, Celestia, Luna and Golden Heart quietly left the room, stepping awkwardly over the cramped sleeping mats. Once outside, they informed their head Butlers to post extra guards to watch over the sleeping ponies before returning to Celestia’s room together. Twilight and the others weren’t in danger, but with so many important ponies in the room, it never hurt to be careful. 
“Sister, I have some concerns,” Luna said once the room had been sealed with a sound proof spell. 
“As do I,” Golden Heart said. “You have told me of these night terrors Twilight suffers from, but I don’t recall you ever mentioning that the damage she wrought was this bad.”
“This was the worse one we have seen in years,” Celestia said. “And yes, Luna, I know Twilight is still getting stronger and could cause more damage the next time she has a night terror. ”
“Then I believe it best that she stays behind,” Luna said. “The rest of the alicorns are still edgy around her after her magic flare in Canterlot, and I fear that they may try and do something drastic if she loses control again. Not to mention that we still don’t even know why we are being called to Canterlot in the first place.”
“I believe Luna is correct,” Golden Heart said. “It would be much better for Twilight to remain behind. She will most certainly be out of sorts tomorrow morning, so I don’t think putting more stress on her will do her any good.”
“She’s coming,” Celestia said resolutely. “I will have Moondancer come to Canterlot as well to take over the work Twilight would normally be responsible for on the journey, but she will still be coming.”
“Why?” Luna asked in annoyance. “Ever since we received the summons, you’ve insisted on bringing her. What possible purpose could it serve?”
“The Seekers found something related to the Element of Magic,” Celestia said, causing the other alicorns’ eyes to go wide. “A spy of ours could confirm that much, but was unable to find out what. Ever since then, I can’t escape the feeling that it’s important.” She turned to face her sister and Golden Heart. “As you both know, I have inherited a small bit of my mother’s ability to see into the future, though only in my dreams. For the last month, I have been having the same dream, a dream where Twilight comes with us to Canterlot and… something happens. I don’t know what, but I know it’s important. I need both of you to help me keep things under control. Twilight needs to come to Canterlot. I just know it.”
“Are you sure it is even the same day?” Luna asked. “How do you know it isn’t referring to a future date or meeting?”
“I know it’s the same day,” Celestia said. “I’m just lucky the vision included a brief glimpse of the calendar in my room.”
“And you didn’t mention it earlier because…?” Golden Heart asked, raising her eyebrow. 
“Because unlike my other visions, this dream is continually shifting. No two outcomes I dream are the same. In truth, for so long I couldn’t tell if they were really visions or not. It was only tonight that I was able to confirm it.”
“You mean…” Luna whispered, awed, and Celestia nodded. 
“Yes. I saw Mother. And we all know that since her death seeing her is nearly a guarantee that what I will see will be important, some way, somehow. I don’t know why, but if Mother came to show me Twilight going to Canterlot, then that’s where she needs to go, even if I don’t know exactly why.”
“Could you see what the meeting is about in your dream?” Golden Heart asked. 
“No,” Celestia said. “The only thing I could see was Twilight, and in some of the dreams, she was in pain for reasons I do not know. I can only hope that will not be true.”

The next morning…

The next morning was rather uneventful. Twilight was one of the first ones awake, but instead of getting up and dressed, she curled in her bed, cuddling Spike. No matter how strong and pleasant Luna’s magic dreams were, they could not erase the memory of the nightmare from her mind. Reaching up, she slowly rubbed the small scar on her neck before shivering. You couldn’t see the scar through her fur, but she could still feel it. Spike woke next, gave her a puppy-dog-eyes look, and returned the hug. Twilight managed to smile. She was still sore from the magical expenditure, a bit confused, and above all sad, but having her assistant so close helped immensely.
Once the others began to wake, they quickly moved to distract her and prevent her from traveling down the trail of memories of the night terror event. She eventually relinquished her hold on the dragon and began to prepare for the day with help from Shining and Cadence. No one spoke too much, but Twilight was just glad for their presence. Everyone provided what emotional support they could, which was all that Twilight could ask for. 
Though a few funny stories from Cadence did help keep her mind off it too. 
After a good breakfast, the group left Twilight’s room and met up with Celestia, Luna, Golden Heart, Moondancer, and the Butlers that would be accompanying them to Canterlot. Their method of travel, flying chariots pulled by pegasi Butlers, were all ready right outside the mansion. Celestia, Luna, Golden Heart, and a handful of non-pegasus Butlers took the larger chariot while Twilight, Spike, Shining, Cadence, and some more Butlers took the smaller one. Normally, Cadence and Shining Armor would have ridden with Golden Heart, but it was unanimously and silently agreed that they would join Twilight today. Shining pulled his sister into a hug as the doors closed, and Flash shot a smile at her as he fastened his harness to their chariot.
The journey was not too long, and soon Twilight could see the elegant city of Canterlot coming into view. Despite what happened twelve years ago, Canterlot still gave her a sense of wonder to see the majestic waterfalls and white marble buildings as the chariots flew into the city limits. She had returned to the city a few times to assist Celestia and Luna, and despite the bad memories she had come to like the city, so long as she avoided the central square. As they passed into the city’s territory, the pegasus guards rose out of the city to greet them and direct them to the landing field near Canterlot Castle. In the meantime, Twilight gazed out the window at the city passing below them. 
As they passed over the central square, Twilight couldn’t help but shudder slightly. The memories from that day were still as vivid as though it had been yesterday. Some alicorns didn’t believe her, but she remembered everything that happened before Celestia had lulled her to sleep. The fear, the pain, the rage, the rush of power as all her magic was released at once...
She shuddered again. The release of power was what had scared her the most that day. The flare weeks later had only cemented her association of her magic flares with chaos. Hatching Spike did nothing to help. She couldn’t help fearing losing control.
As they landed, Twilight could see Lady Thorn landing as well a fair distance away. She was one of the few alicorns who still shot venomous looks at Twilight after her original magic flare. She had a feeling that most alicorns simply didn’t like a unicorn being so close to such powerful beings like Celestia and Luna, but Twilight knew Thorn was angry about that and her magic flare. But before she could shrink away, Twilight felt the hoof of her big brother on her back, and turned to see him giving Thorn an equally vicious glare. Thorn scoffed, before turning away and making her way to the castle, pushing aside anypony that got in her way. 
After unloading the chariots, the group made their way to the castle’s main audience chamber while some of the Butlers went to go unpack the Lady’s belongings as well as their own. The Butlers had separate rooms in the castle that were close to those of their Ladies in case of an emergency. The chamber was divided into small sections for the Houses, decorated with the House’s colors. Each seating block had about thirty seats for the members of the House and their households, and were separated by chest-high walls that did not restrict the view of the central floor down below. As Lady Golden Heart’s House Crystal Heart was not near House Shining Star, Golden Heart, Shining Armor, and Cadence had to say a quick farewell before moving to their own block. 
As House Shining Star sat down, Twilight took a look around. She could see all the different Houses arriving and slowly filling the auditorium. Most of the alicorns were simply chatting with one another or directing their ponies to unload their belongings. A few were whispering and throwing glances at Twilight, but she tried not to focus on that. 
As the room continued to fill however, Twilight began to feel a slight pressure in her horn. It wasn’t very painful, but it wasn’t ignorable either. Being as strong as she was, it wasn’t too uncommon for her to get headaches after expending a large amount of her magic. Given her recent nightmare, Twilight figured it wasn’t important. It didn’t stop if from hurting, though.
“Twilight? You ok?” Spike asked as she rubbed her horn a bit. 
“Yeah, I’m ok, Spike. Just a little headache,” she replied, wincing slightly as a small spike of pain entered her horn. Thankfully, the Queen chose this moment to enter the room, providing an ample distraction for the unicorn mare. Immediately, the chatter in the room died down and all eyes shifted to the Queen as she entered her royal box, larger, lavisher, and more centered than the rest. As she walked, the guard captain Sunset Shimmer followed quickly behind her with a few guards of all species.
“Alicorns of Equestria,” the Queen began, her voice loud and strong. “I have called you here on a manner of great importance. Recently, thanks to an upgrade on the Miasma resistance spell…” her eyes drifted over to Twilight, but for no more than a second, “we have made a significant discovery.” 
The alicorns around the room began to murmur until the Queen raised her hoof for silence. “First and foremost, we believe we have finally managed to locate the center of the miasma, and the final resting place of the cloud.” This news sparked even more excited murmuring from the crowd. If the center of the Miasma had been found, then there was a chance that they might have also found the remains of Tree of Harmony as well, since that had been inside the Miasma somewhere.
As the queen raised her hoof again, Twilight winced again. Her headache was getting stronger. But at the same time, she felt her magic beginning to stir. She swallowed, trying to relax. Normally her headaches were because she had used too much magic, not because she had too much. She didn’t know what was happening, and didn’t want to find out here in front of the Queen and all the alicorns.
“Twilight?” Moondancer whispered, looking worriedly at the unicorn. Twilight tried to respond, only to grit her teeth and clench her eyes shut as another wave of pain washed over her horn. She didn’t hear what the Queen had just said, but when she opened her eyes she could see four earth ponies pulling a cart onto the center of the auditorium. Whatever was on it was covered in a black cloth. Just looking at the cart caused her horn to hurt even more.
“My ladies, I think something is wrong,” Moondancer whispered, catching the attention of Celestia and Luna’s attention. However, before they could move, the Queens voice rang out one final time.
“Alicorns, Defenders of Equestria, may I present to you, the worlds most powerful artifact, that which has been lost to us for thousands of years! THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!” 
The Queen pulled off the black cover with a flourish to reveal a gem stone in the shape of what would have been a six-pointed star if two of the points were not broken and missing their ends. The gem was littered with cracks and pulsed weakly as it sat on the pedestal inside a glass anti-magic chamber designed to protect it from outside influences such as the cloud. The pain in Twilight’s horn grew and grew, until everything but the gem was blurring before her eyes. She recognized it.
“My cutie mark,” she muttered, and then her horn exploded.
Twilight screamed as magic poured out of her. Celestia and Luna had barely enough time to grab every pony (and dragon) in their box (roughly 12 ponies and a dragon in total) and pull them out of danger before their section was obliterated. Nearby alicorns screamed and fled as the walls of their blocks cracked and crumbled. Those further away tried to leap into action, but the pure magnitude of power emitting from Twilight’s horn was actually interfering with their own magic. 
Twilight felt like someone was driving a red-hot spike into her horn. The pain was immeasurable, and she could only scream and pray for the pain to end. 
Suddenly, the Element of Magic flashed, catching the attention of the Queen and more than a few alicorns. Slowly, its pink light began to grow brighter and brighter. The anti-magic symbols on the case began to glow, but the Element of Magic’s light just continued to grow.
Crack, Crack, Crack.
“GET BACK!” the Queen yelled as she saw the case containing the element begin to fracture. The ponies that had brought the element in quickly scattered, just in time for the case to shatter in a brilliant pink explosion. A single beam lanced out from the puffs of dust and connected with Twilights horn. Her screams stopped and she fell limp, panting. Her magic was still out of her control, but it was now being forced down the pink beam.
From the cloud of dust, the Element of Magic emerged, the pink beam leading directly into its center. As Twilight’s magic continued to feed into the gem, the cracks on the gem began to heal. The alicorns gasped. The broken points began to regrow, and soon six more lines of energy were shooting out of the tips of the gem. Instead of focusing on her horn, these energy bands gently wrapped around Twilight’s limp body and drew her to the Element of Magic. The lights became blinding.
The pain was still burning through Twilight, the worst pain she’d ever felt in her life. And then, it was suddenly gone. She felt…well, wonderful. It was like all the burdens in her life had just been erased. She felt like she was floating of a soft cloud, gently drifting in a place as warm as the library. A part of her mind told her she was dead, but there was something that just didn’t feel right about that. 
“My dear sweet child…”
What…? 
Twilight could swear she did not know that voice, but something inside of her told her she had heard it from…somewhere…where…?
“I have been waiting so many years to meet you Twilight. And now, you are here, ready to fulfill your destiny…”
Her destiny? 
“Who…” Twilight tried to ask, only she coughed before she could finish. 
“Shhh… Don’t speak. You have been through so much on my behalf already. I am sorry that it was so painful, and I am sorry that even more pain will need to come before your journey is complete, but I know you will prevail. It’s why I chose you. You are far stronger than you know, and soon you shall bring hope to those who have never known it. Now go, and remember, I will always be with you, no matter what…”
With that, the light suddenly cut off, and everypony in the auditorium gasped in pure shock. As Twilight was gently lowered to the floor as though by an invisible force, they all could see the dark purple torc that now clung to her neck. The Element of Magic pulsed brightly inside the central gem slot. 
But what shocked them even more was the pair of large purple wings that now adorned Twilight’s back.
> Chapter 3: Imprisonment and Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slowly, consciousness began to return to Twilight. As she began to stir, she felt something was wrong. Each of her hooves and her barrel was wrapped in something cold and hard, almost as cold and hard as the floor she lay on. There was an unusual weight on her horn. She also just felt…off. She could no longer feel her magic coursing through her, but there was more to it than that. It felt as though there was something else in place of the magic, tingling through her like electricity.
As her brain began to function once again, she tried to remember what had happened. She recalled sitting in the box when a series of unusually strong headaches had begun to plague her. Then the Queen had announced something, unbearable pain had hit her, and then was gently soothed away. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember what had caused it all to happen.
“Wake up, Twilight Sparkle,” a voice said, a familiar yet stern voice. Slowly, Twilight opened her right eye and winced at the light of the room. She furiously blinked both her eyes to focus, and felt her pulse increase when she saw who was speaking to her.
“Y-Your M-Majesty?” Twilight asked, stuttering as she looked up into the green eyes of the Queen. Eyes open and clear, Twilight could now see that she was in a stone cell. The only window outside was barred, as was the small window on the thick metal door. Twilight focused on the Queen, but she could see the guard captain, Sunset Shimmer, next to the door.
“Did you plan this?” the Queen asked, glaring at the prone mare. Twilight flinched, but she did not dare look away from the piercing eyes of the Queen. 
“P-Plan t-this?” Twilight stammered, trying to back away ever so slightly only to hear a faint jingle as she moved. She looked down nervously. The weights on her hooves were metal cuffs, attached to chains and connected to an anchor in the middle of the floor. Twilight had read enough to know that the weight on her horn had to be a magical restraint designed to prevent her use of magic because metal cuffs wouldn’t normally stop a unicorn who could simply pick the locks. She also saw the dark purple torc that lay around her neck, and the Element of Magic that lay within, glowing with a steady pink light.
Twilight suddenly saw an image in her mind of her magic surge breaking the case, the element repairing, and…nothing. That was it. But these weren’t her memories. She was watching the event as though she had slipped into someone else’s head. She could see her face, wide-eyed, and pained. 
“No. No, I didn’t plan this. I don’t know what happened,” Twilight whispered, looking back at the Queen in fear. “I was just getting headaches, but then I saw the element and my magic went wild and all I felt was pain and—”
“Enough,” the Queen said. Twilight clamped her mouth shut and curled in on herself, whimpering slightly. “Can you remove the torc?”
Twilight blinked in confusion, trying to understand the unusual request. “I-I can try, I g-guess,” she said, placing her front hooves on the torc. She began to try and push the torch up her neck, but it refused to budge. It didn’t feel like it was attached to her at all; in fact, she could barely feel it around her neck despite its size. Twilight tried using both her front and hind hooves to lift the torc, but no matter what, it didn’t budge an inch.
Suddenly, a green aura surrounded Twilight’s hooves and pulled her upright, as though another pony was helping her to her hooves. Before Twilight could register what had happen, it vanished and her hooves fell.
“It’s as I thought,” the Queen said, looking at the torc. “I could not remove it either. It seems that you are now stuck with the Element of Magic, quite literally.” She frowned.
“Y-your majesty?” Twilight asked. “W-why am I locked up? I-I swear I don’t know what happened. A-Am I in trouble?”
The Queen looked at her with a suddenly emotionless expression. “Did you not notice?” she asked flatly. When Twilight just tilted her head, the Queen simply lifted a hoof and pointed at the mare’s barrel. When Twilight turned to see what she was pointing at, all her thoughts just stopped.
Purple wings. 
On her back. 
Attached to her.
Said wings were strapped to her sides via a leather restraining band, and Twilight could feel that band on them. The wings were real.
Twilight’s breathing came short and fast. She had wings. Wings and a horn. She was… was…
“You're now an alicorn,” the Queen said, drawing the attention of the panicking mare. “Whatever the element did allowed you to do something that has never been accomplished before. You are the first pony in history to ever recover their godhood after it was stripped away by the Cloud.”  
“W-why… H-how…w-wings… a-alicorn…?” Twilight stuttered. This was too much. Her mind couldn’t process this. Twilight silently begged that the Queen wouldn’t drop any more bombshells of information on her, but the Queen continued despite Twilight’s progressively more hysterical breathing.  
“Shortly after your little flare, Thorn, in an act of brazen defiance to my commands, tried to kill you to see if the element could be removed.” Twilight let out an involuntary wail and quickly pressed her hoof over her mouth, struggling to control herself. The Queen was not deterred. “However, the Element of Magic reacted and struck Thorn before she could touch you, causing her horn to badly fracture. She will recover, eventually, but it is clear that we will be unable to remove the element, and attempting to do so will only result in pain for those involved.
“As a Keeper, I’m sure you know what we did to the other elements. They were locked away in anti-magic chambers to prevent outside forces, specifically the Cloud, from ever touching them or tracing their magical signal. Since you now wear the element, you will follow a similar fate.”
“W-What?” Twilight asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“You have been asleep for nearly a week,” the Queen continued, ignoring the purple alicorn. “In that time, a room here in the castle has been prepared to house you until the element can be removed, or that it is otherwise indicated that you should be released. The room will be covered in anti-magic runes similar to the element cases, but as a precaution, your magic will be restricted as well, whether it be your unicorn, pegasi, or earth pony magic. You will be cared for, but you will not be allowed to leave. Ever.”
“B-B-But what about m-my family? M-My friends? L-Lady Celestia and L-L-Lady Luna?” Twilight cried. She was a bit afraid of her magic, but it was still a part of who she was. Her life wasn’t perfect, but it was far better than it had been and was probably the best she could ask for given the circumstances, even with the occasional stress and night terror. The thought of losing all of that…
“They will not be permitted to see you,” the Queen said without batting an eye. “The protection of the elements is what is most important. And because you now hold the Element of Magic, it will be impossible for me to wield them and heal Equestria.” Twilight’s eyes widened. The Queen scoffed before leaning to whisper in her ear. “Are you surprised? I am one of the few ponies with the knowledge to successfully wield the Elements of Harmony, but now because of you, I can’t. Equestria will remain broken, because of you.” 
Twilight collapsed, sobbing as she turned away from the Queen, trying to think of a counter, a way to prove her wrong. She wanted to say something. Anything. But nothing came.
“Enjoy your last night of freedom. The room will be finished tomorrow morning,” the Queen said, turning and walking out of the room. Sunset turned to follow, but just before closing the door, she turned to look at the sobbing alicorn. Without the Queen noticing, her horn lit, creating a small and invisible soundproof bubble.
“Get some rest, Twilight,” she said, catching the alicorn’s attention. “I have a feeling you’re going to need it.” She allowed the spell to dissipate and closed the door with a solid bang. 
Twilight obeyed without thinking. The shock of the Queen’s news was making her head hurt beyond the capacity for rational thought. She stood shakily and climbed into the small cot hanging from the wall. She had to stick her hooves out awkwardly so she was not lying on her chains, but she was too exhausted to feel uncomfortable and fell asleep almost instantly. 


Ten years ago…
“Lady Celestia, Lady Celestia!” Twilight cried as she ran quickly into her teacher’s lounge, only to come skidding to a halt as she caught sight of the other guest in the room. Standing there was none other than the Queen herself. Twilight had never actually met her, but she had heard stories and rumors from others in House Shining Star about what she was like. 
“It’s ok, Twilight,” Celestia said, looking at the unicorn warmly, although Twilight could see a hint of nervousness behind her smile. “The Queen was simply here to check on your progress as my student.”
“Indeed,” the Queen said, her voice loud and strong, causing Twilight to shiver slightly. “She has told me that you are progressing very fast, even faster than Sunset Shimmer did. Your scores on her evaluations rival that of a unicorn twice your age. So I thought I should come see for myself.” As she spoke, her eyes began to glow bright green, covering her irises and pupils. Twilight felt her magic examining her, looking deeper into her that anyone else had before. 
Twilight knew the Queen was using ‘magic sight,’ a rare alicorn spell that allowed an alicorn to examine another pony’s magical signature. Celestia had used it on occasion to see how Twilight’s magic was developing or to make sure the unicorn was healthy, so Twilight had become used to the feeling. But the Queen’s felt more…invasive. It lacked the subtle and gentle touch that Celestia used, and dived directly into Twilight’s magic and examining every inch and detail of if. After what felt like hours, the Queen released the spell, and Twilight stood shaking.
“You have not been exaggerating, Celestia,” the Queen said, nodding curtly. “Her magic is indeed impressive.” The royal alicorn caught sight of the small stone plate that Twilight was balancing on her back. “What do you have there?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. 
Twilight gulped slightly before looking to Celestia for help. Celestia simply nodded, signaling her to explain. 
“I-It’s a project I w-was working on,” Twilight stammered, finding it hard to meet the Queen’s eyes. “I-I think I found a w-way to help explore the m-Miasma.”
Both alicorns were shocked by this announcement. Twilight hadn’t even told Celestia that she was working on such a project. 
“Can you explain how?” the Queen asked after a minute of silence. 
Twilight nodded slightly before levitating the tablet off her back. The tablet was circular, and had ten gems imbedded around its outer rim, with a complex symbol in the center. “T-The biggest problem with M-Miasma exploration is the energy r-reserves of the pony casting the r-resistance spell. I think that i-if we use a gem matrix, w-where the gems are filled with magic and are used to p-power the protection enchantment through a spell r-rune, we could create a separate d-device to protect ponies entering the M-Miasma.” Twilight kept her eyes on the stone tablet as she talked, not daring to look up. “T-This is just a prototype I made. I-I haven’t tested it yet.”
“Allow me,” the Queen said, her magic gently taking hold of the tablet. Twilight relented her hold as the Queen lifted and inspected it. After about a minute, the royal alicorn lit her horn. The gems began to glow as the magic entered the matrix and started to power the symbol. Unfortunately, the light quickly flickered and died, causing Twilight’s head to fall in disappointment. She had never managed to get the matrix to work, but no matter what she changed, she couldn’t figure out the problem. However, a quick flash caught her eye, and upon looking up, she gasped. The symbol was now floating above the stone. Quickly, the Queen’s magic latched onto it and altered it slightly, eliminating a single line in the center before reattaching the symbol to the stone. 
Lighting her horn again, the Queen ignited the gems again, and this time the symbol glowed brightly, projecting a shield around her. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was clear the prototype had worked. 
“There was a simple mistake in the symbol,” the Queen said, ignoring Twilight and Celestia’s slack jaw expressions. “The gem matrix also needs to be improved to allow for more even magic distribution and longer life spans. Other than that,” she said, before turning and walking away slowly with a slight smile on her face, “excellent work, Twilight Sparkle. It seems I was right to assign you to Celestia. Keep up the good work.” She shut the door behind her with a flourish. 

Present day…

Twilight slowly opened her eyes. She remembered that day. Her matrix project had been a big part in further exploration of the Miasma, maybe what even led to the discovery of the Element of Magic. It was the only time she had spoken to the Queen face to face, at least until today. Twilight sighed. Even after her mind had time to process everything, she still couldn’t believe it. She had ascended, apparent gaining back what her ancestors had lost, but now she was about to lose her entire life because of some stupid gem. A stupid gem SHE HELPED FIND!
“Stupid element,” she muttered, glaring down at the gem still embedded in the torc. “I bet you’re what caused my magic to go crazy in the meeting hall. Why did you have to pick the center of the auditorium filled with every alicorn in existence to make me go crazy? What did I do to deserve this punishment, huh?” She got no response, so she just huffed and chose to glare at a nearby wall. Eventually her expression turned from anger to sadness. “Why me?” she whispered.
You will learn soon enough.
“EEP!” Twilight cried in shock, falling off the bed and onto the cold stone floor with a clatter of chains. “What the…? Who…?” she began before a banging could be heard on her cell door. Turning, she saw a guard enter, place a tray on the floor, and turn to leave. 
“Eat,” he said before closing the door with a bang. Still unsure what just happened, Twilight walked over to examine her food. The meal consisted of a simple soup, an apple, and a glass of water. Her stomach let out a growl, prompting Twilight to begin eating the apple first. It was a little difficult to do so without her horn, but not too hard.
The strange voice still echoed in her head, even as she ate. She thought she might have been hallucinating when it happened during her flare, but this time she definitely heard something. 
Before she could think on it further, she noticed something odd on the tray. Squinting, she realized there was a small piece of paper under the water glass. Gingerly lifting the glass, she removed the slip and quickly read it:

When an opportunity appears, take it

Twilight blinked in confusion. What did that mean? Before she could think on it further, something else caught her eye. There was something in the soup. Something shiny. Grapping the spoon, she immediately tried to fish it out. 
Klang.
Twilight dropped the spoon and the offending object in shock. A key. There was a shiny silver key in her soup. But what was… With a realization Twilight scooped up the key with a hoof and felt around her horn until she found the keyhole on the restraint. The key was too new to be for her leg restraints, so maybe… She immediately tried the key. 
Click.
IT FIT! 
Twilight was stunned. After a minute, she quickly regained her senses, and relocked the restraint, hiding the key in her mane before she began to scarf down the rest of her food. She had been given a way out. She could escape! But she had to be careful. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the guard came back in and retrieved the tray. After the door closed, Twilight unlocked her horn and began using her magic on the first leg restraints. Moonlight was shining through her barred window, but Twilight couldn’t tell the time since the moon was blocked from view. The only thing she knew was that she had to escape by sunrise. Then she just had to get back to Lady Celestia and—
BOOM!
Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the entire prison complex. Twilight had just gotten the wing restraints off when the floor shook. Her wings quickly spread out and prevented her from falling over. 
‘Oh Celestia, this feels WEIRD,’ Twilight thought as she tried to control her new limbs. The fact that they were sore from being trapped to her sides didn’t help either. Suddenly, more explosions sounded from outside. Alarms began to blare as the prison continued to shake. Twilight, ignoring her wings for the moment, quickly jumped over to the window and gasped at the sight. Her window was overlooking the cliff that Canterlot sat on. Far below, she could see the flashes of cannons and hear a multitude of thumps as the cannonballs impacted the prison. 
‘Who the HECK would be crazy enough to attack Canterlot!? And why attack the prison!?’ she thought. This was insane. Everypony knew the Queen lived here, and there was no telling if any of the alicorns were still here after her ascension. Why would…whoever it was… decide to attack NOW of all times?! 
Suddenly, she was forced to duck as a cannonball flew directly through her barred window and into the metal door, blowing it off its hinges. 
That’s why.
Twilight jumped again, but quickly shook her head. She could worry about the female voice in her head AFTER she escaped the prison. Poking her head out of the broken door, she saw that the guard that had brought her food was nearby unconscious. The rest of the hallway was abandoned. 
‘Ok Twilight, just stay calm,’ she thought as she began to make her way down the hallway. ‘You have a chance here. You can’t teleport out, the prison is warded against that. Just stay calm and—‘
“HEY!” A guard yelled as he rounded the corner.
“EEP!” Twilight cried in shock. Her horn flared to life far more quickly that she was used to and her spell shot down the hallway. The guard had no time to react. After the smoke cleared, Twilight found herself staring at a potted cactus dressed in guard armor.
“Sorry,” she squeaked out, before running past. That spell would only last a few hours at best. Now all she had to worry about was the rest of the guards in the prison, the fact that her magic had a very fine hair trigger now, and the fact that she probably now qualified as a wanted fugitive. ‘No pressure,’ she thought as a few strands of her mane began to stick out from stress. 
Despite the fact that she was in a heavily guarded section of the prison, with solitary cells and overflowing with guard stations, there were so few guards in the halls it was ridiculous. Some of the stations were completely empty, while other guards were so distracted with the attack that Twilight was able to easily sneak past. One station even had a guard asleep for crying out loud. How could he sleep when the prison was being pounded by cannonballs? But just when she thought it couldn’t get stupider, she saw that most of the guards not in stations were going in the opposite direction of her and her cell. ‘There is no way security is this bad,’ Twilight thought skeptically, but it certainly seemed that way.
Unfortunately, despite this good luck it soon became apparent to Twilight that she had no idea where she was. She could have sworn that was same sleeping guard she passed three times already. Where more guards asleep despite the noise? She couldn’t tell. At this rate, she would never escape the prison by the time things calmed down.
Left.
Twilight flinched. And then there was that.
‘I really hope I’m not going crazy,’ she thought.
You’re not. Now take a left and then take the third right.
Twilight jumped this time as the voice actually responded to her, but rather than question it, she decided to follow its instructions. ‘It’s not like I have a better plan at this point,’ she thought as she took the left. When she turned right, she immediately crashed into somepony. However, before she could retaliate, a set of hooves and a set of claws wrapped tightly around her in a hug.
“TWILIGHT!”
“Flash!? Spike!? What in the name of Celestia are you doing here!?” Twilight cried, not believing her eyes. But there they were, looking a bit worn out, but beaming at her.
“We’re here to rescue you!” Spike cried, not relinquishing his hold.
“WHAT! Are you both CRAZY! Don’t you know how much trouble you’ll be in if you’re caught? And if Celestia and Luna found out…”
“They already approved the mission,” Flash said, smiling smugly as Twilight gaped at him. “They told me to come and get you out. It seems that you beat us to the punch.”
Twilight was about to respond when a guard rounded the corner less than three feet away from the trio. Thankfully, before he could yell a warning, Flash had already flicked a sleeper bomb off his wing. It scored a direct hit with the guard’s face, knocking him out almost instantly. 
“We need to move. Now,” Flash said, breaking the hug and pulling Twilight to her hooves. Spike also relinquished his hug and hopped on Twilight’s back. 
“Whoa,” Spike said. “Celestia wasn’t kidding when she said you ascended.” He poked one, and it sprung out instantly.
“EEP!” Twilight cried as she staggered, off balance. “Please don’t poke them Spike, they’re very sensitive right now, and the fact they were bound to my sides for a few days doesn’t help.”
“Sorry,” Spike said, smiling awkwardly. 
As the three ran down the hallways, Twilight began asking questions. 
“What exactly is the plan here?” she asked. 
“We need to get you out, then make our way to the Everfree Forest. It’s the only place that you’ll be safe.”
“THE EVERFREE FOREST!?” Twilight cried in shock, only for Spike’s claw to clamp over her mouth as a guard patrol passed. Thankfully, her shout had been blocked out by a well-timed explosion. Twilight bit her lip under Spike’s claw, trying not to cry. 
The Everfree Forest was a thick, untamed forest towards the center of Equestria. Unlike the rest of Equestria that had been torn apart by the destructive magic of the cloud, the Everfree seemed to thrive on that raw energy. It had its own weather, the animals were dangerous, and no one, not even the alicorns, dared to enter it except on very rare and desperate occasions. It also surrounded about 90% of the Miasma, possibly drawing strength from it and allowing for all kinds of mutated creatures to roam the forest.
“Why in Equestria’s name would we go there?” Twilight asked after Spike let her mouth go. “We should just go back to Lady Celestia. I’m sure—“
“The entire property is already swarming with the Queen’s guards,” Flash said, cutting her off. “They’re looking for anything that might explain what happened or any scrap of evidence that Celestia and Luna knew what was going to happen. As expected, they haven’t found anything, but if we try and go back you’ll just be captured all over again.” Flash sighed before turning to look at Twilight. “Your family is safe, but we can’t go back. Even if I’m found, Lady Luna will need to claim that I went rogue while she works on a new play to get you out. We need to go into hiding, and the Everfree is the only place we can do so.”
“B-but my work… my books…” Twilight said, her eyes starting to fill with tears. She remembered what the Queen had said, but there had been a part of her brain that thought things could back to normal, or that she could get help from her mentors and come up with a solution. It could never happen now. “My life…”
Flash, never missing a beat, stopped walking and turned to immediately hug Twilight, catching her slightly off guard. “I know it’s hard to accept,” he said. “And I know what its like to have to leave your home behind, but right now we need to escape. I promise that I will help you through the emotions later, but can you keep your head on for just a bit longer?” 
Twilight shuttered and sniffed, but nodded. “Y-yeah, I… I can try.”
“Just focus on the escape,” Flash said, releasing her and turning around to check the next corridor. “Everything else comes later.” Twilight shuttered but nodded, doing her best to keep up as Flash continued to lead the way down the corridors. As they ran, she tried not to think about losing the only life she had ever known. A few encouraging words from Spike calmed her more than she thought they would, at least for the moment. Eventually, after avoiding a few more guards rushing off to deal with the chaos, the group arrived at small room. Upon entering it, Flash immediately closed the door and blocked with a large cart filled with cleaning supplies. As he did this, Twilight glanced around and noticed the only thing in the room was a large grate on the floor. Her eyes went wide.
“No.” 
“Twilight…”
“No way, I am NOT going in a SEWER. Do you know how many kinds of bacteria live down there!?”
“I don’t want to know,” Flash said as he pried the cover off. Twilight cringed as the smell wafted into the room. Clearly the lid had been enchanted to block the smell. “But this is the only way out right now. Unless you think we can get out without being seen by all the guards outside and avoid all the cannonballs.”
“Who is even firing on this place?” Spike asked. “I know Luna snuck us in with her magic, but I don’t remember them ever mentioning they were going to attack. And why haven’t the cannonballs stopped by now?” And just like that, the rumbles stopped. Spike gave a little giggle.
“Ok, we need to move now,” Flash ordered. 
“There is no way I’m going down there,” Twilight said again, chancing a look down the dark hole in the ground. 
“Then I’m sorry,” Flash said.
“Sorry for wh—“ Twilight began before screaming as Flash gave her a hard shove in the flank, pushing her right down the hole. Twilight desperately tried to flap her wings in the few seconds of free fall, but they were uneven and uncoordinated and they barely slowed her down. Thankfully, her magic reacted and formed a small bubble shield, allowing it to break her fall rather than the river of sludge. The sewer itself was a large tunnel with a curved ceiling and a small service walkway on the right side for repair ponies. But Twilight didn’t care about that.
“CELESTIA DAMMIT FLASH!” she screamed, as Flash bounced down onto the bubble beside her. Her mane began to smoke as she glared at the pegasus. Her eyes were red, and her look had a 25% chance of melting stone. “I DID NOT WANT TO GO SWIMMING IN SEWAGE!”
“And you didn’t. And now we also have a ride so we don’t need to walk all the way,” Flash said, pointing with a hoof. True to his word, the shield was lazily drifting down the river of sewage. 
“UGH! Why do you always do this!?” she yelled, still glaring daggers. 
“Because the longer we waited, the better chance there would be of the guards finding you after they realized you escaped.” Flash said, matching her gaze with no fear. “My number one priority right now is protecting you and making sure you don’t end up spending the rest of your life in an anti-magic box.” His eyes softened. “You’re stronger than you think, Twilight. Instead of just refusing to do something, you need to start using your magic to make something doable. There are going to be a lot of situations out there where you need to make split-second decisions, and not doing something just because it’s dirty or rude can cost you your freedom, and maybe even your life.”
“My life?” Twilight asked. Her eyes were still wary, but her mane was no longer smoking. 
“Let’s say your being chased by a Manticore. You have three second to decide of you want to keep running, or dive under a muddy bramble of bushes that the Manticore can’t follow you through. What would you do?”
“Go under the bramble,” Twilight said instantly. “But did you really need to push me into a sewer? What if I didn’t get the shield up in time?”
“You really need to start trusting yourself more,” Flash said, smiling at her. “You’ve had years of experience under the training of Celestia and Luna. You know probably more spells than all the other unicorns in existence. You just need to start using them. Besides, I’m sure you have a spell somewhere in that big amazing brain of yours that could clean us of sewage if we did fall in.”
Despite the situation, Twilight couldn’t help but blush slightly at the praise. “Ok, ok, I get it. More magic, more quick thinking. Not exactly something you’re taught as a Keeper,” she grumbled.
“That’s why I’m here,” Flash said, causing Twilight to raise an eyebrow.
“The Ladies said you would need to know how to fight,” Spike chimed in, “so they gave Flash a few combat books and told him to help sharpen your reflexes. They also gave him a few on flying because, well, you know.”
“We’ll worry about that part later,” Flash said before looking ahead. “Seems our stop is coming up.” Sure enough, up ahead there were a series of bars over the sewer tunnel cutting it off from the rest of the sewer, probably to stop escape attempts. There also was a sizeable hole blown in the right side of said bars right over the walkway. Twilight looked at Flash questioningly. He shrugged. “Luna said to come this way and there would be a way out, I didn’t actually think she would just blow up the bars.”
“I don’t know, I could see her doing that,” Spike said with a grin. Twilight just sighed. Once the shield reached the grate, she teleported the three of them over to the small walkway next to the river of sewage. Thankfully whatever enchantments might have been on the grate were destroyed, allowing her to teleport. The three then carefully made their way through the opening, carefully avoiding the jutting bits of metal. As soon as all three of them were past, the metal began to glow before it quickly reconstructed itself, leaving no sign that they had been there. “Well, that’s convenient,” Spike said with a shrug. 
After a few more minutes of walking, the group came upon a staircase leading up. With Flash in the lead, the group quickly ascended the stairs until they reached a rusted metal door. As they pried it open, the sounds of a siren immediately fell upon the ears of the party, one that was far louder than the attack alarm.
“I think they know you’re gone,” Spike said, looking at Twilight.
“What was your first clue?” Flash asked, “The siren or the army of guards running around?” True enough, the entire night sky was filled with pegasus guards and they could hear the march of many armored hooves on the cobblestone streets. “I thought we’d have more time before they noticed you were gone.” Flash grunted in frustration.
“Well…” Twilight began shyly, “A cannonball DID blow the door off my cell, and in my rush to get out I didn’t think of repairing it, so there’s a good chance they might have seen that once the attacks stopped.”
“Looks like we need plan J,” Flash said, exiting the sewer and motioning for Twilight and Spike to quickly follow. He nodded to Twilight. “Do you have enough control to open your wings to their fullest length at your command?” 
“I-I think so?” Twilight responded nervously as the group hid in an ally to avoid a guard patrol. They were very close to the edge of the city, but there were no paths off this portion of the mountain. “Why?”
“Because plan J stands for ‘plan Jump,’” Flash said, wincing as Twilight’s eyes widened. 
“You… that… I can’t fly! I just got wings and have only been awake for maybe three hours! Please tell me you have another backup plan,” she begged.
“No, I don’t, and it’s the only thing I can think of that has even a chance of success,” Flash said, grabbing her and forcing her under an apple cart before quickly joining her. About five seconds after, another guard patrol thundered past. “They’ll have pegasi all over the mountain side looking for ponies trying to go up or down, and all the trains will be searched extensively. But since we’re near the Canterlot Waterfall, there’s a chance that we can use the water and mist to hide our escape. It won’t work in the daylight though, so we need to go now.”
“But I CAN’T FLY!” Twilight stressed, her mane beginning to stand out at random angles from anxiety. 
“You don’t need to fly,” Flash said. “You just need to open your wings when I say ‘now’ and glide. Gliding is easy, you just open your wings and let the air slow your fall as you shoot forward.” Twilight was about to protest when Flash turned to look her in the eyes. “Please Twilight, just trust me on this. If you can open your wings, you’ll be fine. And if you have a better idea, please let me know now.”
Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but could only sigh. “Ok, I’ll try. But you need to carry Spike in case I don’t make it,” she said, levitating the dragon over to his back. 
“There is water at the bottom, you know,” Spike said. “And since you’re an alicorn, aren’t you, like, super durable or something?”
“That doesn’t mean it still won’t hurt,” Twilight said with a sigh. After dodging another patrol, the group found themselves near the large spring-fed lake in Canterlot that fed the waterfall. The area served as a nice park with a restored open field and a few trees. It also meant there was almost no cover from their current location to their destination: the cliff that was marked off by a series of ropes. 
“Ready?” Flash asked.
“No,” Twilight said nervously.
“Me neither, but this is our only chance.” Flash extended a hoof. Twilight gulped, but reached out and took his hoof, clutching it tightly. “On the count of three. One… Two…”
“THREE!” 
And with that, the two ponies sprinted across the open field, running directly towards the cliff. Twilight felt her heart pounding with both excitement and fear. This was the craziest thing she had ever done, it defied ALL logic in her mind, and she was STILL GOING TO DO IT! With this final thought, she leapt over the guard ropes and over the cliff of Canterlot. For a moment, she felt like she was flying. 
But then gravity kicked in. 
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” she screamed, as did Spike, and the two ponies and one dragon plunged over the edge of the mountain city. Twilight flailed her body in a panic (though only just managed to avoid flailing her wings), while Spike clenched his eyes shut. With some subtle maneuvering, Flash directed the trio into the mist the waterfall was creating, drenching them and making them almost impossible to see from the outside. The roar of the water drowned out Twilight’s screams out as they plunged. 
Down and down they fell, approaching the large lake at the bottom. As they approached, Twilight felt Flash clench her hoof, prompting her to look over at him. He began mouthing numbers in a descending order. Or maybe he was yelling them and she simply couldn’t hear. Either way, she began to mouth along as the lake grew closer and closer. Finally, just as they were about to hit, Flash mouthed ‘now.’ 
Twilight immediately spread her wings as far as they could go. The sudden force on her still new body part caused pain to shoot through Twilight’s limbs. The force of the air was intense, so much so it felt like her wings were about to be ripped right out of their sockets. As the air caught the underside of their wings, Flash and Twilight were no longer falling but speeding across the surface of the lake, leaving a wake as they went. After only a few seconds, they were soaring over the shoreline and into the Everfree Forest. It was then that Twilight realized through her pain that they had a new problem: She didn’t know how to stop!
Thankfully Mother Nature decided to improvise and the pair quickly collided with a large tangle of vines. The plants slowed their momentum so abruptly that both Twilight and Flash were left to crash into the underbrush.
“THAT WAS AWESOME!” Spike cried, jumping out of the brush and dusting himself off. “Can we do that again someday?”
“Not if I can help it,” Twilight groaned, sitting up and rubbing her sore wings, both of which seemed very reluctant to return to her sides.
“Look at the bright side,” Flash said, rubbing his head. “You’re free.”
Twilight blinked before looking up at the city that was just barely visible through the thick tree canopy. “Yeah,” she whispered. “I’m free.”
> Chapter 4: The Resistance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure I can’t read one of those books now?” Twilight asked as she and Flash finished their dinner of flowers and berries. After their crash landing, the group had spent most of the day traveling deeper into the Everfree Forest. Thankfully, it seemed that Flash’s plan had worked, as no guards had come into the forest, or at least not near where the trio had been traveling. 

Spike had alternated riding on the two ponies; his small stature and short legs made it difficult for him to travel through the thick undergrowth. Besides a snake that had momentarily wrapped up Spike and scared Twilight half to death, they had thankfully avoided encounters with the hostile members of the forest. Eventually, they found a small clearing where they set up camp. It was a good thing that the Ladies had given Flash an enchanted bag with camping supplies, including a tent, flint and steel, lots of rope, blankets, and three sleeping mats.

            “Yes, I’m sure,” Flash said, finishing his own meal before continuing to finish up the camps defenses. Most of them were simple strings with bells to alert the three of them if a creature was nearby. Twilight had cast a few spells that would repel some smaller critters like snakes and bugs, and also a silencing spell so creatures outside the camp wouldn’t hear them. “We need to keep moving tomorrow as soon as the sun comes up, and I would really rather that you not be half asleep all day tomorrow. You may have alicorn endurance now, but even you need to sleep. We need to constantly be alert for danger during the day.”

            “Wouldn't we need to be more worried about the night?” Spike asked. “I mean, isn’t that when some of the biggest predators come out to hunt?” 

            “Actually, Timberwolves are more common during the day,” Flash replied. “And they are by far the most numerous creature in this forest. There are plenty of predators that are active at all times of the day. The only real difference the night makes is that they rely more on hearing and smell than on sight. And since we haven’t bathed, we smell just like the forest. We should be ok so long as we don’t cause too much of a disturbance.”

            “How do you know so much about this place?” Spike asked. 

            “It was required reading to become a Butler. I never really understood why it was, but I am kinda glad I passed that portion of the test.” Nodding once, Flash turned away from the completed warning bells and walked back over to the two ponies. “We should go to sleep soon.” Twilight and Spike nodded in agreement. Soon the fire was put out and the three made their way to the tent. Spike, despite having walked the least, was the first one asleep. Flash was about to close his eyes when her heard Twilight speak.

            “Hey… Flash?”

            “Yes Twilight?” Flash asked, sitting up to look at the mare. She had been strangely quiet all day, but he thought it best to leave her alone to sort out her thoughts. She had been through a lot recently. However, he was happy to hear her ask about the books since it made her sound like herself, rather than the mopey alicorn she had been most of the day.

            “How long…do you think we’ll need to stay out here?” Her voice was filled with concern and a bit of anxiety. 

            “I don’t know,” he said, placing a hoof on hers reassuringly. “But once we’re a bit deeper in, we can start thinking a bit more seriously about our next move. We can’t stay here forever, but we have time to come up with a plan. Just try not to think about it too much, ok? Me and Spike will be here to help you when ever you need us.”

            Twilight nodded and gave him a gentle smile, which he returned. With a nod, both ponies lay down and drifted off to sleep.

 
Later that night…

 
            Twilight groaned. There was noise coming from nearby. She didn’t like the noise, especially since she was trying to sleep. It wasn’t the alarm bells; those were enchanted to be loud. It sounded like somepony was talking.

            “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she heard Flash say.

            “And why not?” a scratchy voice replied, one that Twilight didn’t recognize. 

            “You really might want to listen to him,” Spike said. 

            “And why should I listen to my prisoners?” the scratchy voice answered.

            “Because we know how she is going to react,” Flash said.

            Wait, prisoners? Slowly, Twilight opened her eyes. As she did she heard something move nearby, something that sounded metallic. She blinked to clear her vision, and what she saw snapped her to full alertness in the worst possible way.

            Two knives.

            Pointed at her. 

            Inches from her face.

            “Fre—“

            “AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

            Twilight’s magic flared to life almost instantly, but she caught hold of it just before it exploded. The knives filled her world, but she knew Flash and Spike were nearby. She couldn’t hurt them. She WOULDN’T! There was only one other option: fleeing. Her magic rebounded, shifting into pegasus magic immediately. Her wings flapped once, flinging her attacker, and the entire tent, a good ten feet away. She shot backwards out of the door with the speed charging pegasus, crashed through at least five other ponies, and collided with a tree a good thirty feet away. Her hooves locked onto the trunk, holding her a good foot off the ground as she tried to regain control of her breathing. 

            “I warned you,” she heard Flash say, as he crawled out of the upside-down tent with a dazed Spike draped over her back.

            “What the buck was that!?” the scratchy voice replied. A cyan mare with a rainbow mane crawled out after Flash, clutching the two knives.  The armor covering everything except her head and tail seemed to be made of a dark wood that matched the color of the trees, though it was hard to tell. It was printed with a cutie mark near the flank – a cloud and tri-colored lightning bolt. She had straps down the front that held six sheaths for knives, each of which was a different color of the rainbow. It was characteristic of what a Seeker would wear, but this mare clearly wasn’t a Seeker.

            “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BUCKING MIND!?” Twilight screamed at the mare from her tree, causing her to flinch. “I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU!!!”

            “Wha—“ the mare began, but Twilight wasn’t done.

            “DO YOU KNOW WHAT FIGHT OR FLIGHT REACTION IS!? I COULD HAVE EASILY HAD A MAGIC FLARE AND KILLED YOU! NEVER EVER EVER WAKE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!” she screamed. “On second thought, never wake up ANYPONY like that, IT’S RUDE!” She eased her grip on the tree, slowly sliding down. “Never…ever, ever…do that…again.” She brought her hoof to her chest and rubbed it. Her heartbeat and breathing had been going so fast that her chest ached as they slowed.

            As Twilight began to calm down, she looked up and noticed a few things. First, she had amazing vision despite the lack of light and the distance she was from the tent. Second, there were at least twenty ponies now in the camp, all dressed like the rainbow-maned mare and lighting up the dark forest with the lanterns on their armor. Those that weren’t picking themselves up off the ground were pointing their swords, wing blades, and spears at her. She could just see Flash and Spike in the back, missing their suits and thus their weapons. Three ponies held them at knifepoint. 

            “Umm… I surrender?” Twilight said with a sheepish smile. The ponies were not impressed.

            “Well now ain’t this a surprise,” another voice, heavily accented, called out. Looking over, Twilight saw another mare emerge from between the weapon-wielding ponies. She had orange fur, a blond mane and tail, and three apples for a cutie mark. She also wore armor, although hers looked far superior to those around it considering the extra metal plates reinforcing it on the outside. She also wore a stetson and had a katana sheath on her left side. “Not every day we find a TYRANT walking in our woods.” 

            “Hey, Twilight’s no tyrant,” Spike yelled out, only to be reminded of his position by one of his guards elbowing him. The orange mare merely snorted.

            “She’s an alicorn. As far as I’m concerned, they’re all tyrants,” she said, glaring at the dragon before returning her stare to Twilight. Twilight couldn’t help but shrink under her gaze. 

            “Who are you?” she asked nervously, shifting slightly but trying not to move too much. She really didn’t want to provoke this pony, whoever she was.

            “Applejack,” the mare said. “Other than that, the only thing you need to know is that these are my ponies. We all fled our suppressors so we could fight the tyranny of Equestria and live our own lives in peace.” Her eyes narrowed further. “But now it seems one of the tyrants has come onto our land.”

            “She’s not like the others,” Flash called out. “We’re trying to get away from the others.”

            “That much is obvious,” Applejack said. 

            “Really?” Spike asked.

            “Yeah,” the rainbow-maned mare said. “I know alicorns think they’re invincible, but coming in here with only one butler and a dragon is just suicidal.”

            “It’s also the only reason I didn’t order my ponies to just kill you,” Applejack said, walking forward until she was towering above Twilight. “You’re either part of the most insane plot to find us that I’ve ever seen, or you’re just plumb crazy. So I’m gonna do something I’ve never done before.” She said as she leaned down stare Twilight right in the eyes. “You have exactly sixty seconds to tell me who you are, where you come from, and why you’re here. And don’t you even THINK of lyin’ to me. I’ll know.”

            “How?” Spike asked, earning a glare from the orange mare.

            “Trust me, she’ll know,” the rainbow-maned mare said with a smirk. “So just try lying, tyrant, see what happens.”

            Seeing as there was no other option, Twilight conceded. She began with the biggest bit of news, primarily that she used to be a unicorn, news which raised more than a few eyebrows. Then she quickly explained what she used to do under Celestia and Luna, how her transformation happened because of the element of magic (or at least what she knew about it), and then their escape and subsequent journey through the forest. She had to leave out most of the details and talk really fast, but she did manage to keep it under 60 seconds. Despite the skeptical looks from the surrounding ponies, Applejack’s face remained an unmoving mask throughout the story, never once giving away her emotions.  

            “And then she woke me up,” Twilight said, pointing to the rainbow-maned mare, “with knives only inches from my face, which was a really stupid idea—”

            “HEY!” 

            “And then I freaked out and used my wings, no idea how, and now we’re here.”

Applejack stood up, wordless, and stared. As seconds passed with no sign of any decision from her, Twilight felt more and more nervous. Just when she was about to speak again, Applejack raised a hoof. 

            “Stand down,” she commanded. As one, the ponies surrounding them lowered their weapons, though they did not loosen their grip on them. 

            “You… you believe me?” Twilight asked, shocked. 

            “Yep,” Applejack said. “Ah can smell a lie a mile away, and as impossible as your story sounds, you didn’t lie.”

            Twilight sighed in relief. “Th—“ she began before letting out a terrified ‘eep’ as she suddenly found a curved katana at her throat. 

            “That DOESN’T mean I trust ya,” Applejack said. “Ah still need to see what yer friends say, and even then, Ah don’t trust alicorns.” She sheathed the sword. “The only reason y’all are getting a chance is because you USED to be a unicorn. Ah don’t know anything about some mystic ‘element’ other than the alicorns seem obsessed over them, but if you have one, Ah think it be best to keep it away from alicorns like Thorn. But try anything, and Ah won’t hesitate ta take you down. We clear?”

            “Crystal,” Twilight squeaked. Applejack nodded to before turning back to Flash and Spike for questioning. As she did, the rest of the ponies broke into groups. Some of them began to take down the tent and traps while the others kept watch at the forest. The rainbow-maned mare, however, kept a narrowed, glaring eye on Twilight. Twilight, meanwhile, just sat at the base of the tree and tried not to have another panic attack. 

            ‘At least we know what we're going to do next,’ she thought. After Flash and Spike had been approved by Applejack, they were given their stuff back, minus their weapons, before the rest of the ponies surrounded them again.

            “Kay, now here’s how this is gonna work,” the blonde mare said to Twilight, Spike, and Flash. “We’re gonna go back to our village, where you’re gonna be under watch till we figure out if y’all can be trusted. You follow us, stay in the center of the formation, and don’t cause trouble. Any trouble, and you’ll regret it. Understood?” The three nodded. “Good, now let’s move.” She trotted out into the forest The rest of the ponies followed, making sure to keep Twilight and her friends inside a circle of guards. 

            “Hey, Twilight,” Spike whispered, “not to ask the obvious questions, but why didn’t they bind your magic?” 

            “I don’t know,” she whispered back. 

            “It’s because we can’t,” The rainbow-maned pony said, causing the two of them to flinch. 

            “What do you mean, and what was your name again?” Flash asked. 

            “Rainbow Dash,” the mare replied without looking. “Alicorns can just overload normal magic inhibitors. The resulting blast could destroy a house, but they could do it. Easily. Trust me, somepony tried that when they were escaping, and it really didn’t work out. You need a full horn inhibitor to block alicorn magic, and there are almost none of those anywhere. And we can’t build them with what we have here.”

            “Where exactly is here?” Twilight asked. “Where are we going?” 

            “Our village,” she replied. “It’s not as ‘modern’ as you’re used to, but I’m sure an alicorn can adapt just fine.”

            “Do all of you hate alicorns?” Flash asked, only to receive a glare from Rainbow. 

            “No, we LIKE living in the forest surrounded by dangerous monsters that would attack us if not for our defenses. WHAT DO YOU THINK!?” 

            “Rainbow!” Applejack yelled back, “Would ya quit tryin’ ta bring the whole forest of monsters down on us. If ya want them to understand why you hate alicorns, just show them!”

            “Ugh, fine.” As they continued to walk, Rainbow began to fiddle with her armor, pulling pieces away from her barrel. Twilight, her curiosity getting the better of her, couldn’t help but watch as the mare worked. But when she did, she immediately wished she hadn’t been looking. 

            She screamed, Spike nearly vomited, and Flash just looked on with sorrow yet understanding. There, on the mare’s side, was a small scared stub. A stub that was in the exact place where a pegasi’s wing would normally be. 

            “THIS is what they did to me,” Rainbow snarled. “I try and help my friend, and what do they do? They ground me for life, just because I broke a stupid rule. This is why we all live here, because we ALL lost something because of the tyrants. And I’M one of the lucky ones. Don’t get me started on a pony that lost their horn and BOTH EYES!” 

            “Enough,” a deep voice rumbled. Twilight managed to tear her eyes away from the wing stub to look at who had spoken. He was a large red stallion with a short orange mane and tale, and a green apple as a cutie mark. He had been trailing at the back of the group but had moved up near Twilight. “She ain’t Thorn, Dash. No need to be blamin’ her for what that monster did to you.” Rainbow huffed in anger, but fell silent and turned away to put her armor back on.

            “Thorn, that figures,” Flash cursed. “Crazy psychopath shouldn’t even be allowed to rule a garden, much less a bunch of ponies.” 

            “You met her?” Rainbow asked, not turning to look back at the group as she put her armor back on. 

            “No, but Twilight used to be under her jurisdiction until she threw her through twelve buildings,” Flash said with a smirk. 

            “FLASH!” Twilight cried, her cheeks flaring in embarrassment.

            “That was you?” Rainbow asked in shock, whipping her head around to meet Twilight’s eye.

            “Um, yes?” 

            Rainbow just stared at her for a few seconds before turning back around. “Least we have a common enemy.” 

            “Huh?”

            “Most ponies know about Thorn,” Applejack jumped in, “and just as many hate her. We also heard stories from some of her former ponies of that particular incident in Canterlot. You mind telling me how it happened?”

            Twilight was about to reply when she realized something. “You’re just asking me to make sure I’m not lying, aren’t you?” She asked with a sigh.

            “Eeeup,” Applejack replied. “Now come on, out with it.”
            Twilight sighed before reluctantly explaining what happened. She spoke of her father being punished and her flare, but left out the more vivid images she had in her mind, ones she would rather forget. Applejack tried to press for more detail, but Twilight said it was a very uncomfortable memory and would rather not go into every single detail. To her surprise, Applejack seemed to respect that and backed off a bit, though she still talked to Flash just to be sure. 

            “Excuse my sis,” the red stallion said, catching Twilight’s attention. “She had a bad experience with alicorns, and she’s just tryin’ ta make sure our ponies are safe.”

            Twilight nodded. “I understand, I think. Lady Celestia always said the safety of her ponies was her biggest concern.”

            “Sounds like you lucked out, gettin’ her after bucking Thorn like that.”

            “It was the Queen. She knew my cutie mark was related to the Element of Magic, so assigned me to House Shining Star so I could learn to control my own magic. Apparently, they had success with a few other ponies in the past. Though I don’t think any of them saw these in my future,” Twilight said, gesturing to her wings. 

            “Enope,” he replied. 

            Twilight nodded before she realized something. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” 

            “Big Mac,” the stallion replied, “And you already met Applejack, which just leaves Applebloom.”

            “Applebloom?”

            “Ma younger sister,” Applejack interjected. “Still just a filly, but better her to be here than back with our ‘lady.’” She spat out ‘lady’ as though it was poisonous.

            “A forest of magical hunters is safer than living with an alicorn?” Flash asked skeptically. 

            “Eeeup,” Applejack replied. “Now hush up, we’re nearly there, and I need a minute to explain to the other why we’re letting a tyrant in here.”

            “I’m not a tyrant,” Twilight mumbled. 

            “To us you might as well be,” Rainbow replied with a huff before marching ahead to join Applejack. As they cleared the next patch of trees, their destination came into sight. In front of them was a large wall of logs, the tips sharpened and reaching at least thirty feet into the air. The trees also had magic runes carved into the wood, which Twilight recognized as protective spells, likely to repel the monsters of the forest. 

On closer inspection, she saw that parts of the wall had live trees instead of logs, and the trees were full of walkways and lookout platforms. The group could see pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies watching the forest, all armed with crossbows. As they drew near, one of the pegasi let out a shrill whistle. A portion of the wall shuttered slightly and slowly swung open.

            The inside of the town was much larger than anything Twilight was expecting. Even from the entrance, Twilight could see at least thirty houses, and quite a few tents set up as well. Some of the houses were made of pure logs, some of stones, and some of wooden boards and bricks. It was clear there was a diverse amount of knowledge in the village. Once they were all through, the gate slowly closed behind them. Twilight glanced back and saw unicorns levitating the wall a few inches off the ground so a row of earth ponies could shut it easily.

            “Everyone’s watching us,” Spike whispered, looking around nervously, and he was right.  There were quite a few ponies out and about despite the hour, and almost every one stared at the trio as the soldiers escorted further into the town. Some looked apprehensive, other looked angry and were glaring at Twilight, but others just looked confused. Others were muttering amongst themselves, and one colt even looked like he was about to throw a brick until Big Mac glared at him. Even more started to emerge from houses and tents, blearily asking what all the commotion was about.

            “A butler, an alicorn, and a dragon walk into a village in the forest. This has all the elements of a horrible joke,” Flash muttered, earning a smirk from Spike and a groan from Twilight. 

Soon enough, they reached the center of town where a small stage was set up. Twilight guessed it was for announcements, judging from how most of the townsfolk were gathering around it. Applejack ascended the stage, and Twilight, Flash, and Spike were shoved up along with her. Once up above the crowd, Twilight couldn’t help but gulp nervously. There were A LOT of ponies, probably over two hundred. And they were all looking at her. She had rarely felt so anxious. Even an angry Lady Celestia wasn’t this bad!

“Now I’m sure y’all are wondering why I brought an alicorn back to the village,” Applejack began, drawing some of the attention away from the purple alicorn. “Personally, I don’t like it either, but she told me – and I know she wasn’t lyin’ – that she used to be a unicorn, until that gem on her chest turned her into an alicorn.” More than a few murmurs rose from the crowd. “Apparently, this gem is the Element of Magic, some long lost gem the tyrants have been searching for for generations.” That got a lot of side talk and a few gasp. Clearly some of the ponies there knew Equestria’s history. 

“Now I have decided to give Twilight here a chance,” Applejack continued. “I don’t trust her, but it’s only fair that she’s got a chance to prove herself. She is to remain under constant guard, but she is NOT to be needlessly harassed. We all hate alicorns for personal reasons, but she isn’t the one who committed the crimes against us or our loved ones. In fact, she’s been an alicorn for less than a week. Doesn’t mean Ah like her, but Ah ain’t gonna hurt her just to make myself feel better. Now as for a guard, has anyone seen Pinkie?”

“Present!”

“GAH!” Twilight screamed, nearly jumping off the stage. A pink mare with a darker pink mane and a cutie mark of three balloons had suddenly appeared right next to her. Twilight hadn’t seen her, but Flash, Spike, and half the audience jumped as well, so she knew she wasn’t the only one who had been surprised. 

“What the… How did… huh?” Twilight stammered while Applejack just looked over, unphased. 

“There ya are,” Applejack said. “I need ya to keep an eye on these three. Make sure they don’t cause trouble and stay inside the town walls. Understand?”

“Okie doki loki,” the mare named Pinkie responded, her mane bouncing up and down as she nodded. She then turned to face Twilight. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie and I will be your guard for the foreseeable future. Please follow me and I’ll show you where we will be living until Miss Grumpypants says otherwise.” Applejack glared, but Pinkie didn’t seem to mind. She turned around and proceeded to ponk off the stage and down the dirt street. Not quite sure what to make of her, but without any other choice, Twilight, Flash and Spike began to follow her.

As they left, they still received quite a few glares from the nearby ponies, but now they were mostly mere looks of suspicion. Not great, but better than the open hostility they had received before. As they walked off, Twilight turned to watch the crowd disperse. Some ponies returned to bed or to their jobs, while others moving to question Applejack. However, as she turned back around, she found herself face to face with one hyper pink pony.

“Hi Twilight, sorry about earlier, but Applejack wants me to try and be more professional, but where the fun in that? I mean, I’m a party pony, not a scribe. Unless she wants me to be a professional party pony, but to do that I would need to remake my party cannon, but there aren’t enough materials for that, but at least I can still make cupcakes and cookies, but I don’t think everypony would be happy if I tried to throw you a welcome party yet since you’re an alicorn and all, but I promise I will once they all warm up to you.” Pinkie said quickly while smiling largely the whole time.

“I… um… what?” Twilight stuttered, trying to decipher all the words.

“What’s a party pony?” Spike asked. 

“I’m glad you asked!” Pinkie replied. “As a party pony, it is my job to bring joy and smiles to all ponies, usually through big and fun parties! Just last week we had a party to celebrate the tenth year of our founding, and it was awesome with balloons and streamers and pin the tail on the pony! Miss Grumpypants doesn’t really like them since they make a lot of noise, but she sees how much it boosts morale, so she lets me have them any way!”

“How exactly do you get supplies for a party out in the middle of the woods?” Flash asked as Twilight struggle to pull her thoughts together.

“Oh, I have emergency party supplies stashed all over the woods in case of party emergencies.” Pinkie replied.

“But where—“ Flash began.

“I’m also really good at breaking the fourth wall!” Pinkie said happily.

“The fourth wall?” Spike asked in confusion. 

“Yeah, that wall over there, see?” Pinkie said while pointing a hoof. Looking over, the group did indeed see one of the walls of the village, and unlike the others this one looked relatively new; some logs still had branches on them, and others seemed to be pieces of several different logs patched together. It had clearly been broken and repaired multiple times.

“Every time we expand the village, we need to tear down a wall so that we can expand. We always choose that one for some reason, and since it’s always the newest wall, I like to call it the fourth wall. I’m really good at knocking it down, not sure why though,” she said with a shrug. 

            “Miss Pie,” Flash said.

            “Just Pinkie please. Calling me ‘Miss’ makes it sound like I’m old and grey and can’t throw parties, which would be horrible and then everyone would be sad and mphhh mph mphpmh…” 

Flash shoved his hoof in her mouth. It hadn’t stopped her, but she was now quiet enough that he could talk to her. 

            “Pinkie. Can you please tell us exactly where were going and what we will be doing?” Flash asked, sounding ever so slightly annoyed. Pinkie nodded and Flash removed his hoof. 

            “We’re going back to my house. Once we get you all settled, you can do whatever you want, so long as you stay in the village. Miss Grumpypants just said I had to watch you, she didn’t say anything about needing to keep you prisoner in my home, though I guess my home would be the best place to do so.”

            “What makes you say that?” Twilight asked, having recovered enough from her initial confusion. 

            “Because it’s made of stone,” Pinkie said as she pointed ahead. “Welcome to the fun house!” 

            Sure enough, in front of them was a house made almost entirely of stone, at least it looked so from the outside. The house was two stories tall with a few windows visible like most of the other houses. The stone was, oddly enough, painted pink while the wooden front door was light blue. It was one of the strangest houses Twilight had ever seen.

            “Why is it made of stone?” Spike asked, beating Twilight to the question. 

            “Oh, well, I used to work on a rock farm for my lady, collecting gems for her to trade with others for food, but after I ran away I found myself missing rocks a bit, so I built my house to remind me of the good times I had. Plus, rocks keep the heat in in the winter and out in the summer, so it’s like I have an air conditioner and heater, even if they haven’t been invented yet.” She ponked towards the house with a smile, completely ignoring the confused expressions on the other ponies’ faces. “Come on, I’ll show you all where you’ll be living, then you can tell me alllllllll about yourselves.”
> Chapter 5: Flight Training and Mishaps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Blue or green?” Pinkie asked Flash. 

            “Blue.” 

            “Chocolate or vanilla?” 

            “Chocolate. Can we—” 

            “Apples or pears?” 

            “I’ve never had eit—” 

            “Xbox 1 or PS4?”  

            “Huh?” 

            “Chimicherry or cherrychanga? 

            “I don’t even—” 

            “Hey, Pinkie,” Spike asked. “Blue or pink?”  

            “Well, pink of course, silly. What could be better than pink? Well, blue is nice too, and green, and…”  

And on Pinkie went. Spike winked at Flash, who was personally glad that Pinkie’s endless questions were done for now. After arriving, Pinkie had wanted to know everything about them. And she meant EVERYTHING. But rather than actually letting them talk, she had begun asking an endless barrage of questions about every possible topic.  

            Thankfully, Flash had enough time to hand Twilight the first of the books she was to read before distracting Pinkie for her. Said purple pony was currently sitting on Pinkie’s red couch and reading the book titled ‘Flying for Dummies: Basics Level.’ Every now and again she would try to extend her wings, but it seemed she could only extend one at a time, something that Flash could tell, based on the frustrated (and yet adorable) look on her face, annoyed her to no end. 

            “Having trouble?” he asked. 

            “Grrrrr… YES!” Twilight yelled. “These stupid wings won’t work right! Every time I try to open them, only one opens, and when I try and get the second one open, the first one closes! No matter how hard I try, I can’t hold both open at the same time, even though I somehow did that during ‘plan J!’” She slumped in defeat, facecouching and nearly dropping the book. “Why is this so hard? It’s just moving them. I’m not even trying to fly yet.” 

            Flash caught the book nimbly, smiling, and joined her on the couch. “It’s probably because you have new muscles and nerves that you’ve never used before, so it would make sense that they take some time to learn how to control,” he said, patting her mane, and then he smirked. “Shouldn’t you know that considering how many biology books you read?”  

Her wing extended and slapped him in the back of the head.  

            “YES, I do know that, but that doesn’t make it any easier, and you being a smart aleck doesn’t help,” she replied, lifting her head. “And I have no idea how I just managed to slap you with such fine control! Ugh…” She dropped her head again, this time facebooking with a groan. Flash gave a sympathetic smile and kept patting her mane and back. 

            “You’ll get used to it. Maybe you just need to practice actually using your wings.” He gave his own pair a flap, allowing himself to hover above the couch. “I’m sure there must be somewhere we can practice.” 

            “How about the training field?” Pinkie asked from directly next to Twilight. 

            “GAH!” Twilight yelled, jumping sideways. Her wings flared out behind her. “Stop doing that!” 

            “Doing what?” Pinkie asked innocently, sitting on the couch across from Twilight.  

            “How did she even move that fast?” Spike asked in confusion, looking back at the spot across the room where Pinkie had been less than a second ago.  

            While Twilight tried to bring her heart rate under control, Flash turned to Pinkie. “What training field?”  

            “Oh, well, we set up this empty field to the side of town where we can practice fighting,” the pink pony answered, her mane deflating a bit at the word ‘fighting.’ “I don’t usually go there since parties are a much better solution than fights, but we do need to know how to protect ourselves from the forest wildlife, or the occasional soldier that wanders into the forest. The branches from trees keep it hidden from anyone above the trees, but a lot of the area above it is cleared out for pegasi to practice. Dashie is usually there too.” She gave a little bounce at Rainbow Dash’s name. “Oh, but I need to go with you since I’m supposed to watch you.” 

            “That’s… acceptable, I guess,” Flash said before returning his attention to Twilight. “Do you want to go now? Or would you rather just practice controlling your wings here?” 

            “Is there a third option where I just go back to reading?” Twilight asked hopefully. Flash just gave her a deadpan stare. “Ugh, fine. Let’s just go to the field. But, um, first, can you help me… close my wings?” She sheepishly gestured to the still-flared wings. “I think they’re stuck like this.” 

            Flash smirked, reached under her left wing, and poked it right at the joint.  

            “EEP!” Twilight flinched as her wing snapped shut. ‘Note to self, wing joints are extremely ticklish.’ she thought in embarrassment.  

After Pinkie ran to get some snacks from the kitchen, which had all the modern necessities (such as a sink, a fridge and an oven), somehow (though neither Twilight, Flash, nor Spike wanted to ask), the group set off towards the training grounds. Along the way, many ponies turned to watch the group, but Twilight noticed that Pinkie would frown at any ponies that glared at Twilight, catching their eyes and refusing to let up until they looked away. Afterwards, Pinkie would grin again as if nothing had happened.  

‘Is she…defending me?’ Twilight thought before sighing internally. ‘Everyone here is suspicious of me at the least, and she just accepts me even though I’m an alicorn? I don’t know whether to be glad or just confused.’ 

After a few minutes, the houses gave way to a large area of open land filled with ponies practicing with everything from spears and swords to crossbows and wing blades. Up above, pegasi sparred in midair over large safety nets. A few ponies spared a glance at the approaching group, but most just continued on like nothing happened.  

 “Where did you get all those?” Spike asked, nodding at the racks of weapons lining one side of the field. There were far more than any of them (save Pinkie, of course) expected.  

“Oh, well, when new ponies find us they usually have a stolen weapon or two,” Pinkie replied. “And if we ever catch a guard or butler, we usually take their weapons before knocking them out and taking them away from the village. We also had a blacksmith joins us about two years ago, so he helps make more and maintain the ones we already have.”  

“Any chance I could get my weapons back?” Flash asked.  

“You need to ask Applejack,” Pinkie said. “I’d give her a bit of time though, just so she can come to trust you a bit more first.” 

“How long would that take? She doesn’t seem like she’s all that trusting.” 

“Oh, she’s always like that at first. But she comes around after a few days. Buuuuuuuuut, since Twilight IS an alicorn, I’d say give it a week or two. If she still doesn’t trust you, I’ll see if I can get your weapons back. What did she take exactly?” 

“My wing blades.” 

“Can we focus please?” Twilight interrupted. “We were trying to help me with my wings I just got a week ago.” 

“Oops, sorry Twi,” Pinkie said. “I’ll just stand over here and cheer you on.” She bounced off to the side with Spike. Twilight blinked at the nickname, but decided it wasn’t worth questioning at the moment.  

“Ok,” Flash began, “Lets start by having you open your wings. Should be simple enough.” Twilight nodded before focusing on her new appendages. She tried to open them, but they simply twitched slightly. Focusing on the left one, she managed to get it open, only to have it return to her side as she tried to focus on the right one. She struggled back and forth for a good minute before Flash told her to stop.  

“Relax,” he said. “Don’t just focus on one at a time. Try closing your eyes and focusing on only your wings. Nothing else. They’re part of your body now, so focus on how they feel and the muscles that move them, then try again.” 

Twilight nodded, closed her eyes, and tried to focus on her wing muscles. They still felt new and strange, so she was quickly able to locate them. There was so much tension in the muscles that she was surprised they hadn’t begun to ache. She took a deep breath and released it, bringing her hoof to her chest to time the movements. It took several minutes, but she felt her wings relax. With one more breath, she tried to extend them. 

FWOOSH 

“Eep!” Twilight cried. Her wings extended so rapidly she almost overbalanced and fell over. ‘Well, at least they’re both out now’, she thought, before blinking. Despite having them for over a week, she had never taken the time to get a good look at her wings. They were bigger than Flash’s, a lot bigger. In fact, they were bigger than any other pegasus wings she’d seen before. They were built differently too. She had larger feathers and the wing tips had steeper curves. 

“I never realized how different my wings were,” she muttered, giving them an experimental flap. It felt awkward and clumsy, but she seemed to have at least some control over them, so that was a major improvement  

“You mean you didn’t notice?” Spike asked.  

“Between prison, plan J, our journey though the forest, being captured, then trying to learn how to just open them, I would like to think I was a bit preoccupied,” Twilight huffed. 

“Fair enough.”  

“Ok, now let’s move on to learning how to use them,” Flash said. “As you probably read, our wings can’t naturally carry us. Instead, they serve as a way for us to use our innate magic to fly. When we jumped off Canterlot, we still used magic to glide, though it was much easier due to our adrenaline. Right now, I want to see if you can create a breeze with your wings, not by flapping, but by using your magic.  

“In order to do so, focus your magic into your wings just like you would your horn, then try to see if you can move the air around your wings to create a small breeze. Understand so far?” 

“I think so,” Twilight said, nodding. “Only one way to find out.” Taking a breath, she tried to focus her magic into her wings, doing her best to remember her earliest lessons from Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. After a minute of contorting her face in a vain effort to channel the magic, she let go, her wings drooping slightly. “This may be harder then I thought.” 

“Maybe you need to try looking for your pegasus magic like you did with your wings?” Spike suggested, but Twilight just shook her head.  

“I only have one type of magic, Spike. The only thing that changed is that it’s alicorn magic now, not unicorn,” Twilight replied, looking at the ground in thought.  

“Welllllll, since alicorns magic acts like all three types of normal pony magic, maybe you just need to find the part of your magic that’s pegasus based!” Pinkie suggested.  

Twilight blinked.  

Then blinked again. 

            “How did come up with that?” she asked.  

            “Oh, I once snuck into my Lady’s library to see if she had any book on party planning, which she did, but I also found this book that told me all about alicorns,” Pinkie said, smiling. “It’s weird though, because no one else there could see anything, not even the head library lady.”  

This just confused Twilight more. 

            The book Pinkie was talking about was most likely the Book of Alicorns, a book each house had a single copy of. The original alicorn survivors created them to insure the knowledge of their species would be passed on. The books were enchanted to be nearly indestructible, but they were also enchanted so that only alicorns could see what was written inside, and those enchantments couldn’t be removed. She had tried to read the book and remove the enchantments, but had failed miserably.  

            “Don’t think about it too hard,” Rainbow Dash called out from across the field, seeing the look of utter confusion on Twilight’s face. “It’s Pinkie, and as much fun as it would be to see you question every little thing she does, I’m not that cruel. Just accept that she can do the impossible and move on.”  

            “I…um…ok,” Twilight said, trying to shake the impossibility from her mind and focus on her magic again. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on her new magic pool and see if she could find the magic she needed to fly. Surprisingly, finding a bit of magic related to her wings wasn’t too difficult. It was actually separating the pegasus magic from the rest that was the challenge. She struggled with it for several minutes, before she gave up trying to gather it all and channeled what she could into her wings. 

            After half a minute, she opened her eyes and saw a continuous trial of dust passing slowly beneath her wings. She could feel the air moving, rustling her feathers and making her shiver.  

            “Well done,” Flash said, walking over. “I think you’re ready to start flying.” 

            “So soon?” Twilight asked. “But I just learned how to use the magic. Shouldn’t I practice it more, or maybe read more from the book?” She looked at him hopefully, only to sigh when he shook his head. 

            “Pegasus magic is best learned through doing,” Flash said. “The book was just a way for you to learn what to do once we began practicing. And based on your normal reading speed, you already covered the section on hovering, right?” He flashed her a knowing smirk.  

            “Yes,” Twilight grumbled.  

            “Good, now watch,” Flash said, spreading his wings and flapping them to hover a foot off the ground. “Now you try. Just do what you did before, but this time move your wings and try and force the air down. Use more magic when you want to go higher, then ease off to come to a hover.” 

            Nodding, Twilight reached back into her magic and tried to flap her wings while channeling it. As it turned out, flapping her wings made the magic flow much faster, causing Twilight to shoot a good two feet into the air on the initial flutter. She panicked, flapped unevenly, flipped upside down, and fell flat on her back with a grunt. Of course, Rainbow and some of the other ponies nearby found this to be highly amusing. So did Spike and Pinkie.  

            “Owww…” she moaned as Flash quickly moved to help her. “What happened?”  

            “You used a little too much magic,” Flash said. “That, and the uneven flapping of your wings caused you to have more lift on one side than the other, causing you to flip over and then propel yourself into the ground.” 

            “Credit where credit is due, Flash. You make this look easy,” Twilight said as she stood up. 

            “Thank you, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll see it’s nothing too difficult. Once you get it, you’ll never forget.” He smiled. “Now try again, but this time try to keep a steady rate of flapping. Maybe try counting to four like a conductor.” 

            “Just without the weird hoof movements,” Spike chuckled.  

            Rolling her eyes, Twilight began waving her wings again, this time trying to use less magic and counting steadily in her head. 

            ‘1, 2, 3, 4...’ 

            Slowly she began to rise… 

            ‘1, 2, 3, 4…’ 

            She reached one foot in height… 

            ‘1, 2, 3, 4…’ 

            She eased off her magic… 

            ‘1, 2, 3, 4…’ 

            ‘I did it! I’m hov–‘ 

            “AHHHH!” 

            “EEK!” Twilight cried in shock. The sudden scream startled her so badly she instinctively tried to move away from it, causing her to lose her focus. Immediately she lost control, spinning mid-air, only to come crashing down directly on her right wing. 

            Twilight winced in pain, but somehow managed to avoid crying out.  

            “BAHAHAHAH! That was priceless!” Rainbow cackled, and the ponies she’d been training with laughed as well. Twilight realized it was Dash who cried out, though her wing hurt too much for her to care. Spike and Flash, however, were glaring daggers at the rainbow-manned pony while Pinkie moved to help Twilight stand. But before any of them could say anything, a new authoritative voice cut through the noise.  

            “RAINBOW DASH!”  

            Rainbow and the others immediately stopped laughing and looked at the approaching pony in terror. Approaching was a yellow pegasus mare with a long pink mane and a cutie mark with three butterflies. She held a white box with a red plus on the side under her wing, and was glaring at Rainbow with her big blue eyes. 

            “H-hey, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said with a nervous smile, taking a step back as the other pegasus continued her approach. 

            “Don’t you ‘hey Fluttershy,’ me, missy,’ Fluttershy said. “I saw what you did. Now just because you lost your wings doesn’t mean you can pull such a mean prank on someone who just got them. Not to mention that you made her land on her wing, which could have seriously hurt her.” 

            Rainbow tried to hide it, but Twilight saw her gulp.  

            “I want you to apologize,” Fluttershy said. Her eyes narrowed even further. “Now.”  

            Rainbow nodded quickly before looking over towards Twilight. “I-I’m sorry for scaring you. I-It wont happen again.” 

            “Good girl,” Fluttershy said in a much softer and soothing voice. “Now go back to training while I tend to my patient.” And with that, she walked over to Twilight, using her wings to open the first aid box and pull out equipment. “I’m sorry about Rainbow,” she said to Twilight, motioning for the purple pony to and gently extend her wing. “She loves to pull pranks, but I don’t think she realizes the harm they can cause sometimes.” 

            “I-It’s no problem, miss…” Twilight replied nervously.  

            “Oh, um, I’m Fluttershy.” She began to look at Twilight’s wing. “I’m sorry if I frightened you. Rainbow sometimes goes overboard with her pranks, so I sometime need to be tough with her to remind her not to hurt anyone.” Her own wings shifted, as though she was uncomfortable. “I’m not usually that assertive.” 

            “Well ‘shy’ is in your name,” Spike replied, earning a glare from Twilight and a slight giggle from Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus wrapped a bandage around Twilight’s wing.  

            “There, your wing should be fine by tomorrow so long as you don’t use it anymore today,” she replied. “It was just a simple sprained muscle.” 

            “Thank you for your help,” Flash said, helping Twilight stand up. “I’m Flash Sentry, and this is Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Are you the only medic here?” 

            “No, there are a few others. I, um, got experience with animals, so learning to add ponies wasn’t so hard.” She swallowed nervously, looking at her hair as though she wanted to hide behind it. “I still prefer animals though, if I’m honest. I’m…not the best at talking to ponies.” 

            “You seem to be ok with us,” Spike said.  

            She smiled at him. “Well, um, that partly because when I see a hurt pony, I tend to just focus on the injury. But also, um, it’s because of, well, you.” 

            Spike blinked. “Me?” 

            “Oh yes. I’ve never seen a baby dragon before. And you can talk!” she (quietly) exclaimed. “Oh, I have so many questions.”  

            However, before Spike could answer her, a loud voice yelled out from above. 

            “Fluffy incoming!” a watchpony called.  

            “Fluffy?” Twilight, Flash, and Spike asked.  

            “Oh, he’s just a friend of mine,” Fluttershy replied, walking towards the nearest wall. The other three just looked at each other in confusion before moving to follow the pegasus. Pinkie trailed behind them, giggling. 

            “You guys are in for a surprise,” she said, only serving to deepen the confusion of the group. Before they could ask anything, a large shadow leapt over the nearest wall.  

            Twilight gasped, Flash leapt protectively in front of her, and Spike ducked behind them both. The creature that had just jumped over the wall was a large lion with bat wings and a scorpion tail. A Manticore. 

            And then they noticed a bunny sitting calmly on top of its head like he was king of the world.  

            “Hi, Fluffy,” Fluttershy said in a motherly voice, walking right up to the Manticore. It lowered its head and allowed Fluttershy to pet it, purring and giving the pegasus an affectionate lick. “What are doing back so early, you silly kitty. Did you find any ponies to help?” The Manticore nodded and began to grunt and growl randomly, but Fluttershy just nodded in understanding and looked over at Rainbow and the others. None of them seemed to be the least bit surprised by what was occurring.  

            “There are two escaped ponies about two miles south,” Fluttershy said. “They don't smell like they escaped from Thorn’s estate, but we should probably send somepony right away just in case. At least, if we have anyone to spare.” 

            Rainbow nodded before turning back to her group. As she began to give her orders, Fluttershy began petting the Manticore’s belly, causing it to roll over with a slew of happy purrs. The bunny hopped off its head and settled on Fluttershy’s back with barely a blink. Twilight, Flash, and Spike just stared at the spectacle in pure shock. 

            “I…that’s…HUH?” Twilight stammered, trying as hard as she could to understand what she just saw. For a minute, she thought she was hallucinating, until Pinkie started giggling again. 

            “Fluttershy can talk to animals,” she explained. “Fluffy was the first one she met here. After she helped get a thorn out of her claw, Fluffy took a liking to her. Now she goes out and tries to find lost ponies, or warns us if guards are coming.” She darted behind the three of them and pushing them towards Fluttershy and Fluffy. “Come on, I know Fluttershy would love to introduce you.”  

            “Pinkie, wait!” Twilight cried, trying to backpeddle away from the approaching Manticore, but it was too late. The Manticore looked up and let out a growl at Twilight and the others, but Fluttershy patted her reassuringly.  

            “It’s ok, Fluffy. She’s not a big meanie like the others.” Fluttershy said in a motherly voice. “Be nice. That goes for you too Angel.” She turned her head at the bunny, who was giving Twilight a surprisingly unnerving death glare. Angel begrudgingly relaxed somewhat, but not before giving Twilight an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture with his tiny paw. 

Fluffy stood back up and began to approach Twilight, only for Flash and Spike to interpose themselves between her and the Manticore. Fluffy growled, but stopped as Fluttershy walked forward.  

            “Please let Fluffy meet Twilight,” she said reassuringly. “I promise everything will be fine.” Despite their reservations, they didn’t stop her as she grabbed Twilight hoof and gently guided her to Fluffy. Upon reaching the Manticore, Twilight gulped and looked up into the eyes of the Everfree beast. 

            “H-hello,” she barely managed to choke out. Fluffy lowered her head and immediately took a sniff of Twilight, causing her to freeze in place. 

            ‘Ok, don’t move, everything is ok. You’re ok, You’re not about to be eaten, or mauled, or stabbed by its big huge stinger full of toxic venom or—‘ 

            She was immediately snapped out of her panicked thoughts when Fluffy gave her a huge, wet lick right in the face, nuzzled her, and started purring.  

            “Awwww, she likes you,” Fluttershy said, clapping her hooves excitedly. 

            “Um…yay?” Twilight said, still trying to comprehend being licked in the face by a creature that could easily swallow her whole.  

            ‘Ok, didn’t see that coming. Also, EEEWWWWWW! Please tell me this village at least has baths! Please!’ 

            Meanwhile, Rainbow and Pinkie were on the ground with laughter, and Spike was biting his lip, looking just as amused. Flash just looked relieved. But when Fluffy gave Twilight another lick before turning around and moving into the village, the Butler started snickering and Spike joined the other ponies on the ground, cackling. 

            “Where is she going?” Flash asked once he regained his composure. 

            “Oh, um, Fluffy has a den on the south side of the village. She just came to tell me about the ponies lost in the woods first.” She beamed. “And I’m glad she made a new friend today.”  

            “Yay… Friends,” Twilight said dryly, wiping some of the saliva off her face and leaving a long hanging trail of it from her foreleg. She grimaced. “I think that’s enough for today. I just want to have a bath and go to bed. Please tell me you have baths.” 

            “We do,” Pinkie said. “I can show you when we get back to my house. Buuuuut I think you also need to do something about your wings first.” Blinking, Twilight looked down to see what she meant. After her multiple bad landings, her wings were dirty and had a few feathers out of place. She recalled having learned the pegasi needed to preen their wings to keep them healthy, but the book had said absolutely nothing on how to actually do it. 

            “Fluttershy,” Flash asked, drawing Twilight from her thoughts, “would you be willing to teach Twilight how to preen her wings?”  

            “Oh, um, I guess so. At least, if its ok with Twilight,” she said, looking nervously at the alicorn.  

            “I…guess?” Twilight said with a hit of confusion in her voice. “But why can’t you do it Flash?”  

Rainbow facehoofed and Flash blushed slightly.  

            “You never ask a STALLION to preen your wings, dummy,” Rainbow said. “The only time the other gender preens your wings is if you’re in a relationship with them, or if it’s an emergency like the feather flu.” 

            “And how am I supposed to know that? The book never mentioned that or anything about preening!” Twilight replied, angry at the insult. A lot could be said about her, but no one insulted her intelligence. 

            “Both of you stop,” Fluttershy said, stepping between the two ponies. “Rainbow, she doesn’t know about how pegasus traditions work, so be nice. And Twilight, please don’t be mad at her for calling you a dummy. She does that to everyone.” 

            “I do not!”  

            “Yes you do,” everyone else on the field called out, causing Rainbow to frown and grumble to herself. Smiling in satisfaction, Fluttershy agreed to help Twilight with her wings after she had cleaned up. So with that, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Flash, Spike, and Twilight began walking back to Pinkie’s house.
> Chapter 6: Blind Leading the Blind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After returning to the house, Pinkie, Flash, and Spike had prepared dinner while Twilight tried to wrangle her big wings into a bath. Cooking wasn’t a new thing for Flash and Spike, as they had made several meals while working for Celestia, but constantly having to tell Pinkie to stop adding sugar to his dish was something Flash wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to. 

            After Fluttershy taught Twilight how to preen her wings, the five of them shared dinner, and Twilight, Flash, and Spike turned in early to catch up on their lost sleep. Although a bit sad, Pinkie said goodbye to Fluttershy and showed them the guest bedroom. She even provided a basket for Spike to sleep in. Flash offered to sleep on the couch so Twilight and Spike could share the room like they did at Celestia’s estate, a small way for him to offer the alicorn a bit of familiarity. Her relieved blushing made him smile. 

            As he laid down, Flash could have sworn he heard Twilight grunting from upstairs, and shortly after she exclaimed, “How the heck did I sleep with these things last night?!” 

            He chuckled as he adjusted himself on the couch. Pinkie had very comfortable furniture (even if it was bright blue and puffy), but Flash still wore in his suit, just in case something happened in the village. 

He fell asleep fairly quickly, but after a couple of hours, he woke up with a start, looking around. The air around him had grown heavy with magic, and the wall near the stairs was glowing with a soft lavender light. 

‘Buck it! Not now!’ Flash though as he threw off the blanket and dashed up the stairs. He ignored the fact the door to the guest room was now a small turnip and threw himself inside. The light was blinding, but thankfully he kept a pair of sunglasses in his suit. The room was in shambles, all the furniture turned into something completely different and random. Spike and Pinkie were trapped and floating inside a thick, giant bubble. Both looked terrified, and Flash could share the feeling. 

Night terrors were not new for Twilight, but with her transformation into an alicorn giving her a larger magical wellspring and little time to learn control, her energy outbursts were far worse than Flash had ever seen. Normally, he or Spike would shake her to wake her up, but when he took a step forward, a bolt of uncontrolled magic lashed out. Flash rolled to the side and it struck the wall, turning it into a cake. As he pushed himself back to his feet, another bolt made the window explode, taking a good chunk of the surrounding stone out with it. 

Twilight herself was curled in a ball, floating above a small pool which most likely used to be her bed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she tossed and turned, trying to escape her dream. If Flash ended up trapped like Spike and Pinkie, or worse, nothing would be able to stop the alicorn. He grimaced. He only had once choice, and he wasn’t going to like it.  

Spreading his wings, he jumped back to dodge another bolt of magic that struck the floor and placed both hind hooves on the wall before pushing off, flying around the border of the room and slowly closing the distance to Twilight. At the same time, he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small bomb one he had been specifically taught to make and use against hostile alicorns. Rolling midair to avoid another bolt, he threw the bomb with all his might. It smacked directly into Twilight’s face and exploded into a spray of black power. Almost instantly, her magical bursts stopped and everything changed back to normal. Pinkie and Spike were dumped unceremoniously on the floor.  

Twilight was caught between gasping for breath and crying out in pain as she writhed on the reappeared bed. Flash winced. The bomb flash had used was a special blend that punished all magic use. There was no actual physical or magical damage, but from experience Flash knew it hurt worse than anything else he had experienced.  

Taking off his sunglasses, he dashed over to Twilight and immediately began using the sheets to wipe the now silver powder off Twilight. He winced in pain as some of it touched his fur, but focused more on helping the now awake Twilight. While normally inert, once the powder came in contact with magic it would turn silver in color to indicate that it was now active and that any physical contact would cause pain, whether or not the pony in question was actively using magic.  

“The eyes, the eyes,” she whimpered, still sobbing, though from the pain or the dream Flash couldn’t tell.  

“Pinkie, I need water, now,” Flash ordered. Pinkie immediately pulled a full bucket of water out of her mane and handed it to Flash. He didn’t question it. “Hold her still as best you can. Avoid the silver dust. Spike, help her.” The drake nodded and moved to assist. Taking the bucket, Flash gently began to pour the water on the powder still on Twilight’s face.  

Twilight struggled, but slowly she calmed down as the water neutralized what was left of the anti-magic bomb. With the pain finally gone, her body relaxed, but she continued to sob.  

“Flash,” Pinkie said, sounding worried as he hander her the empty bucket, “What happened? Why did she do that? Why did YOU do that? What’s wrong with her?”  

“Night terror,” Flash said as he gently laid down next to Twilight, who immediately embraced him. “She’s had them for years. Every time she does it causes her magic to lash out and lose control. Normally I can wake her before anything to bad happens, but this time the magic had grown to the point where that wasn’t an option. The only way to snap her out of it was to use a plunder bomb, as Lady Luna called them. They’re made using a special anti-magic plant to prevent magic use of all types.” 

He shuddered. “I know what it’s like to be hit with one while using magic. That’s a requirement for anyone who wishes to learn how to use them. You need to know the pain they cause beforehand. I wish there was some other way I could have stopped her, but there isn’t, at least none that I know of. As for why she has night terrors, it’s up to her to tell you when she’s ready.”  

There was a loud clatter of hooves and voices outside the bedroom door, and Flash sighed. He shouldn’t have been surprised – Twilight had been making a lot of noise and damage – but this was less than ideal. 

Surprisingly, Fluttershy was actually the first one in, Angel Bunny riding on her back and a first aid box in her mouth. She came to a halt in the doorway and upon seeing the still sobbing Twilight, she immediately rushed forward and hopped onto the bed with a flap of her wings. Angel hopped down at the base of the bed as Fluttershy moved to Twilight. This was followed a few seconds later by heavily armed ponies storming into the room, all of who Fluttershy ignored.  

“Shhhh, shhh, it’s ok. You’re ok,” Fluttershy said, gently wrapping her hooves around the sobbing alicorn.  

“N-no, t-the eyes, t-there s-still there, s-still j-judging m-m-meee,” Twilight wailed, burying her face in Fluttershy’s chest. Fluttershy merely began to rock slightly, holding the alicorn close as she began to sing.  

Hush now, quiet now. 

It's time to lay your sleepy head. 

Hush now, quiet now. 

It's time to go to bed. 

Driftin' off to sleep. 

Exciting day behind you. 

Driftin' off to sleep. 

Let the joy of dream land find you. 

To Flash’s relief, Twilight started to calm down and after a few more verses she finally submitted back to the realm of sleep.  

With Twilight calm for the moment, Flash turned his attention back to the other ponies still swarming the room. At least five pegasi were hovering near the destroyed portion of the wall while a number of unicorns and earth ponies were coming in through the doorway. All of them were glaring at the three visitors, yet seemed they seemed to reserve there displeasure to angry muttering. Flash returned the glare, even when Applejack and Rainbow Dash entered. 

            “Ya’ll have five seconds to tell me why ah shouldn’t kick ya’ll outa my village,” Applejack snapped.  

            “It’s not her fault,” Spike said, jumping between her and Twilight. “She has night terrors sometimes. She can’t control it!”  

            “All the more reason to kick her out!” a pegasus yelled. 

            “Yeah! How long until she kills us all by accident!” another pony yelled.  

            “Or attracts the royal army!”  

            “Get rid of her!”  

            Flash grit his teeth and flared his wings. He would protect Twilight with his life. Even if he didn’t have his wing blades, he had more than a few tricks up his sleeve.  

            “THAT IS ENOUGH!”  

            Flash winced, looking back at Fluttershy. He immediately wished he hadn’t. For the second time that night, he could feel the pressure in the air caused by extreme levels of magic. Fluttershy was staring directly at the group of ponies while still holding the sleeping Twilight. Her eyes were wide, and oddly, Flash found it incredibly hard to move, even though she wasn’t staring directly at him. The other ponies seemed to be faring even worse – most were completely frozen with looks of terror on their faces. Even Applejack and Rainbow had lost their angry expressions and taken a step back.  

            “She has been through more than enough for a night. I can name at least five ponies in this room right now that have had magic flares because of what other alicorns have done to them. So don’t you come in here and like an angry mob just because she’s caused a bit more damage than normal! Remember when Ditzy Doo destroyed a house with her magic because of a nightmare?” 

            As one, the group nodded.  

            “Then you have no reason to go after her. We all promised to help ALL ponies looking to escape the alicorns. Species doesn’t matter.” She relaxed and turned back to Twilight, giving her a quick, soft nuzzle. The room was silent for a long, long moment, and Rainbow was the first one to regain her voice. 

            “Fluttershy… I know you want to help her, but come on,” she said, gesturing to the side of the room. “Derpy destroyed a house of wood, not stone. We don’t have the equipment to stop her again even if we wanted to. What happens when she loses control again? Someone could actually get hurt. We’re just lucky the flying stone didn’t hit anyone!” 

             “Not to mention if she keeps havin’ flares, she’ll attract too much attention to us,” Applejack said. “We can’t let them alicorns find us, ‘specially Thorn.” 

            Fluttershy was about to respond when a new voice spoke up.  

“Oh, quit being so dramatic, you youngin.”  

Flash blinked as the crowd parted to reveal a pony, an old mare with a light grey coat and mane colored both red and pink. She had a stub on her head, the remains of a horn cut off at the base, and had a cloth tied around her eyes, blocking them from sight. Despite this, she moved as if she could see perfectly. Her cutie mark was a pair of glasses.  

            “Second Sight! What are ya doing here? You should—“ Applejack began before a grey hoof came up and expertly booped her on the nose, causing the orange pony’s eyes to cross for a moment. Angel Bunny giggled from the bed. Flash may not be an animal expert like Fluttershy, but he could tell that this bunny knew this mare, and that said bunny apparently thought that things just got a lot more entertaining.   

            “Oh, shush, you. Just because I’m old and technically blind doesn’t mean I can go where I please, young missy,” she said. “I heard a ruckus and felt more magic than I have in a looooooong time. So I came lookin’. And what do I find? An alicorn staying with Miss Pinkie, a bunch o’ ponies being rude, and a house with a new window.” She chuckled. “Now someone wanna tell me what happened while I was sleeping?” 

            “We found an alicorn named Twilight with her Butlers Flash and Spike and are having them stay with me so I can keep an eye on them because Twilight is wearing the element of magic and is trying to escape the other alicorns and isn’t a big meanie pants but she had a night terror and a magic flare and lost control causing stuff to changes and explode and become cake.” Pinkie paused to take a huge breath. “And…” 

            “Hahaha, thank you, sweetie.” Second Sight laughed, reaching out and ruffling Pinkie’s mane. She turned to Flash. “Now then, Mister Flash. You’re Miss Twilight’s butler, so you probably know the most about her. How often do these night terrors usually occur?”  

            “Usually not often, but I can’t say after everything she’s been through,” Flash said.  

            “Any way to stop them before they happen?” 

            “Not that I know of. Not even Lady Luna could find a way, and she has a lot of experience when it comes to dreams.” 

            Second Sight nodded. “Ok then. Tomorrow I’ll set up some rune circles to stop this from happening again.” 

            “We tried that,” Spike said. “She just overloaded them when we tried to block the magic surge.” 

            “Have you tried setting up circles that take in her magic and are programed to do something harmless, like make bubbles?” Second Sight asked with a smirk.  

            Flash blinked. “Would that actually work?” 

            “Pfff, of course it’ll work. Your problem is you’re tryin’ to hold back a waterfall. We just need to let the magic flow while reducing how dangerous its effects are. Plus, if she just needs to be woken up, I think bubbles would be much easier to fight through than raw, unfiltered magic.” 

            “How come we never thought of that?” Spike asked.  

            Flash facehoofed. “Because we, even the Ladies, were focused on stopping the magic surges, not just redirecting them. I feel like an idiot.” 

            “Sometimes the most obvious solution is the one hidden in plain sight,” Second Sight said. Flash couldn’t be certain, but the cloth around her left eye twitched, as though she winked. “I’ll stop by tomorrow to set up the circles. I’d do it now, but I am old, even if my spirit is young. I need to sleep and prepare. Oh, and feel free to stop by the library too.” 

            “You just said the magic word,” Spike groaned. “Library.” 

            “Don’t like books, youngin’?”  

            “I don’t mind, but Twilight loves them to death. Hope you don’t mind if the library is reorganized twice week.” 

            Second Sight smiled. “A rabid learner, eh? About time we got a smartypants. I was tired of being the only one.” She laughed, causing most of the other ponies in the room to roll their eyes. Fluttershy giggled and Angel Bunny just smirked.  

            “Wait,” Flash said as he realized something. “Can you…um…” 

            Her smile got a bit more mischievous, and her cloth twitched again. “Yes dearie, I can read despite being blind. And not by using brail. How? Well, that’s a story for another time. Besides, I think your friend will probably want to hear it when she wakes up if she’s as into learning as you make her out to be.” The mare chuckled before turning around and walking to the door. Not once did she stumble or bump into anypony.  

            Everyone just blinked until she yelled out again. “Oh, and Fluttershy, good job calming her down. You pass with flying colors. The rest of you lot better get out now. They’ve had a long night and I don’t wanna hear any news of y’all trying to throw them outta the village. Don’t make me get my rolling pin!”  

That seemed to be the only encouragement everypony needed. The pegasi quickly flew away while everyone save Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie, Flash, Spike, and Twilight scrambled out the door. 

            Applejack just shook her head. “That mare…” She turned to Flash. “Do we need to worry ‘bout any more explosions tonight?” 

            “No,” he replied. “She’s never had two night terrors in one night. We should be ok.” 

            “Then this can wait till mornin’.”  

            “You staying here, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked, looking at the yellow pegasus.  

            “Yes, Rainbow,” Fluttershy replied. “I just want to make sure she’s ok when she wakes up. Go on back to the house.” Rainbow nodded before turning and leaving as well. 

            “You live together?” Spike asked. Fluttershy nodded. 

            “We both escaped at the same time, and ever since she’s insisted on living with me,” Fluttershy said, looking down at Twilight. “I was in bad shape when she got me out, and I think a part of her is still afraid that something might happen to me. But I am glad she lives with me. Even if she can’t cook.” She giggled, causing the others to smile. Angel nodded vigorously in agreement.  

            “What was that about ‘passing with flying colors’?” Flash asked.  

            “Oh, um… Second Sight is a really good medic, and she’s been teaching me about both first aid and bedside manner. I, um, was struggling with the whole speaking to ponies part, but she taught me to just pretend that every hurt pony is a filly or colt in pain. It works surprisingly well.” 

            “I’ll say,” Pinkie said, looking at the still sleeping Twilight. “You put her to sleep even faster than a sleeper bomb!”  

            “How do you know about those?” Flash asked, but was ignored. 

            “I just imagined what I would need to do if a filly had a nightmare and how I would help them,” Fluttershy said quietly, hiding slightly behind her mane. “Just like she taught me to.” 

            “Still, thanks, Fluttershy,” Spike said, looking at his sleeping friend. She actually relatively peaceful in Fluttershy’s arms, unlike the sobbing not-quite-rest she fell into after a night terror. “But how is it that she hasn’t woken up with all the talking?” 

            “I put plugs in her ears once we got the powder off,” Pinkie said, lifting one her Twilight’s ears to show a pink ear plug. 

            “When did you… never mind,” Spike said, shaking his head. 

            “Pinkie,” Flash said, “should we move Twilight downstairs? I don’t think having her sleep in a room with a large hole in the wall is such a good idea.” 

            “Oh don’t worry, I’m on it,” Pinkie said before dashing over to the hole in the wall. 

            BRRZZZZZ 

            BANG BANG BANG BANG 

            WRRRRRRRRRRR 

            THUMP THUMP THUMP 

            AWOOOOOOOOOOOOGA 

            DING 

            “All done!” Pinkie said cheerily, gesturing to the newly repaired wall while Flash and Spike just stared in slack jaw disbelief. “Good thing she broke the fourth wall and not one of the other walls. I would have never been able to fix it so quickly otherwise,” she said with a giggle. Fluttershy and Angel were completely unfazed. 

            “Flash… what did I just witness?” Spike asked after a few seconds.  

            “I honestly have no idea,” Flash replied. ‘Good thing Twilight isn’t awake. I don’t think she could handle that much impossibility at once,’ he thought. 

            “Oh, and before I forget,” Pinkie exclaimed, dashing out of the room and returning a few seconds later with two small, bright pink clouds, hovering about a foot off the ground behind her. “I have a few extra clouds you can use for beds. Probably for the best since Twilight’s is still wet.”  

            “I’m not even gonna ask,” Spike said, climbing back into the small basket Pinkie had provided and lying down. Angel hopped onto Fluttershy’s back as the pegasus slowly began to fly. As Flash and Fluttershy maneuvered Twilight onto one of the clouds, Pinkie began to strip the soaked sheets off the bed. Twilight immediately buried herself deeply into the cloud as though it was the softest thing she had ever felt. Actually, it probably was, given that it was an actual CLOUD. 

Fluttershy insisted that Flash share the cloud with Twilight, saying that having a friendly face nearby would be better for her when she woke up. Flash decided not to argue, especially after she began glaring at him, though there was thankfully no magic in her gaze this time.  

            Settling down next to Twilight, Flash extended his wing to cover her back. Twilight sighed contently and gently shifted closer to him. He carefully looked at her to insure he wasn’t waking her before laying his head on the cloud and trying his best to sleep himself. His last thoughts as he drifted off were about how he might be able to make it up to Twilight for using the anti-magic bomb.  

            The rest of the night passed without incident.  

            As sunlight began to flow through the window the next morning, a single stray beam managed to land directly on Twilight’s eyelid, rousing her from her slumber. 

            “Go away, sun,” Twilight grumbled as she desperately tried to cling to sleep. She rolled over and buried her muzzle in the soft pillow she was laying against. That is, until the pillow spoke. 

            “Morning, Twilight,” Flash said gently, trying not to laugh as Twilight squeaked in surprise. Purple eyes met blue as she looked up at him. She held his gaze for a few seconds before lowering her eyes to the cloud. 

            “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, trying to scoot away from Flash. Refusing to let her wallow in pity, Flash kept his grip and managed to pull her closer with his wing. 

            “It’s not your fault,” he said, gently nuzzling her mane. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I hurt you far more then you hurt anyone else.” 

            “But you didn’t have a choice,” the alicorn said, still not meeting his gaze. “I could have destroyed the whole house, maybe even the village. I don’t even know how strong I am. Not to mention they need to fix the hole in the wall.” 

            “Actually, Pinkie fixed that last night,” Flash said, causing Twilights eyes to go wide as she turned to look at the indeed repaired wall. “And before you ask, the answer as to how is Pinkie.”  

            Twilight groaned and faceclouded. “Of course it is,” she grumbled, her voice muffled by the cloud. “How can one mare defy the laws of physics and reality so much!? It doesn’t make any sense!” 

            “Neither does you becoming an alicorn, yet here we are,” Flash said with a cheeky smile, earning another groan from Twilight.  

            “But what are we gonna do if I have another night terror?” she asked after she recovered, looking back up at Flash. “You’re gonna run out of bombs eventually, and I really don’t want to go through that again.” 

            “Don’t worry about it, dearie,” came Second Sight’s voice, causing both ponies to jump and shoot away from each other. Flash fell off the cloud and onto the floor with a thump. Turning, he could see the blind mare standing near the bed, slowly drawing a circle around it. He also noticed that Fluttershy and Spike were gone, having already woken up.  

“I have it covered,” she continued, twitching her cloth in a wink. 

            “Um… who are you? And how long have you been there?” Twilight asked, blushing slightly.  

            “I’m Second Sight, and I arrived a bit before you woke up.” She smiled. “I just kept quiet so you could have a nice little heart to heart. Don’t mind me.” She returned to her drawing. 

            “But what are you doing?” Twilight asked, still unsure why a blind mare was drawing circles her room this early in the morning.  

            “Your coltfriend can explain,” she said, smirking as both Twilight and Flash blushed.  

            “He’s not, I mean, were not, that’s….mmm….” Twilight stammered, only making herself redden more.  

            “Hahaha, relax, dearie, I’m only teasing,” Second Sight said, stopping long enough to ruffle the alicorns mane. “But seriously, ask him. I’d rather not explain what I said last night all over again.”  

            Flash explained what had happened the night before after she had been lulled back to sleep, staring very intently and awkwardly at the floor beneath him. When he got to Second Sight’s suggestion, Twilight blurted out, “How have I never thought of that?” which Second Sight laugh. As Spike predicted, she perked up at the news of a library in the town, but the idea did raise a new question for her. 

            “Second Sight?” she asked. “Is it ok if I ask you, um, I mean I’m just curious about, well…” Her tongue twisted in her mouth as she tried to think of how to word her question without being offensive. 

            “No need to be shy, dearie,” the old mare replied. “I’ve been asked plenty of times how I can see. You’re not the first one to ask and you won’t be the last. That is what you’re going to ask right?”  

Twilight nodded.  

            “I thought so. The answer is actually rather simple. Before I lost my horn, I was a rather strong unicorn. Heck, I once levitated my parents when I was three because they wouldn’t let me stay up late.” She giggled, for a moment sounding like a three-year-old pony. “But once I lost it, I no longer had a way to channel my magic, at least in the traditional way. Most unicorns, when they lose their horns, simply can’t use magic anymore. Their bodies burn off the extra magic gradually though everyday tasks. I, however, had so much inside me that it was actually toxic to me if I didn’t let it out. Too much of a good thing is bad for you, and all that.  

“Now after I first lost my horn, I was ok for a while, but after about a month of no magic, I started getting sick. I won’t go into details, but lets just say I my vomit may have been glowing as my body tried to get rid of the extra magic. Its how my friends realized what was going on before any permanent damage could be done. Thankfully, a friend of mine, a maid, was able to sneak into Thorn’s library and find some information on how I could release my magic safely. Even if I couldn’t do it through my horn, there were still ways to release it though other body parts. It’s why we can pick things up with our hooves rather than just our mouths, not that most ponies know how it works. The magic extends past our hooves to grasp the object in a form of levitation, no matter the pony race. And while this may not have been enough for me, it got me thinking about how else I could channel it.  

“I still had my eye balls, but as part of my punishment they were just damaged to the point where I couldn’t use them. So in a move possibly more stupid than smart, I channeled the extra magic I had into my eyes. It worked, in a sense. I could see again, but rather than just seeing what was around me, I could also see magic itself. The magic in the air, in runes, even in ponies. It’s how I could tell we had an alicorn in town. Your magic during the flare was different than that of the other races.  

“The only real down side is that my eyes were forever changed by this incident. Slowly but surely, the magic ate away at them, removing my eyes and replacing them with spheres of pure energy. I can’t complain, given that I can see again, but it has an unfortunate tendency to be unsettling for others. That’s why I wear this here cloth.” She tapped it with her hoof. “I can see through it thanks to the magic eyes, but you can’t see what the eyes look like. The others still say I’m technically blind because I don’t have actual eyes, and they’re right. The last of my eyes disintegrated years ago, and if my magic were ever cut off or stopped, I wouldn’t be able to see anymore.  

“But I can see, and more importantly I can still read, so it’s not all bad. I’m probably better of than some of the ponies under Thorn’s care, seeing as I escaped and don’t need to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. That and I don’t need to keep acting like I am blind like I did before I ran away.” 

“How did you escape?” Flash asked.  

“Rainbow Dash.” She smiled a sad but fond smile. “I had been sent to one of Thorn’s farms after losing my eyes, and it just so happened that Fluttershy ended up there too after failing her flight test. Kept us locked in the barn cellar when we weren’t working. Crazy blue pegasus came about a month after she lost her wings and broke us and a few others out. We ran into the forest to escape and, well, here we are, a good twelve years later. As for how she escaped and how she lost her wings, well, that’s her story to tell, just like why you have night terrors is yours.” She nodded at Twilight. 

“I…I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk about it,” Twilight muttered, looking down at the floor. Second Sight just smiled and patted her head.  

“Keeping it in won’t do you any good, dearie. Take it from me, talking about it will make you feel better. I’m not saying you need to do so now, but give it some thought.” She made one last lookover of the magic circles around the bed. “There. Now we don’t need to worry about you teleporting us all to Canterlot,” she said with a chuckle.  

“Just in time,” Pinkie said, sticking her head in the door. “I made pancakes! Whose hungry?”  

In response, both Flash and Twilight’s stomachs growled, prompting both to blush slightly. Second Sight laughed.  “Well, come on then,” the old mare said, walking towards the door. “Lets go eat. Nothing works up my appetite like a good story.”
> Chapter 7: Trust
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After breakfast, Second Sight excused herself to return to her library, and she told Twilight to stop by after noon. Despite Twilight wanting to stay inside and read more of her books, Flash managed to convince her to continue with her flight practice and to read later when they went to the library.  

The practice was actually pretty good and thankfully free of interrupting Rainbows. By the end of it, Twilight could now hover fairly well, and was even starting to learn how to move. She still had a problem of putting too much power in her movements, which led to an unfortunate number of collisions with solid objects, including trees and houses, but overall, she was improving very quickly. When Flash pulled her to her hooves, though, she felt every bone in her wings crack, and knew she was going to be very sore tomorrow. 

            After lunch, Pinkie led the little group to the library, a small, wooden, two-story house. Second Sight must have constructed it herself, because though the building was as new as the other houses in the village, it had a design that was at least fifty years old – at least according to Twilight. The purple alicorn squealed with delight at seeing such architectural history, but when she saw that there were only a few bookshelves inside and most of them were empty, all the joy disappeared. 

            “I thought there’d be more,” she said, not bothering to hide her pout. Flash tried very hard not to grin. 

            “Really? I’m surprised there are as many as there are,” Spike said. 

            “Ah, you young fightin’ types always worry about what weapons to take on your missions and whatnot,” Second Sight said, smiling. “Most ponies don’t think twice about bringing books on the run. We’re just lucky that a couple ‘o Keepers found their way to us and gave me whatever books they could grab. Got about fifty here or so.” She booped Spike right on the nose, causing his eyes to cross. “Never know what you’ll need to research, even in the middle of the nowhere woods.” 

            Unfortunately, most of the books available were history tomes and children’s stories. There were only three instructions on magic, one for each race of pony. Upon seeing this, Flash offered to donate their stash of books once Twilight finished reading them, which Second Sight greatly appreciated. 

            “Don’t worry, once she reads a book, it’s in her head forever,” Flash said, smirking, but Twilight was already nose deep in the book about pegasi and paid him absolutely no attention.  

            After Twilight had examined every book, Second Sight guided them to the basement, revealing a second training area designed especially for unicorn magic. The old mare said that she had improved the wards and protection runes so it could handle anything Twilight could throw at it, meaning she now had a place to practice without fear of property damage. When Flash asked how she managed to get runes on the ceiling, Second Sight just giggled before saying it was a trade secret.  

The wards were put to the test almost immediately, as the second Twilight tried to cast anything other than teleportation or levitation, her most practiced spells, the spell would basically explode with far more power than she intended to use. A small flame spell turned into a massive fireball nearly as big as her body. A gentle sphere of light glowed so brightly it almost looked like she had a miniature sun on her head.  

Her magic also drained incredibly quickly, so after only half an hour of practice she needed to stop and recover. Thankfully, her recovery was also far quicker than it had been in the past, meaning she was able practice again about three hours later. Second Sight came and watched the second session and pointed out two key factors of her current control problem.  

Twilight’s magic now had far less resistance than she was used to, meaning she could call upon it far more quickly, resulting in an overcharge of her normal spells. And while her magic reserves were now bigger than any unicorn, they weren’t nearly as big as normal alicorns. Whether this was because of her age or her method of ascension, Second Sight couldn’t say. As such, she would need to work hard to improve her magic capacity, especially since all branches of her magic drew energy from the same source inside of her. 

Thankfully, Twilight’s previous training helped her learn to stem the flow of magic, so soon she could cast basic spells without them overcharging, at least not too much. This skill also proved useful in her flight lessons, as she learned to hold back the magic moving through her wings so she could move much more slowly. She still crashed into things, just not as much or as hard.  

The pattern for most of the next week involved flight training in the morning, followed by reading and magic training in the afternoon. There would also be a bit more reading in the evening, but Twilight was usually so worn out from her training that she would usually be more than happy to just go to bed after dinner. Consider how much she loved to read, this was quite the surprise to both Flash and Spike.  

While they did have a few more interactions with Fluttershy, Twilight tried to keep interactions with the other villagers to a minimum. This was driven partly by her normal reclusiveness, and the fact that many of they seemed to trust her even less than when she first arrived due to her flare.   

On their seventh day in the village, however, Flash left Twilight and Spike under Pinkie’s care as he went to speak with Applejack regarding something important.  

  

“Say what?” Applejack asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the pegasus. She, Flash, Rainbow, and Big Mac were currently standing near the main gate of the village.  

“I want to go with you or whoever else helps save the ponies that wander into the forest,” Flash said, keeping his tone and stance firm. 

“And why in tarnation do you want to do that?” Applejack asked, her eyes narrowing. 

“You have my wingblades,” Flash said. “I need them back. They’re a family heirloom and can’t be replaced. Since you and the others still don’t seem to trust me, I want to prove myself and show that I’m not your enemy.” 

“Uh huh,” Applejack said, sounding unconvinced, “And yer just bringing this up now because…”  

“Because Pinkie said to give you some time to warm up to me,” Flash said. “But since that doesn’t seem to be working, I thought I’d try a more direct approach.”  

“Well, maybe if you stopped hanging out with the alicorn, we’d trust you more,” Rainbow Dash huffed.  

“She has a name, Dash,” Flash snapped. “And I will continue to ‘hang out’ with her because it’s my job to protect her. Whether it be from other alicorns or from rude ponies.” 

“Enough,” Big Mac said, stepping between Dash and Flash. “Rainbow, we never turn ponies away, and if he’s willing to prove himself, you gotta give him a chance, just like everypony else.” 

“But-“ 

“No buts.”  

“Aw, come on!” 

“Quite yer whining,” Applejack said. “It’s just one rescue mission, and while ah would rather have him do somethin less dangerous to prove himself trustworthy, he’s probably trained to handle this kinda thing. Besides, I thought you wanted more ponies helpin’ you anyhow.” 

“I do, just not this pony,” Dash grumbled, glaring at Flash.  

“The feeling is mutual,” Flash assured her, not even bothering to look at the ex-pegasus. “I just want my family’s wingblades back.” 

“Show us we can trust ya, and you have a deal,” Applejack said with a nod. “That means ya follow Dash’s orders next time Fluffy comes by, and ya do so without question or hesitation. Got it?”  

“Yes.”  

“Good, cause it looks like you’re about to get your chance,” Applejack said, gesturing to where Fluttershy was approaching. Fluffy was not far behind. “Any news, Shy?” 

“Um, yes,” the yellow mare replied. “Fluffy saw two ponies, a filly and a colt, running through the forest. They went through a patch of spikey thorns, so Fluffy couldn’t get them herself. She has their scent though.” 

Applejack nodded, looking at Rainbow. “Dash, get yer team ready.” The blue mare nodded before turning and running of towards the training field. Applejack turned back to Flash. “Can ya handle yerself without any weapons?” she asked. 

“I’ll be fine,” Flash said with a nod. “I doubt you’d give me a weapon anyway.”  

“True,” Applejack said without batting an eye. “That being said, be careful. I may not trust ya yet, but that doesn’t mean I want ya to hurt yourself. Just don’t waste this chance.” 

“I don’t intend to,” Flash said, turning away as Rainbow Dash returned with a group of four ponies he’d never seen before: two pegasi, a unicorn, and an earth pony. All of them were clad in wooden armor that seemed much thinner than any armor Flash had seen before. Even Rainbow was wearing a set, and she still had on all six of her knives. 

“Light armor,” Big Mac explained. “Lets us move faster and longer. Good for quick rescue missions.”  

Flash nodded. Part of the reason he wore a suit as compared to armor was its maneuverability. That, and it gave him the ability to carry a variety of bombs without the extra weight due to magic.  

“Do we have time for introductions?” The earth pony mare asked. 

“Probably a good idea,” The unicorn, a blue stallion with a dark blue mane and a wooden shield as a cutie mark said before stepping forward. “I’m Shield Bearer.” 

The earth pony, who had a brown mane, black coat and a sword as a cutie mark, went next. “I’m Bronze Sword. Pleased to meet you.” 

The pegasi stallions were both orange with light purple manes, with one having a cutie mark of a thunder cloud and the other a bolt of lightning.  

“I’m Thunder.” 

“And I’m Lightning,” the two introduced themselves, looking at Flash with neutral expressions.  

“Flash Sentry,” Flash said in introduction, nodding to the others.  

With introductions out of the way, Applejack signaled the gate to open. Flash, Rainbow, Fluffy, and the others ponies began moving, dashing into the forest as Fluffy took the lead. Big Mac watched them as they disappeared, only turning away when the gate shut completely. 

“Worried?” Applejack asked.  

“Enope,” Big Mac replied.  

“Me neither.” 

“A little surprised you were willing to let him go so easily.” 

“He may be a Butler, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a chance. Besides,” she added as she began walking away, “who am I to deny him somethin’ that belongs to his family? Nothin’s more important than family.”  

“Enope,” Big Mac agreed, following after his sister.  

  

Half an hour later… 

  

            Fluffy finally began to slow down, allowing Flash, Rainbow, and the other ponies to catch up to her. Flash was impressed that no one was winded despite long distance they had covered. Fluffy let out a short growl.  

            “Not good,” Rainbow muttered. 

            “What?” Flash asked. “Trouble?” 

            “Yeah. Fluffy only growls if she’s picked up the scent of ponies other than our targets. Usually Butlers, so we need to be careful.” Rainbow moved ahead of Fluffy. 

            “Chances are, the Butlers are searching for the escaped ponies,” Bronze Sword. “Although…” 

            “Fluffy,” Rainbow asked, “are the scents together with the other ponies?” Fluffy growled and thrashed her tail, stomping on the ground once. Rainbow growled. “Buck. We need to move.”  

            “Isn’t Fluffy coming?” Flash asked, as the manticore wasn’t following them.  

            “She can’t,” Bronze Sword responded. “She’s too big and makes too much noise. We need to try and rescue the ponies stealthily if possible, so having a large manticore come crashing through the woods won’t work. She’ll find us again once we have the ponies.” Flash nodded and continued to follow. After a few minutes, they began to slow down.  

            Rainbow motioned them to get down, and they all quickly crouched as low to the ground as possible and began crawling forward. The faint sound of crying reached Flash’s ears, followed by a smack and a wail. Peering out around the tree he was behind, he saw their targets, and their captors.  

            The filly was a light pink unicorn with a grey mane, and the colt was a grey pegasus with a pink mane. Flash knew enough about pony coloring to know that they were probably siblings. But they were younger than he expected, a lot younger. They didn’t have their cutie marks yet. Sweet Celestia, they weren’t even old enough to earn them! 

            They were chained to a tree stump with thick metal collars. The colt had a large bruise on his face, but was trying to angle himself between the Butlers and the filly, who was trying to make herself as small as possible. Both of them had tears streaking down their faces. Flash felt his anger growing as seeing such young children in such a state. 

            The Butlers didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the little ones for the moment. They were arguing about something Flash couldn’t figure out, but with their heads turned towards each other, he could see glowing magic runes on their necks. 

            “Buck,” he whispered.  

            “What is it?” Bronze Sword whispered back. 

            “They’re wearing anti-toxin runes. My sleeper bombs won’t work on them. Actually, most of my bombs won’t,” Flash said, annoyed. “This could be problematic.” 

            “You have BOMBS!?” she asked in shock. “And Applejack let you KEEP THEM!?” 

            “I just thought she didn’t know about them,” Flash responded.  

            “She did,” Rainbow said. “We found them when we searched you, but Applejack let you keep them to see if you would attack us or not. The fact that you haven’t shows we can at least trust you a little bit.” 

            “Can we focus please,” Shield Bearer said. “This situation isn’t looking good.” 

            “Ya don’t say,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to the group in front of them. “We can’t just attack them. They could use the kids as hostages, or worse, shields. We need a plan.” 

            “What do you normally do?” Flash asked. 

            “In cases like this,” Shield Bearer said, “we usually need to wait for them to be distracted so we can get the hostages first, or try and take them out without them realizing it.” 

            “It won’t be easy though,” Rainbow said. “They’re probably on guard since we are in the Everfree, so I doubt we can just sneak up and unlock the collars.”  

            “It looks like they have anti-magic locks too,” Shield Bearer said, narrowing his eyes at the collars. “Though it’s hard to tell from this distance.” 

            “The glow would give you away anyway,” Bronze Sword replied. “And we can’t cut those chains either.” 

            “Any ideas, newbie?” Thunder asked, but there was only silence. There was suddenly empty space where Flash had been sitting “What the?” 

            “What the hell is he doing!?” Lightning whispered in alarm, looking up far above the Butlers. Following her eyes, Rainbow swore. While they had been talking, Flash had flown up behind the tree and made his way onto one of the branches extending over the Butlers and foals.  

            ‘Time to improvise,’ Flash thought as he took out a smoke bomb from his suit’s pocket. Grasping it in his wing and taking a deep breath, he jumped off the branch and threw the bomb towards the Butlers. It hit right next to them and exploded in a mass of grey smoke, startling everyone and obscuring the foals from their sight. Flash let gravity plunge him into the smoke where he collided with the first Butler with a solid THUMP, knocking him out instantly.  

            The second Butler was so disoriented from the smoke that he couldn’t see Flash coming at him with a solid punch. He staggered and tried to retaliate with a spell, but the glow from his horn gave the pegasus the perfect target for a second punch, causing the gathering magic to rebound. The Butler screamed as energy coursed back through him, and Flash silenced him with a sharp buck in the face. 

            With the Butlers down, Flash pumped his wings to clear the smoke. Despite the cloud’s thickness, it only took a few waves before the smoke was completely gone, revealing him and his work to the other ponies. Rainbow’s team was staring at him slack-jawed, and the foals were staring at him with cautious hope. 

“Tada!” Flash exclaimed, unable to hide his smirk.  

There was silence for about ten seconds before Bronze Sword spoke. 

            “Can you come on all our missions?” 

            Rainbow blinked, shook her head, and glared at Flash. “What the hay was that!? You were supposed to follow my orders, not just rush head long into combat without telling us!” 

            “And if we kept waiting, the butlers would have eventually started moving, which would have made saving the foals even harder.” Flash said. “I’m sorry I acted on my own, but no one was coming up with a productive plan, so I just acted. Its how I was taught.” 

Turning away from Rainbow, who was staring at him in disbelief, Flash quickly searched the Butlers until he found a key ring. He took it toward the two foals, who both flinched. The colt’s wing draped over his sister’s back. 

            “It’s ok,” Flash said, stopping his approach and lowering his head to their level. “We’re friends. I just want to get those collars off you, then we can take you somewhere you’ll be safe. Is that ok?” The filly looked at him for a bit before she nodded and lowered her head in submission. The colt just kept his eyes on him, but didn’t protest as Flash resumed his approach.  

            “Boss, what should we do with the Butlers?” Shield Bearer asked as Flash began trying to find the right key for the collars.  

            “Strip them of their weapons, leave them in the tree, same as always,” Rainbow said.  

            “The tree?” Flash asked. 

            “We don’t kill ponies unless absolutely necessary. If they’re Butlers or soldiers, we try to knock them out, take their armor, and leave them somewhere they won’t be killed,” she answered. “We usually leave them in a tree, high enough that predators can’t get at them. Great way to get supplies, and no one dies, so it’s a win-win.” She moved to Flash’s side as he peeled the collar off the colt.  

She frowned. “Well, except for stuff like this,” she spat, staring in disgust at the collars. “We normally just throw these out. No point in bring things like that back to the village since we never take prisoners.” 

“Except for Twilight?” Flash asked, retrieving a canteen from his suit and handing it to the foals, who quickly took nice, long drinks of water. 

“She’s not our prisoner,” Rainbow retorted. “We don’t keep her locked in chains like other alicorns might, and as much as we keep her in the village, she could leave whenever she wanted. It’s not like we could actually stop her.” 

“And yet you all still hate her,” Flash said, lifting the filly onto his back while Rainbow took the colt. The foals said nothing as they started walking to the others, and no one in the group wanted to push them to talk. Instead, they passed around their canteens and let the siblings drink their fill. 

Rainbow just sighed. “Look,” she said, causing Flash to stop in his tracks. “All of us have had bad experiences with alicorns. We never get ponies from the kind alicorns because they would have no reason to flee to the most dangerous place in Equestria. I lost my WINGS, for buck’s sake. No matter what you say about her, there will always be ponies that see her for her race rather than her personality. We all hate alicorns for the pain they put us through, and the fact is the bad alicorns outweigh the good by a huge margin. So unless she does something truly spectacular for the good of our village, that’s all most ponies will see.” 

“You could try getting to know her,” Flash said.  

“And maybe one day I will. But right now, the only thing I can think of when I see her is that she has wings. Wings that I had to lose to an axe by another alicorn. You can’t just expect me to be all buddy-buddy with her when every time I see her I’m just reminded of what I lost.” 

“I didn’t think you would hold it against her what another did.” 

“I don’t blame her for my wings being cut off if that’s what you mean. Seeing her just reminds me that alicorns in general are why we’re all here to begin with. Call me racist if you want, but that’s just how I feel.” 

“I understand.” Flash said, turning to look back at the other ponies. The Butlers had been completely stripped of gear, which must have had glamour spells set on because one now had a red mane and an orange coat and the other had a black mane and a yellow coat. The team had hoisted them up in a tree, unharmed (aside from Flash’s bruises), but the pegasi were grinning widely as they showed off the beautiful braid they made of the Butler’s tails. Even Rainbow laughed at that one. 

With that done, the group began going back the way they came. By the time they found Fluffy again, the foals had fallen asleep. As they followed the manticore back to the village, the earth pony looked at Flash. 

“Hey, newbie?" Bronze Sword asked.

“Just Flash please.” 

“Ok, Flash then. I was just wondering – why did you ask to come with us? I thought you were helping the purple alicorn learn to fly?” 

“She knows enough now that she just needs to practice. Plus, I thought it would be a good time for her to learn about earth pony magic, and I can’t help with that. Other than that, I simply came because I need my wingblades back.” 

“You said they’re a family heirloom, right?” Rainbow asked. “Who exactly did they belong to?”  

“My father,” Flash asked. “They were custom-made using a bit of thunderstone he found as a child, and they were given to me by…my mother when he passed on.”  

“Thunderstone?” Rainbow asked in shock. “That stuff’s super rare. I doubt even Cloudsdale would have enough to make a set of wingblades out of it. Where the heck did he find it!?” 

“It, apparently, was just sitting in a hole near his home when he was a kid, or so the story goes,” Flash said, shrugging. “I never had a chance to ask him about it before he died, and mom didn’t know the whole story.” 

“Ummm…” Bronze muttered. “What’s thunderstone?”  

“A rare mineral that can create its own electricity,” Flash said. “If used in a weapon, it lets the user channel lightning, no matter their race, and use it as a weapon. Though only pegasi can use it if it’s crafted into wingblades. Not even alicorns can use them, mainly because their wings are too big. Wingblades attach at the wing joint, so an alicorn would most likely just end up stabbing their own wing if they tried to use a pegasus sized pair. I doubt there was ever a chunk of thunderstone big enough to make an alicorn-sized pair though.” 

“And you know how to use them safely?”  

“It was one of the first things I was taught after I received them from my mother. Although it was one of Celestia’s Butlers that taught me, seeing as they had more experience with wingblades in general.” 

Their conversation then lapsed into silence for a bit, the only noises being the crunch of their hooves and Fluffy’s paws on the forest floor and the foals’ soft breathing. About an hour later, the group arrived at the village. Dash signaled the gatekeeper, and soon the gate opened to revel Applejack, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Second Sight, and a few other guards. Once inside, the gate closed again as Applejack spoke.  

“Any problems?” 

“Two Butlers,” Rainbow said, earning a scowl from Applejack. “Good news though, Mister Alicorn Protector over there took them out without them even seeing him. Was reckless and stupid, but it got the job done.” 

“Just like you, aye, youngin’?” Second Sight said, smirking, making Rainbow glare and most of the surrounding ponies chuckle.  

“Either way, a deal’s a deal,” Applejack said, nodding to a nearby pony, who ran off and returned a minute later with a small chest. In that time, Second Sight took the two foals from Rainbow and Flash, saying she would look after them until a more permanent family could be found.  

Applejack pulled out Flash’s wingblades out of the chest. The blades looked like every other pair of wingblades, except for their odd yellow-green tint, and as the orange mare held them, there was a sudden blue dot on the left blade, but it vanished before she could tell if it was actual electricity or a trick of the light. She shook her head and looked at him with a questioning glance. 

“I’m deciding to put a bit a trust in ya,” she said, handing him the blades. “Don’t make me regret it.” 

“I won’t,” Flash said, taking the blades and quickly attaching them to his wings. Almost immediately the blades glowed with electricity, but that was quickly snuffed out as he retracted the blades, using a feather to hit a small switch. “Thank you for returning them.”  

Applejack nodded before turning around. However, before she could take more than three steps, a flash of green light illuminated the town. 

“Of course,” Flash muttered as he dashed after the other ponies already running for the commotion.  

  

            A bit earlier… 

  

            “And I said ‘Oatmeal? Are you crazy!?’ And then…” 

            “Pinkie?”  

            “Yes, Twilight?” 

            “What does this have to do with my question? At all?” 

            “Oh, ummmm… what was your question again?” Pinkie asked, smiling sheepishly. 

            Twilight facehoofed. 

The two of them were currently standing near the garden at the west side of the village. While much of the ponies’ food was gathered from foraging in the forest, the town did have a decent sized farm within the walls. They grew a large variety of crops and even had an apple tree, but Twilight couldn’t help but notice that most of the plants looked more than a bit wilted, a big difference compared to the vibrant crops in Lady Celestia and Lady Luna’s farms. 

            “She asked you to try and explain earth pony magic,” Spike reminded her. “With Flash talking to Applejack, she wanted to see if you could teach her about earth pony magic since you’re the only earth pony that seems to trust her right now.” 

            “Oh, right!” Pinkie said, smiling. “Welllllll, truth be told, it’s really really really hard to actually describe earth pony magic, at least outside increased strength and stamina.” 

            “What do you mean?” Twilight asked.  

            “It’s like…we just feel the connection to the earth, and then we use it, like them,” Pinkie said, pointing to a group of ponies currently standing near the watermelon plants. “They’re calling on the earth to help the plants grow. It’s why we can grow as much as we can and why we can survive out here. It’s hard with all the miasma magic around, but we can make it work.” 

            Looking closer, Twilight could have sworn she could actually see the ponies’ hooves glow, magic flowing out of them and into the plant, but the moment she tried to focus on it, it seemed to disappear. 

            “Ok, I get it, I think. But how do I use it?”  

“I can’t tell you that,” Pinkie said sadly. “It’s different for everypony. You just need to find the connection and try to put magic into it. There’s… no real way I can put it in words. I’m sorry I can’t be more help…” 

“It’s ok,” Twilight said. “This is a rather understudied field of magic. Maybe I just need to try it and see what happens.” She walked over to a small raspberry bush. 

“Just be careful, Twilight,” Spike said, backing up to give her some room.  

“I’ll be fine, Spike,” Twilight said.  

‘I hope,’ she thought. 

Closing her eyes, Twilight reached within herself, trying to find the aspect of her magic related to the earth, just like she had done a week prior with pegasus magic. While she could sense it like the pegasus magic, she couldn’t seem to grasp it. It was…slippery, in a sense, constantly evading and dodging her touch.  

“Don’t try to force it,” Pinkie called out. “Earth pony magic works through trust. You can’t force plants to do anything, you need to ask and then provide energy as a trade.” 

Trust? Twilight didn’t quite understand, but maybe… 

Unicorn magic involved grabbing your own magic source and forcing it into your horn. Pegasus magic was similar, only with wings. She had been trying to force her earth pony magic into her hooves the same way, so she backed off and instead tried to coax the magic to move. It felt more than a little funny, like she was a parent trying to encourage a child to walk, but the magic did respond after a moment and began to flow towards her hooves. Once it pooled there, Twilight tried to have it form a connection with the ground. 

It worked. 

And Twilight immediately regretted it. 

The magic was all wrong! Tainted! Corrupt! BROKEN! It hurt, physically hurt to just keep the connection, but she couldn’t let go. She could feel the real magic down there somewhere, but it was smothered by all the WRONG! She had to help it, she had to FIX IT!  

Something shouted in her ear, but she ignored it. The earth needed her. She had to help. All the plants around her cheered her on as she freed them from the taint. She sucked in the WRONG, held onto it, gave the plants the energy to repair their damage. She couldn’t stop. She WOULDN’T! She had to help them! She– 

The connection was suddenly broken, sending Twilight reeling in pain until she hit the ground. Her stomach wouldn’t stop reeling, and she knew she needed a bucket, but she couldn’t find the strength to look for one. Her magic, her unicorn magic, latched onto the first bucket-shaped thing she could sense and dragged it over as she began to vomit. She felt hooves touch her, smoothing her mane, but all she cared about was ridding herself of the pain. 

“I can’t leave you alone for even an hour, can I?” Flash asked, deliberately lightly, rubbing Twilight’s back as she continued to puke. 

“S-Shudup,” she muttered. Her tongue felt tangled in her mouth, but before she could straighten it out, she was vomiting again. At least this last bout seemed to be the end; her stomach was calming down.  

Twilight opened her eyes, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Normal vomit would be bad enough to look at, but the bucket was filled with something that looked like black tar. A substance that had been in her mouth and probably still was.  

“That doesn’t look good,” Spike muttered.  

Before she could react or freak out, the Element of Magic suddenly began to glow. A single pink beam fired out of the gem, striking the black tar. The tar let off a primal screech, almost as if trying to resist, but it quickly dissolved under the light. The beam then flew into Twilight’s mouth, making her cough, but she felt the gunk in her throat dissolve too. 

I would not advise doing that again, and also putting a hold on your earth pony training until you find cleaner land to work with. You’re still young, so trying to clean the land will result in you expelling the corrupt magic in rather...unpleasant ways. I would rather you not suffer any more.  

Twilight was about to respond when she heard Applejack speak.  

“What in blazes did you DO!?” she exclaimed in shock. 

Confused, Twilight looked up from her bucket and went slack-jawed at what she saw. All the plants were now the healthiest plants she’d ever seen. There were no brown or dying limbs. All the crops looked ready to be harvested, and there was more than enough food for everyone in the village. Even the small apple tree was now fully grown, towering over them with branches filled to the brim with fresh fruit.  

“I-I did this?” she whispered in shock.  

“Yeah,” Pinkie said nodding excitedly. “It was cool! But also a bit scary. You were just standing there, then you started to glow green, and this dark stuff started coming out of the plants, but your green light just got brighter and you started absorbing the black stuff, and the more you absorbed the healthier the plants got, but you started to look sick, then Flashie came and picked you up, then you stopped, then you got sick, then you asked if you did this and I said—“ 

“I think she gets it Pinkie,” Spike said, placing a claw over her mouth. “Still, it was pretty cool. But Twilight…what exactly happened?” 

“I…I used earth pony magic, I think,” she said, looking down.  

“Your earth pony magic did all this?” Applejack asked, still in shock. “But how? We’ve never been able to do this, even with all of us together!”  

“I.. don’t even know WHAT I did. But when I connected, everything just felt… it just felt so WRONG!” She shook her head. “The magic was buried beneath this…I don’t even know. But it just felt so wrong, and I just started trying to fix it. And the more I did, the more I felt like the plants were cheering me on. I can’t even explain it, and I don’t think I would have stopped if Flash hadn’t helped me.”  

“Weird,” Spike said. 

“On the plus side,” Flash said, “it looks like food won’t be a problem any time soon.” 

“If we don’t get caught because of her little light show,” Rainbow said, glaring at Twilight. “Seriously, you create any more bright flashes of light and we may as well just put a big sign saying ‘We are here!’” 

“What is your problem?” Twilight replied, returning her glare. “I’d be in just as much trouble as you if we were found, and it’s not my fault that this keeps happening to me. How would you react if you suddenly had body parts and magic you’ve never had before?” 

“If it got me to fly again, I wouldn’t care less. But I would at least move away from other ponies if I was gonna be constantly exploding.” 

“Why do hate me so much!? I’m not like the other alicorns and you know it. I used to be just like the rest of you!” 

“NO, YOU DIDN’T!” Rainbow screamed. 

Everyone flinched. Rainbow panted for a few second before taking a deep breath and continuing in a much calmer, but bitterer tone.  

“You used to look like us physically, but you still didn’t understand us. Just like the other alicorns, you STILL don’t understand us. You witnessed your dad being beaten in public. That was horrible, no question, but so what?”  

Twilight’s eyes widened. 

“I lost my wings after spending my life being told how I was inferior, then spent a month rotting in a cell, being treated like nothing more than livestock. When I broke out, Fluttershy was nothing but skin and bones because she gave all her food to other ponies so they would have the strength to survive. We’ve spent the last twelve years living in probably one of the most dangerous places in Equestria just to escape being locked up again. 

“You have ONE story to tell. One truly hard moment where you experience something horrific and wrong. But then you went and had a great life for the last twelve years.” Rainbow snorted. “You don’t know what hardship is, and you have no idea what it’s like to be the rest of us. So don’t pretend like you do.”  

And with her piece said, Rainbow turned and trotted away, the small gathered crowd parting for her as she went.
> Chapter 8: Stories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Seems you’ve discovered why ponies still live with alicorns,” Second Sight said later that day as the group sat in her home. After the incident in the garden, Twilight’s legs were numb and trembling, so Flash carried her back to the old mare’s house with Pinkie and Spike close behind them. The two foals Flash and Rainbow’s team had saved were still sleeping in Second Sight’s room, so they moved downstairs to talk.  

            “Huh?” Twilight asked. She was still distracted by Rainbow’s outburst, but her natural curiosity let her to latch onto the old mare’s words. 

            “Dearie, have you ever wondered why, after three thousand years, us normal ponies still live with alicorns, even after they do so much to us? Why there’s never been a rebellion or a group that tried to go and make their own city without alicorn oversight until we did?” Second Sight asked. “It’s because of that taint you pulled up out of the earth. It infects the land almost everywhere. It makes it almost impossible for earth ponies to call on the magic of the planet. Growing crops is almost impossible, and even once healthy plants can become toxic to those who depend on them for food. 

            “That little trick you pulled is one I’ve seen Thorn use many times,” Second Sight continued with a small, odd smile. “She would often come to our farm to make sure ‘we were working hard enough,’ but with my magic eyes I could see what she was really doing. She would pull up the taint as she walked, making sure the farm would stay clean of that foul sludge. Not sure why she kept that little fact a secret, but I digress.” 

            “So that’s why ponies still live with alicorns,” Spike said. 

            “Righto, little one,” the old mare said, winking at the dragon through the cloth. “We need them to clean the land so earth ponies can grow our food. And even if the land is cleaned, that stuff just seeps back in from elsewhere. It’s like a mosquito bite. You can scratch it to stop the itching, but it will always be itchy again. That’s what started us living with alicorns. The horrible attitude and punishments came later. Now, it’s almost impossible for us to leave.” 

She looked up at the ceiling. “The only reason we can grow food here is, ironically enough, the natural plants in Everfree.” 

            “How so?” Flash asked.  

            “The plants here, like poison joke, actually don’t persevere through the dark magic – they need it to survive. The more taint in a region of the forest, like near the edge of the miasma, the more unusual plants grow there. It can actually leaves parts of the land clean enough for us to grow things without every crop becoming toxic. For example, this area used to be covered in a poison-spewing plant called venenum. But as the plant fed off the corrupted magic, the levels of said magic became so low that venenum could no longer survive here, so it’s seeds moved outwards in a circular pattern and left an area of low corruption. Granted, the land’s not anywhere near perfect, but it’s good enough for us to work without fear.” 

            “But does that mean that all the plants Twilight helped will get sick again?” Pinkie asked. 

            “Maybe,” Second Sight said, turning to look at Twilight. “What you did was different than what Thorn did. I could see you expelling the taint. And then a magic I’ve never seen before came and not only destroyed it, but it left some of itself all over the farm.” 

            “The Element of Magic,” Twilight said, looking down at the gem on her necklace. “After I got sick, it shot out a beam of light that destroyed the taint. But you say it changed the farm?” 

            “Not really changed, just left a bit of itself there. No idea what it’ll do, but maybe it will give me a place to look that not covered in black.” 

            “You can see the taint?” Spike asked. 

            “Yep. Ever since I got my sight back, I could see that nasty stuff. It’s like a tar that covers the ground and plants. Even on Thorn’s farm, I could still see it, although not nearly as much as I do now. Truth be told, I hope one day to see what the world looks like without that stuff everywhere.” Second Sight sighed, and the movement beneath the cloth implied that she was closing her eyes. 

            “By the way, dearie, you’ve seem extra distracted today. A gem for your thoughts?” she asked, turning to Twilight and raising an eyebrow. 

            “I’m just…what Rainbow said…”  

Second Sight sighed. “Try not to let it get to you, honey. We’re all different in some ways, but what matters is that we all work together now that we’re here.” 

            “But no one will work with me, and she was RIGHT,” Twilight yelled, standing up and starting to pace. “I’m NOT like anyone here! Even if I was still a unicorn, I wouldn’t be able to compare myself to these other ponies! Heck, I would have never even found the village because I would never have a reason to run away! Everypony here has had horrible things happen to them and I can’t understand them because I barely have any experience I can use to sympathize with them!” 

            Twilight would have continued trying to wear a grove in the floor if Second Sight hadn’t stood up and booped her on the nose, causing her to startle and go cross-eyed.  

            “You sure do seem to miss the most obvious answers,” Second Sight said, chuckling. “Though I’m guessing your continuous reading may have something to do with that.” 

            “Huh?” Twilight replied, confused. Twilight could see Second Sight roll her eyes.  

            “If you really think your so different because you lived an easier life, then ask us about ours,” the old mare said gently. “Learn what it’s like living under an oppressive alicorn, what everyone else has gone through and why they chose to run away. Like you said, we all have stories of things alicorns have done to us, so maybe if you listen to them, you can get a sense what most normal ponies live through on a daily basis. Think of it like research,” she added slyly, chuckling again as Twilight’s eyes lit up in realization.  

            “In fact, why don’t I tell you my story first?”  

            Pinkie pulled a bag of popcorn, still hot and buttery, out of her mane. Flash groaned in confusion and annoyance, and Second Sight laughed. She guided Twilight back to her seat before climbing back into her own chair and taking a deep breath. 

            “I told you I lost my eyes as a punishment, but I never really told you why I was being punished. I was only ten when it happened, so I didn’t have my cutie mark yet. My mother was a Keeper, and I had a keen interest in becoming one as well. As a Keeper in training, I had full access to the library and spent a lot of my free time reading.” She smiled at Twilight. “Not as much as you, dearie, but quite a lot.  

            “As I continued to read and learn, I also began to practice magic. I was so good that I was soon performing full-blown spells – three years earlier than I probably should have. A consequence of my strong power, I guess. I felt like I could do anything, learn any spell or create any rune. Nothing got in the way of my learning. But I had a, uh, a small problem. 

            “While my mom was a Keeper, my dad was a farmer and had a tendency to complain about Thorn – not that it was uncommon. But most ponies kept their complaints hidden, and my dad had been caught complaining to Thorn’s face after she baited him into it, and had received a punishment. It was surprisingly light, or, at least, light by Thorn’s standards. Anyway, she never forgot this little blunder of his, so my talent of magic most likely caused her paranoia to go through the roof. That, or she thought that hurting me could be used as revenge against my father. I could never tell.  

            “One day in the library, I found an unmarked book one of the tables, just sitting there, which Thorn NEVER allowed. Curious, I opened it, but I didn’t even read a single line before two Butlers jumped me and pinned we down. They put a magic restraint on me and dragged me to the dungeon without a word.  

“It turns out the book was a trap by Thorn.” 

“A trap?” Spike asked. 

            “She left it there for me, knowing I would find it and then she could use it as evidence against me. She also probably figured it would be a good way to indirectly get back at my father. 

“I was terrified. They left me in that cell all night with no food or water and then they dragged me to the center of town the next day. They pulled me onto a stage in front of everyone, and Thorn began to give the most horseapples speech I had ever heard. Apparently, I had ‘stolen’ a book on dark magic that belonged to her, and was going to use it to overthrow her, poison the crops, become an alicorn myself, all this nonsensical manure that was no way true. Her only evidence was the Butlers that caught me opening the book, but it was clear that they were probably the ones to put it out in the first place.  

            “The audience she had no doubt forced to attend shared my thoughts. I could tell just by looking at their faces. But what could they do? They were just as trapped as I was. After her ranting, Thorn gave me my sentence. She sliced my horn off so far down the shaft that it would never regrow. It…was the most painful thing I had ever experienced.” As she spoke, her voice began to crack. “It hurt so much I couldn’t even feel her using fire to cauterize the wound. But that wasn’t even the worst of it. 

            “She forced my eyes open and summoned bright magic beams into my eyes, destroying my retinas. It hurt just as much as the loss of my horn, both physically and because I thought I would never be able to read again. Even without my horn I could still use rune magic, but without my eyes… 

            At this point, Second Sight had to stop her story and take a deep breath, lifting the cloth slightly to let the tears drain out. Pinkie offered her some popcorn while Twilight offered for them to continue later. Second Sight, after taking a minute to compose herself, said she could continue and gratefully accepted the popcorn from Pinkie.  

            “I was so broken-hearted that the rest of that day was a blur. I think they carried me back to my cell, but I can’t be sure since soon after I was moved to one of her ‘special’ farms. That’s where she had the most troublesome or the impaired ponies work. The troublesome ones work longer hours, the impaired ones just do anything that might be useful. I think her logic was something about not getting food if we didn’t grow it ourselves, but it’s not like I can get into the head of a crazy alicorn any better than you can.  

            “I was lost. Lost in a sea of black that used to be a world of color and shapes. I was nearly helpless, and my only solace was that, being blind, I was given all the boring, repetitive jobs since I couldn’t be trusted with the harder ones. It didn’t really help though. I cried so much I wondered if I would still be able to cry when it finally stopped hurting, or if I would run out of tears.” 

            “I was like this for a month. A month of nothing but blackness, the ground beneath my hooves, and the harsh words of the farm’s master telling us to work every day. I thought it would never end, that it couldn’t get worse. But then the magic sickness came… 

            “At first I thought it was just a stomach bug, but then I had trouble walking, and another mare told me that my vomit was glowing. It got so bad that I was transferred to the main medical building of Thorn’s property.  

            “Thorn has a medical building?” Spike asked. 

            “I know what you’re thinking – why would she have one for her ponies if she’s so…Thorn?” Second Sight asked with a bitter smile. “A sick pony can’t carry out her orders. It wasn’t as terrible as it could have been though, and my friend Feather Duster was able to see me secretly. 

            “She had a tendency to snoop around, and apparently she found out I had little chance of recovery, which the doctors wouldn’t tell me for risk of me falling into depression even further. As a maid to Thorn, Dusty had full access to her home, and she offered to try and find a book that could cure me. I refused her offer, as I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt, but she ignored me.” The old mare laughed. “Such a great friend, if a bit lacking in self preservation. 

            “The rest is like I told you before. She found out what was causing me to be sick, told me about burning magic off in throughout my body, something we never learned because Thorn didn’t want us to know for some reason, so on and so forth. I forced my magic into my eyes because the highly-fevered me thought it was a good idea. It worked, which was an utter miracle.  

I did it at night when the doctors weren’t around, but nothing happened. Disheartened, I went to sleep, but kept the magic flowing right up until I lost consciousness. When I woke up the next morning, I realized my magic was still being forced into my eyes. Tentatively, I opened them and… and…” 

Second Sight began to tear up again, but this time she wore a smile that put Pinkie’s to shame. “I could see. And not just the room, I could see MAGIC. It was a rainbow of colors flowing in every direction and way, between ponies or just on its own. It was everywhere, in everything. It was the happiest moment of my whole life. I was so happy I nearly gave myself away when the doctors came in. I thought it best not to let it be known that I could see, or esls Thorn might try to ‘correct’ that.  

“I got better, and I went back to the farm. Once I realized that my eyes were starting to dissolve, I tied a scrap of cloth around my face so no one would see them changing. Thankfully no pony ever questioned it. I lived like this for the next forty years or so.  

            “Things, for the most part, were uneventful in that time. Occasionally Dusty would sneak out and see me, though she would need to break into the cellar that we were kept in at night to actually talk to me. She would also occasionally steal a book for me, some of which I still have. Good thing that ding-dong in charge of the farm never bothered to inspect the cellar. But other than that, my life was rather predictable and boring. 

            “It only really changed when little Fluttershy showed up on the farm.” Second Sight’s smile fell. “Poor dearie, she was such a mess when they threw her down in the cellar with us the first night. I’ll let her go into more detail when she tells you her story, but she failed her flight test, yet, instead of letting her crash into the ground, Rainbow Dash saved her at the last second.  

            “Whoa,” Spike said. 

            “Whoa indeed, youngin. The speed and precision needed to save her from such a height would have made her a fierce pegasus warrior, but she hated Thorn with a passion, and let everypony know that, even Thorn herself. So as punishment for interfering in the test, Rainbow was to loose one wing and Fluttershy was to loose both, as ‘a pegasus that can’t fly is better off confined to the earth,’ as that psycho put it. Not sure why I was brought to view this little event seeing as she thought I was BLIND, but I digress.” 

            “Is it ok for you to be telling their stories like this?” Flash asked. 

            “Everyone already knows the basics of their stories. I’m just telling you what they told me so you can ask them without saying anything hurtful. Plus, it gives you another look into how life was on Thorn’s property. 

            “Rainbow’s constant gripes against Thorn actually helped her save Fluttershy. From what they told me, Rainbow taunted Thorn into a bet, saying she could loose both her wings and not cry out in pain. If she won, Fluttershy would get to keep her wings. If she lost, Thorn got to make an example of her in front of everypony. Suffice to say, Rainbow won.  

“Thorn did let Fluttershy keep her wings, but still threw her onto our farm with wing restraints. The poor dear was hysterical when she arrived and wouldn’t tell anypony what happened. The only thing we could tell was that she blamed herself, and that was because she muttered in her sleep. It was only a week later that she actually began to talk to all of us. 

“About three days after her joining us, a mole accidently buried into the cellar. Rather than leave, it seemed to take an unusual interest in our dear Fluttershy. The next day, we caught her talking to the chickens, and they were listening! It was at the end of that week that she discovered her cutie mark and finally realized her true talent was working with animals. It was because of the animals on the farm that she finally opened up to us.  

“Well, that and a little of my excellent comedy skills. I was the first one to get her to smile, and that was well worth the effort, let me tell you. 

“Anyway, while we helped her realize that Rainbow’s injuries weren’t her fault, the farm owner suddenly became much more aggressive. He worked us harder, longer, and gave us less food. He even had me work in the fields, knowing I would fail. I had to fail or risk him realizing I could see.  

“It got so bad that some of the other were dropping from exhaustion right there in the field. By the end of the second week, Fluttershy had begun doing something I could barely imagine surviving. She started giving those who were the worst off part, or even all of her food. Heck, sometimes she would give one pony a part of her rations and another the rest of it without telling the other that she already shared. It…it hurt her, but she didn’t care so long as it made us all feel better.” 

Second Sight shook her head, the tears returning. 

“By the end of the month, the lack of food and hard working conditions had left her as nothing more than skin and bones. She was so thin I…I was sure she wouldn’t make it. But then Rainbow Dash showed up in the middle of the night, wearing a Butler’s suit and carrying those six knives. She broke us out, pulled Fluttershy onto her back, and led us all the way to freedom. She also tied the farm owner to a tree and covered him in honey and feathers. Guess he shouldn’t have tried to stop us. 

“Anyway, we escaped into the forest, made sure Fluttershy started eating, found Fluffy, then Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom, and eventually set up the village.” 

“And that’s how Equestria was made!” Pinkie finished, causing everyone but Second Sight to stare at her in confusion. 

“Exactly,” Second Sight said with a nod, a completely serious expression on her face. But when Twilight facehooved, it fell away and she snickered. 

“I’m not even gonna ask,” Twilight muttered, before regaining her composure. “But if all of that happened, how did you get your cutie mark?” 

“Surprisingly enough, it appeared the moment I could see again. It was quite the nice surprise, let me tell you. I open my eyes, could see the world again, then felt a little tingle on my flank and turn to see my cutie mark appear. Second Sight indeed.” 

“Still, that’s one heck of a story,” Twilight said, shivering slightly. “I knew she was evil, but that… that makes my Canterlot story look like nothing.” 

“Is that kind of cruelty… common? Among alicorns at least?” Spike asked.  

Second Sight just shrugged. “It all depends. I’d estimate…1 in 7 are horrible, maybe more.” 

“Yikes.”  

“Should we had Pinkie tell her story now?” Flash asked. No one noticed Pinkie’s smile falling slightly.  

“That’s Pinkie’s decision, and Twilight’s as to whether or not she wants to hear her story,” Second Sight said. “But why don’t we go get some food first? Story telling makes me hungrier then Pinkie on a cupcake binge.” She winked at the pink mare through the cloth. Pinkie nodded in agreement and dashed upstairs to start making food. 

While she was cooking, the soft cadence of hooves could be heard from Second Sight’s room. Turning to see what it was the group watched as the two rescued foals wandered into the room. The colt was limping ever so slightly, but it didn’t look too serious. The wide, blue eyes scanned the room, but immediately froze upon seeing Twilight. Neither one moved, which gave Second Sight the perfect opportunity to scoop them into her forelegs. 

“Hello there,” she said, smiling softly at the two confused and scared foals. “My name is Second Sight and I’ll be looking after you two for a while. Don’t worry, bed times are not enforced and all deserts are allowed,” she said with a chuckle, causing the two of them blink in confusion more than fear.  

“Incoming,” Pinkie yelled, just in time to flip a pancake into the air. It arched high before landing perfectly on Twilight’s head and speared her horn.  

“EEP!” Twilight cried, flinching and looking up at the offending bit of food. The kitchen was silent for about ten seconds before everyone save Twilight burst out laughing. Even the foals couldn’t help but giggle at the deadpan stare Twilight was giving them all.  

“Hehehe, ya see dearies?” Second Sight said with a smile, “She’s not a mean alicorn like Thorn. She’s a silly alicorn that loves pancakes. Why, I bet she sometimes dreams she IS a pancake!” The foals only giggled harder while Twilight just sighed and pulled the pancake off her head, only for pinkie to gulp it down three seconds later.  

“Now I’m sure your both hungry,” Second Sight said, sitting back down with the foals in her lap. “But before you eat, I need you to tell me your names. I can’t just call you Mrs. Pancake and Mr. Pancake, as funny as that would be,” she said, winking through the cloth.  

The foals looked a bit nervous at first, but as soon as Second Sight mentioned the nicknames, they giggled more and began to relax.  

“I-I’m Silver Wind,” the filly said. 

“A-and I’m Sturdy Oak,” the colt continued, before both of their stomachs rumbled.  

“That’ll do,” Second Sight said with a smirk. “Pinkie, I need twenty pancakes, on the double.  

“Yes captain!” Pinkie cried with enthusiasm before she began working even faster. Unsurprisingly, the foals had a voracious hunger and devoured anything in front of them. While they still clung to Second Sight and would occasionally send unsure glances at Twilight and Spike (having never seen a dragon before), they were far more relaxed than they had been when they entered the room.  

After they had finished eating more than half the food, they quickly fell asleep again in Second Sight’s lap. 

“Pinkie, would you tell me your story?” Twilight asked. 

“Okie dokie lokie,” Pinkie said, nodding slightly. She took a deep breath.  

“I grew up under Lady Obsidian, who owned a rock farm. There, we farmed rocks either to use as building material or to grow gems inside them. It was really boring and gloomy there. Nopony ever seemed to smile. And I mean EVER. I almost didn’t know what a smile was.” She said, surprising everyone save Second Sight.  

The fact that such a happy pony with such huge smiles didn’t even know what they were sounded almost impossible. Pinkie continued. “It wasn’t until a huge rainbow explosion cleared away the sky that I felt truly happy, so much so that I stayed up all night preparing a party for my family for our day off. 

“It was the first time I ever saw them smile, and I realized that smiling was the greatest thing in the world, so I decided to try and make as many other ponies smile as I could. That’s when my cutie mark appeared. But Obsidian didn’t like that. She wanted everyone to be sad and mopey, so she said ‘no more parties’ and locked me up for a bit. Buuuuuut she didn’t take my spoon, so I was able to dig my way out since the cell was made of dirt, and I escaped to freedom before she could catch me.  

“The end.” 

Flash, Spike and Twilight just stared at her. Not only was this story far shorter than one they would normally expect from the bubbly mare, but it also lacked details. About almost everything. They looked at each other in concern before turning back to the pink mare.  

“Umm… Pinkie?” Twilight asked nervously. “Is that really all of it?”  

“Yep.” 

“Do you think we could get a few more details?”  

Silence. 

“Pinkie?” 

“Please don’t ask for more.” 

Twilight blinked. Pinkie’s voice was smaller than she had ever heard it, smaller than any voice she had ever heard ever. Pinkie’s always-present joy was gone, and her mane had somehow deflated. Tears were beginning to build in her eyes. 

“I…I don’t wanna think about that place anymore. I-I just want to be happy. Please don’t make me relive it.”   

“You…you don’t have to tell us,” Twilight said, reaching over and patting her shoulder uncertainly. “It’s up to you to decide how much you want to tell us. We won’t force you.” 

“Thank you,” Pinkie said, smiling waveringly.  

“Glad I don’t need to teach you that lesson,” Second Sight said, nodding in approval and reaching into a cupboard. She pulled out a pink cake, causing Pinkie to start drooling, her sadness forgotten. “Never force a pony to say things they don’t want to. Some memories are just to painful to be brought up again.” 

“Is there anyone in particular we should avoid?” Flash asked, eying Pinkie cut everypony a slice of the cake before devouring the rest herself. “Also…” 

“Sugar helps her forget,” Second Sight said softly. “It brightens her mood and helps her focus on the present, rather than the past. As for who to avoid, I’d say Applejack.” 

“Is this because she still doesn’t trust Twilight?” Spike asked.  

“No, it’s because ever her brother doesn’t know the full story.” Second Sight said, surprising the others, except the still distracted Pinkie. “Her lady takes ponies away from their families at a young age, and trains them to be Butlers. I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that Applejack was taken for nearly two years, and when she escaped, it was the day she was supposed to have graduated and become a full Butler.  

“Her sword? Apparently it was supposed to be her graduation weapon. She told me she keeps it as a reminder, but as to what, I haven’t the faintest idea.” 

“But even Big Mac doesn’t know?” Flash asked.  

“Nope. He’s never managed to get the story out of her, even after almost twelve years. Maybe it’s just too painful for her.” 

‘Twelve years, and still she doesn’t talk about it?’ Twilight thought, gently reaching for the scar on her neck. ‘Maybe we have more in common than she thinks…’
> Chapter 9: Getting to Know Your Neighbors
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Pinkie’s story, the three ponies and dragon said goodbye to Second Sight before leaving for Pinkie’s home. After such a busy day, they all decided to turn in early, though Twilight decided to spend the next few days hearing some of the other ponies’ stories. At least if they were willing to share them.

            To her surprise, the next day many of the town’s ponies were actually willing to talk to her. It seems that her purifying the crops had relieved quite a bit of stress on the ponies, and they now saw her in a more positive light, even if they were still a bit suspicious. Twilight was just happy that they were now willing to talk to her, even if there was still a bit of hesitation. At least she could start somewhere.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            “You want to hear my story?” the mare asked, stopping in the middle of picking a potato from the garden. She was a grey pegasus with a blond mane and had a set of bubbles for a cutie mark. Her eyes were bright yellow, and actually pointed in different directions. When she looked from the plant to Twilight, they had moved to focus on the purple alicorn.

“If it’s ok with you, Derpy,” Twilight said nervously, trying not to stare at the pegasus’ unusual eyes. “I want to learn about what it’s like to live under…less benevolent alicorns, and I think hearing some ponies’ stories would be a good way to at least start doing just that.”

Derpy nodded and smiled.

            “Sure, we can talk about why I left,” she said, reaching down and pulling up another potato from the dirt. “Though, mine might not be so interesting.”

            “That’s ok,” Twilight replied. “Any new info that helps me understand you all better is appreciated.”

            “Okey dokey,” Derpy said, and she took a deep breath to begin.

            “Now I was lucky in that I didn’t have Thorn as my lady, but my lady, Crown, still wasn’t very nice. She wouldn’t be unnecessarily cruel, but she had a…bit of an ego. Everything was about her, all the time. Anytime we did anything good, it was because of her. Anytime we failed, we were making her look bad and it was our fault. It…got to most ponies after a while, made them actually start to believe what she said.

            “Her estate was located on the boarder of Equestria near a thick forest only partly corrupted by the Cloud, located far to the west. Or was it east? One of those two. Anyway, she helps import lumber to the rest of Equestria, or at least to places where alicorns can’t grow trees. To get the most wood efforts, she usually spreads her ponies out really far, and it was the job of ponies like me to deliver messages to the ponies far away from her mansion. I was basically a mail mare, only for this one estate.

            “Punishments weren’t all that bad, usually just temporary imprisonment or being locked in stockades for the day, but the fact that she always seemed to be looking down on us made many of us feel insignificant. When I was a filly, I…had an accident involving a rabid dog. I survived ok, obviously, but my eyes were a bit messed up. My sight is mostly intact, and being able to use my pegasus magic to detect the wind lets me fly without problems, but because of how they look…”

            “You were a target,” Flash said, sympathetically. Derpy nodded, but amazingly, she was still smiling.

            “She tried to insult me, to make me feel bad about myself, but I never let what she said get me down. It was just words, and even if I had a few accidents, usually involving crashing into things while running messages for her ponies, I still finished my work just fine. No pony’s perfect, so I didn’t try to be.”

            “But if that’s not why you left, why did you?” Spike asked.

Derpy’s smile fell.

Her right eye rotated to look over near the wall of the village.

Near the wall, a few foals were playing a game of tag. Among them was a young unicorn filly with light purple fur and a blond mane. She was currently trying to avoid a yellow filly with a red mane and a big pink bow on her head. Behind them, an adult unicorn with a light purple coat, two tone purple mane, and three perfect diamonds as a cutie mark was watching over them.

“I left to protect my little muffin, Dinky.” Derpy said sadly. “I already had an older daughter named Sparkler, but her magic was only at an average level, or so I was told. I don’t really know too much about unicorn magic, but I’m trying to learn for them. I was a little worried about Sparkler growing up under Crown, but she turned out to be perfect.

“Anyway, when Dinky was younger, she saw Crown yelling at me for something I didn’t even do. I…” She gave a short, hollow laugh. “I don’t know what happened. On minute Crown was yelling, the next she being levitated and covered in vines. Dinky was having her first magic surge, something I never had to deal with when I had Sparkler. Dinky was only four at the time. When Crown realized this, she immediately teleported out of the vines and stopped her. She then declared that Dinky be enrolled in the Butler training program as soon as she was of age.

“That age was five, and Dinky’s birthday was only a month away. Until then, they were going to force her to wear a magic restraint to keep her under control.”

Derpy sniffed, and her voice started breaking. “E-even at the young age, h-her Butlers are forced to do really dangerous jobs. M-most alicorns make their training hard, but make sure e-every child survives so they can grow up to serve them, but Crown doesn’t care about that because she has so many ponies. Not…not all of those she picks survive. A-and if they do d-d-don’t make it, s-she just blames the p-parents. T-tells them they didn’t r-raise them to be strong enough.”

Derpy sobbed, and Flash wordlessly stepped over and draped a foreleg around the pegasus’ shoulders. She gave him a watery grin and wiped away a few tears, but they kept coming. “I-I couldn’t let that happen, I wouldn’t! But…but I didn’t know where to go. Where I could go. But then, he came back.”

“Who?” Twilight asked.

“The doc,” Derpy said with an actual smile, and she seemed to be calming down. “He… it’s hard to explain but he doesn’t have a lady, or a real home. He…moves around a lot, says he’s trying to find a way to fix things, but he comes to visit me pretty often, especially since he’s the girls’ father.” She smiled while the others just blinked in surprise.

 	“We met one night when a freak storm tore through Crown’s estate. I was looking for shelter and, well, I crashed into him. He didn’t mind, and even offered me a place to stay. I… can’t say what his house looks like, since he wants to keep it a secret, but I will say it’s blue. He was one of the first ponies not to judge me based on my eyes. The ponies here were the second, but he was the first. That night, he showed me so many amazing things that I had never known.

“Granted, I didn’t understand half of what he said, but he said that was normal. Afterwards, he would keep coming back to see me, saying that I helped keep him grounded. Occasionally we would sneak off for adventures, but he would always get me back before I was missed. I…I fell in love with him, and when I told him, he just smiled and pulled out a small ring,” As she spoke, she tapped her leg, causing the ring to flash into existence before vanishing again.

“Crown never questioned the pregnancies, and I was still able to do my job either way, so she really didn’t care. But when I needed Doc the most, he came back. He managed to get the restraint off of Dinky and then got us out of Crown’s land. He had to go again, but he told us where we would be safe.”

She giggled, and Flash declared her calm enough to squeeze her shoulders and release her. “At first I thought he was crazy when he said we should go to the Everfree Forest. But he’s never been wrong before, so I trusted him. I nearly had a heart attack when Fluffy found us, but then Dinky ran right up and started petting her belly, and she rolled right over and began purring. She’s such a silly kitty. After that she led us back to the village, and we were welcomed in once we explained our story.

“And we have lived here ever since.” Derpy finished. Twilight was about to ask more questions, but was interrupted as Dinky ran under her mother, quickly followed by the slightly bigger earth pony filly.

“Oops, I’d better stop them before they break something,” the pegasus said, smiling as the two foals started running circles around the other gardeners. “I hope this helped.” She waved goodbye and began to chase the foals.

“It did. Thank you!” Twilight called out, trying not so smile as a stallion jumped backwards to avoid the foals and the mare chasing after them.

“That was much nicer than Second Sight’s,” Spike said.

“But still, having such a blatant disregard for foals’ lives?” Flash said, shaking his head in disgust. “I hate alicorns like that. Makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“How did this even happen?” Spike asked. “I mean, they used to be all nice when everyone was an alicorn right? So what happened?”

“I have no idea,” Flash said. “You have any ideas, Twilight?”

She shook her head. “Not really. But we’ll leave that question for another day. Right now, let’s go see who else has a story to tell.”

“Ok,” Spike said. “By the way, where’s Pinkie?”

The others blinked, not realizing that the pink mare had left. Looking around, Flash smiled and pointed. Pinkie was bouncing merrily after the two foals, and Twilight couldn’t figure out if she was helping Derpy catch them or if she just wanted to play tag.

They were all smiling though, so Twilight, Flash, and Spike decided to let them be and ask around a bit more.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            “You…want us to tell you our story?” the mare asked nervously, looking to her concerned sister.

            After listening to a few more ponies in the garden, the group had told Pinkie they were moving on and had set off into the residential area. Almost immediately, they ran into the pegasi sisters that had been rescued the day Twilight had first tried to fly.

            They were Flitter and Cloudchaser, and they had stuttered so much when they told her their names that Twilight wasn’t sure they would talk to her. Applejack had told them of Twilight’s situation when they were first rescued so they wouldn’t flee in terror upon seeing her, but they certainly didn’t seem comfortable.

Flitter had a light blue coat, a light green mane tied back with a bright pink bow, and three dragonflies as a cutie mark. Cloudchaser was a darker shade of blue with a white and blue mane and a shooting star as a cutie mark. She had angled herself strategically between Twilight and Flitter, but her confused look took any intimidation out of the pose.

            “If it’s ok with you,” Twilight said gently. “You don’t have to, and I won’t force you to tell me anything.” The twins stared at each other, wide-eyed. They obviously had never met an alicorn that didn’t just order them around.

            “Why…EXACTLY, do you want to hear our story?” Cloudchaser asked.

            “I…don’t really know what it’s like to live under an oppressive alicorn,” Twilight admitted. “My lady was one of the few who was kind to everypony. But everypony here has had bad experiences, so I want to hear them so I can try to understand what most ponies need to deal with.”

            “So you want us to tell our story, so you can understand what we went through and empathize with us?” Flitter asked.

            “I guess that’s one way of putting it.”

            The twins looked at each other before asking for a minute and moving away to talk in privacy for a few minutes. But they did come back.

            “Ok, we’ll do it,” they said together, still looking nervous, but also determined. Twilight braced herself. Something told her this wasn’t going to be as hopeful as Derpy’s.

            “Our home was originally to the southwest, near the desert,” Flitter began. “Our lady’s name was Scorching Sun. Really fit, given how hot it was there.”

            “Pegasi were a bit rare there,” Cloudchaser continued. “Not sure why, but there never seemed to be many born there, and Cloudsdale wouldn’t really send anypony except when they came with ours to deliver the weather.”

            “Scorching Sun, though, never really liked pegasi. We didn’t have much weather there, so we had one of two main jobs. One was to travel to Cloudsdale to assist with weather transport, while the other was to make sure the weather we did have lasted as long as possible. She was always complaining that we weren’t working hard enough or that heat was our fault because we couldn’t give the property enough shade or wind or what have you.”

            “Thankfully, she didn’t do what Thorn did to Rainbow Dash,” Cloudchaser said, and both pegasi shuddered. “But she still had a…rather bad punishment.” As she spoke, she gestured at her sister’s back. Looking closer, Twilight realized that she had small groves on the bone of her wing.

Scars.

            “She…” Flitter began, taking a shaky breath, “She would p-pluck our wings if we messed up too badly. All of our feathers, j-just gone.”

            “Isn’t that insanely dangerous!?” Twilight asked in shock. “My books said that the feathers closest to the wing are still connected to the blood stream, so if that happens…”

            “We have severe blood loss and scaring,” Cloudchaser said, wrapping a wing around her trembling sister. “At least in Rainbow’s case, they could cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding, but for us…”

            “You couldn't seal the wounds like that. There’s to many, and doing so would stop future feather growth, meaning there's a good chance of you bleeding out or getting an infection,” Flash said grimly. “Hard to believe losing your wing is less risky. But if that’s the case, then how…”

            “Stitches.” Flitter said, looking away. “M-my family had to stitch my wings to stop the bleeding. I-It wasn’t even my fault! A dragon attacked the weather shipment, so of course there was going to be a drought. I-I couldn’t do anything, and she…she just—!”

Flitter broke off, breathing heavily as Cloudchaser rubbed her wing against her sister’s back and whispered to calm her down.

            After giving them a few minutes, Spike asked. “How long ago did this happen?”

            “Three years ago,” Cloudchaser said.

            “I… haven’t been able to fly as well since,” Flitter said sadly. “But at least I still can.”

            “What made you wait all this time before you escaped?”

            “Scorching Sun was in a really bad mood after Canterlot,” Cloudchaser said. “She kept rambling about how lower ponies shouldn’t even be allowed to look at the Elements, much less touch them.” She looked at the Element of Magic in Twilight’s torc. “Didn’t really make sense till we came here though.”

“Not that we blame you or anything,” Flitter said quickly, wiping her eyes. “From what we heard, you were a victim of this as much as anyone.”

“Who told you that?” Twilight asked, wondering who besides Pinkie would defend her.

“Fluttershy. We were a bit out of shape after three days of flying and another one in the forest. She was helping us before you blew up that wall.”

“I was surprised to hear her defend an alicorn,” Cloudchaser said. “But after she explained that you used to be a unicorn, we understood you might not be so bad. But given our experience with them…”

“You’re still wary,” Twilight said. “That’s understandable.”

“Getting back to the story, why did you choose now to leave?” Flash asked. “Was it because of Scorching Sun’s bad mood, or something else?”

“We had actually been planning of running since what happened to me,” Flitter said. “I… I never wanted to go through that again, and we knew that if we stayed it very well might, because everypony makes mistakes. We didn’t go though because I had to wait for my wings to recover. This was slowed down by a minor infection, which lasted a few months. Even then, I had to get used to flying with my scared wings, and we needed to save up supplies for the journey.

“We also wanted to bring our parents, but they didn’t want to slow us down. We tried to convince them to come with us for months, but they insisted they would just use up our supplies and make us stand out.”

“So when she came back all mad at everything that moved,” Cloudchaser continued, “we knew it was only a matter of time until she snapped at somepony and hurt them, so we didn’t want to wait around for it to be us.”

“So we grabbed what we could, said goodbye to our family, and ran,” Flitter said. “It…it was hard to leave our parents behind, but they promised they’d see us again. I…I hope they were right.”

“They were,” Twilight said, trying to sound reassuring. “I’m sure you’ll see them again. And… while I don’t know what I could do, if you need help, just ask. It’s… It’s the least I can do.”

Cloudchaser chuckled. “You know, for an alicorn, you’re not that bad, Twilight. Definitely wish you had been our lady instead of Scorching Sun.”

“I don’t think I could handle that kind of responsibility,” Twilight said, shuddering.

“Especially when you resort to time travel just because you’re afraid to be late for a project,” Spike snarked, earning a glare from Twilight, a laugh from Flash, and an amused look from the sisters.

“Do we even want to know?” Cloudchaser asked.

“Nope,” Twilight said, zipping Spike’s mouth shut with a magic zipper before he could speak again. “Anyway, thank you for telling us all that. I’m glad you got away and hope you enjoy your time here, but we really need to go. Thank you.” She turned and dragged her party members with her by their tails.

Pinkie and Flash just waved, smirking as they disappeared around the building. The twins just looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to looking for Applejack.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            “Sure, why not?” Bronze Sword said with a nod. The group had eventually ended up at a large building near the training field. They found Bronze Sword performing maintenance on a few swords. Apparently, the building served as weapon storage as well as housing for the village’s defenders.

            “Just like that?” Twilight asked. The other ponies had at least been a TAD bit more reluctant.

            “Yep, just like that,” she said. “Your little bodyguard helped us on a rescue mission, and you helped make sure we won’t have a food problem for quite a while, meaning we can put more time into training ponies who what to know how to fight, and give us time to find defensive plants.”

            “Defensive plants?” Flash asked.

            “Sure. Many of the plants here in the forest are dangerous. As such, we actually plant their seeds around the outer edges of the village. The closest ones are about a mile away from the village.”

            “But what if a runaway pony accidently runs into them?” Spike asked.

            “Fluffy finds any ponies that come within at least five miles of the village,” Bronze Sword said. “That’s partly why we go out to help them. Partly to make sure they’re not soldiers or Butlers, but also so we can guide them back without them getting caught in something dangerous.”

            “I doubt they would stop an alicorn though,” Flash said.

            “Probably not, but they would at least give us time to warn the village so we could evacuate or prepare to defend ourselves.”

            “Smart.”

            “Ummm… about your story?” Twilight asked, trying not to sound rude.

            “Oh, sorry. Got a little sidetracked.” Bronze Sword said. “Well, my story begins the first time I met Shield Bearer.”

            “Who?” Spike asked, but it was Flash who quickly explained what he knew of the stallion. “Oh, so he’s your friend?”

            “Husband actually,” Bronze Sword said, giggling at the surprised expression on Flash’s face. “Don’t be so surprised, Flash. We have a strict rule of being professional when working.”

            “Well, obviously, but still…”

            Bronze Sword beamed. “Anyway, we first met, ironically enough, on the battle field. A group of mercenary griffons had recently been raiding both my lady’s and his lady’s land for gold and gems, and as such, both of them had dispatched us separately to go and reclaim the stolen riches. Of course, both groups just happened to engage the griffons at the same time, so things quickly got out of hoof.

“We both got separated from our fellow guards in the chaos, and eventually ended up fighting together to survive. He was a master at defensive combat, blocking blows with his shields, both physical and magical, while I, better trained with offensive weapons, would use the openings he gave me to land serious blows and drive them back. We were the perfect match.

“I’ll be honest, I fell for him almost immediately. The battle was supposed to be quick: dash in, kill the thieves, get back the gold, retreat. But almost as soon as we attacked, griffon reinforcements came charging in. Apparently we were hitting a much larger group then we thought, one that was also stealing from the fragments of the griffon empire.

“The battle took place in a complicated cave system, so occasionally we, or the enemy, would retreat, leaving us alone to recover our strength. During these lulls in the battle, we would hide in a side cave to rest and regain our strength. Even though we were from different ladies, he was so kind to me. He would always take the first watch to let me rest, help me dress my wounds before even looking at his own, and would even cast a shield over us to keep us warm.” Spike grinned, but the earth pony gave him a light swat over the head. “Mind your manners, little dragon. It was the middle of winter, so we needed the extra warmth.”

She sighed. “But, of course, it couldn’t last. After a week, the griffons were dead or in retreat, and we discovered the treasure at the center of the cave system. There was FAR more than we thought there would be, almost ten times the amount that had been stolen from either lady. Now, our ladies weren’t friends. In fact, they had a nasty habit of competing in rather…deadly competitions – never by themselves, of course. So as soon as we sent somepony to report this news to them, they immediately sent the pony back with reinforcements and orders for us to kill the other lady’s guards.”

“But you didn’t,” Twilight said. “Because of Shield Bearer.”

“Yep,” Bronze Sword said, smiling happily. “Big lug got the orders first and literally swept me off my hooves and carried me out of the cave where we found the treasure. He refused to put me down until we were far enough away that we couldn’t hear the fighting. I was so confused until he explained. It may seem silly, but something about him just carrying me away from danger, even disobeying his lady for me, was just so romantic. I think it made me love him even more.

“So we snuck away from the battle and headed for the only place an alicorn would never look: the Everfree Forest. This was about…ten years ago.” Bronze Sword giggled. “Fluffy actually snuck up on us when we were asleep. We didn’t hear her until she picked us up by the scruff of our necks and carried us back to the village like we were lost kittens. I’ve never heard Shield Bearer scream like a little filly before, heehee.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” came the stallion’s grumble as he trotted out of the house, head down in embarrassment.

“You totally were!” Bronze Sword said, laughing at the stallion before planting a kiss on his forehead. That seemed to cheer him up immensely. “Anyway, after a little interrogation from Applejack and losing our weapons for a month while we proved our trustworthiness, we eventually joined the growing village. We even began training other ponies how to fight and brought up the idea of sending search parties to rescue lost ponies, rather than just sending Fluffy.”

“I will say I’m glad ponies found us instead of a Manticore,” Flash said.

“At least Fluffy doesn’t hold knives in my face to wake me up,” Twilight complained, causing the others to giggle.

“I doubt fangs and a scorpion tail would be much better,” Shield Bearer grumbled, prompting more laughter.

“Anyway,” Bronze Sword continued, snuggling up to Shield Bearer, “this goof, after two years into our stay here, finally popped the question using a diamond ring he found hidden in the griffon’s stash before we fled. It was quite the exciting event, especially since we were the first wedding to ever be held here in the village.”

“You had a wedding?” Flash asked. “Like, a full-blown wedding? Out here? How?”

Both ponies just pointed to Pinkie, who was currently sitting and holding her head in her hooves, humming a little tune.

“She managed to make all of the decorations out of forest materials. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony move so fast,” Bronze Sword said, smiling.

“Who authenticated?” Twilight asked.

“Second Sight.” Bronze Sword said, smirking. “They say ‘love is blind,’ so who better to make it official?” Shield Bearer rolled his eyes and smiled.

“Best day of my life,” he said.

“It was a great party,” Pinkie agreed.

“But that’s pretty much it,” Bronze Sword said, nodding. “We got married, and spent the next eight years helping protect and expand the village.”

“What about foals?” Spike asked.

“We’ve decided against if for the moment. We personally think our jobs are too dangerous. Wouldn’t want them growing up without a parent. We do look after some of the younger ponies that want to learn how to fight, but other than that, we just decided to wait. Plus, this big lug needs me to keep him safe, so I can’t afford to spend nearly a year out of commission,” Bronze Sword said with a wink.

“I can take care of myself perfectly fine,” Shield Bearer defended.

“Sure you can, honey. Sure you can.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            “I-I guess that will be ok,” Fluttershy said, hiding behind her mane slightly. After talking with Bronze Sword and Shield Bearer, the group had gone to Second Sight’s house for lunch. Once there, they found that she was also hosting Fluttershy. As the meal progressed, Second Sight recommended Fluttershy tell them her story.

            “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Twilight said. “Second Sight already told us the basic details, so—“

            “It’s ok,” Fluttershy said. “I can tell you.”

            “Plus, it’ll let you see it from her perspective,” Second Sight added. Pinkie nodded.

            “Ok then,” Twilight said. “Whenever your ready, Fluttershy.”

            Fluttershy nodded slightly and took a deep breath. “Well, as you know, both me and Rainbow grew up living under Thorn. H-Her son Storm Brewer was in charge of training the pegasi to work and how to fly. He…wasn’t very nice about it, though. He would constantly berate anypony that didn’t do well. A-And if you spoke out against Thorn, like Rainbow did, he would either make you do more exercises, or insult you in front of everypony.

            “I was the worst flyer in the group, so he would berate me the most. He said it would build character, or motivate me to fly better. It didn’t, it really didn’t. I-I get nervous when others are watching me, so drawing attention to the fact that I had trouble flying only made me worse. It didn’t help that his criticism only encouraged bullies to tease me even more.” She looked down, but a small smile started to cross her face.

            “That’s actually how I met Rainbow. She just showed up one day to defend me from the bullies. She was the best flyer in the class, despite her attitude towards Thorn, so they had almost nothing they could use to insult her. And yet, she came to the defense of somepony like me.

            “We spent about three months together before…um, you know. She would always defend me from bullies, and even from Storm Brewer once or twice. She would even try to help me try to fly. It…It was probably the first time that I was actually happy at flight camp. But… then the test came.”

            As if anticipating what would happen, Pinkie got up and walked around the table to wrap Fluttershy in a hug. Fluttershy leaned into it and gave Pinkie a small smile of thanks.

            “O-One the day of the final flight test, Storm Brewer dropped a surprise on us. H-He said that if we didn’t pass, w-we would l-lose our wings. H-He said a p-pegasus that can’t fly h-has no n-need for w-wings. T-The idea of loosing my wings t-terrified me so badly I couldn’t even get them open w-when it was my turn to fly. And even w-worse, the cloud safety platform b-broke when I hit it, m-meaning I was going to fall a-almost a mile to the ground.”

            Fluttershy shivered in Pinkie’s grip. “I-I though my life was over. That I’d end up as nothing more then a smear on the ground. I-I just closed my eyes and waited for the end. B-But then, I heard an explosion.”

            “An explosion?” Spike asked.

Fluttershy nodded.

            “R-Rainbow broke the rules and came flying after me. B-but in order to catch me, she accidently pulled of something a normal pegasus has never done before. A sonic rainboom.”

            “Really!?” Twilight asked in shock. “I didn’t even think it was possible for a pegasus to do that. Even alicorns can barely do it, at least according to the books in Lady Celestia’s library.”

            “It was a shock to me too,” Fluttershy said. “I was so amazed that I barely even realized that she had grabbed me and flown me safely to the ground. I…I was so grateful I just hugged her and refused to let go until the butlers arrived.” Fluttershy shivered. “T-They forced us apart and took us to c-cells. They put wing restraints on us and shackles on our hooves. I-I was so afraid as they left us for the night, but the memory of Rainbow doing what should have been impossible gave me hope. I-I can’t explain why, but it just felt like things would be ok in the end.

            “The next day, we were brought out in front of everypony in Thorn’s property. S-She said I was going t-to lose my wings, and t-that Rainbow would lose one, m-me for failing, h-her for breaking the rules. B-but I didn’t even have a chance to let the terror sink in before Rainbow suddenly called Thorn out.

            “S-she insulted her, said that she wouldn’t know a good punishment if it kicked her in the flank. Thorn was outraged, and said she would cut her wing off herself. A-And then Rainbow offered up the b-bet. She said she could lose both her wings without crying out in pain, that she could handle it. Thorn said she was bluffing, but Rainbow persisted, and said that if she could, I-I would go free, and c-could keep my wings.”

            Fluttershy hugged Pinkie like she was a stuffed animal, burying her face in the earth pony’s mane. “S-she didn’t have to do that. I-I know it hurt her. W-When the first wing was c-c-cut off, she nearly cried out. B-but then she looked me in the eyes. I-I could see her fear, see the pain, b-but as soon as she saw me, something overrode it. S-She had a look I had seen many times from her. One of pure d-determination.

            “She didn’t even flinch when she lost her second wing. Thorn was so mad s-she tried to c-cheat. She e-extended the bet until a-after she had u-used the flames from a nearby t-torch to close the wounds. S-She wanted to make Rainbow cry out, b-but she never did. S-she just looked at Thorn and s-said ‘I win’ before passing out.”

            “A-And I had to watch it all.”

By now, Fluttershy was sniffling frequently.

            “That was very brave of her,” Flash said gently. “I just can’t believe Thorn actually upheld the deal.”

            “I-It’s because she actually forgot about me. S-She was so m-mad that Rainbow won the bet that she just wanted to make h-her pay. I was just ignored, which I really didn’t complain with. I still had my wings bound, b-but she left me alone after tossing me in the farm’s cellar. Actually, if she hadn’t put me on the farm, I may have never discovered my special talent.

            “You discovered it because of the mole, right?” Spike asked.

            “Oh, um, partly.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened, like she hadn’t thought about this memory in a long time. “He was the first time I realized that I could talk to animals, but I didn’t really think much of it since I was still so sad. But when the other animals on the farm realized I could understand them, they all worked to cheer me up. They wanted me to smile and feel better, a-and something about their encouragement just made me feel better.

            “It was only when I helped one of chickens that had a broken leg that I realized that helping the animals, just like they helped me, was what I wanted to do with my life. It was then that my cutie mark appeared. It…It was perfect.”

            “But then I’m sure Second Sight mentioned the farmer, and how he suddenly became extra cruel. I…I don’t know what happened. When I first arrived, he just didn’t seem to care about us at all. But then it was like we were the worst criminals in Equestria. He would work all day and into the night, then give barely enough food to survive.

            “I…I was the newest one there, so I-I thought I could go the longest without eating. T-There were ponies who needed it more than I did, so I gave it away.”

            “And nearly got yerself in a whole heap of trouble,” Second Sight said. “I was scared to death you wouldn’t make it.”

            “I’m sorry,” Fluttershy said. “But I just wanted to help. Just like Rainbow helped me. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her, and I knew some of the others wouldn’t make it if they didn’t get enough food.”

            “But then Rainbow came?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled slightly.

            “She was so reckless. She just broke the door down, picked me up, and started running once she was sure the others were following. When the farmer tried to stop us, I…I thought for sure she was going to kill him. But…I asked her not to.”

            “You what?” Twilight asked in surprise.

            “I asked her to spare him. He was just doing his job, and Thorn was probably the one pushing him to be cruel, or at least I though that might be happening. But he wasn’t to blame, and…killing is never the answer, even for somebody as cruel as him, or even Thorn.”

            “Even Thorn?” Spike asked, “Even after everything she’s done?”

            “Even her,” Fluttershy said. “Death is never the answer. Maybe if we found a way to lock her up, that would be ok, but killing her? No. That would just make us as bad as she is. We need to be better than her, or the other alicorns, otherwise nothing will ever change.”
> Chapter 10: Sacrifice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later…

For the next few days, Twilight, Flash, Spike, and Pinkie all went around the village, hearing the stories of the ponies who lived there. Pinkie did know almost all of them, but she let everypony share without interrupting. Despite many of the ponies still being nervous or suspicious of Twilight, many were now willing to give her a chance due to her accidentally solving their food problem. However, today, they heard a story from the last pony they expected. 
“Hey, Twilight,” a voice called out, catching the group’s attention as they entered Second Sight’s house for lunch. Sitting at the table was none other than Rainbow Dash, armorless for the first time since they met her. She still wore the straps for her knives and kept on a worn shirt, but even those couldn’t cover the bulge of her wing stubs.
“Rainbow?” Twilight asked, not expecting the ex-pegasus to be here. “What are you doing here?”
“Came looking for you,” Rainbow said, standing up. Flash frowned and looked at her warily, which made Rainbow roll her eyes. “Calm down, dude. I’m not here to attack her or anything. I came for my turn.”
Flash blinked. “Your turn?”
Rainbow nodded. “I want her to hear my story. She may have already heard part of it from Fluttershy, but I want her to hear what it was like for me.”
“Why?”
“Because I understand what she’s trying to do,” Rainbow continued. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I still don’t exactly like her, and I still think she doesn’t understand us, but the fact that she’s gone around and listened to more than half the village’s stories shows that she at least cares enough to try and learn what it’s like to be us. If she’s willing to do that, then the least I can do is try to help her understand.”
“And Fluttershy talked you into it, didn’t she?” Second Sight said with a wry look.
Rainbow groaned, but nodded, which made Second Sight and Pinkie laugh. Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak, riding on Second’s back, giggled as well. The foals had taken a liking to the blind mare and vice versa, so when they asked if they could stay with her, she had agreed instantly.
“So, what do you say?” Rainbow asked. “It won’t be pretty, but do you want to hear it?” 
Twilight nodded, though she was a little hesitant. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
“Then I should at least hear you out.” 
Flash nodded, while Second Sight left the room, knowing the story wasn’t one for children. 
Rainbow nodded and sat back down. “I’m sure Fluttershy told you about how I stuck up for her back at Thorn’s flight camp. In truth, it wasn’t about her, at least not at first. I just hated how some ponies think that being bigger or stronger gives them the right to treat the rest of us like trash. Thorn was always doing that, and so were the ponies she put in charge of helping oversee her property. Other foals picked up on this and would start to imitate them, especially if they were older or bigger than other foals. 
“I knew I couldn’t stop Thorn, but I thought at least I could stop some of the foals that followed her example. It was only after defending Fluttershy that I got to know her. She was, well, awesome. She’s caring and sweet, and probably the nicest pony I had ever met. Most ponies on Thorn’s property would only be nice if it got them something. Real friendships are rare in places like that. If you see somepony you know getting beaten, it’s easier to just disconnect. But ‘Shy didn’t do that. She would have befriended everyone if they had just given her a chance, and she would have meant each and every one.”
Rainbow sighed. “But then that stupid flight test came. The teacher was always hardest on her, and when the cloud safety net broke, he didn’t even move. His face was calm, like he expected it to happen. I’ll bet anything he made it weaker so she would need to fly…or die. Makes me sick just thinking about it.
“She was the only pony who was my friend. A REAL friend. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. So I broke the ‘no interfering with others flight test’ rule and took off after her. Stupid instructor even chased after me to try and stop me, but that just convinced me to push harder. I…I still don’t even know what happened. One minute I was still too far away from her, the next…”
Rainbow shook her head. “It was like this…force just took over. I began speeding up and the next thing I knew, BOOM!” 
Twilight and the others jumped as she jumped up and waved her hooves about, but Rainbow continued as though nothing happened. “I did the one thing no pony thought was possible! Me, a regular pegasus, pulled of the legendary SONIC RAINBOOM! It was AWSOME!” She sunk back into her chair, smiling. 
“It was amazing. The shockwave was so strong knocked the teacher right out of the air, even though he was behind me! I saved Fluttershy and did something thought to be impossible by any pony other than alicorns. It was the best moment of my life, and even if it cost me my wings, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Because for just a moment, I was better and more incredible than even Thorn, and nopony can tell me otherwise. And I now had my cutie mark to prove it.”
She slumped as the smile slowly fell from her face. “But… well, you know what happened next.”
“Is it true you insulted Thorn so she would make the bet with you?” Spike asked. 
“Yep,” Rainbow said, straightening up. “After ‘Shy and I were locked up, I knew something bad was gonna happen, but I had no idea it would be that horrible. I was horrified when she said my sentence, but when she said Fluttershy’s, I was OUTRAGED. To even think of doing that to someone so… so… I don’t even know, but I refused to just let Thorn maim Fluttershy. So I did the only think I could. I bluffed.”
“Bluffed?” Flash asked.
“I didn’t really think I could hold out losing both my wings without crying out, but I couldn’t just let it happen. I had to try and stop it. Even if I wore a brave face, I…I was terrified. From the moment I started insulting her to the moment she dragged me onto the stage to do the deed, I thought for sure my life was over, that I would…fail… Fail to protect Fluttershy. ”
She shivered. “The first axe strike took off my right wing. I…I can’t even begin to describe the pain. It hurt so much, both physically…and mentally. I could FEEL it, the feathers falling away, the realization that I would never fly again, all of it as the axe struck. I barely contained my cry, I don’t know how, but I did. My eyes were filled with tears, and I think I bit my tongue so hard it bled. And yet through all of it, my eyes opened slightly, and I saw Fluttershy.
“She was crying too. She was just as afraid as I was. Not because she would be next if I failed, but because she didn’t want her friend to be hurt like this. She didn’t want me to take the punishment for her, to get hurt protecting her. But I had to. She was the only friend I had, and I’d be dammed to Tartarus if I let her suffer the same way I did. Keeping her safe, making sure she wouldn’t be subjected to the same torture, filled me with determination. 
“I wouldn’t let her suffer like this, no matter what.
“The next strike didn’t even faze me. The only think I cared about protecting Fluttershy. Thorn was so desperate to get me to call out, she tried to cheat by extending the bet and making it so that if I cried out while she used the nearby torches to burn the wounds shut, I would lose. I didn’t care. Keeping her safe was all that mattered. When she was done, I stood there, and I told her exactly what I thought. I won, and she couldn’t do anything about it.” 
Even though it was only a half one and it looked sad, Rainbow smirked.
“Seems a little risky to taunt her like that,” Flash said. Rainbow rolled her eyes. 
“I wasn’t gonna let her walk all over me. She did that to everypony, and I wasn’t gonna let it continue. Not without consequences. Take my advice, if you’re ever captured by an alicorn, don’t let them see your weaknesses. Stand tall, even if you’re chained to the floor, and act like you’re the one in control, because the moment they see a weakness, they’ll exploit it.”
‘Just like the Queen,’ Twilight thought, remembering back to the conversation she had with her in the cell. The queen had been in complete control, and had pretty much reduced her to a quivering mess, all with just her words. Granted, standing up and resisting might not have been a good idea in that PARTICULAR situation, but Twilight could appreciate the sentiment.
Rainbow continued. “After that, I passed out. I don’t know if it was from blood loss or shock or some other medical thing, but I was out like a light. When I woke up, I was locked in a small metal cell with a tiny barred window far out of my reach. I wasn’t chained up, but there wasn’t any real reason to be. I couldn’t get out, and they had a tiny slot in the door for food, so they didn’t need to worry about me jumping them three times a day.
“It…still wasn’t exactly pleasant. For the first two weeks, I just lay on the tiny bed. Besides that and a barred hole in the floor, which served as my bathroom, there was literally nothing. I couldn’t even see out the window because it was too high. I would only get a little bit of sunlight at noon or moonlight at midnight, but that was about it. Well, that and a bit of rain since the cell was underground, but that wasn't much of a problem for me. 
“I also had trouble sleeping, for obvious reasons. 
“The guards would act like I was just a caged animal, throwing the food in lazily, talking down to me whenever they could. Heck, some of them would come by every morning just to taunt me. Sickos. I tried to talk back, but they just laughed at my attempts. Kinda hard to show them you’re tough when your locked in a cell. 
But at least one of the new guards accidently let slip that Fluttershy was ok while he was walking past. That had been keeping me up at night, so at least I could rest a bit easier knowing my stupid plan actually worked. But after those first two weeks, something…awesome happened.”
“Something awesome?” Twilight asked. Rainbow nodded. 
“I made another friend.
“One afternoon, when I was napping because I was bored out of my mind, I heard somepony outside the window. And man, was she annoying. She was wailing and sobbing about something really minuscule. I don’t even remember what it was, but I’m pretty sure she said something about a stain. Eh, doesn’t matter. Anyway, I yelled up at her to be quiet, and she asked how I could dare to interrupt her sorrow and started using these fancy words I never even heard of. Between all the strange vocab and her funny accent, I wasn’t sure she was even real for a moment.
“I eventually got so tired of her ranting that I told her unless it was as bad as losing my wings, she should just suck it up and move on. She was quiet for a time, after which…she apologized. And not a fake apology. She really meant it. I could tell because she sounded almost like Fluttershy for a minute, so much so that I found myself telling her it was no big deal and apologizing for snapping at her.
“She had to leave soon after, but she promised to come back and talk to me. And she actually did. It wasn’t too often, but just hearing someone other than the guards talk to me was… nice. It really broke up the monotony and gave me something to do. Granted, I didn’t take much interest in her job, but she was pretty nice and just being able to talk to anyone was a-ok in my book.”
“Did you learn her name?” Flash asked. 
“Rarity. She was apparently recruited by Thorn as a designer after she showed a talent in both dresses and gem finding. She didn’t like making things for her, but it was a stable job and kept her out of trouble. More importantly, it gave her full access to Thorn’s house, which just happened to be where I was being held.”
Rainbow shook her head. “I…I wish I could have gotten her out with me. But I didn’t have the time. I was in too much of a rush to get out. But if it weren’t for her… I’d still be locked up. Crazy filly somehow found out what cell I was in and then proceeded to steal the key and drop it through the window in the dead of night.
“She risked everything she had – and possibly her life – all to help me, a random filly she spoke to through a small barred window. We never even saw what the other looked like. Yet she was willing to take a chance to free me. Talk about generosity.
“Anyway, the moment I had the key, I ran to the door. The lock was on the outside, of course, but they had left the food slot open, if you can call what they gave me food. I dislocated my forehoof to get it out far enough to slide the key in and open the door. It hurt, but the fact that I was escaping was enough for me to bear it. Granted, it did slow me down, but not by much.
Rainbow looked away, as if unsure to continue. It took her a moment, but she did take a breath and kept going. “Just…keep in mind how I had been treated when you hear this next part. I did something I…regret, looking back on it.
“It all started when I came across a Butler in the prison. He…He wore these knives.” She gestured to the blades on her chest. Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized where this was going. “They were enchanted to always return to their owner. If I throw one of them, I can summon them back to my belt any time I want, just by thinking. It’s kinda cool since I have unlimited knives, but…it only works for me because I killed the last owner. It…caused the enchantment to transfer to me.” 
Rainbow hesitated, letting that fact sink in. Twilight shivered slightly, subconsciously reaching up to rub the scar on her neck. Despite her relationship with the ex-pegasus, she still reached her hoof out, gently patting Rainbow’s. Rainbow blinked, but smiled ever so slightly at the gesture. 
Rainbow took a deep breath. “I was so angry when I got out, so empowered, that when I saw the original owner with his back turned, I…I lost it. I leapt at him and grabbed the topmost knife and before he could call for help, I stabbed him in the neck, and I just kept doing it over, and over, and over…” 
Rainbow took a shaky breath. “I…I tore him to shreds, I…I just couldn’t stop, and when I did, h-he must have already been dead for a good three minutes. I…I vomited. I was so ashamed at myself for doing it, but at the same time I just felt so ALIVE! I-It was like I was finally free, finally taking control of my destiny. But every time I started to think like that, I…I just imagined what Fluttershy would have though if she saw me like that. T-That though hurt even more than losing my wings.
“So, after I regained control, I took his knives, and made a run for the exit. I…I still had to kill a few Butlers before I got out, but I didn’t lose control again. I…I just buried the idea for the moment and focused on getting out. Once I left the prison, I jumped out a window on the first floor and hightailed it to the farm. There was only one farm that kept prisoners, so it was easy for Rarity to figure out which one it was and tell me where it was located.”
Rainbow barred her teeth. “When I found Fluttershy, I was both relieved, and angry as Tartarus. She was alive, but she was so weak, it just…I wanted to go back to the house just to attack Thorn, even if it would have been pointless. Thankfully, Second Sight talked enough sense into me so that I simply settled with saving Fluttershy and the rest of them.
“But then the farmer came and tried to stop us. He…He insulted Fluttershy, called her useless and weak. I gave her to Second Sight and then proceeded to kick the farmer’s flank. But…” Rainbow’s face became calm. “When I was about to finish him, Fluttershy called out and told me to stop. She… She said that I should let him live. I was…stunned. He hurt her, made her nothing more than skin and bones, and yet she still wanted to spare him.
“I asked her why, and she just said ‘It’s not his fault.’ And… that’s why we still don’t kill ponies here. Even guards or butlers.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked. Rainbow shook her head.
“Both Applejack and I came to the same conclusion when we escaped. The Butlers, the guards, the ponies the alicorns put in charge, they’re not the enemy. They didn’t ask to be raised or trained or whatever it was that caused them to become heartless. It was all the alicorns. They are the ones that make these rules, train their forces to be so ruthless, come up with these harsh punishments. 
“That farmer, the Butlers I killed, they were all just as trapped as I was in that cell. They need to do what they do, or they end up on the side I was on, the side that gets punished and tortured. They’re…victims, just like we were. That’s why I just tied him to a tree and covered him in honey and feathers. Why we didn’t kill those Butlers in the forest. I was still fuming, and I couldn’t just let him get away with what he had done, but killing him? That’s just… it just isn’t right. Doesn’t mean I couldn't humiliate him though.”
“About the killing,” Flash said cautiously. “Does Fluttershy know?”
“Yeah, she does. Once she was better, I…I told her. I thought she was gonna hate me. But it’s Fluttershy. She forgave me, and even said that the fact that it bothered me means I’m still a good pony. Not so sure on that last bit, but I guess I’ll just take her word for it.” She gave them a small smirk. “And…that’s pretty much it.” 
“Wow,” Spike muttered. 
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Twilight said, looking at the floor. “I doubt I could have done anything I were there, but still. No pony should have to go through that. Especially…”
“The killings?”
“Yea…”
“How did Applejack come to the conclusion about Butlers?” Flash asked.
“I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “The only thing I know is she was going to be a Butler, but the training failed and she escaped. Maybe having lived through it the training, she knows they’re not inherently evil. I really don’t know though.”
	
“It is a mystery,” Second Sight said, coming back into the room with the foals. “Not even my incredible wit could break through to her.”
“That’s a surprise,” Flash said with a small smile, only half serious. 
“Quiet, you,” Second Sight said, lightly thumping the back of the head. “I’m hilarious. If this was a story, I’d be the comic relief.”
“I think Pinkie fits that role better,” Spike said, getting a beaming smile from the pink mare. 
Second Sight was about to respond when the door burst open and Bronze Sword came to a skidding stop.
“Rainbow…” she wheezed. “We have…an EMERGENCY!” 
“What is it?” Rainbow said, all serious and straight-laced like she hadn’t just relived the worst days of her life.
“Our scout’s reported back an invasion! It’s Thorn,” she said. “Her ENTIRE Butler force, and the psycho herself, are in the north part of forest!”
“WHAT!?” everyone yelled, jumping to their feet.
Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak, however, yelled something different.
“MOMMY’S HERE?!” they cried in terror, drawing all eyes to them.
“MOMMY?!”
The foals flinched, terrified of all the eyes now locked onto them, but Second Sight simply took them off her back and brought them into her forehooves.
“It’s ok, dearies,” Second Sight said, gently cradling the terrified siblings. “I think you need to tell us what your story is, quickly. Can you do that?” 
They hesitated, but nodded. 
“W-We’re Thorn’s youngest children,” Silver Wind said. 
“S-She was training us to r-run the estate,” Sturdy Oak said, eyes starting to tear. “J-Just like she does w-with all her kids. B-But we didn’t like it. I-I have my limp because s-she would beat me i-if we didn’t do what she wanted, o-or if we questioned her.”
“H-He would take the blame for me,” Silver Wind said, also crying. “S-So I wouldn’t get hurt. W-We overheard some of Mommy’s Butlers t-talking about ponies in the forest. W-We didn’t want to be l-like our brother. He…He ran the farm with Miss Fluttershy.” 
“Yikes,” Flash muttered, summing up what everypony in the room felt at the news.
“W-We didn’t want to be like him,” Sturdy Oak said. “M-Mommy would threaten him or h-hit him if he didn’t listen to her, or i-if he didn’t make enough food. We… We didn’t want to be like that for the rest of our lives… so we ran.”
“B-But now she’s HERE! AND SHE’S GONNA TAKE US BACK!” Silver Wind cried, breaking down. Sturdy Oak didn’t fare much better. Second Sight just cradled them and did her best to comfort them.
“Shhh, shhh, it’s ok. We won’t let that bad alicorn get you,” she whispered.
“Bronze, what’s Thorn doing? How many ponies does she have?” Rainbow asked, trying, and failing to keep her voice level.
“W-we think she had about a hundred Butlers with her. No other soldiers, and Fluttershy says Fluffy can’t find any other scents. It’s just her and her Butlers. As for her path… She’s heading right for us.”
“No…”
“Yes… A-Applejack’s triggered the evacuation, and plan Delta.”
“Plan Delta?” Flash asked. 
“All the non-combatants are going to evacuate to the safe house a ways outside the village. It’s a large cave with a small, well hidden entrance. It’s almost impossible to find unless you know where it is. E-Every pony who can fight is going to stay here. W-We’re gonna make it look like we’re the only ones here, and hope it stops her.” 
“What…What if somepony went to catch her attention…” Twilight asked, her voice cracking slightly. “Somepony she hated, and wanted revenge on?” 
“What are you—“ Rainbow began, only for Flash to cut her off.
“Absolutely not.”
“Flash—“
“NO! You are NOT distracting her!”
“She hates me! She tried to kill me as soon as I ascended!”
“I know! I was THERE! I was terrified she would actually succeed!”
	
“It’s me or everyone here! Even if they fight, she KNOWS her kids are here in the forest somewhere! If she doesn’t find them, she will KEEP LOOKING!” Twilight was sobbing, but didn’t stop. “They don’t deserve to be sent back there. If the Queen is looking for me, then chances are Thorn is gonna need to send me back there or risk her wrath.”
“Or she’ll just keep you locked up and not tell the Queen!” Spike says. “And who knows what she will do to you then!”
“I’m with them,” Bronze Sword said. “She could just torture you for who knows how long and the Queen would never know! It’d be suicide to try and distract her.”
“We don’t even know if that would stop her.” Rainbow said sadly. 
“It’s not worth the risk,” Pinkie said.
“But if there’s a chance to stop her, save the village—”
“No, Twilight, as your guard and your friend, I refuse to let you do this.”
Twilight froze, staring at Flash.
“Would you stop me?” she asked, prompting everyone but Flash’s eyes to widen in shock. 
“If I needed to,” he said. He was as stealthy as ever, but Twilight had spent enough time with him to know he was reaching into his suit for a sleeper bomb. “Don’t make me do this, Twilight.”
She swallowed hard.“ I-I won’t,” she choked out. “And I-I’m sorry…”
“Sor—“ Flash started, but that was all he had time to say.
With a bright wave of purple magic, Twilight overloaded a sleep spell, knocking Flash, Spike, Bronze Sword, Pinkie, and Rainbow unconscious in less than a second. The bomb harmlessly rolled from Flash’s wing, and even asleep, he managed to look like he was crying.
“I’m s-sorry,” Twilight breathed. 
“Are you sure about this, dearie?” Second Sight asked calmly. She and the foals had moved out of range of the spell, looking defeated.
“N-No,” Twilight said, still crying. “B-But I can’t let T-Thorn find everyone. I-If I need to get hurt to s-stop her, t-then I’ll do it.”
“T-Thank you,” Silver Wing whispered, catching Twilight’s attention. “I-I think it’s brave of you. I-I’m sorry we did this.”
“It wasn’t you,” Twilight said, her voice a bit more stable. “You just wanted to be safe, happy. A-And you don’t deserve to be hurt by her.”
“Still, t-thank you. E-even if you f-fail, t-thank you for t-trying.”
“You have a plan?” Second Sight asked.
“Fly out, get seen, divert her attention, try and fly out to get seen by the Queen’s forces before she catches me. Hope Flash can get me out,” Twilight said, sounding like she was reciting a to-do list. “It should give enough time for everyone to get to safety, and hopefully stop her interest in the forest until Applejack can think of a plan.”
“You’re taking a big risk. Are you sure about this?”
“No, b-but these ponies don’t deserve to be captured and forced to live through that T-Tartarus again.” She took a deep breath. 
“Seems Rainbow’s wearing off on you. Bold, but dangerous. Good luck, dearie. I promise we’ll come for you.”
“Don’t risk yourself for me,” Twilight muttered as she walked towards the door. “I’m not worth it.” 
And with that she took off into the air. 
She still wobbled a bit, but her practice was paying off. She took one last look at the village. Everything was in chaos as ponies ran about grabbing everything they could. Derpy was carrying her youngest daughter to the south while the eldest ran behind them. Applejack was passing a small filly off to another pony, before she and Big Mac ran towards the north side of town. 
All of them were worried. Twilight could see it on their faces. But she felt proud of them too. They were faced with something that could doom them all, and those who could fight were still doing everything they could to save those who couldn’t. She took a deep breath, got one final look at her temporary home, and beat her wings higher. She heard a few shouts as she flew north. One from Derpy, telling her she was going the wrong way, another from Shield Bearer, yelling at her to wait. She ignored them. She had to help them, even if it cost her her own freedom. 
She flew, dodging trees, branches, and the occasional dangerous plant. The longer she flew, the better she felt. It seemed as though Thorn was a good ways away from the village – Twilight might be able to protect its secrecy after all.
After a quiet fifteen minutes, she heard a crash. Below her, a few Butlers were cutting through the underbrush of the forest. A Timberwolf leapt out, but a quick blast of red magic lashed out and smashed it to splinters. Coming out from behind a tree, Thorn stood tall and firm, her red eyes glaring at the forest. 
Twilight landed high in a tree to see if she could find a way to distract her without immediately calling attention to herself, but the branch she was standing on quickly broke out from under her and fell towards the forest floor, landing on a Butler’s head and knocking him out instantly. Thorn’s eyes immediately flew upwards and widened as she saw Twilight. 
“You!” she hissed.
‘Oh dear,’ Twilight thought as she hovered. She thought of just flying away right then and there and hoping for the best, but then she remembered Rainbow’s story. If she needed to make sure Thorn chased her, then it was time to pull a Rainbow. Twilight reached a hoof up and pulled her bottom eyelid down while sticking her tongue out. 
“Naaaaaa,” she taunted, before turning north and soaring away as Thorn screamed in rage. 
Thorn might be a faster flier, but Twilight had one particular advantage in the forest –she was smaller. She easily dodged through the tree branches while Thorn could not. And with Twilight’s little taunt, Thorn was so mad she never even thought of using her magic. 
“GET HER!” the red alicorn roared as she tried to smash her way through the branches. Her Butlers were slow to respond, giving Twilight a chance to get some distance. She flew away from the trail they had carved through the forest, forcing the unicorn and earth ponies to try and fight their through the underbrush to keep up. It was a losing battle. 
The pegasi had it easier, but a few blasts of magic caused more tree branches from above to fall and served to make the path she took harder to follow. Twilight was actually keeping ahead of them, and it almost made her laugh. She hoped she could keep it up. 
And she was able to for a good five minutes. 
Then a lightning bolt spell flew between the branches and nailed her in the side. 
Her vision blurred, she hit a branch, and she passed out as she tumbled down to the forest floor below. 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Hey, Shield?”
“Yeah, Thunder?”
“Aren’t Thorn’s forces supposed to be here by now?”
“How should I know? You and Lightning were the ones that saw her, and you were the one who came back to us. Shouldn’t you know if they should be here by now?”
“I don’t know how long it takes a group of ponies that big to travel through the forest. We hardly ever leave with more that five ponies. I just feel like we’ve been waiting for too long.”
Shield Bearer was going to respond, but he was interrupted as Lightning flew out of the forest. His face was grim, and he looked almost like he was in shock. 
“Lightning! Report!” Applejack yelled from the top of the wall. She was still watching the forest.  
“Stand down. They’re retreating.” Lightning said. 
“What!? WHY?” Applejack cried in shock. 
Lightning looked up at her.
“Twilight sacrificed herself for us. Thorn has her.”
> Chapter 11: End of act 1: Igniting the Fires of Hope
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Slight trigger warning. There is a very... violent and blood scene about half way into the story, indicated by ***. Skip it if you dislike blood, violence, and sweet, sweet revenge) (Also, I am putting the music that I best think fits with the fight scene in the authors notes, just incase you want something awesome to listen to)

Twilight groaned. Her head and side stung quite a bit. She remembered the branch, and the lightning. But after that, nothing. She felt like she should be more panicked by the fact that she was struck by FREAKING LIGHTNING, but she currently lacked the brain power to freak out. That, and it hurt surprisingly less than she thought it should. She’d worry about that later. As she moved slightly, she could feel a weight on her horn, sides, and hooves. It didn't take her long to realize that they were probably restraints.
She heard a voice mutter something before a door slammed shut. Twilight ignored that for now and just tried to focus on figuring out where she was. The ground was hard and cold, implying that she was inside, and the fact that she couldn't smell trees indicated that she was no longer in the forest. She could also smell a bit of mold, so chances are she was in a dungeon cell. 	
Again. 
Her ear twitched as she heard the sound of a door opening, followed by heavy hoof steps and the bang of the door closing once again. The bang was so loud it caused her ears to fold downwards in instinct. 
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” came a smug, satisfied voice, catching Twilight’s attention. “A little upstart who thinks she can rise above her position of dirt beneath my hooves.”
“That sounds familiar,” Twilight muttered, keeping her eyes closed. “But where’s the sound of buildings being smashed?” 
Twilight didn’t know where the snark had come from, but she regretted it as a strong leg swiftly kicked her in the stomach, making the pain in her side erupt. Her eyes flew open and she found herself face-to-face with the enraged face of Thorn. 
Part of her was terrified. Scratch that, she was paralyzed by fear. Seeing the villain of many of the villagers’ stories in front of her was horrifying. She wanted to struggle to her knees and beg for mercy, but then she remembered what Rainbow had said.
Take my advice, if you’re ever captured by an alicorn, don’t let them see your weaknesses. Stand tall, even if you’re chained to the floor, and act like you’re the one in control, because the moment they see a weakness, they’ll exploit it.
She swallowed the lump of terror in her throat and stared into Thorn’s red eyes.
“Weren’t you taller?” Twilight asked from her position on the ground. Thorn intensified her glare.
“Someone in your position may be wise to keep her mouth shut,” Thorn growled. 
“I’ve been awake for less than a minute. I don’t exactly know my position, especially since the only thing I can see is your face,” Twilight said. 
She wasn’t lying. Thorn was so close, she couldn’t see anything else. Thorn just snorted before straightening up. 
Twilight quickly gathered her bearings as she sat up. She was in a small stone room, empty except for a small hole in the floor in the corner. There were no windows, and the door was heavily reinforced. She was once again wearing wing restraints, hoof cuffs, and a full horn inhibitor, as she expected. 
“I have been waiting to get my hooves on you,” Thorn hissed, smiling viciously. “I still owe you for Canterlot. TWICE!” 
“Twice? What was the second time?”
“When that blasted element NEARLY BROKE MY HORN!” Thorn yelled. Twilight blinked and looked up. True to her word, her horn was still covered in small cracks, though none looked too serious. 
“How is that MY fault?” Twilight asked. “That’s like saying I wanted this thing stuck to my neck. And shouldn’t I be on my way to Canterlot? I’m pretty sure the Queen wants me and—” 
She was silenced by Thorn kicking her in the gut again, causing her to double over and wheeze. 
“Don’t talk to me like you’re my equal. You’re still nothing but a peasant acting like a god. You have no right to the powers you have!”
“And you do?” Twilight coughed out. Thorn just snorted. 
“I was born an alicorn, you peasant! You just became one out of shear luck! Even my children who aren’t alicorns should be grateful that I let them be more than just common dribble! I came to that wrenched forest to find my two ungrateful brats, but finding you was an unexpected surprise,” she said, smirking viciously. “But a welcome one.”
“I take it the Queen doesn’t know?”
“Of course not, you twit! She gave all of us the means to capture you, but I plan on… playing with you for a long, long time.” Thorn laughed, the wicked smile never leaving her face. “To make sure you know just how big of a mistake you have made in crossing me.”
Twilight had to swallow again. ‘Stand tall,’ she thought. ‘I have to be in control.’ She took a deep breath and raised one eyebrow. “And when she finds out? I really don’t think the Queen will be happy. Plus, didn’t the element blast you last time?”
“That’s why I’ll just get my butlers to do it. Some of them need to be replaced soon anyway. You’d best be prepared. I have quite the surprise waiting for you tomorrow.”
“Will there be cake?” Twilight asked, only to be slapped across the face. With that, Thorn left, slamming the door behind her, and only then did Twilight let herself groan. Lying there on the floor until she stopped hurting sounded good, but she but she couldn’t help but giggle a little. She hadn’t brought out this much sass in…she couldn’t actually remember when.  
‘I think Rainbow would be proud of me,’ she thought. She sighed.
She was captured, locked up, and was at Thorn’s mercy, but it didn’t seem like Thorn had found the village, so that was good. Flash, Spike, the foals…they were still safe. Even if she was here, at least they weren’t. 
That was a very brave thing you did. It seems I was right about you.
Twilight startled and tried to cry out as the smooth female voice sounded in her head. But her own voice never came out. Her eyes widening, she tried speaking, but no noise came out.
It would be best if we were not heard. Simply think what you want to say, and I will hear it.
“Who are you? WHAT are you!? WHY ARE YOU IN MY HEAD?!” Twilight frantically thought.
Look down.
Twilight blinked and looked down. The Element of Magic, still in the dark purple torc, was glowing softly. Twilight then realized she no longer in pain. Her injuries were glowing pink, just like the element. 
“No.”
Yes. I am the Element of Magic. You may call me…Magi. 
“I…that…HUH!?!?!?!?”
You didn’t think my siblings and I were simply rocks, did you? Or weapons? No, we are fully sentient. We are…or were, guardians, working with the alicorns to help protect the world. 
“But WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING UNTIL NOW!?”
Because I was…sick.
Twilight blinked. “Sick?” How could a gem, even a sentient guardian gem, be sick?
I spent these last three thousand years trapped in the Miasma. I…had to seal myself in a stasis bubble to keep myself from being destroyed. But it wasn’t perfect. The damage you saw when I was first revealed was partly from when the cloud first attacked, partly from the Miasma left behind when it was destroyed. While your flare in the audience chamber healed most of my surface damage, there was still some internal damage that I had to fix with more precision. 
These last few weeks, I have been passively absorbing your excess magic to heal myself. I had originally planed to heal myself entirely with your first flare, but the damage was too great. Although I would have still absorbed your magic even if I had been fully healed. 
“Why?”
While your body's change to that of an alicorn was rather quick, your magic takes a longer time to adjust to the presence of three magical sources compared to only one. This in turn would have normally led to a series of flares as the three magic types merged in your body, and would only stop once they became one. This is why you can still feel them as three types of magic rather than one. They have yet to join fully and form true alicorn magic. However, the reason you haven’t been having flares is because I have been absorbing the unstable magic and helping speed the merging process along. 
“But the night terror—”
Was out of my control. I did what I could, but your magic was tainted by your nightmare. I couldn’t absorb it. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.
“But in the assembly hall. What did you do?” Twilight asked, still remembering the immense pain she was in.
The element was silent.
“Magi?”
Have you ever wondered why, after so many years, I have only appeared now? Why I happened to latch onto you, and not somepony else?
“I…I’ve actually been so distracted with just learning how to cope with my…changes, that I’d actually forgotten. The only time I thought about it was when I first woke up.” Twilight thought sheepishly.
Magi actually chuckled. I noticed. But the question still stands.
“I...don’t know. Why me? There are thousands of ponies left. Maybe not as many as before the cloud, but…why did you pick me? And why now? If you had just waited, the Queen could have used you and—”
No, she couldn’t.
	
“Huh?” Twilight asked, taken aback by the element’s response. 
The Queen was wrong. She can’t heal Equestria with us.
“Why not?”
Because she is only one pony. At the very minimum, two ponies of incredible power are needed to use the elements, and even then, they must not only split the energy between themselves, but each one must also hold three attributes so that they may each use three individual elements.
“Attributes?”
Laughter. Loyalty. Generosity. Kindness. Honesty. Magic. These are the six attributes needed in this world. If a pony, or any sentient creature, is able to represent one of these attributes, that being can then wield the element that matches said attribute. Most creatures only hold one attribute, if they hold one at all, meaning that they can wield only one element. While it is possible for two creatures to us the elements by themselves, each one then must have three attributes so that they can then wield three elements. This not even counting the power needed to wield three elements simultaneously. There is also the fact that me and my siblings are actually the strongest when each of us has our own bearer, but I digress.	
“And the Queen can’t use you?” Twilight asked, trying to understand everything the element was telling her. 
Even if she were to contain any attributes, which she doesn’t, we can still judge those who would attempt to use us, and lock out those we deem to have misjudged reasoning. The queen can’t use any of us. Especially me. I…I am unique. There is something…extra that is needed to use me.
“And out of everyone in the world, I have it?” Twilight asked, feeling a bit skeptical.
There was a long pause.
No.
“But then why—”
You, out of everyone in the world, are the only one I can sense that has the potential to wield me. 
“The potential?”
You can’t use me yet. At least, not fully. Your attribute in magic has given you access to part of my power, and since I cannot sense any darkness in your heart, I have given you my approval, granting you a few more abilities you do not yet know of. But in order to use all of my power, you need to reach your full potential.
Twilight took a breath as she shook her head, glad she was sitting down. “And how do I unlock this potential?”
I can’t tell you that.
“Oh come on! You made me into a bucking alicorn, and you can’t tell me how or why?!” Twilight practically screamed in her head. 
	
The how is magic. As for why, I never said I couldn’t tell you why. So please, take a deep breath, and let me explain.
Twilight snorted, but did as she was told.
Thank you. When the cloud was destroyed, I was flung the shortest distance, landing only about a thousand feet from…our mother. The Tree of Harmony. I…felt her fade away. We all did. But I had no time to mourn as the Miasma formed and set about attacking me. I cast the stasis spell to keep myself isolated from it. In essence, it trapped me in a bubble where no time would pass. But at the same time, I left a way to…to stay in the loop, as you might say. Every fifty years, the part of the spell that stopped time would vanish, allowing me to peek out and scan the world, searching for a potential bearer. 
Since I am the embodiment of magic, I would use my ability’s to observe the creatures of the world through their magic. It was not a perfect method, and it did not tell me very much, but it did let me see if anyone currently alive had even a chance of wielding me. After a few days of scanning the magic of the world inhabitance, I would re activate the portion of the spell that stopped time for me, then try again fifty years later. 
My siblings would talk to me as well, but one after another they were found and locked away, leaving me in silence about two thousand years ago. But I continued to search, to look for someone, anyone who could wield me. But then, in the last cycle, I felt you. You were in Canterlot, under duress as your father was beaten. You were, intentionally or not, calling out to me. Your magic…it matched mine. You had the ability to interact with me, the potential to use me at my full power, to unlock your full potential, and you were the only one who could do so in almost three thousand years. 
So I responded. 
I sent the smallest portion of my power to you, giving you a small burst that was just big enough to trigger your natural magic. That’s what stated your flare, what allowed your magic to reveal itself, and what triggered your cutie mark’s formation. The fact that your cutie mark is an image of me confirmed to me that you would be the one to one day wield me.
This time, I did not reactivate the temporal part of my shield spell. I left that small portion of my magic inside you, and sent a message to my siblings. Even if they were locked away, we are still connected on a deeper level. This wasn't a vocal message like it would have been if they were free, but more of a… visceral message. It is hard to send, so we only use it in cases of emergency. They know that it is time to find their bearers, and it will take more than some anti-magic box to stop them.
“So in the assembly hall…” Twilight said, putting the pieces together. 
	
I triggered your flare. Again, I’m sorry it was so painful, my dear, but I had no choice. I had used almost all of my energy to hold off the Miasma until I was discovered, even subtly letting off magic to attract the seekers to my position. I was weak, so in order to escape, I used that small portion of my magic inside you to trigger a massive, uncontrolled flare, then used the excess magic to heal myself, as well as give you the gift we gave ponies so long ago. The reason you were unconscious for so long was you needed to recover, as it took more energy than I thought to heal myself.
“Wait. Gift?”
Alicorns only exist because our mother made them. She gifted ponies of the ancient past with immortality and strength after they showed they were worthy. There were some who did not receive the gift due to darkness in their hearts, but eventually all of ponykind became alicorns. This was nearly twenty thousand years ago, well beyond recorded history. When the cloud attacked, it stole these gifts, and reverted the ponies back to their old forms. 
“But wouldn’t some of the alicorns remember that since they’re immortal? And if that’s true, why are they so evil NOW?” Twilight’s head was starting to hurt. 
Perhaps immortal is the wrong word. Their immortality only applies in the fact that time cannot kill them. Disease, injury, mental degradation, magical poisoning, all can still end an alicorn. None of the original alicorns our mother created survived up to the cloud attack. 
As for their evil tendencies, that is because of the loss of the Tree of Harmony. Even thousands of years after the alicorns’ creation, they were still connected to her. She could watch over them from a distance, and help guide them to the right path. She would never force a change in their minds, but she would show them why they might be wrong, and help guide them back to the path of light. Think of it like the nagging of your conscience, telling you that your doing something wrong. 
The loss of her leadership combined with the fact that alicorns were the only ones who could make living in the ruined Equestria possible meant that the depowered ponies would naturally turn to them for leadership. Much of their land and wealth actually comes from your ancestors who gave it to them in the past with the hopes that they would use it to return Equestria to the way it once was. Unfortunately, this dependence, and the idea that only alicorns could save Equestria, led to many developing power fantasies, thinking that might makes right, and that any action they take is justified because it keeps them in power, and ensures that ponykind will survive, if barely. 
“Ok, but still, why make me an alicorn? And why now, in the middle of everything that is going on? And why can’t you tell me how to unlock this…potential?”
A few reasons. First, to put you on even footing with the other alicorns. Like it or not, they will continue to hunt you, and when you find my siblings, you will need to confront them. You may think you’re outmatched, but if you work with others, you will only need to neutralize the alicorns. I can handle the rest.
“What do you mean by ‘handle the rest’?” she asked nervously. 
You’ll see tomorrow. The second reason I transformed you was so you can handle my magic. My magic is stronger than the other elements. Even if you can’t use it now, and even if you could eventually wield it as a unicorn, I thought it best to skip that hurdle, even if it added a few more in its place. Which brings me to my final reason. I did it to test you.
“Test me?”
In order to unlock your full potential, you will need to overcome numerous challenges, many of which you cannot do alone. You have already shown your adaptability in learning your new magics, and by befriending ponies despite your new form. I don’t know what challenges await you exactly, as each of my bearers before the cloud attacked had different ones to overcome, but rest assured you are already well on your way. 
“But why are you stuck to my neck if I can’t even use you?” 
Three reasons. First, I knew some of the others might not take kindly to your form, and so I did it to protect you while you were unconscious. Second, like i mentioned before, was so I could help you adjust to your body's changes, or at least that was the plan originally. Third, with the world in the state it is, I did not want to risk us becoming separated. I have been looking for someone like you for three thousand years, and I did not want to lose you after waiting for so long.
“Ok, I guess. But you still didn’t tell me why you can’t tell me about this potential thing,” She said, more and more questions filling her mind.
I can’t tell you because it is not something that can be explained, and because there is no one way to unlock it. Telling you one way would make you focus on that one path, thus blocking you from many others. The end point may be the same, but the road to that end point is your own.
“But how will I even know when I’ve unlocked the potential?”
You will know. The feeling will be unmistakable, and you will see things in a new light. 
Twilight was silent for a time as she tried to process all the information. She still had so many questions. She would need a checklist just to remember them all, and then a checklist for each of the categories they might fall into to keep them organized. But out of all of them, there was one question that bugged her more than the others.
“What’s going to happen tomorrow? Thorn mentioned a surprise, and you mentioned that you would handle her. But how are you going to do that, especially since there’s no way I can ‘neutralize’ her when I’m like this! I’m virtually helpless, not to mention the fact that I’m all alone here.”
Are you so certain?
“Yes. It’s not like anyone will come for me. Flash and Spike should be asleep for a few more days with how much energy I put into that spell, and I doubt anyone else will risk themselves for me. I am an alicorn after all, and all of them have been hurt by alicorns.”
A little faith can go a long way, Magi said, before falling silent for a few seconds. You should get some rest. One way or another, I have a feeling that tomorrow will be an important day. 
And with that, the element stopped glowing, and Twilight could feel her voice return. She still had so many questions. What was this potential Magi kept talking about? If she needed to unlock it, did that mean she needed to get the other elements too? And if so, who would wield them if she couldn’t do it alone? Would Flash and Spike ever forgive her for what she had done?
Her mind still buzzing, she closed her eyes and lay down on the stone floor. Sleep came far easier than she would have thought possible, but a subtle glow from the element suggested that she may have had some help. 
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning, or at least, what Twilight assumed to be morning since she had no way to tell time, she was awoken by two Butlers. Neither spoke a word as they pulled her to her hooves and led her through the dungeon. As they walked, Twilight could feel her fear being to climb with every step she took. Magi remained silent, and this only served to make her even more anxious. She tried to think of what she could do once she was outside, but a lack of knowing what Thorn had planned made it difficult for her to focus on any one plan of action. 
All was quiet in the dungeon, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as when she emerged outside, coming out a door on the side of Thorn’s mansion and moving towards the center of town. The air was filled with so much tension you could cut it with a knife. Every pony under Thorn must have been there, yet it was still dead silent. Nopony spoke, heck, it didn’t even sound like anypony was breathing. Twilight gulped slightly as the butlers led her onto a raised platform in front of the crowd. Thorn was standing above her, smirking as Twilight was forced onto her knees. 
They placed more cuffs around her legs, and her head was locked in a large metal collar that was fastened onto her horn restraint, so tight it kept her from moving. Thorn then rotated the restraint so Twilight’s horn was pressed against the wooden platform, and Twilight’s head rolled with it, so she was left looking at the crowd from an uncomfortable sideways angle. 
If she didn't feel it before, Twilight now felt completely helpless. 
The crowd looked back in fear and confusion. No one dared to move.
“Some of you may recognize this little brat,” Thorn spoke in a cocky and condescending tone. “She once tried to rise above her position by injuring me, an act that was foolishly allowed by the ignorant Queen. Now, twelve years later, she has done so again. She has stolen the power belonging to real alicorns in an attempt to raise her own standing. She…” 
She just loves to here herself talk, doesn’t she?
	
“Not now!”
“And as such,” Thorn said, grinning manically, “I am personally going to take away what she does not deserve. Her horn and her wings!” 
She teleported in a massive axe and handing it to her Butlers, who took the handle in their magic and positioned it on the base of Twilight’s horn. 
“Oh buck, oh buckohbuckOHBUCKOHBUCK!” Twilight thought as she tried to struggle, but it was impossible for her to move.
Your horn can regrow, you know. It’s part of being an alicorn.
“NOT HELPING! THAT JUST MEANS SHE CAN DO IT AGAIN! AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO PROTECT ME!? DO SOMETHING!!!”
No need. Look at the roof in front of you.
Twilight, in her panicked state, barely had the control to mover her eyes so she was looking up, but what she saw stopped her in shock. Pinkie Pie was standing on the roof, looking down at her. She was still smiling, and when she met Twilight’s eyes, she winked. Twilight didn’t have time to ponder further as she saw the big axe lift, preparing to come down on her horn. Twilight shut her eyes as the axe swung, expecting an unimaginable pain to follow. 
But it never came.
Instead, she heard two soft thumps followed by a loud metal clang. Prying her eyes open, she looked up at her horn. Two knives, one yellow and one blue, were lodged deep in the wooden platform. The hilts were interlocked, forming an X, with Twilight’s horn safely blocked in the lower half and the axe caught in the top half.
Twilight, Thorn, and the rest of the audience were so stunned that no one could react in time as a third knife, this one red, buried itself straight into Thorn’s horn. Thorn screamed, startling her Butlers so badly that their magic cut out, causing them to release the axe handle.
Then all Tartarus broke loose. 
“NOW!” Flash yelled, jumping over Pinkie and off the roof. He hit the small switch on his wing blades, deploying them. With a powerful thrust of his wings, his weapons glowed bright blue, firing two lightning bolts across the square and knocking Thorn’s stunned Butlers off the stage. Thorn stumbled from the aftershock of the blast and the pain still clouding her mind, before she was smashed in the side by a charging Rainbow Dash. 
From all around the square, ponies from the village appeared and attacked. Thorn’s Butlers were taken off guard and were slow to respond, giving the village ponies plenty of time to separate them. Thorn’s ponies either ran to the houses to hide, or, in a few cases, joined the village ponies. Pinkie just smiled manically as she pulled a bright blue spear from her mane.
“Let’s heroically punch them IN THE FACE!” she screamed before diving right off the roof and into the battle.  
“Somepony make sure she doesn’t hurt herself!” Applejack yelled, bucking a Butler through a nearby wall. 
“On it,” Big Mac said, chasing after the bouncing pink mare, who was currently holding off ten Butlers at once by waving the spear around with her mane. Flash, meanwhile, flew down to the still shocked Twilight and kicked the axe away from her head.
“What are you DOING HERE!?” she yelled. “That spell should have kept you asleep for a few DAYS!”
“Second Sight had a cure,” Flash said as he landed. “And you are in serious trouble, missy. I have half a mind to keep you locked up and just carry you back to the village so you don’t do something this crazy again. You fighting alicorns alone is the last thing we want.”
“But we DO need her to fight Thorn,” Lightning said, landing nearby and looking over at where said alicorn was currently trying to fight Rainbow Dash. However, a combination of Rainbow’s speed, her ability to recall her knives, and the fact that Thorn couldn’t concentrate enough to use magic of any kind meant the ex-pegasus currently had the upper hoof. “Well, maybe.”
“You’re still in trouble,” Flash said as he pulled a lock-picking kit out of his pocket and began working on the locks holding Twilight down. “Just be glad I had enough sense to leave Spike asleep, otherwise he would probably be here helping me.”
“But why are YOU here!?” Twilight exclaimed. “The whole point of me doing this was so Thorn WOULDN’T KNOW YOU EXISTED!”
“Blame Rainbow,” Thunder said, landing nearby and coming to help Flash. Thankfully, it seemed that the villagers had the Butlers more than a little distracted, so no one was coming to stop them on the stage yet. “That crazy mare refused to leave you behind after she learned what you did. She felt that leaving you here would be betraying a friend and village savior. She’s loyal, I’ll give her that.”
“If a bit hard-headed,” Lightning said as Thunder broke the lock on Twilight’s wings just as Flash unlocked the neck and horn restraints, allowing Twilight to stand up and stretch.
See? Faith.
Twilight tried to avoid rolling her eyes as she looked around. By now, at least half of the Butlers were incapacitated, leaving the others completely outnumbered and outmatched. She wanted to go help, but was immediately distracted by a pained cry from Thorn.

***
Rainbow had managed to get on Thorn’s back, and was currently riding the alicorn as she bucked around, trying to throw the rainbow-maned mare off. To stay on, Rainbow had taken the green knife in her right hoof and had dug it into Thorn’s wing joint, making the red alicorn howl.
Rainbow growled as she pulled the orange knife. “Like torture, do you? Like maiming us do you?!” she yelled, plunging the orange knife into the joint, joining the first blade and prompting another scream of pain. Rainbow pulled out purple knife with her teeth. “Le’s se hw du lik it!” she yelled around the knife, thrusting her head forward and driving the third knife into Thorn’s wing. 
Then she twisted!
	
Thorn screamed bloody murder as Rainbow literally ripped her wing off. Her horn, despite the damage, erupted, throwing Rainbow off of her and embedding the blue pony in a wooden wall. The wave of uncontrolled magic tore through the square, knocking ponies over and causing nearby houses to shudder. 
As the energy faded, Thorn, now bleeding profusely, grabbed a nearby flaming piece of wood from a magic attack and jammed it into the injury, cauterizing the wound. 
She screeched again, lit her horn, and fired a beam of uncontrolled magic. She didn’t see where it was going.
She no longer cared.  

***

“Rainbow!” Twilight cried, running up to the battered mare. She quickly used her magic to pull her out of the wall and lay her down on the ground.
“Hey Twi. Ow,” Rainbow muttered as she tried to sit up. “How’d I do?”
“I think you just pissed her off,” Flash muttered, glancing at the raging alicorn who was now missing a wing.
“Cool. Ow. That was therapeutic. Ow.”
“We need to stop her before she destroys the entire town!” Applejack cried, dodging another wild explosion as she ran over. By now, Thorn was whipping up a miniature windstorm as uncontrolled magic leaked out of her injured horn. Applejack, Flash, and Twilight grabbed Rainbow Dash and pulled her behind a building as another beam of energy tore by. 
“How?” Twilight asked. 
“Maybe we can use this?” Flash asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow as he held up the magic restraint that had been on Twilight. “That was the whole plan in the first place. Though someone needs to get in close.”
“I can…OW!” 
Rainbow tried to stand up, only for Fluttershy to fly down from the rooftops and force her down again. Angel Bunny was on her back, carrying her first aid kit.
“No way, missy,” the yellow pegasus said firmly. “You’re not moving until I say you can. Now hold still.”
“I can do it,” Flash said, rolling his eyes as Rainbow began to protest. “But not when she’s like this. I doubt I could even get close enough to use a plunder bomb with the way she’s acting.”
“How many do you have left?”
“Just one, and I doubt it’ll work. With all the wind she’s whipping up, it could just blow the bomb’s powder everywhere, and that would be bad.”
“Ya don’t say,” Applejack deadpanned. “So you got a different plan, I presume?”
“Yes, but I don’t like it,” he said. “Twilight, I hate to ask this, but…can you fight her? She’s unstable, injured, and not thinking clearly. If you can just knock her out or even distract her for long enough, I might be able to get the restraint on her.”
“I thought you wanted to prevent me from fighting alicorns?” Twilight asked, a hint of sass in her voice. 
“I don’t want you fighting them ALONE,” Flash stressed. He sighed. “I may be your bodyguard, but even I know I can’t stop you. I forgot that yesterday, and I made a horrible mistake. I’m sorry. But while I may not be able to stop you, that doesn’t mean I can’t HELP you. And right now, we need to work together to stop her. Ok?”
Twilight peeked out from behind their house, just in time to see Shield Bearer push another pony out of the way of a stray beam of magic. She pulled her head back and turned to Flash.
“Ok,” she said, nodding. She gulped. “She’s only a power-crazy alicorn who is mad enough to keep fighting with a damaged horn. No pressure.”
“That’s the spirit,” Flash laughed.
“You’ve got this,” Rainbow added, smirking up at the alicorn. 
Twilight took a deep breath, opened her wings, and flew up from behind the building. As she crested the roof, she saw Thorn fire another beam of raw magic, collapsing part of a nearby house and nearly crushing her own Butlers. Twilight knew she couldn’t do much up close, but Rainbow had given her an advantage – Thorn couldn’t fly.
Staying out of range of the miniature dust devil Thorn was creating, Twilight began with a simple kinetic spell. The beam hit Thorn right in the side and sent her flying towards the edge of the village.
It did not, however, stop her.
Glaring up at Twilight with bloodshot eyes, Thorn screamed in rage and fired a beam of magic at Twilight. Twilight dropped a few feet to dodge and followed up with an ice spell. Thorn didn’t bother dodging, instead fired another beam that smashed Twilight’s ice jet and exploded inches from Twilight’s face. The purple alicorn squealed, composed herself, and grabbed a few chunks of debris with her telekinesis. The heavy weight made her move slowly, but Thorn still didn’t have enough time to cast another spell before the rocks came flying at her.
Thorn’s horn lit up even brighter, causing a few bolts of lightning to fire out of the injury as she raised a shield to block the attack. She fired another blast of magic, singeing the end of Twilight’s tail. The force of the spell caused Twilight to momentarily lose her balance, but she recovered in time to dodge the next attack.
Getting an idea, Twilight lit her horn and teleported behind Thorn, folded her wings so that she fell to the ground, and fired a lightning spell. The electricity impacted Thorn, causing her muscles to spasm so badly she fell to her knees. She didn’t have time to respond as Twilight teleported again and appeared to Thorn’s left to fire off another lightning spell. She was about to go for a third teleport when Thorn’s eyes glowed. 
“ENOUGH!” 
The red alicorn unleashed another wave of magic, throwing Twilight away from her. Getting back to her hooves and coughing up dust, Twilight turned to look at the approaching alicorn. Thorn was surrounded by a corona of red magic, her eyes white, and her mane blowing in the wind. 
However, before she could utter a single word, a rolling pin flew out of nowhere and smacked the psychotic alicorn right across the face, finally knocking her unconscious. The magic died and the village was suddenly so quiet you could hear a pin drop. From out behind a building, Second Sight stepped out.
“I,” she said, smiling broadly. “Have been waiting. For fifty-two years. To do that. And I must say, IT! WAS! WORTH IT!” She let loose a very satisfied sigh. “Oh, and you might want to put that restraint on now before she wakes up,” she added, looking over at Flash who was currently hovering nearby and staring with a slack-jawed expression. 
“And that’s why we’re afraid of that rolling pin,” Pinkie said, hopping over and picking Twilight’s jaw up off the ground with a loud click. The noise snapped the alicorn out of her shock and she shook her head in disbelief. 
“How did that actually work?” Twilight asked as Flash flew over and attached the full horn restraint to the unconscious alicorn. Thunder and Lightning rushed forward with the restraints Twilight had worn earlier. By now, both the village ponies and Thorn’s ponies were all coming out of hiding to see the downed alicorn.
Second Sight walked forward and picked up the rolling pin, revealing the glowing symbols on the underside. “Runes, dearie,” she said. “They convert magical energy into forward momentum, making it travel faster through the air to deliver one heck of a knock out blow. Quite impressive, if I do say so myself.” 
Her giggling was interrupted as another old mare with a black coat, white mane, golden eyes, and a feather duster cutie mark tackled her to the ground.
“Second!” 
“Dusty!” Second Sight cried, returning the hug and smiling ruefully up at her old friend. “Don’t you know it’s rude to tackle blind ponies?” 
“Oh shush, you’re not blind and you know it,” Feather Duster said, laughing as she helped her friend up and embraced her for real. As they hugged, Twilight saw some of Thorn’s ponies look around the crowd. Many seemed to relax, as though they finally realized that the villagers were not their enemies.
“So, who’s your friend?” Feather Duster asked, looking at Twilight a bit warily. Twilight gave her a nervous grin, and Second Sight just smiled.
“Don’t worry about Twilight. She’s that little filly that threw Thorn through twelve buildings a few years back. She’s cool.”
“Though not so little any more,” Twilight said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. 
Feather Duster blinked before giggling. “Huh, no wonder Thorn was so mad at her. Speaking of whom,” she said, looking over at the now fully bound alicorn who appeared to be slowly regaining consciousness. “What are you gonna do about her?” 
“I’ll handle that,” Applejack said, pulling her katana and beginning to walk towards the downed alicorn. Twilight’s eyes widened and before she had really thought out a plan, she had teleported between Thorn and Applejack, startling her and the rest of the ponies nearby.
“Wait!” Twilight cried out. “You can’t!”
“Are you plum crazy?” Applejack asked, looking at Twilight as if she was insane. “This is THORN! You know, the pony responsible for more than HALF the horror stories we have?”
“But look at her now,” Twilight said gesturing to the beaten alicorn. “It’s over. She’s lost. She can’t hurt anypony anymore.”
“And we should make sure she can’t,” Applejack said, glaring at Twilight.
“But what about your no-killing rule?”
“That only applies to Butlers, soldiers, and you. But SHE doesn’t get such a mercy.”
“Applejack,” Fluttershy gasped, running over to join Twilight. “Killing is wrong, even for somepony like Thorn. We don’t need to go any further.”
“I’m…kinda with Fluttershy on this one,” a now bandaged Rainbow said, limping into view. Her back leg was in a cast and her barrel and head were bandaged. “We got her, and if we let her live, then she can spend the rest of eternity knowing that she lost to the ponies who she used to suppress. Plus, her wing will grow back eventually, so then maybe…”
“Rainbow! Don’t you dare finish that thought!” Fluttershy cried in shock, glaring at the ex-pegasus. Rainbow flinched before lowering her head. 
“Right. Sorry,” she muttered. 
Twilight shook her head. “The point IS, we don’t need to kill her. She’s helpless right now, and killing her would just be excessive.
"			
“Hehehe.” Thorn’s weak chuckle drew all their attention to her. “Big talk…coming from a murderer,” she hissed, sneering as Twilight froze. 
Flash’s eyes widened.
“Oh buck,” he whispered, running towards Twilight. 
“We could still bind her mouth to shut her up though, right Twi?” Rainbow asked. When she didn’t get a response, she looked at the purple alicorn in confusion. “Twi?” Twilight was pale, she looked like she was trying to respond, but no words came out. Her breathing was becoming shallower and shallower.
“Oh, what’s wrong?” Thorn taunted, coughing. “You think I don’t know what happened to…to Gleaming Dagger? I know, murderer.” She smirked as Twilight’s legs began to tremble.
“Murder and self defense are two completely different things,” Flash said, reaching the panicking alicorn and draping a wing around her. 
“What are y’all going on about?” Applejack asked, her voice unsure. 
“Oh, she never told you?” Thorn smirked. “Never told you how she—“ 
A bomb smacked her in the face, forming green slime that covered her mouth, finally silencing her.
“Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, looking at the alicorn in concern. Twilight didn’t respond. Her eyes were still locked on Thorn’s. Her world was falling to pieces. She couldn’t talk, she couldn’t breathe. The memories, the guilt, the pain, the fear, it was too much. She—
“Twilight,” Second Sight said, getting the alicorn’s attention. Twilight blinked. The blind mare had stepped in front of her, blocking Thorn from her view. Reaching up, Second Sight undid the knot holding the cloth over her eyes. As it fell away, Twilight was greeted with an amazing sight. 
Two golden spheres looked back at her, glowing brightly. Each had a green iris and a pupil, but the corneas were constantly shifting as magic wove around in the eye socket. It was fascinating to look at, but yet incredibly unnerving. 
“Take it from me, dearie,” Second Sight said, breaking the silence that her eyes had wrought over the crowd. “Nothing good ever comes from holding things in.” She gently brushed the scar on Twilight’s neck, causing the purple alicorn to shiver. “You need to let it out eventually. I can’t force you to, but trust me, you’ll feel infinitely better when you do.” 
And with that, she stood back and retied the cloth to her face, eliminating the golden glow once again. Twilight sat there for about a minute before she spoke up.
“R-Rainbow?” she asked, speaking quietly as she reached up to the scar on her neck. She didn’t turn to face the crowd, instead keeping her sight on Thorn.
“Yeah, Twi?” 
“D-Do you remember how you said I-I only had one story? O-One moment of hardship after I l-left Thorn?” 
Rainbow nodded. 
“I-I don’t have one. I-I have two. The second one i-is the reason I have night terrors.” Twilight snuggled closer into Flash’s wing for comfort. 
“A-A few month’s after I hatched Spike, I-I woke up one night to him crying. I was s-still lying down and w-was about to get up and comfort him, w-when I heard him cry out in pain, a-and I heard his basket crash on the wall on the other side of the room.”
Twilight was crying. Her mind was telling her to stop, to bury the memories deep down, but she refused and pushed onwards. 
“T-That startled me to f-full alertness and I s-sat up in less than a s-second. A-And I saw t-that I wasn’t alone. A-A Butler was in my room, l-levitating a knife with his horn. H-He wasn’t one of Lady Celestia’s. T-The moment I saw h-his red eyes, h-he lunged at me, g-going right for my neck with his knife. I-I-I didn’t h-have full control o-over my m-magic, so w-when he lunged, I-I panicked. H-H-His knife g-got close enough t-to leave a s-scar. T-Then I lost control.”
Twilight took a shuddering breath. “H-He was flung through f-four walls. H-His body was unrecognizable. B-But his head… it…it s-stayed with me.” She choked out, prompting a gasp from Fluttershy and a few other ponies, while many had wide eyes. “I-It got s-stuck one a s-s-support beam in the f-first wall. H-He looked s-so terrified, and h-h-he just kept s-staring at me w-with those l-lifeless e-eyes.”
“The eyes,” Fluttershy whispered, now tearing up herself. “Y-You kept saying that they were judging you.”
“A-And maybe they are,” Twilight said. She was still crying, but her breathing was starting to become steadier. There was an ache in her chest that had nothing to do with physical pain, but part of her still felt relieved to finally say all of this out loud. “B-But that’s why I-I can’t let you kill Thorn. E-Even if she sent the Butler, w-what would killing her accomplish? I-It wouldn’t bring him back, i-it wouldn’t undo the damage she’s caused. I-It won’t change the fact t-that I k-k-killed him. W-When would it end? W-When would the killing end?
“I-If I learned anything that night, i-it was that killing is wrong. I-I get that sometimes there might not be any o-other way, a-and maybe one day I-I’ll need to do it again, but doing it needlessly? N-No, I-I refuse to let that happen.”
“Ah understand how ya feel, Twilight,” Applejack said, her voice soft and conflicted and sorrow in her eyes. “Ah really do. But what are we supposed to do with her? We can’t just let her go, she knows we exist, even if she doesn’t know where we’re from. And the moment she’s free, she’ll go back to torturing ponies. We can’t take her with us because we don’t have the room or any way of blocking her earth pony magic. The only reason we even have her now is because she exhausted herself.”
“I-I don’t know, ok?” Twilight almost yelled. “But killing her won’t solve anything. She sent that Butler to kill me, so his death is just as much on her as it is me, but killing her will just make us as bad as she is. But we’re not monsters! There has to be another way!”
She swallowed hard, blinking away the last of her tears. “There just has to be.” 
There is. 
Twilight jumped as her mouth moved and spoke in a voice not her own. Or at least, she tried to. Her body didn’t respond. The voice of Magi sounded in her head. 
I’ll give you control back in a few minutes, my dear. Right now, it’s time I showed you just what I can do.
“Twilight?” Flash asked in concern. He had jumped back when a smooth, ancient voice sounded from Twilight’s mouth, and now the Element of Magic around her neck was glowing rather brightly. “You ok?”
“That’s not Twilight,” Second Sight said, awed.
Indeed, Magi said, having Twilight stand up and open her eyes. The ponies nearby gasped. Twilight’s eyes were glowing pink, the magic so bright it streamed from the corners and wrapped around her head. The glow matched that of the Element of Magic. 
You may call me…Magi.
“Where’s Twilight?” Flash growled, getting into a combat stance. Magi just chuckled. 
You needn’t fear for your charge. Magi made Twilight smile at Flash, but it certainly wasn’t Twilight’s usual smile. It was completely serene and confident, and looked odd on Twilight’s face. She is still here, and I will be giving her control back once I finish. She turned to Thorn, her face becoming hard. Right now, I have a bone to pick with this monstrosity. 
She approached the downed alicorn, who, for the first time, looked just a small bit afraid. Still gagged and bound, she was helpless as tendrils of magic lashed out of the element and lifted the alicorn into the air. 
You alicorns have strayed far from what our mother intended for you, Magi practically growled. You have not fulfilled your role as guardians and protectors. As such, all of you shall face judgment. No exceptions. 
Two of the strands struck Thorn’s head, sinking into it without causing any physical damage. Thorn began to struggle and the restraints and gag fell away, but she couldn’t move. 
Don’t resist. I will be judging you based on the entirety of your life. Resisting will only bring pain. Thorn ignored her and continued to try and escape, which made tears start to fall down her face. After about five minutes, Magi spoke again. Your verdict has been reached. You are judged to be…
GUILTY
The strands became dark red, and more strands struck Thorn’s body, keeping her in place. Thorn’s mouth was open in silent pain, but the magic held her so tightly she could no longer struggle. Magi lifted Twilight’s right hoof, and a clear orb appeared out of nowhere.
You are nothing more than a slave driver. You treat all ponies, even other alicorns, as if they are beneath you. You have no empathy, no understanding of their struggles. You are a monster, one unfit to wield the gift you posses. 
As Magi spoke, three strands of magic began to flow out of Thorn’s body. From her horn came a purple stream. From her wing and her side where a wing used to be came a light blue one. And from her hooves came a green one. The streams flowed towards the orb in Twilight’s hoof, pouring into it. 
So I am taking it back.
All the ponies watched in shock as Thorn’s horn slowly became grey, then crumbled into dust. Her wing followed the same fate. Slowly, her body shrank until she was shorter than Rainbow Dash. And still the magic kept pouring out of her. 
After a minute, it was over, and lying before them was an earth pony with a red coat, a no-longer-magically-flowing black mane, red eyes, and no cutie mark.
“W-what have you done?!” Thorn cried in shock as she stumbled to her hooves, looking around in pure terror. 
I have removed your gift. My mother created alicorns as a gift to ponies, so it’s only just that I remove said gift from one who has no right in wielding it.
“Y-You’ll pay! Y-You hear me!? I-I’ll get you for this!” Thorn cried. She started towards Magi on legs as unsteady as a newborns when a Butler with a light green coat and a two-tone orange mane flew down from a nearby roof, grabbed Thorn, and flew away faster than anyone could react. 
Let her go, Magi said in a tone that brooked no argument as the two ponies disappeared. She will serve as a warning to the rest of the alicorns. All of them will be judged one way or another. It’s only a matter of time.
With that, she turned around to face the crowd. Many of them had looks of shock, some of terror, and some of elation. Magi smiled.
Rainbow Dash, she said in a much gentler tone. Please step forward. Rainbow blinked and looked left and right in fear, but all the ponies nearby except for Fluttershy backed away from her. 
“I’ll…um…pass, if that’s ok with you.” Rainbow said nervously, only to disappear and reappear right in front of Magi, who chuckled. 
You have no reason to fear, Rainbow, Magi spoke, forming a shield around them and using levitation to hold the now panicking Rainbow Dash still. You are not in trouble. Far from it, actually. As she spoke, the orb containing Thorn’s magic began to glow. Despite what Thorn has done to you, you were willing to risk your life to save Twilight, an alicorn, even if it cost you your own. You would have done so with or without the others here with you, showing that you possess an astounding amount of loyalty. 
Magi smiled brightly. It’s time that loyalty is rewarded.
With that last word, two streams of light blue magic emerged from the orb. Using Twilight’s horn, Magi removed Rainbow’s armor, or what was left of it, and her bandages, leaving the ex-pegasus completely exposed. Without hesitation, the two streams of magic began to flow into Rainbow’s sides, right where her wings used to be. 
Rainbow gasped. The ponies outside looked on in fear. However, Rainbow’s face didn’t contort into pain, but instead became one of pleasure. To everypony’s shock, the scared tissue on her sides and her injuries from the fight began to rapidly heal. Even her broken leg was straightened out and mended. As the magic continues to flow into her, there was a slight tearing sound. Fluttershy gasped as two pointed bones broke through where Rainbow’s stubs used to be. They grew rapidly, extending and forming more bones, until they resembled the structure of—
“Wings,” Rainbow breathed, her eyes closed in bliss. As soon as the bones finished growing, muscle began to sprout along the bones, followed by skin and fur. Then came the feathers, growing out rapidly until they reached the proper length. With a final small shock wave, the magic flow stopped and Rainbow dropped, landing on her hooves. Magi dispersed the shield. The orb vanished in a strand of pink magic, flowing back into the element.
“M-My wings,” Rainbow whispered, opening her eyes and looking in awe at the restored appendages. Everypony else was too stunted to move. 
Exactly as they should be, Magi said, catching the pegasus’s attention. She smiled. You know what to do. 
Rainbow blinked, and then her eyes went wide. She smirked.
“Awwww yeah,” she said before opening her wings to their maximum length and blasting skyward as quickly as she could. Twilight, who had been silently watching in awe as Magi used her body, finally gathered her wits enough to speak up.
“What is she doing?”
Magi smiled. Igniting the fires of hope.
Twilight was about to ask what she meant, but she didn’t need to.
BOOOOM!!!
A massive rainbow explosion blasted across the sky, knocking back everypony’s manes and causing everyone to stare in shock at the bright explosion in wonder. For Twilight, it stirred in her the memories of hatching Spike. The fear of failing Celestia’s test, the sense of accomplishment she felt when she passed, the sense of responsibility placed before her as she was entrusted with his care. It was one of her happiest memories, and it filled her with hope. This might be a weird time to think of these memories, but she was too amazed to really care.
“A SONIC RAINBOOM! YAAAAY!” Fluttershy screamed in excitement, jumping up and down excitedly. 
On a far away rock farm, a stallion with a brown curly mane looked up in wonder at the massive rainbow, remembering its effect on his idol all those years ago.
In Cloudsdale, two pegasi dashed out of their home to see the explosion, recognizing it and hoping that somehow they weren’t dreaming.
In the distant desert, a mare with a broken horn looked up and saw the wonder of nature, realizing it was too soon to give up her quest for equality. 
In the crystal empire, a single guard looked up and saw the rainbow, feeling the love that radiated around him as it lit up the city in dazzling colors. 
In a prison cell on an alicorn’s property, a pegasus looked out the barred window and wondered just what he was seeing, feeling memories of a certain filly surface in his mind. 
In Canterlot, Sunset Shimmer looked up at the rainbow in wonder, pondering just what it was that it meant. 
Near her, the Queen looked up as she felt something in her chest, something she hadn’t felt in many, many years. 
Hope. 
Be ready Twilight, Magi said as she returned Twilight control of her body. The battle may be won, but the rebellion has just begun. 


END OF ACT 1
> Act 1 Interlude
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three days after Twilight’s assention… 

“Sister? Are you alright?” Luna asked, walking into the bedroom where Celestia had been holed up. After what had happened in Canterlot, Celestia had become very withdrawn, only coming out once when she was forced to do so by the Queen’s soldiers. Luna knew what was bothering her, but had thought it was best to wait and approach the subject when her sister was ready to talk. Since that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon, she decided to just go for it. After putting up a privacy spell of course. 
“How are things progressing?” Celestia asked, her voice quiet and lacking in its familiar warmth. She was staring out the window, looking at Canterlot, just as she had been these last few days.
“The soldiers are reducing their numbers, but there will still be a formidable force here on our land, just in case,” Luna replied. “They haven’t found anything, as expected, but they still want to keep us under surveillance. They have questioned all of Twilight’s friends and family, but have not seen the need to take any of them into custody.”
“At least there’s that,” Celestia said sadly. 
Luna sighed. “Sister, please. You can’t blame yourself for this.”
“Can’t I? I was the one who insisted she come with us. I knew she might get hurt because of my dreams and I brought her anyway. I…I'm the one who failed to protect her.” 
As she spoke, she lowered her head and her voice cracked as tears began to flow once again, just as they had every day since Twilight was taken from them. 
Luna closed the distance between them and wrapped her forelegs and wings around her sister. “Tis not your fault, Celestia. You know as well as I do that ignoring your visions only leads to disaster. Even if we don't yet know why, these events must be happening for a reason. We must simply have faith.”
“Faith won’t save her,” Celestia whispered. “And we’re stuck here at least until they lock her in that anti-magic room. I…The last time I felt so helpless was when…”
“We had to watch Mother pass away,” Luna said, her own eyes watering at the thought of their late mother. But she shook her head. “And that is exactly why we must act now, sister.”
Celestia blinked. “What do you mean?”
“We had to watch our Mother pass away. We were powerless to do anything then, but that is not the case now,” Luna said, smirking. “I have a plan.”
“Luna…” Celestia sighed. “If we get caught, or do anything ourselves, we’ll basically be declaring war on every other alicorn in Equestria, including the Queen.”
“We are ALREADY at war,” Luna said, glaring. “Or did you send our spy to snoop around Canterlot for fun? Did you send our butlers to sabotage massive projects that would harm thousands of ponies just to smite the ones behind said plans? Did you raise Twilight just so she could be a normal Keeper?”
“No…”
“Then, by all means, we have been at war for years now, and I refuse to give up the fight now,” Luna said. “Freedom for the common pony would never come about without conflict. If Mother’s prophecy is to come true, then we need to be willing to see this through to the end. And right now, that means giving Twilight everything she needs to succeed.”
Celestia sighed, but nodded. “You’re right, Luna. We’ve taught her all we could and did our best to prepare her mind, but right now, we need to give her freedom. I assume that’s where your plan comes in?”
“Indeed, sister. Our spy got back to us while you were moping. The Queen’s doctors have confirmed that Twilight is indeed an alicorn, however, they have also found through standard test that her magic has been severely drained. This lack of magic is why she is still unconscious, and they believe that she will more than likely wake up the day before her room is completed.”
“So we need to get her out before then,” Celestia said, but Luna shook her head. 
“No, we need to get her out once she is awake. Having her be unconscious will only add strain to the rescuers, who will need to defend an unconscious pony as well as themselves. If she is awake, then she can provide assistance.”
“Who will we send? We can’t leave without arousing suspicion.”
“Flash Sentry and Spike.”
“Are you sure sending only one Butler and a baby dragon with no combat experience will be such a great idea? I especially don’t think Twilight would approve of us sending Spike into the most guarded place in Canterlot.”
“I already caught the two of them trying to sneak off our land and go save her themselves,” Luna said, smiling slightly. “Brave, yet foolish.”
“But how will they get in?”
“I already contacted our spy. They will create a small hole in the prison's anti-teleportation spells to let me send them in. The spy will also blow open the bars they have in the sewer, allowing them to escape in the last place anyone expects.”
“But how will they find Twilight?” 
“Our spy is currently looking into her location and will send me the directions to get there, and I will give them to Flash and Spike. They will also attempt to smuggle a key into Twilight’s cell, allowing her to remove her magical restraint.”
Celestia nodded, but then frowned. “This seems like a good plan, sister, but considering how important Twilight is at the moment, I doubt a single Butler and a baby dragon can handle all the security there. Unless you have a plan for that?”
“Indeed I do,” Luna said. “I have contacted our old friend Wall Flower and called in the debt she owes us. She will set up a number of cannons in the valley below Canterlot and cast a ‘come to life’ spell on them. This will let them automatically reload and fire until they either run out of ammunition or are disenchanted. That should provide an ample distraction, don't you think?” She smiled cheekily. 
For the first time in days, Celestia smiled. “Yes indeed. It is truly a plan only you could come up with, sister. It’s so crazy that it might just work,” she said, dodging a playful wing slap from her younger sister. 

______________________________________________________________________________


Shortly after Twilight is captured…

“Get off!” Flash yelled from below the bodies of Thunder and Lightning, both of whom were trying to restrain the struggling pegasus. 
“Not until you calm down,” Applejack said, standing nearby, but trying to keep her distance. By now, everypony had returned to the village and had learned what Twilight had done. Second Sight had spent the time developing a mixture to remove the sleep spell cast on Flash and the others. Spike was the only one she left asleep. After seeing Flash’s reaction, nobody wanted him to try and run off to Thorn’s property to try and help Twilight. 
“Calm down!? Twilight’s been captured by THORN! I’ll calm down when I break her out and lock her in Second Sight’s basement for being SUCH AN IDIOT! How could such a smart pony who spends so much of her time reading do something so STUPID! Even Rainbow Dash isn't this reckless!”
“Where is Rainbow anyway?” Bronze Sword asked, looking around unsurely. 
“Said she had to get a few things,” Shield Bearer said, shrugging. “He’s not wrong though.” 
Applejack shook her head. “Think, Flash. You going after her now would just end with you dead and Twilight blaming herself for your death,” she said. “Face it, it’s over.” Her voice was stern, but a slight bit of sorrow leaked into it nonetheless.
“It’s over? That's it?!” Flash screamed. “She sacrifices herself for you, for your entire village, and you’re not even gonna TRY to help her!?” He looked at the surrounding ponies as much as he could from the ground. Nopony could meet his gaze. 
“It’d be suicide, Flash,” Applejack said. “We can’t risk the lives of every pony here just for one pony. And I’m not gonna let you just throw your life away trying to save somepony we can’t save.”
“It’s my choice,” Flash growled. 
“Not this time. I ain’t letting a good pony throw his life away, and that’s final.”
Flash was about to continue when two knives, one blue and one purple, cut through the air and landed a few inches from Thunder and Lightning’s hooves. Both of them jumped back, allowing Flash to get up. Well, he would have stood up, if he hadn't been just as shocked as everypony else.
“You coming or what?” Rainbow asked, lowering her forehooves as the knives vanished in a puff of grey smoke and reappeared in their holders. She was decked out in full armor, thicker than any other armor Flash had seen on her. Her knife sheaths were strapped on over it, right where she could reach them. And boy, did she look ready to use them. 
“Rainbow?!” Applejack cried in shock. “What in the hay are you doin’?” 
“I’m going after Twilight,” Rainbow said confidently. “I got out of Thorn's dungeon once, so I know how to get back in. Plus, I still have a score to settle with that plot hole.” 
Applejack sputtered, trying to think of a proper response, as Flash finally got his hooves underneath him. 
“I thought you didn't like her,” Flash said, matter-of-factly. “Why on earth would you want to help me save her?”
“Because I owe her. We ALL owe her,” Rainbow said, looking around at the gathered ponies. “We hated her, treated her like an outsider when she arrived and even after she helped us in the garden. But despite this, despite the fact that ponies still talked badly about her behind her back, she was willing to give herself up to THORN... for us.”
Rainbow shook her head. “We didn't deserve her help, but she gave it to us anyway. She saved us, so now I’m going to go save her, even if I have to go alone. Even if we didn't owe her, I would still go, because that’s what friends do.”
“Friends?” Flash asked, confused. 
“I may not be her friend yet, but that’s because I couldn't see past what she was. All I could see was the alicorn, not the pony. But she is a good pony, and I, well, we, were idiots not to see that and accept her. Maybe I need to work more to prove that I'm worthy of her friendship, but this is as good a start as any.”
“Rainbow…”
“Yer crazy!” Applejack exclaimed. “I mean, I get what yer saying, but it’s THORN!!! WE CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO MATCH HER, OR HER BUTLERS!!
“Unless we bring her down a level,” Second Sight said, smiling a smug smile.
“Huh?”
“Think for a moment, dearie,” Second Sight said, tapping the side of Applejack’s head. “If Thorn has Twilight, that means she must have a way to stop her from using magic. Aka, a full-horn suppressor. Which means…”
“If we get it and put it on Thorn…” Applejack began in realization. 
“We can stop Thorn from using magic,” Flash said, smirking. “Which means we might actually stand a chance.”
“But we’re gonna need everypony for this to work,” Rainbow said. “Most of us to distract the Butlers if things go south, and the rest of us to get to Twilight and get that restraint off her.” She frowned. “Um, wait, how do we get it off? I mean I know Thorn will have a key, but I doubt she’ll just leave it out for us.”
“I can pick locks,” Flash said. “I can do it.”
“Of course you can,” Rainbow said, sounding annoyed. “What can’t you do?” 
“Make thunder clouds,” Flash said, completely straight-faced. “I could never seem to get the lightning-to-cloud ratio right.” 
Rainbow just gave him a deadpan stare.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thirty minutes after the sonic rainboom…

The Queen was pacing. Pacing so much there was a chance she would wear away a strip in her rug if she didn’t stop soon.
She never paced. 
But that rainbow, that explosion…it DID something to her. She felt it in her chest. That small flame burning deep inside her, burning in a way she hadn't felt in thousands of years.
It burned of hope. 
Even when Twilight had invented the revised Miasma spell, she had felt nothing.
Even when they had found the first element, she had felt nothing.
Even when they had found the ELEMENT OF MAGIC, she had felt NOTHING!
But now…
Now…
She shook her head, trying to think. The flame of hope was distracting her. 
She tried to made a mental checklist to distract herself from the distracting flame of hope. Send troops to investigate the source of the explosion? Check. Send a letter to Cloudsdale and Manehattan to ask for support? Check. 
So why did she still feel so powerless? Why were these thoughts of the element and that explosion constantly rolling around in her mind faster and faster?
Maybe is she went to investigate herself—
She stamped that thought into dust the moment it appeared. She couldn’t leave Canterlot. Not without…
She shook her head again. The flame was still there. It told her to have faith, that everything would be ok, that after so many years it would finally come to an end. 
That she would be freed from her torment…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Applejack stared up at the expanding rainboom in pure awe. She had heard Rainbow tell it so many times, but to see it again…
She felt a surge of hope in her chest, hope that matched the joyous looks on the faces of everypony around her. A flame that spread throughout her body and energized her soul.
…But this was not like the other flames of hope. While others were warm and soft, Applejack’s was a raging inferno, burning away all other thoughts, all but one.
She had hope all right. Hope that she might finally get her revenge…
> Act 2 Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Unless y’all have a magic map that can lead us to the elements, we’re gonna continue going after alicorns.”

“I found that map you wanted.”


“THIS DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE!”

“I…I can’t…”

“It’s you… you don't know how many years I’ve been waiting to see you again.”

“What is laughter?”

“Pinkie! Don’t eat that!”

“Seems we found the rebel leader…”

“Ponies be quiet. Loud ponies attract bad ponies, then nothing dogs can do.”

“I think we can make a deal.”

“Mother.”

“I have one last offer for you, Rainbow Dash…”

“What is loyalty?”

“That’s three down…”

“Ugh, I HATE sand.”

“We’re looking for Starlight Glimmer…”

“HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE YOUR LIFE RUINED BY A CUTIE MARK!?”

“It’s mine…it’s ALL MINE!”

“What is generosity?”

“We need to go south to the train tracks…and that means…”

“NO! APPLEBLOOM!!!”

“You will be free from her lies soon…”

“FLUTTERSHY! You need to fight it!”

“What did you do to my husband!?”

“You pathetic little worm! Do you really think you can match the strength of a queen!?”

“What is kindness?”

“We’re going home…”

“I can’t let you.”

“How’s it feel to be broken!?”

“What is honesty?”

“Canterlot... has fallen.”


A tall white alicorn with a brilliant red mane and an inkwell and quill on her flank smiled down at her daughter. She extended her wings, embracing the small filly before her. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out, just like always. Her embrace was warm and comforting, easing the pain and fear that plagued her daughters heart. But all to soon, the daughter felt her begin to slowly fade away. She knew she couldn’t stop it but she tried anyway. The mother just smiled and planted a soft kiss on her daughters forehead, just below the horn, before vanishing completely. 


Celestia startled awake with a gasp and fell out of her bed, coughing uncontrollably as she tried to get more air into her lungs.
“Sister!” Luna cried, rushing over to assist the white mare. She had been in the room for an hour, ever since the Butlers reported that Celestia was barely breathing. She had been trying to wake her sister, but not even using her dream magic to try and collapse the dream she had been having could penetrate the strange energy swirling around Celestia’s mind. “Sister, speak to me! What happened!?”
Celestia looked up at her younger sister, fear, elation, uncertainty, and joy all fighting for dominance in her eyes. 
“I saw Mother…”
> Act 2 Chapter 12: Next Steps
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight groaned as she collapsed onto the cloud in front of her. She didn't know why there was a cloud in her room at Pinkie’s house, but she was far too exhausted to care. She felt the cloud dip slightly as a pony sat down next to her and draped a wing over her. 
“Maybe you should take tomorrow off,” Flash suggested, smiling down at the alicorn who groaned in response. 
“How I wish I could,” she replied, not lifting her face out of the cloud. To say the last week had been hectic was like saying Pinkie was a little bit strange. Overnight, almost everypony from Thorn’s property had come with them to the Everfree Forest. The only ones who had not were the Butlers, save for a few of the new recruits that wanted to be with their families again, and the really cruel ponies. The problem started when they had to pick up everything they could in under an hour, load up any carts they could find, and retreat to the safety of the forest canopy.
While Rainbow’s Sonic Rainboom might have been beautiful, it was also like a big glowing sign saying ‘HERE WE ARE! COME AND SEE THIS AMAZING THING WE DID!’ As such, Applejack had given them at most an hour to grab everypony and go before somepony less friendly showed up. Good thing too, as less than ten minutes after they cleared out, a scout had reported that the property was swarming with guards from Cloudsdale. They had cut it very close. 
Another problem was the fact that their population in the forest was now about twice as big as it had been, meaning there weren't enough houses, food, or weapons for everypony. Thankfully, all of Thorn’s ponies were plenty willing to help out after Twilight had done for them. Keeping watch while the walls were taken down and built farther away was simple with so many eyes, and new houses sprung up like wings under the work so many hooves. Even food turned out not to be much of an issue, as plenty of ponies were willing to sneak back to Thorn’s old property and steal food left there under the cover of night. 
The problem was that out of everypony in the village, Twilight was the best at organizing. Period. After getting scolded by Flash, and then some more by Spike, she had been assigned to make sure everything was running correctly. She assigned guards to night and day watches, decided who would train whom and for how long, directed where houses could best be placed to maximize the number without everypony feeling cramped, made sure enough food was being gathered, etc, etc, etc.
This wasn't helped by the fact that she now had a massive fan base. Everypony in the village was praising her, and some just wouldn't understand that she DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR AUTOGRAPHS! Some of them were even insisting that they should march for Canterlot to take down the Queen, but thankfully Applejack had shot that idea down, saying they needed to make sure her little stunt with depowering Thorn was repeatable. While things were thankfully calming down on the organization side, it was because more projects were being completed, which meant less ponies needed to work. And THIS meant they had more time to bug her and worship the ground she walked on. 
How she wished she could have just stayed a Keeper.
There was also the problem of her new ‘healing’ ability. When she had begun thinking of healing all the ponies who had been hurt, Magi had informed her that she was limited in how many ponies she could heal using Thorn’s taken magic. She could only heal five ponies of each race for each alicorn she judged, or maybe more if she healed foals. While she had elected to save enough of the taken magic to heal at least one pony from each race in case of emergencies, the rest of it she decided to use to help the injured ponies of the village. The only problem was that when word got out that she couldn't heal everypony, there had been massive arguments over who should be healed. In the end, Applejack had come to the rescue again and said that she should heal the ponies with the worst injuries first, such as Second Sight. Her declaration was accepted with some grumbling and sadness, but accepted none the less.
Though Second Sight was the first one Twilight wanted to heal, the old mare had actually refused. She said that the younger generation deserved to be given the chance to live unhindered. She was used to her blindness, and wouldn't have it any other way. Feather Duster said she hadn't changed at all. 
On the plus side, there was a surprising lack of activity from the Queen or any of the other alicorns. While some of the Cloudsdale pegasi had remained at Thorn’s property, many had actually returned to the floating city and left Thorn’s property virtually unguarded. What’s more, they only left after the Butlers and cruel ponies that the resistance had left behind were escorted off the property, leaving the entire place virtually empty. 
Not only that, but the Queen’s solders had made no effort to enter the forest, and while Applejack didn't have anypony in Canterlot, they had noticed from the forest boarders that the Queen's soldiers had been leaving the city with unusual haste before breaking into small groups and traveling to who-knows-where. Manehattan had similarly been deploying all of it’s soldiers, but like Canterlot’s forces, they never even approached the forest. Cloudsdale on the other hoof was consolidating its forces in the floating city, but even then they had made no indication that they were even remotely interested in the forest. No fly overs, no probing of it’s boarders, nothing.
It was like they weren’t even a threat.
Twilight’s train of thought was interrupted by a soft aroma wafting to her nostrils. Jasmine tea — her favorite. She raised her head enough to look for the source. Standing in the doorway was a white unicorn with a purple mane, dark blue eyes, and three light blue gems as a cutie mark. She was the newest resident in the Pie Home, the recently-healed unicorn that had helped Rainbow escape those twelve years ago.
“I thought you might enjoy a little something to help you relax,” Rarity said, passing the tea cup to Twilight with her light blue magic. Twilight took a deep whiff of the tea and sighed. 
“Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight said with a slight smile. Rarity was extremely grateful for what Twilight had done for her, but unlike most of the others, the unicorn respected Twilight’s wishes to not go overboard with praises. Her younger sister was similarly grateful, but she spent most of her time hanging out with Applebloom and Dinky. Both of them still thanked Twilight quite a bit more than the alicorn would have liked, but that wasn’t surprising, given the state she was in when they found Rarity in…


Ten minutes after the Sonic Rainboom…


“Rainbow, slow down!” Twilight yelled, huffing as she tried to keep up with the pegasus in front of her. The two of them were flying through the dungeon in Thorn’s house as the rebels broke ponies out of their cells. Many were weak and required help getting out, but Rainbow was ignoring them for now. 
“No time,” she yelled. “We need to find Rarity!” Immediately after the Rainboom, everypony had been running around like crazy to grab everything they could, but Rainbow had focused solely on searching for the unicorn. However, they had received some bad news. Three weeks ago, she had been tried by Thorn, much like Rainbow, and locked away in the dungeon. As such, Rainbow had immediately grabbed Twilight around her middle and charged for the dungeon, leaving Flash and most of the other ponies behind. 
“Can we at least slow down?” Twilight panted. While Rainbow might be completely refreshed, Twilight was still exhausted from the battle with Thorn.
“After we find her and help her!” Rainbow said, still flying from cell to cell until she came to a stop in the middle of the hallway. “Rarity! Yell if you can hear me!”
“Hmm?” a soft voice called from a nearby cell. “Who’s there? It better not be you again, Wandering Eye.”
“What? No, no! It’s me, Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow yelled, dashing to the cell where the voice came from.
“Rainbow! But…but what are you doing here? Thorn—”
“Is gone. She won’t be a problem ever again. I’ll explain later, but we need to get you out!” She yanked on the door handle, but Twilight just rolled her eyes and fired a small bolt of magic, frying the lock and and pulling the door open. 
Inside, Rarity looked worse for wear, to say the least. Her mane was disheveled and her coat was filthy. She had her fore hooves strapped to the wall via metal bands, leaving her in a permanent upright position. Twilight wasted no time shattering the metal bands with a flash of her horn, causing Rarity to flop unceremoniously into Rainbow’s forelegs as the pegasus dashed forward to catch her.
“Rainbow?” Rarity asked quietly. “Am I hallucinating, or…is that an alicorn with you? Also, do you…have wings? I thought…”
“Don’t worry, she’s with us, and yeah, she…she healed me,” Rainbow said, sending a grateful smile at Twilight. 
“H-Heal you…but how…a-and can s-she” she muttered. Lifting a weak hoof, she brushed back her disheveled mane, causing Rainbow to gasp and for Twilight to shiver uncomfortably. There on Rarity’s head was a flat stub, just like what Second Sight had. The wound had yet to be healed, and not only did the stub appear to have burn marks, likely from a touch used to stop the bleeding, but it appeared that the wound was infected as well. It was far worse that anything Second Sight had mentioned.  
“Rarity…” Rainbow muttered, horrified. “What…what happened?”
“Blanket’s…” Rarity muttered, her hoof falling away. “I…I was using the…discarded cloth from the…dresses Thorn wanted to…to make blankets for the other ponies… Thorn, she… thought I was a thief… when the cloth would have…just been thrown away otherwise…I just…wanted… to… help…” And with that, her head lulled and her eyes closed.
“Rarity? RARITY!” Rainbow yelled, getting no response from the unicorn. “Twilight! Can you do to her what you did to me!?”
“Ummm… I…I think so,” Twilight said in a rush. ‘Magi?’ she thought
I can assist you, the element replied. To begin, simply imagine that orb that you saw me use. Imagine it settling on your hoof. 
Twilight closed her eyes and held out her right forehoof, and sure enough, the orb floated out of the element and came to a rest on it. 
Good. Now I will take care of the rest.
The Element of Magic began to glow, and a stream of purple magic flowed out of the gem and towards Rarity. Rainbow held her in place as the magic connected with the horn stub, only backing off when the unicorn began to lift off the dungeon floor. The magic swirled around Rarity, and her eyes remained closed as a serene look overcame her face.   
Slowly but surely, her horn began to extend and take shape. As it grew, a coil of magic combed through her mane and tail, smoothing it until it bounced in elegant curls. When her horn had reached pointy perfection, the power abated, but not before it swept down Rarity’s body, removing the filth of the cell from her coat.
Rarity opened her eyes, blinking as the orb vanished back into the Element of Magic. She looked up at her horn, then her tail and mane, then her horn again. 
“WahahahahahHAHAHAHA!” she shrieked in excitement. “My horn! My mane! My…my… EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” She danced around excitedly before lunging at Twilight, tackling her in a full-body hug. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!”
“You’re…welcome,” Twilight coughed out, trying to breathe as the now-healed unicorn did her best to crush her throat. 
“Aw yeah!” Rainbow yelled, hoof-pumping in midair. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!  Rarity is back in action. And so am I, hehehe. Hmmmm… I wonder who we should heal next… OH! WAIT! I ALMOST FORGOT! Rarity, I know it took me a while to come back for you, but how would you like to join the resistance?
“I would LOVE TO!” Rarity exclaimed fiercely, not relinquishing her hold on Twilight’s throat.
“Awesome! Oh, um but before we do that, we need to go. Thorn might be gone, but chances are guards are coming. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
“You’re right!” Rarity squealed, releasing a slightly blue Twilight from her death grip. “I need to get my cloth and needles and gems and—” She let out a huge gasp. “Sweetie Belle! I need to find my sister! I’M COMING SWEETIE BELLE!” 
And with that, Rarity dashed out of the cells at speeds that almost matched Rainbow Dash.
Also, using the magic to heal others magnifies emotions for a small amount of time, in case you haven't guessed that. Though don’t ask me why, as I never actually figured it out myself. 
‘I’ve noticed,’ Twilight thought as she rubbed her neck. Hopefully, this wouldn't become a theme.


Back at the present…


“Think nothing of it, darling,” Rarity said with a smile. “I heard you yelling outside and then when you came in looking so haggard, I thought you could use a pick-me-up.”
“You’re so thoughtful, Rarity,” Spike said dreamily from the doorway. After yelling at Twilight and then hugging her like there was no tomorrow, Spike had finally noticed their newest house member. And it was clear to everypony that he was hopelessly in love at first sight. It was harmless though, or at least, Twilight hoped it would be. 
“Why, thank you, Spike.”
“Yelling?” Flash asked in surprise. He had been helping Spike and Rarity make new bedding for the village ponies, as well as making a few more bombs, and so had left Twilight alone for the day. The only thing he knew was that she had come lethargically up the stairs while he was putting away his alchemy equipment and walked by without so much as a hello. “What was it this time?”
“The Keepers wanted me to sign the books they brought, rather than donating them to the library,” Twilight grumbled. “Books should be for reading, not part of their obsession with me.” She groaned and faceclouded. “Can I go back to when everyone was still suspicious of me?”
“Nope,” Flash said, smiling as he rubbed her back. “You’re a celebrity now, no way around it. But don’t worry. Things should clam down soon.”
“But Applejack wants to go after another alicorn tomorrow. And when I ‘judge’ her, I’m just gonna add more fuel to the fire. I don't even know if we should be going for her at all!”
“Why not?” Spike asked.
“Because Applejack told me we are going after Lady Wall Flower. She was one of Celestia’s friends, and she has the smallest house of any alicorn in Equestria. At most, she only has one hundred ponies.”
“Is she kind, or like Thorn?” Rarity asked, earning a deadpan stare from Flash. “What?”
“She’s one of CELESTIA’S friends,” Flash said.
“Ah, point taken.”
“Has Magi offered any advice?” Flash asked.
“No. She just told me to wait for the judgement and to trust her,” Twilight said glumly. 
“She was right about trusting her at Thorn’s property wasn't she?”
“She also is the reason I’m in this mess in the first place. And the reason the Queen wants to lock me away for the rest of my life.”
I can hear you, you know.
‘I know,’ Twilight thought. ‘Still your fault.’
I think you need to get some sleep. Trust me, this will work out. 
‘And how do you know? What if things go horribly wrong?’
Trust me as the twenty-thousand-year-old magic artifact that is currently stuck to your neck. 
‘That does not inspire confidence. At all.’ Twilight sighed as she felt Magi go silent. It was hard to explain, but she could tell if Magi wanted to talk to her and if the element wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, talking with Magi would usually lead to her losing the ability to react to certain stimuli, which is why, when she blinked, she jumped, as Pinkie was suddenly a few inches away from her face.  
“Please stop doing that,” Twilight sighed. 
“Sorry,” Pinkie said. “I just came to let you know dinner was ready, but you were talking to Magi which I could tell because she was glowing and you didn't react when I booped you and—”
“I think she gets it, dear,” Rarity said, gently pushing Pinkie away so Twilight had some breathing room. This wasn't the first time Twilight had spoken with Magi, so no one thought it was unusual for her to cease responding to them. “Now then, dinner anyone?” 
Twilight’s stomach grumbled in agreement, causing her to blush and for Flash to pat her with her wing reassuringly and smirk. 


Later that night…


Twilight whimpered as the heavy chains bore down on her. She was in Thorn’s dungeon, her horn gone and her wings shredded. Thorn stood over her, laughing. Everything hurt. She was trapped, helpless, lost. She—
“ENOUGH!” 
A powerful, regal voice rang out, evaporating the scene. Twilight blinked. She was freed, untouched, and Thorn was nowhere in sight. She was now in Lady Celestia and Lady Luna’s study, though the walls were covered in a myriad of moving pictures she hadn’t seen before. 
But that voice… She turned and gasped excitedly. 
“Lady Luna!” she cried, dashing forward and hugging the large, dark blue alicorn as she materialized. Luna just smiled and returned the young alicorn’s hug. 
“Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you,” Luna said. “I’m sorry I haven’t been available to talk to you until now, but things have been…busy… since your escape.” She broke the hug and looked at Twilight. 
“Busy?”  
“The Queen sent more soldiers to investigate our property when you escaped. She couldn’t find you, obviously, but she has still be vigorously searching for you since your escape. At least, she was.”
“She was? As in she no longer is? What happened?”
“It began earlier this week, and while I had to wait until I left Canterlot so that the Queen could not detect what I was doing, is part of the reason I chose now to contact you now…”


The day after the sonic rainboom…


“Y-You can’t be serious,” the depowered Thorn stammered, staring up at the Queen in fear. She was wearing a metal tracking collar, chained to the center of the alicorns' auditorium. Her Butler had brought her to Canterlot after their escape, and upon discovering her, the Queen had called for a meeting of all of Equestria’s alicorns. 
To say the alicorns had freaked out upon discovering Thorn’s judgment, and the fact they may all face a similar fate, was an understatement. Even Thorn’s sister, who was usually cold and aloof, seemed rather unsettled by the news. The Queen, however, had not been moved. Before addressing the issue of Twilight, however, she first had to address the issue of Thorn.
“Because of you and your grudge, not only has the Element of Magic once again escaped our grasp, but the pony wearing it now has a sizable force to help defend her,” she growled. “We had a chance to end this nonsense, but because of your obsession with petty revenge, we lost it. As such, not only do you no longer have any authority, you will be spending the rest of your pitiful life in a cell at the lowest lever of the dungeon.” The Queen huffed. “As for your Butlers, they will be transferred to either here, Cloudsdale, or Manehattan, depending on their species. And to make sure they do not try and free you, each of them will wear a collar that will allow me or my guard captain to keep track of their movement and actions. They no longer serve you.”
“But—“
“Don't argue. As far as I’m concerned, you got what you deserved,” the Queen said, nodding to two guards. They nodded and moved to unhook Thorn’s chains from the floor before leading her away. The ex-alicorn did not resist. However, before she could get to the large doors of the exit, they burst open as a haggard pony wearing rainbow-colored robes rushed in. 
Everypony’s eyes widened. They knew that rainbow-colored robes were only worn by those who had been tasked to guard the Elements of Harmony, and that the ponies wearing them were usually very strong. The only thing was, almost no pony ever saw them — they almost never left the hidden sanctuaries where the elements were kept. 
“MY QUEEN! THE ELEMENT OF HONESTY! IT’S—“


Back in the present…


“It’s gone!?” Twilight asked, shocked. 
Luna nodded. “Indeed. And not from an outside force. From what the guards said, the element reacted all on its own, similar to how yours did back in the audience chamber. When the anti-magic case broke, the guardian said there was a flash, and then entire sanctuary, as well as the element, just vanished. And not just Honesty. Reports rapidly came in from the other sanctuaries indicating that all of the elements are gone.”
“All of them?” Twilight breathed. “Is that why the Queen isn't coming for me?”
“Indeed,” Luna said. “Her forces, as well as those from Manehattan, are now spreading out in a effort to find the other elements. As far as we can guess, the Queen is ignoring you for now because she knows roughly where you are after what you did to Thorn. She may come for you once the other elements are found, but right now she would rather find the elements that aren't defended by a few hundred ponies in the middle of the most dangerous place in Equestria.”
“That’s good, at least,” Twilight said, nodding. If she had time, then she could try and come up with a plan.
“I must ask, though, Twilight,” Luna said. “What has happened after your escape? Celestia is happy you got away, of course, but she has been stressing herself over your safety, even if she doesn't show it. Especially after what Thorn apparently tried to do. Hearing what you have gone through may put her at ease.”
“I’m… not so sure about that,” Twilight said hesitantly. “Especially after…”
“After what?”
Twilight took a deep breath and began to tell Luna what had happened since she had escaped. She told her about meeting Applejack and the other ponies of the village. Of their distrust and her magically mishaps. When she got to her sacrifice for the village, Luna praised her for her selflessness, scolded her for her recklessness, and let her continue. When Twilight told her of the ‘punishment’ Thorn had for her, Luna paled, but was relieved when she heard of the rescue Flash and the others performed. When Twilight mentioned Magi and what she did to Thorn, Luna looked uncertain.
“And she said all of us were to be judged?” Luna asked. 
Twilight nodded. “I…I’m sorry, my lady, but yes. I…I think it even means that…that one day…”
Luna hugged Twilight reassuringly. “Do not fret on that now, Twilight. Our day of judgement may come, but I for one will accept it no matter the outcome.”
“But you haven't done anything wrong!”
“But many alicorns have. If losing my alicornhood is what is needed for the ponies of Equestria to be free, then I will accept it. But we have bigger things to worry about at this moment, specifically about the elements.” Twilight’s ears perked up. “With the elements missing once again, and possibly healed in the same way yours is, your first goal should be to find them before the Queen.”
“But how?” Twilight asked. “I’ve been so busy in the forest helping things get settled, I have no idea where to even begin. I don't even know where the sanctuaries were before the elements disappeared, let alone where they could be now.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t the faintest idea either,” Luna said sadly. “But don’t give up hope. My sister and I will be calling in favors from other alicorns we know, and we hope that we will at least be able to give you a starting point in your search.”
“But what do I do until then?” Twilight asked. 
“Whatever you think is best. I would suggest you avoid attracting unwanted attention, however.”
“That might be hard…” Twilight said nervously. When Luna looked at her questioningly, Twilight told her about Applejack’s plan for Wall Flower. 
“No…” Luna breathed, looking at Twilight with a faint hope that she might be lying. 
You are still worrying too much. Magi said, causing both alicorns to jump in surprise and turn towards the voice. A large, glowing version of the Element of Magic was hovering next to their heads. 
“Magi!? What are you… HOW!?”
I have access to your thoughts, remember? What is a dream but a collection of thoughts? 
“Fascinating,” Luna said, looking in shock at the floating element. “I have never met another entity able to enter the dreams of others. And to think that the element are sentient… that just makes locking them away ever worse. But the power… even here, it is immense…”
I will take that as a compliment. Now as for Lady Wall Flower, I told you not to worry, Twilight. We do need to go to her next, and things will work out. Trust me.
“But…” 
Trust. Me. Please?
“I…ok,” Twilight sighed. 
Thank you. 
“May I ask why you insist in going to Wall Flower?” Luna asked. “She isn't like Thorn, so I don’t see why stripping her of her power is necessary.”
Speak with Twilight tomorrow. Everything will be clear then. 
And with that, Magi disappeared from the dream realm. The two alicorns looked at each other. 
“Is she… it IS a she, right?” Luna asked. Twilight nodded. “Is she always this vague?” 
“Unfortunately, yes,” Twilight sighed. “I’d much rather just be told what she’s up to rather than playing the waiting game.”
“At least you won’t have to wait long,” Luna said. “Celestia and I have been waiting centuries for a chance like this.”
“Huh?”
“I know that this is unlikely to occur, given the leadership qualities your rebellion leaders have,” Luna began, “but if you need anything Twilight, ANYTHING, come to us. We will do whatever we can to help you bring an end to the alicorn’s rule.”
“But then you might lose your alicornhood, and if there are no alicorns, who will keep Equestria livable!? They NEED you to keep the land clear of that tainted magic!”
“So you learned about that? Quite impressive. Regardless, this is why you must find the elements. If you can find them and use them to heal Equestria, then the alicorn’s hold over the common pony will significantly weaken. And even if you don’t know where to begin, you have an entire group of ponies with you who are willing to help, and they come from all across Equestria. Who knows? Perhaps one of them can give us a hint as to where to begin our search.”
“Maybe,” Twilight said, nodding. “I’ll ask Applejack. Even if no pony knows where to begin, we can maybe send out scouts to try and find some information. I just hope she’s willing to listen…”


Then next morning…


“Nope.”
“But Applejack—“
“Nuh uh. Not happening,” Applejack said, turning away from the deflating Twilight. She, Twilight, Flash, Pinkie, Rarity, Spike, Second Sight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and a few others were currently in Applejack’s house, which was currently serving as their command center…of a sorts. “We still got too much work here at home. We ain’t got time to go off looking for some magic rocks.”
“But if the Queen gets them—“ Twilight argued.
“She probably ain’t got a clue about where their hiddin', and neither do we. Right now, helping Thorn’s old ponies and taking out Lady Wall Flower are our top priorities.”
“Can’t you send a few scouts to look around?” Flash asked. “I’m willing to bet that the Queen’s troops are so busy looking for the elements that they won’t notice a stealthy pony or two looking around.”
“I’m with Flash,” Rainbow said from above them. Ever since she got her wings back, she spent more time hovering in the air than standing on the ground. “It’s not like we need everypony here right now. Yeah, things were hectic for a while, but they’re finally calming down. And if the other elements do what Twilight’s does, it could really speed up the whole ‘depower all the alicorns’ thing.”
“She has a point,” Rarity said. “And the quicker we get rid of those ruffians, the better. No offense, Twilight. There are good alicorns like yourself out there, I’m sure, but the majority are horrid.”
“None taken,” Twilight said, well aware of the statistics.
“I, um, also agree,” Fluttershy said, “at least, if that’s ok.”
“Me five,” Pinkie said.
Applejack sighed and turned to look back at the group. “Look. I say maybe, and that’s a BIG maybe, after we get rid of Wall Flower, we can start sendin’ A FEW scouts out to look for the elements. But right now we need ta focus on making sure our boarder is secure and that an alicorn doesn’t try to just come marchin’ in here to ‘reclaim’ lost ponies.
“I know for a fact the Queen won’t care, so long as she gets Twilight, and remember that Thorn does have a sister who might come looking for us just to spite Thorn by beating the ponies she lost to.” 
Everypony shivered at the reminder. Thorn’s sister, Lady Rose, was bad, but no one really knew HOW bad. That was mostly, however, because no pony ever escaped her property, seeing as it was located up near the frozen north. All they knew was that Thorn and her never had any contact with one another, and that was it. Twilight didn't even know what she looked like, despite the fact that she had been to multiple alicorn gatherings before the incident with the Element of Magic.
“So in order to make sure that doesn't happen,” Applejack continued, “we need to not only secure the forest and build defenses, but we need to go after more alicorns so that the others know that if they come for us, they’ll just meet the same fate.”
“What if we knew where the elements were?” Second Sight asked, smiling mysteriously. Applejack snorted.
“Unless y’all have a magic map that can lead us to the elements, we’re gonna continue going after alicorns.”
“Who knows?” Second Sight said with a shrug. “Maybe Lady Wall Flower has a magic map for us.”
“Yeah, and pigs can fly…”


Deep within the miasma…


“I might just have to try that out later…” an old, shaky voice said, before breaking down into a coughing fit. “Might be fun.”
Behind the voice, there were two slow flash’s of light.
“Oh hush, I promised I would be good, and I will. Doesn’t mean I can’t have a bit of fun. Plus, she’s practically asking for it.”
> Act 2 Chapter 13: What Judgement Truly Means
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Well? What do you think?” Rarity asked, eagerly awaiting Twilight’s feedback. She and the purple alicorn were currently standing her room in Pinkie’s house, where a full-body mirror had been set up. Rarity had wanted to bring more (actually, she had wanted to bring everything related to clothes-making that wasn't nailed down), but Applejack had forbidden it. Still, she had more than enough to make Twilight’s new garment and have plenty left over for future outfits (aka, three trunks and an eight-foot cabinet worth of cloth and sewing materials).
“It’s very nice, Rarity,” Twilight said, looking at the raiment from all angles. It was a hooded purple cloak, trimmed with a darker purple color along the hems. The fabric was rich, but it still felt very light. There were slits along the back for her wings that she could close via magic  if she needed to hide them. It fastened around her neck with a simple clasp, but Rarity had added golden cords that tied around a small, star-shaped amethyst. The cords and gem perfectly hid the Element of Magic from view, which was good, because it was still stuck around Twilight’s neck.
“But I’m not sure how well it will last in combat. Also, where did you find an amethyst? I though gems were hard to find ever since The Cloud attacked.” 
“Gem finding spell,” Rarity said casually. “Part of my value for that brute I used to work for was my unique ability to find gems. But as for your first question, I asked Second Sight if she knew any magic runes used to make clothing more durable, and she actually had quite a few." Taking the cloak in her magic, she removed it from Twilight to show her the inside. Sure enough, there were runes stitched into the cloth, with small bumps around the outer circles.
“The runes will help protect the cloth from tear, stains, magic damage,” she said, pointing to each rune in turn, “rain, and even will try and deflect some of the SHARPER objects you might come across. I’m not saying it will protect you completely, but it’s better and much lighter than wearing that…mmmm, RUGGED, armor.”
“And these bumps?” Twilight said, trailing a hoof over the runes. Unlike the ones in her room that only activated when she put magic into them, these one looked to have an individual power source. “They’re gems, right? Aligned along the outer circle of the rune to help power it even when I’m not directly putting magic into it? They don’t look like they will hold much magical charge to power the runes though.”
“Ah, but THAT, my dear, is where your unique nature comes into play.”
“My what?”
“Your alicorn-hood, darling. You give off much more magic than any other race by just being an alicorn. This design should, in theory, allow for the gems to absorb your extra magic to stay powered and functioning without you needed to constantly stop and recharge them. If they don’t work, we can always swap them out for larger ones, though I hesitate to do that both for comfort reasons and for the vulnerability it will present to the garment.”
Rarity had a point. Twilight hadn't even felt the gems when she had put the cloak on, and having the gems constantly rubbing against her back might be a bit annoying. As for the runes, she was right there too. If the stitches were damaged in any way that broke the circle, or if the gems powering it were to break, the rune would stop working. Smaller runes needed smaller circles, so making them bigger might make them more vulnerable. Plus, Rarity might have an easier time resowing them should they get damaged.
“Still, thank you, Rarity,” Twilight said as she put the cloak on again. “I promise I’ll pay you back for this one day.” she said as she put the cloak back on. 
“No need, darling. This is a thank-you gift, plain and simple. You can pay me back simply by putting it to good use,” she said with a smile before turning towards the door. “Now come along. I need to see how Spike’s new uniform looks, and then I need to speak with Rainbow Dash.” 
Twilight nodded and followed Rarity as she walked out of the room. 
When they got downstairs, Flash, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Second Sight, and Pinkie were all looking at the couch, but when Twilight turned to look at what they were seeing, she felt her eyes…unfocus. Blinking, she tried looking again, but once again she found that she couldn't seem to see straight. She kept trying until she heard Flash chuckle.
“All right Spike, I think that’s a good enough demonstration. Quit messing with her.” Twilight was about to question what he meant when suddenly she found she could now focus on the couch. Sitting there was a rather proud looking Spike, wearing a new purple and green suit with a golden finish. 
“This is awesome!” Spike said, laughing at Twilight’s shocked face. 
“Now remember,” Rarity said, “you need to be responsible with this, and remember that this is still just a prototype. Don’t do anything reckless, and remember to be careful, ok, Spikey Wikey?”
“Yes, oh fair Rarity,” Spike said, standing up and bowing. 
“I…that…huh?" Twilight asked, still not sure what just happened.
“Just a little rune one of the new Keepers brought in,” Second Sight said with a chuckle. “It’s called the ‘Wallflower’ rune, ironically enough. Since most alicorns pretty much ignore Lady Wall Flower, this rune does the same thing, sorta.”
“It’s supposed to make it harder to notice anything with the rune on it,” Flash explained. “While the effect is noticeable at close range, as you saw, it’s almost impossible to notice at a distance. Our goal is to make it so that our scouts’ clothing can help keep them from being noticed, but Rarity made Spike a new suit as a prototype so he can stay unnoticed if something dangerous is going on.”
“But when would he ever need that?” Twilight asked. “I know the forest is dangerous, but it's not like he’s leaving to go fight the monsters that live here.”
Flash opened his mouth, but Spike cut him off.
“Because I’m coming with you to Lady Wall Flower’s property.” 
Flash facehooved.
“Absolutely not!” Twilight exclaimed. 
“Absolutely yes!” Spike countered. “I can help, and I’m not just gonna sit around while you’re putting yourself in danger.”
“And the fact that I might be in danger is the exact reason you’re not coming! You’re still so little and I could never live with myself if something happened to you!”
“Well, I couldn’t live with MYSELF if something happened to YOU!” Spike exclaimed. “You’re basically my big sister and hearing about you almost LOSING YOUR HORN terrified me!” 
Twilight flinched, her eyes tearing up. Spike took a deep breath.
“Now I know I’m not an adult yet. Heck, I might still be a baby by dragon standards. But I CAN help you, and I refuse to let you go through this alone.” He smirked. “Besides, unlike a foal, I can breath fire and have thick scales to protect me. Combined with this awesome new enchantment, that means I can at least look after myself. And Flash agrees with me, so I’m coming, and that’s final.” 
Twilight looked at her Butler for help, but he shrugged causally.
“It was either this, or have him constantly trying to sneak out of the village to follow us. At least this way we can keep an eye on him. Plus, Fluttershy offered to look after him in extreme cases, like if you need to fight another alicorn.”
“But,” Twilight stuttered, growing desperate now, “but-but—”
“Twilight,” Fluttershy said softly. “I don’t like it either. The idea of someone so young near combat terrifies me, but he’s just trying to help you. You remember how he felt after you came back, right?” 
Twilight nodded in defeat. After she had returned from Thorn’s, Spike had spent a long time yelling at her, but the two of them had spent an even longer time hugging each other and crying. For the next few days, he had barely let her out of her sight, and as irritating as it was, she couldn’t blame him. She had hurt him, and as much as she hated to admit it, letting him come with her was probably the best way that she could start to put him at ease. 
“Ok,” she sighed. “Just, please Spike, be careful. I…I would never forgive myself if you got hurt.”
“Same goes for you,” Spike said, giving her a quick but tight hug before taking his place on her back. 
With that dispute solved, everypony moved to begin gathering the last of the things they needed for that night, including lanterns, tools, and in Pinkie’s case, snacks. The plan was to leave the forest at just after sunset so that they could arrive at Lady Wall Flower’s property under the cover of darkness. 
Upon arriving at Lady Wall Flower’s estate, Applejack would give her a single chance to surrender, hoping to simply judge her without any actual combat. Considering that they were bringing at least a hundred fighters, they hoped this would be the case. Once they were done, they planned to camp out in her mansion for the night and the next day before returning to the forest. They had back-up plans in case they needed to make a hasty retreat, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that. 

__________________________________________________________________________________


As everypony worked, Rarity quickly moved to Rainbow Dash and after a quick word, the two ran back upstairs. 
“What’s up, Rarity?” Rainbow asked, looking at her old friend in confusion.
“Rainbow, are there any ponies staying here that might be skilled in weapons, or possibly magic?” Rarity asked.
“Well, Bronze Sword and Shield Bearer are staying behind to continue training some of the new ponies, but why do you want to know?” Rainbow asked. “I thought you were just going to be working on the scouts’ uniforms.” Rarity had declined to go with the others to Lady Wall Flower’s property, but nopony had actually asked her why. Most just assumed she was staying behind to work on her clothing.
“That is part of my plan, darling, but the fact that those two are training ponies is perfect. I need to start somewhere, and while I doubt I can accomplish much in two days, it should be enough time for me to at least find a weapon I am comfortable with.”
“Huh? You mean you want to know how to fight?”
“You sound surprised, darling.”
“Well, YEAH. When we first met, you were crying over a stain, and now you want to learn how to fight? It just seems a little…”
“Unusual? Out of character? Unbefitting of a lady?”
“Let’s go with the first one.”
“Well, it’s rather simple darling,” Rarity said. “If I’m to accompany you all on your little escapades, I need to know how to defend myself.” Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but Rarity held up a hoof. “And before you question my sanity about wanting to come with you, let me explain.”
“You are correct — I am certainly not the type of pony that would go off looking for combat. Quite the opposite, really, especially considering how much mud and dirt I would get in my coat and mane, but that’s not the point. I owe you, Twilight, and everypony else in this village a great service for what you did for me, and while I might be able to repay you all with clothing, as is my talent, I refuse to sit back and watch from the sidelines while you all put yourself at risk.
“Now, I doubt I’ll ever be a deadly combatant like you and Applejack, but even if I can help Fluttershy with her medical duties on the field of combat, that would make me feel far better than just sitting around here twiddling my hooves. So as such, I need to learn how to defend myself so that I can be a service rather than a hindrance to you all. Any questions, darling?”
“I…wow, Rarity, I didn't think you felt so strongly about this.” Rainbow said, surprised. 
“I had a lot of time to think in that cell, and while a large part of me just wanted to wallow in despair, a much more sensible part of my brain told me to think of what I would do if I ever got out. Since you’ve already taken care of the ‘kick Thorn’s flank’ step, the next step was to try and stop other alicorns. If I need to get my hooves dirty to do so, then so be it. Although I DO hope we can avoid any muddy areas. I DESPISE mud.”
Rainbow shook her head, laughing. “You’re crazy, Rarity. But I can respect you wanting to fight back. Heck, it’s all I’ve wanted to do for years. Head to the training grounds once we leave. Shield Bearer should be holding a training session around that time.” She smirked. “Who knows, maybe one day you’ll even be able to take me on.”
“I’ll consider that a challenge,” Rarity said with a playful grin as the two bumped hooves. 

____________________________________________________________________________________


“But Applejack…” 
“Applebloom, I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times; you ain’t ready for combat, and you ain’t coming with us.”
“Enope,” Big Mac said in agreement, lifting the small filly by the scruff of her neck out of the supply cart where she and her new friend had been hiding. The girls were small and were almost quiet enough to get away with it, but between their whispering, Applebloom’s big red bow, and Sweetie Belle’s curly pink-and-purple tale sticking out the back of the cart, it hadn’t been too hard to find them. Applejack, Big Mac, and Rarity shook their heads at their sisters’ antics. 
“But we can help!” Sweetie Belle protested as Rarity levitated her in her magic and pulled her sister onto her back.
“Now Sweetie, I know you want to do your best to help everypony, but charging into something that is dangerous even for adults is not the way to do it,” Rarity chided. “You two are going to stay with me and Derpy tonight. We’re watching her own daughters as well as Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak so Second Sight can spent time with Feather Duster, which means you’ll have plenty of playmates.”
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom grumbled, trying not to admit that hanging out with the others would probably be a lot of fun. With a good-bye wave, Rarity took the two foals and walked away from the front gate where everypony was gathering. It was sunset, so leaving soon would ensure they would reach the forest edge soon after night fall. 
“What was that about?” Spike asked as he, Twilight, Pinkie, Flash, Rainbow, and Fluttershy came over, all looking ready to go. Rainbow was wearing new armor that had slits for her restored wings, and Twilight was wearing her new cloak. Fluttershy was wearing a white coat and a small headband with a reflector on it, all of which was enchanted to protect her, while Pinkie was wearing wooden armor that was painted bright pink. Everyone else was dressed as they normally were for missions. 
Applejack just rolled her eyes. “Ma sister wanted to come along, so she tried sneaking into our supply cart for the journey. Didn't realize that not only could we hear her arguing with Sweetie Belle, but that we could also see Sweetie's tail sticking out the back.” She shook her head. “That filly…I love her, but she just can’t seem to understand that I’m trying to protect her.”
“As is usually the case with younger siblings,” Flash said. “Or Twilight when I’m trying to get her to stop reading at three in the morning.” 
That earned him a punch in the shoulder from said glaring alicorn and a few laughs from the rest of the ponies. Applejack merely shrugged, but the corner of her mouth seemed to twitch a little.
With all their troops gathered and waiting, Applejack raised her voice to get their attention. “All right, everypony, it’s time to move. Stay together, stay focused, and let’s get this done.” She whistled to the gate keepers, prompting them to open the gate and let the large number of ponies through. There were some cheers as they left, and a few quick good-bye hugs before everypony was over the threshold and the gate closed once again. 
Applejack and Rainbow Dash led the group through the forest, while Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, Flash, and Spike followed closely behind. Twilight was curious as to why Pinkie was coming, but the only answer she got from the bouncing, smiling mare was Pinkie saying “I need more baking powder.” At least Twilight knew Pinkie could handle herself should things go bad. 
The trip through the forest was exceptionally quiet. None of the timberwolves seemed to want to try their luck against such a large group, and many of the other predators only watched them from the shadows for a while before moving on. The most exciting thing that happened was the ponies pulling out lanterns when it got truly dark.
Upon reaching the edge of the forest, the ponies put their lanterns away and instead relied on the moonlight, which shone brightly against a perfectly clear sky. The beauty of the night sky, however, was the best part of the trek across the fields of Equestria. Everything out in the open looked so bland compared to the forest. Little grass, almost no trees, occasional puffs of dust from the winds — it was a so different from the overgrown forest they inhabited, and Twilight had almost forgotten what it was like out here.
Eventually, the sight of Lady Wall Flower’s property came into view. It was small, as far as estates went, only about half the size of House Shining Star, but there was still plenty of vegetation and housing for all the inhabitants. Normally, Lady Wall Flower kept her property as quiet and unnoticed as she could, but tonight every single light was on and ponies were running frantically all over the grounds. Evidently, the crowd from the forest had been spotted.
“Rainbow, fly up and make sure she doesn’t try and escape.” Applejack said, her expression serious.
“On it,” Rainbow said, taking off at incredible speeds. The group of village ponies readjusted themselves so that the supply carts were in the back, followed by the unicorns, then the earth ponies in the front. The pegesi took off and hovered above, prepared to scatter and cause chaos among the enemy ranks if need be. 
Twilight had to wonder if military formations had been a part of Applejack’s Butler training, but she didn't dwell on that for the moment. Mostly because as they approached, the doors to the main mansion opened. There was a wash of shouting from the twenty or so Butlers in the foyer, but they were waved aside as Lady Wall Flower herself stepped out of the house. 
She was about as tall as Lady Luna, with a peach colored coat, a flowing tan mane, blue eyes, and a cutie mark of a daisy in a picture frame. She wore a golden ring on her horn, the embedded sapphires sparkling in the light. Her face was expressionless as she walked forward, whereas her Butlers all looked like they desperately wanted to jump in front of her. From the houses nearby, ponies peaked out fearfully, afraid of what was going to happen. Twilight hated the fact that they were so terrified of the villagers.
‘This isn't right,’ she thought.
Everything will be ok, trust me, Magi whispered to her.
After what felt like an eternity, the forest group came to a stop just outside the first row of houses. Lady Wall Flower took another step forward, causing the resistance ponies to prepare themselves. However, Applejack held up her hoof, signaling them to wait. Now that Lady Wall Flower was so close, Twilight realized that she was shaking. She was terrified, no doubt, but still she stood there, facing them down with as much authority as she could muster.
“I surrender,” she said, her tone calm. “I will do what you want. Just spare my ponies, please. They have done absolutely nothing to warrant harm. That’s all I ask.” 
There was a long pause as everypony looked at her. Some seemed surprised by her surrender. Others looked unsure if she was being honest.
“Well…That was easy,” Spike whispered, prompting Twilight to shush him. The other rebel ponies lowered their weapons and Rainbow came swooping down from the sky, landing next to Pinkie without a word.
“We ain’t here for them,” Applejack said, her eyes locked on the alicorn and her expression stern. “We’re here for you. Nice to see that at least SOME alicorns have some common sense though.” She snorted. “Twilight, yer—“
“NO!” 
A high pitched voice rang out, and a small blue blur dashed around the wall of Butlers behind Lady Wall Flower. The resistance ponies jumped at the sudden movement, but Lady Wall Flower reacted faster. Eyes wide, she turned just in time to catch a small alicorn filly with a deep blue coat, light pink mane, and orange eyes. She had no cutie mark.
“DON’T HURT MOMMY!” the foal cried, clutching the larger alicorn’s chest as she bawled. 
“Sunflower,” Wall Flower said, her own eyes misting. “Please go back inside. E-Everything will be ok.” 
“But…but…” Sunflower cried, refusing to let go of her mother even as a unicorn stallion with a dark blue coat, red mane, and a vine post as a cutie mark came running up. He also wore a golden ring on his horn, a near-perfect replica of Lady Wall Flower’s.
Twilight watched this scene with horror as a revelation came to her mind.
‘She has a daughter, an ALICORN daughter…but that means… she needs to be judged….’
Not quite. 
Twilight felt her body shudder as Magi once again took control. Her eyes once again became glowing orbs as magic wrapped around her head, the element shining brightly enough to catch everypony’s attention. Many of Lady Wall Flower’s ponies looked on in fear, but Wall Flower herself just looked at Twilight’s body with a pleading expression. 
“Please…” she begged, her own eyes watering as she hugged Sunflower. “Please, spare my daughter. S-She’s just a filly.”
All alicorns must be judged, Magi said through Twilight’s mouth, causing Lady Wall Flower’s eyes to widen in fear. 
However…
Every pony, resistance or not, froze. 
While every alicorn must be judged, there is one exception. As Magi spoke she looked at Sunflower, who huddled closer to her parents. Judgement involves looking at the collective memory of an alicorn, centuries worth of memories, to determine their guilt. Sunflower, however, is only seven years old. I don’t need to look at her memories to judge her worth. 
Further more, she is unlikely to have done anything worth of judging at this point in her life. Perhaps I may need to judge her many years down the road, but for now… With a flash of Twilight’s horn, a small mark, in the shape of Element of Magic, flashed on Sunflower’s forehead and then vanished. She is innocent of the crimes of the other alicorns, unable to help how she was born. She will not be stripped of her gifts for the foreseeable future. You need not worry for her safety.
A large portion of the tension went out of Lady Wall Flower’s body. “Thank you,” she whispered, giving her daughter one last hug before passing her to her husband, despite Sunflower’s protest. Many of the resistance ponies glanced at each other, but no one seemed to have any problem with this arrangement. 
You, however, must face the full judgement, Magi said, her tone brokering no argument. 
Lady Wall Flower nodded. “I’m…I’m ready.”
Six strands of magic burst from the Element of Magic, wrapping around the alicorn and lifting her into the air. Her ponies and Butlers cried out in fear and apprehension.
Do not resist. Resisting only brings pain. 
Two of the strands entered Lady Wall Flower’s forehead without leaving any physical damage. Lady Wall Flower did as she was told, simply hanging there as she accepted her fate. After about three minutes, Magi spoke again.
A verdict had been reached. You are found to be…

INNOCENT

Everypony’s eyes widened as the magic surrounding Wall Flower became, rather than dark red, a refreshing blue. Slowly, she was lowered to the ground as an image of the Element of Magic appeared on her forehead as well.
Despite the cruelty of your kin, you continue to look after your ponies as if they were your own children. You care for them, listen to them, and do whatever you can to serve them. Even now, you willingly sacrifice yourself to protect those that have sworn to die for you. You could have fled, or thrown every pony you had at us in some vain hope of keeping your gifts, but instead you surrendered them in the hopes that those you look after would be kept safe. 
Magi smiled. Of all the alicorns in the world, you are one of the few still worthy enough to deserve the title of alicorn. 
Wall Flower sat there, completely in shock until her daughter tackled her in a hug, followed quickly by her husband. She embraced them tightly, almost laughing as she began to cry tears of joy. 
‘You COULD HAVE TOLD ME ALICORNS COULD BE INNOCENT!’ Twilight raged in her head.
‘But then Applejack wouldn't have come, and nopony would learn anything.’
‘…You’re infuriating, you know that?’ 
‘No, I’m Magi. Since when did I ever say my name was ‘infuriating’?’
Twilight could do nothing but growl.
To say that everypony was shocked was like saying Pinkie was not a bad baker. For nearly thirty seconds, every pony on every side was completely speechless. Then, Applejack found her voice.
“WHAT THE HAY WAS THAT!?” she yelled, turning to Magi with her eyes burning. “We brought you here to DEPOWER HER! Not…Not…”
No, Applejack, you brought me here to JUDGE her. And like any REAL judgement, there are those who are innocent, and those who are guilty. It just so happens that Wall Flower was one of the innocent. 
Applejack, her face contorted in rage, opened her mouth to argue, but Magi cut her off. 
Or perhaps I should act like Thorn? Judging all before me as guilty and punishing them no matter the cost? Even children like Sunflower? Maybe I should just be the monster that replaces the alicorns. Is that what you want?
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Applejack growled. Behind her, some of the ponies that had shared her looks of outrage seemed taken aback by Magi’s words. Twilight knew from the conversations around the village that depowering the alicorns was the only thing they had thought about since Thorn’s defeat. Hearing the one who depowered Thorn say there was another option appeared to be a bit jarring to them, to say the least.
I’m not putting words in your mouth, Applejack, I’m simply explaining the meaning behind your words to those behind you. While I know many of them would love to see Equestria free of alicorns, the simple fact is that not every alicorn is a monster. I judge based on what I see, and I can clearly see that not every alicorn has strayed from the principles that originally got them their powers.
Besides, you seem to be overlooking one simple thing.
Applejack snorted. “And what’s that.”
Magi smirked. That we may now have a new ally.
“ALLY!?”
“Ally?” Wall Flower asked, looking at at Magi in a way that could only be described as confused apprehension. 
Yes, an ally. Tell me, Wall Flower, if you had the chance to fight back against other alicorns like Thorn or Scorching Sun, would you? If you had a chance to help other ponies who are locked away in harsh environments with no hope of escape, would you? I could see from your mind that you have spent many night lying awake, hoping that one day me and my siblings could be found so that Equestria could be healed, and so that the age of alicorn rule would come to an end. 
Wall Flower’s eyes widened, and her husband nodded to himself, remembering a few of those night when he himself had stayed up with her. 
“I…” Wall Flower said before taking a breath. “I would. I’ve always hated how many of the others have so little regard for their own ponies. I have wanted to stop it, whether through new laws, or…or force. But, I couldn’t. I…I was too afraid. It would be me against Equestria, and I knew my ponies would pay the price.” She shook her head. “Even if I wanted to, there was nothing I could do.”
But now there is, Magi said with a smile. A rebellion is forming, and while Twilight Sparkle may be strong, the truth is that she is only one pony. They will need you, even if most don’t want to admit it. So I ask you, will you join us?
Wall Flower broke eye contact and looked back at her ponies, then at the resistance. Many of her ponies looked hesitant, but even Twilight could see the desire to fight buried deep in their eyes. They knew what less fortunate ponies had to go through, a few of them having escaped thanks to deals Wall Flower made with other alicorns. If Wall Flower told them to fight, they would support her every step of the way. Even her husband looked ready to accept whatever decision she made.
The rebels, on the other hoof, looked… well…mixed, to say the least. A select few looked at her in anger, completely abhorrent to this idea even being brought up. Others looked hesitant, but understanding. They knew they could use all the help they could get, even if it was another alicorn. Still others looked thoughtful, possibly already planing out how she could be of use to the rebellion.
“I’ll do it,” Wall Flower said finally. “I’ll help you. I don’t know how much of an assistance I will be, but I’ll help.” 
Magi smiled warmly. 
And so the rebellion grows. 
With that, the magic of the element cut off, and Twilight stumbled as she once again regained control of her body.
Applejack growled. “Fine. FINE! You want her, then whoop de doo, she’s in, completely ignoring the purpose WE CAME HERE FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. Big Mac, take care of this. Ah need to cool down.” She stormed off towards the supply carts, likely to get one of the tents they had brought in case of emergencies. 
“She…really doesn’t like alicorns, I’m guessing?” Wall Flower asked hesitantly.
“Enope,” Big Mac said, shaking his head. “But Magi was right, we could use the help. To start, you mind if we stay here for the day? Rather not be spotted by soldiers trying to get back so early.”
“I suppose that would be ok,” Wall Flower said, smiling slightly. “I don’t suppose we could talk more in the morning? This has been an…eventful night, to say the least.”
“Morning’s fine,” Big Mac said, nodding. Slowly but surely, Wall Flower’s ponies came out to help the rebels as they set up for the night. Things were tense, as neither side appeared ready to trust the other, but nopony was acting with open hostility. Wall Flower opened her mansion for everypony to use, but there would still be a few ponies using tents, as the mansion was not big enough to hold everypony. 
“Sooooo, did Magi never mention that alicorns could be innocent?” Spike asked as he, Twilight, and Flash moved to set up their own tent.
“No, she DID NOT!” Twilight said, glaring angrily at the gem in her torc. “She said if she did tell me, Applejack wouldn't have come, and we wouldn’t have learned that that was the case. She could have told me not to tell Applejack!”
“No offense Twilight, but you’re horrible at hiding the truth, and lying,” Flash said, smirking as Twilight just scowled at him and Spike giggled.
“You are REALLY pushing it tonight, Flash Sentry.”
“Flash Sentry?” Wall Flower called out, her head whipping around to the pegasus Butler so fast she attracted at least ten other ponies.
“Um, yes?” Flash asked in surprise at the sudden attention. 
“Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. It’s just…I have a package for you.”
Flash blinked. “A package?”
“Yes,” she said, lighting her horn. A flash of teleportation later, there was a small cylindrical tube hovering in front of her. “It came in a large box addressed to me, but when I opened it, this was all that was inside, along with a note that you would soon arrive to pick it up.” She held out the tube. “I have no idea what’s inside though. It…It won’t open.” 
Eying the cylinder suspiciously, Flash accepted it as the nearby ponies all watched in confusion. As soon as his hooves touched the tube, there was a small ‘pop’ and the end came off. Flash raised an eyebrow and tilted the tube to the side, allowing a worn piece of parchment to slide out. His eyes widened as he unrolled it.
“Is that…?” Twilight asked in shock. She could see the parchment as well, and what she saw both confused and surprised her.
That…isn’t possible, Magi said breathlessly.
‘Magi?’
I need to go, Twilight. Rest assured, I believe this is accurate, and I suggest you show it to Applejack as soon as you can. I will be back by tomorrow morning. 
Before Twilight could question her further, she felt the connection break, ending her conversation with Magi. 

_______________________________________________________________________________


Applejack paced around inside her tent. She was mad, furious, ready to buck a tree right off its stump, and yet she knew there was nothing she could do. Because deep down, she knew that Magi was RIGHT. They could only steal food from Thorn’s property for so long, and she doubted they could get enough crops up and growing by the time it ran out. They could use Twilight to help, but she wasn't exactly sure how reliable that would be, given how the first time the purple alicorn cleaned the land was completely by accident.
Taking a deep breath, Applejack stopped pacing and sat down on her bed mat. She was tired, but didn't feel like sleeping. Reaching beneath the armor around her neck, she pulled out a small necklace. It was a simple, golden apple on a golden thread, probably the only piece of jewelry in her entire family. Opening the apple, she looked at what was inside.
‘Guess it doesn’t matter either way,’ she thought. ‘So long as SHE isn’t innocent, Magi can do what she pleases.’ She snorted. ‘Not like SHE could ever be innocent anyway.’ Closing the apple, she tucked it back into the depths of her armor and stood up. She needed to find something to do, something to get her mind off this. 
As luck would have it, the universe granted her a reprieve when Twilight and Flash both dashed into her tent.
“What in tarnation—?” Applejack shouted, forcing herself not to instantly reach for her katana. Flash held up the old piece of parchment, causing her eyes to widen. 
The parchment was a highly detailed map of Equestria. But this map was MOVING. Down to the south of Equestria was a spinning blue gem stone, and above it were two pigs with wings holding a banner that read ‘Element of Laughter.’
“I found that map you wanted,” Flash said, his expression serious as Applejack’s right eye started to twitch. 


Deep within the Miasma


The figure blinked. Then blinked again. Then they chuckled. 
“Well played, Laughter, well played.”
> Act 2 Chapter 14: Planning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Astral Realm was a place of beauty. A formless expanse, mixed with the sparkling white stars of life, covered the region. The ‘ground’ was made of many stars surrounded by a light wavy blue that slowly faded to black as you looked up. It was a plane of higher existence, almost completely inaccessible to anyone, even most immortals. Normally, such a place was peaceful and serene, despite the chaos out in the physical world. It’s why Magi loved it, especially now that her siblings had returned. But for once, the formless expanse and peace did nothing to sooth her. 
THIS DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE! Magi raged. Right now she wanted a body, rather than just being a formless mass at this point, so that she could pace and burn off some of this energy. She was annoyed, worried, confused, and infuriated all at the same time. 
Calm down, Magic, Honesty said, his voice calm and collected and slightly accented. It was deep, strong, and always acted as a calming force for Magi. But not today.  
How can I calm down!? That…That THING is a pure manifestation of harmonic energy! The only way it could have been created is if WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER WITH OUR FULLY REALIZED BEARERS! And last time I checked, I’M THE ONLY ONE THAT IS EVEN WITH THEIR BEARER!
But getting upset about it won’t solve anything, Kindness said in the deep, gentle, voice of a father comforting a child. Besides, Mother-
Never made a freaking MAGIC MAP! Seriously, when would she have EVER needed such a thing!? 
Maybe so when we found our new bearers so they could go on magic adventures solving friendship problems across Equestria? Laughter suggested in a squeaky voice. Magi always felt like Laughter’s voice could inspire any creature to smile just a little bit, but right now if Magi had eyes, she would have rolled them. 
Like that would ever happen. 
There’s no need to snap at Kindness, Generosity chimed it with a smooth, rich voice as she moved to hover near the pink orb. Her voice always reminded Magi of the ocean, calm and precise, yet able to break into a violent storm at a moment’s notice. Right now, she sounded right on the brink. We know this concerns you, but you really need to stop yelling. You know that never solves anything. 
Yeah, Loyalty said in a deep, rough voice. His voice always filled Magi with energy, revving her up for a fight. Yet somehow, it seemed to have the opposite effect now.  The last time I heard you this stressed was because Discord had transformed your bearer into a pineapple.
You would have reacted just as badly if he did that to yours.
The point is, we’re not here to contradict you or make things worse. But right now, yelling and raving won’t solve anything, or help us figure out what this thing is. 
Magi took a deep breath, held it, and released it. Maybe she didn't NEED to breathe, but it still helped her calm down a little. 
You’re right, as usual. I’m sorry. It’s just…This is impossible. Not to mention that it somehow managed to find and reveal Laughter’s location. What if a hostile alicorn had seen it?
Oh, uuuuuummmm, actually, Laughter said, spinning in place and giggling, that was me. I changed the map to reveal my location right when they opened it.
HUH? But...but WHY!? And HOW!? She could REALLY use some alcohol right now, if she could drink.
Wellllllll, since it was made of pure harmony magic, I tried reaching out to it to see if I could mess with it. And I could! We can change it to show whatever we want. As for why, well, I needed some way for my bearer to find me, of course! Just having Twilight tell everypony where to go won’t be as effective as having them go on a grand adventure to find the lost Elements of Harmony. It may even work in our favor for helping Twilight.
Ok, you’re right about that, but why did it have FLYING PIGS?!
Because Applejack was asking for it, silly! 
If Magi had a body, she would have face-hoofed.
Grrrrr…
Growling would just have to do.
While I agree that the pigs may have been unnecessary, Laughter does make a good point. Having Twilight journey across Equestria in search of lost artifacts of power will certainly help her reach her full potential. The question is, where do we send them? Laughter already chose a location, and if I had to guess, it is significant to your bearer in some way?
Yes, though…I do regret that it won’t exactly be pleasant for her…
I doubt any of the trials needed to obtain us will be pleasant, Laughter. 
But couldn't we just… you know, skip the trials this time? They’re all so close anyway!
You know that we can’t, Honesty said, his voice full of regret. They need the trials to learn the final lesson about the attributes we represent, and no matter how close they are, they need this last push to be able to fully wield us. Speaking of which, I believe it would be best if I were to direct my bearer last. 
Why—
I need time. My bearer is…hurt. As such, I need to devise a way to heal her pain and get past her stubbornness so I can actually teach her my lesson.
In that case, I’ll go after Laughter. Hopefully, by then something will happen that can test my bearer.
Not just giving yourself away this time?
You know that Sonic Boom had proved her loyalty enough and had already managed to learn my lesson by the time I revealed myself. But I think my bearer needs a bit more experience with other ‘loyal’ ponies before she can finally learn my lesson. 
Fair enough.
I believe I will go after Loyalty then. Something is happening in the desert that I have my eye on, but I can’t say if it will be of use in teaching my bearer just yet.
I can go before Honesty. Things are...mostly calm up north, but with all the chaos the rebellion is likely to cause for the alicorns, it may, as much as I may hate it, escalate an already present conflict that I can use to teach my bearer.
But what about the map? We can’t just leave it as is. We NEED to find out where it came from. 
For now, let’s leave it in the care of Flash Sentry. It was sent to him, after all, so maybe our mysterious map creator will contact him again. 
Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
Because you’re paranoid and worry too much, just like all your bearers, hehehehe.
Quiet, you, Magi grumbled. Her siblings laughed at her, and before long, Magi was smiling on the inside. They couldn't talk when they were imprisoned in those anti-magic boxes, but now that everyone had broken out and recovered enough to talk, the Astral Realm was never silent, and the noise gave Magi hope that everything would be ok. 


Back in the real world…


Fluttershy moved through the crowded streets as best she could, dodging other ponies and apologizing when she bumped into them. Everypony was scattered around Wall Flower's property, trying to find where they would be staying during the day, and the alicorn's ponies were coming out to assist with the unloading and moving. 
All in all, it meant there were lots of ponies moving every which way and it was all very confusing. Fluttershy walked passed a barrel that she was sure she had passed three times already. It was enough to make her want to fly above all the chaos, but that would involve opening her wings and possibly hitting ponies. And she didn't want to cause anypony any more problems. If only she could find a way out of the crowd…
However, something small suddenly caught her eye. Little Sunflower was weaving through the crowd, carrying a big, wobbling box of camping supplies...wait a second. Hadn’t Wall Flower’s husband taken her back inside the mansion once everypony had begun moving around? What was she still doing out? And where was her father?
However, before Fluttershy could begin to move towards her, Sunflower accidentally bumped into a pony who couldn’t see her. She stumbled and tried to keep her balance with her wings, but the massive load on her back made her topple over. The heavy crate caught the edge of her right wing as she fell, pinning it to the ground. The small alicorn started wailing in pain.
Fluttershy ran forward, pushing ponies aside as she dashed to Sunflower. She quickly wrapped her hooves around the box and heaved it off the ground, allowing Sunflower to pull her wing to her side. Fluttershy quickly scooped the little one into her hooves and moved her off to the side of the road.
“Shh, shh, it’s ok, you’re ok,” Fluttershy whispered, nuzzling the sobbing filly. Poor dear. She petted Sunflower's mane with one hoof and shook her bag with the other. “Angel," she said, "I need bandages, some willow bark paste, and some cotton.” The tired-looking face of Angel appeared. He grumbled, dove back into the bag, and soon reappeared with the required supplies. 
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said sweetly, but the rabbit only grunted again before disappearing back into the bag. Sunflower giggled at that, and Fluttershy couldn't help but join in. 
"You have to open your wing now," she told the alicorn after Sunflower realized that laughing hurt her. "I know it hurts to move it, but this way I can make it all better."
Sunflower's wing was full of bent and twisted feathers and was shaking slightly under Fluttershy's hooves, but nothing seemed to be broken. The pegasus straightened the feathers with her mouth and applied the willow bark paste to the bruising skin underneath. Sunflower whimpered at the contact and tried to retract her wing again, but Fluttershy held firm, humming quietly to soothe and distract distract the little alicorn. 
The willow bark paste was supposed to stop pain, but Fluttershy found it worked best if it was kept in place. Once the paste was covering the bruised tissue on the wing, she padded the wound with cotton and tied it off with cloth bandages. Satisfied that the injury was properly wrapped and that Sunflower could still move her wing, Fluttershy gently folded the appendage back to the alicorn's side.
Sunflower didn't wince as her wing moved again, but she was still crying, so Fluttershy simply sat there with her forelegs around her, whispering soothing words as the medicine slowly started to relieve the pain. She tucked her own wing over the small filly. That always used to make her feel better when she was younger.
Slowly but surely, Sunflower’s tears eased, and she quieted down to occasionally sniffling and rubbing her eyes. Fluttershy stroked her mane with her feathers, and heard a worried voice calling from the mansion. When she looked up, she saw a significant number of ponies had stopped to watch them. She squeaked and ducked behind her mane, but Sunflower curled up closer to her and that helped her relax a little.
“Sunflower!” Wall Flower’s husband breached through the surrounding crow, skidding to a halt in front of them and catching his breath. “What…What happened?”
“I…I was just trying to help,” Sunflower muttered from under Fluttershy’s wing. 
“She…She was carrying a crate, and she fell off balance,” Fluttershy explained, gently brushing the filly with her wing to comfort her. “The crate, it, well, it landed on her wing. But it wasn’t too bad. She just needs to not use it for a few days and she should be fine…”
The stallion sighed and hung his head. “Just like her mother,” he muttered. “Still, thank you for treating her, Miss…”
“Oh, um, Fluttershy," the pegasus answered, swallowing. "But, no ‘Miss’ please. And you're welcome, um…”
“Vineyard,” the stallion said. “Sunflower, what do say?”
“T-Thank you, Fluttershy,” Sunflower said, dipping her head. Fluttershy smiled. 
“You’re very welcome, Sunflower. In fact, you were such a good patient, I have a little something for you.” 
Sunflower looked up in confusion as Fluttershy once again dug through her bag, this time on the side pocket. Eventually, she pulled out a small, yellow lollipop Pinkie had found for her. She didn't know WHERE Pinkie had found it, but she didn't really feel the need to ask. Sunflower’s eyes lit up, and her horn followed suit as the candy zipped out of the bag and into Sunflower’s mouth.
“Lollipop,” Sunflower muttered, her eyes rolling back in bliss. Vineyard raised his eyebrow, but his mouth was curling up in a smile.
“Don’t worry, it’s sugar-free,” Fluttershy giggled quietly to the stallion, though she doubted Sunflower would have heard her anyway. 
“Again, thank you,” Vineyard said, nodding to the pegasus. “Sunflower always want’s to try and help out, even when I specifically tell her it’s past her bedtime. I don’t even know how she managed to get away from me. She just…vanished.”
“There are a lot of foals in the village. They tend to do that,” Fluttershy said, standing up and moving the distracted Sunflower to her back. “I’m just glad I was nearby.”
“You were really good with her. Would you mind...coming to talk to my wife?” Vineyard asked, gesturing a hoof towards the mansion. “She's very anxious and I think you would probably help put her mind at ease.”
“Oh, umm…” Fluttershy hesitated. She usually had trouble talking to strangers, and those were just regular ponies. This was an ALICORN, and not a small, cute one like Sunflower. But…Twilight had said Wall Flower was ok. Or, Magi did? Either way… “Sure, I can talk to her.”
“YAY!” Sunflower cheered, having finished her lollipop and rejoined the real world. “You’ll like Mommy. She’s nice and kind and makes the best cookies! But she doesn’t usually let me help with big pony stuff,” she grumbled. Fluttershy giggled and nuzzled her head. Sunflower was just too cute!
“And how did you get hurt?” Vineyard asked gently, prompting Sunflower to blush and mutter an unheard response. “Exactly. We know you want to help, sweetie, but there are some things only big ponies can do. Plus, it is far past your bedtime, missy.”
“But I’m not TIRED,” Sunflower whined as the three began moving towards the mansion. 
“Well, then, how about this - if you’re still awake when we get back to Mommy, I’ll read you another bedtime story, ok?” Vineyard said. Sunflower nodded vigorously.
As they walked, ponies continued to move around them, though the numbers began to thin as they approached the mansion. The big, IMPOSING mansion. But at least it was smaller than Thorn’s, Fluttershy thought. As they walked, Fluttershy could feel Sunflower lying down on her back, and the slight tugging on her mane told her that Sunflower was using it as a make-shift pillow. Smiling, Fluttershy began to hum again, soothing the little alicorn with the vibrations and whatever parts of the melody that reached her ears.
By the time they reached the front doors of the mansion, Sunflower had fallen asleep on Fluttershy’s back and was snoring softly. Vineyard smirked at the sight, shook his head, and walked through the door. Inside, Wall Flower was pacing in circles with a worried look on her face as a few ponies, resistance and non-resistance, moved about. Fluttershy had to admit, she did look much less intimidating when pacing. It made her look a little...softer.
Upon seeing her husband, she stopped moving and looked at him in worry. Vineyard smiled at her and nodded towards Fluttershy, who turned to show the sleeping Sunflower curled up in her mane. Wall Flower visibly relaxed and let off a sigh. However, upon seeing Sunflower’s wing, she started to fidget. Fluttershy was able to quickly explain what had happened while Vineyard used his magic to move Sunflower to his own back. As much as Fluttershy would have loved to cuddle the cute filly all night, she knew it was best if the little one went off to bed. 
“I would ground her,” Wall Flower said, “but I think she’s learned her lesson. Vineyard, can you take her upstairs?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Vineyard replied, stealing a quick kiss from his wife before moving for the stairs. Fluttershy smiled as she watched Vineyard carry the sleeping Sunflower up the main staircase of the mansion. The little filly looked so peaceful and comfortable. At the top of the stairs, Vineyard looked back at the pegasus, flashed her another grateful smile, and turned out of the sight. 
“Thank you,” Wall Flower said, watching as her family disappeared around the corner. “You didn't have to help her, and after how much pain ponies like you must have gone through, I didn't think you would want to.”
“Oh, um, it’s ok,” Fluttershy said nervously. Wall Flower was certainly shaping up to be the nicest alicorn she’d ever met, but she was also more than twice as tall as Fluttershy and it was more than a little intimidating. Twilight wasn’t even close to this size! “I don’t mind.”
“Still, thank you,” Wall Flower said, and actually bent her knees and BOWED to the pegasus. Fluttershy ducked her head behind her mane, unable to keep from squeaking. An alicorn, BOWING to a pegasus like it was nothing!
But even her heavy blushing didn’t stop Fluttershy from noticing that the alicorn was still fidgeting. She had hoped that the nerves Vineyard had talked about were simply worries for her daughter, but apparently, that wasn’t it. At least, not all of it.
And Fluttershy couldn’t stand by when another creature was hurting, no matter what kind of pain it was.
“Um, Wall Flower?” she asked, swallowing hard. “Are you ok?”
“Oh, yes…” Wall Flower said quickly. “Yes, I’m fine.” 
But she was fidgeting even harder now, and it brought vivid images of a stressed Twilight to Fluttershy’s mind. “I just have the resistance in my home as I am now one of them which means I am at WAR with the rest of Equestria and that if the other alicorns find out they’ll come here and try and take my ponies and the rebels and my daughter and my husband and I can’t stop them because I don’t know how to fight and…”
And on she went, now once again pacing around in circles. A few of her Butlers that were assisting nearby ponies looked on in understanding. Maybe Wall Flower did this often? Or maybe they were nervous too?
But the alicorn sounded like she was getting close to tears, so Fluttershy mustered up her courage, flew up to Wall Flower’s eye level, and gently pressed her hoof over the other pony’s mouth. Wall Flower stopped mid-word and stared at the pegasus, blushing in embarrassment. Fluttershy smiled at her as gently as she could. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t been in the same worried boat.
“Oh, I was rambling wasn’t I?” the alicorn asked, looking down.
“It’s ok,” Fluttershy said. “This must really be a lot for you to take in.”
“Yes,” Wall Flower breathed. “Yes, it is.” 
And with that, she sank down to the stone floor. She looked smaller now, a lot smaller. Maybe it was because she was letting herself be so vulnerable? Fluttershy settled next to her, their folded wings just barely close enough to touch.
“Would you like to talk about it? It might make you feel better.” 
Wall Flower looked at the small pegasus and tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace.
“It’s just…what can I possibly do to even help?” she sighed. “I know that many of the other alicorns need to be defeated in combat, but I can’t help you with that. Even if it was a one-on-one fight, I would lose. The reason most other alicorns ignore me is because I purposefully keep myself and my ponies isolated.”
“You do? But…why?”
“Because I never liked the conflict and drama that occurred between alicorns. Fighting with each other, sending Butlers to cause terror among another alicorns' ponies, STEALING other ponies, what is the point of it all? We're supposed to be HEALING Equestria, not making it even worse. And in all those cases, it’s the ponies we’re supposed to be protecting that pay the price. 
“I just...I just wanted to make a sanctuary for my ponies. A place where all the petty conflicts and politics didn’t hurt them or dictate how their lives were lived. And it worked. I created a place almost entirely out of every alicorn's view. A place where my ponies could grow and prosper without fear. But now, I’m destroying all that. I’m pulling them into a war with no combat experience to help or protect them. I don’t...I don't even know if I can protect my family.” 
Her voice shattered, and tears started flowing thick and fast from her eyes. “I’ve never been so scared, or felt so helpless to protect those I love.”
Fluttershy never thought she would be comfortable talking to an alicorn, but seeing her break down like this couldn’t help but remind her how scared she felt so many times in her life. Especially when she was helplessly watching Rainbow lose her wings, all because Thorn wanted to punish HER. In a way, it made her realize that Wall Flower was just a normal pony, a pony that was just as hurt and terrified by the situation Equestria found itself in as she was. As they all were.
“It’s ok,” Fluttershy soothed, patting Wall Flower’s leg as she remembered something Second Sight had once told her. “I know what it’s like to feel helpless, or to worry about what comes next. But you just need to remember that you’re not alone. All your ponies will be there for you, and even if you might not think so, my friends will be there to help you too. You have others that are in the same boat as you, and they won't abandon you when the time comes." She smiled as the alicorn raised her head to look at her. 
Wall Flower smiled back, if ever so slightly. “T-Thank you, my dear. That…That means a lot to me.” She wiped her eyes as she relaxed. 
“You don't need to be a fighter to help,” Fluttershy added. "I don’t know how to fight either. And even if I learned, I wouldn't want to. That’s why I became a medic. Even if I’m on the sidelines, I still help ponies and do what I can to help us win. And I’m not the only one. Our friend Rarity is trying to learn to defend herself, but she is mainly going to be making clothes for everypony, some that will help us stay undetected. And my friend Second Sight is blind, but she houses our library and taught me everything I know about medicine. And her old friend Feather Duster has started babysitting some of the younger foals in our home so their parents can focus on their work.
“We can all do something to help. You don't need to fight to be a hero.”
"I'm not a hero,” Wall Flower whispered.
“And neither am I, or any of us. We’re just ponies trying to do the right thing in any way we can. Even if we are a little scary at times.” 
Wall Flower chuckled.
“If only you had been born an alicorn. Your outlook is something Equestria has been lacking for many years,” she said, and then she smiled. A real, full, pain-free smile.
That was worth the butterflies that erupted in Fluttershy’s stomach at the thought of running a huge estate with hundreds of ponies.
“Oh, I don’t think I could have even been an alicorn,” she said, ducking her head. “All the responsibilities and pressure…I just couldn't handle it.”
“I think you would have done splendidly.”
The sheer warm in the words made Fluttershy look back at Wall Flower. The alicorn was smiling broadly at her now, and she stroked a large wing over the pegasus’ back.
“Besides, you couldn’t POSSIBLY be any worse than Thorn or Lady Obsidian!” 
Fluttershy giggled, which made Wall Flower chuckle.
“I’m still nervous, though,” the alicorn admitted after a moment. “There’s just so many ways this can go wrong.”
There was only one thing left in Fluttershy’s arsenal. She reached into her bag and pulled out a sleeping Angel Bunny. “Do you want to pet him? That always makes me feel better.”
Wall Flower chuckled again as Fluttershy deposited the rabbit in her lap, but when she reached down to pet him, the tension slowly eased out of her at last.


The next morning…


While the map was a major discovery and mystery, Applejack had had enough nonsense for one night and said they would look at the stupid piece of parchment once they had gotten some rest. Twilight tried to argue, but Flash convinced her that Applejack was right. They would all be able to think more clearly once they had time to process their thoughts both on the map and on the fact that Wall Flower was now their ally. 
Twilight agreed easily enough after that, saying that sleep would give her a chance to fill Luna in on what had happened and let her know that Wall Flower was ok. Plus, she was so exhausted from stressing over the judgement for so long. Flash guided her to one of Wall Flower’s spare rooms and helped her settle in, thanking her for not making him use a sleeper bomb on her. He earned a glassy-eyed glare and a pillow thrown in his general direction, but then Twilight fell asleep quickly.
After everyone had gotten some rest, Twilight, Rainbow, Flash, Spike, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy gathered in an isolated room in Wall Flower’s mansion while Big Mac went to speak with Wall Flower, her husband, and a few of her ponies about what their role would be in the rebellion. Applejack had let him go without more than a passing mention of food production. She had a bigger problem to worry about anyhow. 
They all did.
“Magi says this is real,” Twilight said, looking down at the map that was spread across the table in front of them. Magi had just returned, allowing Twilight to take a few minutes to question her. “But even she doesn't know where it came from.”
“Any idea as to why it arrived in a package that opened as soon as I touched it?” Flash asked. Twilight shook her head. 
“No. And even when I asked Wall Flower, she said the package that contained the metal cylinder didn't have a sender, to the point she was actually afraid it might have been a bomb or something.”
“Instead, we got a mystery map that shows us an element’s location, a magic package that opens when I touch it, and a whole bunch of questions,” Flash said.
“How do we know this thing ain’t some sorta trap?” Applejack asked, glaring at the map. In response, the paper flashed, adding a second pair of pigs flying across the top, holding a banner that read “It's not :)”. 
Applejack’s eyes twitched as she clenched her teeth. 
“That’s just weird,” Rainbow said, eyeing the map nervously as the second banner disappeared again. 
“But even if this was a trap, shouldn't we take the risk?” Spike asked, catching everypony’s attention. "I mean, if the Element of Laughter is there, then shouldn't we get it before another alicorn does?”
“Especially if it can depower the alicorns like the Element of Magic,” Flash said, nodding.
“But, um, where exactly is the map leading us?” Fluttershy asked. “I've seen a few maps before, but this one just looks like it’s leading us to the middle of nowhere.” 
Before anyone else could answer her, Pinkie spoke up for the first time. 
“It’s wrong.” 
Her voice was low and flat, causing everypony to turn and look at her. Twilight nearly jumped back in surprise when she saw that the mare next to her was no longer the cheery Pinkie she knew. Her mane had gone perfectly straight, and her colors seemed almost…duller.
“It can’t be right,” Pinkie said, still in that strange, flat tone. Her eyes were glued to the map, and they were blank and glassy and not moving. “There’s no laughter there. There never has been, and if Lady Obsidian has her way, there never will be.”
“Lady Obsidian? You mean—“ Spike began.
“My lady…” Pinkie said, but she didn’t seem to be talking to Spike or even acknowledging that he was next to her. “My birthplace. A land without laughter or happiness. A place…where I left them. I escaped, but I had to leave my family behind.” 
Fluttershy wordlessly circled the table until she was within hugging distance of Pinkie. “Thank you,” Pinkie whispered as Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around her. 
Flash looked at Pinkie, back at the map, and then at Pinkie again. “Pinkie…I know this is hard for you, but can you tell us what happened to you? If you managed to escape…” 
He let the statement hang.
“I…I can’t…”
Fluttershy hugged her tighter, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said, moving closer and putting a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. “If we know how to get in, we can stop Lady Obsidian. We could being laughter to your home and help save your family. I know this is hard, probably even harder than it was for me to talk about Gleaming Dagger, but please. If it can help us…”
Pinkie looked at Twilight, then at the others around the room. They were looking at her with a mixture of worry and sympathy. 
“I…ok, I…I’ll tell you. Just…Just give me a minute.” 
Everyony else nodded. Fluttershy walked Pinkie to the puffy couch along the wall and sat next to her, draping her wing over the pink mare’s back. Pinkie closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing before she began her tale. 
“What I told you originally was true. I lived on Obsidian’s land, working day in and day out on her property, never smiling, never laughing, and always sad. I never really knew what a smile was until the Sonic Rainboom. The colors, the beauty...I couldn’t do anything BUT smile. And once I smiled, I just couldn’t stop, and it was so amazing and wonderful that I HAD to share. So I hosted a party for my family using an invention I had made over night — a party cannon.”
“A party…cannon?” Twilight asked. 
Pinkie nodded sadly. 
“It was made to fire ribbons and streamers and all kinds of party supplies to help prepare for a party really quickly. I built the prototype out of an old barrel and some wagon wheels. But then Lady Obsidian found out.
“She…she smashed it, set the pieces on fire, and then dragged me away to a secluded part of the property. She…she doesn’t like the idea of ponies having hope. She said happiness and hope distracted us from work. So she took me to this shed with metal bars over the windows and locked me inside. 
“She… she made me wear a muzzle. One that stopped me from smiling.”
Flash couldn't help but clench his teeth at that. Applejack was doing the same. Twilight and Spike had to cover their mouths to keep from gasping. Fluttershy’s eyes were watering dangerously, and she tucked her wing further around Pinkie.
“But it got worse…” Pinkie continued. “Lady Obsidian has this…this red flower with ten leaves that she grows on her property. If you eat it, it blocks you from using magic, and makes your emotions…bland. Or at least…that’s what it does to other ponies…”
“Carvilious flowers,” Applejack said suddenly, causing the others to blink and turn to her. “They’re a type of medical flower used ta keep patients calm in case of battlefield injuries. I learned about them in the past. But what did ya mean when you said that’s what happened to ‘other ponies’?’’
Pinkie shuddered. 
“The flowers…she made anyone who disobeyed her eat them, which meant that their magic wouldn't work, so that they wouldn't be able to complete any task she assigned them. They would always fail, always fall behind, always be punished, and they could never do anything to stop it. The ponies, they would become hopeless. They would…they would learn that they were helpless, that they were powerless to fight back or get ahead, that everything was beyond their control, and this…this would break them.
“But something different happened when I ate them…” Her breathing became more rapid. “It…it was like some part of me was being ripped out. I…it HURT me, to the point that I passed out every time I was forced to eat one. Lady Obsidian thought I was just being dramatic…but she was so WRONG!”
Pinkie began shaking, her voice grew hard, and her eyes shrunk to the size of pin pricks. 
“It TORE at me, RIPPED at my very being. Everything, even the color of ponies coats became dull, then grey, then black and white. And still SHE CONTINUED! Even when I couldn’t work, she WOULDN’T STOP! SHE DIDN’T CARE ABOUT ME, OR ANY PONY! SHE JSUT WANTED TO SEE US SUFFER, TO WORK WITHOUT END NO MATTER THE COST! SHE… SHE... SHE BROKE MY PINKIE SENSE!!!” 
There was a moment of complete, stunned silence.
Pinkie’s voice and eyes reverted to normal and she broke down sobbing, burying herself in Fluttershy’s embrace. Twilight ran to the sofa and hugged her too, and the others quickly gather around them. Even Applejack joined the hug, her forelegs as steady and strong as her face was stoic.
It took several moments for Pinkie’s breathing to calm down. When she wiped tears off her face and new ones didn’t appear, Spike asked, tentatively, “What’s a Pinkie Sense?”
	
“Uh, yeah,” Flash said awkwardly. “I was wondering that too.”
Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy all nodded.
Pinkie sniffed and swallowed hard, barely lifting her head from the crook of Fluttershy’s wing.
“When…when I was young,” she said, her voice still shaking, “my body would twitch in…in unusual ways. At first, I just though it was a little quirk I had, but…then I began to notice a pattern. When my tail twitched, it meant something was about to fall, like if there was about to be a cave-in down in Obsidian’s mine. Or if my ears would flop, it would mean Obsidian was in a bad mood. It…it took some time, but I eventually had a whole list of twitches and what they meant memorized. But…” Pinkie looked down at the map glumly. 
“The flowers,” Rainbow said. 
Pinkie nodded. 
“The Pinkie Sense may have been strange to others, but…it was a part of me. I even used it to create a special Pinkie Promise, and I could tell if anypony ever broke their promise, even if I couldn’t see them break it. It was just what made me…ME. And Obsidian took that from me.” 
Applejack growled, but said nothing. 
“Could I…Could I help?” Twilight asked. “I still have some of Thorn's magic, so…”
“No," Pinkie said.”Even…even if it could help me, and maybe it can, there are others that need it more than me. Ponies without legs, ponies crippled by Lady Obsidian or by working for her. I…I never brought this up because if you heal those ponies, then they’ll smile again, and that’s worth it. Seeing others smile after years of sadness is what makes the pain bearable, and I knew we would go for Lady Obsidian eventually.”
“If you’re sure…” Twilight said hesitantly.
“That’s very kind of you Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, squeezing the pink mare a bit tighter, and Pinkie gently nuzzled against the yellow mare. The two stayed like that for about a minute before Flash broke the silence again.
“If you were locked up, how did you escape?” 
“My sister Maud helped me,” Pinkie said. “I don't know how, but she got me the key to my muzzle, a spoon, and a note through the barred window. She told me to leave the shed and hide in this small cave, one the two of us had discovered when we were working in the fields a few years before.”
“I thought she had a mine?” Spike asked.
“She had both. She mines for gems down below the land while those on the field move rocks and use their earth pony magic to grow more gems inside them.”
“Grow gems!?” Twilight asked, her eyes lighting up in shock. “I didn’t know earth ponies could do that! Nowhere in my books did—” 
Flash gently covered her mouth before she got too carried away. 
“Later, Twilight.”
“Oh, um, right, sorry, my bad,” Twilight smiled sheepishly.
Twilight’s embarrassment made Pinkie giggle a little, but the pink mare’s smile quickly fell away as she resumed her tale. "I got the restrain off and used the spoon to dig out of the back of the shed. I would have used my hooves, but…they were still hurting from all the work Lady Obsidian had made me do. I’m just glad she hadn't thought to make the bottom out of something harder than dirt, not sure why though. Maybe she thought anyone that got out would just be captured and punished more? Anyway, afterwards, I snuck to the cave and found some supplies Maud had stashed for me. There was another note that said Maud was going to make a distraction, and that I should run when it went off.
“Turns out ‘it’ was an explosion. Obsidian had a large warehouse of black powder we used in the mines if we found rocks we couldn’t get through with pick axes. Maud somehow blew it up, and that was my cue. Obsidian lives in the middle of nowhere, so she doesn't have any walls. Instead, she has Butlers posted around the outer reaches of her property in tall towers. Anypony that tries to escape would be spotted by at least two of the towers. Not really sure how this works at night, but someponies think she gives the Butlers something to let them see in the dark.
“Anyway, when Maud set off the explosion, she made all the Butlers retreat back into the center of the property to investigate, meaning there was nopony to stop me or see me escape. After that, I just kinda…wandered. Lady Obsidian lives on a really barren part of Equestria, so I had to make sure to only move at night or risk being seen. Thankfully, Maud had given me at least a week's worth of food, so I was able to start recovering by the time I reached the edge of her land.
Once I reached the edge, I just headed for the greenest part place I could see, which just so happened to be the forest. I got inside, ate as much as I could to try and recover faster, and eventually Fluffy found me.” She giggled slightly. “And…the rest is history.” 
Pinkie took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Her mane wasn’t back to its original bouncy state, but it was a little inflated, and she was no longer clinging to Fluttershy quite as tightly.
Applejack ‘hmmmm’ed, looking at the map, then at Pinkie.
“Pinkie, does Lady Obsidian ever trade ponies with other alicorns? Or does she keep to herself?”
“She, well…” Pinkie said, her eyes becoming downcast again. “Sometimes other alicorns hire her to…to ‘correct’ their ponies’ behaviors. Some alicorns need every pony they can get to work for them, so if ponies are acting badly or disobeying their ladies, their ladies will pay Lady Obsidian in food to make their ponies more obedient. And I don’t mean normal disobedience - I mean ponies that might be actively attacking their Lady, her forces, or deliberately trying to sabatoge the Lady’s property.These ponies are brought onto the land in a cart with a cage attached to the back. I could see them coming in from the field, but they were rather rare. I never got to know any ponies that were brought in, but…but sometime I could hear them screaming or crying.”
“Could we use them as a way in?” Applejack asked. “Swap out a disobedient pony for one of ours?”
“Umm, maybe? It would be the quickest and easiest way, but like I said, they are a bit rare. And the cages I saw usually only had a single pony inside them, so it might take a while to get enough ponies on the property to take over.”
“Unless we do what yer sis did,” Applejack said. Pinkie’s eyes widened. “We get somepony in, have them create a diversion, and then, when the Butlers retreat, we dash in undetected and attack before they can see us coming.”
“That…might work,” Pinkie said. “But I don't know if blowing up the black powder again would work. They probably moved it somewhere more secure by now, and I think I only had about fifteen minutes to clear the boundary after Maud created the diversion. It was hard to tell how long it was, but I know that after a short amount of time I saw torches returning to the towers. I just barely got over the nearby hills to get out of sight, so it would probably take something bigger than just an explosion to get their attention for long enough.”
“Let’s work on that later,” Flash said. “Right now, we need to secure a way in. If what you said is true, Pinkie, we just need to camp outside the sight of her property’s towers and save an unsuspecting pony from being brought it. Then we replace that pony with one of our own so they can get a free ticket inside.”
“But first we need to figure out where the outside ponies come from,” Twilight said. 
Rainbow smirked. 
“Leave that to me. Once we’re set up nearby, I’ll search for a target for us to intercept and we can save whoever is being brought in. Piece of cake.”
“Just remember to wear Rarity’s stealth cloak,” Flash said with a deadpan. “You’re kinda hard to miss without one.”
“But, um, there doesn’t really look like anywhere we can hide,” Fluttershy said. “Won’t we get spotted if we’re out in the open anyway? Especially if we decide to light fires at night.”
“There’s a cave near the northern part of the property,” Pinkie said. “I stayed there on my first night out. It should be big enough for our group…I hope, and so long as we don’t use fires, we should be ok in there.”
“Not like we got any other ideas,” Applejack said. “Let’s just finish up here then get moving. The sooner we depower Obsidian, the better.” 
And with that, their next destination was set.
> Act 2 Chapter 15: Setting the Stage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day around noon…

“Are we ready to begin?” Wall Flower asked, looking around the room. Across from her sat Big Mac and a few other ponies in the resistance, including Thunder and Lightning. All of them nodded. Next to Wall Flower sat her Head Butler Silent Step, a white pony with a black mane and eyes, and her husband Vineyard. Both of them nodded as well. Wall Flower took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ok, then. Is there any one topic you wish to start with?” she asked Big Mac.
“Protection,” He said. “We know yer land is mostly ignored, but one thing we need to consider first is how an influx of ponies might change that, and the danger it might present to ponies that come here.” 
Wall Flower thought for a few second before responding. “While most other alicorns might be suspicious of a sudden influx of ponies to my land, the simple truth is that many of them simply don’t pay enough attention to my property to notice such an influx in the first place. And even if they did, I could just say that I was trading them with the few alicorns I know or that I am trading my possessions for new ponies. I’ve done so before, so it would be a believable story that they would likely never look into.”
	“Plus, we’re away from any major trade routes,” Vineyard added. “So the chances are that any additions wouldn't be noticed, or that those that see them just wouldn't care.”
“It sounds a bit like you’re trying to reassure yourselves, as well as us,” Big Mac said.
“I suppose we are,” Wall Flower said, looking at the table. “I just want to make sure we do this right, without putting anypony at risk.”
“I think you’ll do fine,” Big Mac said with a slight smile, “Given how you acted last night, I have no doubt that you’ll protect our ponies like they were your own.
“Sounds like this would be the perfect place for us to retreat to if the village gets discovered,” Thunder said.
“Or if the untamable animals overrun it,” Lightning added. 
“Agreed," Big Mac said. “That all right with you?” 
Wall Flower nodded. “I don’t know how well we could accommodate everypony, but you are welcome to come here should you need sanctuary,” she said. “All that I ask is that you be willing to provide my ponies with the same option if, however low the chance is, I am discovered to be working with you.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.
“Then perhaps we discuss route safety?” Silent Step asked. “Given this arrangement, chances are that ponies will need to move between your village and our property on a regular basis, especially if the primary use of our land is food. As such, I would suggest always having at least a few ponies from your village here that could escort us to the village in the forest, ones that know the dangers of the Everfree and how to avoid them.”
“We can leave a few soldiers here,” Big Mac said. “They know how to get through the forest without much problem, and can help with the fields while they’re here. As for the route itself, there shouldn't be any real danger there so long as we go unnoticed. And we’ll make sure to keep one pony here that knows the way to our back-up cave in case we are both discovered.”
“I can also lend you some armor,” Wall Flower suggested. “Or at least tell you my house colors. That way, if you are spotted somehow, you can just claim to be a part of my house. You’d be close enough that I doubt anyone would question it.”
“Thank you,” Big Mac said. “Now then, how much land can you give us for food production?” 
“How much land do you need?” Wall Flower asked. “If you have an estimate, I can go out, prep the fields, and begin planting the crops while you head back to your village.” 
Big Mac blinked in surprise.
“You’d do that?”
“Of course,” Wall Flower said, fidgeting slightly as everypony from the rebellion stared at her like they couldn’t believe she was real. “I...usually try and help out on the fields, especially if a pony is sick and can’t do it themselves. I’m…not the best at it, but I could at least get them plowed…and plant the seeds…and set up a watering system. And given how little of the land we actually use, you’re free to use as much of it as you want.”
Despite her attempts to sound less impressive, the other ponies didn’t seem any less surprised. Vineyard just smiled as he his leg around her shoulder and addressed the unspoken question on everypony’s mind. 
“Yes, she is just just that awesome.” He said while Wall Flower just blushed. “Unlike most alicorns who just sit by and do nothing, she get up and goes out to help almost every day. In fact, I’d wager to say she does at least a quarter of the field work in her free time. She is quite unique, and all her hard work just makes her even more wonderful to be around.” Wall Flower was as read as a tomato now, but this didn’t stop her from nuzzling Vineyard affectionately.
Big Mac smiled.
“What about communication?” Silent Step asked. “Given how we’re allies now, we need a good way to communicate.”
“I think letters might work,” Wall Flower said. “With how often ponies may be moving between here and their village, there would likely be plenty of opportunities for letters to be delivered. And we can both have a pony on standby should an emergency arise.”
“And we won’t need to worry about them being intercepted since everypony ignores you,” Lightning said, earning a smack from Thunder while Wall Flower and Vineyard just smiled. “What? It’s true! She’s said that multiple times already.” 
“It doesn’t mean you need to be so BLUNT about it,” Thunder said, glaring at Lightning.
Big Mac shook his head as the two of them began to bicker.
“Is there anything else?” he asked. 
“I…also have something else to ask of you,” Wall Flower said, her tone worried and her posture slumping. “Would you…allow ponies of mine that are willing…to fight with you?” 
Everypony in the room gasped so loudly it sounded like a storm was brewing.
“Huh?” both Thunder and Lightning asked in shock.
“I…” Wall Flower took a deep breath while Vineyard patter her reassuringly on her foreleg. “I know that some of my ponies will want to join you. Some have come from other alicorns, and many have heard of the horrors that they cause across Equestria. So I know for a fact that some of them will be willing to aid you in combat if it means they can help others that have been oppressed. I…don’t like the idea of any of them going off to fight, but…it’s their decision, not mine. All I ask is that you give them a chance to help.”
“Are you sure?” Big Mac asked, looking at the alicorn in concern. “I don’t rightly know what’ll happen, but some of them might not come back.”
“I’m sure,” Wall Flower said, nodding. “It’s true that I view them all as my children, but it’s also true that they are grown stallions and mares and in the end, it’s their choice. If they help bring an end to alicorns like Thorn, even if it puts themselves in danger, I can only be proud of them for willing to take such a rick for the freedom of others.”


Two hours later…


Almost all of the ponies under Wall Flower’s rule were gathered in front of her house while some of the rebels who had either been awoken by the noise or were still awake for some reason trickled in to listen to what their new…ally had to say.
“My ponies,” Wall Flower began, her voice calm yet tinged with a faint undertone of sadness. “As you know, I have agreed to assist the rebellion from this point forward. The rule of my fellow alicorns is one that I have disagreed with for many years, and yet I have remained in the background, feeling as though I was powerless to do anything besides protect those already under my care.
“But…I cannot sit by any longer. The actions of my fellow alicorns is horrendous in almost every case. They do what they please, without any fear of retribution. While I may lack the skills and strength to deliver their punishments, I believe that the ponies who came for me last night do. I was judged to be innocent of the crimes committed by my brethren, but I am still guilty of doing little to stop it. That ends today…” 
She was silent for a time, enough so that some of her ponies actually stomped in approval. 
“But I know that I am not the only pony that feels this way,” she continued, smiling a little at the show of support. “Many of you know of the crimes and atrocities committed across this land, and as such…it would be selfish of me to prevent you from working to correct them.” The ponies looked around, frowning. “As such, should any of you wish to fight alongside the rebellion, to try and end the reign of the alicorns…then you will have my blessings to do so.” 
Practically everypony in the crowd, even the rebels who were watching, let their jaws drop in shock. 
“There will of course be an age limit, as only those over the age of eighteen will be allowed to go, but that is all. Any pony over that age limit is free to join them as they see fit. Furthermore, if anypony is worried that our assistance to the rebellion will being danger to this property, I will be willing to transfer you to either Lady Celestia and Lady Luna or to Lady Golden Heart so long as you promise to keep my relation with the rebellion a secret. All of them are kind and caring, and they will be out of the crossfire should things go wrong.”
“I will not force anyone to go, and it would ease my heart if no pony volunteered to fight or requested to leave, but I will not block these options from you. It is YOUR choice, not mine, and regardless of what choice you make…I will support you and wish you the best of luck, just as I always have.”
Wall Flower bowed to her ponies, signaling to them that she was done. The crowd was silent for what seemed like hours, before at last a stallion with a brown coat and a red mane stepped forward from the crowd.
“I will fight with them,” he said, bowing to Wall Flower. “Thank you…for allowing me the chance to make things right.” 
Suffice to say, the rebels would be leaving that night with quite a few new ponies who were ready to do their part. 


The next morning…


Twilight covered her ears to block out the noise. Crossing the barren wasteland back to the forest had gone without incident, with the rebellion’s new recruits marching with everypony else without complaint. They were a little nervous about the Everfree Forest, something made obvious by the way they would jump at almost every sound, but they didn’t let that stop them. However, the real challenge, one that Twilight had seen coming, wasn't the forest, the wasteland, or even working things out with Wall Flower. No, the real challenge…
The real challenge was explaining what happened to the REST of the resistance ponies what had transpired. And they certainly weren't making it easy considering that there was so much yelling, outrage, and questions all intermingled that it was hard for Twilight to even hear what anypony was saying. At least the new recruits weren't antagonizing the older members, though it did look like they were losing their patience as they reached the five minute mark with no progress being made.
“Don’t look at me,” Applejack yelled over the noise at Big Mac and Twilight. “This was MAGI’s idea. Not mine. SHE can explain things.” 
Well, if you insist, came a smooth voice, and Twilight had only enough time to let out an “Eep!” before her eyes glowed purple. She shook her mane out of her eyes and stood up as straight as she could.
SILENCE! 
Magi amplified her voice loud enough to cut through the noise, putting a stop to the chaos as ponies backed away in surprise and fear. After all, it wasn't every day that the embodiment of magic decided to lecture you.
This nonsense ends here. I never said I would DEPOWER all alicorns. I said I would JUDGE them. A court where you are automatically guilty is one run by the very ponies you seek to overthrow. I understand that many of you have horrible stories about alicorns, but you still need to realize that NOT EVERY ALICORN IS A RAVING PSYCHO LIKE THORN! 
Look at Twilight. She’s an alicorn, and without her, almost half the ponies here would still be stuck with Thorn, living under her oppressive rule.
A few ponies shifted uncomfortably.
And let’s not forget the obvious fact here. Twilight is still just ONE pony. She can’t do EVERYTHING! Any allies we can make, even if they ARE alicorns, are ones we cannot afford to turn away. Especially considering the problem food will become as the rebellion grows. We can’t steal from Thorn’s land forever, and we can’t cultivate it because without Thorn’s cleansing powers, the land will be barren in a matter of months. Something EVERYPONY here should already know. 
We now have a piece of land that can let us grow the food we need, all without any cost to the village. We have an ally willing to provide a sanctuary outside the forest should things ever take a turn for the worst. And most of all, we have more ponies willing to fight for freedom of everypony. All of this on top of the fact that Wall Flower can still go and gather information from the rest of the alicorns without arousing suspicion. 
So before you get mad, just THINK for a second. Even if you don’t like the idea, denying the benefits it brings us is as simple as denying reality itself. 
The resistance ponies all looked at each other. Even if they didn’t like it, all of what Magi had just said was accurate, and no pony could really think of any arguments against it. Magi nodded in satisfaction before smirking at Applejack.
Happy?
Applejack’s left eye just twitched before she snorted and stomped away. Magi shrugged and turned control back over to Twilight.
“So…what now?” Twilight asked as she tried to clear her head. 
“Let’s take a day to rest,” Big Mac said. “We can start planning our attack on Obsidian’s land once we’re all rested and the new recruits are settled in. Also, Applejack mentioned sending out scouts to look for places to camp along the way to the property, so that will probably take a few days.”
“At least it gives us time to prepare,” Flash said as he approached, having caught the end of the conversation. “Given what Pinkie told us about the property, I’d wager we might need about a hundred ponies to make this work. Organizing that and preparing all the necessary supplies will take a few days at least.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed. 
“In that case, I’ll create some checklist to make sure we don’t forget anything,” Twilight said, smiling slightly.
“Your one true love, organization and checklist,” Flash said, winking as Twilight glared at him while Big Mac just chuckled.


Shortly after Magi’s speech…


“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Rainbow cackled, falling backwards in the air as she looked at Shield Bearer. The stallion rolled his left eye, and just the left eye, since his right was currently swollen and under an ice pack. 
“It’s not THAT funny, Rainbow…” he grumbled.
“I...hehehe…I know, but SERIOUSLY?! RARITY, of all ponies, gave you a BLACK EYE?! You’re supposed to be the master of shield magic! How the heck did she manage that!?”
“He’s just too much of a gentleman,” Bronze Sword said with a wink, planting a small kiss on her grumbling husband’s cheek. “Rarity took a hit, pretended to be hurt, he lowers his defense to check on her, and BAM! Perfect shot.”
“At least I apologized,” Rarity huffed. “I didn't mean to hit him so hard. But it is nice to know there are still gentlecolts out there. Unlike Wandering Eye,” she added with a huff. “That Butler would constantly stalk me, especially once I was locked up.” 
“How did you even manage to do that!? I thought you made clothes?” Rainbow asked, her laughter still slipping out now and again.
“My father didn't want his daughter to be a pushover. So he taught me how to defend myself. Granted, I still can’t seem to find a WEAPON I feel comfortable using, but I suppose my hooves will do for now, despite how BARBARIC hoof-to-hoof combat is.”
“Says the mare who gave me a black eye,” Shield Bearer muttered. 
“Wait, what do you mean you couldn’t find a weapon?” Rainbow asked, frowning. “We’ve got like, fifty different kinds of weapons.”
“Twelve, actually,” Rarity said, giggling. “And I just don’t think that any of them match my abilities. Most are too heavy for me to use for long periods, and the light ones just don’t seem to have the range necessary. Well, I do believe a dagger I found will have some use, but I would like something more than that. I think making a bow might work, but we don’t currently have any and I haven’t the faintest idea of how to make one. I suppose I might see if Twilight or Second Sight have some books on combat magic, but for now, I’ll just assist Fluttershy with her combat medicine.”
“If I can ask, Rarity, where is your dad? This is the first time I’ve heard you mention him, or anything about your parents for that matter. Is he part of Thorn’s ponies?” Bronze Sword asked cautiously. Rarity looked away from him and was silent for a few seconds before she began. 
“Unfortunately, no," she said, sounding both sad yet relieved. “He and my mother were traded to Lady Silent Grove about two years ago. Thorn refused to let Sweetie Belle leave with them, though I haven't a clue why, so I took the role of caring for her when I wasn’t working. I’m just thankful Feather Duster found her after my…imprisonment. Keeping her safe was all that mattered to me seeing as she is all the family I have left for the moment.”
“At least your parents went to a decent alicorn,” Bronze Sword said. “Some of our ponies were with Lady Silent Grove before being traded. They say she’s tough, but not really like Thorn or Lady Obsidian. One compared her to a parent pushing their foals to be their best: firm, but caring.”
“I heard something similar from the ponies Thorn received from the trade,” Rarity said, nodding and scratching her chin. “I believe their names were Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee, but it’s hard to remember as they were traded again shortly after. They helped put my worries about my parents to rest. 
“Actually, it’s part of the reason I haven't asked Applejack to head for Lady Silent Grove yet. Well, that and the fact that she is located in the middle of a lot of alicorn properties that we would need to fight through to get there. And the fact that I don’t even know if they’re still there…” She swallowed hard.
“Hey, no problem, Rarity,” Rainbow said with a smile. “Once we take down Obsidian, I’ll scout out Lady Silent Grove’s property to see if they’re still there. I bet I can get it done in a day once you make me a stealth cloak.”
“Thank you, Rainbow,” Rarity said, smiling back. “That means a lot to me. Just remember to actually be STEALTHY when you scout the property out, hmm?”
“Hey, I can be stealthy!”
“You make SONIC RAINBOOMS. They’re the EXACT OPPOSITE of stealthy,” Shield Bearer said.
Rainbow was the only one who didn’t laugh, and her pouting and grumbling did not help the others recover at all. 


The next day…


Twilight let out a sigh as she let the shield above her, Flash, Pinkie, and Spike drop. The weather had taken a turn for the worst late last night and had begun dumping a seemingly endless amount of rain on the village. It wasn't the first time Twilight had experienced the wild weather of the Everfree, but it was certainly raining harder now than it had in the past. 
“Hi, everypony,” Feather Duster called out, waving to them as they closed the door to her and Second Sight’s house. Nearby, Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak were reading together with Second Sight. Upon seeing the group enter, however, the foals leapt up and, in a bit of racing that would impress Rainbow Dash, ran and tackled Twilight in a hug that knocked her to the floor. Second Sight chuckled. 
“Seems my dearies still love when the Pancake Princess comes for a visit,” she said, making everypony else laugh. Twilight rolled her eyes, but returned the hug to the excited foals. After taking Thorn down, the two young ponies had, for obvious reasons, come to love Twilight. They always greeted her with hugs (and Twilight had only avoided falling twice), and had asked to hear the story of how she defeated Thorn at least ten times already. 
Twilight, though, was just glad to see them smile so much after all they had been through. She knew that the fact that their mother would never again be able to hunt them was probably the greatest gift they could have asked for, and they made sure to let her know at every opportunity. They deserved it after all they had been through.
“Now, what can we help you with today, dearies?” Second Sight asked, smiling as Twilight stood up with the two foals sitting comfortable on her back. “Wait, let me guess. You’re here for maps on southern Equestria to see if you can find a place to stay while going to Pinkie’s home. Or maybe a book on camping in the damaged portion of Equestria. Or maybe a book of legends to read to my little ones?” She winked at the foals through the cloth. 
“Actually, it’s a bit of the first and something unrelated to books,” Twilight said, catching Second Sight’s and Feather Duster’s attention. 
“Something unrelated to books? Who are you and what have you done with Twilight?” Second joked, making Twilight deadpan and the foals giggle. “But all right, what do you need?”
“We need to look at a map,” Flash said, reaching into his suit and drawing out the magic map they had received at Wall Flower’s home. Second Sight’s eyes twitched, and Twilight thought she could see her eyebrows rise above the cloth. Without another word, she snatched the map out of Flash’s hooves and moved to the kitchen table. Everypony else followed, Feather Duster looking unsure at Second, like she had seen this sort of behavior before. 
“Where did you get this?” Second Sight breathed, staring at the map intensely, even going so far as to remove her blindfold to get a better look. 
“It was addressed to Flash at Wall Flower’s home,” Twilight said, looking at the paper again. “She just said it came inside another package, but she couldn’t open the case holding it. Only Flash could do that.”
“Astounding…and beautiful…” the old mare muttered. 
Twilight blinked in confusion, as did most of the others.
“Beautiful?”
“Everything is…duller than this,” Second Sight said, shaking her head. “Magic looks like rainbows to my eyes, but it’s always…dull. The taint that covers most of our world is the cause, or at least I think it is. It affects the magic of all living things. Even alicorns look duller than one might think they should be. When you first came to us, Twilight, you were brighter than any magic I had ever seen, even in other alicorns. But…as time passed, you became duller. Your magic lost its glow.”
“How did she become dull? Also, what’s dull?” Sturdy Oak asked. Second Sight just reached over and ruffled his mane. 
“Dull means it’s not a bright or colorful, like what happens when an apple gets really old. It’s still red, but it’s not as bright or shiny. As for how, it was likely the magic in the forest. Since there’s more of the tainted magic here, it quickly made her duller, almost like she was becoming covered in the shadow of one of the trees.”
“That’s…kinda terrifying, actually,” Twilight said nervously. Second Sight nodded, but then smiled. 
“But when you used the element on our garden, and when you purified Thorn, and even now, you’re bright once again. That element, it…cleans your magic, heals it. The broken magic of this land affects everything, hurting it in subtle ways, even on the purified land of the alicorns. That’s why the colors are dull, though I only really realized it when comparing it to you. You stand out so much more… 
“Your element brings back the rainbow of color. But this map, it…it’s just like the magic from your element, but…there’s something MORE to it, some extra parts that I’ve never seen. And…” Taking the map again, she placed it on the floor, nodding, “it looks like the broken magic can’t touch this map. I don’t know why, but whatever this is…it’s amazing.”
“But you don’t know what it is?” Twilight asked. Second Sight shook her head. 
“No, dearie. This map…it’s far beyond my knowledge. All’s I can say is that it’s related to that little gem on your neck,” Second Sight said, poking the Element of Magic. “But if this is what told you were the Element of Laughter is, then I can grantee that it won’t lead you astray…”


The next day…


It was still raining, but it had lightened up a bit compared to the day before. Preparation continued, and it was now that Applejack had called the group together again, this time including Shield Bearer, Bronze Sword, Big Mac, Angel the rabbit, Rarity, and Second Sight. The magic map was on the table in front of them. Unfortunately, she had chosen the hardest topic to begin their discussion.
“Nononononononononono,” Pinkie squealed from under the table, her mane deflating like an untied balloon. Applejack sighed. She hated this idea too, but it was the only one that made sense to her.
“Pinkie…”
“NononononoooooooooNO” Pinkie cried while Fluttershy tried, unsuccessfully, to calm her down by stroking one of her legs that was slightly out from below the tablecloth and whispering reassurances to the pink mare. 
“Pinkie, you know Lady Obsidian’s land the best. Her rules, the location of things you can use to cause a distraction, hiding spots, everythin’,” Applejack said, looking at the pink tail near her leg. “Yer the pony with the best shot of takin’ Lady Obsidian down.”
“Butbutbutbutbutbut—” 
Pinkie poked her head out just long enough for Fluttershy to grab it and hold it gently to keep her from ducking back under the table. Or at least, that’s what WOULD have happened if Pinkie didn’t just grab Fluttershy and drag her down with her, prompting the startled mare to let out a high-pitched ‘EEP’ as she vanished from view. Twilight facehooved, Spike faceclawed, and Angel Bunny facepawed. 
“As much as I don’t like the idea of sending Pinkie to the once place she hates more than anywhere else, Applejack has a point,” Flash admitted begrudgingly. “You always send in the pony with the bast chance of success on a mission, and if anyone can make a big enough distraction, it’s Pinkie.”
“I could make a distraction,” Rainbow said.
“We need a distraction that won’t attract the guard from all corners of Equestria,” Rarity said dryly. “Your Sonic Rainboom is spectacular and distracting, but it’s a little TOO distracting. The Queen could know right where we are, especially now that she knows you can make them.” 
“But…ah, yeah,” Rainbow said, deflating a bit and huffing. “Once we take the Queen down, I’m gonna Rainboom that stupid capital right off the side of the mountain. Show the alicorns they don't rule us anymore.”
“Hopefully AFTER we evacuate,” Shield Bearer muttered, earning a jab from Bronze Sword. 
“Soooo…any idea of how to get Pinkie out?” Spike asked, looking at the tablecloth with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m on it, dearie,” Second Sight said, reaching into her mane and pulling out a perfect cupcake…somehow. Dangling it over the edge of the table, it wasn’t long before a nose appeared from underneath the tablecloth, sniffing for the surgery goodness. A few seconds later, Pinkie’s head shot out and inhaled the cupcake, giving Second Sight the perfect chance to chomp down on Pinkie’s ear.
“Earearearear,” Pinkie squeaked through a mouthful of frosting as Second Sight pulled her out from under the table, dragging a very nervous Fluttershy along too. Another ear tug made Pinkie drop the confused pegasus. Angel gave a head shake and jumped down from the table to make sure his caretaker was ok.
“Ptuey.” Second Sight spat out Pinkie’s ear and pushed her back into a chair. “Now, listen here, Pinkie,” she said, booping her on the nose and making the party mare go cross-eyed, “I know you don’t want to go back there. Heck, I never wanted to go back to Thorn’s property either. But you can’t just keep devouring the entire village’s supply of sugar to forget about that place. I went back to Thorn’s property because I knew that I needed to help take that crazy motherbucker down for good. And I’m an old granny!” 
Spike grinned.
Pinkie turned away, and Second Sight’s expression softened. She put a hoof on the pink mare’s foreleg.
“I know it’s hard, dearie, but if you don’t face your fear, it’ll control you for the rest of yer life. Trust me, I knew that feeling well enough when I lost my eyes. But right now, you are the best hope we got for saving your family and all those ponies from Lady Obsidian. Once you do that, you just need to find the element, then you can come home and never go back to that wrecked place ever again. Ok?” 
She turned Pinkie’s face back towards her with her free hoof, so that Pinkie stared right into her cloth-covered eyes. Pinkie gulped, shuddered slightly, and took a deep breath.
“Ok, I’ll do it. For my family,” Pinkie said, her mane reinflating slightly. Applejack nodded in approval.
“Thanks, Pinkie. We’ll save yer family, I promise.” 
Pinkie nodded, her eyes downcast. 
“Now for the next part of the agenda: how long should we let Pinkie work before we go in, distraction or no distraction?”
“Why would we go in without the distraction?” Twilight asked. “I thought distracting them was the whole point?”
“Because we can only bring enough food fer ten days,” Applejack said, scowling at the map on the table. “Our carts can only hold that much food as well as everythin’ else we need. So unless we want to send ponies on five-day trips to constantly keep us supplied, we need ta take over that property in seven days or less, assuming the trip only takes two nights and assumin’ that we can free a pony on the first day after we arrive. Once we take over, we take whatever food they have there and hope it is enough for us to get back here without anypony going hungry.” 
Rainbow cast a quick glance at Fluttershy, who was still distracted by Angel patting her on the back.
“Let’s just hope it doesn't come to that,” Flash said. “We only managed to avoid casualties with Thorn because we managed to sneak in. I don’t think we’d be so lucky on a frontal assault, even with more ponies. As for time, if everything works out perfectly, I say we give her six days. That way, we have extra food in case the property doesn’t have enough to sustain us all for another two days. We give her less if it doesn't work perfectly.”
“That work with everypony else?” Applejack asked. After getting a series of nods, she turned back to the map. “All right then, the next manner is how we disguise Pinkie so Lady Obsidian can’t recognize her.”
“I believe I can assist there, darling,” Rarity said. “I may be a dress maker, but I believe I can make Pinkie match whoever we save. Granted, I will need to use up part of my stock of coat dye that I managed to grab from Thorn’s property, but a necessary sacrifice, I believe.”
“Why did you grab coat dye?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“Because I was grabbing everything I could see, and that just so happened to be something Sweetie Belle had been hoarding in her room when I came to grab her. She still hasn't told me WHY she had it, but I suspect she may have been planning to dye some Butlers’ coats different colors as a prank. I was originally going to see if I could use it to change the color of the cloth I grabbed, but I digress.”
“Just so long as it makes her indistinguishable from the pony we rescue, that’s fine by me,” Applejack said. “Next up, we still need to find a pony being brought to Lady Obsidian’s property. Good news is our scouts found the cave Pinkie mentioned, as well as another cave closer to the forest we can use that first night. Now we just need a pony to rescue. It’d be best if we can time it so that we can save them at the same time that we arrive at Obsidian’s cave, but Ah ain’t against sending a group out ahead of our main one. 
“Rainbow, our scouts didn’t spot any ponies in cages being moved near Lady Obsidian’s land, but I want you search a wider perimeter and see if you can find a pony being moved.”
“On it,” Rainbow said. “Rarity, I need one of your stealth garments.”
“Of course, darling. Just be GENTLE with it. The enchantment is rather complex and I’d rather not have to resew it if I can avoid it.”
“Relax, it’ll be fine…”


Two days later…


“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity growled, holding up the tattered remains of her stealth cloak. Rainbow grinned nervously.
“Eheheh, I was kinda, probably, MAYBE attacked on the way back and had to dive through the tree branches to lose the pursuers. But I found a pony to rescue!” she added hopefully.
“And why were you being attacked when you were supposed to be wearing a STEALTH CLOAK!?”
“Because, well, it doesn’t block sounds, and I may have kinda…taunted some of the Queen’s guards, only for their spears to hit the cloak and break the enchantment. But on the plus side, I was in a tree at the time, so they didn’t see that the cloak makes me practically invisible…or at least I hope they didn’t—HEY!” 
Rarity plucked her out of the air with her magic.
“Since you seem to have no regard for fashion, I just need to make the garment stronger next time,” Rarity said, a sinister grin on her face, “but to do that, I need a model, one willing to stand in place for hours on end while I slowly measure, cut, sew, and create my next cloak. And I think you’ll do nicely.”
The villagers could only watch as a struggling and pleading Rainbow Dash was carried away, deep into the inescapable clutches of FASHION!


The next day…


Rainbow yawned as the caravan of ponies moved along the barren ground that used to be Equestria. Rarity had apparently spent most of the night using Rainbow as a mannequin/pincushion for her new cloak. This, of course, meant the mare hadn’t have any time to rest up before they left for Obsidian’s property, which also meant Applejack had to use less experienced scouts to keep an eye on things up ahead. 
At least Applejack had managed to get the intel Rainbow had gathered before the pegasus had been dragged away to pay for her crimes against fashion. Applejack shivered slightly at the thought, and hoped SHE was never in that mare’s sight. She’d had enough torture for one lifetime, thank you very much. 
It also happened to turn out that Rainbow had been very lucky in her search, but what else was new? She had managed to spot a single cart with a cage crossing the wasteland in the direction of Lady Obsidian’s property. From what Rainbow had said, there was one pony pulling it and two guards watching him and the pony in the cage, though she hadn’t managed to tell much about who was in the cage other than the fact that her coat was light blue. 
What’s more, they were taking a path that would, if they continued to head directly for Lady Obsidian’s property, take them right near the cave where they would be staying that first day. That just made things easy. Almost too easy, but Applejack wouldn’t complain. But it DIDN’T mean she would let her guard down either. The last thing she needed was for this chance to slip away. If it did, they’d just be wastin’ more time while waiting for their next opportunity. Heck, they’d probably have to RETREAT, just so they could restock and try again. And the longer they spent on Lady Obsidian, the longer it would take them to—
“We’re here,” a pony at the front yelled, snapping Applejack out of her thoughts. Looking ahead, she saw the mouth of the cave looming ahead. Perfect. Looking up, she judged they had at least two more hours of moonlight before the sun came up, plenty of time to get set up and prepare an ambush for the unsuspecting ponies. Hopefully, those guards wouldn’t make things difficult. But hey, if they did, at least Applejack could vent some of her frustration on something that she wouldn’t feel guilty about later.


A few hours later…


“See anything?” Thunder asked.
“Enope,” Lightning replied as he looked through his binoculars. “Still no sign of them.”
“Should I head up and take a look?” 
“Nah, give it a while. They’ll show up eventually.”
“But we need to leave by tonight.”
“And it’s still early morning. It’s probably not even ten.”
“Remind me, why are we doing this again? Couldn’t we just have Rainbow do it?”
“You want her to sit still for hours while waiting for something small and easy to miss to show up? She’d probably just end up napping and missing it. Plus, I think she’s still passed out in the cart she was sitting on.”
“How that mare manages to sleep anywhere is beyond me. I wouldn't be surprised if she somehow learned to sleep while standing. Though I will say I’m a bit jealous.”
“Yeah, must make trips like this a br—” Lightning stopped and adjusted the binoculars. “Hey, I see them!”
“Really!?”
“No, I’m hallucinating…YES, I SEE THEM! Give the signal!” Thunder nodded and let out a sharp whistle, alerting the ponies below it was time for the plan to be set in motion.


Caramel had no idea what was happening. One moment, he had been pulling a cart along the road, trying to ignore the annoying game of ‘I spy’ the two guards were attempting to play in the barren desert and the annoying rattling sound the mare in the cage kept making, and then they were suddenly surrounded by no less than thirty ponies dressed as… trees? Well, their armor was made of bark, but that still seemed too odd to be true. 
Also, why was there a Butler with a baby dragon on his back, and an angry purple mare in a purple cloak running at them that looked like she was about to pummel said Butler? On the plus side, the two guards had stopped playing ‘I spy’ and the mare had stopped making rattling noises. But why weren't the guards—
Aaaaaannnnnnd the guards had dropped their weapons. Great work guys, real effort in trying to protect everyone. Seriously, give them a medal, and then take it and hit them over the head with it. 
Ugh…How did he get dragged into these messes? Ok, now an orange mare was waking forward, and she was staring at him rather intensely. It made Caramel very nervous. Was she the leader? The general? The enforcer that got pleasure from punishing those that smart-talked her?
“How’d you like to join the rebellion?” she asked, catching Caramel off guard so completely his last train of thought jumped the rails and demolished the nearest alicorn’s mansion like it was made of paper.
“I…Huh?”
“We need this mare, and this cart,” the orange mare said. “So we can either keep you with us as temporary prisoners until we finish our mission, or, you can prove we can trust you and you can join our cause to depower the alicorns.”
“The bad ones, at least,” the dragon yelled out, apparently ignoring the panting purple mare that was attempting to try and yell at him. The orange mare rolled her eyes. Caramel just blinked. You could depower alicorns? Was that even possible ?! And they wanted him to join them if he could prove he could be trusted? 
Better than pulling carts through the wasteland for the rest of his life…


“I almost got it,” Flash said, jiggling the lock pick a little to the left. The guards and the pony pulling the cart had all agreed to try and prove their loyalty to the resistance. Turns out, none of them wanted to be here, and their alicorn could probably care less about them. Well, more troops for them, then. Now if only Twilight could stop yelling at Spike for a minute so he could focus. 
Looking up from his work for a minute, he looked up at the mare in the cage. She was a light blue color with a platinum two-tone mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a magic wand with a star that had a trail of light blue star dust circling around its left side. The mare was also wearing a muzzle, hoof-cuffs, and a magic suppressant ring, but her frowning purple eyes made her look like she was grateful, yet annoyed, by the rescue. Flash shrugged it off and returned to work. 
With a final click, the cage door unlocked, allowing for Flash move onto the next set of locks. However, before he could begin, she waved him off (as much as she could) and pointed to the horn ring. Flash raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and used his wing to remove the restraint. Then, to his surprise, the mare’s horn lit up a pleasant purple color and she directed magic down to the locks on the hoof cuffs and muzzle. Within ten seconds, a series of clicks sounded and the mare was free. Impressive control.
“While the Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you for your assistance, she wishes to tell you that she was perfectly capable of escaping on her own,” she said, stretching out her legs and cracking her neck. 
Flash blinked.
“Wut?”
> Act 2 Chapter 16: Disguises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“OW! Stop hitting Trixie’s horn!” Trixie demanded.
“Then stop saying to attack Twilight,” Flash said, flicking her horn as she once again tried to charge a spell. 
Seriously, why was she NOT learning?
“She’s an ALICORN! You know, the crazy ponies that MESS EVERYTHING UP!? And Trixie is not attacking her, she is just trying to hold her still until she can take her to whoever is in charge, feather bra—OW!”
“And if you let me EXPLAIN things, you would understand that she ISN’T a crazy tyrant like the others and that she is the one who DEPOWERED THORN!”
“As if Trixie would believe your wild tales. You’re a BUTLER, the very tools alicorns use to—” 
Trixie was finally silenced as Twilight’s horn flashed, prompting a zipper to appear over the unicorn’s mouth. 
Thank you, Twilight, Flash thought as Trixie struggled to try and get the zipper open before finally giving up.
“He isn’t a TOOL,” Twilight said, her voice hard as she glared at the recently rescued pony. “He’s my friend. And he’s not lying or exaggerating.” As she spoke, she pulled back the cloak to reveal the Element of Magic. “I used to be an unicorn like you, but then—”
“You took an arrow to the knee,” Pinkie said, beaming. Flash had a sudden urge to facehoof, but he didn’t know why. 
Maybe because it’s Pinkie? Pinkie, who likes to do…Pinkie things all the time?
“What? No, I ended up with the Element of Magic and it turned me into an alicorn.” Twilight said, looking at Pinkie in confusion. “Also, weren't you back in the cave?”
Yeah, it’s just Pinkie. Let’s not question it Twilight - it will be better for all our brains.
“I was, but then Rarity sent me out to see what was taking so long.” 
Twilight blinked, and then shrugged. They had been heading back to the cave, but after a strong gust of wind had blown Twilight’s cloak up and shown their new recruits her wings, Trixie had freaked out and the other three jumped back in terror.
Because of course that was their luck.. 
It kind of reminded Flash of how ponies reacted to spiders. They either shouted ‘AHAHAHA RUN AWAY!’ or ‘AHAHAHAH KILLITKILLITKILLIT!’ Unless they were Fluttershy, at which point she would protect and then hug the spider. 
Also like Twilight.
Except this was the former case, only about a hundred times more annoying.
At least the other recruits had calmed down when they noticed none of the resistance ponies were even batting an eye at the sudden appearance of an alicorn. Better Flash only need to deal with one panicking pony than four.
“Right, anyway,” Twilight said, turning back to the muzzled and fuming Trixie. “When I was captured by Thorn a few weeks later, we managed to detain her, and then the Element of Magic judged her and removed her magic after finding her guilty.”
“Really?” Caramel asked in surprise. “That’s POSSIBLE!?”
	
“You bet it is,” Spike said from atop Twilight’s back. “But didn’t you guys know that Thorn was depowered?”
“Not really. The only thing we knew was that something had happened while she was at a meeting in Canterlot, and it put our Lady on edge so much that she doubled the property’s security. But she never told anypony what had happened, and her Butlers were rather quiet about the whole thing.”
“That makes sense,” Flash said. "After all, how many ponies would run off and join the rebellion if what happened to Thorn suddenly became common knowledge?” 
Though, in fairness, it was probably BETTER if more ponies didn’t know just yet. Given how much trouble it had been to accommodate the ponies they had already acquired, Flash didn’t even want to THINK of how much harder it would have been if the recruits and runaways had just kept coming and coming. 
Also, having to explain why Twilight, an alicorn, was allowed to be in the village would probably get annoying for EVERYPONY after the dozenth time. Especially for Applejack, who likely had enough stress running the village as it was. 
Speaking of Applejack, Flash glanced toward the front of the group where said pony was walking. Despite her bad attitude towards Twilight during their arrival, she had become…at least tolerant of Twilight since she depowered Thorn. No more side-long glares, no more mean words just out of hearing range. Applejack may still seem cold and aloof, but that faint feeling of hostility had all but vanished in recent weeks.
Though why she wasn’t participating the conversation, Flash didn't know.
“But it seemed like Wall Flower’s ponies knew,” Spike said, pulling Flash out of his thoughts.
“Given how big of an event it was, I wouldn't be surprised if every alicorn was informed of the danger by the Queen,” Flash said. That, and maybe to demonstrate how much of an idiot Thorn was for underestimating the Element of Magic and its bearer.
Or maybe the Queen just wanted to shame Thorn? Flash honestly had no idea.
“And knowing Wall Flower, she probably told them once she knew it happened,” Twilight said. “Maybe it was supposed to be a warning of what might be coming for her, but I think she wanted to let them know that Thorn was no longer going to harass innocent ponies, or their families or friends.” That seemed to give most of the ponies around Flash pause, most of them smiling a bit. Given how every pony currently in the village had either know about or had lived on Thorn’s property, it wasn’t too surprising that they would feel happy every time they were reminded of that little fact.
“Also, I think we’re getting off topic,” Twilight continued. “The point is, I’m not your enemy, or the enemy of any non-alicorn. We’re all on the same side, ok?” 
She dropped the spell from Trixie’s mouth. The unicorn moved her mouth around to work out the kinks the zipper had left before glaring at Twilight.
“FINE, since Little Miss Alicorn is apparently NOT an evil tyrant, Trixie will leave her alone…for now. But I’ll be watching you…” Trixie said, waving her hoof between her eyes and Twilight’s face in a display that was probably meant to be intimidating, but just made Twilight frown in confusion and Flash raise an eyebrow. Was this mare a performer or something? 
“Also, Trixie would like to know why you are bringing THAT with us,” the unicorn added as she pointed to the cart with the cage being pulled by Caramel.
“We need it to get Pinkie into Lady Obsidian’s property,” Applejack called back from the front of the group that had attacked the cart. “She’s gonna be disguised as you, then find a way to draw the Butlers at the perimeter away so we can charge in.”
“Wait, you mean we’re STILL going to Lady Obsidian’s property?” Caramel asked in horror. “WHY?” 
“Well, we can’t take her down from right here, can we?” Applejack asked, not looking back as they approached the mouth of the cave and began to file in. “We need to detain her, at the least, then let Twilight and Magi do their thing. Then we grab her ponies who want to come, and go home. Simple.”
As if anything is ever simple, Flash thought. Even Twilight trying to learn earth pony magic ended up being anything but simple. Hopefully things won’t go AS completely sideways like that did at the very least. 
“Trixie believes this plan is insane and delusional,” Trixie scoffed. “There is no way somepony can imitate the charm and talent of the Great and Powerful TRIXIE!” She stood up on her hind hooves and fired off a small series of colorful flares from her horn, much to the annoyance of the sleeping ponies who were now no longer sleeping. Well, except for Rainbow and Fluttershy, who rolled over without waking up. Angel Bunny, however, did shoot a menacing glare at the blue pony before diving back into Fluttershy’s mane. 
Yep, this mare was definitely some sort of performer. Flash had no doubt in his mind now. 
“We don’t need her to BE you,” Spike said, raising an eyebrow. “She just has to look like you.”
“Which is where I come in,” Rarity exclaimed, going from zero to fashion in under five seconds as she leapt up from her sitting position, dashed over to the group, and immediately beginning to examine Trixie from all angles, much to the blue unicorn’s annoyance.
“Trixie demands to know what you’re doing!” she barked, trying to back away from the circling unicorn, only to be held in place by Rarity’s magic. 
“I’m examining your coat colors,” Rarity said. “I need to mix my dye to make sure Pinkie’s coat and mane will match yours exactly. That way, with a little fake horn spell from Twilight, she will look just like you when she takes your place.” 
Trixie snorted. 
“You are wasting your time. You will never be able to match the Great and Powerful TRIXIE’S astounding looks with DYE.” 
Yes, because your coat colors have definitely never existed on any pony else before in the history of Equestria, Flash thought, and he just barely managed to hold back a facehoof.
“But you are also lucky that Trixie has just the spell to solve this little dilemma. All she needs is a gem stone.”
“Like this?” Pinkie said, holding up a perfectly round sapphire that Spike had just pulled out of his bag.
“Hey, I was gonna eat that!” Spike complained as Trixie grabbed the sapphire in her magic. 
“Ooohhhh. Yes. This will be perfect. Fear not, for in just one hour, Trixie will have created what you need to solve this problem of yours!”


Three hours later…


“Trixie is done!”
“And it only took you two hours longer than you said it would,” Caramel said with an eye roll while Flash just chuckled. He had just been thinking the same thing. Trixie glared at him while the others began to sit up and yawn. Once it was obvious that Trixie would be a while, the rest of the group, save for Flash (who decided to keep watch over Twilight just in case Trixie decided to try anything) and Caramel, had decided to get some sleep.
Despite not getting much sleep the night before, Flash was used to long nights with little sleep thanks to Twilight and her insatiable hunger for KNOWLEDGE! And seeing how it was still the middle of the day outside, Caramel hadn’t been tired enough to actually fall asleep in the first place. So, the two of them had decided to recline in one of the carts and chat. It had been fun, and Flash found that he and Caramel got along pretty well.
If only Flash had remembered to grab a deck of playing cards when he left House Shining Star to save Twilight in Canterlot. Oh well…
“You can’t rush perfection,” Trixie said, walking forward with the circular sapphire in her magic. 
But can we rush you? Flash thought sarcastically. 
As Twilight yawned and sat up, Flash took a closer look at the sapphire. He realized that is was now covered in a series of runes, indicating that Trixie had turned the gemstone itself into the spell caster. So long as a pony put magic into it, the spell would continue to be cast. 
But why did the runes look so familiar? 
Before he could ask, Trixie tossed the sapphire to Pinkie, who caught it in her mane. Immediately, the gem began to glow and with a small flash, a perfect replica of Trixie now stood in Pinkie’s place.
Holy cow! That’s ACTUALLY pretty impressive. Even TWILIGHT could never make illusion spells that well…or at least not before becoming an alicorn. Seems this mare might be rather smart after all.
“Ohhhhh, that’s so AWSOME!” the new Trixie said…still in the voice of Pinkie Pie.
Something tells me her voice isn’t supposed to be the same. Still impressive, just ever so slightly less impressive now. But still impressive. 
Am I rambling inside my own head? I might be more tired than I thought.
“Oh, darn it…” the real Trixie muttered as she grabbed the gem again and began levitating it back to herself. “Trixie can never get the voice quite right…” She reached out to grab the orb with her hooves, only for Twilight to leap across the cave and snatch the gem right out of the air.
“HEY!” Trixie cried in annoyance, but Flash knew that look in Twilight’s eye. Chances were Twilight barely heard the blue unicorn.
“This…This is ASTOUNDING!” the alicorn said as she spun the gem in every direction so fast that the symbols became a random blur. Her magic began to grow as she instinctively began examine the magic structure created by the runes. “You actually managed to ALTER the Wall Flower spell and make it so that it could COPY an image placed inside the orb, which you inserted using ANOTHER spell.”
“Meaning…?” Rainbow asked, only to find Twilight nose-to-nose with her a second later.  
“It MEANS we could have a nearly flawless disguise of any pony we want so long as we have their image, and that, with a few more tweaks, we could have the orb constantly project the image of the pony’s surroundings. This would, in theory, make the disguised ponies blend into their environment rather than just divert the focus of those looking at them like with the Wall Flower enchantment. And if we can improve the gem so that it projects the image on the exact opposite side of the disguised pony, it might even make it possible to turn ponies virtually INVISIBLE!”
Flash could tell that there was no pony in the cave who was awake enough to follow that rant. Heck, even HE was never awake enough to follow her rants and he’d grown up with her. Calm down, Twilight. Don’t make me get a sleeper bomb.
“You make it sound like Trixie hasn't already done that,” Trixie said, smirking as she flashed her horn. And this time, her horn actually became surrounded by a series of magical, holographic rings. They contained the same runes as her spell gem, only with a few modifications. With a bit of straining, Trixie and the glow of the rings vanished completely from sight. 
Pinkie clapped. Most of the others’ jaws dropped to the floor.
Ten seconds later, Trixie reappeared, looking quite a bit more tired…and maybe a little bit drunk. “Be…Behold my power!” she exclaimed before nearly falling over. “Ok, Trixie…needs a minute.”
Impressive, but maybe not as graceful as she might have hoped.
“Ok, that was pretty epic,” Rainbow admitted. “But it looks like it’s a lot harder to do.”
“Magic circles usually are,” Twilight said as she began spinning the gem again while Pinkie moved and helped Trixie back to her hooves. “It’s why alicorns are usually the only ones to use magic circles and why other magical creatures use gems or chalk runes instead. The fact that she was able to maintain three magic circles for so long is VERY impressive. It took me years to get that many magic circles active at the same time, and even longer to actually have the stamina to maintain them for more than a minute. And even then, the only runes I put on them were once for shield spells. I never even thought about attempting to use runes to make myself invisible, and figuring out which ones to use would probably take months of study on its own.” 
Ok, if it would have been that difficult for Twilight, now Flash was REALLY impressed. Yeah, Trixie was a showboat and maybe a bit of a nutcase, but at least she had some skill, some really serious skill. 
There was a small flash from Twilight’s horn, and a few new runes appeared on the gemstone. Nodding, Twilight passed it back to Pinkie, who once again became Trixie. This time, her ‘horn’ had the image of a magic restraint on it.
“Neat!” Pinkie said, her voice now matching Trixie’s so closely that if it weren't for the magic restraint, it would be impossible to tell them apart. Trixie, having recovered, let her eyes go wide in surprise.
“What? B-But how did you…” she stammered, looking between the gem still held in midair by Pinkie’s mane and Twilight. Her expression was so priceless, Flash had a sudden urge to laugh his head off.
“You just forgot to add auditory runes,” Twilight said gently. “They are designed to mimic your voice. As for the restraint, I just used a mental image of it from when you were wearing it in the cart and added it to the image you already inserted into the gem. It’s a simple modification that takes less time then reinserting the whole thing again.” 
“B-But that kind of modification would require you to have MASTERED the spell! No pony can just…ALTER the spell like that without knowing it down to the smallest detail, otherwise the ENTIRE spell would collapse and shatter the gem!”
“She spent years studying under Lady Luna and Lady Celestia,” Flash said, flashing a grin in Twilight’s direction. “When it comes to magic runes and spells, she usually can pick them up by examining their structure. Or sometimes just by watching another pony perform the spell, though I have NO idea how she does that.”
Well, maybe he had SOME idea of how she did it, but she was able to do it so quickly that he found it a bit unusual. Not that he really cared one way or another.
“I try and sense the magical essence of the spell and how the magic is being directed and attempt to copy it,” Twilight said. Trixie’s jaw dropped in pure shock, making Twilight’s face turn a little pink. “It…does require a LOT of training to do, and I can only do it because I was such a powerful unicorn, but Lady Celestia was VERY good with learning new spells just by watching them and made an excellent teacher.”
“But-but-but—” Trixie stammered, but Twilight shushed her with a wing tip.
“But that does NOT mean your achievement is any less amazing,” Twilight said, smiling kindly at the unicorn. “Altering the spell like that is something I would have NEVER thought of trying, and the fact that you were able to come up with that without any help or training is…frankly, incredible. AND it means we now have a much better chance of taking down Lady Obsidian.”
Trixie blinked, then looked away…shyly? “W-Well the Great and Powerful TRIXIE can’t help if she’s so talented. Just be grateful it was HER you rescued and not some other, less amazing pony.” 
Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled. 
“Also, why are we even GOING for Lady Obsidian again?” Trixie added. “It’s not like her property is valuable or anything, unless of course you’re an alicorn in need of gems. And there must certainly be easier targets if you’re going through all this trouble just to get to her.”
“Because we think the Element of Laughter is there,” Pinkie said matter-of-factly, something that immediately grabbed Flash’s attention and filled him with concern. 
Turning to look at Pinkie, Flash could see that her mane was deflated slightly, and that she seemed to be trying to avoid looking at anypony around her. If Angel Bunny hadn’t immediately jumped into Pinkie’s mane, pulled out a cupcake, and shoved it into Pinkie’s mouth, he would have likely gotten up to give her a hug. 
Actually, he still did want to give her a hug. Eh, why not?
“So?” Trixie asked as Flash got up.
“You do know what the Element’s of Harmony are, right?” Spike asked. “You know, magical gems that can defeat evil?”
“Have a chance of healing Equestria?” Twilight added.
“Will let us kick the Queen’s flank?” Rainbow said.
“Which will in turn break the power the alicorns have over normal ponies?” Flash finished as he reached Pinkie and gave her a quick hug. Pinkie just whispered a quick ‘thank you' before going for another cupcake.  
Trixie just blinked. 
“I’ll take that as a no.” Flash said while shaking his head. Seriously, Twilight had SHOWN HER the Element of Magic earlier. Did she somehow only know about that one but not the other five? 
Actually, given how the other elements had been found hundreds of years ago, that might not be that surprising. The alicorns were likely so focused on finding the Element of Magic that they likely never talked about the other five. Even Lady Celestia and Lady Luna had only mentioned them in passing.
“Well EXCUSE ME for not being as educated as Miss Purple Smart over there. SOME of us don’t have the privilege of being taught and had to learn on our own for years at a time.”
“I think that describes about seventy-six percent of our village,” Rainbow said, nodding. 
“True, but many of them know about the elements because they’ve been around for all that’s happened so far, and because of some of the few books in Second Sight’s library,” Twilight said, "So given that she’s a newer member of the village, I think it’s understandable for her not to know what they are. I first learned about them because my dad used to tell me stories about them when I was a filly. And HE only knew because he was a Keeper.”
“Maybe we should set up a school once this is all over,” Spike said. “I remember Second Sight teaching Thorn’s kids about math one day. She’d probably be thrilled to teach other foals too.”
“She would certainly have the books necessary,” Flash agreed. Even if she is only teaching the basics, it would go a long way to helping educate ponies. 
“It would definitely help close the knowledge gap, and the new Keepers that joined us after we depowered Thorn would certainly make excellent teachers, but we would need to work out a curriculum, housing, food…” 
Annnnnnd yep, there she went, brainstorming and chattering about schools and lessons to no pony in particular. Flash shared a look with Spike, counted to ten, and followed in her wake to pull her out of her daydreams.
“So…what now?” Caramel asked once Twilight rejoined reality, blushing slightly.
“Now we should get some more rest,” Twilight said. “We need to have as much energy as possibly if we’re going to spend all night walking again, and I doubt only a few hours of sleep will be enough. Thankfully, with Trixie’s spell gem ready, we should be all set to have Pinkie infiltrate the land tomorrow morning.”
“Do you need me to bring her in?”
“Only if you want to. If you don’t, we can send other ponies disguised as the guards and cart puller. Unless you think Lady Obsidian would see through that.” 
Caramel shook his head. “I’m basically just a delivery colt, so I doubt she’ll notice if someone else goes in my place. I’ll pull the cart. What better way to end my last trip there then to deliver a pony that might be her undoing. Just…can somepony else pull the cart tonight on the way there? That thing is heavier than it looks.”


That night…


“We’re here,” Pinkie said, pointing. There, a few hundred feet in front of them, was the cave she had found so many years ago. Applejack nodded and moved towards it, the caravan of ponies behind them closing in as well. 
But Pinkie didn’t follow. She just stood there, even as the snoring Trixie passed on one of the nearby carts, muttering something about peanut butter crackers. 
“Pinkie? Are you ok?” Fluttershy asked, walking up to her from the end of the convoy. Pinkie shook her head.
“I…no, I’m not,” she said, watching the ponies of the resistance enter the cave. “I never thought...I mean, when I left, I never wanted to come back. I-It just hurt too much. A-And even now, it’s just…” Pinkie sighed and tried to think of the right words. Fluttershy, however, didn’t wait and instead moved in to give the other mare a hug.
“It’ll be ok, Pinkie.”
“B-But what if Obsidian finds the disguise gem, or tries to take off the horn restraint but can’t because it’s not real and realizes I'm ME! What it she makes me eat the flower!? What if sh—”
Fluttershy gently covered Pinkie’s mouth, causing her to stop.
“I know this is hard, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said, smiling at her. “But I think is is very brave of you to do this. I…I don’t think I could ever do something like this, disguise or no disguise.”
“But what if I can’t do it? What if I fail, or freeze up, or freeze up and then fail because I freeze up and then need to eat the flower and then get even MORE broken and—“
“You are NOT broken Pinkie,” Fluttershy scolded. “You’re just hurt. But you’ve never let that stop you before. You can do this, and we’ll all be right here waiting to come get you. You’ll be ok.” 
Pinkie took a deep breath and nodded, leaning into the hug. “Thanks, Fluttershy. When did you get so good at motivational speeches?”
“Oh, um…I saw Wall Flower doing it with her ponies, and…I thought you might need some encouragement. But a bit less…intense encouragement than the kind Rainbow might give you.” 
That made Pinkie giggle. 
The two ponies made their way into the cave with their forelegs around each other’s shoulders. Already, ponies were setting up sleeping mats or preparing for their scout shifts, although Trixie, Caramel, and the two guards that had been with them were still sleeping in one of the carts. 
“Pinkie,” Applejack said, approaching her and Fluttershy. “We're gonna have Caramel leave at dawn, so report to the cart in roughly an hour. Until then…do whatever you need to prepare yourself.”
“Okie dokey lokie,” Pinkie chirped, nodding and trying to sound more confident than she felt. But like with most things, Applejack could see through her act. 
“We’ll come for you, Pinkie,” Applejack said, her tone even, yet gentler than normal. “No matter what, just stay safe until we get there. Even if it means you can’t set off a distraction. Just…Just stay safe.”
“I-I will,” Pinkie said, nodding. Applejack returned the gesture before turning and walking back to the busy ponies, issuing orders.
The next hour seemed almost like a blur to Pinkie. She walked around, talked to a few ponies, and said goodbye to her friends (Rainbow had been the most reluctant to let her go). She wanted to focus that entire time, she really did, but the thoughts about what was to come and the memories that came with it were so intense that they seemed to consume all of her attention and all too soon, it was time to go. It wasn’t until she was forced to climb into the cart, reattach the hoofcuffs, and fasten the muzzle that she was finally able to truly focus on what was happening. 
She was going back after more than ten years away, and this time she might just be able to save everypony she used to know from having to live under the mare that had hurt her more than she could even comprehend. 
Sooooo…no pressure.
“You ready?” Caramel asked as he and two resistance ponies fastened their harnesses. Pinkie shook her head as she placed the gem orb back in her mane, transforming her once again into her Trixie disguise. “Me neither,” the earth pony said, “but we do what we have to do, right?” 
Pinkie nodded. Caramel flashed her a small, tight, but sympathetic smile as he and the others in disguise began to walk. The cart slowly started to roll away and Pinkie could see eyes gleaming in mouth of the cave.
“Go get her, Pinkie,” Rainbow yelled out, prompting similar encouragement from the rest of the assembled rebels. Despite the muzzle, Pinkie managed to smile as she waved goodbye, though it was only for about twenty seconds before they rounded the top of the nearest hill and slipped out of view of the cave. She took a deep breath, then turned back ahead to prepare for the inevitable. 
Caramel first led them back to the main road before turning towards Lady Obsidian’s property. The ponies walked — or, in Pinkie’s case, rode — in silence. After another ten minutes, the first signs of their destination appeared. 
A large stone tower rose out of the barren landscape, its bare and sunbaked structure protruding standing out in stark contrast to the rest of the landscape. As they approached, Pinkie could see a green pegasus mare with a blue and yellow mane sitting on top of the tower. She was watching them, but made no moves to intercept or to stop them. As they passed the tower, Pinkie tried to suppress a shudder. 
She was back on Lady Obsidian’s property, which meant it was all downhill from here. 
Soon after passing the tower, the rest of the property came into view. The small town where Pinkie had grown up still looked just as it had when she left: Small houses, all looking a little worse for wear, large numbers of ponies working the rock fields around the town, and Lady Obsidian’s tall, five-story mansion casting a threatening shadow over it all. Everything was dull, and no pony looked up from their work as the cart slowly rolled between two fields and towards the town. 
“I hate this place already,” one of the disguised rebels muttered, trying not to turn his head as they moved between the fields. 
“Welcome to the club,” Caramel said. Pinkie nodded, gazing around. Most of the workers looked tired or bored, but some of them looked…empty. They stared at nothing in particular and did whatever the nearest overseer said. One of them wasn’t even blinking. She gulped, immediately recognizing them as under the effect of that stupid, horrid flower.
If she was successful, hopefully no pony would ever be a victim of that plant ever again.
“You!” a voice called out just as they arrived at the outskirts of the town, drawing Pinkie’s attention away from the emotionless ponies as the cart slowly rolled to a stop. Standing in front of them was an female earth pony Butler with a brown coat and a white mane. “That the pony from Lady Prickly Pear?” the Butler asked.
“Yep,” Caramel answered.
“You’re a day earlier than we expected.”
“Well, our supplies were a bit lower than expected, so we had to rush a bit. Sorry if you weren't ready for us.”
“Whatever,” the Butler said, rolling her eyes. “Just follow me,” she turned, prompting the cart to move again. As the Butler led them, Pinkie looked around the town. It was, again, just like how she remembered it. No laughter, no smiles, no bright colors…she had actually forgotten how boring it all looked. However, it…seemed to be worse, somehow. As they passed, ponies ducked away, giving the Butler a wide radius as she walked. But Pinkie didn’t remember there being so much…fear in the ponies’ eyes. Yes, they would be afraid of Lady Obsidian, as expected, but never really her Butlers. Had something changed?
Pinkie didn't have much time to ponder this as the cart rolled to a stop again in front of a small house. Once stopped, the cage was pulled free from the cart via a dark purple glow. 
A very familiar glow. 
“So this is our latest project?” Lady Obsidian said, her voice sounding almost bored and uninterested. Yet Pinkie couldn't help but shiver as she was brought to eye level with the source of many of her nightmares. 
Lady Obsidian was a tall alicorn with a black coat, a dark purple mane, tale, and eyes, and who had a cutie mark of a perfect square of the very same rock she was named after. She looked Pinkie in her disguised form over before finally placing the cage down. 
“Y-Yes my lady," the Butler nodded, her body rigid. Lady Obsidian spared her a glance, before looking back at Pinkie. Pinkie couldn’t help but shrink away a little.
“You three,” Lady Obsidian said, sparing a glance at Caramel and the others. “Gather what supplies you need, then leave no later than tomorrow morning. Understood?” They nodded. “Good. Now as for you,” she commanded, redirecting her attention to Pinkie. “Here’s how this works. You keep quiet, you work and do as you’re told, and in return, I don’t punish you. You talk back, slack off, or try to escape, you regret it. Understood?”
Her voice was so cold, so emotionless, that Pinkie could only nod, partly due to a fear she hadn't felt in years. 
“Good,” Lady Obsidian said, using her magic to unlock the cage and the hoof cuffs. “And maybe it you work hard enough, I’ll even think about remove that muzzle,” she said, flicking the metal instrument on Pinkie’s face as she left the cage, making her squeak and nearly fall over. Lady Obsidian smirked, turned, and walked away. As she left, all five ponies breathed a sigh of relief.
“All right then,” the Butler said. “Food is in the supply building over there.” She pointed to a nearby building slightly larger than the others and turned back to Pinkie. “You, blue mare. Follow me.” 
Pinkie nodded and slowly followed the Butler as she began to lead the way back to the rock fields from whence they had come. As she walked, Pinkie caught Caramel and the others smiling at her, a small reassurance that she would be ok. She smiled back as much as she could, before turning back and following the Butler once again.



Had any of these ponies looked into a nearby alleyway, they might have seen an intruder in their conversation. It blinked, slowly, before disappearing back into the shadow covered alley without a sound.
> Act 2 Chapter 17: Rocks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clank…Clank…Clank…
The steady noise of pickaxes hitting stone sounded all around Pinkie as she continued to work. Her job, like all those around her, was to break open all the rocks in field seven. Or was it field eight? Pinkie couldn’t remember. 
After seeing Lady Obsidian again, something that still made Pinkie shudder, the Butler had led her to one of the fields close to town. There, she had been handed a pickaxe by a large grey earth pony and was told to start breaking the rocks on the field in front of her. So Pinkie did, and continued to do so for the next however many hours. Given that the sun would be setting soon, she guessed it must have been ten at least.
For that entire time, there had been almost nothing to preoccupy the party mare. Sure, she was working, but given all the work she normally did in the village on a daily basis, breaking rocks wasn't really all that tiring. Certainly not as tiring as planning two birthdays and three ‘Welcome to the super secret hidden village’ parties in a single day. 
Now THAT had been exhausting.
She also wasn't at all curious about WHY she was standing in the middle of a field breaking rocks. She had worked on the property long enough to know every step in the gem growing process. Some of these stones had been cultivated with earth pony magic long enough that they were now filled with gems and needed to be broken open to get at the treasure. The others were just too big and needed to be broken down to smaller sizes so they could then be cultivated, or shipped out as building supplies. 
Despite the fact that they were all important jobs for the productivity of the farm, this did NOT stop them from being very, VERY BORING! 
So, with nothing else to do, Pinkie had simply let her ears turn every which way, trying to listen in on other ponies’ conversations. Normally she wouldn't do this, as she considered it mean to invade privacy like this, but she WAS in enemy territory, so any information she could gather would be helpful. ESPECIALLY if it lead her to something she could use as a distraction. 
But unfortunately, she discovered nothing of importance. She had learned the number of this field, which turned out to be field four, that one of the overseers was craving mashed potatoes, that another was just as bored as she was, and that rocks apparently don't taste well when mixed with paprika.
She would need to remember that last one. 
There had been absolutely no conversations from any of the other worker ponies in the field. Granted, Pinkie didn’t remember there ever being much conversation back when she lived here, but there had been at least a few words exchanged to try and break up the monotony of the work. Given that she had only heard the clanging of pickaxes for the last few hours, she wondered if there might be some sort of new rule against talking.
Given that this WAS Lady Obsidian, it wouldn’t really surprise Pinkie, but it did make her wonder why she would have waited so long to make such a rule. 
Unfortunately though, the lack of chatter meant that Pinkie had a hard time distracting herself from the memories that had begun to stir in her mind. Many of which Pinkie would have rather forgotten. Whenever her mind started to wander, she began to remember what the farm had been like back before she had escaped. 
She remembered hurting her leg and fearing punishment or being traded off the farm, only for Maud to rush in and finish her work in a fraction of the time while still giving her the credit. 
She remembered hiding under her bed whenever the Butlers had been punishing ponies near her home.
She remembered having to stay silent the few times that Lady Obsidian had been near the fields she was working on, and the time Lady Obsidian had punished one of her own overseers for being to lenient with his ponies. 
The crackling of breaking rocks or the orders of an overseer would bring her back to the real world, but usually with a small shudder on her part. Sometimes she would even break open the rock in front of her without even realizing. She sighed, lifter her head as she prepared to move to the next rock, only to freeze in terror. 
The flower. THAT FLOWER! Being carried by a Butler! Even if she wanted to, which she REALLY DID, she couldn’t stop the memories. 
Her first time seeing other ponies smile and the joy it brought her, followed swiftly by that horrible flower ripping away at her body and soul. The pain, the grey seeping into her vision…that heartless laugh. Laughter was meant to spread joy, not pain. But the pain kept coming. She didn’t stop. IT NEVER STOPPED. She had to run. HIDE! ANYTHING! BEFORE…BEFO—
“ALL RIGHT, THAT’S ENOUGH,” the overseer yelled over the clanging, which in turn immediately halted. “That’s all for the day. Head back to the village, get your food from the supply house, then be home before curfew.” Pinkie blinked rapidly, looking around. The flower…it was going to the village, not to her. She…She was still ok. 
“You, blue unicorn. You follow me,” the overseer added, pointing at Pinkie. She blinked in confusion for a second before remembering she had a disguise. She nodded, her body still shaking as she moved to follow the Butler. She was surprised that she was even able to walk given how badly her legs were trembling.
All around, the ponies let off sighs of relief before taking their tools and slowly beginning to make their way back to town. Pinkie put her pickaxe on her back and moved to follow the overseer. Along the way, she glanced at the other workers who were coming back from the fields. She hoped she could at least catch a glimpse of somepony, anypony, from her family, but no matter how hard she looked, she never saw any of her three sisters or her parents. 
Hopefully, they were all still ok.
“Eyes forward, blue,” the earth pony overseer called, prompting Pinkie to wince and return her gaze forward. As they moved, she realized that they were moving towards the outer edge of the town, away from Lady Obsidian’s mansion. She almost breathed a sigh of relief of her own before she saw Lady Obsidian striding out from around the building they were approaching.
It was a miracle that she didn’t just fall over in terror.
Why was she here!? Was her cover blown!? If it was, WHAT WOULD SHE DO!?!?!?! SHE HADN’T PLANED FOR THAT! Her hooves were shaking again. Her mouth felt unnaturally dry. She could feel herself beginning to sweat despite the bone chilling effect Lady Obsidian’s gaze had on her. She couldn’t even think of what might happen next!
Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be.
“Report,” Lady Obsidian said, giving Pinkie a bored sidelong glance and turning her attention to the overseer, seeming to ignore the disguised mare’s trembling. 
“No problems, my lady,” the overseer said with a bow. “She worked all day, no slacking, no complaining, no trouble. Seems she might have half a brain.”
“Joy,” Lady Obsidian said dully, looking at Pinkie with slightly more interest. Pinkie gulped on habit, especially when Lady Obsidian reached out with her magic and yanked the muzzle off. “Since you seem to understand your situation, I’ll take this off for the moment. But the moment you disobey me, or cause any kind of trouble, or give me any kind of excuse to punish you, it goes back on, and it stays on. Understand?”
“Y-Yes, my l-lady,” Pinkie stuttered as she bowed very low to the ground. “T-Trixie understands.” She wasn’t sure why she was using Trixie’s habit of referring to herself in the third person, but she really didn’t have the capacity to think about that right now.
“If I cared about your name, I would have asked for it,” Lady Obsidian snapped. She turned away and spread her wings. “You know what to do, Sandstone.” 
And with that, she leapt into the air and was gone. 
Sandstone let out the breath he was holding and moved to the building, Pinkie following closely behind. Upon opening the door, Pinkie saw that it was a small shack with a metal chest by the door and a large cage in the center, one about three times as big as the one she had been in that morning. 
Pinkie knew where this was going. 
“Get in,” Sandstone ordered as he took the pickaxe from her back, and Pinkie immediately complied. Best not give him any trouble he could report back to Lady Obsidian. 
As soon as she was in, he slammed the door shut and locked it with a loud click that made Pinkie have to swallow her whimper. “Now then, you’ll be in here all night, every night, until Lady Obsidian says otherwise. There’s a hole in the back of the cage for when nature calls, but that’s it. Here’s dinner.” He opened the metal chest and pulled out a few potatoes which he tossed through the cage bars. “Oh, and there will always be a guard outside this door, so if you try and escape, they’ll know. Enjoy.”
He closed the shack door and locked it from the outside, leaving Pinkie alone. 
At least the gentle orange glow from the setting sun shining through the small window let her see for the time being. In fact, there was something…calming about it. No clanging of pickaxes, no yelling of overseers, no cries of ponies being punished. Just a quiet room coated orange in the rays of the setting sun. It was so calm, it was almost easy to imagine that she was somewhere else when she closed her eyes. Somewhere far away from this horrible place.
And that was probably all she could ask for on Lady Obsidian’s property, besides being able to leave it of course. As long as that flower wasn't involved, she would be ok…she hoped. 
But what should she do now? Should she try and find a way to create the distraction during the day? No, no, that wouldn’t work. She would be under constant watch during the day. If she wanted to get information, it would have to be at night. But what if they noticed she was gone? Despite the many, MANY things she had stashed away in her mane in case of emergencies, a full sized Trixie doll wasn’t one of them. Hmmmm…
As she thought, she picked up a potato and took a bite. It tasted just as bland as she remembered. Given that they were the only food that was actually grown here rather than imported, that made sense. Everything here was bland…
Pinkie yawned. The sun was still up, so if she was going to go sneaking about, it would need to wait for later anyway. Pulling out a small container of frosting from her mane, Pinkie quickly covered the potatoes in as much as she could before inhaling them in one swift gulp. Once she was done, she laid down on the hard floor of the cage and tried to sleep.


Later that night…


Pinkie awoke slowly, sitting up and yawning before opening her eyes and blinking twenty three times to make sure her eyes were well-adjusted to the darkness. The moon was still out, and given that Pinkie couldn’t see the moon itself from the window, she reckoned she had a few hours still before sunrise. Which meant if she was going to go sneaking about and start looking for a distraction, now was the perfect time to start. 
Standing up and stretching like a cat, Pinkie yawned again as she walked up to the bars of the cage. Unlocking the cage might create enough noise for the guard outside to investigate, so instead Pinkie exhaled before taking a deep breath. As she inhaled, she shrunk, just enough to fit through the bars of the cage. She wiggled a bit to get her head through, slipped out the rest of the way, and exhaled, returning to her normal size.
She always hated doing that. It just felt so weird…even for her.
At least the window would be easier since it was big enough for her to slip out of and wouldn't make nearly as much noise as the cage. It was locked, but picking the lock with her mane was almost too easy. With the window unlocked, Pinkie lifted it open, took a quick peek to ensure that no pony was around, and slipped outside. Silently, she tip-hooved around the building to spy on her guard. He was, understandably, fast asleep, which gave Pinkie the perfect cover to dash away from the shack and slide into a small box in the alley between two nearby buildings. The box was small, but Pinkie had been in smaller places. 
Like that one flowerpot to surprise Rainbow on her birthday. The look on her face…hehehe, classic. 
No, focus, Pinkie. Focus…
Peeking out from the box, Pinkie looked in every direction before dashing out to hide behind a barrel, then a storm drain, then a another box in the next alley. As she moved to the next hiding spot, a Butler rounded the corner. Caught between covers, Pinkie froze and folded her body and mane in the shape of a box and didn’t breathe. 
Maybe it was the dark, or maybe the Butler was just not paying attention, or maybe Pinkie’s hours of learning to imitate boxes were finally paying off, but either way, the Butler passed by without noticing her and disappeared out of the alley. After waiting for another thirty seconds,  Pinkie unfolded herself and breathed a sigh of relief as she looked down the way the Butler had gone. 
She would need to be more carefu—
“Hi Pinkie.”
“YIPE!” Pinkie squealed as she leapt at least ten feet in the air, hoping that no pony heard that. She spun in midair so she could face her enemy when she landed, but when she saw who it was, she felt her whole body freeze up completely and her breathing hitch. 
Before her was a grey pony with a dull lilac mane, blue eyes, and a blue outfit with a black band around the middle that covered her cutie mark. She was looking at the disguised Pinkie with an incredibly blank expression that seemed to show no emotion. 
But Pinkie keep this pony, and knew that this pony was both very worried and very happy to see her.
This was Maud, her older sister. The very same Maud that had helped her escape the property so many years ago. 
Pinkie let out something between a strangled squeak and a sob. She tried to back away, to say that she wasn’t who Maud thought she was, but her body just wouldn't listen to her. Maud blinked, slowly, before reaching into Pinkie’s mane without a word and pulling out the gem powering Pinkie’s disguise. The moment it parted contact with Pinkie’s body, she reverted to her pink self. She tried again to speak, to saying anything, but the only things that came out were tears and her mane fully deflated. Maud blinked again, then reached out and pulling the mess that was Pinkie into a hug. Pinkie’s tears quickly dissolved into sobs as she embraced her sister tightly.
“H-H-Hi, M-Maud,” she choked out between gasps. 
Maud didn’t speak, but gently stroked Pinkie’s back, just like she had done when they were foals. It was enough. Just her stoic presence and unmoving nature was enough to comfort Pinkie as she let the emotions that had been swirling in her head all day finally go free. 
After Pinkie didn’t know how long, she finally calmed down enough to speak again. “I-I’m back.”
“I know,” Maud said, her voice ever so slightly sad. “But why? If Lady Obsidian finds you, I might not be able to help you this time.”
“I-I know,” Pinkie said, sniffling. “B-But I had to. M-My friends need me to be here, if only for a f-few days.” Maud stared at Pinkie, her expression blank. “D-Do you know what happened to T-Thorn?”
“Yes…” Maud said. “I overheard two Butlers while I was moving some rocks. They sounded scared, and the rocks were granite. ”
“T-The pony that did that to her, s-she’s waiting just outside the property,” Pinkie said, causing Maud’s eyes to rise about a tenth of an inch in surprise. “I-If I can create a big enough distraction, s-she and the rest of my friends can come in and c-capture Lady Obsidian. Then, t-they’ll judge her, and then y-you’ll all be free. I-I can teach everypony here to smile, and sing, and—”
“Pinkie,” Maud interrupted softly. “Ever since you left, things have gotten…worse. She has more Butlers, and all of them are harsher than the ones you knew. They even took Bolder.” Pinkie gasped in shock, recalling all the fun memories she had with Maud’s pet rock Bolder. 
Those…MONSTERS!
“Are you sure…this will work?” Maud asked. “That your friends will be able to do this?” 
Pinkie nodded. 
“I k-know it’s a long shot, b-but they took down Thorn. They, we, can do this. I-It’ll work. I-I just need to clear the way. C-Can you help me?”
Maud stood for a long moment, her expression not moving in the slightest. 
“As happy as I am to see you, and as excited as I can be,” she said at last, “I’m afraid I can’t help you with that, not this time. I no longer have access to the black powder.”
Pinkie sighed in disappointment. 
“…But I know somepony who can, and who has access to the black powder.”
“You do!?” Pinkie squealed quietly. Her mane poofed back into its normal shape, something that made her sister smile ever so slightly.
“Yes,” Maud said. “But it will take a few days for me to get in contact with him. He’s on the current mine shift, which will end in two days. Can you wait that long?” Pinkie nodded. “Good. Come back here in three days. I will have the pony I know meet you.” She gave Pinkie another squeeze.
“Thanks, Maud,” Pinkie said, “I promise when this is over, I’ll bake you the biggest cake you’ve ever seen.” Her sister just blinked slowly. “Also, what is this pony like? Can they sing? Or bake a triple layer chocolate cake? What about a triple layer vanilla cake? Are they a mare or a stallion? Oh, wait, you said he. Oops. Ignore that last question. What color are they? Do they like apples or pears?”
“He’s…just like you…” Maud said, smiling softly at Pinkie again. “But Pinkie, we should move somewhere more concealed. In case the Butler comes back. Follow me,” she said as she stood up. Pinkie nodded, also standing, before following Maud a bit further down the alley. After about thirty feet, the two came across a large wooden crate. Maud easily pried the lid off with her front hooves, allowing Pinkie to bounce into the thankfully-empty crate. Maud then tossed the lid into the air, leapt into the crate herself, and sat down just as the lid fell back into place. 
“There. Now we won’t be seen,” Maud said in the darkness before Pinkie felt her sister pull her back into a hug. “Can you tell me what happened after you left?”
“Yeparoony,” Pinkie said, smiling excitedly as she began to tell her sister her story. It took a few hours, and she would occasionally begin to ramble about random topics at times, but Maud sat with her through it all, listening to every detail, and simply enjoying the fact that she was holding her sister again after so many years. 
It might not seem that way to anypony watching them, but Pinkie could tell. The way Maud hugged her, the way her breathing would pick up slightly at the exciting parts of Pinkie’s story, the way Maud would gently pet her mane. All of it told Pinkie that her sister was just happy to see her again, even if the circumstances may not have been ideal. 
However, as the moon began to set, the two had to separate and head back to their respective shacks before they were noticed. Maud promised to come back to see Pinkie, to tell Pinkie about how the rest of their family was doing the next night. With one more goodbye hug, and with Maud returning Pinkie’s disguise gem, they parted and Pinkie dashed back to the cage in the house. 
Thankfully, the guard outside was still asleep, so Pinkie had no problem getting back in the way she had come. She climbed through the window, making sure to lock it again on her way in, and then proceeded to wiggle her way back into the cage after repeating her shrinking trick again.
And with nothing else to do until the guard came about, Pinkie decided to catch up on her sleep, and passed out only a few seconds later. 


Back in the cave…


“Uuuugh,” Twilight groaned as she stomped around in her own corner of the cave. “I swear, that mare is just as stubborn as Applejack,” she muttered. “She has a potentially world changing spell that just needs a little more work, and she ABSOLUTELY refuses to let me even take a look at the runes that make it up! Heck, she won’t even listen to my advice on how she might be able to improve it! I COULD try and recreate the invisibility runes from what I know of her illusion spell, but that could take weeks! Even WITH the illusion gem she made! And all it might take to improve the spell would be a simple magic flow regulation and redirection spell combined with a magnification spell and some runes to detect all magic types, as well as some extra storage crystals, and…” 
Spike, who was standing next to Flash and watching this all occur, just crossed his short arms and smirked. Chuckling, Flash stood on his back two hooves and did the same. Twilight immediately took notice and stopped in her tracks. “What?” 
“I seem to recall you were just as bad when you were working on new spells,” Spike said smugly. “And even worse at times.”
“Remember when she kicked us out of her little hidey-hole in the library and we had to get Lady Celestia to take down her wards?” Flash asked, prompting Twilight to turn pink. 
“I wasn’t THAT bad,” Twilight protested. As one, both Spike and Flash raised their left eyebrows, still smirking. Twilight just blushed harder. “But this is different!”
“How?” both males asked simultaneously, earning some unintelligible muttering from the purple alicorn. Their point proven, both of them dropped their smirks, mostly, and Flash returned to all four hooves. 
“It’s likely just a matter of pride,” Flash said, patting Twilight on the shoulder. “This IS her own unique invisibility spell, so I bet the idea of someone just coming in and improving everything she’s worked so hard on would fell a bit disheartening for her.”
“But I just want to HELP!”
“And she just doesn’t want it,” Spike said, “just like how you didn’t want Lady Celestia or Lady Luna to help you with your own unique spells until either you finished them, or they started exploding.”
“They never exploded…”
“That one did. Remember? It covered half the garden in chocolate pudding?” Flash said, smirking as Twilight blush deepened. He chuckled. “What was that spell for anyway?”
“I can’t even remember,” she said, giggling a bit herself. “I think I was trying to bake something for the Ladies, but it kept burning in the oven, so I tried magic.”
“They were happy, at least,” Spike said, chuckling. “Remember how they had an impromptu wrestling match and trooped back inside covered in pudding and beaming like they’d won awards or something?”
“The point is,” Flash said, bringing them back onto topic, “Trixie obviously worked hard on this spell, and the fact that her lady was sending her to Lady Obsidian means that she likely didn’t have a great education. And as such, this is likely the best work she has ever done. Having somepony else come in and outdo her so quickly would probably make her feel hurt, and given how you’re one of the best mages out there, she probably just thinks you might steal her spotlight.”
“I’m not THAT great,” Twilight said, looking away shyly at his praise. 
“You were chosen by the freaking Element of Magic,” Spike said, gesturing dramatically to her torc. “What does that tell you?”
“Just give Trixie time,” Flash said with an understanding smile. “I’m sure she’ll warm up to the idea of you two working together eventually.”


The next night…


Pinkie knew the Lady Obsidian’s property was boring. But she had been so distracted by her resurfacing memories the day before that she had actually failed to notice that somehow Lady Obsidian’s property was even MORE boring now than it was when Pinkie had left! Apparently there WAS a rule against talking while working, and even WHISTLING was banned. Seriously!? That was the ONE think ponies used to do back when she was a filly, and it was the only thing aside from talking and her party cannon that made this life barely tolerable! Now there was LITERALLY NOTHING!
Even the OVERSEERS looked bored for most of the day, only looking not bored when another overseer or Butler came over for a status update. Said updates usually led into some idle chatter, though the Butlers and overseers would always seem to be cautious while doing so. Maybe so they weren’t caught slacking off by Lady Obsidian. 
And it wasn’t just the overseers that looked relieved when a Butler showed up. Frankly, it looked like the other ponies enjoyed eavesdropping on the conversations too, if only because it was their sole form of entertainment between long periods of nothing but ROCKS. 
How in Equestria did things get so bad? 
Maybe Maud would know. 
Speaking of Maud, seeing her older sister the night before had helped drive off some of the bad memories that tried to invade her mind during the long, oh so very long day. However, now that she was remembering the great times she had shared with her sisters, she had to try and avoid breaking out into song instead of freezing up.
And THAT was in some ways HARDER! She hadn’t had a good song in DAYS!!! 
Thankfully, the day ended the same as the last, and even more thankfully, Lady Obsidian didn’t show up at the house that night. Pinkie didn’t know if she could handle another surprise visit like that. Her surprises were NEVER fun, just like her laughter used to send shivers down her spine…
Wait, had Lady Obsidian ever laughed? 
Yes, Pinkie remembered her laughing, but that was when she had been forced to eat the flower, so…
Eh, that wasn’t important right now.
ANYWAY, her day had started with her waking up, getting some carrots this time for breakfast before being led to the field to work again. Then she worked, got lunch at noon, and then worked until sunset. Then she got put back in the cage in the house, was given some potatoes, then went to sleep until it was time to meet Maud.
“And then I snuck out, came back here, saw you, said hi, then you asked me about my day, then I started by telling you how Lady Obsidian’s property was somehow even MORE boring now the—“
“I know Pinkie…You told me already,” Maud said, nodding ever so slowly. Pinkie blinked, then giggled slightly. 
“Oops, right sorry. Soooooo…How’s Marble?”
“Still shy…She works near our parents’ house at the edge of the village, and is mostly left alone.” 
“That’s good. How’s Limestone?”
“Still mad at everything. She butts heads with the Butlers, but she’s the best worker in the fields and mine, so Lady Obsidian doesn’t care so long as she works.”
“Same old Limestone. Glad to see they haven’t changed. How…How are Mom and Dad?”
Maud took about a five seconds before responding. “Ok. They were sad when you left…but were also happy that you managed to escape. They work too, but nothing really happens with them. Lady Obsidian was mad when you escaped, so they had it rough for a while…but they’re tough, like rocks. They managed, and Lady Obsidian left them alone after a few days…”
Pinkie could hear where her sister’s sentence was going before she finished it and it made her heart feel heavy in her chest.
“Were they…hurt?”
She almost didn’t want to hear the answer.
“Yes,” Maud said gently. “But they recovered. Unlike rocks. There were no scars, just bruises.” 
Pinkie felt tears welling in her eyes, but Maud moved forward and hugged her before they could fall. “I know that look. Don’t blame yourself…No buts,” she added, cutting off Pinkie’s protest before the disguised pony could open her mouth. “Lady Obsidian is to blame. Not you. And if you never left, you would have just kept on suffering. Mom and Dad wouldn't like that.”
“Y-You’re right,” Pinkie admitted, nodding in understanding. “How come you always know just what to say?” 
Maud shrugged very minorly. 
“I’m just good with ponies…”
“I think you would like Applejack.”
“But I’ve never had apple’s before…or alcohol,” Maud said. Pinkie giggled, which made Maud grin very slightly. 
“Oh, Maud, you old jokester,” Pinkie said between laughs, nuzzling her sister. Maud’s grin split into a smile as she returned the nuzzle.


The next day…


Working the fields for the third day was just as boring and long as the last two days. Pinkie’s mind still wandered to memories good and bad, enough that she would occasionally need to be brought back to reality by the shouts of an overseer, but when she listened on the random chatter from the overseers, she still learned NOTHING. The ONLY difference was that there were more Butlers moving around today, Pinkie couldn’t hear anypony say why. 
But they didn’t seem to pay the disguised Pinkie any mind, so she just kept working, waiting for the day to end. However, upon returning to the house and the cage, she received something she didn’t expect. 
After she was locked in the cage, Pinkie heard a soft creak. Turning to face the window, she noticed that there was a small piece of paper clamped there that hadn't been their a few seconds ago. After taking a few looks between the window and the door to her cabin, Pinkie quickly squeezed out of the cage and dashed to the window, removed the slip of paper with her mane, and reentered the cage again in under five seconds. It was still light out, so best not risk being seen outside the cage. After waiting a minute to make sure she wasn’t heard, she pulled the slip from her mane and opened it.

‘Dear Pinkie,
Don’t leave the house tonight. I don’t know what happened, but I overheard two Butlers talking about you today. I think somepony may be watching to see if you try and escape. When you leave tomorrow, be prepared not to come back. But still come. I promise my friend will be waiting. 
Maud’

Pinkie blinked a few times, reread the letter, then blinked some more in incomprehension. But then she shrugged and sighed. So she wouldn’t see Maud tonight. That was a bummer, but better that than for her to be captured. That, and sneaking out every night DID mean that she was a little sleep-deprived right now. Yawning, Pinkie pulled out an emergency cupcake from her mane, swallowed it along with the potatoes before lying down and falling asleep almost instantly.


That night…


Maud watched the entrance to the mine. It was illuminated with the orange glow of the torchlight and a light pink shimmer from the crystals as the last of the mine carts was pulled out for the day. The sun had just set, and the ponies of the mine were finally beginning to leave. Many of them had spend days down there, working and sleeping as the overseers saw fit. All looked tired, ready to just fall asleep as soon as they got home. 
Except one. 


The next night…


This last day had been…troublesome…
The trouble hadn’t involved Pinkie, thankfully, but that was a VERY minor comfort. Especially since Pinkie had seen Lady Obsidian no less than three times that day. Each time, she was flying overhead towards a different part of the property with a entourage of Butlers following her. Pinkie didn’t know what was happening, but even the overseers of the rock fields seemed to be on edge and that was enough to send shivers down her spine. 
Something was happening…but what?
Either way, it didn’t matter. She had to meet with Maud’s friend tonight, no matter what. If she didn’t, she would likely run out of time to create a distraction. 
And if that happened… 
No, she couldn’t think like that. 
Plus, there was also a chance that she might be able to stop…well, whatever was going on, before Lady Obsidian hurt some innocent ponies again. The idea of her forcing other ponies to eat that cursed flower was enough to give Pinkie the resolve she needed. 
Once the time had arrived, Pinkie gave one last look around the shack, before squeezing out of the cage and moving to the window. Peeking out in both directions, and above just to be sure, Pinkie quietly slipped out of the window and crept around the house. 
Her guard remained awake tonight. His expression was troubled, so whatever was happening must be going down tonight, since it was clearly keeping him from sleeping. 
Thankfully, a quick dash across the road when he was looking the other way was enough to get Pinkie into the nearby alley without him noticing. Gasping slightly, Pinkie began to move through the passage, sticking to the shadows and doing all in her power to be inconspicuous. The meeting point was just ahead.
“Halt!” a voice rang out, causing Pinkie to jump and spin around. From out of the shadows and from the roof above, four Butlers appeared, two on each side. The Butler who had shouted was a mare with a red mane and an orange coat. She did not look happy. “You had better have a very good reason as to why you’re out this late, miss,” her last word came out as a growl, causing Pinkie to gulp. 
“Off to steal more food, I presume?” a stallion with green mane and a light purple coat said harshly. 
“F-Food?” Pinkie asked, confused. 
“Don’t try and hide it!” the mare snapped, stomping a hoof angrily. “There’s been a series of food thefts over the last three days, all at night. And seeing as you just arrived on our property, the Lady suspected that you might be the perpetrator. The fact that you can actually escape the house is proof enough that you’re likely to blame!”
Darn it, they must have been waiting for her to try and make a move, probably by watching her from the nearby houses, just out of view. She had made a mistake…
But wait…
“B-But what about last night?” Pinkie asked nervously. “I n-never left the house.”
“Then you must have an accomplice,” the stallion said. “One who I’m sure we will find very soon. But right now, you’re coming with us to Lady Obsidian. I’m sure she’ll have a very special treat to satiate your hunger.” 
No!
NononononononoNONONONONO! PLEASE NO! 
THE TEARING, THE PAIN! SHE WOULD GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN! SHE COULDN’T! 
She had to run, hide, fly, SOMETHING! But she couldn’t move. She couldn’t MOVE! SHE COUL—
“Hey. Does anypony else hear that?” The green stallion asked, breaking Pinkie out of her panic attack. Lifting an ear, she listened. Sure enough, she heard a rather unusual noise.
‘Boing. Boing. Boing.’ 
Was it getting closer?
BOING!
Pinkie and the Butlers all blinked in confusion as the sound of boinging suddenly began to echo much more loudly through the alley. Then, from up above, a pony on a pogo stick fell to the ground, looped their front hooves around Pinkie’s barrel, and sprang back up into the sky. As they flew, Pinkie saw a handful of small colored ball drop into the alley and explode into a shower of streamers that quickly bound and gagged the flabbergasted Butlers where they stood. Their muffled cries vanished as Pinkie and her rescuer bounced away over the roofs of the village houses.
Pinkie should have been terrified of being caught, but she couldn’t help but giggle as they bobbed their way around the Butlers with surprising ease. At the edge of town, her rescuer pressed all their might against the pogo stick to send them flying out of the village and down into the large pit on the opposite side of Lady Obsidian’s mansion. As they fell, the pogo pony grabbed Pinkie again and deployed a makeshift parachute of bedsheets.
With some precision aiming, they two of them landed right at the entrance of the now currently deserted mine. Pinkie charged in with her rescuer on her back. Once inside, the unknown pony grabbed a hanging torch as they passed it and began to direct Pinkie by pulling on her ears gently to indicate which path to take through the winding labyrinth of tunnels. After a few minutes, they arrived at a dead end, much to Pinkie’s dismay. Her rescuer wasn’t deterred, however, and quickly leapt off her and punched a nearby rock, causing the upper half to slide inwards. The wall rumbled and slid open, revealing a hidden door! 
Was this pony a super spy!? Because if so, that would be AWESOME!
Once inside, the door quickly slid shut, leaving the two ponies in a large room full of glowing crystals of all shapes and colors. They lined the outer edges of the room, providing them with enough light to see everything. Now that they were safe, Pinkie focused on her rescuer. 
He was a stallion with an orange coat, a brown mane that was very curly like hers, green eyes, and a cutie mark of a grilled cheese sandwich broken down the middle and connected by melted cheese. He wore a yellow shirt, and was staring at her with a very hopeful look in his eye. 
“Pinkie?” he asked, his voice cracking with barely-contained excitement. Nodding, Pinkie reached into her mane and pulled out the disguise gem, causing her Trixie persona to quickly fade away. The stallion blinked, and then beamed. “It’s you… you don't know how many years I’ve been waiting to see you again. Oh, this is GREAT! When Maud told me you were here I…I nearly couldn’t believe it! But you ARE!”
“Ummm…Who are you?” Pinkie asked, a little lost at the moment.
“Oh, right. Introductions. My name is Cheese Sandwich, and I’m here to help!”
> Act 2: Chapter 18: I Don’t Think This Distraction is Big Enough…
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Mmmmmm…Cheesy…” Pinkie moaned in delight as she took another big bite of the grilled cheese sandwich the pony named Cheese Sandwich had cooked up for her. It turns out fleeing from Butlers in the middle of the night on a pogo stick and then running through the abandoned mines, while really REALLY exciting, also made you really REALLY hungry. 
As she ate, Pinkie took a better look around the super-secret-spy-base she was currently hiding in. Besides the glowing blue and purple crystals, most of the room was lined with a large number of shelves, labeled with brightly colored sticky notes that mentioned everything from streamers to flour to cookies to confetti to pineapples. 
Pinkie didn’t know HOW he got pineapples, or cookies, or that picture of a slice of cake on the wall, so she made a mental sticky note to ask him about it later. She could always use more sweet treats for her next party at the village! 
Speaking of parties, there was also a LOT of party supplies lying around the cave, including bunches of balloons, party horns, and a wide selection of rubber chickens.
There was even a door on the far wall that said ‘Caution: Super-Secret Construction Area. Hard Hats Required.’ Pinkie was SOOOOO tempted to see what was back there, but she had forgotten her hard hat back at the village. 
Oh well. 
That was ok, because Maud was right!
So far, it looks like Cheese Sandwich is the perfect pony to help me! Everything in here would be PERFECT for helping me create a party, and nothing says ‘LOOK! A DISTRACTION!’ like a GIANT PARTY! Nothing distracted ponies more than PARTIES! It might even be the greatest distraction in the history of distractions!
BRAAAAAAAA
Pinkie giggle-snorted as Cheese Sandwich reentered the room, carrying a trombone and smiling with more cheer than anypony else she had seen on the entire property. It was refreshing and made her all the more certain that Maud had found the perfect pony.
“Sooooo,” Cheese Sandwich said, tossing the trombone to the side so it landed perfectly on a nearby stack of streamers. “Maud said you needed my help. Something about an army, a distraction, Lady Obsidian being put in time-out, and something about rocks, thought I may have misheard that last part.” He smirked playfully as he raised an eyebrow and tried to place his head on his hoof, only to fall over as his elbow missed the table completely. 
Pinkie giggle-snorted again. She liked this stallion so far. “Yeah, I need to make a distraction so my friends can come in. Once they’re here, my alicorn friend Twilight, who USED to be a unicorn until she found the Element of Magic, can judge Lady Obsidian! If she’s found to be guilty, it will turn her into an earth pony and take away all of her magic! And given how much of a meanie-pants she is, I think it will work!”
“I certainly hope so,” Cheese said, sitting back up and shaking his head to clear it, “Especially after what she did to you…oh. Ummm…” He balked, then looked away guiltily. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up…”
“It’s ok,” Pinkie said, nodding. True, thinking about what had happened years ago did bother her a bit…ok, it bothered her IMMENSELY, but at the same time, it also served as her motivation to make sure she was successful. 
And she didn’t mind that Cheese brought it up.
Though she did have one question…
“How did you know what happened to me? Did Maud tell you? Or is it because you’re a super-spy, sneaking into the enemy’s layer to find top-secret plans and recruit allies to your cause of JUSTICE! OHOHOH! Was I on the list of potential recruits? Was I?!” Pinkie asked, bouncing up and down in her seat excitedly. She really hoped she could learn more about Cheese Sandwich, and that the answer wasn't just ‘Yes, Maud told me.’
That would be SOOOOOO anti-climatic.
“Actually, I know about it because of my cutie mark,” Cheese said, pointing to the grilled cheese sandwich displayed on his flank. 
“Huh?” Pinkie exclaimed, her eyes widening in confusion and excitement. She wasn’t expecting THAT as an answer! Was it story time?
“Oh, right, you probably don’t know. See, after that big Rainbow explosion—”
“Sonic Rainboom.”
“Yeah, that. Anyway, I was working in the fields when it went off, and when the shift ended, I saw you just…standing there. Your mane was all frizzy, and you had this almost magical glint in your eyes as you just stared up at the sky. You looked, well, really REALLY happy, probably the happiest I had ever seen anypony be in my entire life, so much so that I couldn’t help but smile when I saw you run off. In fact, I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of that night and into the next day.”
As he spoke, Cheese had this adorable grin on his face as he stared dreamily up at the ceiling. He even had this small blush in his cheeks, probably from remembering how amazing the Rainboom had been. 
Pinkie knew that feeling well.
“In fact, it wasn’t until three days later when I heard about what had happened to you, and when I saw what Lady Obsidian was doing to you out in the fields that…I became afraid again. Part of me wanted to go to you, to try and give you back the joy you had given me for those last few days, but…I was just too afraid. I still feel pretty bad about that, actually,” he said, looking away sadly.
“It’s ok,” Pinkie said, smiling sadly. “There was nothing you could have done, and knowing that I got someone else dragged into the same punishment as me would have hurt even more. Plus, you’re helping me now, and that’s all that matters.”
Cheese looked back at her, smiling a relieved smile before continuing. “It was hard to see you like that. But then I heard of your escape. Well…it’s more like my house was close to the old black powder store before it was blown up, and I could hear the explosion the second it happened. And then I could hear Lady Obsidian screaming at her Butlers for letting a pink pony escape. And seeing as you are the only pink pony on this positively pitiful property, I knew it was you.
“When I learned the details of your escape, it gave me hope again. It reignited that small spark of laughter you had given me, to the point where I had to run and run and run and RUN until I finally ended up in here without really knowing how. Then, despite being so out of breath I couldn't stand, I finally let the laughter out. I laughed and laughed until my sides hurt but I just couldn't stop. 
“And I loved every second of it.” Cheese said excitedly, causing Pinkie’s own smile to widen and her heart to flutter.
My escape gave him back his happiness!? That wonderful! And he managed to hold onto that spark for all these years too!? I had no idea I had such an effect on some ponies!
"Once I was done laughing more than I ever had in my entire life, I came to the realization that I couldn’t just keep this happiness for myself. So, just like how you spread your happiness to me, I made it my goal to try and spread my happiness to everypony I could.
“To start my quest, I broke into Lady Obsidian’s kitchen and stole some cheese and bread. Then, using a fire down here in my newly dubbed ‘Cave of Laughitude—’” Pinkie giggled at the name, then full-out laughed as he leapt up onto the table and pointed to the entire cave dramatically! 
Now THAT’S how you tell a story!  
“—I created my first ever grilled-cheese sandwich, which I then gave to my mom as a birthday present. 
“Seeing her smile so hard she was crying, seeing the joy it brought to my family and the way it made the world seem less grey, let me to realize that my one true purpose was to make other ponies smile, even if I had to do it from the shadows. I would be an agent of Laughter, bringing joy and giggles to ponies everywhere I was needed!” Cheese Sandwich exclaimed, leaping into the air, grabbing a bunch of streamers hanging from the ceiling, and using them to swing across the room. 
“And that, Pinkie Pie, was the moment I discovered my true calling, and my cutie mark appeared! All because of you!”
“REALLY!?” Pinkie exclaimed, appearing directly next to Cheese Sandwich on the streamers, causing them to rip and send the two of them careening into the pile of rubber chickens with a loud series of squeaks.	
“MES!” Cheese yelled excitedly as he popped out of the pile with one of the chickens stuck in his mouth. 
“REALLY REALLY!?” Pinkie squealed, her head popping up with no less than four chickens tangled in her mane. 
“ABSOLUTELY!” Cheese exclaimed as he spat out his chicken. “In fact, I was so grateful, I made you a surprise in case we should ever meet!”
“REALLY!? Wow, Maud really DID know the perfect pony to help me!” Pinkie cheered, exploding out of the pile and ponking all around the room. 
I get a super-tactic party partner AND a gift!? What could be better?!
“You bet she did!” Cheese proclaimed, ponking after the pink mare. “But the gift is a surprise, so I need you to wear this while I go get it.” He pulled out a yellow bandana. Pinkie stopped midair, thought for a few seconds, then nodded and fell back to the ground, perfectly placed for Cheese to tie the cloth around her eyes. 
“Now, no peeking…” he said playfully to the now-blinded Pinkie before she could hear him ponking away. 
Oh this is so exciting! Almost as exciting as throwing a birthday party for twins! Or triplets! Especially with triplets, where you get to sing Happy Birthday THREE TIMES! All in one day! And you can make cakes three times as big, and have three times as many gifts to give! OOHHH! And one of their gifts could be a series of matching necklaces! With keys on the end!
And it would be even better if it was a SURPRISE PARTY! Just like how I’M about to get a surprise!
DANG IT, CHEESE, HURRY UP! I CAN’T TAKE THE SUSPENSE!!!!
There were a few loud bangs, something that sounded like a xylophone mixed with a mariachi band, and then a loud creak. “Ok, you can look now.” 
Pinkie squealed, pulled off the blindfold, then felt her mouth drop open so far that her jaw hit the ground in complete defiance of physics.
There, right in front of her, was a cannon.
It had a light blue metal barrel, dark purple wheels with light pink rims around the outer edges encircling a six-petal yellow flower in each center, and a light pink cork in the back with a fuse ready to be lit. 
But this wasn’t just any old cannon. 
No. 
This was HER cannon! 
The Party Cannon: Mark II! 
She had designed it the second she had finished building the original party cannon, but she had never had the time, nor the materials, to make it. And yet…It looked perfect, just as she had always imagined it…how she had dreamed about it every night save for Tuesdays when she dreamed of it being made of vegetarian tacos...
It…It couldn’t be…
“How…” Pinkie whispered. “She…She burned the plans…right in front of me…”
“Not…quite,” Cheese Sandwich said, nervously shifting from hoof to hoof next to the cannon. “She…actually thought they were a weapon plan, so she made a copy of them and stored them in her house. I sometimes sneak in there to get food for ponies who are sick or hungry, or to see if I can find more items to turn into party supplies. She left the plans for this out on accident one night shortly after you left…so I took them.
“She DID increase security after that, and I heard a rumor from one of her maids that she tore the inside of her house apart looking for them, but it was worth it. I only found out later that she was actually trying to turn your party cannon plans into WEAPON plans when I stumbled across three half-finished cannons. They had similar dimensions to your party cannon, but they were still missing far too many parts to be operable.
She’s still trying to recreate them, but I mess with her prototypes whenever I can. By stealing the plans, I stopped her from turning your greatest invention, meant to bring smiles to everypony in Equestria, into some barbaric weapon of war. And I refused to let that effort go to waste. I refused to let her violate your dreams like that.
He…he was protecting my dream, Pinkie thought, unable to stop the happy tears that began to form in her eyes. He risked everything, even his own smile-spreading campaign, all to protect my dreams.
I…I can’t even think of how to thank him. What kind of gift do you get someone who spent years protecting your dreams?
“I had to downsize a bit…I think…But it still works! It can fire cakes, streamers, party hats, everything you mentioned in the plans! I-I don’t know if I got the colors right, and there is this thing where the cannon appears to be made of rubber when firing, but it works fine, I promise…
“Do you like it…?” 
He patted the cannon nervously, and the small ‘bong’ of hoof on metal finally jump-started Pinkie’s brain. 
There was only one response she could think of.
“I…I…I I I I I I LOVE IT!!!!” 
She tackled Cheese Sandwich faster then he could say ‘MEEP’ right back into the pile of rubber chickens. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!”
“I-um-that-yourwelcomeI’mgladyoulikeitwowitsgettinghotinhereandI’mgettingwarmIshouldopenawindoworventyesavent!” Cheese quickly cheered. He dashed over to the side of the cave, Pinkie still clinging to his side, pushed a button, and cool air began to flow down from a large shaft in the ceiling. 
Good thing too, because he was right, it WAS getting a little hot in the cave. Why else would her cheeks be so warm? Or her heart pumping so quickly and happily inside her chest? Or her mind filled with the urge to hug Cheesey and never ever EVER let go until the end of time itself?!
And it would be fine because we can then throw parties together and bake cakes and sandwiches and he’s so soft and…and why is my face getting warmer? Why can’t I let go of him? Why is HIS face all red now too!? Andandanda—
Wait! I still have to test the cannon! 
Bodily dragging Cheese over to the cannon, Pinkie gave the fuse a solid PULL! The cannon scrunched up, then exploded with a loud SQUEEEEE, sending a tablecloth, a few balloons, and a batch of cupcakes flying at the table. 
The tablecloth easily slid into place, never disrupting the plate with the half-eaten cheese sandwich or the glass of milk nearby. The balloons tied themselves around the corners of the table, and the cupcakes landed in the middle of the table, perfectly spaced on a brand-new pink plate. One cupcake landed in the center of Pinkie’s plate and another fell onto the other side of the table, right where Cheese had been sitting before his dramatic posing.
“It works perfectly!” Pinkie cried excitedly, her smile so big it made her cheeks hurt. She didn’t care! This. Was. AWESOME!!! She squeezed Cheese Sandwich in as great a hug as she could, making his eyes bug out for a second or so before she lessened her grip. “You’re the best, Cheese!”
“Thanks,” he said, chuckling and returning her hug with just as much gusto. “I’m so glad you like it!” His face bore a smile as large as hers and Pinkie could feel him bouncing slightly in her grip. His cheeks were turning red again. 
Her face was feeling hot again too. Boy, why was it still so hot in here? she thought. Well, Cheesy HAD just been making a grilled cheese sandwich, and I have been hugging him for a good three minutes now. CURSE YOU, MY MANE, FOR BEING SO WARM AND FLUFFY!
But at least now I have a way to attract the boarder guards AND call the resistance! All at the same time! 
“With this, I can definitely make the distraction I need!” Pinkie said, thinking of how she would set up the party. She would start with the cake, because what kind of party didn’t have cake? Then she would add cupcakes, candy, and churros. Then, once the food was out, she would add confetti, balloons, streamers, and noisemakers for everypony to help her make a distraction. Only, she didn’t know if noisemakers would be loud enough…
I need fireworks! 
“Do you have any fireworks?” Pinkie asked, looking at Cheese hopefully. She hadn’t seen any drawers labeled with fireworks, so she thought it better to ask then to start rummaging around in all his neatly arranged files. 
“I…did,” Cheese said, looking a bit nervous, “but they are all currently loaded into my…invention…”
“OHHHHHH! You’re an inventor too!? Can I see your invention? PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?” She gave him the best puppy-dog eyes she could, and just like her father, Cheese couldn’t bear the sight of her gazing into his SOUL!!! 
Or at least that’s what her dad had always said that gaze felt like.
“Sure…Sure. It’s just…” 
“Just what?” Pinkie asked. Why was Cheese acting so nervous?
“It’s not done yet…and I may have kinda sorta maybe most definitely used your plans and tried to improve on them without your permission…Sorry…”
“Oh, that’s fine,” Pinkie said with a wave of her hoof. “If it was to make ponies happy, then I don’t mind in the slightest. So can I see it? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?”
“Sure, I’d love for you to tell me how I did,” Cheese said with a smile before reaching into his mane. After rummaging around for a few seconds, he pulled out a bright pink hard-hat with a set of three balloons on the side and shoved it on Pinkie’s head before pulling out his own yellow one decorated with a grilled-cheese sandwich.
“Follow me,” he said, smiling as he expertly slipped out of Pinkie’s grip and walked towards the secret construction area door. Pinkie bounced in excitement, bounded over after him, and waited patiently as he knocked on the door in a very particular pattern and punched it. A handle popped out, which he then pulled. 
A nearby shelf lifted into the air, revealing a secret cave hidden behind it. 
Ok, now he’s just showing off with all his super-spy-stuff. Why can’t I have a super secret party cave fully of party supplies and hidden chambers? Maybe I will have time to make one once all the mean alicorns were gone. 
A mare can dream… 
Stepping into the new secret cave lit by yellow and pink gems, Pinkie gasped at the massive feat of engineering before her. 
It wasn’t just a party cannon – It was a party GOLIATH!
The impressive contraption was almost a story and a half tall, for pony’s sake! It was SO TALL that it had to move via a set of reinforced tank treads rather than silly old wheels! Though those treads DID look incomplete at the moment. The base itself was a red cylinder with amazing firework decals that looked SO REALISTIC, and the top half was half a blue sphere decorated with bright yellow stars on either side of where the MASSIVE barrel would go!
And the barrel was currently handing from a series of ropes and was SO MASSIVE in fact that Pinkie was sure that she, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Cheese could all be fired from it with no problems at all!
Actually, maybe they could use it to get to Canterlot when the time came! It would help them avoid the security. She made a mental note to bring that up later. 
For now, it was JUST. WHAT. SHE. NEEDED.	
“I still need to attach the barrel, and the wheels are still missing, but I planned to use this to blast Lady Obsidian all the way to Canterlot, or maybe even the moon!” Cheese said, stepping in after Pinkie and pulling a second lever, sealing the hidden workshop once again. “It was based off of your designs, and it SHOULD work, but I only have enough party supplies for one shot…Pinkie?”
“One shot is all we need…” Pinkie said, her mane frizzing out more than normal as a very maniacal smile worked it way onto her face. Oh, the possibilities. “Cheese, I have an idea. A wonderful idea. A partytastic WONDERFUL idea…” she said in a voice that was not quite her own.
“What?” Cheese asked, sounding a bit unsure and nervous. 
Pinkie pulled him close and pulled his ear down towards her mouth.
“Whisper whisper whisper…”
“Uh, Pinkie?” 
“Yes, Cheesy?” 
“Why did you just say ‘whisper whisper whisper’? DO you actually have a plan or…”
“Of course I have a plan, silly. But I can’t tell you it when the reader is still here! It would ruin the surprise!”
Cheese blinked, looked at the reader, and blushed. “Ohhhhhhhhhh, right. My bad.”
“It’s ok," Pinkie said with a more normal smile. “I forget about them all the time! And the author is no help in reminding me that they’re there. At ALL! I mean, have you SEEN his upload schedule?”
And then, without warning, a pie made of pudding, asparagus, potato chips, cashews, rolls, and pineapple slices appeared out of thin air and hit Pinkie in the face.
“HEY!”
Hay is for ponies.
Pinkie glared at the writer, who just chuckled at his bad pun before moving on to the time-skip.




Thirty-two hours later, just before sunrise…




“I’m starting to get worried,” Twilight muttered, pacing around back and fourth on the lookout above the cave they were still hiding in. “It’s been five days…” 
It was technically Flash’s turn to watch for Pinkie’s distraction, but Twilight had decided, once again, to ignore his advice for sleep and instead come out here early and started pacing. It was a bit distracting, actually.
Thought Flash did admit he was rather used to her pacing after all this time. Which, in this case, was good, as it meant he had experience in calming her down.
“I’m sure she’s fine, Twilight,” he said in the most reassuring tone he had. “Pinkie pulls off the impossible without even trying, so I’m confident that she will pull through. We just need to be patient.”
“But what if Lady Obsidian found her?” Twilight asked, a single strand of her mane springing out of place with a slight ‘boing.’ “It’s bad enough that we had to send her back there all alone, especially with what Lady Obsidian did to her! But just imagine what she might do if she were to find Pinkie again!!!”
“She won’t find her,” Flash said confidently, believing every word he said. “Remember, Pinkie once managed to squeeze herself into the sugar container back at the house. If she can do that, I’m certain that she will be able to evade Lady Obsidian even if she is discov—”
PPPEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
BOOOM! BOOOM BOOOM BOOM BOM BOM BOOM BOOM BOOOOM! BOOM BOM BOM BOM BOM BOOOM!
Flash immediately dove in front of Twilight out of pure reflex as she let out a startled cry. But when he actually saw what had made the explosions, he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or facehoof. 
Maybe both. 
Actually, no. 
DEFINITELY both. 
Rather than a threat or attack, the mass of explosions echoing across the barren wasteland were actually a huge amount of fireworks constantly exploding over top Lady Obsidian’s property. It almost reminded Flash of the fireworks displays back home on the annual holiday celebrating the defeat of The Cloud. 
Only, this display stood out way more, for the first firework that exploded here still hung in the air, spelling out the massive message for all to see with each letter being a different color of the rainbow.
“‘DISTRACTION’…” Flash read, smirking and shaking his head. They had told Pinkie to make one, but even he didn’t expect her to take their instructions QUITE so literally. “Hmmmm, think that’s the signal?” 
Twilight groaned behind him and somewhere down below, he heard Rainbow cackle like a loon.




Back at Lady Obsidian’s property…




The ponies under the care of Lady Obsidian were very, very confused. 
Or at least, Pinkie thought they were, going off of the looks on their faces. 
All of them were standing outside their homes, gasping as the mass of balloons, food, streamers, and fireworks that signaled the beginning of Pinkie’s and Cheese Sandwich’s biggest party ever. 
Many of them were also staring at what Pinkie had come to call ‘The Party Howitzer!’ Or the PARTY TANK MARK I if you wanted the ‘technical’ term. 
Either way, the main event was about to begin!
“What is going on here!?” a dark red earth pony Butler exclaimed, charging into the middle of the party. At least thirty more Butlers followed him, surrounding the other ponies, but there was no sign of Lady Obsidian yet. 
Which meant Cheese did it! He successfully managed to sneak into Lady Obsidian’s room unnoticed and cover her ears with earmuffs so she wouldn’t wake up! He really WAS a super-sneaky-spy pony! Sure, it might not last too long once a Butler went to wake her, but it should still buy Applejack and the others a few extra minutes to get onto the property. Until then, she just had to stall.
“YOU!” one of the Butlers yelled, his eyes widening as he caught sight of Pinkie. “You’re that mare that escaped!” 
“ME!” Pinkie yelled, ponking off of The Party Howitzer and landing perfectly in front of it and the Butlers. “Yes, it is I! Party Pony Pinkie Pie! Here to fight the frowns and throw the biggest party in the history of parties! At least for now…” She giggled, glancing back as Cheese began to drive The Party Howitzer away so it would be safe when Lady Obsidian showed up.
Its work was done.
“I didn’t know that WEAPON did all this,” the head Butler growled, his right eye twitching erratically as he pointed at the retreating tank. “But I swear that every little piece of this party will burn, and YOU will regret ever showing your face here.” 
With a stomp of his hooves, the Butlers began to advance, ignoring the party in favor of the party pony before them. All around, the ponies who had just begun to leave their houses now ducked back in, looks of fear crossing their faces as they retreated to watch from their windows. 
But Pinkie wasn’t going to come quietly. And she was not going to let everypony’s smiles be broken so easily. 
Not this time, nor ever again.
“LOOK! A SHAMELESS DISTRACTION!” she yelled in horror, standing on her back hooves and pointing in opposite directions with her front ones crossing in front of her chest. 
To the disgrace of Butlers everywhere, every single one of them looked.
Two of them, a mare and a stallion, even turned in opposite directions, clonked their heads, and fell over. 
It was enough to make many of the watching ponies, and especially Pinkie, start to chuckle at the age-old trick. 
The Butlers, realizing they had fallen for the silliest distraction in the entire book, turned back around in anger, only to have it replaced with fear as they came face to face with the bright blue barrel of the Party Cannon Mark II. 
“Made-ya-look,” Pinkie sing-songed, smiling maniacally at her victims before she pulled the fuse of the cannon.
SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEE!
The Butlers never stood a chance. 
With a powerful party explosion, all thirty of them were sent tumbling into the air. A good seven were bound in streamers mid-flight. The two ponies who bonked heads got tangled up so tightly together they were practically kissing. Another two were knocked unconscious by one too many party favors, while one sole pony got his head stuck in an empty barrel on the side of the road as he was thrown away. 
The leader and two others were buried under a massive cake and looked too dizzy to try and make their escape. Another Butler was now trapped backwards inside a hanging piñata and somehow one final Butler was now trapped in a balloon that was bobbing above one of the now decorated tables. 
Even Pinkie wasn’t sure how that last one happened.
Oh well. She threw a quick pin at the balloon, popping it before the poor pony ran out of air. 
Gazing proudly at her work, Pinkie nodded as she realized that she had disabled half of the Butlers, and the other half looked too confused/worn out/terrified of her party cannon to fight back, so mission two achieved: defeat the Butlers in town while waiting for the ones guarding the perimeter to show up so they left the borders undefended. 
Now for mission three: SPREAD THE SMILES!
“Come on, everypony!” Pinkie cheered, bouncing around excitedly. “I want to see you…SMILE!!!”
SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!! 
A few brave ponies emerged from their houses once again as more confetti rained down from the party cannon, only to be swept up by Pinkie almost instantly and carried/spun/tossed right into the middle of the mass of decorations. But they didn’t seem to mind at all. With all the food, colors, and positive energy Pinkie was trying SO HARD to give them, these few ponies were unable to resist her bubbly bouncy energy and threw caution to the wind! 
They were smiling, laughing, and a few even joined her in dragging their still-unsure friends right into the rapidly escalating party. Soon, Pinkie could feel her happiness and energy spreading through the crowd as smiles continued to grow, and all the stress left their postures. They stood tall, celebrated like there was no tomorrow, and even began bouncing around just like her! 
Do I have fans now? That would be SO COOL!
Some of the ponies went right for the food, others began to dance and bounce around excitedly as a few others grabbed instruments from inside their houses, and still more went, quite surprisingly to Pinkie, to drag the Butlers into the fun. 
AND SOME ACTUALLY JOINED IN!
Sure, some just stood there looking grumpy, or stomped for the food, frowning, but none of them tried to run away or go get backup. One of the Butlers even retreated back into what Pinkie assumed to be their house and came back with an old record player! 
NOW we’re talking! Looks like even the Butlers were sick of Lady Obsidian. Who knew? 
Oh look, the two Butlers that bonked heads are now untied and are dancing together. Awwww…how swee—OH SWEET FROSTING, THE STALLION JUST PROPOSED!!! 
Ohhhhh, I need to back them a HUUUUUUUUGE cake once Lady Obsidian is out of the picture!!!!!!
Speaking of Miss Frowny-Corn, Pinkie knew they likely only had a few minutes before she was woken up, even with most of the Butlers distracted here. She needed to prepare the next stage of her plan while she waited for backup. She refused to let Lady Obsidian destroy this party on her watch!
If she WAS wearing a watch, at least. Maybe Lady Obsidian had one she could steal once they won. Hopefully she could find a pink one with—
No, focus Pinkie. FOOOOOCCCCUUUSSSSSS!!!
OHHH, SOMETHING FLOATY! 
NO! Bad brain! We can chase the floaty thing when we’re done with the pre-party entertainment.
Hopefully Lady Obsidian wouldn’t wake up until her family arrived so Pinkie could show them just how you mess with an alicorn! 




Five minutes and forty-seven seconds later…




“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?” Lady Obsidian yelled, causing the needle on the nearby record player to screech loudly as she landed heavily outside the range of the party. 
Ok, the earmuffs lasted longer than planned, but had still lasted not nearly long enough. Pinkie knew she should have had Cheese use Wonder Glue, then maybe she would have remained asleep FOREVER! But she didn’t, and she was here. Already Pinkie could see the cheer and joy begin to flow out of the nearby ponies as some cowered in terror.
In truth, there was still a part of Pinkie that wanted to do that as well, or maybe even 
curl up and go hide in a salt shaker somewhere she couldn’t be found. Sure, she felt confident, in her element, even, when she set up the party and got the other ponies to smile and laugh for perhaps the first time in their lives, but…
It’s not like she COULDN’T mess with Lady Obsidian long enough for her backup to arrive, but now that she was actually SEEING her rather than just picturing burying her former master in three tiers of cake, she was terrified.
But she couldn’t give up. She had come too far to stop now. All the ponies here at the party were FINALLY living their lives the way they should, free of fear and oppression, and she refused to let all this happiness disappear! No matter how badly her legs were trembling! 
She saw Cheese Sandwich waving excitedly from on top of Lady Obsidian’s house. Despite the alicorn’s appearance, Cheese was still smiling, and gave he a big wink as he pulled out a few pies from his mane. Stage four: TORMENT THE MEANY-CORN! was ready, and Pinkie just needed to play her part. 
The sight of him so sure of himself helped push Pinkie’s energy into overdrive. Her backup was coming, and no matter how afr—errr, no matter how utterly HORRIFIED she was, she had to keep the distraction going. Everypony here and in the resistance was counting on her! 
I can do this!
Lady Obsidian was glaring so hard Pinkie thought her face might freeze like that as she stalked forward. A few new Butlers flanked her, but none of the ones in the crowd moved to rejoin her. Yet despite the pure hatred in her eyes, no pony, not even the most terrified ones, ran away.
That only served to inspire Pinkie more. 
“We’re throwing a party!” Pinkie exclaimed with as much cheer as she could muster, leaping onto a nearby table dramatically. “One designed to fight off your evil frowns, Miss Frowny-Corn!” 
Pinkie was, thankfully, able to hold her pose without shaking or trembling even as the brunt of Lady Obsidian’s hate-filled gaze was directed towards her. Though that was only because seeing Cheese Sandwich squealing silently yet excitedly on the roof gave her the DETERMINATION to carry on!
“You…” Lady Obsidian hissed, her eyes narrowing even further than usual. “How DARE you show your face here after all the trouble you caused! How did you get past my Butlers, you little runaway? Here to BLOW UP more of my property!?” 
Pinkie took a deep yet quick breath to calm herself as Lady Obsidian advanced on her.
I can do this. I can do this.
“Hey, don’t blame me. YOU’RE the one who let me in,” Pinkie said, smiling as she tossed the disguise gem out of her tail and caught it in her hoof, allowing her to once again take on the appearance of The Great and Powerful Trixie! 
Now if only she could summon fireworks from her horn...
“WHAT!?” Obsidian cried in shock, her eyes widening and darting between the gem and the now-disguised Pinkie Pie. Her mouth flopped uselessly for a few seconds. As she continued to stare, her Butlers who had been guarding the perimeter began to land around her and on the nearby roofs. 
Good, the distraction is working. It wouldn’t be long now. Just a few more minutes.
I can do this. 
“How did you do that!? What is that thing!?” Lady Obsidian finally cried, thrusting a hoof at the gem.
“Sorry, only super-spies of Rank: Cheeseball can find out.” Pinkie stuck her tongue out teasingly as she tossed the orb back into her tail, causing the disguise to vanish once again. Lady Obsidian’s right eye began to twitch, and even her Butlers took a step back away from her, fear all over their faces.
I-I can do this…Don’t show any fear.
“YOU DARE MOCK ME, YO—SPLECH!” 
Lady Obsidian’s rant was cut hilariously short when a blueberry pie hit her straight in the face. Everypony, even the Butlers, tried to hold back surprised laughter, their cheeks puffing out as they snickered uncontrollably.
Nice shot, Cheesy! I needed that little confidence boost!
With a flash of dark purple magic, Lady Obsidian immediately wiped away the remains of the pie and flung them to the side almost violently. Or MOST of the remains. She still had this purple spot in the middle of her forehead, and a small bit of crust stuck to her ear. 
I don’t think she noticed, heheheheh.
Lady Obsidian was now grounding her teeth together in pure anger, yet that actually made Pinkie feel more confident. Just like Thorn during her battle with Twilight, Lady Obsidian would become sloppy if she was angry, just like she did when Pinkie was a filly. All she had to do was keep her cool and stay focused. 
I CAN do this!
Pinkie and Cheesy weren't done yet! It was time for a classic!
“WHO THREW THAT!? I SWEAR THE WHEN I FIN—”
“Ombole bombole bo,” Pinkie interrupted, grinning like a loon as Lady Obsidian blinked in confusion. 
Oooooooo, this is gonna be SOOOO good!
“Silence, you worm, bef—”
“Bolemb omble bo.”
“I said SHUT UP, you—”
“Bobole bolem bom.”
“EERRGGGG! I DEMAND YOU KEEP QUI—”
“Obole bombele bob.”
“SHUT—”
“Bobele bo.”
“UP—”
“Ombole.”
EHEHHEHEHE! This is too much fun!
“SHUT UP, YOU BIT—SPLECH!” 
Another pie hit Lady Obsidian in the face mid-rant, strawberry this time, prompting a bit of laughter to erupt from the crowd.
Wow. Pinkie didn’t think the alicorn’s face could possibly get any more red. 
Or was that just the strawberries? It was hard to te—
EEP!!!
Lady Obsidian fired a beam of magic right at Pinkie, forcing her to leap off the table just in time to avoid it exploding under her. Many of the other ponies backed away in fear, even the still-loyal Butlers. Yet still no pony retreated into the safety of their homes.
“ENOUGH OF THIS!” Lady Obsidian yelled, her mane flashing red as a streak of flame ran down its flowing length. Her eyes roamed the crowd, pure unadulterated hatred washing over all of them. “YOU THINK THIS IS JUST SOME SORT OF GAME!?!?!? I AM YOUR MAST—SPLECH!” 
Now a peach pie exploded on Lady Obsidian’s face, prompting even more laughter from the crowd.
If she didn’t have to keep his location a secret, Pinkie would blow Cheese a kiss.
The remains of the dessert burst into flames, filling the air with the smell of scorched sugar as the smoke twisted around Lady Obsidian’s snarling face.
“I AM YOUR MASTER!!! AND I WILL BE TREATED AS SUCH! I WILL NOT BE MOCKED, AND I REFUSE TO LET THIS POINTLESS WASTE OF RESOURCES CONTINUE FOR ONE SECOND LONGER—SPLECH!!!” 
And that was pie number 4. Cheese was out of ammo!
She couldn’t delay any longer. 
It was time for Pinkie to stand strong.
“It is NOT a waste,” she shouted back.
Lady Obsidian shot her a burning glare, but Pinkie had found the courage to meet it and return it just by looking at the faces of the crowd.	
NO PONY stood up to Lady Obsidian, let alone threw PIES at her! Yet Pinkie was doing just that, and even now was refusing to back down in the face of a raging alicorn. Everyone was watching her, looks of pure wonder on their faces as she did what they thought was impossible. 
And it was those looks of wonder and hope that gave Pinkie the confidence to carry on no matter what!
“Happiness and laughter are the only things that makes this kind of life bearable. You think it’s pointless, but for US it makes our lives worth living! Those ponies under the Carvilious flowers are basically ZOMBIES! You have no right to force any pony to eat those in the first place!” Pinkie cried, earning a few cheers from the ponies in the crowd.
“I have EVERY RIGHT!” Lady Obsidian boomed. She reached out with her magic to try and grab Pinkie, but a trombone slide flew out from between two houses and smashed her horn. Her magic disrupted with burst of dark red energy and she growled in pain, but she never broke eye contact with Pinkie. “MY happiness is the only thing that matters on MY land! So if I say you little peasants shouldn’t be happy, YOU DON’T GET TO BE HAPPY!”
“That is NOT how happiness works!” Pinkie yelled, dodging another magic blast and retaliating with a cupcake. The pastry caught Lady Obsidian right in the eye, causing her to flinch back and work to remove the frosting. “You can’t DEMAND someone not be happy, or that someone not LAUGH! Laughter is only real laughter if it’s shared! You’re just a greedy hoarder, trying to keep all the happiness for yourself! You don’t even let your Butlers be happy!”
“OF COURSE I DON’T! Happiness, laughter, pathetic parties like these, they’re all just DISTRACTIONS! Their only concern should be following MY WILL! MY LAWS!” Lady Obsidian roared, lifting a nearby set of tables and trying to smash Pinkie between them. Pinkie nimbly leapt over and bucked them, sending them flying back at Lady Obsidian. However, the alicorn merely side-stepped them, not even bothering to cancel her levitation as they nearly collided with two of her own Butlers.
Actually, now that Pinkie was able to get a quick look at the Butlers, none of them seemed to be very comfortable right now. In fact, many of them looked as if they were…reluctant to fight? Normally Butlers would be jumping in right about now to help their Lady, but they were just…standing there, shifting uncomfortably.
Actually, that is probably a good thing as I didn’t think I would be able to fight them AND Lady Obsidian at the same time. And if they are still unwilling to fight when the rest of the resistance arrives, taking down Obsidian will certainly be much easier! Muc—
AH! MAGIC! DEFLECTIVE PLATE ACTIVATE! Pinkie screamed in her mind, having been so distracted by her Butler-analysis that she nearly missed the next attack! Thankfully, she had a metal serving dish in her mane, one that was able to deflect the magic beam right back into Lady Obsidian’s chest.
The alicorn merely grunted in pain before growling.
“Your LAAAAWWWSSS are stupid! And you’re just a grump old meany-corn!” Pinkie yelled, throwing another cupcake that landed perfectly on the end of Lady Obsidian’s horn.
“And what do YOU plan to do about it!? Kill me with streamers and cupcakes? Or maybe some useless balloons?” Lady Obsidian snarked, releasing a bone-chilling laugh.
One that sent shivers down Pinkie’s spine as the world came to a grinding halt. 
That laugh. The one that haunted her nightmares. The one that represented all of the pain and suffering the Carvillious flower had inflicted on her. Horror and destruction given physical form. 
It was the antithesis of everything, every bit of true joyful laughter, that Pinkie stood for.
It made her feel small, helpless, powerless as Lady Obsidian towered over her, that laugh echoing as her very soul was torn apart by the flower she had been forced to eat over, and over, and over, an—
SQUEAK!!!!
From a nearby house, a rubber chicken sped out at super-sonic speeds to violently smack Lady Obsidian across the face shattering the spell as Pinkie couldn’t help but snort in laughter.
Cheese, you’ve done it again. I am SOOOOOOO going to going to make you the BESTEST MOST AMAZING grilled cheese sandwich of your LIFE when this is done!
Pinkie could feel her spirits soar once again as the dark memories were shattered by the laughter he had given her. Lady Obsidian’s laughter wasn’t real laughter. REAL laughter was meant to be shared, to be given freely to everyone, not used as a weapon to haunt those beneath you. 
That's it. No more miss nice party pony! Pinkie thought, making a quick and complex series of hoof motions to signal Cheese that it was time to stop holding back!
“I don’t need party supplies! I have SPEARS!” Pinkie yelled, striking a heroic pose on her hind legs as she finished her signal, pulling a glowing blue spear out of her mane and throwing it at Lady Obsidian. The alicorn dodged, and the spear imbedded itself in a nearby wall.
“I’M…out of spears…” Pinkie said dejectedly, slumping over, still on her hind hooves, as two exaggerated trails of fake tears streamed down her face.
“You only brought the one?!” someone in the crowd shouted. 
“Of COURSE I only had one!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Do you know how much lapis lazuli it takes to make a magic blue spear with plus three durability, plus two damage, AND armor piercing?” She dropped her voice down to a murmur. “Frankly, I have no idea how Undyne can afford so many.” 
She swore she could hear a chuckle from the talking skeleton three universes over.
“Is that really ALL you can do?” Lady Obsidian asked, smirking intimidatingly. Yet Pinkie wasn’t intimidated, not anymore. Her laughter was stronger than Lady Obsidian’s terror, and nothing Lady Obsidian did would change. 
And plus, Lady Obsidian had been so focused on Pinkie that she had failed to notice the danger lurking right next to her. 
“On my own, yes,” Pinkie said, her mane going completely straight as pulled on all the pain Lady Obsidian had inflicted on her. It was still there, deep inside her, and it wanted REVENGE! 
Revenge that was about to be delivered.
Gone was her cheery smile, replaced with the expression of somepony ready for a little payback, with a bit of eye twitching thrown in for extra effect. She was smiling as creepily as she could. It made even Lady Obsidian pause and back up a step. 
Perfect.
“But I’m NOT alone, right, Cheesy!?” Pinkie cried as her mane exploded back to life.
“You better believe it!” 
Lady Obsidian’s head whipped around. Her eyes widened in shock and her words died in her throat as she came face-to-face with the bright blue barrel of the Party Cannon Mark II. She had no time to react as Cheese joyfully pulled the fuse. 
BOOOOIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG!!!!
Rather than party supplies, a massive spring with a red boxing glove the size of Lady Obsidian exploded out of the cannon, catching Lady Obsidian right in the jaw and causing her to go flying right through the wall of the nearest house. 
Much to the delight of the crowd, who cheered excitedly. 
Now THAT had to hurt. 
Apparently not enough, though.
With a wordless cry, Lady Obsidian exploded out of the roof of the house before chucking a PIANO!? at Cheese Sandwich. He dodged, just barely, and ducked to safety inside the nearest house with the party cannon in tow.
CHEESY! BE CAREFUL! 
And why the heck is there a PIANO!?
No time to question it!
Good call, brain! Now is the time to FIGH—
Pinkie rolled to the side just in time to avoid a beam of magic from above. Thankfully, Cheese had her back and fired off another round of the cannon, this time launching a series of peanut-butter-inspired desserts that distracted Lady Obsidian long enough for Pinkie to dive to cover. 
Ok, this isn’t going to work, Pinkie thought, her mind working overtime as she pulled out a small mirror from her mane and used it to look outside, just in time to see the nearby house get violently split in half by a beam of magic. Thankfully, Cheese managed to get out just in time. Unfortunately, Lady Obsidian was flying so high now that any attack from the cannon would be seen before it even got close to her. 
We can't fight her like this! Lady Obsidian is too dangerous in the air, and we don't have any pegesi! Pinkie thought. She looked around in a panic, wincing as another blast shook the ground around her. Even the villagers who had been brave enough to watch from a good five houses away looked only seconds from retreating completely.
But then Pinkie saw her spear, still imbedded in the wall.  
Ohhhh, IDEA!!!
	Pinkie rapidly reached into her mane as she leapt for her spear, jumping over debris and running along a nearby wall to dodge another magic blast. At the same time she reached the spear, she managed to pull out another one of Cheese’s prototypes. With one last high jump, Pinkie landed on the shaft of her spear, which bent like it was made of rubber before springing back to position, sending Pinkie flying into the sky so she could throw her newest weapon.
The BUBBLE GUM BATTER BOMB!!!!
Just as she began to ascend, another explosion from her party cannon got lucky and hit Lady Obsidian with a massive amount of confetti. The alicorn was knocked from the air, her wings unable to recover enough before Pinkie was in range. Pinkie tossed the bomb up, caught it in her tail as she spun head-over-tail, and fired just as she reached the tip of her arc.
KERSPLAT!!!
With an explosion of pink goop, Lady Obsidian was knocked from the sky as the bubble gum batter bound her in a big sticky blob! 
Unfortunately, Pinkie had underestimated the size of the blast, and her back hooves had been caught in the bombs splash damage, binding her hind legs together.
And to the ground as she landed.
Uh-oh.
At least she faired better than Lady Obsidian, who crashed to the ground like a meteorite and smashed another one of the nearby houses. Though the dust had barely begun to settle before there was a flash of teleportation and she was back in there middle of the road, her eyes glowing white as her mane caught on fire. Not even the chair stuck to her back, the plate on her leg, or the pillow on her flank could make her any less terrifying.
OhdearohdearohdearOHDEARDANGITLEGSGETFREEGETFREEGETFREEGEFREE—
“YOU! WILL! DIEEEE!” Lady Obsidian roared, grabbing a chunk of stone wall of a nearby house and throwing it right at Pinkie.
“Look out!” Cheese yelled in horror, trying to get to Pinkie. 
But he was too far away to make it in time. 
The only thing Pinkie could do was close her eyes and protect her head, bracing for the impact of solid stone.
But then a bright flash of light exploded outside her eyelids and she was swept off her hooves, the bubblegum unsticking from the ground by the sheer force of…whatever had lifted her up up and away. 
“YIPE!” Pinkie cried as her mystery savior hit the ground, launching her into the air. She curled up into a ball as tightly as she could, still not opening her eyes and protecting her head as she landed back in whatever had hit her. 
Her savior was…smooth. So smooth that she couldn't stop herself from rolling around and around and AROUND along its smooth tilted surfaces until she came to a stop right in the middle of…the object.
And then, all was quiet.
Opening her right eye to take a peek, Pinkie saw…pink? But not her pink? Why was there a lot of pink that wasn’t her pink? At least the bubblegum that still bound her back legs didn’t seem to stick to this thing, letting her pull herself to the edge of the object to see… 
A teacup? 
Why was she sitting in a giant pink teacup with a dark purple swirling design? What happened to the wall!? Did someone replace a wall with a teacup? 
Is it even POSSIBLE to do that?!
It couldn’t have been Lady Obsidian, who was staring at the teacup like it was the strangest thing she had ever seen and who was no longer on fire for some reason. And it couldn’t have been any of the townspeople, as they looked almost as aghast as Lady Obsidian. So wh—
“T-The great…and powerful, TRIXIE—!” 
An exhausted but excited battle cry sounded from the edge of the main town road, and every single pony turned around just in time to see the REAL Trixie pose dramatically and then fall unconscious with a loud THUMP! 
OOOHHHHHH! Trixie could randomly turn things into teacups? That is AWESOME! That’s what she did, right? I’m SURE that’s what she did. I need to make sure she is available next time I needed to plan a tea party!
But that wasn’t all. Running up beside Trixie was Twilight wearing her cloak to hide her wings, Spike, Flash, Applejack, and the rest of their army! Up above, Rainbow gave a speedy pass, forcing the Butlers still in the air to land on the nearby roofs. And more resistance ponies were pouring out from between all the houses, and even MORE were coming around behind Lady Obsidian to cut her off.
So THAT’S what was taking them so long! They were SURROUNDING Miss Meanie-Corn! And no pony even noticed! Boy, I must be better at distractions than I thought!
“Attention, Lady Obsidian,” Twilight began, her horn and throat glowing as her amplified voice echoed across the village. “We have your entire property surrounded, and outnumber your Butlers three to one at the least. Surrender and face your judgement!” Her cloak flapped epicly in a sudden burst of wind, but not enough to show her wings.
“Or do it the hard way!” Rainbow yelled down. “Please do it the hard way! I haven’t kicked an evil alicorn in the face in weeks!”
“RAINBOW DASH!” Fluttershy yelled, glaring at the hovering pegasus.
“What? She’s a JERK! You heard what she did to Pinkie!”
“That is no excuse for violence! Right, Pinkie?”
“Welllllllll, I DID already humiliate her, tease her, hit her with four pies, a bubblegum bomb, a trombone slide, and a giant boxing glove—”
“Don’t forget the rubber chicken!” Cheese Sandwich called out, emerging beside Pinkie’s teacup with the party cannon.”
“Oh yeah! Thanks, Cheesy! Anyway, point is, I’m good on revenge I think, so I don’t mind surrende—EEEP!” 
Lady Obsidian’s magic yanked Pinkie from the teacup before anypony could react. Cheese saw it a second too late and tried to jump for Pinkie, but he was too slow.
And the magic was only grabbing her head.
PAINFULLY!!!
“I WILL NOT surrender,” Lady Obsidian hissed, her mane catching fire again as Pinkie squirmed in pain. “And if anypony so much as MOVES the wrong way, I WILL POP THIS MARE’S HEAD LIKE A GRAPE!” 
“ENGNGN,” Pinkie cried, the pressure intensifying on her head to the point where she couldn’t speak, from pain or the inability to move her mouth, she didn’t know.
“I will not be captured by a bunch of insignificant fleas that think they are above their MASTERS!” Lady Obsidian ranted, her magic surging around Pinkie’s head even more, to the point where her ears were pushed so far into her head she couldn’t even make out what was being said.
Pinkie clenched her eyes shut, light flashing beneath her eyelids as the pain just continued to increase. It felt like her head was going to burst, so much so that Pinkie wished she could pass out to escape the pain. She couldn’t even feel the rest of her body, all of her mental abilities being taken up by the pain around he—
SNAP!
The pain and pressure vanished in an instant. Pinkie gasped and breathed a huge sigh of pure relief even as she landed flat on her back. 
But what had saved her?
Pinkie opened her eyes, just in time to see a small rock land on the very tip of her nose, the very same, VERY FAMILIAR rock that had created a massive crack spanning the entirety of Lady Obsidians horn.
“BOULDER!?” Pinkie cried, staring at the rock she just KNEW was hugging her nose. Only one pony could order Boulder around like that, which meant…
Maud had finally arrived from the mines. 
And she did NOT look happy. 
Moving like Rainbow Dash but on land, Maud shoulder-checked Lady Obsidian, sending her sprawling across the ground and causing her to pick up even more items in the bubblegum still clinging to her, including a yellow balloon and blue balloon. 
Yet she didn’t stick to the ground like Pinkie did. The force of Maud’s hit had sent her flying with FAR more force than the gum could withstand.
Everypony else just watched in shock or jumped out of the way of the tumbling alicorn. By the time Lady Obsidian came to a stop, Maud was already moving again.
Stumbling back to her hooves, Lady Obsidian tried to slow down the sprinting earth pony by grabbing the contents of one of the smashed houses and throwing them at Maud. However, Maud simply struck out with her right hoof, sending the objects, one of which was an ANVIL!?!?, straight into the sky. 
Shocked, Lady Obsidian had no time to react as Maud came to a halt, jumped up so she was just at Lady Obsidian’s face, and spoke. 
“Die one thousand deaths,” Maud said in her normal monotone voice, before she STRUCK!
WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK
Maud punched Lady Obsidian for upwards of two and a half minutes as she hovered in mid-air, and it was the most impossible yet the most EPIC and well-deserved beatdown in HISTORY!
WHACK! 
THUMP! 
CRASH!!!
Then, seemingly satisfied, Maud delivered a driving uppercut while calmly shouting ‘shoryuken’ and driving Lady Obsidian onto her hind legs. Then, to finish it off, Maud deliver a mid-air buck right to Lady Obsidian’s chest, sending her careening across the road and through the nearby stone wall so that only her hind hooves were sticking out comically. 
And given how no pony, not even Lady Obsidian, moved for at least a minute, it was safe for Pinkie to assume that the alicorn was down for the count. 
Maud, on the other hoof, merely blinked slowly, before looking towards Pinkie.
“Boulder, what have I told you about sugar?” she said, almost sounding tired. Blinking, Pinkie looked down to see that the bubblegum binding her hooves was gone, replaced instead with an ever so slightly larger Boulder sitting on her legs. 
“Awwww…I was gonna eat that,” Pinkie complained.
Maud gave her a disapproving look.
“WHAT THE HAY WAS THAT!?” Rainbow cried, throwing her fore-hooves out in a wild gesture at Maud. 
“No pony hurts Pinkie,” Maud said, her voice betraying no emotion whatsoever as she blinked slowly. “Also, hi. I’m Maud.”	
“YOU’RE Maud?” 
“Yes.”
“Pinkie’s sister?” 
“Yes. And yes, Pinkie and I are rather different,” Maud said. “And I have been waiting to do that ever since she made Pinkie eat the Carvilious flowers. I must say, the wait was worth it.” She smiled ever so slightly. 
“I think you MAAAAYYYY have hit her a few too many times though,” Pinkie said, ponking over to her sister with Boulder bouncing on top of her head happily. 
“Really? I thought it was the perfect number of times,” Maud said, blinking very, very slowly.
“Uhhhh…” Rainbow said. 
“I think what Rainbow Dash means to say is that we thought you might be more like Pinkie,” Flash said, walking up as the rest of the resistance began to enter the town. As they moved in, Pinkie saw the Butlers slowly begin to surrender their weapons without a fight. Either they knew that there was no winning anymore, or Lady Obsidian had officially broken their loyalty to her with her little rant earlier. Pinkie couldn’t tell.
Either way, some of the resistance actually seemed surprised by the lack of resistance. Especially Applejack.
“Definitely didn’t expect this,” Spike said from atop Flash’s back, watching the Butlers surrender. “And here I thought I’d get to help in the battle,” he complained, only to be shushed by an unamused Twilight. 
“It is a little surprising,” Fluttershy said, walking up with the still unconscious Trixie draped over her back with Rarity assisting with a bit of levitation. “Also, is there a bed somewhere for our friend here? I’d like to get her comfortable while she recovers. Also, Pinkie, you need to let me look at you when I’m done, just in case.”
“That house over there should have a bed,” Maud said, pointing towards a house three doors down that managed to not be one destroyed. “And I can look after Trixie once you have examined her,” she said, her eyes lingering on said blue mare for a moment before turning away to look at Twilight. “You must be the nice alicorn.”
“Huh? H-How?” Twilight stuttered. Her wings flapped unconsciously under her cloak, catching the attention for quite a few of the villagers as they began to return to the battle site. She just managed to calm down her wings before her cloak blew off.
“Pinkie told me. And I saw a feather fall out from your cloak when you were talking,” Maud said matter-of-factly, before smiling. “Pinkie also said you could turn Lady Obsidian into an earth pony.” 
THAT made quite a few villagers and Butlers begin to whisper among themselves, some of them quite excitedly. 
“Ermm, yes,” Twilight said, nodding. “I’ll just…go get Lady Obsidian.”
“Here comes the best part!” Pinkie squealed, throwing her hooves around the two Butlers who were now engaged. Twilight’s horn lit up and her magic surrounded Lady Obsidian, pulling her until she was free of her wall. 
The Element of Magic began to glow.
A slight breeze kicked up, making Twilight’s cloak spread and flap. Her eyes glowed purple as the power began to surround her.
Awaken. Magi said through Twilight’s mouth.
A bolt of magic lanced out and struck the still unconscious Lady Obsidian in the head, prompting her to gasp and jerk in the levitational field Magi held her in.
“What!? RELEASE ME, YO—” she cried in shock, only for her mouth to vanish in a pop of magic. 
Wow, this was the first time Pinkie had ever seen Lady Obsidian look genuinely terrified. 
You do not command me, child, Magi spoke, her voice echoing around the town. I am not some simple artifact or pony for you to bully. I am the Element of Magic, and the time has come for you to face your judgement. Do not resist, as you will only increase your pain. 
Just like Thorn’s judgment, tendrils of energy came flowing out of the Element of Magic. Four bound each of Lady Obsidian’s flailing legs and the last two sunk directly into the alicorn’s skull. Lady Obsidian fought and struggled, but she was helpless against her bonds.
A verdict has been reached, Magi said a moment later. You are found to be…
GUILTY
The magic turned bright red. The ponies native to Lady Obsidian’s property gasped, watching in fascination as the magic began to drain out of Lady Obsidian, flowing into the glass orb set on Twilight’s now outstretched hoof. 
“Ooooh, magicy,” Cheese Sandwich said, tilting his head in interest. 
You are one of the WORST that the alicorns have to offer, Magi said, ignoring the pained look on Obsidian’s face as she silently screamed. You only care for yourself, for fulfilling you own desires. You eradicate the happiness from others, judging yourself as the only one worthy of such joy. You crush dreams for fun, and are a stain on this world in every sense of the word. 
And as such, you are NOT worthy to bear my mother’s gift IN ANY WAY. SO I AM TAKING IT BACK! 
There was a bright flash from the Element of Magic, and the draining process began to speed up. 
Pinkie blinked, then blinked again. Why was her vision blurry? Reaching up, she felt her cheek. 
Tears. She was crying. 
And yet she was smiling as well.
All that pain, all that trauma, everything she had suffered all those years ago…it was done. Never again would anypony under Obsidian’s care be abused or tortured just for wanting to laugh, to smile, to live their lives. Never again would Lady—no. 
She was a Lady no longer. 
No longer would Obsidian’s cruel laugh steal the happiness and joy from ponies. No longer would ponies be forced to work under her cruel hoof for hours on end. So much pain and suffering had finally come to an end. 
So Pinkie laughed. It was a sobbing, smiling, hiccuping laugh, but it was a laugh nonetheless. 
Finally, the draining came to an end, and the now-black-coated-and-purple-maned earth pony collapsed to the ground, half-buried in all the junk the bubblegum had glued to her. Magi’s cleansing process must have removed it.
You shall spend the rest of your life living among those you tormented relentlessly, Magi finished, waving the glass orb away.
“No, NO!” Obsidian choked out, her voice dry and cracked as she stumbled to her hooves, only to trip as a pair of magic shackles clamped themselves to her legs with a flash of Twilight’s horn. 
Yes, Magi said, a hint of a smirk on her face. And now that that is done, I do believe Pinkie had something she wanted to do? Perhaps finish this party?
Finish the party? Yes. I need to finish it. I need to make sure this feeling of pure joy I am feel is passed on to everypony else. Just like with the Rainboom. And then hold one for the ponies back at the village. Then start making plans for one at Wall Flower’s property. Then maybe draft up plans for when we take Canterlot. 
But for now, it’s time to PARTY!
“YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!” Pinkie cried, laughing and leaping twenty feet into the air as tears of joy continued to pour down her face. Not even bothering to pretend to understand physics, she changed direction mid-air and crashed into her party cannon, nearly knocking Cheese Sandwich off his hooves. 
“IT’S TIME TO P—”
HONK SQUEAK BANG BLARG!
“EEEP!” Pinkie cried, leaping back from the party cannon. Her invention was going MAD, hopping around all on its own, the barrel expanding and thrashing in all directions as if it were a sack with something entirely too large for it was trapped inside.
“What are you doing, you psychotic nu—” Obsidian screamed. She had just managed to get back on her hooves when the cannon pointed itself directly at her. The back of the barrel swelled to almost five times its normal size before a bright blue ball flew out, so fast that not even Pinkie could see what it was.
The blue ball, whatever it was, smacked directly into Obsidian’s forehead, causing her to flip head-over-tail and back into the rubble of the house Maud had smashed her through. As the dust settled, the mysterious ammo soared into the sky and started plummeting down.
It didn’t crash. 
Instead, the object came to a sudden halt about a foot above the ground. No longer moving, Pinkie could see that it was a gemstone, floating and shining gently as it gave off a light blue light from deep within the crystal. The gem was badly cracked, and one of its points was missing almost entirely, yet Pinkie still found it to be incredibly beautiful. And, it made her…
Happy, for some reason.
Wait…
Happiness?
Floating?
Damaged yet still magical?
Could it be…
Really, Laughter? Really? Magi said, using Twilight’s body to facehoof.
“Laughter? You mean the ELEMENT of Laughter? That’s it?” Applejack exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the gem.
“It looks in better shape than the Element of Magic did when we first saw it,” Spike said. 
She. Laughter is a she, not an ‘it,’ Magi said, frowning at the dragon.
“Oh, uh, sorry,” Spike mumbled. 
“But what the heck was she doing in the CANNON!? I certainly didn’t load HER as part of the ammunition set,” Cheese Sandwich said, crawling into the cannon head first, followed by a loud series of bangs and the sound of a mouse playing a miniature tuba. 
Don’t question her. You’re more likely to figure out how Pinkie works than Laughter, Magi deadpanned.
Laughter bobbed up and down, twinkling more intently. Was she laughing at Magi? 
Well, they WERE siblings.
“Well then, good! Mission accomplished! Let’s grab her an—” Rainbow began, but Laughter shot off like a speeding pegasus the moment Rainbow tried to touch her.
And she was headed right for Pinkie!
“YIPE!!!” was all Pinkie could squeak out as the Element of Laughter collided with her chest. 
The world exploded into a blast of light blue light, and everything she knew faded away into white…



Author’s note because I couldn't find a place to put it in the chapter: The disguise gem doesn’t work in Pinkie’s tail, but does work if it touches her anywhere else. Because Pinkie
> Bonus Chapter: Act 1 BLOOPERS
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's note: The following are a series of ‘bloopers’ that I thought could have occurred if my story was being filmed like a show or a movie, rather than written. Think of it like Pixar’s old blooper reels they put in the credits of Monsters Inc. or Toy Story 2.
This is non-cannon and should not be taken seriously, but enjoy either way :) 




“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Twinkleshine said as she raised the lid of the tray with her magic long enough to pull out a cup filled with ice cubes. With a wicked grin, she proceeded to dump the entire cup of ice on Twilight’s exposed back. 
“AAAHHHH! COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD CO—” 
“GAH!”
Twilight flinched so hard, she accidentally punched Twinkleshine in the face.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” the purple mare cried from her place on the floor. “Are you ok?”
“Yes, I think so,” Twinkleshine said, rubbing her eye and looking as the film crew. “Am I bleeding?”
“Hold on,” a stagehoof yelled as he rushed forward and gave her face a quick inspection. “No, you’re good. And hey, even if it was bad, we’ve got plenty of ice right here!” He kicked a cube for emphasis. 
“Ha ha, very funny,” Twilight groaned as she sat up, rolling her eyes at the chuckling spreading across the set.
“Just make sure to step back next time,” the director said. “CUT! We’ll try that again after lunch, ponies!” 



“Hey, Flush Sentry!” Spike exclaimed.
“Wait, 'Flush' Sentry?” Twilight asked in confusion, looking back at Spike.
“Oh, buck,” Spike muttered, face-clawing.
“I wasn’t aware that I was a toilet,” Flash deadpanned with a completely straight face.
They all stared at each other for about two seconds and burst into laughter.
“CUT!” the director yelled.




“SHINY!” Twilight yelled, leaping off the couch before sprinting over and tackling her brother so strongly that they collided with the fake wall, knocking it over completely with a massive crash and a cloud of dust. 
“MY CABBAGES!” Pinkie yelled.
“Pinkie, why do you have cabbages back there? And aren’t you supposed to be on the set for Spero right now?” Applejack asked from across the set. 
“I’m on break,” Pinkie replied nonchalantly. “And what are YOU doing here?”
“I’m here ta pick up the latest version of the script.”
The director just groaned and shook his head.
“CUT! Be more gentle next time, Twilight.”
“Please,” came the pained voice of Shining Armor. 
“And Pinkie, just go…over there…”
“How about under there?”
“Under where?” Applejack asked in confusion.
“Not underwear, silly, under there!”
Applejack double-face-hoofed as Pinkie grinned. “I shoulda’ seen that one comin’.” 
“You really should have,” the director said with a smirk. Then he turned to the camerapony. “Hey, why are you still filming this?”
“For the blooper reel! This is awesome!” 




“Just be sure that we are invited to the wedding,” Luna said with a smirk as she stood up and looked at Golden Heart. “We nearly missed yours after that letter was misplaced by my forgetful sister,” she added, smirking as Celestia stuck her tongue out at the younger alicorn.
Suddenly, music that wouldn’t have been out of place at a wedding began to play from Lyra’s lyre. Shining and Cadence both glared at the unicorn, who merely stuck out her tongue and winked. 
Then all the strings on the lyre suddenly snapped, causing Lyra to let out a girlish scream and throw the lyre in a panic as she fell of her chair. It landed squarely on Twilight’s horn. 
“Nice shot,” Flash quipped as the entire group burst into laughter.
Even the director was chuckling. “CUT!”




Horror, pain, confusion, sadness…
Guilt…
The eyes… The narrator exclaimed dramatically. Camera 7 then activated to show Celestia bursting into Twilight’s room.
Or, at least, she tried to. 
INSTEAD, said monarch of the sun tripped just outside room and hit the door headfirst, piercing it with her horn.
The door slowly opened, carrying a confused Celestia with it, and Twilight buried her face in her pillow, hooting with laughter at the sight of her teacher.
“Um, can we try that again?” Celestia asked sheepishly. 
“CUT!” 




“Sister, I have some concerns,” Luna said once the room had been sealed with a soundproof spell. 
“So did the editor, but the script has never looked better,” Celestia said, smirking as both Luna and Golden Heart lost their composure and tried to swallow their laughter. 
“CUT! What was that? What is so funny?”
“Oh, you know, just a little harmless teasing from your friendly neighborhood editor,” the editor said, winking. 
“…Are you teasing me about all those mistakes in the last version of the script I sent you?”
“You mean the one where Flash was shuttering like a window, Twilight’s tail was singing instead of being singed, and where Rainbow’s wings grew mussels instead of muscles?” 
"I'll take that as a yes,” the director groaned, face-clipboarding. The editor giggled before giving him a playful kiss on the cheek. 
“You are getting better.”
“I know, just…HEY! Why are you still filming this!?”
“Because it's ADORABLE!” the camerapony said, smirking as the director and editor both blushed.  




“Alicorns, Defenders of Equestria, may I present to you, the worlds most powerful artifact, that which has been lost to us for thousands of years! THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!” 
The Queen pulled the blank cover off the raised pedestal with a flourish to reveal…a head of cabbage. 
“PINKIE!” Twilight yelled, facehoofing as everypony looked at the glass case in confusion. 
“This is gonna be a long day,” the director sighed as he took another sip of white hot chocolate. But he was smiling, at least. “CUT!”



“Alicorns, Defenders of Equestria, may I present to you, the worlds most powerful artifact, that which has been lost to us for thousands of years! THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC!” 
The Queen pulled off the black cover off the raised pedestal with a flourish to reveal a gem stone in the shape of what would have been a six-pointed star if two of the points were not broken and missing their ends. 
Only NOW there was small white dog chewing on it. Upon being revealed, he looked up at the shocked audience.
“Arf arf!” he barked, wagging his tiny tail excitedly as a blue aura suddenly surrounded him. 
“Sorry!” a squeaky voice called out, and a much smaller version of Luna with a light blue, non-flowing mane dashed in. She grabbed the annoying dog in her magic, and the dog instantly fell asleep. “He’s supposed to be on set twelve for ‘The Moon in the Dark’.” 
She frowned at the dog, then looked up at House Shining Star’s seating block. “Hi sis! And…older me. And lots of ponies I don’t know!”
And with that, she dashed back out.
What the hay? the director mouthed, not even noticing that all the papers were falling off his clipboard.
The editor, looking just as confused, managed to come to the rescue. “CUT!”




“Alicorns, Defenders of Equestria, may I present to you, the worlds most powerful artifact, that which has been lost to us for-“
“Arf arf!”
“Oh COME ON!” The Queen yelled in exasperation as the annoying dog dashed across the set again, this time being chased by a giant green spiky vine.
“WHY CAN’T I ABSORB YOU!?” a horrifying voice yelled before the vine grabbed the dog and retracted back out the door it had come through.
“I, that, what?” the director exclaimed, trying to pick his jaw up off the floor.
“Sorry! That was my fault. They’re a bit early and are practicing their big scene,” the editor called out, blushing and hiding behind her clipboard. 
“Early for what? And what scene?” Pinkie called out.
“Oh, well, I’m filming a cross-over between Undertale and Ocarina of Time, and at one point there's a fight between Link and Omega-Flowey, and later in the fight the annoying dog saves Link from Flowey. That’s the scene they’re rehearsing, though I’m not sure why they’re doing it…here.”
“I like it! Can I have a cameo in that film? Huhhuhhuhhuh?”
“Probably not, Pinkie, sorry.”
“Ok, fun and really interesting crossovers aside, can somepony PLEASE go lock the door to our set so we don't have any more interruptions?!” the director groaned in exasperation. “I hate this job sometimes…CUT”






Looking sadly at the tray in front of her, Twilight blinked and squinted at the water glass. Gingerly lifting the glass, she removed a small slip of paper from underneath it and quickly read it.
"Bleep Bloop? That’s not—” 
Twilight didn’t get too far before Pinkie suddenly appeared from inside the water glass, booped her nose, then disappeared again. 
“Uhhhhhhh…”
“I’m not even gonna ask this time,” the director said. “CUT! Pinkie, no more being on stage if you’re not currently part of the scene!”
“Awwwww…”




“They already approved the mission,” Flash said, smiling smugly as Twilight gaped at him. “They told me to come and get you out. It seems that you beat us to the punch.”
Twilight opened her mouth as if to respond when a guard rounded the corner less than three feet away from the trio. Before he could react, Flash flicked a small bomb off his wing. It scored a direct hit with the guard’s face, causing the guard to immediately… go cross-eyes and began giggling?
“Ohhhh, every thing is spinny,” the guard said drunkenly, stumbling around with a goofy grin on his face.
“CUT!” the director yelled. “Flash, you’re supposed to use SLEEPER BOMBS!”
“I thought that’s what these were!” Flash defended. “I just used what the props team gave me! Why do we even HAVE…” He gaped as the guard started to snuggle the nearby door. “Drunken…inducing…drug bombs?”
“We don’t,” a prop pony yelled out. “We have alcohol for that!” 
“Then where… PINKIE!” Twilight yelled.
“It wasn't me this time!” Pinkie yelled. “And I’m only here because I lost my baking sheets yesterday!” 
“Then who…” the director began, and then he facehoofed. “DISCORD!”
“Yes?” Discord said, appearing above the set with his trademark grin.
“Please tell me WHY you’re messing with the props we have? Now because of you, we’re gonna have to delay shooting until tomorrow!”
“Oh, you know, just having a bit of fun, keeping things interesting” Discord said, smirking as Twilight tried to direct the drunken guard away from the wall he was now constantly walking into. “You really should loosen up. All that stress is bad for morale, you know.”
“I would be less stressed IF WE COULD HAVE FINISHED THE SCENE! And why are you even here? You don't show up until ACT 3!”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t drop by and check on your progress, now, does it?” 
Discord winked and vanished in a flash of light. 
“I despise him,” the director said, turning around to start fixing the mess. 
“No, you don’t!” the editor yelled out, causing a few laughs to echo across the set.




	Pointed at her. 
Inches from her face, the narrator exclaimed epically as Camera 3 activated, showing the outside of the tent.
“Fre—“ Rainbow began, only for Twilight to scream in terror.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 
Twilight’s magic flared to life almost instantly, her wings flapped once, and the entire tent and everyone inside was sent flying good ten feet away. 
The only problem was that Twilight misjudged her angle, causing her horn to hit the top part of the tent. This, unfortunately, caused the tent and everypony involved to spin wildly out of control before crashing to the ground in a massive cloud of dust.
When the dust cleared, Twilight was upside-down on Big Mac’s back, Spike was up in a nearby tree, Flash had crashed into the concessions table for the cast, and Rainbow was tangled in the tent, her head sticking out of the small window on the back.
“CUT! Everyone still alive?” the director asked, getting a series of pained affirmatives.
“Oooooooo, that didn't work,” Spike groaned from up in the tree, his face looking unnaturally green.
“Mmmph,” Flash agreed, trying to swallow the blob of pretzels, chips, and half a sandwich that were currently stuck in his mouth.
“I regret not getting a stunt double…” Rainbow said, trying to free herself from the tent as stagehooves rushed forward to help her. 
“Me too,” Twilight said, her eyes spinning in different directions “Thanks for catching me, Big Mac.”
“No problem.”
“Ok, be more careful next time, Twilight. Set up again!” the director called.



“No, we LIKE living in the forest surrounded by dangerous monsters that would attack us if not for our defenses. WHAT DO YOU THINK!?” Rainbow yelled, causing Twilight to flinch away.
“OH OH! I think about cake! And bronies! And cookies! And cabbage! And-“
“PINKIE! What did I say about being on set when you’re not in the scene?” the director yelled. Everypony on set just shook their heads, and almost no pony could hide their smiles. 
“What about space? Do you think of space?” somepony yelled.
“Don't encourage—”
“OH YEAH! Space would be AWESOME! I’d fly to the moon, then moonwalk on the rings of Saturn!”
“I’d be the starship captain!” Applejack yelled out. “Bravely going where no pony has gone before!”
“And I would be the evil robot trying to stop you!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Surrender to the Borg!” 
Everypony burst out laughing, and more ponies started calling out their ideas for the spaceship crewmembers.
“Can I be the director for that one?” the editor called out.
“Can we all FOCUS PLEASE! And Pinkie, PLEASE get back to your spot!”
“Oops, too early. Right, sorry,” Pinkie said sheepishly before dashing back to the village set piece. 
“Admit it, you love that idea,” the editor said with a knowing grin.
“Maybe, but we need to finish this movie first! THEN I can see about making a Star Trek crossover without running into twenty thousand copyright claims.”



“A butler, an alicorn, and a dragon walk into a village in the forest. This has all the elements of a horrible joke,” Flash muttered, earning a smirk from Spike and a groan from Twilight.	
“hehehe, good one, kid,” a low voice said.
Everypony jumped as a skeleton in a blue hoodie, sweats, and pink slippers appeared out of thin air only a few inches from Flash.
“CUT! Sans, why are you here?”
“looking for woona. she ran off set of ‘the moon in the dark’ chasing the annoying dog again. you seen them?” 
“GET BACK HERE DOGGY!” Woona yelled, causing everypony to look up as she chased the small white dog across the lighting supports above the set.
“Arf arf!” 
“that’s them,” Sans said. “i’ll get them out of your hair. or is it mane?” 
He winked and vanished in a puff of logic.



“Now as for a guard, has anyone seen Pinkie?” Applejack asked the crowd gathered before her.
There was utter silence.
“Pinkie! That’s your cue!” the director yelled.
“It is? I though it was when she said ‘up dog.’”
“Why on earth would I say ‘up dog’?!” Applejack exclaimed. “What even is ‘up dog?’” 
“Oh, nothing much, what’s up with you?” Pinkie said with a grin.
Applejack stopped, blinked, and face-hoofed. “Welp, Ah walked into that one. AGAIN!”
“Yes, yes you did,” Flash said as everypony laughed. 
“Where did she even come up with that?” Applejack asked, trying not to smile.
“The editor,” Pinkie said. “She showed me this great comic with Sans and—“
“CUT! Sweetie, you are the best editor ever, but PLEASE! No more encouraging the cast to purposely create bloopers!”
“But they’re hilarious!” the editor said with a wide smile. “And I know you like them. Besides, you can’t stay mad at me.”
The director could do nothing to dispute that claim and merely grumbled as he got up from his chair to go get some more white hot chocolate.




“I’m also really good at breaking the fourth wall!” Pinkie said happily.
“The fourth wall?” Spike asked in confusion. 
“Yeah, that wall over there, see?” Pinkie said, pointing a hoof directly at the camera.
“CUT! Wrong wall, Pinkie,” the director said, face-hoofing. 




“Apples or pears?”
“I’ve never had eit—”
“Xbox 1 or PS4?” 
“Huh?”
“Chimicherry or cherrychanga?”
“CUT!” the director yelled. “Pinkie, that wasn’t in the script.”
“But it totally fits! I mean, after the fourth wall joke, it totally fits here!”
“That—“ the director began before stopping and scratching his chin. “You know what? Yeah, it DOES fit. We’re keeping that take everypony. Lets move on!”




“I did it! I’m hov–”
“AHHHH!”
“EEK!” Twilight cried in shock, the sudden scream causing her to fire off a beam of magic that hit Rainbow right in the chest, turning her from a rainbow-colored pony into a rainbow-colored bookcase. 
“Oops,” Twilight said, still hovering in mid air. “I think she might have been too good at scaring me.”
“I actually like this better than what’s in the script,” Flash said, grinning.
“We’re not keeping this take,” the director said.
“Aw, come on! It’s the perfect revenge!”
“NO, Flash.”
“BUT SHE’S SO PRETTY!” Pinkie exclaimed, sticking her face right in front of the camera.
“PINKIE! YOU’RE NOT ON IN THIS PART OF THE SCENE! JUST GO BAKE SOMETHING AND STAY OFF THE CAMERA FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES!”
“I think that’s a very wordy code for ‘cut,’” the editor said, patting the director on the back.




Rolling midair to avoid another bolt of magic from Twilight’s surge, Flash threw a bomb with all his might. It smacked directly into Twilight’s face and exploded… into a giant ball of green goop that completely encased Twilight!
“GAH! WHAT THE BUCK!?” Twilight and Flash both cried as the goop grew a slimy face that smiled widely. 
“I don’t have Smooze bombs so don't even ask!” Flash yelled before the director could speak, backing away from the goop ball that was currently holding the struggling alicorn upside down. 
“This is ridiculous!” Twilight cried. “When I get my hooves on Discord…”
“Get in line,” the director grumbled as the ponies around him scrambled to free the purple alicorn from the green slime monster. “CUT!” 




“And why in tarnation do you want to do that?” Applejack asked, her eyes narrowing.
“You have my wingblables,” Flash said, then frowned. “I mean my wingbloobles. I mean wingbagels. Wingbambles, wing…GAH!” He shook his head and buzzed his lips. “Ugh, just, just give me a second here. It’s been a long day and I had trouble sleeping last night. Wingblada-lalalalalal!”
It didn’t help that everypony around him was losing more and more composure with each mistake.
“That seems more like a mistake Pinkie would make,” Twilight noted from off screen. 
“Agreed,” the director said, smirking and deciding to see how long it took before Flash could say it right. “Though didn’t you have trouble saying ‘rock quarry’ at some point?”
“Ok, fair point.”




“And I said ‘Oatmeal? Are you crazy!?’ And then…”
“Pinkie?” 
“Yes, Twilight?”
“What does this have to do with my question?”
“Oh, ummmm…” Pinkie said. Her stomach grumbled loudly. “Um, line?” 
“Pinkie…” the director said with a sigh.
“I’m sorry! But we were talking about food and it’s almost lunch and—”
“And we still have another fifteen minutes, so I think you can hold your hunger in check for that—“ he began before HIS stomach grumbled loudly. 
Nearby, the editor broke out laughing as the director blushed. “Ok, I deserved that. Let’s break for lunch, ponies! We’ll try this again when we get back.”



“S-Shudup,” Twilight muttered before dropping her head back into the bucket, a nearby prop pony teleporting more fake vomit into her mouth—
“PFFFFF!”
“GAH! Twilight!” Flash cried in shock as she spewed the fake vomit all over him. “What the—“
“HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!” Twilight screamed as she LITERALLY breathed fire, her lags flailing as she leapt up from her sitting position and made a mad dash for the concessions table. 
“CUT! Ok, who messed with the prop this time!?” 
“Sorry, I thought it’d be funny,” Pinkie called out. “I didn’t think I made it THAT spicy.”
“It’s Twilight, Pinkie. You know she can’t handle spicy food!”
“Oh, right, my bad. I’ll use black licorice next time.”
“NO! That would be even WORSE!” Twilight cried out, having gotten her flaming mouth back under control by chugging an entire gallon of water. “Also, sorry about that Flash,” she said sheepishly as she saw him get handed a clean towel.
“She’s right, black licorice is her least favorite candy,” Flash said as he while himself off with a towel. “And I forgive you, Twilight. But can we NOT mess with the props that might end up covering me in fake vomit in the future? Please?”



“Thorn has a medical building?” Spike asked.
“I know what you’re thinking – why would she have one for her ponies if she’s so…Thorny?” Second Sight asked with a bitter smile, one that quickly became a smirk. “It’s there for plot convenience.”
“CUT!!! You know, I bet we’d be done filming by now if you and Pinkie STOPPED MESSING UP THE SCENES!” the director yelled, throwing his cup of white hot chocolate into the air, only to have the cup land perfectly on the nearby table. This was followed a second later by every single drop of his drink landing back in the cup as though nothing happened. “And these meta jokes are really getting old by now.” 
“No they aren’t! I want to see how many more they can come up with!” Spike yelled out from across the set.
“See, he gets it,” Second Sight giggled as the director face-clipboarded. 



“Incoming,” Pinkie yelled, just in time to flip a pancake into the air. It arched high, out of sight of the camera and above the lights of the set, before a cupcake came falling back down and landed perfectly on Twilight’s horn. Everypony blinked.
“That…wasn’t me,” Pinkie said, looking back at her spatula with confusion. 
“CUT! Let’s try that again,” the director yelled. “Everypony keep your eye out for Discord again. I swear I’m gonna ban him from the set at this rate. I’ll even call Hasbro if I need to!”


Take 2…


“Incoming,” Pinkie yelled, just in time to flip a pancake into the air. It arched high, out of sight of the camera and above the lights of the set, before a giant cake landed on Twilight, completely engulfing her.
“OH!!! CAKE!!!” Pinkie cried in delight as she raced closer, grabbed a large hoof full of frosting, and devoured it excitedly.
“Celestia dang it, Discord! When I find you, you’re gonna pay for this!” Twilight yelled as her head exploded out of the cake, her mane on fire.
“Twilight! Stop! YOU’LL MELT THE FROSTING!” Pinkie cried in horror.
“CUT!”


Take 3…


“Incoming,” Pinkie yelled, just in time to flip a pancake into the air. It arched high, out of sight of the camera and above the lights of the set, before falling exactly where Twilight was just sitting. The director sighed. 
“CUT! Twilight…”
“I’m sorry. I-I panicked.” Twilight admitted guiltily.
“At least we know it’s wo—” Flash began, only to be interrupted as an anvil fell from the celling and hit Twilight right on the head. “Nevermind.”
“That…didn’t actually hurt that much,” Twilight said, sitting up from the floor. Pinkie, ever curious, took a lick of the anvil before grinning.
“It’s because the anvil is made of DARK CHOCOLATE!” she yelled excitedly, eating it in one bite. 
“Oh for the love of—WOULD SOMEPONY PLEASE GO FIND FLUTTERSHY! Maybe SHE can get Discord to knock it off already!”


Take 4…

“Incoming,” Pinkie yelled, just in time to flip a pancake…but she stopped before it left the pan.
There was already a pancake on Twilight’s horn.
In fact, there were three, layered perfectly on top of each other, and covered with a ring of whipped cream and pieces of strawberries.
“Uh…incoming already came in,” Flash said, staring at the pancakes with his mouth agape.
“This is so calm that I don’t even know if I should blame Discord or not,” Twilight said, and then her eyes lit up as a drop of whipped cream fell into her mouth. “OOOOH! Pinkie, can you pass me a plate?”
“NO!” the director shouted. “It’s not lunch time, or breakfast time, or even brunch time! We’re not eating those pancakes.”
“But the whipped cream will melt if we don’t!”
“Then put them in the fridge and pray we can finish this scene sometime this week! Reset!”



Flash, Spike, and Twilight just stared at Pinkie, surprise clearly written on their faces at how short Pinkie’s story was. They looked at each other, their expressions becoming concerned before turning back to the pink mare.
“Umm… Pinkie?” Twilight asked nervously. “Is that really all of it?”
“Yep.”
“Do you think we could get a few more details?”
“Not until Chapter 14,” Pinkie said, winking.
“Oh for—CUT!!! Seriously, no more meta jokes!”
“But they’re funnnnnn,” Pinkie whined at the camera.
“They’re DISTRACTING!” the director scolded. “And we've already wasted enough time as is! Ok, set up again!”




“Ok,” Spike said. “By the way, where’s Pinkie?”
The others blinked, looking around in confusion. Flash smiled and pointed. Pinkie was bouncing merrily after the two foals, and it wasn’t clear to the audience if she was helping Derpy catch them or if she just wanted to play tag.
‘CLANG!’	
Pinkie suddenly bounced too high and immediately smacked her head on one of the overhead lights and dropped flat on her back. 
“Owwww…an ounce too much bounce,” Pinkie muttered. “My bad.”
“CUT!”




“You had a wedding?” Flash asked. “Like, a full-blown wedding? Out here? How?”
Both ponies just pointed to Pinkie, who was currently sitting and holding her head in her hooves, humming a little tune.
“She managed to make all of the decorations out of forest materials. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony move so fast,” Bronze Sword said, smiling.
“Hey! What about me!? I’m WAY faster than she is!” Speedy Diamond yelled, popping up from inside a nearby barrel and causing everypony except for Pinkie to jump in shock.
“CUT! Speedy! You’re supposed to be on set 3 for Spero! We already have ONE crazy logic-defying pony on this set, and she is MORE THAN ENOUGH! I don’t need you here too!” the directory yelled, his left eye twitching sporadically. “And WHY are you even here at ALL?”
“Yes,” was Speedy’s only answer as she winked and disappeared back into the barrel. 
“Oh for…Does anyone ELSE want to make a cameo!?!?”
“I would ask if I could make one, but I know the answer would be no,” Sparrow called out from across the set. “And I’m only here because Pie Crust replaced my sword with a stick and a sticky note telling me that she hid it in the weapons shack on this set for some reason. Sorry about interrupting. Ignore me, I’m not here.”
“Hey, can we have Lil Pip from ‘Fallout: Equestria’ be a cameo?” somepony yelled. “I here she's on set 101 today!”
“What about Turing Test from ‘The Iron Horse: Everything’s Better With Robots!’? I’d love to see a robot cameo!” somepony else shouted.
“But this time period doesn’t have robots…”
“So? It’s MLP! Since when does anything in this franchise make any sense?”
The director double face-hoofed and groaned.




“She was crying too. She was just as afraid as I was. Not because she would be next if I failed, but because she didn’t want her friend to be hurt like this. She didn’t want me to take the punishment for her, to get hurt protecting her. But I had to. She was the only friend I had, and I’d be dammed to Tartarus if I let her suffer the same way I did. Keeping her safe, making sure she wouldn’t be subjected to the same torture, filled me with determination.”
“Which let you save your game,” Pinkie interjected.
“Which let me—no! Pinkie! Get out of here, this is my story! No Undertale jokes!” Rainbow cried, glaring at the pink mare who just smiled sheepishly before vanishing back off camera.
“CUT!”



“Hey, Shield?”
“Yeah, Thunder?”
“You ever wonder why we’re here?”
“I—wait, what?”
“You—oh, um, line?”
“CUT! No more watching Red vs. Blue videos before your scenes!”
“Sorry!”




“And as such,” Thorn said, grinning manically, “I am personally going to take away what she does not deserve. Her horn and her wings!” 
She teleported in a…head of cabbage.
“Oh for—PINKIE!” Twilight cried.
“How did she even do that,” Thorn muttered in confusion, frowning at the vegetable as though she’d never seen one before.
“CUT!!! No more cabbages, Pinkie, or you’ll be banned from the concessions table!”
“Awwwwwww…”




Pinkie smiled manically as she pulled a bright blue spear from her mane.
“Let’s heroically PUNCH THEM IN THE FACE!” she screamed before—
“GIVE ME BACK MY SPEAR!” a voice screamed as the top half of a blue fish-like creature with a red ponytail, eyepatch, and sharp angry teeth exploded out of Pinkie’s mane in complete defiance of logic.
“You stole UNDYNE’S spear!?” Rainbow yelled from across the set, gaping as the angry Undertale character made a grab for the blue spear.
“RUN AWAY!” Pinkie screamed, dashing across the set and causing Undyne to fall out of her mane. That didn’t stop the fish warrior for long as she immediately leapt back to her feet and gave chase.
“QUIT RUNNING AWAY!”
“CUT!!! Why are we even bothering to lock the doors?” the director muttered, double face-hoofing.
“To be fair, Pinkie’s mane isn’t limited by such things as logic and physics the way doors are,” the editor said, giving the director a quick kiss as the chaos continued to unfold before them.
“Ugh, don’t remind me…"




Thorn screamed bloody murder as Rainbow literally ripped her wing off. Her horn, despite the damage, erupted, throwing Rainbow off of her and causing the rainbow-maned mare to fly through the air with the greatest of ease until she collided with, and bounced off of, a nearby house with a grunt.
“CUT! Thorn, she needs to be stuck IN the wall, so you need to use a bit more force ok?”
“I know, but—”
“No, no buts. She has enchanted armor to protect her. She will be FINE! Seriously, you are a great villain. Just act like you do during your speech earlier with Twilight. Now try again.”


Take 7…

Her horn, despite the damage, erupted, throwing Rainbow off of her and causing the rainbow-maned mare to fly through the air with the greatest of ease, missing the building entirely. 
“Oh, come on!” Rainbow yelled just before she collided with a stagehoof that couldn’t get out of the way in time.
“Sorry,” Thorn squeaked nervously as a loud crash echoed across the set.
“Did anypony get the license of that wagon?” the stagehoof replied drunkenly.
“It was THORN RULZ, all caps, with a ‘z’” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes as she helped the stallion up.
“CUT!”


Take 11…



Her horn, despite the damage, erupted, throwing Rainbow off of her and causing said rainbow-maned mare to fly through the air with the greatest of ease until she collided with, and slammed THROUGH, one of the nearby houses.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!”
“Haven’t you broken me enough already?” came an annoyed groan. 
“CUT!!! Too much villain, Thorn. Please try to find a balance after lunch, ok? Just in case, I'll have Twilight show you the proper way to throw Rainbow Dash at a wall so that she get's stuck in it.”




As Twilight attacked from the air, Thorn’s horn lit up even brighter, causing a few bolts of lightning to fire out of her injury as she raised a shield to block the attack. She then fired another blast of magic that flew dangerously close to Twilight's tail, sing—
“OHHHHHH, I’VE GOT A LOVELY BUNCH OF COCONUTS!” 
Twilight’s TAIL somehow grew a mouth and began to sing!
“CUT!!! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!?!?!?”
“It’s what the script said!” an intern yelled.
“Let me see that!” the director yelled, grabbing the script and skimming through it. He face-hoofed. “This is the UNEDITED VERSION of the script! It’s supposed to be SINGEING, not SINGING!”
Bra-bra-BRAAAAAAA!
Somehow Twilight’s tail had managed to snag a trombone, and was making its feeling on the matter known, much to Twilight’s displeasure. 
“EEERRRRGGGGGG! SOMEPONY GO FINE THE REAL SCRIPT! AND I SWEAR IF SOMEPONY TRIES TO MAKE FLASH A WINDOW BECAUSE THEY WROTE SHUTTERING INSTEAD OF SHUDDERING I AM SO DONE WITH THIS!”




“Oh, she never told you?” Thorn smirked. “Never told you how she—”
A bomb smacked her in the face, creating a puff of white smoke, which quickly blew away to reveal…clown makeup. 
“Oh come on, REALLY!?” Flash groaned in exasperation. “WHO KEEPS MESSING WITH MY BOMBS?!” 
“NOT MY FUALT! NOT MY FUALT! THE COMPUTER MADE A SUGGESTION! AND BOTH ANSWERS WERE YES!” a voice yelled a human in blue halo power armor popped up from behind one of the potted plants. 
“Caboose!?” The director yelled in confusion.
“Yes, hello. I am Caboose, from the popular web series, Red VS. Blue.”
“This isn’t even the right STUDIO! Why are you here!?” Somepony yelled.
“Oh, well…I’m lost. Does anypony know where I can find ‘Ruby Teeth’ Studios?”
“You mean ‘Rooster Teeth’?”
“Yea that.”
“Cuuuuuuut!” the director groaned, face-clipboarding before collapsing completely face-first on the floor. “One day. Just one normal day is all I ask for.”
“I think you broke him,” the editor said, coming over and gently nuzzling the top of his head. “Hey, come on sweetie. You just need to finish this last scene, then we’re done for the next two weeks. You can hang on for a few more hours, right?”
“Mmmmm,” The director groaned, still on the floor. 
“I’ll treat you to Applebee’s tonight,” the editor sing-songed.
“Promise?” 
“Pinkie Promise.”
“Ok, ok, I can do this. But I swear if one more cameo shows up, I am going to lose my mind.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you find it again.”
“Thank you, my angel,” the director said, smiling as he stole a quick kiss. 


And thankfully, there were no more errors or surprise cameos that day. 


END OF ACT 1 BLOOPERS…
> Act 2: Chapter 19: Trial 1, Laughter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was surrounded by nothing. 
Absolutely nothing. 
Everywhere she looked, there was merely white. Just…
White. 
“Hello? HellOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Pinkie cried out. An ever-so-faint echo greeted her in response, doing absolutely nothing to calm her concerns. 	
No floor (though she seemed to be standing on something solid), no sky, no buildings or horizon or sun or moon or cupcakes or parties or pineapples or, well, ANYTHING! 
She reached into her mane for something that could liven the place up and make it seem even a little less creepy, but even THAT was empty. How the heck did that even HAPPEN!? 
It was so…quiet.
Too quiet…
“Da na…”
Gah! What was that!? Pinkie thought, turning around quickly…only to find nothing. Did I imagine tha—
“Da na…” 
EEP! Nope! Didn’t imagine it, DIDN’T IMAGINE IT! Pinkie jumped as the noise sounded right in her ear, but when she turned around and around, trying to figure out where it was coming from, she still saw nothing. 
“Da na…”	
There it was again! Coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
“Da na, da na da na da na da na da na da na da na da da da da da…”
Pinkie could feel a small sliver of terror slowly build inside her chest. She stood perfectly still and quiet, hoping she would go unnoticed by whatever was making the sounds.
This is the EXACT music I could image playing if three stallions were on a boat and a GIANT shark was coming to EAT THEM!!! Pinkie thought frantically, struggling not to move.
And it was getting louder, and louder, and louder still!
“Danadanadanadanadanadanadan!”
Just as suddenly as it started, the song stopped, and it was too quiet once again. Hyperventilating now, Pinkie began to spin, searching for the source of the dramatic build-up music—
“BOOP!”
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!” Pinkie screamed as something soft and fluffy poked her nose. She leapt ten feet into the air, flying backwards in shock and falling flat on her back. Her legs stuck up perfectly straight as her body froze like that of a fainting goat.
“Pffffffffffffff hehehehahahahaha, I-I’m so-oory-y-y hahahahahah!” a warm, cheerful voice laughed, causing Pinkie to blink in still-nearly-frozen confusion. “I-I just couldn’t h-help myself! Your face was p-priceless, hahahahahah!”
Pinkie looked forward between her legs to get a good look at her prankster. Said prankster was a very light blue pegasus mare with a swirling pink, blue, and golden mane and tail that were just as poofy as Pinkie’s. The mare was currently lying back in midair, laughing her head off. 
Yet despite the terrifying prank, Pinkie couldn’t stop herself from snorting, and then joining the pegasus in her laughter. She did have to admit this pegasus, whoever she was, had gotten her GOOD! 
I wonder if I could do the same prank to Rainbow Dash. I still owe her for replacing my sugar with salt. 
“O-Okehehehe, ok, you got me,” Pinkie said a minute or so later when they started to calm down. Laughing did certainly make her feel a bit better. It even managed to make this strange void feel less overwhelming. “But mayyyyyybe wait to do that again until we find a way out of here? Also, where is ‘here,’ exactly? And who are you? Why are you here with me? How did you do that without me seeing you?”
The pegasus wiped the joyful tears from her eyes. “Why, that’s simple, silly. We’re INSIDE YOUR BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!” she exclaimed in a dramatically silly voice as she waved her hooves at Pinkie. “OOoooooOOOOOOooooooOOOOOOOOooooo.”
“Pffffffff,” Pinkie snorted, trying not to lose control again. 
No, focus, Pinkie. I’m pretty sure this can’t be your brain. After all, if it was, then where is all the frosting and party cannons?
“This is a littttttle too empty to be my brain. And what does that make you? My imagination gone wild?” Pinkie asked, winking and earning a giggle from the flying mare—
Wait. Why aren’t her wings flapping? She’s not FLYING, she’s FLOATING! IN MIDAIR! How is she just floating there? IS this actually my brain and is she really my imagination gone wild? Are there invisible strings holding her up somewhere? 
“Not quiiiiiiite!” the mare giggled. There was a small flash of light and—
Pinkie’s eyes widened in shock. The blue mare now had a cutie mark, but…that wasn’t an ordinary cutie mark. It wasn’t a still picture. It was a moving image of a blue six-sided gemstone, slowly spinning in place and emitting a soft, calming glow. 
Pinkie recognized that gemstone…
It was the Element of Laughter.
The very same element that had just crashed into her right before she woke up in this strange place!
“YOU’RE THE ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER!?!?!” Pinkie cried in shock just as a miniature explosion occurred a few dozen feet behind the floating pegasus. Either the Element of Laughter was going for a dramatic reveal, or Pinkie was so surprised by Laughter’s identity that something in her brain had literally exploded in dramatic fashion from the pure shock of who she was talking to! 
“YEPARONI!!!” Laughter cried. She landed on the invisible floor with a small thump and started bouncing around excitedly. 
Why is the Element of Laughter a pegasus!?!? And why is she IN MY BRAIN!? 
As if reading her mind, Laughter came to a bouncing stop before Pinkie with a massive smile. “Because I wanted to be a pegasus, and because your brain is FUN! Usually. I made it like this temporarily so we wouldn’t get distracted too much. Now I know you have questions, but first I need to tell you EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
Pinkie winced at the squeal, which was so high-pitched she was pretty sure it was outside even HER range. 
Then, without warning, Laughter POUNCED! 
Pinkie had no time to react as the blue mare wrapped all four of legs around her in a bone-bending hug and took to the air, squealing as she began spinning and bobbing through the air faster and faster above the blank landscape. 
“OH, THIS IS SO EXCITING! You would not BELIEVE how long I have been waiting to meet you! It’s been FOREVER and a DAY since I had a new Bearer and you are just so PERFECT! You’re happy and bubbly and you beat Obsidian and you make SO MUCH FOOD and throw such supercalafragalistikexpialodocious parties andandand EEEEEEEE! Oh we are going to BESTIES I just know it! I finally found you and now that I have I’ll NEVER LET YOU GO EEEEEEEE!!!”
“Gggggglllllaaaaddddd yyyooouuuuu’rrrrreee hhhhaaapppppppppppyyyyy,” Pinkie said woozily, trying to gain a handle on her surroundings as Laughter just continued to spin and spin and SPIN!
Uuuuuggggggg. I love hugs, but all the spinning is a bit much! Is it possible for me to get sick in my own brain? And if so, who’s going to clean that up? 
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fiiiiiiine,” Laughter giggled, tossing Pinkie into the sky. The pink mare flipped end over end in midair before landing back in Laughter’s grip for another massive hug. 
“Ok—Wait. Can you READ MY MIND!? What am I thinking of right now?”
“Tacos!” Laughter exclaimed the moment Pinkie thought of the food best eaten on Tuesdays. She winked as she came down for a gentle landing, still refusing to let go of the pink mare. 
Wow, she’s good. 
And ahhhh, I feel better now.
“A little magical help. Sorry if I was a bit much,” Laugher apologized, sticking her head under Pinkie’s chin and nuzzling her giddily. “But I’m just so HAPPY to finally meet you! I’ve been alone for so long that finally have another Bearer is just—it’s the best feeling ever! Like…having all your birthday parties in a single day, or being able to eat ALLLLLLLL the cake EVER all at once! Or being given ALL the presents EVER! It’s just…just…” 
Laughter’s voice trailed off and she buried her face in Pinkie’s chest.
It took Pinkie only three seconds to realize that she could feel two small wet spots on her fur, right where Laughter’s eyes were.
Something was wrong. She could feel it. She could FEEL it. An ocean of sadness buried beneath all her joy.
They weren’t Pinkie’s emotions, but she felt them almost like they were.
I can feel what SHE feels!
Laughter WAS happy, so much so, but she was also sad and terrified. Her tears were a mixture of both happiness at no longer being alone and sadness from the pain she had endured for centuries on end and the fear of being alone again, all of it coming back to the surface of her mind at once. It was almost overwhelming.
That mind link thingy, does it work for me too!? Pinkie thought before gasping in her mind as a wave of surprise came flowing through her, but not from her! It was from Joy!!! That’s it! I can’t hear Joy’s thoughts, but I can understand her emotions! That link is like a road! It goes both ways, even if the wagons going down it are completely different!
	No, focus, Pinkie. Focus on the sad pony/magic gemstone in front of you. She’s sad and hurt, just like you used to be, and you must refuse to let this sadness continue. 
	“I-I’m ok,” Laughter said, moving to try step away, likely picking up on Pinkie’s thoughts again, but the pink mare refused to let her leave and counter-hugged her, pulling Laughter back to her chest. The pegasus let out a squeak of surprise. 
“Nope. You need hugs, and that’s what I’m gonna give you,” Pinkie said, giving Laughter another big squeeze. She could feel that the element really wanted to stay with her, but that she was also still reluctant for some reason. Maybe she didn’t want to impose her pain on Pinkie, given how she had just overcome a lot of her own pain? 
Lucky for her, since I DID overcome that pain, it just means I can help take away some of hers now. After all, ‘you gotta share, you gotta care…’ 
Pinkie hummed in her mind, earning a giggle-snort from Laughter. 
“You don’t n-need to take my pain for me, Pinkie,” Laughter said, trying not to giggle as Pinkie continued with her silly little song. 
“I know. But I want to,” Pinkie said, nuzzling the top of Laughter’s head. “Plus, who says you can’t answer my questions while I hug the frowns away? No pony, that’s who, because no pony can say no to HUGS!” She tightened her hold on Laughter so hard that Laughter’s eyes actually bugged out for a second. But she didn’t seem to mind in the slightest. 
“True,” Laughter said, trying to get her breath back before returning Pinkie’s hug with one just as strong. 
SQUEAK!
“Hehhehehe,” Laughter giggled lightly as Pinkie literally squeaked from the force of the hug. But Pinkie didn’t mind. So long as Laughter was happy—
“Wait a second,” Pinkie said, humming in thought. “I haven’t even asked your name yet!”
“It’s just Laughter, silly.” 
“But what about Magic? SHE had a different name, Magi!” 
Laughter snorted, and then full-out chuckled, much to Pinkie’s confusion. 
Why is she laughing at Magi’s other name?
“She didn’t have another name. She just made up the name ‘Magi’ to try and sound all ‘ancient and majestic and wise’!” Laughter said, smirking and putting on a fake accent that made Pinkie giggle. “She started that nearly ten Bearers ago, and she still does it! Her REAL name is ‘Magicae Est Lux Modo,’ which is the birth name our mother gave her! She’s just embarrassed by it.”
“Why would she be embarrassed? That’s an AWESOME name. OHOHOH! What’s yours, what’s yours!?” Pinkie squealed, bounding in place and dragging Laughter along for the ride. 
I bet it’s really cool! Or really beautiful! Or cool AND beautiful! Beacolaful? Coutiful? Hmmmm…
“Ok, ok,” Laughter giggled, wiggling in Pinkie’s grip. “My full name is ‘Omne Gaudium Risus.’”
“Omno…Gaud—you know what, I can’t say that, so I’m just going to call you Joy!”
Laughter blinked. Then blinked again.
“Joy?” she whispered, her uncertainty and confusion clearly on display both through their magic link and on her face. “Why—”
“Because that’s what you bring to others, and just calling you ‘Laughter’ refers more to you as an Element instead of a pony. This way, people can still get to know you and won’t think you’re just a magic talking rock! It gives you…an identity!”
Pinkie beamed as the pegasus’ eyes started to grow wide with comprehension “Or at least a name ponies can say,” she continued. “Oh, and dragons. I mean, I LOVE your name and it IS both cool AND beautiful AND soothing but I can barely say it and this—OOOFFFFF!” 
Laughter interrupted her rambling by somehow managed to tackle her despite the fact that Pinkie had never let her go.
“I-I LOVE IT!” Joy cried, pure, untainted happiness flowing through their link as she laughed. More tears flowed out of her eyes, but Pinkie could feel that these were tears of delight. “No Bearer has EVER given me my own new name before! I just, I always though my name was enough, and I never asked of another one, but being given one by my bearer without asking is just—I can’t believe it’s never happened before! It’s amazingly stupendous and and and just THANK YOU!”
She buried her face in Pinkie’s chest, sniffling. “Thank you so much.”
Pinkie smiled calmly and gently rubbed her back. 
Another mission of smiles completed…Cheesy would be so proud…
After giving the newly dubbed ‘Joy’ a few minutes to calm down (or at least what Pinkie THOUGHT was a few minutes, given how hard it was to tell time in here), Pinkie realized she still had a few major questions to be asked. 
“Hey Joy, why do you keep calling me a ‘Bearer’?” She could have sworn she knew what it meant, but between everything that happened with Obsidian and now Joy, she was having trouble remembering.
“Because that’s what you are, silly,” Joy said, wiping away the rest of her happy tears. “Well, nearly…”
“Nearly? And you still haven’t told me WHAT it is yet.” Pinkie said with a fake pout, which caused Joy to giggle up at her.
“You silly pony you. Bearers are ponies or other creatures that have the right personality, morals, and soul to perfectly represent one of the Element of Harmony. And just like how Twilight is Magic—sorry, ‘Magi’s’ Bearer,” she added, making silly air quotes and speaking in a goofy accent to make Pinkie snort, “YOU, Pinkie Pie, are MY Bearer!”
“Really!?” Pinkie said, her eyes widening.
“OF COURSE, YOU SILLY PONY!” Joy exclaimed, grabbing Pinkie’s face in her hooves and squishing her cheeks excitedly. “Who BETTER than a pony like you that makes it their mission to spread smiles everywhere!? And before you ask, because I know you’re thinking it, yes, Cheese Sandwich WAS a very close contender, but given how you INSPIRED him with your own happiness, who better than you?!”
You know, that actually makes a LOT of sense now that I think about it. How did I not realize this before!?
“Maybe because I was a shameless distraction?” Joy offered, floating away from Pinkie. She pointed her fore-hooves in opposite directions, crossed her eyes, and stuck her tongue out at a random angle. 
“Hey, hehehehehe, that’s my, hehehe, line!” Pinkie cried, struggling to get the words out between laughs. Joy just winked playfully. 
After a few deep breaths, Pinkie recovered enough to speak again. “But what did you mean when you said ‘nearly’?”
Joy let out a small sigh, her smile becoming more reserved as she descended back to the ground. “Because you’re not ready juuuuuuuust yet. You are really really really really REALLY close, but…you still need to pass my final test.”
“But I didn’t even bring a number two quill!” Pinkie cried in mock horror, prompting another burst of laughter between the two ponies.
“Nonono,” Joy gasped as they finally quieted down. “Not like that. In fact, it’s WAY simpler, in technical terms at least. No multiple parts, no long instructions about what to do, no math or reading sections…I just need to ask you a question, and if you can figure out the right answer, well, you’ll prove yourself ready to wield my power and become the Bearer of the Element of Laugher.
“In truth, I REALLY just want to go with you RIGHT NOW! But there are some rules even I can’t break, and there is still one final lesson I need to make sure you have learned. Are you ready?” 
Pinkie gave a confident nod. “Ready,” she said, her eyes narrowing dramatically as she prepared herself for the ULTIMATE QUESTION!
“What is Laughter?” 
Pinkie blinked. Then tilted her head in confusion. “That’s it?”
“Yep,” Joy said with a nod. “That’s it. Answer correctly, and you’ll become my Bearer. No time limit, no penalty for guessing. You just need to get there in the end.”
“Well, that’s easy,” Pinkie said happily. “Scientifically speaking, it's the removal of air caused by your epiglottis constricting your larynx causing irregular air intake and respiratory upset!” 
…
…
…
“Pinkie, using Sandy’s explanation from SpongeBob doesn’t count,” Joy deadpanned, though it was clear she was trying desperately not to smile as she gave the pink mare a boop on the nose. “Plus, that’s not what I was looking for anyway. It’s not actually about PHYSICAL laughter, but more my element and what it means. Though I’m guessing you know that and just wanted to make a fourth-wall joke?” 
“Heheheh, sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Pinkie said, giggling to herself. “But yeah, I know what laughter is. Laugher is that feeling when you are so full of happiness that you just can’t help but spread it to others, like when I first saw my first Rainboom.”
What a good memory. The world lighting up with color, the rush of emotions I had never felt before, the thought that everything would be ok…
	“Are you sure?” 
Joy’s voice was suddenly very bland, the warm connection of their link now completely empty. Before Pinkie could question it, an image appeared above Joy’s head as though on a flat screen. On it, Pinkie could see and hear an alicorn Lady laughing. 
It was the exact opposite of what she had said. 
She was laughing as ponies worked and worked to pull a large tree into a lumber mill, all of them struggling with what could have been easily levitated by the lady in question. Who it was, Pinkie didn’t know, but she could FEEL the dark emotions behind her laughter.
Another screen appeared to their left, of a group of Butlers laughing at a wing-less Rainbow Dash in her cell.
On the right, another lady was laughing as ponies made fools of themselves for her entertainment. 
Another to the left, a young alicorn filly laughing as she used her Butlers as living dolls, making them fight each other with her magic until they were bruised and battered. 
Another…
And another…
On and on the screens appeared, playing new torments and new clips of cruel laughter that wormed its way to Pinkie’s core. Pinkie tried to block it out, to think of better memories, to think at ALL, but the horrors just kept coming.
There was even an image of her, working under the effects of that TORTUROUS red flower while Obsidian laughed at her plight. Even with her newfound confidence and freedom, the memory still hurt, and combined with the others surrounding them, it was almost too much for her to bear as tears began to flow from her eyes. 
Both for her own pain and those across the generations of abuse.
Is this what I am? Joy’s voice sounded in her head, loud and clear despite the horrible laughter echoing all around Pinkie. Even as she tried to cover her ears to block it out, Joy’s voice continued unabated. You say laughter is the spreading of joy, yet for centuries it has been a weapon of pain. Spreading fear and sorrow as those beneath the alicorns have worked away for all their lives. Few ever even learn how to escape the pain this laughter brings them. 
	Laughter can be used for good, you are proof of that, but there is so much evidence that it can also be a force for evil as well. So tell me, why is it that your laughter represents what I am, while all of this—" she gestured to the evil laughter around her “—does not?”
The cruel laughs continued, growing in volume as more and more images continued to manifest, growing louder by the second, the pain and sorry of so many laid bare before Pinkie’s eyes, even as she clenched them shut. 
They wouldn’t stop. 
So long as Equestria remained a broken and barren wasteland, so long as fear and hatred ruled the emotions of the world, the horrifying laughter would NEVER STOP! 
“BECAUSE THAT’S NOT REAL LAUGHTER!” Pinkie screamed, her voice echoing throughout the empty space. 
For a few seconds, her voice reverberated through the empty space, slowly fading into nothing. It was only when the echo vanished completely that Pinkie realized that everything was once again silent. Cracking her eyes open, she saw that every image had stilled, the sorrow or cruel happiness frozen in time.
“Why not?” Joy whispered, her face and eyes betraying no emotion.
Pinkie opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it. She KNEW laughter was good and not evil. It WAS! But why? What separated all that laughter she had seen from her own…
Her own…
As if responding to her thought, a new screen appeared to her left, one of Pinkie laughing as the massive burst of rainbow filled the sky. 
The sound that of pure happiness gave her the answer.
“Because laughter, real laughter, isn’t meant to just give happiness to one pony, or one creature of any kind,” Pinkie said, her voice quiet but confident as she wiped her tears away. A few more screens appeared, each depicting the laughter she had generated back home in the Everfree Village. Whether it was some random knock-knock jokes to new families, a puppet show for the foals, or even giving Rainbow Dash a raspberry on her stomach when she least expected it, all of their laughter slowly made itself known.
These were her memories, her own knowledge of laughter as she had lived it. Yet she needed more.
“Laugher is a means to SHARE happiness. To spread it to others and give them hope.” Pinkie could feel her own laughter call out into the white void, and soon, more laughter answered the call. More images appeared, laughter being shared between ponies as a means of healing the pain they had endured. Some Pinkie recognized, others she had never met. And the real laughter continued to grow. 
“It’s what keeps us going, what lets us normal ponies carry on even under such cruel tyranny.” More images, more laughs, more happiness spreading and shattering the cruel images that surrounded them. Nurses making their patients smile after a work injury. Wall Flower treating her ponies to a massive feast to celebrate the defeat of The Cloud. Pinkie’s own efforts to spread joy before her flight from Obsidian’s property.
“It’s true that the alicorns laugh, and many at our pain, but that doesn’t make laughter bad or evil. Those alicorns, they’re corrupted, cruel, and so is their laughter, but that just makes our own laughter all the more important. We can fight cruel laughs with REAL laughs, and ours will always win.
“Because the more we laugh, the more we show them that we ARE free. That we are not alone and that we stand together. That no matter what they do to us, we can get back up and keep on going. That they can’t control us, that they can’t break or steal our happiness from us, and that no matter what they say, we are strong! Every laugh shared spreads our strength to others, inspires them that things CAN get better, connects us to those close to our hearts or even strangers in need of help, and that no matter how much fake laughter their is, REAL laughter will always win in the end!”
By now the room was filled with laughter, REAL laughter! From her friends, from Cheese and her down in the secret cave, to ponies she had never met or seen, all of them sharing their laughter and spreading smiles, no matter how small or temporary. 
CRACK!
Suddenly, a massive blue crack appeared directly behind Joy, the cruel laughter being pushed back more and more by the real laughter overwhelming it.
CRACK CRACK CRACK!
“You…are correct!” Joy said with a giddy smile, her bland mask shattering as more cracks appeared, fracturing the endless white expanse. “You truly do understand what my element means! What REAL laughter is all about!!! Congratulations…Bearer of Laughter.”
CRACK!!!!
The white void, along with the fake laughter, exploded. 
EEEP!
Pinkie winced and closed her eyes, but there was no pain, no flash of light. Instead, all she could feel was gentle breeze blow through her fur and into her very core, obliterating some unseen barrier deep within her heart. She couldn't explain it, but from that moment on things were different, even if she still felt physically the same as she did only a few minutes before.
Opening her left eye slowly, she gasped at what she saw. 
The white space had been completely replaced. She now stood on a pathway made almost completely out of stars, twinkling against a gentle blue mist that slowly spun and twirled around her. As it rose, it became fainter, until it disappeared, leaving the sky a perfect black that twinkled with more stars than Pinkie could even count. 
It was beautiful, serene, and the perfect wide open space for a party the likes of which the world had never seen.
But what would I hang my streamers from? Or my decorations? Are there tables here I could use to hold my balloons? Hmmmmm…
	“Welcome to the Astral Realm,” Joy’s soft voice spoke from behind Pinkie, making her spin so fast she nearly fell over. The blue mare giggled. “You did it Pinkie! You really did it. I’m sorry the test was so…overwhelming, but it had to be that way. It always does, just to be sure that you are truly ready to stand up and defend Laughter no matter what! And you were! Congratulations on passing the test!”
Oh, right, I passed! WOHOOOOOO! NEW BEFF (Best Elemental Friend Forever!)!
“It's ok, Joy, I understand,” Pinkie said, bounding over and giving Joy a quick hug. “It's easy to defend something when everypony agrees with you. Not so much when things get tough, so I see why the test was necessary, and I forgive you,” she said, giving Joy a quick squeeze before letting go. Joy just smiled and nodded as relief filled their link. 
Now I really need to find a way to have a party in here! And a way to invite my friends too! I can’t wait to introduce them to Joy—wait a minute. Pinkie thought, releasing Joy and squinting at her in observation.
Joy looked, well, TECHNICALLY the same, yet there was something more…alive about her now. Some…cloud that had been lifted, allowing her to appear brighter and clearer than before. Yet Pinkie still couldn’t place her hoof on why she looked different yet the same.
“Maybe this will help?” Joy tittered softly, turning to show off her cutie mark. 
NO WAY!!!
Gone was the simple blue gemstone spinning endlessly on Joy’s flank. Instead, there was now a light blue crystal balloon spinning in its place. A single ribbon of light blue light twirled around it, constantly dancing and moving around the gem at all different speeds and angles. 
And Pinkie could swear that there was occasionally a flash of rainbow that traveled down the ribbon of light, but anytime she tried to look at it, it vanished from sight. 
“That’s…just like my cutie mark,” Pinkie said, looking back at her own mark. It, too, was now pulsing slightly with its own light, and looked…clearer than before. It looked different to Pinkie, somehow, but she couldn’t really find a way to put it into words. 
“A sign that we are now linked,” Joy said, approaching Pinkie in a calm manner that greatly contrasted with the incredible excited smile expanding across her face. Pinkie wanted to ask what Joy meant, given how they had already appeared to be linked, but the moment she touched Pinkie’s chest with her hoof, Pinkie understood. 
Joy was happy.
So happy that she almost couldn’t process the wealth of emotions she was feeling, so many of them just crashing into each other all at once until all that was left was the calm feeling of being whole once again.
It’s like being complete again after so many years of missing that one piece of yourself that made you…you!
While the old link was a small dirt road for two wagons to travel down, this new one was like a fancy street in a city made of gold. Functionally, it was the same, but there was so much more to it than before. A vast ocean of magic washed over Pinkie, magic she knew would come to her aid should she ever be in trouble.
“We are partners now. So long as you live and hold true to your ideals, I will be with you. Helping you spread laughter, helping you learn from your mistakes, helping you when times are tough. I will always be here for you so long as you continue to be there for me and continue to work in the pursuit of laughter. NOW ARE YOU READY TO PARTY!?” Joy asked, her voice rising in excitement as stars around began to glow brighter. Her magic was surging down their new link, and Pinkie was waiting to meet it.
“You bet I am!” Pinkie exclaimed, grabbing Joy’s hoof in her own as Joy’s magic reached its crescendo. She could feel the power, the pure laughter filling her every cell and fiber of her being as two souls became linked for the rest of time, the world once again dissolving into light blue light. 




At the same moment…




Twilight barely saw the Element of Laughter move before she was blinded by a massive blast of light. Yelping in shock, she squeezed her eyes shut and instinctively lifted a wing to try and block the blue blinding light. 
Then, almost as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. 
What the heck was THAT!?
You’ll see.
Spots were floating in front of her eyes, and Twilight had to squint and blink several times before her eyes cleared enough for her to see what had happened.
Pinkie!? She’s—
The Bearer of Laughter. Not that surprising when you think about it though.
Twilight had to agree with her there.
Standing there exactly where she had been only a few seconds before was Pinkie Pie.	
Her eyes were glowing with a bright blue light as an incredible amount of magic poured off of her, magic that made Twilight want to smile until the end of time. Everything had worked out, and they were one step closer to helping everypony—no, everyone in the entire world. They just needed to find four more Elements, then everything could be fixed. 
Her smile widened. 
Then maybe she could go back to helping at the library—or better yet, create her own library with all the knowledge from across the world. And she could get a pet owl to help Spike organize it and—
Twilight, focus. Pinkie’s giving off pure elemental energy and it’s making you so happy your imagination is running away with you.
Twilight blinked as she felt Magi help block some of the excess magic, then shook her head, still smiling slightly. Looking around, she saw that Magi was right. Pinkie had a large audience watching in awe, each of them smiling for no reason in particular. Even Applejack was smiling like a goofball at nothing in particular as she raised a hoof to her chest piece.
Should we be worried?
Only if this continued for more than a few minutes. This happens whenever a bearer is accepted by their element and should stop in a minute or two.
True enough, after a few more seconds, the magical output began to tapper off, and the magic pouring out of Pinkie’s eyes began to decrease.
Is that how I look when Magi takes over me? Twilight thought as Pinkie rapidly shook her head. Her eyes still glowed blue, but now Twilight was able to finish examining Pinkie in detail.
All the dust and rubble from the battle had been cleaned from her fur, leaving her looking like she had just had the deluxe spa treatment at the Shining Star property. However, the MAJOR difference with Pinkie was the now-balloon-shaped light blue gemstone that was currently sitting in a torc that now clung to the earth pony’s neck. The torc matched Twilight’s almost perfectly save for the dark pink color and the fact that it was slightly smaller to fit the neck of an earth pony…
Pinkie was still an earth pony?
I…was almost expecting her to become an alicorn.
A reasonable expectation, but slightly flawed. The magic of myself and my siblings was indeed used years ago to help our mother create alicorns, but only I have the ability to transform a pony into an alicorn in such a short span of time, just like I am the only one able to strip said gift away from ponies.
Plus, Pinkie will not need to be an alicorn to use my sister’s powers, as her magic is less intense than mine.
Ok, that makes sense.
Either way, Twilight couldn’t help but smile on her own. She had felt Laughter’s magic when she had first appeared from inside the party cannon, and it had felt…subdued, like the damage went far the below the gemstone’s surface. But now, attached to Pinkie’s torc and fully repaired, her magic felt far stronger, as well as more…alive, perhaps?
“Guys, what was that noise?” Cheese called out from inside the party cannon, his voice snapping a few ponies out of their shocked stupors.
“Pinkie’s wearing the Element of Laughter! She’s its new Bearer!” Spike cried excitedly.
“Really? AWESOME SAUSE!” Cheese said, wiggling a bit in the cannon’s barrel. “Uhhh…hold on, just give me a minute. I might possibly be stuck. Also, what’s a Bearer?” 
The looks of bewilderment from the crowd told Twilight that he wasn’t the only one who was confused.
“It means she has been chosen by the Element of Laughter to wield her power, which not only will help us fight other cruel alicorns, but it also means that we are one step closer to healing the damage done to Equestria by The Cloud.” Twilight explained loudly for the crowd.
“That's awesome!" somepony called out.
“Can you go for Lady Prickly Pear next? She’s a b—”
“Honey Comb! Not in front of the foals!”
“What? She is!”
“Can you really fix Equestria?”
“What about the Queen? Can you stop her too?”
“How many more do you need?”
“Can we come with you? I can’t fight, but I can cook for you!”
“I know how to make clothes!”
“Can we finish the party first?”
More and more voices joined in offering assistance, each more excited than the last. Something told Twilight that Applejack just got quite a few new members for her resistance.
At this rate, the village is going to become a city! 
“WOOOOOO!” Pinkie squealed, drawing all attention back to her as her eyes finally stopped glowing blue. Looking down at her new torc, she squealed happily and began poking it curiously. “Sparkly!” 
“EEEP! Hey, cut it out, I’m ticklish!” a voice squeaked as Pinkie’s hoof poke the gem—
Wait, WHAT!?
“S-She just—” Twilight stammered.
“Spoke?” a new voice asked.
“GAH!” Twilight screamed, jumping in surprise and nearly tripping over her own legs, startling everypony near her. That was Magi’s voice! “YOU CAN TALK?!”
“I am assuming you mean without controlling your body?” Magi asked, and Twilight could just HEAR the element smirking coyly at her.
“YES!” 
“Just checking. And yes, I can talk to you like this now. And before you ask—”
“It’s because of ME, Joy, the funny and huggable!” the Element of Laughter exclaimed, getting a few confused and nervous looks from the audience. 
“Wat?” Twilight squawked, trying not to think about the fact that she had just been yelling at her torc in front of everyone. 
“The more of us that have found our Bearers, the greater each of our individual power becomes,” Magi said. A few more excited whispers sounded from the crowd, possibly at the prospect of the powerful artifact that defeated Obsidian getting even more powerful. “Since Pinkie has now been accepted as Laughter’s Bearer, both her power and my power are stronger, allowing us to speak like this so long as we are close to one another. Though I am not sure why Laughter is calling herself Joy…”
“Oh, it was my idea!” Pinkie said, bouncing in place. “I thought she needed a name we could actually say, so I decided to call her Joy! Just like how you gave yourself the name Magi!”
“Oh b—”
“Wait, Magi ISN’T your name!?” Twilight exclaimed. “But you…no, wait. You just told me to call you Magi. You never actually said it was your name! Why did you tell me to call you that instead of your real name?!”
“Because I thought you would like it,” Magi grumbled. “And because my real name is impossible to say and very annoying.”
“But’s it’s such an awesome name!” Pinkie said, grinning.
“Oh, Joy, you did NOT tell her. PLEASE tell me you didn’t tell her.” Magi groaned.
“Ok, I won’t tell you,” Joy said, her tone implying she was sticking her tongue out at Magi teasingly.
“You did tell her. Great…”
“What is it?” Spike called out from Flash’s back. 
“It’s—” 
“No no no no no no NO! You are not telling them!” Magi scolded. “Also, I think Obsidian is waking up again.”
“Ugh…”
At that rough grunt, all eyes turned back towards the shattered house where Obsidian had been flung when Joy had been shot out of the party cannon. The former alicorn was currently stuck in the rubble, but had nearly managed to pull herself back out again. Her eyes were locked on Twilight and Pinkie with a murderous glare.
“She just doesn’t know how to stay down, does she?” Flash asked with a small eye-roll, walking to put himself in between Twilight and Obsidian. Twilight didn’t think Obsidian would be able to do anything right now, but she still smiled a bit at Flash still working to keep her safe.
Though she did levitate Spike off his back, just in case.
“Y-You insects!” Obsidian screamed, coughing roughly and nearly collapsing again as she finally pulled herself free. “You think this is over!?”
“Kinda, yeah,” Pinkie said.
“Definitely,” Flash said.
“Eeyep,” Big Mac called out from a short distance away.
“Probably!” Cheese called out from inside the party cannon, his legs now digging furrows in the ground as he tried to escape its party grasp. 
“Looks like it,” Spike said.
“I’d say so,” said Twilight.
“You bet it is," Applejack growled.
“You fools! Do you really think this will go unnoticed!? I am Equestria’s second largest producer of gems! When the Queen realizes what you’ve done, she’ll come for all of you! And then I will be returned to my rightful place as your MASTER!”
“No, you won’t,” Pinkie said calmly, walking forward slowly. Obsidian staggered forward as well, screaming angrily as she tried to lash out at Pinkie with a hoof. Pinkie simple ponked backwards a step, causing Obsidian to fall on her face as she over-balanced. “You have no power now.” 
Growling, Obsidian climbed back up and tried again. 
But Pinkie merely caught her hoof, not even flinching from the weak strike. Obsidian tried to follow up with a headbutt, but Pinkie just blocked it with her mane, causing Obsidian to stumble back as she coughed on the pink fluff.
“You will never stop my parties, or haunt my nightmares, or torture innocent ponies who just want to have fun. You will never torment anypony ever again,” Pinkie said, smiling softly. 
“Yeah!” Joy cheered, flashing excitedly. “And now we’re gonna throw the biggest party of the millennia to celebrate your defeat!”
“Good thing we still have all these decorations,” Pinkie agreed with a happy bounce.
Obsidian glared at Joy. “I’ll make sure to SMASH you when I get my powers back, you stupid ro—”
WooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooooOOOO!!!
Everyone present looked at Pinkie in confusion as her tail suddenly began to twitch up and down sporadically. Pinkie’s eyes suddenly widened. Without a word, she suddenly lunged forward at Obsidian, tackling her out of the way just in time to avoid an anvil from the fight earlier that would have crushed Obsidian’s skull!
Everypony leapt back, gasping. Pinkie looked like she had seen a ghost.
“W-What—” Obsidian muttered, her face going pale as she looked back at what very well may have killed her.
WooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoooooOOOO!!!
“TWITCHY TAIL! STUFF IS FALLING STUFF FROM THE SKY!” Pinkie screamed, just as more junk came raining down from the heavens. That warning came just in time as a piece of stone smashed a nearby table, making the surrounding ponies scream and run for cover. 
The resistance unicorns either threw up hasty shields or worked to divert the rubble from the panicking ponies. Thankfully, most of it was just small bits of rubble Maud had knocked into the sky, but there were a few bigger things that fell as well, including a chunk of rock almost as big as Obsidian had been before her trial. Thankfully, Pinkie’s warning was enough of an alert for Twilight to light her horn and catch anything larger than a pony from crashing into the ground.
In the end, only a single flowerpot made it through the shields, nailing Obsidian right in the head and knocking her unconscious for the third time. Thankfully, the junk storm was over in less than a minute, and Twilight quickly levitated all the rubble over to the ruined house, letting out a sigh of relief as she released her load.
That was heavier than expected. And jeez, how hard did Maud hit that stuff that it just started raining down NOW?! It must have been in the sky for at least ten minutes! she thought as she sank to a sitting position to rest. Looking around, she was happy to see that no pony else had been hurt.
“Twitchy tail.” 	
“Hmm?” Twilight hummed, looking back at Pinkie, who didn’t seem to even register Fluttershy pulling Obsidian away from her grip. Angel Bunny was carrying her medical bag on his back, so it looked like Fluttershy was going to treat Obsidian’s head injury before they restrained her. 
That actually said a lot about Fluttershy’s kindness given how Obsidian clearly didn’t deserve her help in the first place.
No, focus Twilight. Something just happened, and it’s freaking Pinkie out.
“Pinkie, are you ok?” Twilight asked, trying to stand and move closer to Pinkie, only to sink back down as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. 
I may have overdone it a bit.
Twilight winced as bubbly mare in front of her squealed loudly in pure excitement.
“Twitchy tail! TWITCHY TAIL! My Pinkie Sense, I-I-IT’S BACK!!!”
Pinkie was crying, tears streaming down her muzzle, but her laughter was so loud and contagious that Twilight couldn’t help but smile herself. Given how upset Pinkie had been when she had spoken about her broken Pinkie Sense, it was no wonder she was so happy now that it was fixed. Granted, Twilight didn’t know how a twitchy tail predicted an anvil, but if Pinkie was happy, it didn't really matter.
“Joy, did you do this!?!?” Pinkie asked, looking down at her torc as she bounced three times faster than should be physically possible.
“YEP! When you became my Bearer, you got a dose of Harmony magic, helping fix any problems you may have had, including the magical damage done to your Pinkie Sense! SURPRISE!!!!”
“EEEEEEEE!!! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” Pinkie squealed, bending down to give Joy a quick kiss. 
And Twilight could swear she saw the Element of Laughter blush. 
How a rock could blush, she didn’t know, but if Joy was anything like Pinkie, she knew questioning it would get her nowhere.
“That’s awesome!” Cheese Sandwich called out with the upper half of his body still inside the party cannon. “Also, can somepony help me, I…yeah, I definitely think I’m stuck,” he added shyly, planting his two hind hooves on the sides of the cannon and pushing, only to remain firmly where he was. Twilight lit her horn to try and help, only to wince as the glow disappeared. 
Owowowow. Ok, I definitely used a bit too much magic on that rubble, or cast too much over too short a time frame. It’s hard to tell which. I should probably wait a few minutes for my horn to recover before casting again. Twilight rubbed her temples to calm her headache just as Joy spoke again.
“Y-You’re welcome Pinkie,” Joy stuttered. “But now that that’s done, we still need to tell Twilight Magi’s real name—” 
“Pinkie, don’t you have a party to throw? And now have another reason to throw one?” Magi asked hastily.
“Shameless distraction!” Joy yelled, but she was ignored as Pinkie gasped in delight.
“YOU’RE RIGHT! I almost forgot. Get ready everypony, because now WE REALLY NEED TO PARTY!
With a flying leap, she tackled the still-stuck Cheese Sandwich, causing both of them to disappear inside the party cannon with a panicked yelp, a loud POP, and the sound of a trombone. 
Never mind. Look’s like Pinkie’s got it.
“I still want to know your name,” Twilight said, frowning at Magi as everypony else began to back up, the party cannon bulging and expanding until it was nearly ten times its normal size.
“Fine, but later.”
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
The party cannon fired, sending a cheering Pinkie and a screaming-in-maybe-terror Cheese Sandwich skyward as party supplies rained down on the property that no longer belonged to Obsidian. There were cakes, streamers, bowls of punch, tablecloths carrying bowls of various party snacks. All of it rained down, covering every inch of the property and creating the biggest spread of food the ponies below had ever seen. 
And above it all, a massive firework in the shape of the Element of Laughter exploded, showering the property below in a flurry of rainbow-colored-sparkles.
The battle had been won, and it was clear to Twilight that this would be Pinkie’s biggest party to date. 




An hour later…




“Whew…I need a punch break,” Pinkie muttered to no one in particular as she collapsed into one of the empty chairs at the edge of town, a ways away from the center of the party. Ever since being fired from her party cannon and using Cheesy’s pogo stick to break their fall, she had been going non-stop to make sure this party was the best party in the history of Equestria!
Or at least the best party in the last three thousand years or so, before The Cloud appeared.
It had taken awhile, but at last the party had reached critical party-itude, which meant it would be self-sustaining for at least a good four hours. Pinkie was happy, Joy was ecstatic through their emotional link, and everyone else was partying like there was no tomorrow. Which meant she had plenty of time for—
“Punch, dear?” Rarity asked with a smile, causing Pinkie to blink in surprise. Last she had seen, Rarity had been dragged into the center of the party, which was basically just a large blob of ponies in the center of the property, and thrown head-first into a massive conga line currently wrapping its way around the property. So how did she get out and over to the tables near the road Pinkie had taken onto the property? 
Maybe she's just that good at conga lines? Though, isn’t it currently on the other side of the property? Did Rarity learn to teleport while I was gone? Did Twilight teach her? Either way, it’s nice to have someone to recover with. Also, YAY, PUNCH!
“Ooooo, thanks Rarity!” Pinkie said, graciously accepting the large cup from her magic and quickly chugging the entire thing in a few gulps. 
Is Rarity psychic? Is that how she knew I need some super-grape-sugar-punch as a pick-me-u—
BUUUUUUUUUUURP!
“Ahhhhh, I needed that,” Pinkie said happily, relaxing back into her chair and ignoring Rarity’s look of mild horror. Though Pinkie would be horrified too if someone had managed to out-burp her.
Don’t worry, Rarity. Just keep practicing and I’m sure you’ll be able to out-burp me one day.
“So, Pinkie, how are you feeling?” Rarity asked, shaking her head and moving to sit down next to the bubbly mare.
“Incredibly stupendously happy,” Pinkie said, bouncing in her seat slightly. “I mean, just look at all of this! We did it, Rarity! We really did it! We really beat Obsidian!” Her smile widened even more, even as a small tear fell down her cheek.
“And now you’re so happy you can’t help but cry?” Rarity asked gently, passing Pinkie a napkin. “Is it because you’re so happy that everyone else is happy, or because it’s finally over?” 
“A bit of both, though…I guess it’s not totally over…” Pinkie said, her smile falling slightly as she looked over at one group of ponies in particular. 
While most of the ponies on the property had immediately been swept up into the party, those who had been under the effects of the carvilious flowers had been far less energetic. Some hadn't even reacted to the party at all, just standing there with blank looks on their faces.  Thankfully, despite the craziness, Pinkie had been able to find Twilight and pull her away for a few minutes while Cheese helped direct the affected ponies towards the edge of town.
Once there, it hadn’t been hard to convince Magi and Twilight to use most of Obsidian's reclaimed magic to try and help the affected ponies. She would have asked for them to use all of it, but she knew some ponies back at the village might still need it. Still, it was really cool to see the dozens of magical beams spill out from Magi and weave their way through the affected ponies, slowly wrapping around them and bringing happy emotions back to their faces.
Unfortunately, despite Twilight and Magi using so much magic, the ponies still had quite a bit of recovering to do. The magic had certainly accelerated the healing process, reducing the recovery time from years to months in the worst cases (according to Magi, at least), but it would take more time. All of them were at least now moving normally again rather than like zombies, smiling, laughing on occasion, eating, having fun, but Pinkie could tell that they were still struggling. Most were better, if still subdued, and a good hoof-full had fully recovered, but the worst affected were still showing almost no emotion, save for a few small smiles and passing chuckles. 
Most of the affected ponies were also isolating themselves from the main party, but their families and friends had surrounded them and were treating them to a much calmer, smaller party at the very edge of the main celebration. Fluttershy was also there, currently talking with ponies and their families to help them adjust in whatever way she could. And it looked to be helping, if only slightly. 
Still…
“They will be fine, Pinkie,” Rarity said reassuringly, her hoof coming to rest over Pinkie’s. “They just need time. And with you and Cheese Sandwich to keep their spirits up, I can promise you that they will get better.”
“I know.” Pinkie said, sighing as she let her worry flow away. “They won’t be like that forever. We just need to help them along the way…”
“Indeed. But I do have one question,” Rarity said, sounding slightly unsure.
“Yeah?”
Is Rarity worried about the injured ponies? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if she went to help too.
“When that anvil was falling from the sky, right when your Pinkie Sense showed itself again, you tackled Obsidian out of the way,” Rarity said slowly, as if choosing her words carefully. “Now it happened so fast that I doubt you had any time to think, which means that you instinctively saved Obsidian despite everything she has done. Either way, it was very kind that you did so, but…I wanted to ask, do you regret saving her? Don’t get me wrong, I would NEVER wish death upon a pony, especially given how being depowered is likely a far more fitting punishment, but—”
"I understand Rarity. And no, I don’t regret it,” Pinkie said earnestly. “Even if I had the time to think about it, I still would have saved her.”
“Why?”
“Because of Twilight.”
“Twilight?”
“Mm-hmm. When we first defeated Thorn, she refused to let Applejack finish her off, saying that ‘killing her will just make us as bad as she is.’ I can’t forgive Obsidian for what she did, ever, but if I just let her die…” She shook her head. “Obsidian would have let me die if our places were reversed. But even with all she did to me, my family, Boulder, and everypony else, I wouldn’t just stand by and let her get crushed like that. It wouldn’t be right, no matter how much she deserved it.”
Rarity was silent for a little bit, and then she smiled. “I think everypony could learn a thing or two from you, Pinkie. That was a very thoughtful and deep answer, and quite the example for the rest of the Resistance.”
“Awwwwww, you’re just saying that,” Pinkie said happily, waving a foreleg at Rarity bashfully. 
“Oh no, darling, I am being completely serious,” Rarity said. “Anypony that can face such adversity and pain from a truly horrible pony yet still instinctively save said pony without a second thought or regret should be praised. You did the right thing naturally and without a moment's hesitation. You set an example all ponies should follow, no matter the tribe. It’s no wonder Joy chose you.”
“She has a poooooooooooint,” Joy sing-songed, earning a laugh from the mares. They were quickly interrupted, however, by the loud grumble of Pinkie’s stomach. 
Oh, right. I skipped breakfast this morning. Oops. Actually, when WAS the last time I ate? I remember snacking on a few bits of food while me and Cheesy were finishing the tank, but it wasn’t that much. Hmmm…
Thankfully, there was a solution right nearby! Her party cannon explosion earlier had launched quite a few pieces of pre-cut-cake all over the property for the truly STARVING ponies, and one such piece was sitting on the table! She had completely missed it. 
How DID I miss that piece of super-strawberry cake? Am I so hungry that I’m missing obvious things right in front of me? What else have I been missing?! Stilly, YAY! CAKE!
Sure, it was about seventy-two percent covered in confetti, but still, CAKE!
“Ohhh!” Pinkie cheered, her tongue shooting out and scooping the cake, paper plate, and confetti into her mouth.
“Pinkie! Don’t eat that!” Rarity cried in horror.
“Why not? It’s just cake,” Pinkie said, swallowing the confetti-covered treat in one gulp. “Mmmmmmm, cake…ACHOO!” 
She sneezed, sending a flurry of confetti out of her mouth and nose with a small squeeeeee, just like her party cannon. 
Rarity’s eye twitched as the somehow-still-perfectly-clean confetti landed all over her. 
“Oops, sorry,” Pinkie apologized, giggling sligh—
“Incoming stone!” Joy exclaimed just as something really strong tackled Pinkie from behind. 
EEP!!!!!! I swear I have more Chex Mix if we ran out! Or cake! Or punch!
“You idiot! Didn’t you realize how much danger you were in by coming here!?” an angry yet very familiar voice yelled, causing Pinkie’s panic to evaporate and be replaced with shock. But before she could try and speak out or confirm her suspicions, her attacker squeezed her with all their might, causing Pinkie to let out an audible ‘SQUEAK’! 
Ok, I am either caught in either a really loving hug, or an angry bear hug meant to try and crush my ribs. And if this IS who I think it is, then it could honestly be both—
	OHHHHH! That’s what Joy meant!
“Mm-hmm!” another voice exclaimed as a second pony joined the impromptu pony-pile, though the voice was so soft that Pinkie almost didn’t hear it over the noise of the party.
“See? Even MARBLE thinks you were a reckless idiot! What would have happened if you were caught again!? HUH!? I-If Obsidian had made you eat that f-flower again! Just, just…” 
Pinkie involuntarily squeaked again as the ponies hugging her tightened their hold. She was almost certain she knew who they were, but since they were still pinning her to the ground with her face in the dirt, it was hard to tell for sure.
“Pardon me,” Rarity called out, and the pressure on Pinkie’s body loosened and then vanished entirely. 
"What the—HEY! PUT US DOWN!"
“EEP!”
“I will consider it, but first, might I ask who you are and why you are trying to crush poor Pinkie? I know Pinkie loves strong hugs, but shoving her face in the dirt is just plane rude,” Rarity said, giving Pinkie a chance to sit up, clean her face with a quick shake of her head, then see her attackers.
EEEEE! It is them!
“It’s ok, Rarity. I know them!” Pinkie squeaked excitedly, bouncing into the air and grabbing the two floating earth ponies in a loving headlock-hug. Both of them squirmed as Pinkie dragged them back to earth, and immediately returned to hugging/crushing her.
“Rarity, this is my oldest sister, Limestone Pie,” Pinkie said, gesturing with her mane to the mare on her left, a blueish-grey with lime green eyes, a flat grey mane, and a lime with two blocks of salt as a cutie mark. She was currently glaring daggers at both Pinkie and Rarity, just like always.
“And my youngest sister, Marble Pie,” Pinkie said, gesturing to the grey mare with the greenish-grey mane, purple eyes, and a cutie mark of three perfect marble spheres, each a light purple with dark purple stripes. Marble was currently trying to hide behind her mane, but offered a soft “mm-hmm" in greeting.
“Limestone is always mad at something, Marble is shy, and they’re both the best sisters a mare could ask for!”
“Quiet, you,” Limestone growled. She squeezed Pinkie tighter, but was unable to hide the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
“Mm-hmm,” Marble muttered, nuzzling Pinkie and crying, though Pinkie couldn’t tell if it was from joy or worry.
“Ah, well then, it is a pleasure to meet the both of you,” Rarity said politely, though still looking at them warily. “Though again, why were you trying to crush poor Pinkie?”
“Because then maybe we can get the message across of how recklessly stupid she is!” Limestone snapped, even as she began to cry. “M-Maud risked her life to help this goofy pony escape from the torture Obsidian put her though! Helped her so she wouldn’t just become a-a mindless zombie like the others! So that her a-annoying, irritating, r-really kind a-and thoughtful habit of making us s-smile wouldn’t be s-s-stamped out like our g-grandma’s.”
Limestone tried to keep her voice fierce and angry, but despite that, it lowered with each word until it was little more than a sad grumble. “So she wouldn’t end up like G-Granny Pie…”
“Mm-hmm…” Marble agreed, reaching her head across Pinkie’s chest to give Limestone a comforting nuzzle. 
Pinkie shivered. She remembered her grandma, how fun she had used to be. She also remembered that Granny Pie had received the same punishment she had. And unlike her, Granny Pie had never been given enough time to fully recover before being forced to take another dose. 
Wait. Why didn’t I see Granny Pie yet? I know it’s taken Marble, Limestone, Mom, and Dad a while to show up because they were all still in the mines…actually, Mom and Dad might still be in the mines – they’re usually assigned to the deepest levels because of their expertise –but Granny Pie wouldn’t be working there with them. She’s too old! So where is she?! Please don’t tell me…
“Limey? Where is Granny?” Pinkie asked quietly. 
“Traded,” Limestone replied sadly. “To some Lady named Golden Heart.”
“Oh THANK GOODNESS!” Pinkie cried, springing into the air and tossing her sisters into the sky. Both screamed in panic, but Pinkie caught them deftly and began to spin excitedly. “Don’t you worry about Granny Pie then. Lady Golden Heart is the best friend of Lady Celestia and Lady Luna, and they’re three of the nicest alicorns in Equestria!”
“Indeed,” Rarity said, smiling as well as she gently stopped Pinkie from spinning too much. “I have heard very good things about all of them, so I can assure you your grandmother is likely perfectly fine. And if you don’t believe us, our friend Twilight grew up knowing Golden Heart personally, so she would be able to confirm that your Grandma is in good hooves. She may have even recovered from that dreadful flower by now.”
Marble blinked for a moment, and then began to smile just as widely as Pinkie. Limestone stood there with a shocked expression, her mouth moving before she shook her head and scowled.
“That doesn’t change the fact that Pinkie nearly got herself caught again!” the blue-grey mare yelled as she fought her way out of her sister’s grip, thought even she couldn’t hide the small smile on her lips. 
“I do agree that Pinkie was in danger,” Rarity said gently, laying a hoof on Limestone’s shoulder as Pinkie contented her self with bouncing in place with both forelegs around Marble. “But she WAS aware the risks, and was willing to put up with them in order to try and save you and the others from Obsidian. And because of her, not only is Obsidian depowered and no longer a threat, but the resistance now has the Element of Laughter, bringing us that much closer to stopping the alicorns for good.” 
“She’s right, Limey,” Pinkie said, releasing Marble and hugging Limestone more gently. “I knew what I was getting myself into, and it was worth the risk. Plus, I just couldn’t bear the idea of you or Marble or Maud or Mom or Dad having to eat the flower either. So I couldn’t just leave you here. But I’m sorry I made you so worried.”
Limestone grumbled something unintelligible before returning the hug. 
“Just don’t scare me like that again,” she muttered as she nuzzled Pinkie. “I can’t stand seeing my little sisters get hurt.”
“I will need to go into battle again, Limey, there is no way around that,” Pinkie said sadly, before smiling. “But I promise I’ll do all I can to stay safe, and to not get into trouble intentionally, ok? And if you’re so worried, I’m sure Fluttershy could teach you to become a medic.”
“I’ll think about it, if only to keep YOU out of trouble.” Limestone grumbled, before nodding.
“Good! Now where are Mom and Dad? I thought they would be with you. Are they still in the mines?”
“I don’t know, but if they’re not still in the mines, then they’re probably in the middle of THAT!” Limestone said, gesturing to the mass of ponies dancing in the center of the town. Which also just so happened to be between them and the mines. “And I have no idea how we can find them either way.”
“Well, that’s easy, silly. We wait for them to come out and join the party, and in the meantime, WE DANCE!” Pinkie cheered. She grabbed Marble, who let out a panicked squeak, tightened her hold on Limestone, who grunted, before dragging both of them back towards the mass of dancing ponies down the street. 
“I don’t dance! Pinkie, let go! Rarity, help!” Limestone cried as she and Marble were hauled towards the mass of ponies. 
“MM-HMM!” Marble squealed, trying to escape Pinkie’s grip to no avail.
Rarity sighed. “Oh, Pink—EEEP!” she squealed as Pinkie’s neck stretched an impossible distance back to Rarity, bit down on her tail, and dragged her backwards towards the dancing mob as well. “Pinkie! Stop! You’re ruining my tail!” 
But her plea went unheeded as all four of them were consumed by the mass of partying ponies once again.
No pony can escape the party.



Half an hour later…




“Wow,” Spike muttered, not even bothering trying to hide his drool. Despite wanting to party like there was no tomorrow, Spike was already starting to feel tired. Being shorter than all but the foals meant he had a hard time keeping up with the rest of the party, regardless of all the punch and food he had been feasting on. 
Thankfully, with Obsidian now depowered and locked in her own dungeon until they could figure out what to do with her, her mansion was now open to the public. Granted, many ponies were still wary of coming inside, but the entrance hall had been serving as a good place to rest for those who needed a break from the fun chaos outside. 
In fact, a few other ponies had used their break from the party to begin examining the mansion to see what lay within.
Spike himself had become curious about what secrets or supplies the mansion held as well, and after taking a small break to recover his energy, he also began to explore the many rooms on his own. Most were boring or empty, and after twenty minutes he had nearly given up on finding anything interesting. But then he found a locked door sealed with a high-class magic lock. 
Nothing a little dragon fire couldn’t melt…or a lot of dragon fire, really, but it had been worth it.
All because of THIS!
A gem-crafting workshop! 
It made sense given the property’s specialization in gems, but given the quality of everything in here and the lock on the door, Spike could only assume this was Obsidian's personal gem workshop! And the best part, it was nearly OVERFLOWING with high quality gems!
Pony food was ok, but nothing could compare to gemstones! The cool refreshing taste of a sapphire, the spicy zest of a ruby, the sweet candy-like taste of a pearl, the minty flavor of an emerald, the hard crunchy bliss of a topaz…it was amazing. And the better the gem’s quality, the better the taste! Given how the nearest box was full of nearly perfect gemstones, he had nearly dived right into it less than a minute after entering the room.
But then he saw it. Something so rare, he never thought he would ever taste it again. 
There, sitting in a special incubator box designed to help gemstones grow and age more quickly, sat a fire ruby. The largest fire ruby he had ever seen. It was bigger than his claws, and formed in the perfect shape of a heart…
Lifting a nearby gem-tuning fork, Spike gave the fire ruby a quick strike.
Tinnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg…
Not quite ripe.
But it didn’t matter. Once it was ripe enough, nothing could ever compare to the taste. Heck, Spike nearly ate it the moment he saw it.
But he couldn’t, not yet. It had to be perfect! And in a month or two growing in that box, it would be.
Oh, he could barely wait!




Meanwhile…




"So this is where she kept it all,” Flash said, looking around with a worried frown. While the party was still in full swing, he, Twilight, Applejack, and a few other resistance ponies had been taking breaks to search Obsidian's house for supplies, valuables, weapons, etc. So far, they had found the kitchen and pantry, both fully stocked with food that would do well to resupply the village, an armory with plenty of weapons for their new recruits, and a bunch of empty rooms. 
Their latest find, however, was out back of the house.
It was a large, two-story greenhouse, similar to the one Lady Celestia and Lady Luna had on their property. Given the barren landscape around them, it wasn’t really that surprising of a find. Or, at least, not until they realized that there were three magical locks on the door, their enchantments so powerful that even Twilight would have taken hours to break through them. 
Thankfully, a dedicated twenty-minute search of Obsidian’s room had allowed them to find the keys, unlock the door…
And witness the horror inside.
The ONLY plant inside the greenhouse was an endless number of large red flowers filling every pot on every table and every hanging planter in the greenhouse. By Flash’s estimate, there were enough carvilious flowers to feed everypony on the property at least twice over, if not more.
I’ve never been so disturbed to see so much of a single plant in one place…Why the heck does she keep so much of this stuff just sitting around?! How long do these even keep?
“T-These are…” Twilight muttered behind him.
“Carvilious flowers,” Applejack growled, glaring around the room. “Just be careful not to get any in your mouth. They’re harmless unless ingested. You do ingest one, even just a single leaf, and your magic and will to fight will be gone faster than an apple in a vampire fruit bat infestation.” 
Despite all his years of training, Flash couldn’t help but shiver slightly at that. He had spent years perfecting his skills, training his mind and body, creating plans, backup plans, and backup plans for his backup plans. The idea of all of that vanishing in an instant, of losing the will to even swing his wing blades or protect Twilight…
It was a terrifying thought, one that seemed like something straight out of a nightmare. One that made him shiver even more.
How would you even combat something like this?
Flash blinked as he felt something drape over his back. Turning, he saw that Twilight had walked over to him and gently placed a wing over his back, slowly brushing him with her feathers. It was…incredibly calming.
“Thanks,” he whispered.
"No problem,” Twilight said, smiling at him gently. “These things are rather unnerving, aren't they?” 
“Yea…”
The calming moment was ruined when Applejack kicked over a nearby table in anger. “That bitch. Look at all this. Enough flowers here to torture every pony under her care, I reckon. No wonder not even her Butlers were willing to defend her!”
“‘Obey me or eat a flower that will take away your magic and turn you into a hopeless zombie,’” Flash said, carefully walking down the row of red flowers with Twilight by his side. It was hard to notice, but by the way Twilight was hugging his side, Flash knew that she was just as nervous as he had been. Yet she never removed her comforting wing. “Never thought obeying her might be the more reasonable option…”
“Well, what do we do with it all?” Twilight asked, gesturing to the mass of flowers with a free hoof. 
“Burn it,” Applejack growled, glaring at the flowers as if trying to will them to catch fire through her stare alone. “We can’t risk any other alicorns finding it.”
Flash couldn't agree more, and yet something still gave him pause.
Didn’t Applejack say that you can dilute the plant to make medicine? And doesn’t this plant affect alicorns too? If so, and if we’re careful, maybe we can use some of it.
“Not so fast,” Flash said, putting a hoof to his chin in thought as he reached the end of the first set of table. “I agree we should burn MOST of it, but I think we should take at least a few planters’ worth back with us.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Twilight opened her mouth, frowning, but Flash held up a hoof to stop her before she could speak. 
“I know it may seem like a crazy idea to keep something so dangerous around, but we might be able to use this to our advantage. You mentioned this flower can be a potent medical drug if mixed and diluted correctly, right Applejack?” The orange mare nodded. “Thought so. While we may have avoided serious injuries with the last three alicorns we’ve encountered, excluding Rainbow being thrown into that wall, that luck can’t last. 
“Heck, Rarity was nearly dead when Twilight found her. If it wasn't for Magi, I’m not sure we would have had anything strong enough to treat her in time, even if we got her back to the village. Sooner or later somepony will get badly hurt, or we’ll find ponies badly hurt on a property we take over. As such, it’s better to have a supply of this stuff for when we will inevitably need it.”
“I can see the logic in that, but I ain’t had to mix medicine with this in years,” Applejack said, conceding the point. “And no pony else on the property knows how to mix it either…though, I suppose Second Sight might be able to figure it out. She’s really knowledgeable when it comes to plants and how to use them, so if we give her enough time she might be able to perfect a formula.”
“Exactly. And even if she can’t, I still want to experiment with it anyway.”
“Experiment?” 
“I only have one plunder bomb left, which is basically the only thing I have that can combat an alicorn. Even my wing blades likely wouldn’t do much if they know how to fight well enough. Right now I’ve been trying to save it for when we inevitably need to fight the Queen, but that leaves me without an effective weapon for any future alicorns we need to take down. And if Twilight gets hurt, we could be at a serious disadvantage. 
“While these flowers can’t help me make more plunder bombs, they might be able to help me come up with an alternate and less painful type of bomb. Pinkie said they stop magic from working temporarily, which is good if you need to use the medicine on a broken horn or wing. But if I can dilute them enough, and in the right way, I might be able to make a bomb that can block magic use without the painful side effects Pinkie experienced.”
“Which could help us fight other alicorns! Give us a way to take away their biggest advantage: their powerful magic!” Applejack agreed, her eyes widening as a devilish grin spread across her face.
“Exactly. And Fluttershy and Second Sight might even be able to come up with an antidote to these flowers using herbs from the Everfree Forest. Though this is all hypothetical right now, and I’m not sure if an antidote could help those ponies who have already been exposed to the undiluted flowers. But it would still be worth the time investigating and experimenting with.”
“Hypothetical or not, you do that, and we’ll have one heck of a surprise for the other alicorns. You get that to work, and you’ll give us a major leg up in this fight,” Applejack grinned dangerously. 
Flash suppressed another shiver. He couldn’t put his hoof on it, but something about her look just felt…off. But Applejack didn’t seem to notice his unease. “Just tell the others how much you think we need to take. We’ll pack it up, bring some extra to replant in the Everfree, then burn the rest,” she continued.
“Agreed,” Flash said with a nod to clear his head. He could worry about Applejack later. Right now, he needed to figure out how much of this stuff he would need to take with him. 




Two hours later…




“Whew, what a party,” Cheese said, collapsing into the nearest chair. He was all for parties, but never in his life had he dreamed he would be helping co-host one so BIG! It was amazing! Yet also really draining. It was amazing that he managed to get back to the mansion’s dining room at all.
Who know that conga lines could be so exhausting? I need some food before I pass out.
“Hey Cheesy Sandwichy! Need some cake?” Pinkie called out from atop the nearby chandelier, bouncing down and over to him with a plate of food balanced on her head. Cheese smiled. In the short span of time he had truly known Pinkie, she had done wonders to liven up his world just like she did all those years ago. And no matter how crazy this little adventure had gotten, Pinkie never ran out of energy or smiles. She was really living up to her new title as Bearer of Laughter. 
I wonder if she is always this good at parties. I sure hope so! I still have a lot to learn.
“Yes, please!” Cheese said, nodding happily. Winking, Pinkie tossed the plate of food up and had it land perfectly on his lap. It was covered in one massive piece of three-layered red velvet cake, which in turn had three scoops of ice cream, ten sugar-coated pretzel sticks, and a healthy dose of hot fudge just to top it off.
“Perfect. Thanks, Pinkie,” Cheese said, immediately digging in. He could FEEL his energy returning as he ate the cake that he was positive had a two-to-one sugar-to-sugar ratio, though he wasn’t exactly sure how that was possible. 
Eh, it’s Pinkie. Not making sense is part of what makes her so much fun!
“So Pinkie, how’s the rest of the party going?” Cheese asked, digging into the food.
“Great! I found my sisters Limestone and Marble, and together we danced our way through the party to find my parents! Oh, and Rarity was a great, if reluctant, back-up dancer.”
“That’s great! How are your parent’s doing?”
“Super duper, especially now that they won’t need to work so much! They were both really happy to see me, but they DID spend a few minutes scolding me for putting myself in so much danger. But then they hugged me and dragged me back into the dance so we could keep celebrating, and were smiling so widely I thought their grins might just fall off, so it’s all ok.
“Cool! Are they still out there?”
"I think so, but they may have headed back home to try and rest a bit. They had been working a LOT of shifts in the mine, so they were pretty tired. I even gave them two more sets of those earplugs you gave me for Obsidian so they could sleep without the rest of the party keeping them up!”
“Glad to be of service,” Cheese said, saluting happily before returning to his cake.
“By the way, Cheesy,” Pinkie said, bouncing around a bit as he ate, “You remember how Maud came charging in?”
“How could I forget?” Cheese laughed. 
“Well, it turns out that before she came to see us, she broke into Obsidian’s old store house on the way back from the mine to save Boulder first. And while she was there, she found this.” She reached into her mane and pulling out a—
“BONELESS!” Cheese cried, tossing the last third of his cake onto the table as he tackled the rubber chicken. “You’re ok! How have you been, buddy? Did Obsidian hurt you?” He said, quickly inspecting the chicken from every angle before looking him dead in the goggly eyes. “Were you afraid? I’m so sorry I never had a chance to save you!” 
Oh how he missed the rubbery, squeaky feel of he best friend in his legs, the satisfying squeak he gave as Cheese hugged him with all his might. 
He never meant to take so long in rescuing him, and he had never forgotten the act of heroism that he had done to protect Cheese from Obsidian.
“Boneless?” Pinkie asked, pulling Cheese Sandwich out of his excited thoughts, only to realize that he had ended up sitting on Pinkie’s stomach after he grabbed the chicken.
Don’tblushdon’tblushdon’tblushdangitI’mblushing.
“Sorrysorrysorry,” Cheese babbled, trying to control his blush as he leapt off Pinkie. “I’m just so excited to see him and—”
“It’s fine, Cheesy,” Pinkie said, waving a hoof before giving him a quick hug.
Not helping with the blush! Please don’t let her notice or say anything!
“SOooooooo? Who is he?” 
“O-Oh, right. Pinkie, this is Boneless,” Cheese said, internally sighing in relief as he proudly displayed his best friend for Pinkie. “He was my first ever partner-in-party. I found him when sneaking around the property one night. I think Obsidian got a wrong package or something a few days before, or maybe a prank package? All I know for sure is that she got a box of rubber chickens one day and got so mad at it that she threw it away in frustration, and by that, I mean she literally sent it flying across the sky.”
“How do you know that?" 
“I eavesdropped on some Butlers who mentioned it out on the rock fields. Anyway, he must have fallen out, since he was just sitting there out in the open, so I took him home with me so the Butlers wouldn’t destroy him or something.
“He…was my best friend,” Cheese continued, smiling softly as the memories came flooding back. “Someone I could bounce new ideas off of, someone who could watch my back whenever I needed to infiltrate Obsidian’s mansion. Someone who could watch the food I was cooking if I was busy.” He leaned in and held up a hoof to whisper. “He’s a terrible cook, but don’t tell him that.” 
Pinkie giggled and nodded and Cheese’s heart fluttered like a butterfly on a sugar rush. She had such a great laugh!
He swallowed and continued. “Anyway, one night, I was sneaking around the mansion, looking for new food or anything I could use for party supplies, but Obsidian was up late for some reason, and I had been trapped in a dead end. So Boneless…he sacrificed himself for me. Knocking over a vase in a different room than the one I was hiding in so I could escape.” He gently brushed a hoof against the rubber chicken, a few tears trickling down his cheeks. “I thought he was lost forever, or even destroyed. But now he’s come back!”
“WOOOOO!” Pinkie cheered with a small burst of confetti! “Best friends reunited! We should throw another party when we get back to the village!”
“Yeah…” 
It’s all because of you that we were reunited, Cheese thought, and that we even met at all. He looked between his first best friend and the mare that had inspired them and helped unite them in their quest for parties. She had given him his spark for party and smile creation, which led him to meeting Boneless. And now, she had brought Boneless back to him, reuniting the ultimate party pair.
For some reason he couldn’t explain, Cheese knew what he needed to do. He didn’t know WHY he needed to do it, but something about it just felt…right.
Do me a favor, old friend, Cheese thought, looking down at his oldest friend with a sad smile. Please keep an eye on her when I can’t. Help her when no pony else can, just like when you helped me all those years ago.
“Actually, Pinkie,” Cheese said, making the pink mare halt mid-bounce. “I’d like you to keep him.”
“Huh? But, but you just got back together!” Pinkie explained, sounding uncertain.
“And it was because of you that we are back together,” Cheese said with a smile. “I know he’s safe now, and I have you to thank for that, and for all of this.” He gestured to the windows of the dining room, all of which showed the happiness and laughter outside.
“But—”
“Pinkie, I trust you,” Cheese said, holding Boneless out to her. “And you deserve to have someone as trustworthy as Boneless to watch your back when I can’t. I’ll be ok without him.”
“Are you sure?” Pinkie asked, taking the rubber chicken carefully.
“Positive. Think of it as a piece of me that will always be there to keep you smiling,” Cheese said with a smile of his own. Pinkie returned the gesture, nodded, and placed Boneless securely in her mane so he had a front row seat for the rest of the party.




Neither pony noticed the faint rainbow light that passed over the rubber chicken as they left to go rejoin the party…




Two hours later…




“Ugh…” Trixie groaned, smacking her lips together. Her mouth was dry, her body felt incredibly weak, and her horn felt like it was made of lead. None of which was helped by the amount of noise coming outside. Hay, she couldn’t even tell what the noise was. It sounded like either a loud, worked-up mob or a bunch of ponies that had broken into Lady Prickly Pear’s wine cellar again. 
Wait…she wasn’t on Lady Prickly Pear’s property anymore. 
She remembered that much, at least.
Trixie managed to pry her right eye open. The blurry image in front of her slowly consolidated to show her that she was…somewhere. 
Honestly, she had no idea where she was, and the bland ceiling gave her no clues to help. 
“Hi,” a voice said right next to her ear, prompting Trixie to let out a completely justified exclamation of surprise and a not-at-all-shrill squeal of terror as she leapt sideways, pressing her back directly against the nearby wall.
The mare that had spoken and that had definitely not nearly given her a heart attack was a grey mare with a smooth pale purple mane, and light blue eyes that sparkled like a gemstone. She was wearing a dark blue smock that covered her cutie mark, and had an expression of pure boredom on her face. 
She also, for some unexplained reason, had a small rock sitting on top of her head. Though Trixie wasn’t even sure if she noticed it given how intently the strange mare was gazing at her.
“Who are you? Where is Trixie? If Lady Obsidian thinks she will get Trixie to talk then she has another thing coming!” Trixie proclaimed, trying to sound strong despite the fact that her body still felt like it was filled with crushed rocks.
“I’m Maud,” the mare said, blinking very slowly. “We’re in a house on Obsidian’s property, near the center of town. And Obsidian isn’t in charge anymore.”
“She’s not? Then we won?“
“Yes.”
“And Trixie MISSED IT!?”
“Yes.”
“Trixie missed the final battle!?”
“Actually, I punched Obsidian one thousand times. Then she got hit by a party cannon. Then she almost got hit by an anvil, before actually getting hit by a flowerpot.”
“One thousand!? Surely you’re exaggerating! Trixie hates alicorns as much as the next pony, but would that be a bit much? Also, what is a ‘party cannon’, and how in heck did she almost get hit by an anvil? Is it NORMAL for ponies to almost get hit by anvils around here?”
“It was one thousand. I counted. A party cannon is an invention my sister made to help create parties, and no, it doesn't normally rain anvils. It just got knocked into the sky during the fight.”
“Ok, Trixie guesses, but then WHY did you punch her one thousand times again?”
“She threatened my sister,” Maud said, her voice becoming ever-so-slightly angrier, though her expression didn’t change in the slightest. Well, no, that wasn't true. He mouth had pulled down the tiniest amount, her right ear we twitching a bit, and the muscles in her jaw were slightly clenched. Normally, Trixie might not be able to see such small changes, but for some odd reason they were as plain as day on Maud.
It is because Trixie had been practicing how to read her audience before she was sent here? Or can everypony see these changes just as well as Trixie can? Maybe Trixie can ask Maud’s sister if they can see the changes too. 
“Your sister?” Trixie asked. Maybe if she could learn about this sister, she could learn more about Maud.
“Pinkie.”
“Pink—wait, you’re THAT Maud? But you’re nothing like Pinkie!”
Maud blinked slowly. “I get that a lot.”
This mare, who has got to be the calmest mare in Equestria, is related to Pinkie Pie, the mare who, as far as Trixie can tell from our brief interactions and the stories others have told Trixie about her, is the most hyper mare in all of Equestria?
How the heck does that even happen?
“Fine, fine, whatever,” Trixie said, shaking her head to clear it, but that only made the room spin and her vision blur so much she fell back onto the bed with a loud “uuuUUUgggGGGhhhhHHH.” 
Why does Trixie feel so horrible? Trixie didn’t even have any alcohol this time…right? Trixie actually can’t remember.
“Here, Pinkie got this for you,” Maud’s voice called out, a point of calm in the spinning room of doom. Trixie felt a pair of hooves lift her back into a sitting position before she saw something get placed on the bed next to her, something round and flat like a plate. There was some soft shuffling before the hooves released her, allowing Trixie to flop back onto a mound of fluffiness that helped keep her propped up. 
Or at least she THOUGHT it was helping prop her up. It was really hard to tell with the room still moving more than a foal on coffee.
“Also, Fluttershy made this medicine for you too. It’s supposed to help,” Maud’s voice said again before Trixie felt a glass press to her lips. Thankful for something to drink, she immediately took a sip—
BLEGH!!!!!
Whatever was in the glass was a crime against nature! It tasted worse than what Trixie imagined sewage might taste like! Trixie tried to pull away, but Maud held pressed her other hoof against Trixie’s head, holding her in place as she tipped the glass forward. Trixie tried to thrash and struggle, but Maud easily kept her head still. She was like a boulder that refused to be moved. 
“I know it tastes bad, but you need it,” Maud said once Trixie had finished, gently rubbing her back as Trixie doubled over and groaned. “You burned out your magic out saving Pinkie. This will help. And the food will get rid of the taste. There’s more outside at the party. I also have some water here for you too,” Maud said as she lifted the plate from the bed next to her and held it out for Trixie.
“Trixie doesn't know if she should hate you or love you,” Trixie growled as she grabbed her stomach. She could FEEL the warm liquid enter her stomach, spreading outward and filling every cell of her being. The medicine was HORRIBLE, but already working. 
Her body felt better by the second, the warm glow of the nasty concoction soothing her aches. Already her horn no longer felt like a ball of lead on her head. At this rate, she might even be able to cast again in an hour or two compared to a day or two. 
And then, as her vision finally cleared, she caught sight of the food Maud had given her…oh, the FOOD! 
Trixie couldn’t help but drool as she looked at it. A huge piece of cake covered in more frosting than she had ever seen in her life, a few small pretzels, quite a few sunflowers, a few small potatoes, and a cupcake.  
This has got to be the best plate of food Trixie has ever seen…and she said there was more outside!
Wasting no more than ten seconds to admire it, Trixie grabbed the plate and dove in and began demolishing her plate of heaven. The cake was gone first, disappearing in a manner of seconds as Trixie moaned in bliss. The horrible taste of the medicine was gone in seconds, replaced by the heavenly glory that was frosting and sugar. Trixie NEVER got to eat so much sugar back home! Trixie was barely aware that she was making ‘om nom nom’ sounds as she ate, but she didn’t care enough about that to slow down. This food was going in her mouth, and no force on Equis was going to stop her from eating every last bite!
“Pinkie thought you would like it,” Maud said, pulling Trixie out of her blissful trance with a start. It definitely didn’t make Trixie blush like a young filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. And she definitely hadn’t forgotten that Maud was still sitting right there. 
Nope. Not at all.
“Yes, well, Trixie will be sure to thank her when she sees her,” Trixie said, swallowing the last bite of cake. Maud blinked slowly, before reaching over and grabbing a large glass of water for Trixie. Trixie gulped the water down greedily before letting out a satisfied sigh. She still felt bad, but no longer 'I just pulled a triple shift and nearly have magical burnout’ bad. 
But she was still a little bit hungry. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Trixie made to see if she could find more heavenly foooooood. Ohhhh, she needed more of that food. The sunflowers especially. And hey, if her magic came back, maybe she could show these ponies what REAL entertainment was!
“I wouldn’t do that,” Maud said blankly, lifting a hoof to try and gently stop Trixie.  
Trixie raised an eyebrow and pushed the hoof away. “And why noOOAAAAA—” 
Her legs turned to jelly the moment her hooves touched the floor, but apparently Maud had incredible reflexes and super speed, because instead of falling dramatically to the ground, Trixie fell somewhat-less-dramatically into the grey mare’s forelegs.
“The medicine only does so much,” Maud said matter-of-factly. “It will still be an hour or two before you can walk.”
“And you didn’t tell Trixie this, why?” Trixie growled, her cheeks burning ever so slightly at needing to be supported by Maud. Even if her coat was surprisingly soft—
No, bad Trixie. Focus.
“Given how powerful your magic was when you saved Pinkie, I assumed you had magic burnout before and knew its effects. Like how I know the symptoms and treatments of mine dust overexposure after that time my sister Marble got sick.” Maud said, lowering her head under Trixie’s barrel and gently scooping her onto her back. She then gave a small buck, sending Trixie flying back into bed with a soft ‘poomf’ of fabric. 
Should Trixie be surprised or angry that she just got flung across the room like a sack of potatoes, or impressed that Maud is that strong?
“Thanks…” Trixie said, rolling onto her back and groaned. “Fine. Fair enough. But let it be noted that Trixie has never had burnout before. Now, if Trixie can’t walk, then how is Trixie going to get more food!? And what is she supposed to do for the next few hours!?”
“I was hoping we could talk.” 
Trixie blinked in confusion. “Talk? About what?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You saved Pinkie. And Pinkie’s sapphire made her look like you. So I want to learn more about you,” Maud said calmly. Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And I can get you more food if you talk with me.”
“Deal,” Trixie said, and her stomach burbled as though it approved that plan. “Trixie will talk with you and you will get her food.”
“Ok,” Maud said, sitting down next to the bed. “First question. What is your full name?”
“Trixie Lulamoon, the greatest and most powerful magician on Lady Prickly Pear’s estate!” Trixie declared dramatically. Her horn gave off a small spark and felt a stinging pain shoot through her head. 
OWowowwowowowowowwowowow! Curse Trixie’s habit of creating fireworks whenever she announces herself to the public! Trixie thought to herself. Looks like fireworks would still be off limits for a while.
“Neat,” Maud said in the same bland monotone voice. And that was it. No widening of her eyes, no gasp of excitement, nothing! Was she trying to taunt Trixie? 
Trixie huffed as she glared at the gray mare. If there was one thing she hated, it was being mocked! “Do not mock Trixie!”
“I wasn’t.”
“Then why weren’t you awed by my proclamation?”
“I’ve never seen a magician, and you are still recovering. So I have no point of reference. Just like how I can’t judge what type a rock is if I’ve never seen it,” Maud said, blinking slowly.
“What type a rock is?” Trixie asked, her anger turning into sheer confusion. There were soooo many other things that could have acted as a less confusing analogy, such as having no idea if you like alcohol because you’ve never tried it, or having no idea how to react to a painting because you haven’t seen many other paintings. But rocks!? 
Who cares what type of rock a rock is? A rock is a rock, that is all there is to it.
“I specialize in rocks. All rocks. They’re nice,” Maud said, smiling slightly. “Like Boulder. He’s really friendly.” She tilted her head forward slightly and the small rock slipped off, landing perfectly on her hoof. “And I think he likes you for saving Pinkie.”
“Ooooookkkkkk then.”
Who befriends rocks?
“Next question,” Maud said. “What did you do on Prickly Pear’s property?”
“Trixie told you, she was a magician!” Trixie said, rolling her eyes.
“But was that your job?” 
“Of course!” 
Maud only gave her a strangely intense blank stare in return. 
“I mean, yeah, it was.” 
The stare only seemed to intensify. Was Maud even blinking?
“Most of the time.” 
Nope, no blinking. She was not blinking. Not even a flutter of the eyelids—
“OKOKOK enough with the stare!” Trixie shouted.
“Sorry,” Maud said. She blinked, finally, and her stare softened despite the fact that her expression didn’t changed. “But I could tell you were lying.”
"How?"
“I’ve had practice noticing lies with Pinkie. Your eyes were darting around nervously, you were sweating, and your nose twitched every time you lied. Normally I would get Pinkie to tell me what was bothering her, but you don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.”
DOES Trixie want to? Trixie thought. She blinked. Wait, why would Trixie tell her? Trixie just met her! She doesn’t need to know all about Trixie’s life or her old crummy job! Though Trixie could tell her how she ended up here, maybe. It WAS Trixie’s biggest achievement that got her sent to Obsidian’s property…
	She might like that story, especially given the revenge Trixie got on Lady Prickly Pear. And I doubt she would criticize me, given how much she punched Obsidian.
“I won’t judge you, it that’s what you’re thinking,” Maud said, as if reading her mind. “Butlers tended to judge me because I was quiet and liked rocks. But rocks never judge other rocks, so I don’t judge other ponies.”
Again with the rocks! Why rocks? Isn’t there something else—
	Wait. This is a rock farm! Of course she would be into rocks. There’s nothing else here! 
“You promise?” Trixie asked hesitantly. “Ponies always said that to Trixie back home, then judged her anyway. Even when Trixie wasn’t performing on stage.”
“I promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick cupcake in my eye,” Maud said, her right hoof crossing her heart, then wiggling in the air as if to mimic a fly, before then moving to cover Maud’s right eye. Her voice was still flat, and yet somehow conveyed a sense of finality, despite the fact that what she just did looked downright RIDICULOUS.
“What was that?”
“A Pinkie Promise™.”
“A what?”
“A Pinkie Promise™. If I break it, Pinkie will know and will come yell at me and force me to apologize to you.” 
Maud sounded completely unconcerned with the fact that her sister would apparently be able to know if she had broken this…promise despite not even being within earshot.
“But how does she—”
“Don’t question it.”
“But—”
“It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie,” Maud said blankly. “She does impossible things, and that’s normal for her.”
“Uh…ok then,” Trixie said hesitantly. She hadn’t had much time to interact with Pinkie Pie before the pink mare had been sent to infiltrate the property, and most of that time had been when she was sadly saying goodbye to everypony. She had talked to the other resistance members about Pinkie over the last few days to learn about her, but there hadn’t been much mention of her pulling off the impossible. Just that she was really random at times.
Then again, Maud was also kinda odd, not that it made her any less pleasant to be around, so maybe being that sort of weirdness ran in the family?
Fine, whatever. If she takes this promise so seriously, then Trixie can trust her not to judge me behind my back. And if she does, Trixie can send Pinkie Pie after her.
Trixie took a deep breath and began her tale. “While Trixie has always wanted to be a magician and showmare, Lady Prickly Pear…did not think so, primarily because Trixie did not want to follow the biggest rule of her property.”
“What rule?” Maud asked, causing Trixie to blink in surprise. 
Did Trixie hear that right? He voice sounded far less blank that time. Is she, actually interested in my story? Such a thought filled the great and powerful Trixie with pride, encouraging her to give Maud the best story she had ever heard.
“Lady Prickly Pear insisted that all ponies in her care must have at least two children, no matter what. She even created a strict schedule you would need to sign up for to try and spread the pregnancies out across the year so that it doesn't disrupt the workflow too much. She also trained ponies to watch the kids once they could eat solid foods so that mothers can get back to work sooner. She hates anypony outside her property, and so insisted on keeping the numbers on her property consistent or growing with no outside help.”
"Wouldn't the babies technically be strangers to her?” 
“You may think so, but Lady Prickly Pear just views them as potential citizens of her own crazy little empire that she can train however she pleases. She has other ponies on the property provide some basic schooling, enough to get most of the children into the same mindset as the adults on the property…most of the time. Once they’re in the right mind set, she determines where their talents may lie and has them begin working on the property by about age ten. Trixie never really bought into the whole ‘You must have kids because our Lady says so’ rule though.
“Anyway, if you don’t follow this rule, you get the worst jobs she has. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to have kids, or you’re too old, or you can’t have kids because of something beyond your control, or just take too long. Your job is to find a mate and have kids. If you can’t, you’re expected to make yourself available to other single ponies of the opposite gender and help conceive a child. 
“The ONLY good thing about this is that she never forces anyone to participate in making foals, and offers decent assistance to those who are single yet still help make children. And by assistance, I mean slightly larger meals for both you and your family, a bit more time off to be with your foals each day, easier jobs that require less work or are less dangerous, and more leniency should you fail at a task. All things designed to incentivize ponies to have foals even if their alone.
“But that is the ONLY good thing! If you don’t have kids, she does everything possible to make your life so miserable you will do anything to make it stop. You get less food, everyone is encouraged to look down upon you, and you get jobs like janitor, manure spreader on the farm, or…sewer cleaner…”
“That was you, wasn’t it?” Maud asked, her voice soft and understanding as she laid a hoof on Trixie’s.
“…Yes,” Trixie admitted, feeling a little better at Maud’s comforting touch. “Trixie did not want to be told to have kids, and she wasn’t about to let some stupid alicorn tell her she had to have them with some random stallion, so Lady Prickly Pear put Trixie in the sewer cleaner crew, despite her incredible and amazing potential for stage magic! Trixie had spent so long preparing and perfecting her skills from her father, Magic Hat, and then to be assigned to such a horrible job…
“Trixie couldn’t stand it. And Trixie couldn’t stand Lady Prickly Pear! Every month she would give these stupid speeches about how great she was, how the property continued to prosper under her guidance, how ponies willing to have kids would insure their future, blah blah blah Trixie and ponies like Trixie are lazy and aren't willing to do our part…
“So one day, Trixie got tired of this and her stupid job and the ridicule that came with it, so she decided to dump a barrel of sewage on Lady Prickly Pear right in the middle of one of her meetings!”
Maud’s eyes widened a bit and Trixie smiled at her.
“It was the best thing that ever happened to Trixie! It was so empowering! So exhilarating! Trixie didn’t even care that she got caught. Trixie knew it was worth it just to see the look on Lady Prickle Pear’s face and the faces of everypony else at the meeting. Trixie also heard stories of how Lady Prickly Pear spent twelve hours trying to get the smell out of her fur. It was the perfect payback, and it got Trixie off her property. So win-win all around.”
“That was very brave of you,” Maud said, giving a small smile. 
“Of course it was,” Trixie boasted, smiling smugly. “Trixie was done being at the bottom of the ladder, and this was the perfect way to show that jerk that Trixie was done being pushed around just because she doesn’t like stallions—”
SMACK! 
Trixie’s hooves immediately flew to her mouth as icy dread filled her veins.
WHY DID I JUST SAY THAT!?!?!?
“Trixie?” Maud asked, sounding concerned. But Trixie knew it couldn’t be real concern. She knew her secret! She was going to break her promise, just like everypony else on her property! She—
Was hugging Trixie?
“Trixie, rocks don’t judge other rocks,” Maud said, her voice back to be flat and oddly soothing. “Calm down. Hyperventilation isn’t healthy, even though there isn’t nearly as much corundum dust here as there is down in the mines.”
I’m hyperventilating? 
Yes. Yes she was.
Her chest was heaving, her breaths were coming out is short panicked gasp, and she felt like she wasn’t getting enough air. 
“B-B-But—”
“Rocks don’t judge rocks,” Maud said, firmly booping Trixie on the nose. “Was this a big deal back on Lady Prickle Pear’s property?”
“YES!” Trixie cried, anger or despair leaking into her voice. She couldn’t tell which it was. Maybe it was both. “At least everypony else had some form of excuse for other ponies to go easy on them, like their age! But Trixie just had to be the odd one out! She’s NOT lazy, or just doing it to spite that stupid alicorn! Trixie just doesn’t like stallions! She is NOT A FREAK, and is sick of people thinking she's weird!”
And she wasn’t crying either. 
She just got some frosting in her eyes from the food.
“And if those idiots want to think otherwise, then screw them! Trixie is better than them! Smarter than them! Supmmmph—” 
A firm hoof shoved its way into Trixie’s mouth, silencing her.
“Trixie, you’re not a freak.” Maud said, her voice firm as diamond.
Oh great, now I’M thinking of rocks.
“That’s what everypony says at first,” Trixie snarled, shoving Maud’s hoof away. “Then they wait until they think Trixie is out of earshot! Then they let theirmmph—” 
Maud shoved her hoof back in Trixie’s mouth.
Stop doing that! Trixie is trying to rant here!
“Trixie, I don’t like stallions either.” Maud said. 
Whatever Trixie was going to say next ground to a halt in her throat. She could swear she heard something in her mind break as the grey mare gently removed her hoof.
“What…?” Trixie muttered, certainly not letting her mouth hang open in flabbergasted shock.
“I never really liked stallions either,” Maud said with long blink and a small shrug. “They just never seem to interest me.”
“You...that…stallions…can’t…duh…” 
Trixie’s brain took quite a bit of time to understand what she had said and it certainly was not going into meltdown mode as she struggled to comprehend the fact that she wasn’t alone.
Never in her life had she met another pony who didn’t like the other sex. And while her parents had always told her it was unusual but not impossible, meeting somepony like her was still a shock. After spending her entire life on Lady Prickly Pear’s property, Trixie wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t dreamin—
EEEP!
Maud broke her out of her spiraling thoughts by leaning closer and gently nuzzling Trixie’s face.
“Thank you again for saving Pinkie,” Maud said as she released the hug. She smiled softly and stood up. “I’ll go get you some more food.”
And with that, she turned around and walked towards the door, leaving a heavily blushing and partly-tear-stained Trixie in her wake.
Please tell me that wasn’t a dream…was Trixie’s last thought as she proceeded to gracefully fall back into slumber and not at all pass out from sheer exhaustion and emotional relief. 




Later that night…




Applejack couldn’t help but let a growl escape her lips as she paced in one of the many bedrooms located in Obsidians old mansion. 
Twelve hours. 
It had been nearly twelve hours since the party started and it STILL hadn’t calmed down, lasting well after the sun had set. Even inside, she could still hear it through the walls, despite the fact that she was in the furthest possible room from the party.
It was driving her crazy!
Now Applejack didn’t think there was much chance of the party being discovered, unlike Pinkie’s loud parties in the forest. They were in the middle of nowhere, a place that was even more barren than the rest of Equestria, and there were no other alicorn properties anywhere nearby. It would likely take three days just to walk here from the nearest alicorn property anyway if their maps were right, by which point they would HOPEFULLY be long gone.
What’s more, they were out of sight of Canterlot, which was more than could be said for their home in the Everfree Forest. 
However, that did not mean that they wanted to stay here longer than needed. Safe or not, they were at least two days away from the Everfree Forest. And if somepony DID discover them, they would likely cut off their retreat back home. So now that their mission was complete, it was time look around, grab what they could, pack up, and leave. 
The problem was that there had been almost no preparations for their departure! Despite Applejack’s instance and her detailed instructions on what needed to be packed and brought with them and what needed to be left behind, so far the only thing they had managed to accomplish was to create a bunch of organized piles of things in the main entrance hall of the mansion. 
Heck, they were only organized because Twilight had been thoughtful enough to rearrange everything into neat and orderly piles whenever she came into the mansion to escape the party outside! Sure, she would always go back out, but she was doing more work than the rest of those lazy bones outside.
Besides her and Flash helping with the organization of the piles, there had been ten other ponies who had been assisting her in searching the mansion, gathering materials and resources they found, and bringing it into the main hall so they wouldn’t forget it. They had brought at least a hundred village ponies here with them, yet despite that fact AND her direct orders for more of them to get in here and help, she had only been losing ponies as the hours went on. 
She COULD have tried to ask the ponies on the property for help, or demanded it, given how Twilight had depowered Obsidian, but that just didn’t feel right. They deserved some time off from their work, and to celebrate the defeat of the tyrant who had worked them to the bone for years on end. 
Harmony knows how excited Applejack would be if HER lady finally got what she deserved.
Yet what if the party WAS noticed? The Queen HAD been sending her guards out in every direction, scouring the land to try and find the other Elements of Harmony. What if an Equestrian solder came to investigate the commotion Pinkie was currently causing outside? Worse yes, even if it was just a lone pegasus flying overhead, they could likely see what was going on and report back without anypony in the resistance finding out! Applejack wasn’t even sure if anypony was keeping watch across the surrounding wasteland right now!
Heck, the party could have already been seen and she would have no idea!
Applejack snorted and shook her head. Now she was just being paranoid. Even if they were seen, they still had time, even if many of the ponies outside were currently wasting it. She came to a halt in front of a desk covered in scrolls she had been working on. 
Eventually, she had to call off any more searching and was now trying to work out the logistics of how to transport everything they had found so far, something made infinitely harder by the fact that she didn’t know how many wagons they could use, how many ponies would need to ride in the wagons either due to age or disability, what supplies they would actually end up bringing, how many ponies from Obsidian would be willing to help pull the carts, etc., etc., etc.…
There is such a thing as too much partying, Pinkie. And I think you’ve crossed that threshold four hours ago!
Creak… 
Applejack growled angrily as she heard the door open, not bothering to look up from the desk.
“I ain’t coming out, Pinkie,” she said angrily. “I told you, SOME of us need to actually worry out how we’re gonna get home. So either help me, or leave me in peace!”
“Then maybe some tea might help you work?” a soft voice asked, prompting Applejack to blink and turn around.
Standing there was not Pinkie coming to bug her for the twenty-third time to come join the party, but instead Fluttershy, holding a fancy kettle and a teacup on a tray. 
“Fluttershy! Sorry, I just…thank you,” Applejack said quietly, lowering her head in apology. No matter the situation, no matter how irritated she might be at any given time, Applejack could never really be mad at Fluttershy. Kind mare just seemed to drain the tension out of her. 
“It’s ok, I don’t mind,” Fluttershy said softly, gently placing the tray down on a nearby table. “I didn’t see you at the party all day, and Pinkie said that she saw you up here, so I came to see how you were doing.”
“As well as can be, given how little help I’ve had in preparing for our departure,” Applejack growled before blinking in confusion. “Wait, you didn’t see me at the party? Were YOU at the party?” If that had been the case, she almost wished she had gone out to see that.
“Oh no, well, mostly not,” Fluttershy said, hiding a bit behind her mane. “After Maud and I took Trixie to one of the houses near the center of town and I treated Obsidian’s concussion before she was taken to the dungeon, Maud offered to watch over Trixie for me. I’ve been back there every hour or two to check up on them, and Trixie seems to have recovered perfectly fine. Otherwise, I’ve just stayed near the side of the party and worked on helping the other ponies that live here, especially those that were forced to eat the flower.”
“Anything serious besides the flower victims?”
“Thankfully not. Mostly just scrapes or cracked hooves. One mine worker had a broken leg that hadn’t been properly set in a splint, but he’ll be ok so long as he gives it time to heal. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you…”
“Fluttershy, helping the hurt ponies DOES help me. It means we know who won’t be able to walk with the rest of the caravan, and that hopefully some of the sick ponies will feel better and will require less care once we get moving. Trust me, you’re doing just fine. But if you were doing that all day, then how did you see enough of the party to know I wasn’t there?”
“I had to fly over it a few times to get to another part of the property. I didn’t want to interrupt everypony else just so they could let me through,” Fluttershy said, looking away shyly. 
Applejack chuckled. Fluttershy, you are just too shy sometimes. But that’s what makes you unique too. Don’t ever change.
	“And every time I flew up, I never saw you,” Fluttershy continued. “So when I asked around, er, well, around the border of the party anyway, nopony had seen you. It wasn’t until I found Pinkie outside the mansion that I learned where you had been all day. Are you ok, Applejack?”
“Ok?” Applejack said, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Course I’m ok. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’ve been working all day,” Fluttershy said matter-of-factly. “You never took a break, and you’ve never even stopped outside to celebrate the defeat of Obsidian. You’re throwing yourself into resistance work again, even though you should be able to take it easy right now, at least for a little while.”
“I’m fine,” Applejack replied curtly. “There’s work to be done, so I’m doing it.”
THAT got her a glare from Fluttershy, one that immediately made Applejack wince and squirm uncomfortably. 
She could take glares from almost anypony, but NOT from Fluttershy.
“Applejack, the last time you said those exact words, you worked for nearly three days straight and ended up yelling at Applebloom when she damaged a training sword,” Fluttershy said in a quiet, forceful voice, and Applejack was immediately filled with guilt. “You are not ‘fine’ if that’s where you’re headed again.”
“I-I'm not,” Applejack muttered weakly, and she lowered her head as that particularly shameful moment worked its way to the front of her mind. She had been badly sleep deprived and stressed that she had exploded at Applebloom for no real reason. Training swords and such got damaged all the time and were easy to fix, but it had still set Applejack off. 
Suffice to say, Second Sight had let her have it, and Fluttershy had given her a second scolding after Applejack had apologized to her sister. Of all the ponies in the village, only those two had ever successfully scolded her. Just the way they spoke to her that day reminded her of—
Don’t go there, Applejack…
“You might be if you don’t take some time to relax,” Fluttershy said, gently this time, reaching out and patting Applejack’s shoulder. “You don’t need to do this all now, all by yourself.”
“But we NEED to leave as soon as we can, and we’ve barely begun to prepare!”
“And tomorrow you’ll have more than enough help once everyone recovers from the party. Twilight will undoubtedly be helping to organize everything and everypony else will be focused on helping you,” Fluttershy countered. 
“But we could have gotten it all done already if it weren't for the party. And then we wouldn’t need to do it tomorrow!” Applejack protested, gesturing towards the still annoying noise coming from the other side of the mansion, perfectly aware that her argument had merits despite the lack of danger at the moment. 
The more time they wasted, the more ponies would get hurt.
“Is it so wrong to celebrate being free from the rule of an alicorn like Obsidian? Even if they might be overdoing it a bit?” Fluttershy asked sweetly, and Applejack had no response. Harmony knows what SHE would be doing if HER old Lady had been taken down. 
But some part of her kept insisting they move on and find a new alicorn to take down.
“Everything will be ok Applejack,” Fluttershy continued, as she hugged the silent mare. “I know it’s late, and that you want to keep working, but please consider coming out to enjoy the party. Or at least take a break and enjoy the tea.”
“I think I’ll just stick to the tea,” Applejack said quietly, “But…thank you anyway.”
“You’re welcome. Just don’t forget to sleep tonight,” Fluttershy said, giving Applejack another hug before turning around and heading out the door. “Good night.”
“Good night, Fluttershy,” Applejack said, giving a small smile and a nod as the door closed only for it to drop the moment it clicked shut.
You could go enjoy the party, a small voice in her head said. It could only be for a few minutes, and you’re pretty much at a dead end anyway until you get more information.
Applejack snorted and shook her head, banishing the thoughts as she poured some tea and downed it in two gulps. There was a time and place for morale-boosting parties, and even those shouldn’t last for twelve freaking hours. A few hours of party would have been fine, but THIS was too much. Going out now would only encourage future distractions like this one, which could be dangerous if performed at other less-isolated properties. Parties were for when this whole thing was over and they were safely back home, not after every little battle and on every stolen property. 
They had beaten ONE alicorn today, which still left a good hundred or more to go. Not to mention SHE was still out there. Until she was brought low and taken care of, none of this would be over.
But it’s just one night…And maybe if I just told Fluttershy about her—
	CRASH!
The teacup shattered as Applejack hissed, clutching her head as a deep growl escaped her throat. The noise of the party slipped away as Applejack’s thoughts ran rampant.
What the hay am I thinking? I can’t tell anyone about her-HER! They’ll never understand what-what she did! Why I need to END HER!
	How she broke me…
	It’s MY job to finish what I started. Not theirs!
	Mine, not theirs…they can’t know, otherwise they’ll be complicit in my crime. I could never ask them to sully their hooves for me. Not Dash, not Pinkie, not Rarity, not Fluttershy, not even Twilight.
This is my burden to bear…



Meanwhile…




The Astral Realm was calm. Peaceful. Quiet. 
The only disturbance was a singular image, projected on a floating screen, that showed Applejack in real time.  
Had anypony else been present, they would have noticed a startling transformation. 
For a few brief seconds, her coat suddenly turned far darker, and her mane went almost entirely black. Her cutie mark distorted and warped while her teeth became razor sharp blades. Dark magic began to flow from between her clenched eyelids as an angry un-pony-like growl escaped her lips and black lightning ran across her hooves.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, it all vanished, leaving nothing but a frustrated, sad Applejack in its wake. She opened her eyes, and moved on as if nothing had happened, completely unaware of the transformation that had just occurred.
Yet despite how quickly it occurred, it did not escape the notice of the Element of Honesty, who was currently watching her from within his place in the Atrial Realm.
Honestly let out a hum of worried frustration.
It’s even worse than I thought…
> Act 2: Chapter 20: The Journey Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day…

CLANG
“There, all done!” Pinkie said with a smile. 
Obsidian just responded with a muffled growl, the chains that once held Trixie to the floor of the cage cart rattling as the former alicorn fought to free herself. Thankfully, Pinkie had taken the time to cover them all in cloth, both to prevent Obsidian from being able to get at the lock, and to prevent the chains from hurting her. Enemy or not, that wouldn’t have been acceptable to Fluttershy, and Pinkie hadn’t even thought of it until Fluttershy brought the idea up. And given how much Obsidian was pulling on the chains, Pinkie knew that extra half an hour of work was worth it. 
Fluttershy would definitely be happy that Obsidian couldn’t hurt herself now.
She still wasn’t suuuuuuper comfortable with the idea of making Obsidian wear the muzzle Trixie had been wearing, given how awful she knew the muzzle felt, but she agreed that it was necessary right now. Given how Obsidian had been screaming angrily and consistently at them about how ‘YOU WILL ALL PAY I’M EVIL BLARGGGGGG,’ Pinkie knew that no one would want to listen to that for the next two days straight. 
Plus, this way she couldn’t cause any trouble in the off chance that the caravan ran into any guard patrols still looking for the Elements of Harmony.  
“Thanks again for the help, Sandy Quartz,” Pinkie said, nodding to the Butler stallion beside her, an earth pony with a tan coat containing splotches of grey, a brown mane, and bright green eyes.
“No problem, Pinkie,” Sandy said. “I’m just glad to be of help. And, uh, thanks again for helping me find my ring,” he muttered, looking down at the golden band on his hoof. 
“It’s no problem, Sandy,” Pinkie said, bouncing and throwing a quick hug around his shoulders. “I’m just happy Granite Rose said yes to your proposal! It’ll give us the perfect excuse to throw another party when we get back home. And I just KNOW Second Sight will love the idea of overseeing another wedding. Though I am glad the ring was in under the table you fell asleep on and not buried somewhere in all the streamers. That would have taken forever to find!”
“I’m just happy your party finally gave me the chance to propose,” Sandy said. “I’d wanted to ask Rose for almost four months, but with everything being so…well, you know, it just never seemed to be the right time. There was nothing that would have made it really special or memorable, not to mention we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate the event without getting into trouble.” His smile widened. “So, really, thank you, Pinkie.”
“You’re welcome,” Pinkie said with another bounce and a flip, before she paused. “Was little miss meanie head really being that strict?” she asked, ignoring the angry muffled yelling from Obsidian in the cage. “Is that why you and so many other Butlers were willing to abandon her?”
“Oh yeah,” Sandy nodded, looking at Obsidian with conflicted look. “She used to treat her Butlers at least somewhat decently, but over the last few years we've basically just become like any other pony to her. Not only were we expected to work longer with fewer benefits than other Butlers had gotten in the past, but she had even started punishing her own Butlers with that stupid flower…” His expression morphed into a glare. “She even forced her oldest and most loyal bodyguard to eat it after he refused to give it to one of the newer recruits. It was insane!”
“I might be the Element of Laughter, but even I can tell that is the exact opposite of inspiring loyalty!” Joy chimed in, glowing angrily from her spot around Pinkie’s neck. “What the heck was the point!? And doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having somepony be trained as Butler if you’re just gonna punish them to the point where no one is loyal to you anymore? Even if she doesn't given them enough to make them an emotionless zombie, it still wouldn’t make them like you in the slightest!”
Pinkie shuddered slightly. She could still remember the ponies recovering from the flower that she had helped into a different cart earlier that morning. Even with Twilight’s help and Fluttershy’s ministrations, some of them were still dazed and glassy-eyed, not really seeming to know what was going on.  A few had even looked a little pained, like they had just been given doses recently. Those ponies hit Pinkie the hardest. She could still remember the pain the flower cause her, the burning horror as the flower ripped at her magic. 
“Mmmph mph mmpphhh,” Obsidian grunted, pulling Pinkie out of that horrible line of thought. Seeing her like that, bound and unable to hurt anypony ever again made the memories feel less painful. They still were, and Pinkie knew she would probably never be rid of them, but knowing that she had helped prevent anyone else from being hurt like that made them far more bearable. 
“That is a good question, Joy,” Pinkie said at last. “It does seem kinda silly, though not in the good way. Actually, Sandy, do you know how many of the Butlers decided to join us? Did all of them join us, or did some decide to stay with Obsidian? I was a bit too distracted by the party and the helping pack up to keep track, and I didn’t see anypony else locked up.”
“According to Rose, all but a dozen or so have decided to join your resistance,” Sandy said, looking back towards the mansion. Quite a few Butlers were helping move different materials to the nearby carts, including food, clothes, and weapons. Though any Butler moving weapons was being watched very closely. “Before joining the second part of your party, Rose helped Applejack identify the Butlers that might cause trouble, and convinced her brother to let those Rose trusted join the party. It helped that Rose was one of the first Butlers willing to join your resistance.
“In the end, most of the ponies allowed to join the party decided to join the resistance. Only two still declare their loyalty to Obsidian. The other ten have decided to leave Obsidian to whatever fate she gets and look for a different alicorn to serve. I think all twelve of them are currently being guarded by some of your ponies, but I overheard somepony say they would be released once we get closer to Canterlot and once everypony else is back in the Everfree Forest where we can’t be tracked.” He shivered slightly. “Do you all really live there?”
“Yeparoonie!” Pinkie said with a nod and a bounce. “Sure, it can be a liiiiiittle bit scary at times, and kinda smelly in the swampy areas, but it’s not that bad.”
“But what about the Timberwolves and the Hydras, and who knows what else? Isn’t it dangerous?”
“It can be on your own, but those creatures never risk attacking larger groups. And our village has good walls and lots of ponies to help you out if something does decide to try and push its luck. You’ll be fine,” Pinkie said, wrapping the nervous stallion in a happy headlock.
“I’d feel a bit better if I had a weapon,” Sandy grumbled, before sighing. “But I can understand not letting us have any for the time being. I’ll just need to stick close to Rose when we get to the forest. She’s great at close combat, even without a weapon.” His smile became dreamy, and Pinkie could see his attention had shifter towards the pegasus in question who was currently helping Rainbow Dash lift a crate of food into a nearby cart. It was actually quite cute.
“Just be sure to focus on the forest and not on her,” Pinkie said, giggling as his face became a deep red color. It was adorable, especially when his mouth started moving as if to say he would be focused on the monsters, only for a few strangled squeaks to escape.
“Hey, Pinkie!” Cheese’s voice called out. “Can I have some help with the streamer—WOAH!” 
There was a loud crash and a roll of streamers started bouncing through the crowd.
“On my way, Cheesy!” Pinkie called out. “Come on, Sandy, lets go!” 
She happily began ponking over towards the commotion, her helper following not far behind…



Meanwhile…



“Put Trixie, urp, down!” Trixie yelled, once again trying to remove herself from the firm yet strangely soft back of Maud Pie, who was currently carrying Trixie towards one of the wagons against her will. “Trixie is perfectly capable of walking!”
“You ate too much yesterday when you snuck off to join the party,” Maud said matter-of-factly, not bothering to look back at the mare draped across her back. “And you’ve been burping up confetti ever since getting hit with Pinkie’s party cannon last night. Fluttershy said you shouldn’t strain yourself and that you should still be resting as much as possible.”
“That does not mean that Trixie consents to being carried around like she is a sack of potatoes! It is humiliatin—BURP!”
Trixie’s protest was interrupted by a graceful and calm burp which expelled a glorious flurry of colored papers, and not at all a loud belch that blew Maud’s mane in a windstorm of confetti, thank you very much. 
“Where is all this confetti coming from!? Trixie must have burped up at least twice the amount she was hit with by now!” 
“It’s Pinkie,” Maud said calmly.
“THAT DOESN’T EXPLAIN S—BUUUUUUUURRRRRPPPPPP! Why is this happening to Trixie? And let Trixie down already!” Trixie tried to roll towards Maud’s back legs, but Maud bucked without hesistation, sending Trixie gracefully into the air, and certainly not making her squeal in panic and flail her hooves before landing solidly back in her starting position with another burp of confetti. 
“Sometimes you just need to accept that some things cannot be explained,” Maud said, her ear flicking in a way that Trixie had learned meant she was amused by something. “Pinkie is one of those things. That’s what makes her so special. And I will let you down once we get to the cart Fluttershy will be riding in and will stay with you to make sure you don’t try and sneak off again.”
“Trixie does not need a foal sitter,” Trixie grumbled, her face the same shade of blue as it always was and certainly not red in embarrassment. "And it's not like there is anywhere for me to snake off to this time anyway.”
“Then consider me a concerned friend,” Maud said, her tone sounding ever so slightly playful. “One who will carry you like a sack of potatoes until you feel better.”
Trixie only let out a refined ‘humph’ and certainly did not grumble in reluctant acceptance of her fate all the way to the cart. 



Meanwhile meanwhile…



“Is that enough?” Applejack asked, looking under the heavy tarp at the green boxes below it. Said boxes had been found in the greenhouse the day before, and Twilight had determined that they contained various enchantments designed to keep that cursed flower alive over long journeys. They even included a sunlight spell, watering and humidity control spells, and even a spell to simulate earth pony magic. 
They also weren’t see-through, letting her, Flash, and Twilight load them without a second glance from any of the native ponies. A number of resistance ponies knew what they were doing, but given what the ponies of this property had been through, there was no need to bring up bad memories by bringing those flowers out into the open. 
“It should be,” Flash said, sliding the last box into place. “And we still have that stash of seed we found as well, just in case something happens to them.”
“Good. Have Twilight and Big Mac finished setting up the wood for the fire?” 
“They’re just bringing in the last pieces now,” Flash said, pointing a wing. Applejack turned, just in time to see Twilight levitating a large chunk of a destroyed house in her magic and Big Mac pulling a cart of wooden scraps behind him. “After they put them in the green house, Twilight plans to create a shield spell to ensure the fire doesn’t spread to the mansion. They should have the fire started in less than an hour, according to Twilight’s estimate.”
“Good,” Applejack said again with a firm nod. “The sooner we leave the better. We can’t spend more nights here than necessary. At least Rose confirmed that there should be no other ponies scheduled to arrive for ‘retraining.’” She snorted. “How many ponies has she force fed that flower before sending them back to their old tyrants?” It made Applejack grind her teeth.
“The important thing is that it won’t happen ever again,” Flash said, his voice calm. “And we have a few pegesi willing to stay behind disguised as Butlers just in case another group shows up unannounced. Once we release Obsidian outside the Everfree Forest, news will likely spread to all the other alicorns that she’s been depowered, which will stop any more ponies from being sent.”
“And with that greenhouse up in flames, they won’t be able to find that flower. Here at least,” Applejack said, taking a deep breath. In truth, she knew of ONE other place ponies might find that vile plant, but she also knew the owner of that land would never share it with anyone. SHE didn’t have the capacity for kindness or generosity, moreso than any other alicorn she had ever heard of.
“I doubt most other alicorns would use it anyway,” Flash said, halting Applejack’s dark thoughts before they became too engrossing. “I mean, it makes it hard for the pony to do or care about anything, which I assume means threats don’t work nearly as well afterwards. Honestly, I think Obsidian was a bit crazy for using it at all.”
“I think she’s just a sociopath that just enjoys watching others suffer,” Applejack hissed, glaring towards the cage cart where Obsidian now struggled. “Though I’ll admit, she’s probably one of the worst alicorns I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. She might even surpass Thorn, if only because of that damn flower.”
“Let’s just be glad they’re BOTH powerless now,” Flash said, nodding in agreement. “Neither of them deserved to rule over other ponies. Especially after what Thorn tried to do to Twilight and what Obsidian tried to do to Pinkie.” He swallowed hard. “If that axe had hit Twilight’s horn, Thorn would have regretted it far more than Rainbow ripping her wing off.” 
Applejack could hear the anger in his voice. A very familiar anger. 
“Save that anger for the next alicorn,” Applejack said, grunting in contempt. “There’s plenty more tyrants in need of a kick to the face.” 
HER especially. 
But right now, making sure her ponies got home safe was the top priority. 
Payback could wait until they had the Elements of Harmony, at least. 



An hour later…



“We ready?” Flash asked, looking at the spell runes Twilight had carved into the ground with her magic. They were glowing faintly with a purple light, and Flash could feel the magic pulsing under his hooves due to the sheer amount of power being channeled.
“Nearly!” Twilight called from the end of the semicircle. “I just need to finish charging these last few runes, and we’ll be clear to start the fire! Once it’s set, the semicircle will keep the fire from reaching the mansion, and will draw excess heat from the flames to use as energy. That way, the spell will hold so long as the fire burns and then a few hours after, and the fire will burn out sooner once there’s no more fuel.” 
Flash had to hold back a chuckle at the foal-like excitement in Twilight’s voice. He was glad Applejack sent him to check on their progress.
“Why are we leaving the mansion intact again?” Rainbow asked as she hovered nearby. “It’s not like we’re gonna be using it once we leave anyway, and the pegesi we leave behind don’t need it either. Plus it might give the ponies here some joy is seeing that place extra crispy.”
“The smoke’s the problem,” Big Mac said. “Burn the whole mansion down, and all that smoke will be visible from miles. The greenhouse will make smoke, but it won’t be nearly as much as the whole mansion. It might attract some curious glances should anypony pass through the area, but it shouldn't be enough to prompt a full investigation. Building fires do happen after all, and the greenhouse isn’t large enough to look any different from a normal building fire.
"Plus, this way the ponies staying behind have somewhere nice to sleep rather than tents or run-down homes. And if the mansion catches fire, chances are the rest of the town will light up too. Would be hard to miss that, even from Canterlot.”
“We can always come back if we need gems, too,” Twilight called as she walked back towards them. “There’s a lot of spells you can place in gems, and if we ever need more for Trixie’s disguise spell, we can come back and harvest more.”
“Won’t that black gunk Second Sight mentioned ruin the gemstones when the land becomes barren again?” Flash asked.
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said, still not looking up from her work. “At least, not right away. Remember, after that day I tried to purify the village’s garden, I spent a few days working with Second Sight to develop a spell that would let me see the corruption that she sees everywhere. It doesn’t help me get rid of it, and it’s rather draining, but it does let me see it and how much of it there is. 
“On the way here, I spent some time using my magic to look at the corruption levels, and it seems that the areas surrounding the property has less of that black gunk. I do only have a small range of reference, unfortunately, but it looks like the further we got from the Everfree Forest, the less of the corruption I saw. Though that could just be in this direction, given how barren the land is to the north of the forest.
“Thought I do hope we can come back every month or two. It would be fascinating to see how the corruption is spreading back into the property and if it is affecting the gems in the mines. I especially want to see—”
“Twilight, that’s a bad idea. Once word spreads that Obsidian is gone, chances are this place will be swarming with guards looking for evidence of what happened. They might even try to bring in another alicorn to keep the gems flowing. It’s why we’re bringing a bunch back with us, remember?”
"But what if they don’t? I know that at least one other Lady has a huge gem mine, so if they still make enough gems, there’s no reason for—”
“Is the spell ready or not?” Rainbow interrupted, earning a glare from Twilight. “Applejack says we’re ready to go, so all we need now is for you to light this thing and we can get outta here, go home, and see which tyrant’s flank we need to kick next! If you want to look at this corruption so badly just go look at Thorn’s old place instead of wasting a week in the middle of nowhere.”
“You don’t need to be rude,” Twilight huffed, turning back to her spellwork. “I just need to finishing charging the spell, and we’ll be good to go.” 
Flash could tell from her soft muttering and the way her ears dipped downwards that she was annoyed and frustrated. But he also knew a way to cheer her up. 
“You know, Rainbow might be on to something. We do have a lot of gems packed away, and they likely aren't as corrupted as ones that would be found on Thorn’s property,” he said, smiling as Twilight’s ears perked up. “And I seem to remember Spike helping us pack away a lot of high-quality gems from Obsidians processing room. We don’t really have time to go searching for more right now, but we have at least a few cart’s worth already. If you talked to Applejack, I’m sure she might be willing to let you study a few of them so you have a baseline to compare the gems of this property to the ones on Thorn’s property to see how quickly the corruption is returning there. And I’m sure Rarity could help you find some given her gem-finding spell.” 
He had to try very hard not to laugh as he saw a giddy smile spread across Twilight’s face. 
“That’s a great idea!” she cheered, her horn glowing brighter to match her enthusiasm. “Thorn’s old property would be the perfect place to compare the corruption across the gems! I’ll finish this, then go find some of those gems! I’m sure I can create a compelling argument to convince the ponies here to let me study some of them by the time we get back to the property. And if I can’t, I can likely use some of the books we’re taking from Obsidian’s mansion to develop a more compelling argument. EEEEE, it’ll be just like the research projects back on Lady Celesta’s and Lady Luna’s property!”
“Nerd,” Rainbow exclaimed through a series of fake coughs, only for a zipper to magically appear over her mouth and silence her. Big Mac chuckled rather loudly at that.
“It’s ready! You’re up, Flash,” Twilight called. Flash nodded, stepped forward, and activated his wing blades. With a faint click, the blades extended, sparking madly as Flash poured his magic into them. Then, with a move he had practiced hundreds of times before, he sliced the air in front of him, sending two bolts of lightning careening into the greenhouse with a loud bang.
The wood caught on fire almost instantly and quickly began to spread. With a final flick of her horn, Twilight activated the shield, projecting a purple barrier that formed a semicircle around the greenhouse. 
Flash couldn’t help but smile as the fire continued to grow, the cursed red flowers slowly disappearing as they were consumed. They would never hurt anypony ever again…



A short while later…



Pinkie watched as the smoke rose from what was once Obsidian’s property. Even with the estate itself no longer in sight, Pinkie could still see it in her mind. The house she had grown up in, the long, winding mines deep below the ground, that secret cave she hid in before Maud help her escape, that tall, imposing, black mansion that towered over her life…
All the memories, all the pain and joy, everything she experienced there swirled through her head as she watched the product of the fire. The fire that destroyed those cursed flowers and everything it represented. Even if they still had the flowers with them, they would never again torment the ponies she had come to love. They would be used for a better purpose; helping those in needs and working to stop alicorns like Obsidian from hurting anypony else. 
The chapter of pain and suffering under the cruel overseer know as Obsidian was finally over. 
But Pinkie could still feel a weight on her chest. Looking around from her position on top of Obsidian’s cage as the center of the convoy that continued to march on, she could see the ponies of her home. Despite the smiles and joy she brought them all the day before, despite them all knowing Obsidian could never hurt them again, she could still feel the pain in their hearts. The chains of torment and sorrow that continued to harass them even as they worked to move on.
It was so real, so visceral, that Pinkie wasn’t sure if she was just projecting her emotions onto them, or if she was actually feeling what was in their hearts. She was the Bearer of Laughter now, so was what she was feeling was actually real? So sort of…a seventh sense, something beyond her Pinkie Sense, that could see the pain in those lacking laughter in their lives? 
Either way, despite the happiness of the previous day, Pinkie knew that many of the ponies she once knew were still recovering. Still coming to terms with what had happened and their newly found freedom. Still learning to throw off the chains that had bound them for years upon years. 
Pinkie wanted to help them. To show them that things were truly turning changing for the better, for real. And with that thought came a memory that had remained in Pinkie’s mind as they walked, one that she knew would help to break a few more of those chains.
A memory of a song. One that had echoed across her home as far back as she could remember…
Clang…Cling…Clang…Cling…
With her hooves, Pinkie began the beat, striking the metal cage she sat on. The sound not too dissimilar to that of a pickax striking rocks or gems. The eyes of the surrounding ponies were instantly drawn to her as she continued to pound out her beat. 
Then, she began to hum. 
Hmm hmhm hm hm hm hmhmmm hmm hmhm hm hmhmmm hmm. Hmm hmhm hm hm hm hmhmmm hmm hmmmhmhmhmmmmhmmm. 
As she finished the first verse, other voices started to join in. Ponies pulling carts nearby began to stomp to the rhythm. Others riding in the carts struck the metal around them in time to Pinkie’s clangs. And, one by one, ponies all around her began to hum too.
By the third verse, Pinkie could hear the song building, passing down both directions of the convoy as others were drawn into the song.
By the fifth verse, a violin had joined in from somewhere up ahead, a little bit bumpy as the pony likely relearned to play after a long break, but the sound was still strong and clear enough that Pinkie knew even those at the end of the convoy could her its tune. 
By the end of the seventh, Pinkie knew it was time to sing.


Cold, the land and water flowing,
Hard, the land we call our home.
Push, to keep the dark from coming, 
Feel, the weight of what we owe.

This, the song of sons and daughters,
Hide, the heart of who we are. 
Making peace to build our future,
Strong, united, working ’til we fall.

Her words were soft, but carried far across the land. With each line, she could feel the pain of her memories soften, a wave of acceptance and willing ness to move on washing over her. When she finished, she began again, this time joined by countless voices from across the convoy.

Cold, the land and water flowing,
Hard, the land we called our home.
Push, to keep the dark from coming, 
Feel, the weight of what we owe.

Some sang, others hummed, and still others just kept the beat. But all the while, Pinkie felt the weight in her chest begin to lift. 

This, the song of sons and daughters,
Hide, the heart of who we are. 
Making peace to build our future,
Strong, united, working ’til we fall.

As one, the voices rose together, singing away their pain.

And we all LIFT!
And we’re all adrift,
Together…
Together…

Thought the cold mist,
We will resist, 
Together…
Together…

All around Pinkie, the voices dropped down to nothing more than a whisper, ponies singing at differing intervals, creating an echo effect that mimicked the echoes that sounded deep in the mines. 

Cold, the land and water flowing
Hard, the land we called our home
Push, to keep the dark from coming 
Feel, the weight of what we owe

Then the voices unified and rose once again, calling out in defiance to the darkness.

THIS, THE SONG OF SONS AND DAUGHTERS
HIDE, THE HEART OF WHO WE ARE
MAKING PEACE TO BUILD OUR FUTURE
STRONG, UNITED, WORKING ‘TIL WE FALL

AND WE ALL LIFT!
AND WE’RE ALL ADRIFT
TOGETHER…
TOGETHER…

THROUGH THE COLD MIST 
WE WILL RESIST
TOGETHER…
TOGETHER…

Ponies continued to hum, keeping the rhythm as the ponies around her sang the old, familiar song. All the while, she could feel the chains in their hearts continue to weaken, if only slightly.
The cage rocked slightly and a muffled thump sounded behind Pinkie. Looking back, she was met with a smiling Cheese Sandwich. It wasn’t a huge and happy smile this time, but more of a soft one that conveyed a single word.
‘Thanks.’
Pinkie smiled back and gestured him over to her. He accepted the invitation, moving beside her just as the trekking ponies began to sing again. It would be a long time before anypony was fully recovered, but Pinkie knew they would all make it. And Pinkie knew both of she and Cheese would be there to help make sure they did. 



Further ahead…



Twilight listened as the ponies around her continued to sing, the song echoing throughout her whole body as she hummed the main tune. A small part of her wanted to join in, to sing with the ponies around her, yet a larger part of herself held her back. 
In truth, didn’t feel like she had as much of a right to sing as those who did. They had lived hard lives, suffered under the hooves of an oppressive alicorn for years, and had sometimes been forced to eat a horrible plant that temporarily robbed them of their magic, or worse; all their motivation and skills. Losing your magic would be bad enough, but losing the motivation to read or practice what skills you already had? Twilight still couldn’t even imagine how that must feel. She could sympathize with their pain and struggle, and she felt better knowing that they would naturally recover with time and care, but she didn't know what their struggle was or would be like on a personal level.
She had nowhere near as much experience with hardship. She’d really only had two truly bad instances in her time under the rule of the alicorns that she could remember: Thorn beating her father, and her magic surge that killed one of Thorn's Butlers. Both memories still stung, enough to make tears come to her eyes if she thought about them enough, but the sheer rawness of the trauma had somewhat…not dissipated, exactly, but sort of blurred. The pain didn’t have quite the same potency anymore.
So, she hummed. Helping keep other ponies on the beat, while still leaving the real words to those who had pain to sing away.
Flash, who walked beside her, was singing, but his voice was so quiet that Twilight was sure only she could hear him. It also felt…different. The others who were singing sounded as though they were singing of their pain and struggles, while Flash’s felt more as thought he was sympathizing with them. As though he could understand their struggle and pain, but that he didn’t feel right comparing their experiences to his. 
Why would that be? Twilight asked herself. He had lived most of his life with her on Lady Celestia’s and Lady Luna’s property, and he hadn’t seen that much conflict before they left, at least not that she knew of. He was born in Cloudsdale though, so could that have something to do with it? Could he have experience some bad things before he moved to the Shining Star Property? 
It felt so strange that she didn’t know the answers. That she didn’t know more about him and why he wanted to sing without joining the main chorus. It…almost hurt a little that she didn’t know. He had been her guard for years, had seen all of her mistakes and knew many of her secrets and embarrassing stories, yet she couldn’t say the same about him. She didn’t know what his life used to be like, how he got his wing blades…she had never even asked about his family. 
Yet regardless of how little she knew about his life outside him protecting her, she knew he was somepony that made her feel safe, that encouraged her and believed in her abilities, that calmed her when her nightmares made her lose control of her magic. He had risked his life for her in Canterlot and on Thorn’s property, and she was certain he would do so again. She knew for certain that he was her friend.
And that made her smile. 
She was curious now. She wanted to know more about him, what his family had been like, what Cloudsdale was like. To know why he was singing along, but seemed to be to nervous to sing so that others could hear him. He hid it well, but Twilight could tell he was uncertain about the song both by his stance, and by the way he stood a little bit closer to her now than when the song had begun. 
She didn’t mind. And after all the years he had spend comforting her in time of stress or uncertainty, it was only right that she do the same for him. She gently extended her wing over his back, just like she did back in the greenhouse. Flash turned to look at her in surprise, his expression a bit uncertain. Twilight just smiled and continued to hum. Flash blinked, before softly returning the smile and continuing the song, his voice ever so slightly louder now. 
Thought it wasn’t just Flash that Twilight was learning about. The song was telling her quite a bit about the ponies around her as well, mostly through way each pony was singing it. Rainbow was still flying above, her voice loudly reaching the rest of them, her voice triumphant and confident to reflect her victory over Thorn in the end. Fluttershy, despite her own awful experiences, was still only humming, her voice almost like a lullaby offering comfort to the ponies she was continuing to look after. Thunder and Lightning were singing, but were alternating who sung each verse, like they were showing their support for one another.
But was perhaps the most surprising to Twilight was that Applejack was singing the song. Her voice was loud, clear, and strangely beautiful, yet hid some emotion that Twilight couldn’t identify. It made Twilight’s mind think back to what Second Sight had said about her. How not even Big Mac knew what had happened to Applejack, even all these years later. 
Was Applejack thinking like her? Thinking that she could join the main song as she knew the pain that these ponies felt and could help them sing away her own pain? And is so, what had happened to her back with her own Lady?



Meanwhile, in Canterlot…



Sunset Shimmer stood quietly at attention, her eyes focused upward as she watched the Queen read over her plan. The only sounds in the quiet room were rustling of the paper hovering in the Queen’s magic and her own breathing. Sunset knew the chances of her plan being accepted were slim to none, but she needed to at least try to get the idea into the Queen’s head. Then maybe she would actually have a chance of—
“I have reviewed your plan, Captain,” the Queen said, pulling Sunset from her thoughts. “And I can safely say that this is not the time to pull any of the royal guards away from their search. Our focus must be on finding the other Elements of Harmony.”
Saw that coming, Sunset thought. “I understand, Your Majesty,” she said, bowing.
“However,” the Queen continued. “I will be keeping this plan available as a possible alternative. Should the ponies protecting Twilight Sparkle somehow get lucky enough to stumble upon another Element, you will be granted permission to carry out your plan, with one small change.” 
Sunset looked up from her bow, seeing the frustrated look on the Queens face. “Should we be forced to use your strategy,” she continued, causing Sunset to snort internally. It’s not like the Queen’s strategy of ‘Send solders everywhere and hope for the best’ was working so well at the moment. The Queen continued, “You are to do everything in your power to see if the ponies you capture know where other elements may be located, not just those that they have already obtained. I doubt they will, but we cannot afford to leave any stone unturned. Any information they could give us would be invaluable. 
“But for now, continue overseeing the search for the lost elements. That is our top priority.”
“As you command, your majesty,” Sunset said with another bow, smirking internally. 
Condescending or not, that went better than expected…
> Act 2: Chapter 21: Arriving Home Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thirty-two bottles of milk on the wall, thirty-two bottles of milk!”
  Thump…Thump…Thump.
“Oh, you take one down, pass it around, thirty-one bottles of milk on the wall! Thirty-one bottles of milk on the wall—”
THUMP…THUMP…THUMP!
A small part of Flash almost felt bad for Obsidian as she continued to faceplant against the padded bottom of her cell cart. Almost. If he and Twilight weren’t actively singing along with Pinkie’s and Joy’s song, of course. Twilight especially seemed to be enjoying it far more than he would have thought, energetically belting out next to him as they walked. It had been quite a while since he had seen her so happy and carefree, and seeing her like this made him smile. Plus, she was pretty cute when she was singing, even if she didn’t always hit the notes correctly. 
Still, there was something oddly satisfying in watching somepony so twisted get so worked up over something as silly as a song. Of somepony who acted so high and mighty being brought low by her own subjects. Perhaps it was a bit of karma for all the pain she inflicted with that awful flower of hers. Just a bit. He probably wouldn’t have even bothered to pad the bottom of her cell cart, but Pinkie was clearly more merciful than him. 
After the first song had ended two days before, ponies had taken turns leading the caravan in different songs throughout the day, much to Obsidian’s annoyance. It had done wonders to help time pass in the barren wasteland that had surrounded them and had served as a good way to keep spirits high. Flash had especially loved the song titled ‘Six Feet Thunder,’ an energetic song about a pegasus using lightning deep underground to scare off a pack of invading Diamond Dogs. He would need to remember that technique in case he lost his wing blades, assuming he could ever figure out how to make lightning without the cloud exploding in his face. 
The singing had helped the resistance bond with their newly recruited members as each group shared songs of various styles and genres. This in turn had led ponies talking and learning about how things differed across the numerous properties and comparing their experiences. One of the ponies from Obsidian’s property was incredibly jealous when Flash told him that almost all ponies on the Shining Star property got an entire day off during the celebration of the cloud’s defeat, since apparently Obsidian decided finishing work one hour early was good enough. And during one of the quieter songs, Flash overheard two ponies talking about how they used stew and spices on Obsidians property to try and make less food feed more ponies. He made a mental note to follow up with them when they got back to the forest – that’d be good if the resistance ever became pressed for food. Which they very well COULD be, at least for a bit, since they had certainly taken in a LOT of ponies in a short amount of time. But it was reassuring that the chefs were already familiar with rationed cooking, and if their dinner last night was any indication, they were REALLY good at enhancing the taste and texture of said food.  
The journey itself had been calm enough, all things considered, though it hadn’t been completely stress-free. On the second day, their spotters had seen a Canterlot guard patrol passing nearby. Everypony had immediately tensed and quickly moved to disguise themselves. Blankets were thrown over the carts of sick and injured to make it appear as if they were just carts of gems. The Butlers they had recruited quickly spread out and stood tall, trying to look like they were in charge of the armored ponies and the caravan despite their lack of weapons. Everypony else had stopped singing and pretended to be workers moving under the direction of the Butlers and armored ponies. 
Flash had badly wanted to move closer to Twilight as the guards had flown by, but he knew from his training that the best way to blend into a crowd was to act as though you belonged. Thankfully, Twilight was still wearing Rarity’s custom purple cloak, and she tucked her wings under the slits and pulled up the hood as soon as the alarm was sounded. After that, all Flash could do was pull out a few goo bombs and hide them in his wing, his heart hammering away the entire time. If the pegasi did attack, the bombs would gunk up their wings to prevent them from escaping. 
The situation was only made more stressful by Obsidian trying to make as much noise as possible inside her cage. Logically, Flash didn’t think that a prisoner struggling in a cage would be enough for the guard to investigate since it likely happened all the time (as horrible as it was), but he had been sorely tempted to use his final sleeper bomb on her just to get her to be quiet. Unfortunately, Obsidian had waited until the patrol had come into view to start thrashing about, and Flash had subtly waved Twilight off from casting her sleep spell.
Doing so would only bring more attention to Obsidian and Twilight, though Flash made a note to always store a blanket or two next to the cage should they ever transport a prisoner again. None of the nearby carts had been carrying blankets this time, and he didn’t want that to be a problem in the future.
Thankfully, if they had seen the caravan or heard Obsidian’s noise, they hadn’t acknowledged it and continued to fly on. The moment they left, the resistance ponies had thrown off their covers and resumed chatting amongst themselves (in thankfully subdued voices), but Flash couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that the patrol shouldn’t have gotten THAT close to them.
It’s fine, he told himself. Caravans between properties are common, so you don’t look suspicious. Besides, they didn’t really pay any attention, did they? Not even with all of Obsidian’s struggles. Plus, she’s so much smaller now that it’s unlikely that anypony would recognize her even if they DID look at her. And Twilight had her cloak to hide while Pinkie used the disguise gem to make sure Joy was hidden from view. 
The thought only helped a little, and he remained extra vigilant for the rest of the day in case of any possible traps. He also, thankfully, managed to convince Twilight that it would be safer if they remained closer to one of the carts that would be covered in case of additional patrols. She didn’t look very happy about it, but she did agree.
Additionally, he requested a spotter to do a quick survey of the surrounding area while he himself did a few laps around the caravan to make sure nopony was spying on them. Big Mac claimed it was excessive and would just tire out the pegasus responsible for doing the check, but thankfully Applejack approved the request without a second’s hesitation. Yet despite the patrol, this uncertain feeling just refused to vanish.  
And he refused to let his guard down until all doubt was eliminated.
Still, Flash had felt better after the night had passed with no incidents. And he was even more relieved that the Everfree Forest had finally come into view, signaling the end of their three-day journey home. Which was wonderful, as he was, quite frankly, completely exhausted. Even with their stay at Obsidian’s old property a few nights ago, everypony was beginning to feel exhausted from the duration of the mission, and Flash had to admit that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep the previous night. 
Home. The most dangerous place in Equestria is our home away from home. I feel like I can sleep better in a monster infested forest surrounded by ponies I trust than I can in a secluded cave out in the wasteland. How crazy is that.
Flash had to admit that the idea he now called such a wild and unsafe forest ‘home’ was more than a little strange, though not unpleasant. It had nice and trustworthy ponies, was hidden from the Queen and the other alicorns that wished to capture Twilight (and now Pinkie, he supposed), and wasn’t too bad once you knew how to navigate it. It would never be as nice as Shining Star’s property or Cloudsdale, but it was growing on him. 
But now that they had left the main road and were approaching the forest itself, Flash could feel his heart begin to beat a bit faster again. Looking like a typical caravan in the dusty, rolling fields of the barren Equestria countryside wasn’t too bad. They just needed to hide in plain sight. But most caravans didn’t get too close to the Everfree Forest, let alone make a beeline directly for it. Anypony passing along the road or in the sky would see them from miles away, well before they ever heard any of the chatter or singing and would clearly be concerned when they saw such a large group headed for the most dangerous forest in Equestria.
And if they just so happened to see a small purple alicorn or either of the Elements, then there would be trouble.
No, don’t think about that. Twilight could hide in a cart or might even be in range of teleporting back to the village. She won’t be captured again. Not on my watch.  
On the positive side, they did have a lot of ponies who could help fend off an attack with them now. Some part of him knew that is would probably be quicker and less attention-grabbing if it was just him and Twilight slipping into the forest, but he had to admit, he liked having the other ponies there as back-up if things went wrong. Ponies he trusted, ponies he could work with, ponies he LIKED. 
And, in truth, it felt good to be a part of a group that was trying so hard to make a difference in the world. To be working alongside ponies who had such close bonds and were willing to support one another to survive. They trusted each other, and Flash found himself trusting them more and more with each passing day. 
Even if his priority was still Twilight’s safety, it felt…nice to help their new allies achieve their goals. To work to gain their trust and show them that he and Twilight could be trusted as well.
And speaking of Twilight, Flash could tell that she had been truly enjoying herself these last few days. The singing, the talking, the simple fact that she was having so much fun and looked so relaxed right now – it was worth the added risk, and it reminded him that while both he and Twilight might be used to working alone, Twilight was much happier and productive when working with others. And as Luna had taught him, ‘protecting your charges means looking out for both physical and mental harm.’ If Twilight being able to relax for the first time in weeks meant she was in the open a bit longer, then so long as he remained vigilant and got her to safety the moment danger did appear, than he was willing to make that small trade.   
Still, it would be good to be back in the village. Guarding Twilight was still his primary concern, and once they were inside the trees, Twilight could continue making friends without fear of the Queen’s guards finding her. Hay, once word got out that somepony in the resistance had found the Element of Laughter, the forest would probably provide them with an extra layer of security should somepony decide to try and come for Twilight or Pinkie. So long as Twilight didn’t run off and try and sacrifice herself again, she would be well hidden.
I REALLY hope she doesn’t try to run off again. I don’t think I have ever been so worried about her safety in my entire life. Not even the incident in Canterlot with the Element of Magic made me panic that much. 
He just hoped that they could find a way to accommodate all the new ponies that they had picked up from this little adventure, preferably in a way that didn’t make them completely observable from the air. The last thing he needed was Twilight to be captured because somepony saw the village through the forest canopy and told the Queen or another alicorn. At least they would have more trained ponies to help them should they be found. Rose especially had taken an interest in helping protect her soon-to-be home and had already offered to help pass on her Butler skills to the new recruits. From the conversations Flash had with her on the road, she appeared to be a very skilled Butler, so any help she could offer would be a great boon to the resistance. She was also very keen on sparring with him as well, something that Flash was looking forward to.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to spar with another Butler. And not only would it be a good chance to learn more about Rose, but it might convince other resistance members to spar with me too. And sometimes the best way to start learning about somepony is to see how they fight. 
Though he did find it amusing that most of their conversations had eventually trailed off into Rose gushing about how excited she was to plan her wedding to Sandy Quartz, absentmindedly playing with her ring constantly. Flash could understand her excitement, and he was sure Pinkie would love to help them with that process. 
But before all of that, they had to get back in the forest, and quickly.
“Twenty-one bottle of milk on the wall, twenty-one bottles of milk!” 
“Start winding down, Pinkie! We’ll be at the forest soon, and we need to get set up for the trek to make sure no critters get the drop on us!” Applejack called out, walking towards them. “Flash, Twilight, you stay near Obsidian and the other prisoners. We need to decide who will stay with them once Twilight puts them to sleep.”  
Twilight nodded, and so did Flash, albeit far more reluctantly. Given Twilight’s proficiency with the sleep spell she had blasted him and the others with before running off to get captured by Thorn, Flash knew it made sense to have her use it on Obsidian and her loyal followers so whoever was watching them could slip into the forest without issue once everypony else was back inside. But he still didn’t like it. Applejack’s logic made a lot of sense, so Flash couldn’t really argue with her when she brought up the idea the day before, but he felt a bit hesitant about leaving Twilight outside the forest, away from the crowd, noticeable, vulnerable, longer than necessary. Even if that ‘longer’ was just for a minute or two. 
Twilight assured him that she would be fine, and Flash knew she probably would be, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Twilight was good at taking care of herself, most of the time anyway, but he never wanted to see her in chains ever again. It just…felt so wrong to see her like that. So he had announced that he would be staying right by her side the entire time in case something went wrong. Twilight had rolled her eyes, as she normally did when he was like this, but her smile let him know that she appreciated his dedication. Even if she did say he could take a nap if he needed too while he waited. At least Rarity had agreed to help escort Spike back into the forest so Twilight wouldn’t need to worry about him, and that made Flash smile to himself.
Applejack moved down the caravan, calling out orders, and as they got closer to the forest, the ponies clustered around the wagons began to prepare for entry. They encircled each wagon in tight formation, especially those with foals or injured ponies, and ensured that their weapons were in easy reach. A few ponies with crossbows climbed up into each wagon and took a relaxed stance, ready to aim and fire at anything hostile they spotted. They traded places with the pegesi, who took to the air, ready to fly ahead through the trees and make sure no predators had hidden in the canopy. Any resistance ponies currently in the carts began to put their armor back on and ready their weapons. 
Even a few of the recruited Butlers took up outlook positions on the carts, though they were still not allowed to carry weapons of their own. Some did so on their own, while others were invited up by veteran resistance members. Something about the image of ponies who had once been enemies now working together to protect one another made Flash smile. Why can’t all of Equestria be like this?
Meanwhile, a select team of ponies began to move towards the back of the caravan. This group would work to ensure that their trail was destroyed and that no trace of the resistance could be found. The first half of the team were pegesi, who would go back a ways and make enough wind to erase their tracks, something that wouldn’t raise much suspicion given the prevalence of dust storms outside of alicorn properties. And even if they were spotted, it wasn’t uncommon for Cloudsdale to send out small teams of ponies to help break up dust storms before they got too big. 
The second group would be responsible for covering their tracks in the forest: regrowing trees and bushes to hide their entrance point, filling in ruts with dirt, and removing broken branches or destroyed plants to hide their trail. They’d be outside for a while – which meant whoever was chosen to babysit Obsidian and the remaining Butlers would have to be outside a while too – but Flash still felt relieved that the resistance was taking the time and effort to do this, even with the added risks. Anything that made it harder to find the village, and by extension Twilight, would be worth it.  
While the newest members of the resistance were a bit slow, overall, the transition was incredibly smooth and quick, something that made Flash smile wider. It reminded him of his old Butler training drills, and it showed that despite the rough edges, the resistance wasn’t to be underestimated. 
You know, given the number of Butlers we have now, I wonder if we now have enough ponies that we could train a few ponies to become full Butlers rather than just teaching everypony various techniques like we have been. I know the training usually starts when ponies are younger, but having a few ponies specialized in specific combat or stealth operations would be really handy in later fights. 
“Darn, and we were so close to the end,” Joy groaned, pulling Flash back to the real world. “Can we finish when we get back to this village of yours?”
“Sure!” Pinkie said with a grin, earning a cheer from Joy.
“Please, no,” Magi grumbled softly. “I hate to agree with Obsidian, but in this case can we please choose a different song for when we get back? Preferably one less repetitive?”
“NOPE!” Joy exclaimed, her gemstone twinkling in a way that Flash had come to assume was playful.
“So,” Rainbow exclaimed, cutting into the conversation as she landed on top of Obsidian’s cage next to Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, “has Applejack decided who will be watching Miss Crazy down here after Twilight knocks her out?” She rapped on the cage for emphasis, earning a series of muffled shouts from Obsidian. Flash smirked, and Cheese outright chuckled. 
“She was going to have us discuss it once everypony else finished getting into position for reentry into the forest,” Twilight said. “Though I don’t know who she had in mind for the job. I know Rarity is taking Spike back, Fluttershy is treating the ponies who were forced to eat the flower, and Thunder, Lightning, and Big Mac are heading back so they can keep an eye on the new recruits. I don’t know who else would be willing to stay behind.”
“I think anypony should be fine so long as they can escape quickly without being noticed,” Flash said. Too bad a lot of ponies can’t teleport like Twilight can. It would certainly make getting back to the forest easier for whoever is chosen to stay. 
“Me, Cheesy, and Sandy could stay,” Pinkie offered, grabbing Cheese Sandwich with one leg and pointing to Sandy Quartz in the cart in front of them with the other. The stallion’s ears twitched. “It’d be fun to draw silly things on Obsidian’s face while she is asleep!”
“MMPHPMPHMMMM!” Obsidian protested, not that anypony really cared.
“Ooooh, can I help come up with ideas?” Joy asked. Pinkie was about to respond before Sandy’s voice rang out.
“Actually, Pinkie, I offered to help with the lookout. Sorry!”
“No problem, Sandy! Glad you’re helping out,” Pinkie called back just as Sandy’s fiancée jumped up into the cart and gave the stallion a quick kiss on the cheek. Given the big goofy grin that spread across his muzzle, Flash was certain he had thoroughly exited the conversation for the time being. 
Just like my mom and dad, he thought, before nearly jerking in surprise. Where the hay did THAT come from? Why am I suddenly thinking about my parents all of a sudden? I haven’t thought of them at all since coming to the village. So why am I suddenly thinking about them now? 
“Actually, Applejack wanted me to tell you that she needs you and Cheese with the caravan,” Rainbow said, pulling Flash back to the present. “She was apparently thinking about it as we were walking today, and she decided that your new, er, healed Pinkie Sense would be great for detecting any dangers we can’t see. And she thought both you and Cheese would be perfect for keeping the foals calm in the forest and making sure no predators make a move on them.”
“So much for silly drawings,” Joy said, sounding almost like she was pouting.
…How exactly can a gemstone pout? Flash thought, before deciding against pursuing that inevitable rabbit hole. Just like with Pinkie, I need to learn to not question Joy.
“I’m sure you’ll get another chance, sister,” Magi said. “Whether with another alicorn or back in the village where you and Pinkie will undoubtedly be throwing a number of parties.” 
“We do need a ‘We Won and Made it Home Safe’ party,” Cheese said, and a wide smile spread across Pinkie’s face.
“Let’s worry about that AFTER we make it home safely, then. Now, does anypony else want to volunteer or was selected to stay behind?” Rainbow asked. When no one answered, she smirked. “Well then, don’t worry, I’ll make sure Obsidian can’t find us,” she declared, puffing her chest out dramatically. 
“Really?” Flash asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. 
“Yeah! What, you think I can’t do it?” Rainbow retorted, glaring at Flash playfully. 
“You mean sit in place for two hours doing nothing but watching ponies sleep without going to sleep yourself? Unlike Twilight, you’re not exactly known for your patience and ability to sit still for hours on end. Not to mention you’d be doing that while you have one of the most distinctive and eye-catching manes in the entire resistance. The only reason you weren’t seen yesterday was because you were napping on the cart Fluttershy was resting in and she saw fit to throw a blanket over your head when that patrol showed up!”
“Hey!” Rainbow cried, her cheeks puffing up in indignation as she glared at Flash, prompting several of the nearby ponies to laugh.
“He does make some good points. Twilight would be much better at this job,” Pinkie agreed, causing Rainbow to splutter in surprise before turning her slightly-more-friendly-glare onto Pinkie. Unfazed, the party pony simply booped Rainbow’s nose. 
“Boop!” Joy chimed in happily, the Element of Laughter twinkling at the mirth around them.
“Fine, fine,” Rainbow said, somehow managing to shake her head without displacing Pinkie’s hoof. “But even if Twilight would be less obvious, I still want to watch her. Hey, actually, I can just ask Rarity for one of her wallflower cloaks!”
“Absolutely not!” came Rarity’s voice as she approached the group with Applejack, Spike sitting comfortably on her back. “You clearly demonstrated that you cannot be trusted with one, so I will not be giving you another until you have proven that you can use an item with a delicate spell matrix without completely breaking it!”
“Oh, come ooonnnn!” Rainbow groaned, deflating. She opened her mouth to continue, but Applejack interrupted.
“Rainbow, you’re not watching Obsidian,” the orange mare said, her voice carrying a definite tone of finality. “We need you to go ahead of the caravan and alert the rest of the village that we’re back and that we were successful. We need them to start preparing for the influx of visitors, and to start working out who will be staying where and how we will decide who will need to go to Wall Flower’s property.” She reached into the well-worn bag on her side. “And I need you to deliver this scroll to Second Sight.”
“Ugh, finnnneeeee!” Rainbow groaned. “But I’m taking a nap then once I get back.” And with that, she swooped down, grabbed the scroll, and was off into the forest. 
Hopefully she doesn’t crash into a tree or something, Flash thought with an internal chuckle.
“So, who is watching Obsidian?” he asked once he swallowed his laughter, turning back to Applejack. “Has anypony besides Rainbow volunteered?”
“Enope,” Applejack said, huffing in annoyance. “Lots of ponies just want ta get home rather than wait out here. Some want ta use their experience navigating through the Everfree to make sure our new recruits get through safely, which I appreciate, and others just don’t want ta hang around and risk getting spotted, even if they get wallflower cloaks. Then you have a few others that either don’t have the temperament for the job, like Rainbow, or just can’t be trusted not to mess with Obsidian and risk wakin’ her up.”
“A reasonable concern,” Magi agreed. “Even bound, it would be best not to let Obsidian or her Butlers wake up before we have all returned to the forest, and messing with her while she’s asleep will not end well.”
“Speaking of, can I draw a silly face on her before we go?” Pinkie asked. Obsidian gave an angry muffled reply, but Pinkie only bent over the cage and gave an upside-down raspberry. Flash chuckled again, out loud this time, and Pinkie grinned at him.
Given how upset Pinkie used to be whenever she mentioned Obsidian, it’s still nice to see her be so much more…well, herself now. he thought, smiling back. Facing your fears has never worked so well.
“No,” Applejack said, deadpan, before shaking her head. “Point is, we don’t exactly have anypony who can watch Obsidian, so I’m open to suggestions. 
“What if…I stayed to watch her?” Twilight suggested, making Flash’s head whip around so quickly he nearly fell over. 
“What!?” he exclaimed in surprise. Without warning, the image of Twilight chained to the stage on Thorn’s property, the wicked blades looming above her head, flashed into his mind, and his body immediately tensed up. The memory was so vivid that he almost didn’t realize that he was reaching for a sleeper bomb instinct before his mind caught up with him. 
What the hay am I doing!? I can’t just knock her out like that! Flash thought, jerking his wing away from his suit pocket as a spike of guilt wrapped around his heart. Especially not when she’s just making a suggestion! It’s not like she’s staying up for three days straight and outright refusing to sleep or trying to run off again! What is wrong with me!? Why would I even go for that so quickly? As much as he joked with Twilight about the sleeper bombs back on the Shining Star property, he never used them on Twilight willy-nilly. He always thought long and hard about using them, and he would ALWAYS try to talk to Twilight about whatever the issue was first. 
Did seeing Obsidian nearly hurt Pinkie rattle me this much? Or am I just that tired after being on a mission for so long? 
“I mean, think about it!” Twilight said, gesturing to the cage all while giving Flash a very specific look. Flash knew that she had seen what he had been about to do, but her look was one of forgiveness and understanding. And the fact that she was continuing without mentioning what he had done told him that she knew he had reacted purely on instinct, and that it was ok. She wasn’t mentioning what had happened, and Flash almost felt like she was protecting him. It made him smile slightly, and he resolved to apologize profusely to her once they had some time alone. “I can put them back to sleep if they wake up, I can teleport myself and anypony else away if we need a quick retreat, I would be perfectly ok with just sitting around for a few hours reading, and I’m the strongest magic user we have!”
“But you’re also the one every alicorn, royal guard, and Wonderbolt is searching for. You are literally the most wanted pony in Equestria.” Flash said, working to keep his tone level while gesturing with his leg at Obsidian for emphasis. He tried to focus on the fact that Twilight hadn’t brought up what he just almost did to try and stay calm as he fought off the image of Twilight in a dungeon somewhere. “Not to mention you’re the only one who can use Magi to drain alicorns. Unless Joy can drain them in your place, you’re the only pony who can put them down for good, and that does make you a target.”
“Just for the record, I can’t drain alicorns like Sis can. Only Magi has that ability,” Joy chimed in. 
“See? This is a horrible idea! Right, Applejack?”
“Flash, relax.” 
Applejack’s low, hard tone caused Flash to blink and to realize that, despite his attempts to stay calm after his blunder, his voice had slowly been rising in volume. His right hoof was shaking ever so slightly, and he could feel his back aching from his tense muscles. 
Why am I reacting so strongly to this?
“I…you’re right. Sorry,” Flash said, shaking his head to clear it. Why was he struggling so much right now? “I just…I don’t like this idea. At all, to be honest. There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan, so many ways Twilight could get into trouble regardless of her ability to get OUT of trouble, and I just…”
“You’re worried about her safety,” Applejack said, almost gently, as though she knew exactly what Flash was feeling. “And that worry makes you sometimes see dangers where there are none. Makes you paranoid about any and all possible dangers, no matter how unlikely. Trust me, I’ve felt the same way about Applebloom on occasion.”
“Just on occasion?” Big Mac called out with a laugh as he walked past.
“Quiet, you!” Applejack huffed. “But regardless of all that, I agree with Twilight and Pinkie. Twilight can take care of herself for a few hours, and I bet all that alicorn magic would be good if a fight did break out.”
“Not to mention that I would be able to assist should an alicorn appear as well,” Magi said with a small flash of light. “Including boosting Twilight’s magic if need be.”
“Even if there’s a small risk that you get spotted, which will be unlikely given the wallflower cloaks we’ll give you and that disguise gem Pinkie’s been holding on to, she’s the best pony we have to make sure whoever stays here gets back safely. Between her magic and you being here to keep her out of trouble, I think you two will be fine.” 
She’s right. Twilight is the best pony we do this job, and I won’t be leaving her alone out here. There are so many ways things can go wrong, but Twilight is also the most likely to be able to deal with said problems. And whatever she can’t handle, I can. I know this. Heck, I was the one who gave Twilight a motivational speech about how strong she is back when we were escaping Canterlot. 
So why can’t I stop thinking about every little thing that can go wrong? About alicorns showing up to kidnap her, or a creature coming out of the Everfree and getting the jump on us? I know it’s my job to think ahead for possible dangers, but it’s never gotten this bad before. 
Maybe that patrol yesterday spooked me more than I thought. That or I really do need a nap.   
“You’re right. And so is Twilight,” Flash said, taking a deep breath and trying to sound calm and confident. “She’s the best pony we have for the job, and I’ll stay with her no matter what.” 
Twilight smiled at him, and he was actually able to smile back, a little. 
“Should somepony else stay with them?” Rarity asked, gently putting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. Applejack shook her head.
“It’s best if it’s as few ponies as possible. The more ponies stay, the more energy Twilight will need to expend to teleport them to safety if necessary and the more likely that somepony gets left behind. Besides, between an alicorn and a pegasus whose primary weapon can shoot lightning and who is carrying more bombs than I care to count, I doubt they’ll run into any problems,” she said, before frowning. “Though if you two do get captured, we are going to have words once we save your sorry flanks.”
“Duly noted,” Magi said in way that sounded almost sarcastically playful. 
“We’ll be fine,” Twilight said, stepping up and gently draping a wing over Flash’s back.  Even with his suit in the way, Flash could still feel the gentle embrace of her wing and the warm comfort she was hoping to convey. It brought back so many memories of him trying to help her as she studied for a stressful test or worked long into the night on a spell to show Lady Celestia or Lady Luna, and the stress and myriad of possible ‘what ifs’ in Flash’s brain began to melt away. Almost like finally being able to come out of hiding after a long day of intense stealth training. “I don’t exactly like staying out longer than we need to, but between Flash’s training and my magic, we should be prepared for anything that might come our way.” 
Flash grinned a bit as Twilight gave him a happy nod. And since she was working so hard to try and relieve his stress, he decided he might as well show her how good of a job she was doing at making him feel better. 
“And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep Twilight out of trouble,” he said with a small wink, prompting a loud laugh from Spike and a punch to the shoulder from a now-slightly-grumpy Twilight. “Ah, hey! What? It’s not my fault you have a tendency to get into trouble! Remember the time travel incident?”
Twilight gave him another smack. 
“Ow, cut it out!” Flash exclaimed playfully, his wing shooting out and tickling Twilight right on her belly. 
Twilight SQUEALED as she jumped away, her face going from grumpy to shocked and blushing to playfully angry as she lifted her own wings threateningly. Flash knew what was coming and immediately took off, running around the cart as Twilight started to chase him, tension-easing laughter ringing out from most of the nearby ponies. 
But underneath her cherry blush was a wonderful smile, and that helped Flash feel even better. Sometimes you just need a bit of familiarity to make things a bit easier to bear…

An hour later… 

Flash continued to survey the land around them. Quiet and mostly lifeless, the same as it always was whenever he ventured out of the forest or off a Lady’s property. No pegesi patrols, no enemy guards on the horizon. Just him and Twilight sitting on top of Obsidian’s cage, recently detached from its cart and now on the dusty ground, as the former alicorn continued to sleep away. Off to the left, the captive Butlers that hadn’t been recruited were in much a similar state, fast asleep on the ground with their legs bound in case they woke up. Once they were done here, Twilight would teleport the two of them into the woods along with the rope, leaving only the cage and prisoners behind. 
He was feeling much better now. The moment they had been along, he had apologized to Twilight, pouring out his shame for nearly knocking her out without warning or reason. It had been pretty intense emotionally speaking, and he still wasn’t sure why he had jumped to nearly using his sleeper bombs on her. Twilight had pointed out that they were both pretty exhausted from the long mission, and that seeing Pinkie so close to danger likely still had him a bit on edge, even admitting that it had affected her too. Yet while Flash admitted that could have been the case, he still hated the fact that it happened, and could still feel the guilt eating aways at him for doing it. It was wrong and unfair to Twilight to consider doing something like that without a truly serious reason. 
Yet Twilight, despite everything, still forgave him. She still acknowledged his pain and made it clear that she wasn’t going to hold it against him. That they were still a team, and she understood that sometimes mistakes happen. Hearing her say that, and seeing her genuine care and forgiveness in her eyes finally helped Flash to relax as her forgiveness sank in. It finally felt as though things had returned to normal.  
And with that issue addressed, the two of them had begun their vigil. Flash watched the wasteland, while Twilight pulled out a book to read. Another small slice of normalcy. He still felt vigilant and cautious, but the more time passed without incident, the easier he found it to relax a bit, and he was no longer thinking of every possible complication. They were alone out here, they were wearing wallflower cloaks with the hoods pulled up, and the sounds of the resistance convoy were already gone. Pinkie’s disguise gem was tucked in Twilight’s pocket just in case, but there was no sign of anypony for miles and with a little luck, it would only be an unneeded precaution.
And so far, things had been calm. They would be fine. Twilight would be fine.
The resistance had come to the decision to leave the cage at a crossroad a couple miles away from the forest, close enough for Twilight and Flash to know when everypony had gotten inside but far enough away that Obsidian or her Butlers wouldn’t be able to see where the caravan had entered. So now all the two of them had to do was to make sure their captives didn’t wake up as the volunteers did everything they could to obscure the resistance’s trail. 
Though Flash imagined they didn’t have to worry about the remaining Butlers trying to enter the forest. Given how hesitant they were to protect Obsidian from a band of ponies – armed and angry ponies, sure, but normal ponies nonetheless – he was almost certain that any Butler here would turn and leave rather than risk the beasts of the Everfree.
“Flash?” Twilight asked, prompting him to break his starting contest with the barren wasteland. The hoods on the wallflower cloaks were large and loose, so even with them pulled up, he could see the slight bit of uncertainty in her gaze as she closed the book she had brought with her. Was she worried about something he had overlooked? 
“Yes, Twilight?” Flash responded, trying to sound reassuring. 
“Is it ok if we talk for a bit?”
“Of course,” Flash said. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“No, no, it’s just…” Twilight bit her lip. “Do you remember that first song Pinkie sang, the one right after we left Obsidian’s property?”
Flash nodded. That had been a good song. He could still remember the feeling in his chest as everypony had sung or hummed along about their struggles. It had been…relaxing for some reason, one he couldn’t put into words just yet. Almost as though some invisible pressure had been slowly released as the song went on. 
I…I still can’t put what I felt into words. I wasn’t even thinking of singing along at first, but when it really got going, I just…couldn’t help myself. And when it was over, I felt so much better than I had since leaving the Shining Star property. I can see why ponies used to sing that song out in the rock fields on Obsidian’s property. Something about it was just so…refreshing. Actually, I got so caught up in the song that I wasn’t really focusing on any potential dangers. Is that what’s bugging Twilight? Did she see my lapse in focus?
“Well, when everypony, was singing, I could…it’s hard to explain, but I could feel the emotions of the singers I could see, or at least understand them. With Rainbow and Pinkie, I could really feel their feelings of triumph, either over their Ladies or over the adversity they faced. But when I heard you singing, I couldn’t really understand or even guess what you were feeling at the time. And it bothered me. A lot.”
As she spoke, Flash could pick up on something in her voice. Some small hesitance that told him there was something else on her mind. 
“Why did it bother you?” Flash asked, gently patting her shoulder. Whenever Twilight was distracted like this, it usually meant something was bugging her. Something related to the current topic of discussion, but deeper that she was letting on.
I’m here if you need me, Twilight.
Guarding her for years made him a pro at spotting these signs, something he knew he nailed on the head when Twilight sighed.
“It bothered me because, when we were singing, I realized that I really don’t know that much about you,” she said.
Wait. Really? But I’ve told you a lot about me…haven’t I?
Flash blinked in surprise. “You don’t?” 
Twilight nodded. 
“I realized that while I knew some things about you, like your favorite food and books to read, there was so much I didn’t know. That I never even asked you about. Why and how you left Cloudsdale, how you got your wing blades…I’ve never even asked about your family.”
Flash opened his mouth to respond, to try and counter her point, but no noise came out when his brain failed to find any counterevidence. She was right. He had never mentioned much about his life to Twilight. Sure, he’d shared a couple stories here and there when at Shining Star, but nothing really personal or deep. He was always helping her with her latest project, teasing her, or just guarding her as she went about her daily routines. And once they joined the resistance, he had focused more on keeping Twilight safe and helping her with the books Lady Celestia and Lady Luna had given them. 
Through it all, they had talked about her family, quite often too, but Flash could never bring himself to talk about his family or his life back in Cloudsdale. Part of that had been because talking about his life in Cloudsdale always made his heart ache at being away from his family. Aside from that…well, there was always the chance that any such conversation would inevitably lead to…
Best not think about that just yet. He would deal with it if it came up. 
“Huh,” was the only response he could think of after five solid minutes of thinking. “You’re right. I just…never really thought about it until now.” 
I’m glad Twilight is so patient with me when I’m thinking.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?” Flash asked, giving Twilight a little nudge. “There’s nothing wrong with you not asking me before now. Hay, I could have told you stuff about my family any time I wanted, so it’s in no way your fault. I just…never really thought to bring it up.”
“Why not?” she asked innocently.
“I…” Flash started, and then his mind went completely blank.
Come on, brain, he thought, but his brain was absolutely failing to quickly come up with something. A bubble of panic formed in his chest as the seconds kept ticking on. He began scratching the back of his head as he scrambled for an answer, hoping it would buy him a few more seconds. Come on come on think before she suspects—oh yes! 
“I get homesick when I talk about it.” 
It IS the truth, even if not all of it. 
“Especially since I don’t get to go home too often. But regardless, it’s not like you not asking means we aren’t still friends.”
“But I just feel like I should have,” Twilight sighed. “We’ve spent so much time together and I’ve never even asked once.”
“And most of that time was spent learning from Celestia, working on research to try and help the ponies of her property, sleeping, eating, and sometime being a bit of a hoof-full with the little bits of chaos you caused,” Flash said with a grin, earning a shove and a giggle from Twilight. “Besides, we have time now, don’t we? Just…” His smile faltered, then fell away. “Just be patient, ok? I…don’t know how it will feel to finally talk about these things, so it might take me a little while to get into it. And, can we…not talk about my mother too much?” 
Drat. He’d hoped his hesitation wouldn’t bleed into his voice that much.
“Your mother?” Twilight asked, looking at him concernedly. Flash nodded. 
“She and I…well, let’s just say we have different views on certain things. My life, our family, and…” He paused, then sighed, trying to find the right words. “It’s complicated. I love her, I really do, but things haven’t always been smooth between us. Maybe we can try talking about her another time, but for now…”
“I understand,” Twilight said with a nod. “We can go as slow or as fast as you want to go. And if you want to talk about you mother or anything difficult to think about, I’m here to listen.” She gently nuzzled against him in very much the same way he would do when trying to comfort her after one of her nightmares, and warmth shot through his entire body.
This is the second time I’ve my worries snuggled away today, he thought, feeling his grin slowly coming back onto his face. He closed his eyes and nuzzled her back. Not that I can complain. And WOW, when did Twilight become so soft and fluffy? It was far more comforting than any blanket or pillow or cloud, and this time he found himself truly relaxing for the first time in a while. 
“Thanks, Twilight. I appreciate it.” 
They remained like that for a minute before Twilight sat back up and met his eyes. The gears of curiosity were clearly already turning in her head, and Flash found himself smiling even wider.
“Right, so, first question,” Twilight said. “Do you have any siblings?” 
The second the question registered, a crystal-clear image of his little sister popped right into Flash’s brain. Her orange coat was matted with water from her latest crash into a cloud, and her messy purple mane was peeking out from underneath her helmet. She was wearing a silly grin that screamed ‘I can do anything I put my mind to!’ and had a bandage over her right cheek that had definitely not been there that morning. Her small wings were buzzing happily as she hopped in place on the springy cloud below her. Around her neck sat a loose golden chain holding a shining silver feather that rested right over her heart.  
She was perfect. Young, determined, ready to live life to the fullest. It felt as though Flash had just seen her yesterday, had just heard her excited voice as she told him about her latest idea for a stunt on her scooter. He couldn’t help but laugh a little at the loving and chaotic memories that accompanied the image.   
“Yes, I do.” 
And the moment he spoke, a massive, jagged spike of pain and longing erupted in his heart. It was sudden, and if not for his Butler training Flash was certain it would take his breath away. That image, those memories…he was so far away from home. Away from his sister. Away from his family. He didn’t know what they were going through, if they were doing ok now that he had disappeared. He had always tried not to think too much about his family while he was away from Cloudsdale, but saying those words felt like punching through a barrier of stone he had put up around a well of uncertainty and guilt.
Yet as he instinctively began to rebuild that wall, he caught Twilight staring at him. Her gaze was filled with shock, yet he could still see a small spark in her eyes. He didn’t know what that spark was, exactly, but…it was warm. Seeing it…Flash realized that, even though it hurt, he still wanted to talk about his sister. That it would feel good to share the positive memories of his sister with someone. 
And who better to share these memories with than Twilight, the pony he trusted the most?
So he pushed through that barrier around his heart, pulling up as many good memories of his sister as he could, ready to try and power through that pain of separation that had stayed with him for so long. “A little sister, in fact, just about Applebloom and Sweetie Belle’s age,” he finally managed to say. 
“Really!?” Twilight gasped in shock. “What’s her name? Why didn’t you ever mention her?” 
Flash laughed a little, drawing on the excitement and curiosity that filled Twilight’s voice to push himself forward. “Her name is Scootaloo, and, well, I didn’t really like to talk about it back at Shining Star because she was one of the ponies I missed the most. She was always so energetic and happy that I just couldn’t stay sad when she was around. The first time I was away for her for weeks at a time was…hard, and it became a habit not to talk about her to avoid that pain. Though I would suggest we still don’t mention her when Applebloom or Sweetie Belle are around.”
“Why not?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowing. Flash couldn’t help but grin a bit as a memory of Scootaloo coming home covered in tree sap (of all things) from an ill-fated stunt in the greenhouse flew to the forefront of his mind. With every memory, it felt as if that crack in his walls was widening, yet even as the pain was becoming more acute, it felt different somehow. Almost as though his heart was reminding him that there were so many good memories that were worth remembering, not just the pain of missing his little sister. It was like a small light was shining through the crack, telling him that he would feel better when the wall came down. That there would be a light at the end of this tunnel. 
“Because as much as I love my sister to death, even I will admit that she is a little menace! She is obsessed with getting her cutie mark and learning how to fly, and she’s convinced that the only way to do that is through crazy stunts! She also LOVES the idea of becoming a Butler or a hero of Equestria and constantly gets herself into trouble.” 
Like the time she practiced her ‘certified Butler surprise jump attack’ on me in the middle of the street and knocked over Ms. Buttercream’s cupcake stand, he thought, chuckling. The old mare scolded us for almost twenty minutes with four cherries balanced perfectly on her head! She didn’t even notice!
But then his laughter felt sour and he just barely kept from wincing as he realized that he wouldn’t be able to learn about what Scooty had been up to until he was able to go home. To hear her excitedly tell him about how a disaster of a stunt was ‘almost SO COOL!’ 
I’m sure she’ll remember them for me…he thought, pushing down the heavy, bad feeling just enough to catch Twilight’s next question. 
“For her ‘crazy stunts,’ are we taking you-daring-Spike-to-eat-an-entire-plate-of-hot-peppers crazy, or you-trying-to-do-the-training-course-blindfolded-and-breaking-your-leg crazy?” she asked, raising an eyebrow yet unable to hide her smile. Whether at his story or just that fact he was willing to share these things with her, he wasn’t sure, but boy, did he love to see it anyways. It made sharing these stories with her worth the discomfort. 
“I’m talking ‘I’m-gonna-jump-my-scooter-between-the-roofs-of-two-ten-story-buildings’ crazy.”
I had never seen mom double-facehoof so hard when she found out about THAT one. Not to mention the fact that she grounded Scooty for three months after that incident, Flash thought, and this time he DID wince as the messy blend of love and conflict that surrounded his mother came briefly to the surface. 
The only thing that kept him from dwelling on that for too long was the fact that Twilight’s jaw had dropped in horror. He quickly realized that she probably saw him wince and had likely attributed it to what he had just said rather than his own internal conflict. Which meant she was probably waiting for him to explain what on EQUIS he was talking about.
Smiling reassuringly, he gave her a little pat on the shoulder again. “Don’t worry, she isn’t stupid. What she’s doing may look insane, but she’s actually pretty good at making sure she isn’t in any real danger. Whenever she does one of these stunts, she makes sure to set up padded clouds below her and to wear a feather-fall amulet that I gave her. Though I…” 
Flash had to pause as a sudden tightness invaded his chest. He swallowed hard, but it didn’t help the way he wanted it to. “I hope she isn’t doing anything too extreme while I’m gone. I can usually help rein her in when I visit, but…but I CAN’T visit her, not anymore. And she doesn’t know where I am, or if I’m even safe, or…” 
The tightness in his chest got even tighter. He could feel his walls starting to rebuild themselves, his mind instinctively trying to push back the horrible feeling of terror and homesickness that was beginning to overtake him.
Scooty, please don’t hurt yourself before this is all over. I haven’t forgotten about you. I’m still safe. I’m still doing what I was trained to do. 
I still love you.
He was so distracted, he didn’t even notice Twilight move until she had hugged him again. His whole body froze, his panicked thoughts halting in place, until he let out a little shudder. His worry over Scootaloo’s safety started to quiet, and the memory of her happy face when he had given her the feather fall amulet on her birthday a few years ago floated into his mind. How she promised to always wear it if she was going to do anything dangerous, and how she was so earnest and determined and happy that he just knew she would never take it off, stunts or no stunts. 
“You can’t tell her that you’re still ok. That you miss her.” Twilight said softly, voicing his inner thought perfectly. 
Flash nodded, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek. 
“Yeah, I do. She’s smart, and Mom and the guards know to be on the lookout for her but…I can’t be there for her right now, and that makes me worry. Just like I’m sure Shining is worried about you and Spike, regardless of if Lady Luna informs him that you’re ok through his dreams.”
“I’m worried about him too,” Twilight agreed, tightening her grip on Flash slightly. “And as a little sister, I know that Scootaloo is probably worried about you just as much. And while she might not know what is going on or where you are, she will still hold onto the hope that you are ok, and she will be waiting for the day when you come back home. And when that day comes, she will still love you just as much as she always did.”
Flash managed a trembling smile as he wiped away the tears that kept forming in his eyes. He gently returned her hug, his heart already holding onto the hope that she would be right. That one day, maybe even one day soon, he would be able to feel Scooty hug him as tightly as she could, just like she had every time he had come home. 
Just that thought made Flash smile even as it nearly brought him to happy tears all over again. The worry was still there, and Flash knew his barriers hadn’t completely come down, but he could feel a small soothing pool of relief in his chest that hadn’t been there before. 
“Thank you, Twilight. I…I needed to hear that. I think your confidence might be rubbing off on me,” Flash said softly. “And I know Shining will eagerly await the day that he is able to sweep you off your hooves in a hug again, because it’s exactly what I am feeling right now as a big brother who misses his little sister.”
“You’re welcome, and thank you for saying that,” Twilight said, holding the hug for another minute before slowly backing up a bit. “I just hope I’m right, especially since it’s my fault that we had to flee to the Everfree Forest in the first place. I’m sorry that this even happened.” 
Flash knew instantly that he had to do something. He could clearly see the guilt and self-blame welling up inside Twilight, and he refused to let her good mood be destroyed so easily. And what better way to cheer her up than with some good old playful teasing? In fact, it would be rather nice to transition away from all of the heavy and complicated emotions back to such a familiar role, even if only for a few minutes. After all she just did for him, the least he could do was to help her feel a bit more happy. 
“Did you ask to be turned into an alicorn?” Flash asked playfully, feeling a bit of his old teasing energy returning to him. “I didn’t think so. And in case you forgot, I was the one who was so worried about you that I decided to help break you out even before Lady Luna helped prepare me for the trip. I’m here because I wanted to help you, and with everything we’ve done so far to help Pinkie and the other resistance members, I wouldn’t change what I did even if somepony sent me back in time. Besides, even if I didn’t come, I would probably just be wearing a groove in my room pacing, just like you when Celestia was about to give you a big test.” 
“Very funny, mister,” Twilight said, giving him a playful tug on the ear with her magic, but she was smiling again, a little, so Flash counted it as a win. “But…thank you for trying to make me feel better. And even though I don’t know her, if Scootaloo is as smart as you say, then I am sure she will be fine until you are able to visit her. Assuming she doesn’t jump between any buildings, at least.”
“I’m sure she will, but the walls are all made of padded clouds anyway, so they and the amulet will keep her safe,” Flash said, feeling a bit better as he said it. Twilight gave him a deadpan stare, which made him chuckle a little.  
Though maybe I should have had somepony put a tracking spell on that amulet before I gave it to her, he thought, remembering all the times he had to go out on ‘Sister Finding’ duty. Harmony knows how many times she’s gotten stuck in a cloud somewhere and needed to wait for me to come pull her out. Or the Wonderbolts that one time I legitimately couldn’t find her because she was stuck in the side of a warehouse all the way across the city.
“I was trying to make you feel better, which appears to have succeeded, but now I honestly can’t tell if you’re joking about the building jumping or not,” Twilight said, shaking her head in disbelief. Flash knew the feeling quite well – he often felt that way in regard to Scooty. “And, sorry, what are ‘padded clouds?’ Aren’t all clouds padded?”
“Technically yes,” Flash said. “But the clouds I am referring to are specifically designed to be thicker and more resistant to breaking naturally or pegasus cloud-busting than normal clouds. Normal clouds can break if you crash into them fast enough, so padded clouds serve as a way to reduce a pony’s speed without injuring them, even if the pony is moving at terminal velocity. Think of them sort of like a giant marshmallow or pillow if that helps. Worst-case scenario is you get stuck inside one if you crash too hard and have to wait for somepony to come help you out. They’re pretty handy, believe it or not - Cloudsdale has them in every guard training course and foal flight practice area, they can be used to help make the hospital bedding softer for badly injured ponies, and they’re even used in the yard of the prison to make sure no pony can escape through them.”
Wow, that was quite the Twilight-worthy tangent. Either she’s really rubbing off on me, or I just enjoy sharing things with her that she didn’t know before. She is really cute when she’s learning about something new. That, or maybe I was just happy to take a break from discussing my family directly. Hopefully Twilight doesn’t think I’m being silly if I keep going on like this. 
“The prison? Oh, I think I remember Lady Celestia mentioning that Cloudsdale had a prison at one point.” Twilight said, nodding. “But I wasn’t aware that they used these clouds as part of its construction. Are they used everywhere in the prison, or just in the yard? Actually, that doesn’t sound like it would be too common of knowledge. How do you know what the prison yard is made up of?”
“Answering your second question first, I’ve been taught about every district and important location in Cloudsdale as part of my Butler training,” Flash said. “Despite our disagreements, my…” He paused instinctively, trying to ignore the resurfacing tension in his chest. A distinct tension that only arose when he thought about one pony. “My mom and I both agreed that if something were to happen that would put Scooty in danger, like an attack on Cloudsdale, I would be the best pony to get my sister out of the city safely. As such, my mom made sure I was taught not only city warfare and stealth, but also about Cloudsdale as much as possible.” 
The moment the words left his mouth and his brain caught up, he wanted to double facehoof so badly.
I just revealed that my mom was able to have some say in my training as a Butler, implying that she has high standing in Cloudsdale! I was so focused on trying to talk through the emotions that I didn’t even stop to think about that before I spoke! I feel like an idiot! Why didn’t I think of that?! 
“That makes sense,” Twilight said, scooting a little bit closer to Flash again. He couldn’t tell if she had noticed his slip up or not, but it was clear from her actions and her expression that she had noticed his discomfort. “If anypony would be skilled enough to get your sister out safely, it would be you,” she said, smiling. 
Flash felt his anxiety abate a little as he returned the smile and definitely didn’t blush. But even so, he let loose an internal sigh of relief and made a mental note to try and be more careful.
If she did notice the greater context of what I said, she’s not asking more about it. She’s respecting my wish to discuss my mom as little as possible. 
Thank you, Twilight.
“Glad to see you still have such confidence in me,” he said, meaning every word. “As for your first question about the prison, padded clouds are only used in the yard while most of its walls are made up of cloud concrete plates with reinforced metal sandwiched in between them. Padded clouds are more susceptible to wind currents and, while difficult to break through with force, they can be disrupted or busted apart via gentle finesse with weather magic. If the entire prison was made solely of padded clouds, it would be too easy for an especially skilled pegasus to escape. 
“The main yard uses them rather than the metal plates in order to reduce flight injuries. See, they let prisoners fly during their off time so they can keep in shape. If they crash into metal plates on the ground, they could seriously hurt themselves, so none of the walls or the floor of the yard are reinforced that way. Instead, they have a mass of padded clouds about three times as thick as the rest of the cityscape, that way even if a pony did try to break through the floor, either through force or through magic, there’s no way they could get through it without attracting a lot of attention,” Flash continued, more of the tension in his shoulders leaving as he spoke.
This is better. I can talk about the city, at least.
“It sounds like a creative solution. And it sounds like a lot of prisoners have gotten stuck in that yard over the years,” Twilight giggled. “Has that ever happened to your sister? Getting stuck in the clouds, I mean?”
Flash couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that, no less than three memories of that exact scenario quickly popping into his mind. “OOooooooohhh yeah! CONSTANTLY! Hay, at least one in three of her crazy little stunts tends to end with her stuck in the clouds! There was one time that she tried to do a stunt in one of her secret hiding spots in the city, only to crash into one of her clouds so hard, only her hind hooves were free. When I finally found her, she was still trying to get out and had only succeeded in freeing her tail, leaving it and her hind hooves to kick in futility as I tried not to laugh. I failed. Miserably,” he added with a perfect deadpan, and Twilight burst into giggles.
Scooty was SO mad when I just pushed the entire cloud home as it was so Mom could see the mess she had gotten herself into. Mom… Flash fought back the emotional turmoil that invaded his stomach. She just couldn’t stop laughing for a good ten minutes. She…that was one of the few times she had laughed so much since Dad…
Any further thought of his mother was cut off as Flash felt a sharp dagger of pain try to force its way out through his walls, to puncture his already messy emotions and bring forth a flood of sorrow. It took all his willpower to banish the knife back to the dark void in his chest as he shook his head furiously.
No, don’t think about that, Flash. Remember the good times. Focus on the positives. Focus— 
His runaway thoughts were cut short as he felt the gentle sensation of a wing gently tracing over his back mixed with the sound of Twilight’s voice. “Do you think Rainbow Dash would be able to break through the padded clouds?” She asked. Flash turned to look into her eyes. They were filled with worry, but her voice remained gentle and kind.  “They sound pretty tough.” 
She’s distracting me. She’s trying to distract me the same way I distract her when she’s upset or stressed…
  Thank you, Twilight. Thank you. 
“They are, so despite her speed, I’d be willing to bet almost anything that she would get stuck in them too,” Flash said, letting out a slightly shaky laugh. And yet, as he laughed, he could feel the most intense edge of his stress begin to dull and bleed away.
Yes, perfect. I can talk about clouds all day. Clouds are good. Clouds are safe.
So safe, in fact, that a hilarious image suddenly popped into his head and he almost choked. “Oh my harmony, can you imagine that? Rainbow’s legs kicking helplessly as she tried to escape her favorite napping spot?!” 
Twilight roared with laughter, and Flash joined in, getting a little too much enjoyment from imagining a grumpy Rainbow Dash stuck in a cloud. 
Just a little.
It would be the perfect bit of karma though after what she did during Twilight’s first flight lesson though. Maybe once this is all over, I can challenge her to bust through one of those clouds and see how badly she fails at it. 
“Those clouds can be pretty fun, actually,” Flash continued once their laughter died down. “They’re really bouncy if you jump on them, and my sister loves to use them as makeshift trampolines,” He paused for a moment, bracing for the spike of longing in his chest. Yet, while it still hit hard, it didn’t hit with the same intensity as before. Instead, his mind pulled up the memory of him and Scooty bouncing around on a padded cloud outside their house, happily laughing without a care in the world. He could see the carefree and joyful expression on his sister’s face as clear as day, and it made him smile. 
Does talking about Scooty make it easier for me to handle these negative emotions? Or is it just  the momentum I’ve built up over the course of this conversation? Either way, if feels…nice that I can talk about her. That the happiness of my memories is coming through stronger than before. 
I’m making progress. Progress I never even thought I could make.   
“I’m just glad Spike never had such a chaotic stage,” Twilight said with a grin. “But wouldn’t your sister get in trouble for taking them? While they sound at least somewhat common, they don’t exactly sound like something you’re allowed to just take and use anytime you want.”
“They aren’t,” Flash agreed, feeling a warm fire burn in his chest as he thought of Scooty’s infectious laughter as they enjoyed playing with the clouds. Despite being smaller and lighter than him, she always found a way to bounce higher than he did. She loved to do all kinds of flips and stunts while bouncing, and Flash always wondered where she had the energy to keep going for so long. “But the school in Cloudsdale has a stockpile that students are allowed to use for flight practice so long as they do so under adult supervision. They even have a set of launch platforms at various heights with padded clouds below them for students to practice gliding and basic flight maneuvers. So Scooty just takes as much as she is allowed to, finds a way to sneak away from her supervisor, and then goes off into the city proper to set up her stunts. 
“Actually, even if she didn’t get padded clouds from school, part of me thinks she might be able to make a good substitute on her own,” he added proudly. “See, while Scooty’s magic hasn’t reached the point where she is able to fly yet, the teachers at Cloudsdale’s school say she has a lot of potential when it comes to weather magic, especially cloud shaping and crafting. In fact, she was the first foal in her class to start making her own clouds out of water vapor back about a year ago, which is very early for pegasi.” 
He could still remember how proud she had been when he had come to visit and she had shown him the first cloud she had made. It was in a small glass bottle and was rather cute for a cloud. She had certainly done better than the first time he had tried to craft a cloud. 
“She’s still too young to work with lighting, but if she tried to work on her cloud-crafting skills, I think she could become an excellent weather-crafter if she wanted to be. Alas, that’s too ‘boring’ for her, of course.”
Twilight giggled, and Flash took the opportunity to grab a sip of water from his canteen, watching her for a moment. She was smiling widely at him, her gaze full of excitement and interest, the same gaze she wore whenever she was reading an especially interesting book. Something about that smile made him feel warm inside, sort of like the warmth he felt whenever he went home after a few weeks away, but it was slightly different warmth in a way that he couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t bad, just…different. Maybe even a good different.
Focus, Flash. Focus on continuing your story. She’s obviously enjoying it. Oooh, maybe she’ll get a kick out of this, given the ‘younger sibling shenanigans’ involved. Just…don’t focus on mom too much. Just mention her and move on. He thought, the blended mess of emotions rising briefly in his stomach once again.
“Now, my mom and the city guards have tried to stop her from sneaking off more in recent years, but she was all too happy to try and emulate me as I’m sure you younger siblings do when you have such cool older brothers,” he continued, giving Twilight a playful nudge on her shoulder. She flicked his hood in response, giggling even more. “Now, seeing as I’m a Butler, somepony trained to be extremely stealthy when I want to be, she’s been picking up on a few tricks from watching me practice. So much so that if she actually puts her mind to it and stops trying to be ‘awesome,’ she can be stealthy enough to get almost anywhere.”
“Flash…”
“No, Twilight, I didn’t actually TEACH her how to be stealthy when I used to visit,” Flash said, recognizing the are-you-causing-trouble-mister voice from Twilight. “But I did tend to practice city stealth when I went home, and she would sometimes watch me. And since I’m such a cool older brother, clearly, she decided to start imitating me, even going so far as to try and tail me without anypony noticing her. It was adorable at first, especially when she would leave her little purple tail sticking out of a cloud or something, but she’s gotten better and better until now she can reliably sneak out of the house.”
Hopefully she doesn’t do that too much while I’m gone, Flash thought on instinct, wincing at the spike of worry in his chest. Again, it wasn’t as bad as before, yet it was still very noticeable. 
“You’re kidding!” Twilight gasped. Flash gave a small shrug and shook his head. “Stunts are one thing – hay, I once tried to wear Shining’s armor when he was sick so I could take his place in the guard – but having the guards constantly be called to go look for her when she goes missing…wouldn’t your family get in trouble for wasting the guards time or resources? And if her stunts are disruptive enough, wouldn’t that cause a problem for them too?”
Oh, buck. Did I say too much?! Flash thought, his muscles tensing in surprise.  
“Scooty might get in trouble constantly, but my family is…protected,” Flash admitted, trying not to let his voice or body portray the fact that his heart was beginning to pound against his ribs as his anxiety began to spike. Something that was only made worse given that he was completely unsure how to proceed. He quickly took another sip from his canteen as he tried to calm down, at least a little bit. He didn’t want Twilight to see how panicked he was feeling, as that would only lead to more problems. 
He wanted to be honest, of course, but despite everything he and Twilight had been through, he still didn’t feel comfortable telling her everything. 
Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned Scootaloo’s troublesome streak, or that the guards need to come find her on occasion. Of course Twilight would notice that and wonder how my family has managed to escape any severe repercussions! Dang it, why am I so bad at talking without giving things away? Is it because I don’t have practice talking about these things with somepony? 
But…aside from the few slip-ups, I’ve enjoyed talking with Twilight about my life. It’s been stressful, sure, and I feel like I keep latching onto distractions to avoid the more sensitive memories, but this entire conversation has also been…liberating, in a sense. Like I’m finally starting to let a weight off my chest, one that I’ve been ignoring for years. Like I don’t need to bear this weight of homesickness all on my own. Even if I’m not confident enough to tell her everything, maybe more chats like this would give me the confidence I need to open up more to her? And maybe they could help me practice talking to others so that I don’t give away so much in the future?
I…I hope that we can have more conversations like this in the future. And that I can become more comfortable telling Twilight about the more sensitive topics. She’s always been so open with me; she deserves someone who’s just as open with her.
“Protected how?” Twilight asked, pulling Flash back to reality. He could see curiosity in her eyes, but not the level of concern that she had earlier when she was comforting him. If she had seen his panic, she wasn’t showing it.
“My mom is rather…high ranking among the ponies of Cloudsdale,” Flash admitted, choosing his words carefully as his heart continued to beat against his ribs. His messy emotions surrounding his mother tried to latch onto his stress, but another quick drink from his canteen helped him to push the feeling back down. It also did wonders to help sooth his suddenly dry throat. “She plays an important role in the functions of the city and so can’t be sent away to another Lady’s property or expelled from the city. She’s considered too valuable. And because of this, my mom and her family are protected under the Equestrian laws that allow the Lady of Cloudsdale to decide which pegesi can be permanently housed in Cloudsdale. So long as my mom is needed to ensure the city runs smoothly, she and my sister are protected. Even if my sis causes minor chaos now and then, so long as she doesn’t interfere with the actual functioning of the city, she’s safe. My…” 
Flash felt his chest shiver, his breath involuntarily hitching as he felt a familiar void growing in his heart, rapidly overshadowing the mixed feelings he had for his mother. His mouth went from stressed dry to desert dry, his hoof began to tremble involuntarily, his wings unfurled and vibrated as if he were about to take flight. He wanted to push through and keep talking, but his jaw just wasn’t working right. His voice just couldn’t materialize the way it had when he talked about Scooty.
Why was this so much harder? He missed Scooty too, so why couldn’t he talk about his dad? He tried focus on one of the positive memories he had, to work through the pain like he had with Scooty. Yet, it just wasn’t working. This pain was so much more intense, and any positive memories he tried to call up were drowned below the waves of sorrow racking his body. 
Why? 
And then, it clicked.
It’s because I can still see Scooty, Flash realized, the fact coming into clarity like a burst of lightning. No matter what happens, I can’t see my dad again. I never can. He…He’s gone. Scooty is waiting for me, my mom is waiting for me. My dad…died. He died, and the pain of missing him is still just as raw as the day he left.
A significant part of him wanted to give up. To just shut up and never speak again. To end the conversation then and there and never bring it up again. 
Yet, in the depths of the overwhelming void, he felt a small pulse of light in his chest. His father’s face appeared in his mind, his gentle smile and loving embrace slowly wrapping around him. Flash could practically see the large stallion hugging a small Flash close, the latter crying over a sprained wing while the former softly whispered that everything would be ok. The memory was like a lighthouse in the dark, one that Flash clung to, using it to push back the sorrow enough that he could find his voice again. 
“My dad, he…he played a pretty big role too before he…” Flash could feel his eyes watering, the tightness in his chest and muscles as he tried to get the words out. But he pressed on, his mind pulling forth the image of him helping his dad cook dinner even though Flash had no idea how to cook at the time. His dad hadn’t minded though and had filled the silence with silly jokes and explanation of what each ingredient did. “…Before he…passed, and his work helps…protect her further.” 
Twilight gently scooted closer until she was gently leaning up against him and took his hoof in her own. It was a calm and steady hoof, unlike Flash’s. Her wing unfurled and curled itself around his own trembling wing. It was a soft embrace, their feathers intermingling as she delicately stilled the shaking appendage, his other wing slowing in response. 
She was here with him, and while she couldn’t soften the loss of a loved one the way she had his longing to see his sister, that didn’t mean that he had to face this alone. That fact alone made him feel just a little bit better, the void in his chest receding more at the touching gesture. 
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, squeezing Flash’s hoof. “I…never realized your family was that important.” As she spoke, her gaze drifted back towards the barren wasteland. Flash could tell she was lost in thought, and he couldn’t really blame her. He had gotten lost in thought at least twice so far because he had talked too much. Well, that and he had gotten pretty emotional a few time already.
And yet, despite the raw anxiety in his chest and the blend of emotions swirling around in his brain, he felt better, for some reason. Sure, the pain that came with just mentioning his father was still really intense, but he had recovered from the onslaught of emotions far more quickly than he usually did. 
Was it because he was talking with Twilight? Or the physical contact? She was completely pressed against his side, soft and warm, her breathing still slow and relaxed. Flash could feel himself following along almost on impulse as he took in her presence. 
This was the most that he had ever told…well, ANYPONY about his life, and it made him feel closer to Twilight. 
It was…strange. It made him feel like he and Twilight were connected in a way, as though some invisible bond between them was growing stronger. Even now, Flash could still feel something in the way Twilight was holding his him. Some gentle light that banished the harshest emotions that came with remembering his father’s passing. The sight of him, pale and sickly on a hospital bed as various machines waged a failing war to keep him alive, no longer played out so vividly in Flash’s mind just at the thought of his father’s death. He…actually wanted to talk more about his dad with Twilight, even if only just a little. 
And yet, the more they talked about his dad, the more his mom would, inevitably, come up too. Just thinking about his mom made his chest squirm as frustration, annoyance, worry, and love all blended together in a messy knot. Regardless of how ready he felt to talk about his dad, Flash wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to talk about his mother fully. Especially when just thinking about her made him feel so uncomfortable. Flash just hoped he COULD talk about his dad without the memories of his mother getting too tangled up in them. He’d hate to start talking about his dad only to be forced to stop partway through due to the memory of his mother. 
Thankfully, when Twilight spoke again, she had shifted to a different topic. “Come to think of it, is that why you were able to come to Lady Celestia and Lady Luna’s property? Because of your parents’ influence? Why didn’t you stay in Cloudsdale? It sounds as though you could have gotten any job you wanted.” 
“Yes, I was able to come to the Shining Star Property because of my parents’ influence,” Flash nodded, his throat already loosening up at the new subject. His wings slowly retracted as he spoke, gently brushing Twilight’s as it returned to his side. He took another slow breath and tried to air out the anxious weight sitting on his chest. It mostly worked, but a stubborn knot remained.
Flash was a bit disappointed, but he wasn’t surprised. Despite his caution and the boundaries he had set early on, he had still slipped up multiple times and given plenty of hints about topics he just wasn’t ready to talk about yet. And given Twilight’s natural curiosity and clever mind, she could unintentionally stumble into a topic or realize something that Flash had wanted to avoid discussing for now. 
I trust Twilight, but…I still need time to come to terms with everything. All I can do is choose my words carefully and hope for the best.
“You’re right, I could have had any job I wanted in the city, but none of the jobs were what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. And because of the way Cloudsdale was set up after The Cloud was defeated, there aren’t alicorn properties in or around the city, and as such there aren’t any Butlers either, similar to Canterlot and Manehattan. There are the Wonderbolts, which are similar to Butlers, but they have some key differences that I didn’t quite like.”
They can also be pretty stuck up, despite me being able to outwit Spitfire in most of our training matches. Not exactly the most appealing group when everypony has such a high opinion of themselves to the point where even Rainbow’s ego looks normal compared to them. Well, all but one of them are stuck up, anyway. Sorry, Mom, but it’s true, and no amount of trying to convince me that they were better than Butlers was going to work after meeting Spitfire the first time. Flash thought, pushing away the bitter tang of disagreement that accompanied the thought of his mom.
“What kind of differences?” Twilight asked, her head tilting curiously. “I know I’ve seen them occasionally on my trips to Canterlot, but I really never thought about how they might be different from Butlers.”
“They mostly differ in their structure and their roles in Equestria at large,” Flash said, trying to remember all that he had been taught about them over the years. “While Butlers only serve their Ladies and barely ever assist with law enforcement in Equestria as a whole, the Wonderbolts are required to keep Cloudsdale running at all costs and are to assist the Royal Guards of Canterlot and Manehattan should an emergency arise. They help the Lady monitor all of the functions of the city and weather production and can be sent out to assist with threats or to protect weather shipments. Hay, right now, a lot of them are probably flying around Equestria searching for the Elements alongside the Royal Guard.”
“While Butlers aren’t very involved at all,” Twilight said, nodding thoughtfully. 
“Exactly,” Flash said. “Besides keeping Cloudsdale running, Wonderbolts typically help catch criminals that are moving between properties or can be called in to help search for runaway ponies at a Lady’s request, though that typically requires approval from the Lady of Cloudsdale if they haven’t actively committed a crime on more than two separate properties. At that point, the pony is considered to be a criminal of Equestria at large rather than it being a dispute between a Lady and her ponies.” 
I wonder if they’re looking for me specifically? 
The thought came to Flash’s head suddenly and the knot still lingering in his chest tightened so sharply it almost knocked his breath out. I know they don’t usually search for Butlers that go rogue unless they attack their Lady, but I did help Twilight escape the Canterlot Prison. And I’m sure one of the Butlers from Thorn’s old property could probably identify me, especially that one that escaped with Thorn at the end. 
And if the Wonderbolts are looking for me, did they put a warrant out for me in Cloudsdale? But even if they didn’t…Does Scooty know I went rogue? Of course she does. Mom knows for sure, and that means Scooty probably found out too, even if Mom didn’t want her to. Mom’s probably looking high and low for me whenever she has the time, Flash thought, that idea just making the knot in his chest tighten all the more. Harmony, how is that affecting Scooty? Does she think I betrayed Lady Celestia and Lady Luna? Does she think I have a good reason? Did Mom say anything to her about this all? Gah, I wish I could just talk to her, or send her a letter, a signal, SOMETHING.
If we run into the Wonderbolts while gathering the Elements, things are going to be…well, ‘interesting’ is one word for it. 
“Flash? Are you ok?” Twilight’s voice called out, pulling him out of the rapidly descending cyclone of his thoughts. She looked worried again, and Flash could feel her grip on his hoof tighten reassuringly. 
“I…I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I just realized that the Wonderbolts are probably hunting me as well as you given all I’ve done since leaving the Shining Star property. I’m wanted in my own home. And Scooty probably knows that I’ve been declared rogue by now, too. I…can’t even begin to think about what she must be thinking right now. Or what other ponies might be saying when they think she isn’t listening.”
“If she does know, she’s probably worried about you too,” Twilight said, gently nuzzling him. “She clearly adores and trusts you too much to be mad. And while she may not know what is going on, I think she would trust that you wouldn’t do something like this without a good reason, even if she doesn’t know what that reason is. I bet she is waiting eagerly for the day you can come home so you can tell her everything. And given all you have told me about her, I think she will understand and forgive you for leaving.”
For the second time today, the knot in Flash’s chest began to vanish as Twilight’s supportive words provided him with her own perspective as a little sister. Only this time, the image of a happy reunion came to mind a bit more easily than before. He could see himself coming home, and after a teary reunion and sisterly tackle, Scooty would ask him a thousand and one questions about what he did, why he did it, and then, inevitably, what cool shenanigans he got up to while he was helping the resistance. He could also imagine her wanting to try his jump-off-the-Canterlot-waterfall-to-escape-the-city-trick too, which made him both want to roll his eyes playfully and facehoof at the same time. 
Twilight’s optimism is rubbing off on me. Hopefully I can keep up my own optimism after this. Harmony knows I am out of practice given how my job is always to consider all the possibilities, especially the bad ones. 
“I think you’re right,” Flash agreed, leaning against Twilight a little bit more. Already this newest fear was beginning to lessen, slowly fading away into the background as he spoke. “And she’s a tough little filly. She can handle a few rumors, and I know she trusts me more than anypony. She’ll know I wouldn’t do something like this without a reason. I know it.”
“And I’ll be glad to help you tell her everything when the time comes,” Twilight agreed, bobbing her head in an adorable little nod. “Do you want to keep talking about Scootaloo, or do you want to shift back to the Wonderbolts and Butlers?”
“Let’s switch back,” Flash said. 
Thankfully this topic should be less stressful. Thank you for the small diversion, Twilight.  
“So, you looked at the Butlers and the Wonderbolts, and decided you liked the Butlers more,” Twilight continued without hesitation. “Was there a specific reason as to why? From the way you were describing them, it sounds like the Wonderbolts have a lot more to do and play a bigger role in Equestria overall while Bulters are more beholden to their Ladies.”
“It mostly had to do with my dream of helping ponies,” Flash said, thinking back to that day when he had finally graduated after so many intense years of training. Everypony on the Shining Star property had attended the ceremony. Flash could still hear the excited cheers of the ponies he had sworn to protect, could still feel the warmth in his chest as they came up to him and excitedly congratulated him on his achievement and thanked him for his willingness to take on such a difficult role. If there had been any doubt that he had taken on the right career, that day had erased said doubts from his heart forever. 
“The Wonderbolts might seem like they do a lot more while Butlers are just yes-ponies to their alicorns, but in truth, the Wonderbolts don’t really have as big of an impact as you might think,” Flash continued. “Their job is just to maintain the status quo. Keep the city running. Stop criminals when they arise. Brag and train if there is nothing else to do at the moment. They never help to…change things for the better. 
“If I was a Butler, I would have more of a chance to be able to help ponies directly. Like how I helped treat Lyra’s broken leg when she fell out of a tree she was performing in. Or how I helped transport that medicine from a distant Lady’s property when you had that minor case of horn rot. Wonderbolts never do things like that. They’re too restricted, too focused on keeping things running the way they are. Sure, that IS an important job, especially in a city that makes all the weather for Equestria, but…I wanted to try and help change the world. And I just couldn’t do that as a Wonderbolt. 
“I might not have run many missions off of the Shining Star property despite having the necessary skills, like how Shadow Gleam would sometimes travel to other Lady’s properties to deliver food and medicine to ponies being neglected or sabotage dangerous operations so ponies wouldn’t get hurt, but I still felt as though I was making a difference. I was helping the ponies of the property live better lives, and by helping them, I was helping Lady Celestia and Lady Luna in their efforts to make Equestria better.”
“And now you’re helping us to find the other Elements,” Twilight said excitedly. “Something that, if we succeed, will help us to heal Equestria and end the cruel rule of alicorns like Thorn and Obsidian once and for all.” 
Flash laughed and nodded, giving her a quick squeeze with his wing to show how much her words meant to him. 
“But if Cloudsdale didn’t have any, how did you end up on the Shining Star property in the first place?”
“That is an interesting story,” Flash said, his mind shifting gears to the past. “The ruler of Cloudsdale, Lady Auria Thunder, has a minor trade relationship with Lady Celestia and Lady Luna.”
As he spoke, the piercing stare of Lady Auria Thunder suddenly came to mind. When it came to protecting her ponies, she could be terrifying enough to send chills down the spine of Discord himself. Just the intensity of her eyes and the unflinching, cold tone of her voice could make a Wonderbolt break out in a sweat, and just the thought of running into her now, as a rogue Butler with all his knowledge of the secrets of the city, sent another shiver of anxiety bubbling up his spine. “As such, when I expressed interest in becoming a Butler after reading about them, there was no way that I could be taught in Cloudsdale and Lady Celestia and Lady Luna were the most viable alternative. My mom was hesitant at first given how I would need to leave the city and go study under another Lady to become a Butler, but my dad convinced her to let me at least give it a try.”
Mentioning both his parents in such rapid succession made Flash’s stomach squirm uncomfortably. Yet, just like with Scooty, it didn’t hurt as much this time, and the sensation passed far more quickly than he expected. Shaking his head, he continued on.
“So, because of that relationship between the Ladies, my parents were able to establish contact with Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. After some discussion, they reached a deal that Lady Auria agreed with, and I was allowed to spend most of every month training on Shining Star’s property as a Butler. At least one week of the month was to be spent back in Cloudsdale learning more advanced pegesi techniques,” Flash continued, feeling a familiar pang of loneliness in his heart. Those first few months away had been some of the most difficult for him to adapt to. Not knowing anypony and having little time outside his training to make new friends. Being unable to talk to his sister or parents for weeks at a time, with letters just not having the same emotional impact. The pain in his hooves as he adapted to walking on solid ground rather than clouds. Even after all these years, he could still remember the feeling of seclusion that permeated those first months away from home. “Most of those techniques were taught by the most elite members of the Wonderbolts, including their captain.” 
Which could be SO infuriating at times. I swear, how does taunting help somepony become a better flier? It just pissed me off or made me feel like I wasn’t improving. Still, it was pretty satisfying to wipe the smug looks off their faces when I outmaneuvered them. 
I…I can still remember Dad coming to watch me when he had free time or a day off. He was so supportive, cheering and giving me advice after the training was over for the day. He would always help me focus on the positives if I was having a bad session, and would even make me a special flower pizza when we got home…I still have the recipe memorized. Flash thought, the void in his chest not materializing nearly as intensely as last time. It felt, nice to think back to those days. To a simpler time. 
And that positivity carried over as his mind naturally shifted to thinking about his mother back then. Back before all the conflicting emotions had truly begun to cement themselves. 
  Mom was supportive too, constantly yelling out advice and techniques that I could use to counter incoming attacks, even if sometimes it was just ‘HIT THEM HARDER!’ when I was about to win. She can be so animated when she gets excited about something. Maybe that’s why she never went easy on me when she was the one training me. She always wanted me to be the best I could be, no matter what career I chose. 
  Maybe that’s why I could never hate her, no matter how much we disagreed on certain topics…
“What kind of techniques?” Twilight asked, her head tilting to the side adorably.
“Mainly flight and weather manipulation, with a bit of stealth and flight combat training as well,” Flash said. “How to fly faster, how to use wind currents both for myself and how to disrupt them to throw off pursuing pegesi, how to rapidly change a cloud’s weather output, though I never could learn how to make thunderclouds correctly,” he added in embarrassment.
He tried not to think of his many, many failed attempts at making thunderclouds. But unfortunately, his mind immediately recalled the attempt that had been so bad that the resulting static cling had left him unable to take off his training suit for a good three hours. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as he blushed, which in turn earned him a suppressed giggle from Twilight. But it was a cute little giggle, though, so he didn’t mind it too much. All in all, it was pretty funny in hindsight, enough that even he giggled a bit too. It was at least nice to know that he was making Twilight happy with his silly tangents, and anything that made her happy made him happy too. “They also taught me how to make less noise while flying, how to keep myself between clouds and the moon for nighttime stealth missions, and ways that weather could be used to distract ponies away from my position.”
“And that training included you learning about the city, right?” Twilight asked. “Or was that taught separately by somepony else?”
Flash shook his head. “It was still a part of the flight training. In fact, once I had gotten good enough with some of the techniques, the Wonderbolts would take me out on their patrols with them to get some field practice,” he said, thinking back to his many patrols through the city. Watching ponies going about their business, keeping an eye out for trouble, listening as his wing mates continued to teach him throughout the day. 
Yet those memories brought back a familiar, messy blend of emotions, his tail beginning to lash as he felt the longing begin to wash over him. Even after all this time, even with all the ups and downs and frustrations, he still missed Cloudsdale. He missed his friends, the ponies he had helped on patrols, the atmosphere of the city itself… 
He swallowed hard and pressed forward, trying not to let those memories distract him. “The head of the Scout Division, Swift Strike, was the one who would usually oversee these real-life practice sessions. She was tough, but fair. She would push me hard but would be there to help me should things go wrong without a moment’s hesitation and would be the one to provide constructive criticism if I ever felt like I had failed or wasn’t improving. We…didn’t always see eye to eye on things, especially when it came to the other Wonderbolts, but I knew she wanted me to succeed regardless of our disagreements. She was one of the few Wonderbolts that I didn’t mind training with, even if she was a bit…overzealous at times. I was, however, extremely surprised at just how skilled she was at teaching the stealth aspects of flying given how her fighting style was….let’s say bombastic.”
Flash paused for a moment, feeling the metal strapped to his wings. Even when he wasn’t moving, he could always feel the blades if he let himself pay attention. They pressed close to his heart, warm from his feathers. A final gift that was always with him. “After I…got my wing blades, I began to learn training with them back at the Shining Star property. I had been wearing a practice pair for a few years by that point as a way to strengthen my wings and to get me used to the weight, but I hadn’t actually been taught how to use them yet. Once I learned how to use normal ones, I was then taught how to use my unique pair and their special lightning properties back in Cloudsdale,” he said, internally wincing at the memory of him accidentally setting his room’s curtains on fire when he was testing them out one day.
That was embarrassing, and the reason why I had to promise not to try and use them until it was time for me to train with them. At least the curtains were ok…mostly. A little crispy on the ends, but still good. Thank goodness our house was made of condensed water vapor. Yet, Mom never had them replaced. 
“The training in both locations was hard, but I loved every second of it,” Flash continued as he banished the thoughts of charred linen out of his mind with more difficulty than he was comfortable with. Though that might just be due to the mix of emotions the thought of his mom brought up, a mix that wasn’t losing its intensity as quickly as those associated with Scooty or his father. “The challenges my teachers put before me, especially Swift Strike’s, were difficult, but so satisfying when I finally overcame them. It tested my limits but never made me feel as though any given task was outside what I could achieve. It made me feel as though I was becoming capable of anything I could put my mind to, that I was becoming a master at my craft. And I loved that feeling. 
“And of course, nothing could compare when it came to when I passed my final stealth test in Cloudsdale.” 
Dad would have been so proud of me… I wonder how he would view everything that I’ve done so far? Would he be proud of me for fighting for what I believe in? 
The thought came so fast Flash didn’t even realize it until he felt his breathing stop. It was like waves of happiness and sadness were suddenly crashing into him, trying to fight to determine how he should feel. Happiness at passing his test with what could only be considered a perfect score. Sadness at his father not being there to witness his triumph, to see how Flash managed to find the perfectly plan that was just crazy enough to work. 
It felt like a war was going on inside his chest. A war that was put on hold as he felt Twilight wrap a wing around him. He turned to look into her eyes. They were as bright as always, gleaming like amethyst in the moonlight, full of concern and curiosity, yet willing to wait for him should he not be ready to speak. 
In the end, Flash felt a sort of bittersweet happiness firmly take root in his chest. His dad would have loved Twilight, and he knew Twilight would love to hear how he managed to pass his final test. Maybe his father wasn’t here physically, but Flash could practically feel his father’s spirit sitting there next to them, smiling his warm, calm smile. Flash could almost hear him say that if Flash was ready, then it was ok to tell the story without him. That he was still with him and Scooty all the time. 
Flash didn’t know if he was imagining things or if Twilight’s presence was somehow helping him again, but he gave her a nod and a smile in thanks regardless.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I was just…thinking about how much my dad would have loved this next story.”
“It’s ok,” Twilight said gently. “You don’t need to tell it if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“But I want to tell it,” Flash said, smiling back at her a bit more strongly now. “Because, well, it’s fun. It was an amazing test, and I had such a great time working my way through it. That being said, it’s also pretty wild, and…and like my dad, I tend to go into a lot of detail when I tell it. Is…that ok?” Maybe it was just the bittersweet memories of his father, but Flash felt that his head was a little bit woozy all of a sudden, like his blood just all rushed to his brain.  
“I don’t mind,” Twilight said with a nod. “It should still be a while until Applejack sends a messenger to let us know the team has finished hiding our trail, assuming her time estimation was correct, so I think we should enough have enough time. Plus, I can be pretty wordy at times too, as I’m sure you know—don’t you say it,” she playfully scolded as Flash opened his mouth to say ‘only sometimes?’
Curse her ability to tell when I’m about to tease her! Flash thought, smiling a little to himself. “Fine, fine,” he laughed, but it died away quickly. “Just…give me a minute?” 
Twilight nodded, and Flash took a moment to reorient himself. He could still feel those bitter emotions of loss simmering beneath the surface, yet when he felt Twilight’s wing shift, it almost felt as though his dad was patting him on the back. That he was telling Flash to take his time, and that he knew Twilight would understand. She was caring like that. And Flash knew that his dad was right. And so Flash focused. His breathing came under control, his heart rate slowed back to normal, and his muscles relaxed. 
He was ready.