> The Elements of Harmony
>  by MarcellusMiro66
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: "A Fate Hurts Than Death" / "Falter Ego"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------





Twilight watched as her friends and Princess Celestia leave the ceremonial hall, the latter's Royal Guards coldly closing the doors behind them. She blinked in bewilderment before coming to terms as to what happened just now. Hanging her head in defeat, she felt her hope gradually diminishing as a result.

Maybe I was being overprotective. I could've gained a sister. But instead... I just lost a brother...

Laying on top of the stairs, Twilight blinked away tears as she softly sang to herself:




After a few more moments, Twilight slowly rose from the stairs and walked out of the wedding hall, her head still  hanging in solemn shame. Not just because of her swift dismissing, but also because her subsequent feelings towards said action. Why was she sad? A similar incident had occurred in the past (not-so-affectionately dubbed Lesson Zero), but they had learned their lesson: not to be dismissive of a friend's fears. Or so they say... She didn't know what to make of it; whether or not they were under the control of the Cadance imposter was anyone's guess. 

Twilight entered her former tower and took a brief glance around. Multiple shelves of books and reference materials greeted her with a resounding "Welcome back, Twilight!", bringing her a slight comfort to her. The memories of this fond place of hers came rushing back at full force. The memories of her good life before... Before I met those backstabbing heathens... Walking around and searching for a good read, she finally settled on an intriguing title: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle. Plopping down on a recliner, Twilight opened the book and began to read.

It was a dark and stormy night...



"This is it, Sunset. You're not going to take advantage of us any more. I'm sorry, but you did this to us. Tell whatever secrets you want...but we don't have to listen."

Sunset Shimmer watched as her friends abandoned and left her to wallow in her misery...one by one. Tears began to form in her cyan eyes the same time her knees began to buckle under the weight of her failure. Her self-proclaimed mission to make new friends as a means to atone for her past mistakes was not accomplished. She had failed her. She had failed herself. Adding insult to injury, a group of students who immediately saw her as the person responsible for ruining their holiday season slowly gathered around her and began shouting taunts, sneers, and barbs galore. 

Enough... No more... 

Sunset socked the first two people nearest and ran off, causing the other students to chase her down like a wolf to its prey. After a lengthy chase, they gave up and walked away whilst muttering indignant thoughts of her. It wasn't until nighttime that she sneaked out of her hiding place; she had watched from the bushes as they retreated, clutching her satchel with all her might. She wiped away any remaining tears and walked off as well, not noticing the presence of a young girl with red hair watching her in return.

Letting her satchel hang by her side, Sunset stopped until she reached the Wondercolts statue. It was only then that she fell to her knees and let the waterworks flow. A few moments passed on by, nothing but snowfall and silence accompanying her solemn atmosphere. Suddenly, the moment the moon shone upon the statue was the moment it began to glow its very color, catching her attention. She watched as the moonlight consumed the statue until it reached the bottom section in front of her, creating a ripple of sorts. Her curiosity getting the best of her, Sunset stuck her hand through it and discovered something quite peculiar.

It's a portal...

Upon realizing this, Sunset's hope started to rekindle somewhat. What if...? Of course! This was the solution I was looking for! It was right in front of me the entire time! I can finally...get away from it all! No more accusers...            No more threats... No more...broken friendships...

The decision being made, Sunset stood up and bolted toward the portal, falling in and going out.

"WWWHHHOOOAAA!"



"My village was a sanctuary of equality where no pony's cutie mark allowed them to feel superior! It was a special place, and she... And she took it away! "          

Starlight Glimmer glanced around the ghost town she found herself in. Sighing (or rather scoffing) to herself as she examined it, the unicorn then glanced down to her "cutie mark": a black equal sign. Her survey of the town complete, she walked off away from it and to a nearby river. Taking a seat near the edge, she gazed at her reflection in the water and only saw that immature filly of yesterday... And not that matured mare of today... She hit the water. She hit the water. And again. And again. And again, until... 

"... Why are you even here?"

Suddenly, a buzzing noise filled her ears and caused them to twitch. Noticing that the sky had considerably darkened and the buzzing noise had grown louder, she feared for the worst as she glanced up. Of course, her worst fears were indeed a reality. A swarm of black creatures flew past her as they took to the skies. However, they didn't seem to notice her, let alone acknowledge her. She watched as the swarm flew past her village and towards...

Canterlot... But why...?

Her uninterested interest piqued, Starlight ran back to the village and her house, where she gathered any important belongings into a backpack and wrote a letter to her four trusted comrades that they were in charge. Well... Party Flavor, Sugar Belle, Double Diamond, and Night Glider... Now's your chance to see what you've got. Slinging the backpack over her shoulders, Starlight exited her house and charged off after the swarm.

Who are they? Why are they here? What do they want?

To see an empire fall...



"Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie! Anything you can do, I can do better!"

Trixie Lulamoon was an ambitious little pony to say the least. Having been interested in the art of magic since age 7 (bravo, young miss!), she strove to follow in her parents' hoofsteps and become a great and powerful magician as well. Of course, she was also a young and naive pony in spite of her bright ambitions. While her parents full-on supported her dream, they were quick to warn their daughter that the magic business had its pros and cons, instructing her to be very weary of them. Of course, fate is a harsh mistress, three certain boy bullies had the nerve to humiliate her on her first show. Sending her in a fit of tears was their first and only mistake.

In the present, Trixie made a rather decent living selling out both private shows and big-scale acts. With both fans and haters came the pressure of fame and fortune. As it turned out, with great power comes great responsibility...and even greater irresponsibility. Yes indeed, she may or may not have gotten a "little" greedy with her magic over the years, but there were a "few" times where the more appalling aspects were toned down. 

You do see the quotation marks, right?

"The Great and Powerful Trixie didn't need Twilight Sparkle's help. In fact, The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't need anypony's help." Okay, this was not completely true; she did receive assistance from her parents and the rest of her family. However, they were considered the only exceptions because...well, they were her family. Anyone who was not considered her family was not considered worthy of her time. Then again...

Trixie shook her head in disbelief. No, Trixie. You need to stop doubting yourself. You need to get your head out of the gutter. You need to prove them all wrong...

Actually... You want to prove them all wrong...

The unicorn glanced down at the object around her neck and blinked her eyes, which she used to gaze back up at the mirror. Her eyes which glowed a blood red and caused her to step backward out of fear. Fear...? No. No, Trixie. This is not you. You can't be scared, Trixie.

No, Trixie... You have to be... You should be... 

Suddenly, an earthquake shook the earth Trixie was standing on, prompting her to run outside and see what was happening. To her horror, a swarm of black creatures covered the sky and made her way to Celestia knows where. Much like Starlight before her, the creatures never seemed to notice ‒ let alone acknowledge ‒ her.  

Speaking of which...

"OOF!"

Trixie suddenly found herself on the ground in disorientation. Behind her was a unicorn who shared the same feeling as her. This particular pony had a pink coat, a purple/teal mane, and blue eyes. Ugh, a Twilight Sparkle copycat... 

"Who dares bump into The Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie reverted back to her hammy, over-the-top persona...something that didn't go unnoticed by the unicorn before her.

"Why are you talking like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like that. You sound like either somepony who is complaining about bees in their eyes or somepony who is complaining about their missing supersuit."

"... And if it's a combination of the two?"

"Yeah, that could work." The unicorn realized that she was getting off topic and began to apologize to Trixie, explaining her situation to her, "Look, I'm so sorry that I bumped into you. It was an accident, but I was trying to follow a black swarm of winged creatures. They were headed that way."

Trixie realized what she was talking about, but also realized what misfortune such an endeavor would bring to her. "Wait, why?" 

The unicorn sheepishly smiled and shrugged, "Well...let's just say curiosity killed this cat." With that, she ran off and expected Trixie to understand her sticky situation. What she did not expect was herself being suddenly snatched and placed into a...runaway wagon? 

"What are you doing?"

Trixie fastened her and her guest's seatbelts, practically shouting into her ear. "I'm coming with you! Obviously!"

"Why?"

The unicorn was taken aback when Trixie mimicked her own actions (and words) before introducing herself. "Well, let's just curiosity killed this cat. Trixie."

"...Starlight." Trixie and Starlight exchanged a series of greeting smiles as they both prepared for their bumpy ride to their smooth destination...

Something is coming. You can't stop it. Nothing will stop it...



"Not every pony is destined to become a Wonderbolt. Only the best of the best, right?"

It's worth mentioning that Lightning Dust, love her or hate her, was that big of a quote unquote egotist. Given her penchant for vigorous competition and willingness to engage with any trolls (literal and figurative), it's not hard to see why. Nonetheless, everypony has a Freudian excuse regardless whether or not they wish to listen. And hers just might be one of the most heartbreaking.

Eight months ago, she was accepted by the Wonderbolt Academy and personally invited. She was greeted by other Pegasi, including Thunderlane, Cloudchaser, and an unfamiliar Pegasus by the name of Rainbow Dash. The latter in particular was the subject of her fire-forged friendship because of their similarities in terms of speed, strength, and brash attitude. Especially brash attitude. However, to their great misfortune, Lightning Dust's stance further surpassed Rainbow Dash's own and only proved her inability to gracefully accept defeat; she was driven to prove her worth at any cost. Including the cost of innocent lives.

Indeed, it was Lightning Dust's hubris that was his ultimate undoing, when she conjured up a tornado that proved too uncontrollable to tame. Had not the rest of the Wonderbolts intervened in time, a total of five innocent lives would have been lost that day. She had been mostly unaware of the presence of her former friend's own friends until late into her decommissioning:

"Cadet Lightning Dust..." Spitfire didn't move in the slightest. This visibly unnerved Lightning Dust herself. "What is the Wonderbolts' central concern outside the mission objective, whether we're combating a squadron of heavily armed hostiles or performing in front of a crowd of hundreds?"

"The central concern of the Wonderbolts would be the protection of any innocent civilians, enemies of Equestria, and our fellow Wingponies...unless we are ordered otherwise by no more than three high ranking officers. The second concern would be to mind your surroundings."

Lightning Dust's readied response earned her a nod from the Captain...but the facial expression on Spitfire's face didn't go away. Not even in the slightest, "And when conjuring that tornado...that goddamn tornado...did you do either of those two things the manual specifically told you to do?"

"..." Lightning Dust's face began to blanch as she began to answer, but she never got the chance to do so.

"No... No, you didn't. You only tried to be the best and win. It meant nothing. It still means nothing. You were too focused on those two default settings of yours that you put the lives of yourself, your partner, and a group of civilians in danger. You were too focused on those two default settings of yours that you failed to fulfill the duty of preservation and got caught in the crossfire as a direct result. You were too focused on your...goddamn ego that you nearly got yourself killed!"

The sudden shift of tone in Spitfire's voice undoubtedly rattled Lightning Dust to the brink of tears. She was too caught up in her fury to even notice, let alone care. "Do you know what a pain in the flank you are, Lightning Dust? The rules don't apply to you in your own little fantasy. I see before me a young mare with potential, but not a young mare of humility. You think that mistakes are a mere thorn in your side, but there's going to a moment in your last moments when you realize you're wrong about that and get everypony under your command – yourself included – killed!"

"Well, what about you?!!" Lightning Dust suddenly snapped, not realizing her mistake a little earlier than she should. "If you're so smart, why didn't you help out?! What would you have done if you were put in my position?!"

"I WOULDN'T HAVE MADE A RECKLESS DECISION SUCH AS YOURS IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!"

Spitfire was at her wit's end when she literally climbed over her desk and stared down a beyond frightened Lightning Dust, who now realized her fatal flaw in her argument. "I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT SUCH AN EVER SO DEMEANING AND CONDESCENDING IDEA IN LIEU OF AN ACTUAL STRATEGY! I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU STRAIGHT UP THAT BEING THE BEST ISN'T BEING THE BEST! I WOULD HAVE TURNED YOU DOWN WHENEVER I HAD THE CHANCE!!!"

Little did she know, most of the Wonderbolts had heard the commotion from their respective locker rooms, the full-on rage unleashed by their superior leaving them disturbed beyond words. The Captain herself eventually calmed down before continuing, "If you're going to claim that those civilians weren't supposed to be there, I was going to refute that. They were allowed to...if they were royalty."

Royalty...? Oh, no...

"The purple unicorn who was there in the balloon was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the apprentice of Princess Celestia. The others were the Elements of Harmony, quite possibly the greatest defense the land of Equestria has ever harbored. Had not the Wonderbolts saved them in time..."

Then...Equestria would have been rid of a credible defense...and the Wonderbolts would be no more...

"I can tell you already got the idea. Save your planned apologies for somepony who cares. Take any remaining belongings you have..." Spitfire reached over and literally tore off the Leadpony Badge on her uniform, "...and leave."

Lightning Dust's tears began to seep through her closed eyelids and nodded in understanding, her head hanging in shame as she left the office.

That was exactly eight months ago.

It was only then that Lightning Dust realized that Spitfire had suspended her until further notice to keep her out of trouble, and it worked. For the most part. To say that her flock was furious would be an understatement. The first half was angered over her actions, the other half merely ignored her out of disgrace. Her father in particular had basically banished her from the household, screaming at her as she ran off to never tarnish the good name of their family ever again. It was only a few days after that incident when Spitfire paid them a visit and explained the situation. Finally realizing their mistake far too late, her family ultimately decided to make amends with her.

Of course, being missing for six months, this never came to fruition.

Suddenly, a series of shouts echoed throughout the barn she was hiding in. The feeling of pain and helplessness rushed throughout her body as her wings sprung up...and were swiftly torn from her back. An ear-piercing scream escaped her muzzle as she felt the blood run down to her hooves and tail. Something metallic (she could hear the screeching) had formed in the place of her torn wings. A few moments passed before the pain finally ceased and desisted, leaving a bloodied and withering Lightning Dust in its wake. After catching her breath, she slowly stood and made her way to a mirror to take a look at the damage sustained, wincing as she went. The moment she came to face to face with the mirror...was the moment she stumbled back in shock.

On her back, exactly where her wings used to be...were a new pair. A new pair of metallic wings. On top of this fact, when she turned to get a much clearer look, her wings flew off and pierced the wooden walls of the barn in a perfect row. When she turned back, the metallic blades flew back and arranged into her new and improved wings. Wings that can act as throwing weapons...? For one moment, Lightning Dust was both confused and terrified. The other?

She was intrigued and ecstatic.

"No more... No more will ponies doubt me. No more will ponies mock me and hold me in contempt. No more...will ponies disrespect me and disregard the name of the very pony who served them well." A black mist engulfed and soon dissipated a minute after, revealing a grinning, metallic-winged unicorn in the dreaded Shadowbolt costume.

"My name is Lightning Dust no longer. My name...is Archangel."
> Chapter 2: "Midnight Mass Hysteria" ("Black Mass Hysteria") / "Disliked As Two Pleas In A Pod"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in the castle, Twilight began to stir and awaken, having fallen asleep upon finishing the fourth chapter of A Wrinkle In Time. She yawned, stretched, smacked her lips, and looked outside. It was still nighttime, four hours after the... Oh, yeah. That's right. Her somewhat good mood had now steeped down into a rather dour aesthetic. She remembered exactly why she was here tonight. Princess Celestia... My former mentor... The Elements of Harmony... My former friends... Shining Armor... My former brother... Equestria's poor excuse of a defenders... All of them are... It doesn't matter... It's not like I can do anything about it, anyway... 

Suddenly, the room was lightened up by a faint glow of moonlight, causing Twilight's head to perk up from her thoughts and face the direction from where the light was coming from. Pulling down the cover atop the light, it revealed a crystal mirror. It was a crystal mirror with a horseshoe-shaped rim lined with pink gems, a horseshoe-lined standing base, and a smaller window with an interior pony depiction attached to the top. The glowing intensified, prompting Twilight to back away and shield her eyes. The mirror itself began to shake all around, until...

"WHOA!"

Twilight caught wind of the voice in distress and opened up her eyes to found a unicorn laying on the ground before her. She had a brilliant amber coat, a brilliant amaranth/light-apple-green-striped mane, and [when she came to] moderate cyan eyes. Her cutie mark was that of a red-and-yellow shimmering sun, partially blocked by the presence of a brown leather satchel. This particular unicorn intrigued her. She had never seen her before, partially because she came out of a mirror. 

Sunset was more or less the same. The unicorn before her had a pale light grayish mulberry coat, a dark sapphire blue/moderate purple/brilliant raspberry mane, and moderate violet eyes. There was something on her back leg that resembled a brand mark in the form of a six-pointed sparkling star. 

"Ugh... What...what happened?" Sunset did expect the portal to work, but she didn't expect it to be this tad of a dizzy. Twilight seemed to agree, as she made her way over to tend to the poor thing.

"Are you okay, ma'am? You took a hard hit."

"... Do I look like a ma'am to you?" Sunset asked the walking, talking unicorn before her...before realizing what it was that she was asking to. "WHOA! Whoa, whoa! Walking, talking pony at twelve o'clock!"

Twilight was both confused and concerned for this visitor, but mostly the former for now. "Well, yes. I am a walking, talking pony...much like you are."

Sunset was taken aback by the unicorn's statement until she fully comprehended it. Glancing down, she gasped upon her hands replaced with...hooves. Turning around to face the mirror she came out of, she took a deep breath...and screamed. Before clamping her mouth shut with said hooves. She gazed at her reflection for a couple of minutes, taking in every single detail of her new form. She smiled too. For the first time in two weeks...she smiled.

"Are you alright?"

Sunset forgot all about the walking-talking pony she made her acquaintance with. She turned around and smiled at Twilight, "Yeah...sure. Let's go with that. So...where am I?"

"Well, you're in my tower, which also functions as a library as you can see ‒ " 

"No, no. I mean... Where am I in general? What city am I in?" Sunset needed to reword her questions a little more better. 

"What city? Well, you're in Canterlot ‒ the capital of Equestria and the hometown of the two Princesses: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

Canterlot. Okay, that's a start. Canterlot: A portmanteau of "canter," a three-beat horse gait, and Camelot, a British kingdom from Arthurian legends. Wait... Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? 

"Yep. And the third one..." Twilight's chirpy tone soon soured and reverted to one of contempt, "...is, unfortunately, Princess Cadance. Short for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, of course."

... Okay, so this pony can read thoughts... My former principal and vice principal are both princesses here... And I now have the unfortunate distinction of being the first human in a possibly pony-infested land named "Canterlot"... I'm obviously dreaming. What other explanation is there?

"You're not dreaming?" 

Sunset turned to face a nervous-smiling Twilight, flashing a nervous smile in return. "Okay, seriously. How are you doing that? Are you a mind-reader?"

"Nope, but I can read expressions. That counts."

"Sure it doesn't." Sunset glanced around and sighed to herself. "So...anything exciting happen around here? I'm not trying to be noisy, but starting a conversation isn't exactly my strong suit."

"Oh, no. I understand," Twilight nodded her head in understanding and sighed as well, "So far... My brother is having a wedding with Princess Cadance."

"I take it you don't think fond of her?"

"In a sense, yes. You see, I was happy for him at first. That was, of course, until I actually reunited with my dearly beloved foalsitter."

"... Maybe we can talk about it. You know, we can get something to eat and know each other a little better." Sunset walked forward and held out a hand‒err, hoof‒to formally introduce herself, "My name's Sam...but my friends call me Sunset Shimmer."

Twilight smiled back at Sunset and introduced herself in return, "My friends call me Twilight Sparkle."



The wagon slowed to a stop just before it collided with a nearby tree. The door opened, revealing a dizzy Starlight and Trixie as they stumbled out whilst using each other as support. Once their vision become coherent again, they shook and rubbed their heads. 

"Thanks for that." Starlight continued to rub her head. 

"Don't mention it...ever." Trixie stumbled forward, struggling to find her footing. Starlight helped her along as they both broke into a sprint towards the castle. The castle in which the wedding would be held that was currently being under vigorous vigil and triple the Royal Guards.

Starlight and Trixie watched as they strictly guarded each and every section of the wedding hall. "You think they know?" Starlight inquired with Trixie, "Do they know about the..."

Trixie could only shake her head in uncertainty, "I...don't know. But I do remember that a threat was made against Canterlot just a few weeks ago."

"You think they were the threat they were talking about?"

"Maybe. Even so..." Trixie began to hyperventilate, something Starlight caught notice of. "I couldn't possibly take on all of them at once! I'm just a performer, a street magician! I wasn't born for princess-level stuff like this!"

Starlight felt sorry for Trixie, even though they had met just a few hours ago. "Well, don't worry. At least I'll be right there beside you."

Strangely enough, Starlight's promise brought comfort to Trixie, even though they had met just a few hours ago. She hugged her out of thanks. "Thanks."

"... You're welcome." With a smile, Starlight returned Trixie's hug before both returned to their incognito eavesdropping.



"So, let me get this straight: you found out that a weird bug-like creature impersonated your former foalsitter and managed to turn your entire family and friends against you? And your own brother revoked your position as the Best Mare and the wedding all together?"

Twilight and Sunset had long since left the castle in order to fulfilled the latter's suggestion to the former. Indeed, they had gotten something to eat and more acquainted with each other, the primary basis being their troubled pasts. Twilight and Sunset were both bullied and undermined by fellow peers who doubted their existence in the reality before them. Twilight and Sunset were never giving up and strove forward in the reality before them. Twilight and Sunset were both taken in by their versions of Celestia just as things were looking up in the reality before them.

And then they were stabbed in the back and left to die.

"Yes, Sunset. I'm still having trouble figuring out whether the Cadance imposter had them under their control or they acted on their own terms."

"... Wow! That's just fucked up, Twilight."

A pair of ponies who happened to be parents to young foals stopped dead in their tracks before shooting glares at the two mares, specifically Sunset. The red-and-yellow unicorn herself sheepishly grinned and mouthed a Sorry! at them before speed walking away as quick as possible. Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes in amusement as she caught up with her, 

"Well, for lack of a better term... Yes. Yes, it is."

"Well... Have you tried do something about it after the wedding rehearsal?"

"Come to think of it... No. No, I haven't. All I did was head back to a tower for a good read. I needed to relax after all that stress."

"... I can't blame you there. All I did was head to the shooting range."

"Oh my gosh! You have bows and arrows in your world?"

"..." Sunset struggled to find an answer as she was befuddled by Twilight's question. Do they not have guns in this world? Wow... "Yeah, in a way."

Twilight and Sunset continued walking for a while as they got more and more acquainted with each other. The duo eventually reached the exterior of Pony Princess Wedding Castle, where the wedding was being held. The amount of security had tripled by this point and spread to every corner of the building. They both frowned in intrigue as they both backed away slowly, wishing not to be seen and still see what exactly they were doing. At the same time, a pair of polychromatic ponies watched as not only the guards doing their daily business, but another pair of prismatic ponies slowly backing up to where their conveniently placed, conveniently large bush stood. 

"Who's that?" Starlight turned to Trixie. The magician in question could only grimace and growl in grievance. 

"Twilight Sparkle..." Trixie gritted her teeth and took a stance, waiting... And waiting... And waiting until...

"YAH!"

Twilight was caught off guard when she was pulled from behind and tackled into a scuffle. Sunset was shocked into silence, but not enough to deter her from leaping into the bush after her newfound friend. Starlight too was shocked into silence, but unlike Sunset, she opted to stay out of the fight that ensued. Trixie was front and center at the ensuing fight, a given considering she was the one who wanted to be starting something. The one thing everypony could share? 

Nothing.

When Twilight finally caught a glimpse of her attacker, to say she was bewildered would an understatement. "Trixie?!"

"You're damn right it's Trixie, bitch! You ruined my life!" Trixie was snarling and foaming from the mouth like a rabid dog would. Concerning for the showpony, Sunset kept her posture (and guard) up as she marched over to her. 

"Hi...Trixie, was it? My name is Sam Summers, but my friends call me Sunset. You wouldn't mind me asking what happened between you and Twilight, would you?"

Trixie blinked straight ahead and decided on, "Well, since you asked nicely..." A random drum roll with smoke bombs thrown down for good measure accompanied her rather pompous backstory: "I am the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon, the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria and the daughter of the legendary Lulamoons! I was once defeated an ursa major with my own bare hooves! I arrived in Ponyville to challenge Twilight Sparkle to a magic duel to see if she was all that!"

"And was she all that?" Sunset tilted her head. 

"...Yes." Trixie had dropped her hamtastic declaiming in favor of a more subtler tone. "That's why I'm here. To... To..."

"To apologize?" Twilight was surprised by what she was hearing by the same unicorn who previously tried to one-up her approximately two years ago and kill her approximately two minutes ago. However, she did feel quite the amount of sympathy for the amateur magician. In spite of the hostile feelings towards her friends and family, she still found it in her heart to forgive any adversary she had made, accidental or otherwise. "Trixie, you shouldn't - "

"Yes, I should. I nearly put all of Ponyville in danger because of my arrogance and ignorance. My pride was put before the safety of the town, and anypony could've been hurt or killed as a result of my own selfish doing. I deserved to be ridiculed and shamed." Trixie was never going to let this go, and her solemn speech was a tried-and-true testament to that. The three unicorns undoubtedly showed and felt pity for her, Starlight in particular stepping forward to place a hoof on her shoulder.

"Trixie... Unless you pulled off an incredibly unforgivable crime, there is no such thing as an anypony beyond redemption." 
Okay, that wasn't entirely true... Yes indeed, like Trixie before her, Starlight had difficulty going through her own revenge plan against Celestia:

"So you basically enslaved your entire village and stole their cutie marks out of petty revenge and the assumption that they ruined friendships?"

"I know. Pretty crazy, right?"

"Actually, it's just straight-up scary. I mean, that's like...a false utopia, a cult, and the Red Scare all rolled into one."

"It's that bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sorry, Starlight. I might forgive you, but others might not."

"... You would forgive me? Why?"

"... Let's just say that ponies would judge me by my past whenever they got the chance."

Starlight wasn't alone. She had Trixie, a new friend, to stand by. She certainly felt the same way. "Thank you, Starlight." They both hugged again as Twilight and Sunset looked on. A special kind of warmth seemed to fill them up as they watched. The former stepped away from the latter as she approached Trixie while she broke away from her hug with Starlight. 

"Trixie... Maybe now is the time you can redeem yourself."

"... How?"

Before an answer could be made out of her question, a loud boom echoed throughout the kingdom, heard only by the four mares themselves. All four glancing up, they were all horrified to find the very black mass they were all looking for. The only difference? It had drastically increased in size and structure, taking the form of a colossal thundercloud. From it emitted a small squadron of winged insect-like creatures who hissed and snarled in their attempts to break through the dark pink dome that served as its protective shield. 

It's too late... It's here... You have no chance...

At the same time, a certain Pegasus with metallic wings watched from afar as the creatures dubbed "Changelings" attempted to break through the force field. She couldn't but sneer. Pathetic... What chance do poor excuses for insect soldiers have against me?
> Chapter 3: "The Darkest Power: Part 1" ("The Crate Escape")
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Next Day. . .

The day was perfect.

The Pegasi made sure that the clouds were miniature and were offered shade to those who needed or wanted it; they even took the time to form them into the shapes of hearts, roses, and diamonds. The castle gardens had been tended by the best Earth ponies in all of Equestria and it seemed, as one trotted about, as if every ecosystem within the country was depicted in such an elegant manner. Magic was in the air. Anticipation was in the air. And, most importantly, love was in the air, as Earth ponies, Pegasi, and even the most haughty of unicorns had a smile of genuine happiness on their face as they made their way into the castle until it was fully packed, leaving any late arrivals to stray behind outside.

The 5 Elements of Harmony could only look about in wonder and pride; yes, even Rainbow Dash was utterly impressed by how the throne room had been sufficiently transformed into a ceremonial wedding hall. They did it. Not only had they pulled off the biggest wedding in Equestria without a hitch...but also destroyed the biggest friendship they had formed with the former Best Mare. Of course, they were all too excited to even notice her disappearance. Fluttershy’s birds jovially sang the wedding march as the fiancée walked towards the fiancé, producing Rarity’s wedding gown seem like her finest accomplishment. Everypony looked upon the princess of love and felt their heart beat a bit faster, their smiles growing even wider than the last. Shining Armor's own hinted a shade of nervousness, but most shrugged it off as nothing short of a case of wedding jitters. Other than that...

The day was perfect. Almost perfect.

Cadance took her spot next to her husband-to-be and smiled, radiating joy and love. However, her lips quivered in a slight smirk as Princess Celestia began the ceremony: 

"Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor."



The four mares ran to and hid behind one of the many buildings in Canterlot that were close to the castle. In this case, it was Joe's Donut Shop. During this time, Twilight and Sunset filled into the details for Starlight and Trixie, who later shared any missing details for the two. 

"So you think this Cadance is leading the invasion on Canterlot, which will eventually spread to all of Equestria?" Trixie questioned. "Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie will not let this occur!"

"Well, the Cadance imposter," Sunset corrected her, "But yes, the invasion will actively spread throughout Equestria, with Canterlot acting as Ground Zero."

"That sounds awfully...harsh." Starlight had trouble deciding on a word to describe the sticky situation they were found in and subsequently chastised herself mentally for the word choice. Good job, Starlight... Hello, everypony welcome to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" 

The four mares continued to head to the castle, not minding the black mass trying to break through the force shield...and the even bigger black mass forming on the horizon. Complicating matters was a young Earth pony who was working at Joe's Donut Shop. She had a brilliant gamboge coat, a pale yellow/pale light grayish amber mane, and a pair of eyes with the color of light brilliant azure. Ground Zero? Invasion? The Cadance imposter? Dropping everything she was working on up to that point (not really, she orderly placed all breakable objects on the counter) and grabbing her glasses, she ran out of the shop and after those four mares. 

Little did she know...



"Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you – " 

"Stop!" 

Everypony in the wedding hall turned to the entrance double doors, shocked to find a rugged and tattered Cadance wearing an angry scowl on her face. The Cadance atop the wedding altar formed one of her own after getting a better look at her wedding crasher. "What?! But how did you escape my bridesmaids?!"

"Let's just say bridesmaids are suckers for flowers." Cadance marched forward, daring to be starting something. The Cadance imposter tilted her head, impressed with this piece of work.

"Hmph. Clever. But you're still too late."

"I couldn't care less. What did you do with Twilight?"

"The same thing that happened to you, weakling."

Everypony watched as the confrontation unfolded and got uglier with every verbal beatdown thrown from both directions. Of course, there had to be a tension snapper. 

"I-I don't understand. How can there be two of 'em?" This was Applejack's question, a question that was shared with many after she stated the obvious. Cadance elaborated with her following answer whilst standing her ground.

"She's a Changeling. She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them."

From there, everything went to Tartarus. The Cadance imposter smirked a devilish smirk, a circle of green hellfire surrounding and subsequently engulfing her in the process.  The crowd began to scream as the green flames ignited the love princess' skin. Looks of fear and shock (Princess Celestia and the Mane 6 in particular ready to die of fright) filled the ponies' facial expression. The magic soon subsided, revealing the blackened form of a female Changeling with a pony's structure, a unicorn's horn, an insect's wings...and an evil laugh enough to rival Maleficent herself. Of course, what ultimately unnerved them the most were the ghastly matzo-ball holes that pierced through her legs and hooves. 

"Right you are, Princess. And as Queen of the Changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow Changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of! "

A furious Cadance could only shake her head in definite defiance. "They'll never get the chance! Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!"

"Oh, I doubt that. Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it."

Indeed, the large black mass above the castle's force field was the group of the Queen's Changelings attempting to break through...the key word being "attempting". However, they've been doing this since last night; as a result from their all-out assault, the shield was actually breaking. A terrified Princess Celestia was stunned that she was unable to detect them during this time, immediately coming to terms with her mistake. Oh, Twilight... I'm...

"It's funny, isn't it? Twilight Sparkle was suspicious of my behavior all along, yet the rest of you were too caught up in your wedding planning to realize those suspicions were correct! What a shame!" The Queen's voice wasn't a loud and booming declaim as it was before, but rather a quiet and subtle sneer of cockiness. One that snapped Shining Armor out of his fantasy and into the reality.

"Wha–where... huh? Is...is the wedding over?"

"Yes, darling. It's all over!"

Shining Armor blinked in confusion before turning to his right and glancing up. His mouth became agape with horror at the creature that stood before him, taking the place of his beloved bride-to-be. "Who–who are you?!"

"Shining Armor." The stallion in question turned to Cadance, the real Cadance, who wore an expression of uncertain shock on her face. She was still fully comprehending and contemplating the words spoken by the Changeling Queen a moment earlier. "Was it true?"

"... Is what true?"

"Twilight. She was right about...her. Is this true?"

Twilight...? Oh, no. I forgot all about her. I still need to apologize after what happened... What happened? "Twilight. Cadance, Twilight is missing. We need to – "

"You're not answering my question, Shining Armor. Is...this...true?"

Shining Armor knew almost immediately that, judging by Cadance's serious expression and tone, he wasn't going to weasel out of this particular argument. He just never knew that his answer would be so blunt. "Yes."

Before anything else could be made out of it, a loud boom echoed all over the city, drawing everyone's attention. Outside, the four mares (plus the unknown fifth) stopped dead in their tracks, mere feet away from the castle. They glanced up and gasped in horror at the sight before them: a pitch black storm cloud engulfing the blue skies of Canterlot and, from it, a large airship emerged and landed near the wedding grounds...right behind them. They scrambled to find a hiding place just as the wedding guests rushed outside to witness the commotion. Yes, even the Changeling Queen trailed behind, but only to know who besides Cadance had the nerve to hinder her attempts at enslaving all of Equestria. 

The entrance opened up and out walked a pug-faced hedgehog carrying a box of some sorts. He had a dark grayish cobalt blue coat, a light sapphire bluish grey/cornflower bluish grey mane, and brilliant opal eyes. When he placed down the box, it transformed into a megaphone system. Turning it on, he cleared his throat and made the following announcement clear-cut as possible:

"Ponies of Equestria, we come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty... Storm King!" Everypony gasped and murmured in intrigue; the three Princesses, the Mane 5, Shining Armor, and even the Changeling Queen exchanging uncertain glances among each other. From the pillars they took cover behind, the four mares did the exact same thing. From a distance, three other mares watched the commotion commence; Lightning Dust, Apple Cobbler (from Joe's Donut Shop), and a very enthusiastic Photo Finish. She repeatedly took photos of the airship and thought to herself: Ooh! I wonder if there were more of them! Be careful what you wish for...

"And now, to deliver the evil, evil message...put your hooves together for Commander Tempest!" The hedgehog finished his announcement as he pointed towards the entrance. There emerged a stoic unicorn with a dark orchid coat, a moderate rose/light-streaked mane, and moderate opal eyes. She donned a black bodysuit with built-in armor and armored shoes over her shoes, while her most distinct physical traits were a scratch on her right eye and... 

Her horn... It's...

"Is that a...unicorn?" Starlight tilted her head in confusion.

"Trixie thinks so," Trixie mimicked Starlight, "but what happened to her horn?"

The three Princesses flew front and center (even Cadance, who was more than ready to pass out from exhaustion for obvious reasons). It was Celestia who took the first step. 

"Tempest, was it? How may we help you?"

The unicorn named Tempest chuckled, amused that somepony actually bothered to remember her name besides the poor unfortunate excuse of a henchman that was the hedgehog named Grubber. "Oh, I'm so glad you asked. How about we start with your complete and total surrender?"

Being obsessed with power and conquest at the moment, this did not settle well with the Changeling Queen, who marched forward after being requested this offer. Of course, she made the self-conscious decision of stopping a little too close to Tempest. "Surrender? Who do you think you are? Why, I would never – "

This was her first and only mistake. In spite of her horn being broken, Tempest's was somehow perfectly capable of projecting magic. Case in point...

ZZZAAAPPP!

The once great and powerful Changeling Queen had now been reduced to nothing short of a stuttering, smoking mess. Oh, how the mighty have fallen... Tempest scoffed at her downed opponent, whom she walked past and continued to deliver her "evil, evil" message. Noticing all three pieces of the puzzle were in the palm of her hooves. "Oh, goody. All three princesses here together. Here's the deal, ladies. I need your magic. Give it up nicely, please, or we make it difficult! For everyone!"

"And why should we cower before you? There's one of you and hundreds of us!" Luna did have a valid point there. The Royal Guard immediately readied their weapons just as Princesses Celestia and Cadance along with the others (specifically the Mane 5 and Shining Armor) took a battle stance. Tempest was, to their surprise and her own, actually impressed by the bravery demonstrated...for the most part. Of course, it was called "tempting fate" for a reason.

"Heh. I was hoping you'd choose...difficult."

At that moment, several more airships emerged from the storm cloud. From them, a slew of colossal creatures came crashing down from the sky...and the siege began.

The Storm Guards ran amok in Canterlot, snatching up any runaway ponies who attempted to scramble to safety. The Changelings managed to break through the force field and dive-bomb the city, joining them in their uprising...not that they needed or wanted to. The Mane 5 themselves fought dark, daring to defend the city from its attack while they watched Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance do the same thing. Roundhouse kicking the enemy creatures and landing powerful blows to complement their graceful fighting style, Photo Finish couldn't help but take more pictures of the Princesses and the Elements of Harmony kicking ass and taking names. Wait a minute... Weren't there six? Where is – 

"Watch out!"

The pompous Earth pony was tackled out of the line of fire by another Earth pony, one who was more concerned for the safety of others rather than her own. Much like herself, but except she didn't care for anyone's safety...not even her own.  Photo Finish herself got a better look of her "savior" once she helped her up. Grimacing at her appearance, she scoffed at the very thought of her being the one who saved her.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

"You're welcome, Photo Finish. Be lucky you weren't burnt to a crisp."

"... You know me?"

"Let's just your reputation precedes you." Apple Cobbler realized where they were and quickly added, "This isn't a good place to get acquainted."

"Finally, something we can both agree on."

Photo Finish and Apple Cobbler retreated to safety just as Twilight, Sunset, Starlight, and Trixie decided to fight back. The four mares charged head first into the slowly building fog of dust, a direct result of the ensuing battle. Twilight and Starlight used their horns to blast any incoming Changeling, while Trixie (with some help with the talisman around her neck) delivered powerful punches to the Storm Guards. This, despite the fact it increased her metabolism and only undermined her ability to actually fight, worked to her advantage. Sunset, on the other hoof, was only in this world for such a short amount of time and no idea how to use her horn...let alone use magic in general. However, she was quite in depth at the fighting styles of Taekwondo, Krav Maga, and Boxing in her own world, taking up martial arts at a young age. Placing her skills to use of great effect, this made up for her lack of any magical abilities she had in the best way possible.

Commander Tempest slowly marched forward with a stoic frown once again taking center stage, looking eerily calm as possible. Reaching for a sparking obsidian orb, she broke into a sprint and roundhouse-kicked it at the first pony her eyes focused on. A scream rang out, causing the nine mares on the battlefield to cease their fighting and gasp in horror. Cadance...?!

"Cadance!" Princess Celestia screamed.

"I...can't...stop it!" Were Cadance's last words until she was entirely petrified in stone. Horrified beyond the words, Celestia turned to Luna, who shared her sister's frightened expression. 

"Luna, head south! To the Badlands!" Celestia ordered Luna to do this, not noticing Tempest leaping and sliding her way through to petrify the last of her two targets. "Seek help from the Queen of the Hippo – !"

Unfortunately, Celestia couldn't get the last word in any faster, as she was unceremoniously bombed by an obsidian orb thrown by Tempest, prompting out of her a shout of surprise before she was completely encased in stone like her niece. Luna blasted a few guards away before taking to the skies and heeding her sister's warning, but she too was struck by the orb and turned into stone as well...but didn't smash into pieces upon impact with the ground as she was expected to, courtesy of Twilight Sparkle.

"Luna!" Sunset heard Twilight's cry for Luna and rushed over to help lower her down to safety. Even if she held a personal grudge against Princess Celestia, she couldn't just let her sister shatter. No good deed goes unpunished, however, when Tempest smirked and chuckled at this useless display of sentimentality, proceeding to hurl another orb at them. The duo noticed this too little too late, their mouths agape with terror as they braced for the painful sensation...but it never came.

"TWILIGHT!"

Both ponies were thrown back by the sudden force, the wind knocked out of them. When the dust cleared, Twilight gasped in horror as the identity of the sacrificial lamb was revealed. "Ditzy..." 

"Come on, y'all! This way!" 

"You don't want to die, right?"

Twilight and Sunset turned to find Apple Cobbler and Photo Finish beckoning them both over. Sparing one more glance at the fossilized Ditzy Doo, Twilight helped Sunset up and both retreated from the battlefield; Starlight and Trixie were not far behind when they joined them. 

"So what's the plan?" Trixie suddenly asked.

"The plan?" Starlight turned to her.

"What, nobody has a plan?"

"Hey, in all fairness, all the three princesses are trapped in stone. The only thing we can possibly do at the moment is run as fast as possible! Maybe then – !"

The six mares screeched to a stop when they were cornered at all sides, front and back. Seeing that the group was stuck in a standstill on a marble bridge that was secretly crumbling apart, any chance of an escape and/or fight would end very poorly. However, the group (sans Trixie and Photo Finish) was willing to take that chance. Readying their respective weapons and themselves for a quick skirmish, Apple Cobbler saw movement from the corner of her left eye and turned to see what it was. A series of crates containing apples (presumably her cousin's) falling straight into a waterfall that led straight down gave her an idea.

"Miss Twilight! Blow up the bridge!"

"WHAT?!" The six mares shot her a terrified look, but Trixie and Photo Finish were the only ones to voice it. "Are you insane?! You'll kill us!"

"Maybe..." Sunset began to see the chances of surviving the ensuing bridge explosion would be slim, "but we can hope it doesn't. Twilight...do it."

Twilight shot Sunset the same look of terror as the others. A tidal wave of reluctance washed over her, but she mustered the strength needed to conjure up the magic in her horn. When the Storm Guards realized what she was doing, it was too little too late.


BOOM!


The bridge exploded into a thousand pieces and all the occupants fell down into the river below. Five of the six ponies resurfaced and spotted Apple Cobbler climbing into one of the many crates of apples. Realizing what she was doing, Twilight helped the others into the wooden boxes just as Sunset helped her inside hers. It was only then that she noticed the waterfall approaching fast.

"Everybody, hold on!"

Aside from the roaring water, the only things heard were the sounds of terrified screams as the crates plummeted into the watery abyss below.

And then the silence settled in.
> Chapter 4: "A Countenance More In Sorrow Than In Danger"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spoiler alert: They survived the fall. Otherwise, the story would be over real quick.

The crates had fortunately broken their fall, but unfortunately at the expense of some of the high-quality fruit Ponyville had to offer for Canterlot. For Apple Cobbler, she was about ready to lose it upon laying her eyes on the travesty that was practically carnage for food. Something of a silver lining was located when she noticed a few survivors (and her seemingly lost glasses) amidst the massacre and picked them up for safekeeping. Sunset had noticed this and offered to place them in her satchel, to which she thanked her for and accepted. As they did, the five other ponies dried themselves up and nearly broke down.

"So..." Starlight shook her head in dizziness, "Does anybody have a recap on what the heck just happened?"

"Isn't it obvious, Starlight?" Trixie twisted her wizard's hat to squeeze the water out, "We just got our flanks kicked by the world's best fighter ever! The Great and Powerful Trixie is utterly appalled!"

"You're telling me," Sunset approached them with Apple Cobbler in tow, "Honestly, I think she has superpowers."

"Should it matter?" Photo Finish cleaned her glasses, "We have to go back! Go back and fight them!"

"Photo Finish," Apple Cobbler rubbed her head in frustration, "you saw the size of those goons; we all did. You seriously wanna go back?"

"So now what?" Sunset glanced amongst the group, "We can't hide here forever, they can't fight there forever, and – let's be honest – we can't go back. Look at what they did to the Princesses and the Changeling Queen. We have to think something."

"Well, what do you think, Twilight?"

The purple unicorn herself was gazing at her reflection in the water. Oh, what have I done? I should've stop her in time. But I didn't... Even though I wished not to, they're my friends. They don't deserve this fate inflicted upon by her. They deserve the fate inflicted upon by me. Worried for the sake of her new friend, Sunset approached Twilight from behind and tapped her shoulder. She flinched as she whirled around in alarm, but calmed down when she did.

"I'm not sure, Sunset," Twilight shook her hand, "but you and Photo Finish are right."

"We are?" Photo Finish stumbled backwards in shock before smiling to herself. "I mean, yes! Of course, we're right!" Then she reverted back to confusion, "Um...right about what?"

"We have to do something," Twilight clarified. "I have to do something."

Sunset frowned and shook her head, "Twilight, you don't have to take them on by yourself. Let us help you. We each have something that makes us special in our own way. You have your powers, I have my brains, and the others have...whatever they have. What I'm saying is, you can't do this on your own, and even if you could, it would be suicide."

"... That's not what I'm worried about," Twilight shook her own head in return.

"Then what exactly are you afraid of, Sparkle?" Trixie raised her head up high, her eyes meeting hers. 

"I said worried, not afraid," Twilight shot her a scowl, but her expression saddened nonetheless. "I'm worried about the possibility of you girls getting caught in the crossfire and becoming a liability to the mission at hand...for that possibility is extremely high. I mean, save for Sunset and possibly Trixie, none of you have been in an actual fight."

"I was gonna say," Sunset smirked, "but we did try to escape from those guards just now, right?"

"That was different," Twilight shook her head once more. "They were merely trying to round up the nearest ponies and put them in prison cells. Believe me, if they wanted to kill you, they would and could have so easily."

That sent a shiver down the more frightened-prone ponies' spines, but Twilight didn't want to leave their spirits despondent. "With that said... We need a plan. We need a strategy. We need...to find the Queen."

"What Queen?" Apple Cobbler tilted her head.

"Princess Celestia told Luna to find the Queen of the Hippos. Since they're both turned to stone... I guess we have to do it."

"Oh! I've heard that hippos are actually quite graceful for their size," Photo Finish interjected before added, "but they're also quite hungry."

"Hungry?"

"Hippos?"

Starlight and Trixie felt the spotlight shine upon them, causing them to blush and giggle in embarrassment before muttering their respective apologies. On the other hoof, Sunset rubbed her chin and reached a realization complemented by a soft gasp. "Twilight.... I think Princess Celestia meant...the Queen of the Hippogriffs."

Oh! Hippogriffs! Why didn't I think of that? All of a sudden, Twilight broke into a giggling fit and began to pace around... 

"Oh my goodness! Hippogriffs! This means that there are more species outside of Equestria that we are unaware of! This also means that an opportunity has been provided to study these new species and expand my research even further! Girls... Onward to the Badlands!"

...much to the concern of her new allies. Sunset in particular forced an awkward smile that seemed to onboard with everything she said, but in reality was one that seemed to be freaked out with her brief loss of sanity. Maybe it's because of the loss of her friends and family at the hands of this Changeling Queen and subsequently that Storm King...

Twilight seemed to agree, for she had come to terms with what she said. A few uneasy chuckles later, she regained her composure and seriousness again. "I understand you're scared, and nopony else has to go. But I have to find this queen. She might be our only hope."

A moment of tense silence followed soon after. Everybody exchanged glances of uncertainty, from Trixie and Starlight to Apple Cobbler and Photo Finish. The only one who didn't exchange glances with anybody in the circle was Sunset, who had already made her decision before she stepped forward.

"I'm in. I have nothing left. No friends, no family, nothing to call home anymore. If I die... Well, I might as well be doing something badass."

Trixie found herself sniffling with pride, "Trixie thinks that speech was beautiful." Starlight rolled her eyes and patted her shoulder before stepping forward as well. 

"I'm in too, yay. Seriously though, you're gonna need all the help you can get."

"That, and Trixie thinks you're not getting all the glory," the magician commented not too subtly. "We're in this together."

"We got your back," Apple Cobbler nodded.

"I'm ready to save the world..." Photo Finish again interjected, "...and look good while doing it."

"We're all behind you, Twilight," Sunset spoke up. "I just hope it means we're practically unstoppable as of this moment."

Twilight chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Me too, Sunset. Me too..." As they took off in the southern direction, playing a niche little game of 'I Spy' along the way, Lightning Dust watched from a distance with a frown worn on her face. Queen of the Hippogriffs, hmm? I suppose this Commander Tempest Shadow must learn of this... She turned to leave, but stopped herself before she got far. ...but what if I don't want to? I wish to seek revenge on those damn Elements of Harmony starting with precious Twilight Sparkle and finishing with poor Rainbow Dash. All by myself. She continued to walk ahead, but stopped herself again for she had come to a decision. Maybe I don't have to... 

Lightning Dust smirked under her breath...as she stepped over the only surviving Changeling of the now deceased horde that had ambushed her earlier.
> Chapter 5: "A Thought In The Arm"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile from above in Canterlot, the Storm Guards continued rounding up and imprisoning any ponies in hiding. They also decided to kick them while they were down and mock their insistence on a wedding in the midst of a dire emergency. One of them even thought it best to cut a trio of balloons and let them endlessly float into the atmosphere where they would inevitably pop. Tempest watched from the balcony above and sneered under her breath.

"All this power...wasted on parties...when there are far greater uses..."

She marched and passed by the petrified forms of the three Princesses as she made her way to the (ugh) Pony Princess Wedding Castle ceremonial hall, where the aforementioned wedding was previously being held at and that now served as the penitentiary of many a Canterlot citizen and visitor. Among the many prisoners were the Royal Guards, the Wonderbolts, and...five ponies who seemed greatly familiar but couldn't place her hoof on their identities for a moment's notice. Then she remembered – there were five ponies whom the Storm Guards reported quote "gave them a hard time for a long while"; the fight they put up must've been noble, but ultimately all for naught. 

Tempest elicited a small yet knowing grin when the realization became known to her. "So... You five must be the most held-in-the-highest-esteem Elements of Harmony."

"Yeah," a chained-up Rainbow Dash snapped back and banged against the armored cage, "What's it to you?"

In response, a pair of Storm Guards aimed their spears at the prismatic Pegasus, but their Commander silently gestured them to prevent themselves from doing so. Tempest then stepped forward and, while being careful, leaned in close to give the restrained and furious pony some advice: "I suggest you watch that tone of yours, lest you end up in a far worse position like the others who were unruly as you..."

Another pair of Storm Guards approached the hall with a long neck round-bottom glass flask that was filled with some sort of glowing (and rhythmic beeping?) blue liquid. Pushed in front of them was a black cauldron made of iron. When they arrived at the center of the hall, they both exchanged uncertain looks before turning to an impatient Tempest.

"Well? Answer it!"

The one with the flask poured the liquid into the cauldron and a series of dial-up modem noises began echoing. A few moments later, the same creature from the flag appeared in the ensuing mist...well, the bottom half of his face, anyway.

"Where am I supposed to be looking? I never understand how this spell works. Tempest!"

"Over here, Your Excellency."

"Where?" 

"Over here." 

"Huh?" 

"No. No, right. Look right." 

"My right?" 

"Yep."

The Storm King complied with Tempest's command and soon found himself face to face with her, "Oh. There you are. Here's the deal: I'm in the middle of a big rebrand here. "The Storm King" is tracking well as "intensely intimidating", but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with? A STORM!" Everyone in the room sans Tempest herself were taken aback by his little outburst. He himself didn't seem to notice as he continued his rant, "That would be great! You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now, I'm holding a what? A branch, a twig, a... Bleh!"

"Uh, that would be the Staff of Sacanas, Your Excellency," Tempest corrected, "and it will... "

"Mm-hmm?" 

"...channel the magic of the three rulers of this land." 

"Mm-hmmmm?" 

"You'll soon have the power of a hundred armies and maybe a thousand more."

"So that would be a yes on your locking down the four Pegacornicuseses, or whatever you call them?"

"Alicorns, Your Excellency," Tempest corrected again, "Give me three days. I'll have everything ready for your arrival."

"I'm sure you will. Remember, Tempest... Only I have the power to make you whole. Make this staff work, and you'll have your reward. But fail me...and your horn won't be the only thing that's broken."

"I doubt it will be a problem."

A tense silence followed...before the Storm King broke it with ease. Literal ease. "Great! I'm ready to power up, crash and bash, and be the biggest, baddest bugaloooooo…"

The signal beginning to break up, the mist almost instantly sunk down back into the murky black cauldron's depths before dissipating to reveal a sheepish Grubber donning an equally sheepish grin. "Um, sorry. That was spell services. You wanna call them back?"

Commander Tempest could merely roll her eyes and shake her head in disbelief before she wordlessly ordered the Storm Guards to bring to her the petrified forms of the three Princesses. 

"Pfft, that's your boss? Seems like a real nutcase to me." Even in her compromising position, Rainbow Dash still found it within herself to snark at this quite intimidating foe. 

Tempest could attest to that, "He is a nutcase, thank you."

"Since when?"

"Since yesterday."

The Storm Guards arrived back at the ceremonial hall with the petrified princesses in tow. Using her broken horn, she somehow managed to restore them from their stone forms before wordlessly ordering the Storm Guards again; this time to restrain them and place the same devices for the unicorns on their horns to prevent them from using their magic. Regaining consciousness, Celestia was the first to take in her surroundings and find Tempest watching them with an almost vacant expression, the only thing keeping it from being identified as such being her tone of glee. 

"Wakey, wakey..." Tempest called out mockingly. "Well, if it isn't Princess Daybreaker, her younger sister Nightmare Moon, and...Candlewick, the one that reeks of love." That last word she treated with disdain, much to the annoyance of the awaking princess of such. Cadance had more problems to worry about than somepony mocking her namesake, however, as she immediately noticed the device that rendered her horn (and her magic as a whole) useless. 

"Well-played, Commander Tempest," Cadance stood up and faced Tempest with a hardened determination as Celestia and Luna both regained consciousness, "but you'll never take over Canterlot and all of Equestria! We shall see of it."

Tempest examined what was before her: not a trio of committed royal officials whose statement was rendered a promise, but rather a trio of helpless cowardly princesses who attempted to sound tough despite the waver in their voices. She scoffed and turned a blind eye toward them, giggling under her breath as she did so. It felt like an insult to her, actually; to think she would take over this hellhole as compensation for what had happened to her when she was just a young filly. 

"Who said anything about taking over Canterlot or all of Equestria? I certainly never did," Tempest giggled some more...before it transitioned to a full-on cackle. "If I did, I would've known it and done it a long time ago." Her frighteningly delightful tone had the prisoners on edge, as if her intimidating presence weren't enough. "No... Though it may surprise you, I don't want to take over Canterlot or all of Equestria."

"You don't?" Cadance exchanged a series of worried glances with her adoptive aunts, fearing the worst...and that's what she got.

"No... I WANT TO DESTROY IT!"

With a howl and a jump, Tempest smashed through the floor of the ceremonial hall and fell into the crystal caverns, sending many a caged pony into backing up into their small barred walls. Inside the same place where Princess Cadance was being held before, her horn lit up and provided her the faintest hint of light as she travelled deep with the rocky labyrinth that was an abandoning mining system. Taking a while to find her destination was worth it, as she had all the time in the world; it was basically a library that housed a collection of magical artifacts. Recognizing the wizard who owned it, Tempest observed the property of Star Swirl the Bearded until she found what she was looking.

"Ah, the Alicorn Amulet... You thought you could hide this from me..."

Slipping the artifact of doom around her neck, a sense of otherworldly power flowed through her. Her opal eyes turned bloody red, as did her horn in spite of lacking a magical aura of her own. As she strolled back to the hole and leapt up through it, she turned to face her army of Storm Guards. "My Guards... It's come to my attention that the Storm King hasn't been treating you properly as I have. He's hindered your chances to realize your full potential and execute it, rendering you useless other than sport or entertainment. Well, I say this to you: down with the Storm King!" They began to murmur in agreement with their Commander, as did the Changelings she imprisoned, "We will show Equestria no mercy! We will take every pony, every dragon, every creature...and make them serve us! Serve us or perish, that is the decision to make! Those who dare defy us will be destroyed! Equestria...will be ours."

The Storm Guards and even some of the defected Changelings cheered in encouragements over their self-proclaimed new leader. Many of the prisoner ponies exchanged looks of worry and fear as they sent a round of applause to Commander Tempest. When they finally settled down, their ears perked up at the sound of what appeared to be a lone pony(?) clapping. Everypony turned to the source – a light turquoise Pegasus donning the familiar Shadowbolt uniform along with a pair of... Metallic wings...? Rainbow Dash's jaw hung agape in shock.

"Beautiful," the Pegasus began, "That was just simply beautiful. Honestly, I thought I shed a tear or two. Now, when you're done, I have a proposition to make."

"And whom might you be?" Tempest reverted back to her cold demeanor.

"The name's Angel...Archangel. And I just like to point out that these are not all of the prisoners you've captured."

"Really? Please...elaborate."

"One little unicorn managed to evade capture." Lightning Dust absolutely made sure that her little tale caught the curiosity of the three Princesses before continuing, "She then decided to play hero, heading south of the Badlands to seek assistance...from the Queen of the Hippogriffs."

If the fact that a few ponies actually escaped had their curiosity in her grasp, then the mere mention of the Hippogriffs gripped onto their attention. The aforementioned three Princesses in question exchanged hopeful if concerned looks, while Tempest took the Pegasus's regale into consideration. "So...the tales are true. And if the tales are true...then the Pearl must be."

A look of determination decorating her face, Tempest turned to Lightning Dust. "Alright, little Pegasus. You had my curiosity, but now you have my attention. What is your proposition?"

"You and I aren't that different," Lightning Dust explained, "You lost your horn, I lost my wings. These wings..." before she walked past her and performed the same action back at the barn...this time on a couple of Storm Guards who were unfortunate enough to be nearby. As a result, the prisoners gasped in horror and shock as the bladed wings embedded themselves into their heads before launching back into Lightning Dust's actual back. "...are just second nature. And I just got them only yesterday. I obtained them because I was in pain... Pain that was brought forward in light of an event that plagued me for eight months straight. It was an event that prompted me in self-exile, never to face my family or Equestrian society again..."

Rainbow Dash's mind began rewinding back eight months, her shock outweigh all and any emotion her face showed. She wondered if...that event involved...this Pegasus. This...familiar Pegasus. This...very familiar Pegasus. "Lightning Dust...?"

The Pegasus in question ceased her pacing and shot Rainbow Dash a glare. "Do you mind? I'm trying to talk here." 

She was taken aback by her tone of voice. It wasn't one void of hotheadedness or a short temper, it was...calm annoyance. She... She didn't recognize me...

"Anyway..." Lightning Dust continued, "What I'm trying to propose to you is this: let me...help you...conquer them."

The prisoners exchanged looks of worry and fear again as Tempest contemplated her proposition. "Hmm. You have proven yourself capable of combat. You may be use to me, but there's the matter of my horn..."

"You let me worry about that," Lightning Dust waved her worries away. "I'm sure there's a spell somewhere beyond the sea..."

"I see. Then we leave at nightfall. Grubber!"

Lightning Dust watched as a small hedgehog approached the unicorn. "Yes, Commander Tempest?"

"Prepare my ship...and two additional ones. Have them ready by nightfall."

"Yes, ma'am!" He ambled off just as Tempest and Lightning Dust exchanged tense expressions.

"If you dare consider backstabbing me, Archangel..."

"I wouldn't dare dream of it. Besides, I receive the backstabbing and never give them...but I make them make the first move so I can stab them in the back in return. Talk about reverse psychology, eh?"

"Hmm... I suppose." Tempest managed herself a smile and walked past Lightning Dust, "Watch my prisoners."

As Tempest exited the wedding hall turned prisoners' cabin to check on the condition of her ships, Lightning Dust approached the cage the Mane 6 (specifically Rainbow Dash) was being held in and slipped off the mouth mask, never revealing her eyes. "Why did you call me that?"

"What?"

"You called me Lightning Dust during my conversation with Commander Tempest. Why?"

"... I don't know. You just remind of someone that I used to know."

"Was that someone a friend of yours?"

"... I guess you can call her that."

"... Yeah. I lose a friend, too."

Marking the end of their conversation, Lightning Dust turned tail and walked away from the cage, not giving Rainbow Dash a chance to get the last word in. She (the latter) took a good long look at her (the former's) metal wings, intrigue and terror overwhelming her for a moment before Commander Tempest arrived back with Grubber by her side. 

"Tempest, I know how that feels. I want the Storm King to fix that crazy horn as badly as you do. It looks like a crackly chipped tooth on the top of your head. And you know you don't look good in that. The escaped prisoner may think so too."

Suddenly, Tempest lost her tempest and her horn crackled in response. "That prisoner is not gonna keep me from getting my horn back! Prepare my ship!"

Grubber yelped in fright and ran off. Tempest huffed in frustration and turned to face Lightning Dust. "I hope you're right."

"I'm not always wrong, Commander." Lightning Dust shrugged with a smile, "Besides...how far can one little pony get on her own?"



It was nighttime now and the six-member group were stuck in the middle of the desert. They were tired, hungry, and sore from walking for approximately six hours now. Nonetheless, they persisted and by their own hoof; this surprised Twilight and Sunset, who believed that the four behind them would easily tire out as much as they would at this moment. Starlight, Trixie, Photo Finish, and Apple Cobbler proved them both wrong, however, and managed to last longer than they expected. 

Twilight located a cave not far from where they currently stood and led the group to that spot. When they all entered inside, they immediately plopped down in exhaustion.

"Dear Celestia..." Trixie groaned as she stretched and brushed off the dust off her cape, "Saving...Equestria...is a...lot harder...than I thought."

"You think you've had it worse?" Photo Finish scowled at her as she attempted to fix her mess of a mane, "My mane is quite rare, given the type of hairstyle it was fixed with. It'll take me months to restore it to its proper glory."

"Nopony asked you to come," Apple Cobbler shot her a glare as she bit down on a previously discarded apple, "but you insisted. So, what's the problem?"

"Girls..." Starlight nervously smiled, "As much as I hate to intervene, arguing isn't going to get us anywhere, and neither will those attitudes of yours."

Twilight and Sunset wisely stayed out of the four-way debate, keeping the fire going and making small talk between them both.

"So..."

"So...?"

"What's your story?"

"... My story?"

It was the former who spoke first, wanting to know the latter's story seeing as she (Sunset) was told hers (Twilight).

"I mean, if you don't feel comfortable telling me..."

"Not yet. Long story short... I faced a similar situation like you, but with one difference."

"What's that?"

"... Nobody tried to kill you, right?"

The moment those words were spoken was the moment the cave fell more silent than it already was. Trixie, Starlight, Photo Finish, and Apple Cobbler turned to Twilight and Sunset (but specifically Sunset) with their various expressions of shock.

"Some...somepony tried to kill you...?" Photo Finish clamped her hoof over her mouth in horror.

"....Everypony tried to kill me."

"But...why?" Starlight scooched over a little more.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. It's also a long story."

"Nopony believed me before," Twilight smiled just barely, "Besides, we've got plenty of time."

Sunset chuckled, "Get situated, then. This might take a while..."
> Chapter 6: "The Darkest Power: Part 2" ("The Ballad Of Sunset Shimmer")
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"It was you all along! You're Anon-A-Miss!"

"We trusted you, Sunset! We thought you were our friend!"

"How could you do this? After all we've been through together?"

"No, wait, you guys–! I didn't do this! I could never hurt any of you!"

"But you did! You must've just been pretending to be our friend, when all along you were just after our secrets! You... You secret stealer!"

"No, no!  I don't know how she got this stuff, but it–it wasn't me! I'm not this person!"

"No, you're not! You're not the person we thought you were! You're not our friend!"

"No, I... I am. I promise..."

"This is it, Sunset. You're not going to take advantage of us anymore. I'm sorry, but you did this to us. Tell whatever secrets you want...but we don't have to listen."

Even after her friends left and the hallway emptied, Sunset remained sobbing on her knees. After everything that's happened between them, things had fallen apart once again, this time only ten times worse than before. It was far worse experiencing the trauma from the perspective of a hero than a villain: a hero felt remorse, a villain didn't. 

She wanted to believe that her reputation in the long run had been damaged beyond repair, but she had a far greater loss than reputation to lament. The good will she had tirelessly rebuilding up until this point had been annihilated all because of a simple frame-up. No doubt that she would be framed for the entire debacle and be devoid of any proof of innocence.

A few weeks later, and that perilous prophecy proved to be poor and precise. Not only was she outed as the primary suspect and subsequent scapegoat with nobody willing to listen to her even as the student board completely descended into madness much like her. Even Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had their own doubts, and they knew her far longer than the rest of the students and staff.

Losing all hope, Sunset attempted to run away...and got her wish.

In hot pursuit of Miss Sunset was a group of angry students seeking justice revenge against her. They would not listen to her pleas of innocence, let alone listen to her in general. They all wanted Sunset to rot in the Underworld, contempt having completely consumed them to the core. One of them even brought a handgun with them, yet seldom firing it. The few times they did, though, were the times where the victim very nearly lost her life; a bullet even grazed her in the shoulder before she found it.

The portal. It was glowing when Sunset circled back around and retreated to the school to avoid the mob. For a moment, she felt her troubles slip away and was entranced by it. Sticking one hand through the portal before pulling it back out and examining it, she saw no external damage and felt no internal damage. An idea began to grow in that crazy little mind of hers. A crazy, stupid, but foolproof idea. At the same time, a small seed of doubt and reluctance grew alongside it...before it was ripped from the root the moment her ears perked at the sounds of the angry mob. Dangerously close to approach the front of the school, Sunset made a spilt second decision. One that would change her life forever.

Losing all hope, Sunset attempted to run away...and got her wish.






"The Great and Powerful Trixie...is speechless."

It was a sentiment shared by Twilight, Starlight, Apple Cobbler, and Photo Finish as they listened to the ballad of Sunset Shimmer, whose trauma conga line also acted as a slice of misguided laser-guided karma considering her past actions. Of course, this would've been funnier when the pain was inflicted upon a much deserving victim, and even then, the very idea was less desirable.

Sunset Shimmer was not a pony when she started out in life, but rather a strange creature known as a human being, descended from the primates but vastly perceived as harder, better, faster, stronger. That didn't make them smarter, however, with faint shreds of actual intelligence only shining through when it counted most.  The vast majority also were problematically ill-tempered and more than willing to resort to violence either to solve their problems or create new ones. Out of the six ponies, Twilight was more fascinated than frightened, already brainstorming new experiments and surveys to study the humans. Of course, upon being made known of their overtly violent and nihilistic tendencies, she would have to make mental notes to exercise caution.

"Sunset..." Twilight began, "I'm so sorry for what happened to you."

"Don't be," Sunset shook her head, "It wasn't your fault. It never was. I never was the kind of person who was one for friendship. Every time I try to make one, I just end up pushing them away. And the few friends I do make...I just end up pushing them even further away."

"Well, don't fret, dear," Photo Finish managed a smile despite the situations (the group's as a whole and Sunset's in particular), "Pushing away a friend is the last thing we would do."

"No offense," Apple Cobbler stretched her legs as she bit down an apple, "but we barely know each other. I don't think we qualify as friends yet."

"I mean..." Starlight chuckled, "we're making good progress so far. Most of us are brought together by a tragedy of some sort. Say, Twilight knew that this Princess Cadance was actually an evil doppleganger but nopony believed her. Sunset was accused of a crime she didn't commit and nopony believed her. And me? I used to run a cult where I implanted the idea in the minds of the townspeople where cutie marks were bad and that differences caused disharmony."

An uneasy atmosphere permeated by an awkward silence followed as the rest of the girls stared at a nonchalant Starlight in abject horror, their jaws hanging comically agape. Starlight glanced at the group before a bashful grin and chuckle left her mouth, realizing that she got carried away.

"You ran a cult where you implanted the idea in the minds of the townspeople where cutie marks were bad and that differences caused disharmony?" Sunset tilted her head.

"I used to run a cult where I implanted the idea in the minds of the townspeople where cutie marks were bad and that differences caused disharmony," Starlight corrected as she crossed her...forearms.

"I..." Trixie nervously glanced from side to side, "...don't believe you told Trixie of that tenaciously terrifying tale, Starlight."

"Of course, I did, Trixie," Starlight waved her concerns off before turning back to the other girls, "I did, didn't I?"

While Twilight and Sunset swiftly shook their heads, Apple Cobbler merely shrugged and Photo Finish responded with: "Well... Considering the fact that we had to stop a Changeling conqueror from taking over Canterlot, had to outrun the Storm King's henchmen, and nearly died going down a waterfall... I don't believe the thought of you regaling your dark and troubled past to us ever occurred to you yet, dear."

"...Oh," Starlight sounded almost disappointed, "I guess that's what an adrenaline rush does to you, huh?"

"I'd say," Apple Cobbler yawned, "Speaking of which, we do need our rest if we're going to find a nearby town tomorrow."

"Before we do, though..." Photo Finish fashioned a makeshift bed from many of her belongings, "Sunset, dear?"

"Hmm?" 

"Don't let the past define your present and future. It is up to you and you only to shape it in your vision. In other words, never look back at the then...because it distracts from the now."

Giving her words a brief thought, Sunset nodded and smiled, "Thanks for the advice, um...Photo Finish?"

"Of course, dear," Photo Finish nodded and smiled back as she curled into a ball and fell asleep just like that. 

"That was..." Starlight followed soon after, "oddly wise."

"The Great Powerful Trixieeeee..." Trixie was next, "agreeeees..."

"This is going very well," Apple Cobbler sighed as she become the third-to-last to drift away into a soft and silent slumber. Twilight and Sunset were eventually the only ones left awake as they made their makeshift beds.

"Twilight?"

"Yes, Sunset?"

"This plan... The one we're pulling off to save Canterlot and possibly all of Equestria... Do you think it's going to work?"

"Of course it will...because I don't know what to do if it doesn't."

And just like that, Twilight fell asleep, leaving Sunset to grapple with her deepest, darkest thoughts.


Well, this was a crazy day so far. One moment I'm just a regular human being dealing with high school, financial troubles, and social media craziness. The next? I'm a freakin' pony, an Unicorn even, tasked with saving the magical kingdom version of my former home.

. . .

This is just insane.


Not even bothering to fight the need for sleep, Sunset yawned and curled into a ball, saving her energy for the next day.


. . .


And then, she turned over her side to cuddle with a still sleeping Twilight, who seemed to not mind the company.




"Cadance...?"

"Cadance..."

"Cadance!"


The Princess of Love awoke with a start and regained her vision, reacknowledging her surroundings and recalling the memories of the days before. Many of the wedding guests (pony and Changeling alike) were chained and locked up in cages like wild animals, with those with horns equipped with collars that dampened their powers. Aunt Celestia, Aunt Luna, and Cadance herself were no exception, but they were entrapped in an obsidian-like material unlike the others. The new bridesmaids, which consisted of five of Twilight's supposed closest friends, were nearby, assauging the fears of three young fillies who bore a resemblance to three of them (perhaps closest relatives?). 

The one who called out her name was in a cage next to them, his wedding uniform showing some serious wear-and-tear. His moderate cerulean eyes stared back into her own light purple with nothing but concern for his fiancée. Unfortunately, at and for the moment, Cadance could only wish to feel nothing but for her fiancé.

"Cadance...are you okay?"

Her mood significantly darkened, Cadance sighed and sardonically remarked, "No, Shining Armor. I'm pretty far from okay..."

Knowing the cause of her significantly darkened mood, Shining Armor took the hint, nodded in understanding, and slumped against his cage, refusing to push her buttons any further. He could only sigh in regretful resignation.


What have I done?


Nearby, the Mane Five exchanged looks of sorrowful acknowledgement as well, knowing all too well that their involvement in their friend's disappearance and their own subsequent imprisonment was anything but minor.


What have we done?


Suddenly, the doors of the wedding hall were violently blown open not by a magical blast, but by the sheer force of one Pegasus, who harmlessly crushed a pair of unfortunate Storm Minions who were guarding them. Rainbow Dash was the first to notice the new but certainly not improved Lightning Dust...or Archangel, as she preferred, strut down the aisle while wearing a new uniform supplied to her by Tempest, who was right beside her. With the uniform, she became a mini version of the Unicorn whose horn was damaged beyond repair. 

"You know," Tempest began as she observed the prisoners in their cages, "I never did ask you--"

"Yes, you did, Commander Tempest," Lightning Dust interrupted her, "And I said it once, twice, and now, thrice. I was busy."

"Yes...but how busy?"




A Few Hours Into The Evening. . .

CRASH!

A hapless Changeling who had the misfortune of being caught was roundhouse kicked into a bakery door by Lightning Dust, who, much to his misfortune, had no intention of stopping there. Grabbing him by the neck and tightening her grip on it, she smirked a sinister smirk and chuckled a corrupted chuckle. Never once did she drop her frightening facade when proceeding to interrogate her new captive. Instead, she absolutely amplified it with a sickly-sweet simulation, something even she was ultimately uncomfortable with.

"So..." Lightning Dust began, "What's a pretty little Changeling like you doing in a big ugly place like that in an equally meaningless time like this?"

"I'm... I'm sorry, ma'am," The Changeling timidly apologized, "I was just..."

"Following orders?"

"Alongside my brother and another...teammate of mine."

Thinking real hard about her next decision, Lightning Dust sighed in frustation and nodded in resignation.

"Perhaps...you can be of use to me."

"Anything. Just spare them."

Lightning Dust nodded halfheartedly and beckoned the Changeling to follow her out of the bakery.

"Tell me: what is your name, Changeling?"

"T-Thorax."

"Just Thorax?"

When Thorax slightly nodded, Lightning Dust returned the nod and beckoned him to follow her once more.

"Well, Thorax... Take me to them."







"Enough," Lightning Dust finally replied, "I was busy enough."

"With what?" Tempest pressed the issue further to get a clear answer from her.

"Forming a new team."

This...was not the answer she expected.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No, you heard me correctly."

At that moment, three Changelings entered the wedding hall clad in their modified versions of the standard Storm Empire armor. The Changeling named Thorax had vivid opal eyes, sky blue violet wings, a dark arctic bluish grey mane, a dark arctic bluish carapace, and a sea greenish black chitin. His brother had moderate violet eyes, dark blue violet wings, a deep crimson mane, a dark violet mane, and a very dark grey chitin, a far cry from his fellow Changelings. The youngest of the trio shared the common Changeling appearance: moderate arctic blue eyes, a dark arctic bluish grey mane, a sea greenish black chitin, and a dark blue carapace.

"Ah! Thorax, Pharynx, and Ocellus!" Lightning Dust fashioned the same faux-friendly facade again, "Glad of you to be here!"

"Save it for somepony who cares, Dust," Pharnyx, Thorax's brother, sneered in disdain,  "None of us want to be here, but we have to be. In fact...why are we even here?"

"Because Lieutenant Lightning Dust gave us a chance," Thorax stepped forward, "A chance to...start over. Away from Queen Chrysalis."

"Is..." Ocellus started softly, "Is it true?"

Despite her growing ruthless nature, Lightning Dust's fondness for the younger generation (Pony or otherwise) still stabbed at her heart. It was a sentiment shared by Tempest Shadow, who was far more capable of hiding her emotions. She sighed again and nodded.

"Perhaps...if you three can comply with my Commander's orders."

"I seriously doubt that."

Along with everypony else, the five of them engaged in the conversation turned toward a chortling Chrysalis corrode in her cage, "Ocellus, darling... You have to remember what I am capable of, regardless of the condition I'm in..."

Noticing the younger Changeling shiver and take cover behind the two brothers, Lightning Dust and Tempest Shadow stepped forward and approached Chrysalis's cage, their weapons at the ready and murderous intent glimmering in their eyes. The Changeling Queen gulped in nervousness.

"And you have to remember my Commander is capable of," Lightning Dust was all too willing to commit murder, "regardless of the condition she is in..."

Remembering exactly how their first meeting went, Chrysalis's complacent convictions completely crumble as she swiftly shrunk and slouched down against the iron bars of her cage. 

"Didn't think so," Lightning Dust chuckled in victory.

"I appreciate you acting as my hype pony, Lieutenant," Tempest frowned, "but we have a long way for you to properly earn my respect."

"I understand, Captain, which is why I took the liberty of sending a spy to the nearest town in the Badlands. Hopefully he can intercept them there and gather any information the prisoner may have."

"And who is this spy you've sent?"

Lightning Dust merely smirked before she did answer.
> Chapter 7: "A Friend In Need..."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, despite wanting to sleep in for a few hours, the girl group slowly but surely awoke at sunrise, with Apple Cobbler naturally being the first. Yawning and stretching in a similar fashion to herself from last night, her first instinct was to head out to the fields and get to work just like that. But then she remembered as she was halfway out of the cave, she was far from Canterlot and her family farm. Huffing in frustation and cursing at herself, she headed back inside to find that Photo Finish was the second to awake.

That, and something else...

"Can you believe this, Photo Finish?"

"Abolsutely not, Dear Apple," The pony photographer chuckled and shook her head, "Given that the most outlandish events that ensued yesterday, I was most certainly believing that we were partaking in nightmare fuel rather than swimming in a sweet dream."

"Well..." Apple Cobbler gestured a few feet behind her, "At least somepony is having some sweet dreams."

Turning to face behind her, Photo Finish gasped and softly squealed in delight, jumping to the wrong conclusion based on the admittedly sweet sight before her. Beckoning over poor, unfortunate Apple Cobbler, who instantly regretted her decision to point it out, the both of them surrounded a sleeping soundly set of two Unicorns on both sides. Photo Finish immediately produced her camera and cackled like a mad woman, taking careful aim at the dormant duo while waving off Apple Cobbler's attempts to dissuade her from proceeding with her preposterous plan.

"Say Love Train..."

"Love Train?" Sunset's eyes suddenly shot open.


"WAH!!!"

"YAH!!!"

"WHOA!!!"

"OH, NO!!!"


From that moment onward, the cave became a screaming and shouting match of earsplitting proportions, not helped by Photo Finish dropping her camera in her fright. Having briefly taking a mind of its own, her camera began taking photos of the chaos nonstop, blinding Twilight, Sunset, Apple Cobbler, and Photo Finish herself. Becoming the fifth and sixth to wake up respectively (Sunset was the third, Twilight was the fourth), Starlight and Trixie did their best to control said chaos.

It didn't help.

Trixie immediately reached into her bag and hurled three small balls into the ground, producing smoke and further increasing the mayhem. Attempting to navigate their way through the smokescreen, Trixie, Starlight, and Apple Cobbler unwittingly bumped into and began fighting each other, thinking that one was a threat to the other. Sunset was trying to pull Twilight away from the smoke, but she was similarly met with punches and blows before Photo Finish finally found her camera and prevented any more photos. Eventually, Trixie and Starlight fanned the smoke out of the cave and wearily huffed, the adrenaline rush rushing away.

"Hehehe," Trixie giggled as she blushed heavily, "Sorry, everypony. That was, uh...Trixie's bad."

"No kidding," Starlight coughed and hacked, "What was that?"

"Trixie's own personal smoke bombs," Trixie produced the small balls, "Perfect for instantaneous transportation or a perfect getaway."

"Hmm," Apple Cobbler observed the balls before handing it back to her, "I have a feeling we might need these later. Do you mind?"

"You wish is Trixie's command," Trixie nodded in understanding before storing them away in an easy safespace for future use.

Nearby, Photo Finish recovered her camera and the photos taken, smiling with each one she skimmed through. This culminated in a slight giggle when she found the one desired. Storing them away and sling the camera around her neck, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Worth it..."

Meanwhile, Twilight and Sunset regained their senses before coming to terms with their situation.

"Sunset... Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I mean I get punched a few times, but..."

"What? By whom?"

"By you...?"

Twilight bit her tongue upon hearing Sunset's response before realizing what was happening and had happened.


I was sleeping...

With Sunset...

Who is currently on top of--


"GAH!"

"WHOA! Twilight--!"

In her mad dash to scramble off her, Twilight accidentally kicked Sunset in the face, striking her nose and bottom lip while sending her backward. Gasping in horror, she then rushed forward to her friend's aid, gently caressing her face despite herself.

"Oh my Celestia! I'm so sorry, Sunset! Are you okay?"

To Twilight's surprise, Sunset could only chuckle and nod her head, "Yeah, I'm good, Twi. I'm just...peachy. Good kicks, though."

"Uh...thanks?"

Twilight and Sunset shared heartfelt laughter, much to the confusion of Starlight and Trixie but not Photo Finish and Apple Cobbler.

"Did we miss something?" Starlight whispered to Trixie, who merely shrugged.

"Trixie does not know," Trixie whispered back to Starlight.

After a moment, Twilight yawned and stretched before dusting herself off, "What time is it?"

"It's early in the morning, Miss Twilight," Apple Cobbler replied, "If you want a specific time, it's early sunrise at 6:30."

"Perfect," Twilight smiled, "A perfect time to embark...<yawn>...on our quest for the Hippogriffs."

"We should probably find the nearest town first," Sunset suggested, "That way, we can eat and refresh before we do."

"Trixie believes..." The magician sniffed herself from head to hoof, "...that is a good idea."

"All right then," Twilight nodded, "Gather what you have and let's go."

"No offense, Twilight," Starlight grumbled as she gathered her belongings and exited the cave first, "but we could be going in circles."

Starlight proceeded to rant and observe her surroundings to prove her point, "Look, look. Nothing for miles. Nothing...but sand..."

She then gestured to a nearby boulder...

"...and this rock..."

...a nearby group of cacti...

"...and this cactus..."

...and a trail of black rocks that looked suspiciously like...

"...and this roooooooooaaaaaad...."

...a road, which Starlight repeated for elaboration before it rolled out into a yawn.

"This rooooooad..."

"A road?" Twilight turned her attention from the weary Starlight to the road in question. The path led away from the cave, raising her suspicions but wishing not to proven true. Following it forward with the rest of the girls trailing behind, she picked up the pace.

"Where there's a road, there's a..."

Twilight and the group gasped at the sight before them: a large town, a surefire sign of certain civilization, albeit one that harbored unsavory details and the warning signs to match. 

"Unbelievable!" Starlight groaned in realization, "You mean we could've been in sleeping in a stable had we just walked a little further?"

"Who cares?!" Trixie laughed, "Trixie and we found a city! We are doing it!"

"Let's be careful, though," Sunset warned the group, "We're far from Canterlot, so we don't know what to expect."

"I'd say," Apple Cobbler held her satchel more tightly.

"You know what they say," Photo Finish added, "Where there'a a city...there's a spa!"

"Uh-huh. And who's they?"

"My friends Rarity, Fancy Pants, and Fleur De Lis. You know...Canterlot folk."

"Hmm. In case you forgot, we're on a mission to save Equestria."

"I can multitask."

As they approached the town, Sunset's previous warning of not knowing what to expect paid off, as many of the occupants of this tentatively threatening town were overtly ominious to match. Not resembling any form of pony so far encountered, the citizens instead fashioned facial features that were akin to additional animals such as the pig, the fish, the lizard, the mouse, and the rat among others. Interestingly enough, the size and shape of them were distinct in the way they mirrored their current profession. The strong and muscular belonged to the camp working as brutish thugs for their presumed crime bosses, while the skinny and slender belonged to the camp working as chameleonic informants for their presumed crime bosses.

In any case, this tried-and-tested town seemed to be a crime-infested one, and one of the most (if not the most) they've encountered thus far.

"You know something?" Starlight frowned as she walked alongside the group, "I could've walked for a few more hours, days even."

"You should've been more careful with what you wish for, dear," Photo Finish chuckled in amusement.

"Yes, "I told you so." That is the last thing I needed to be told right now."

"Look at this. How quaint," Sunset slowed to a stop as she and Twilight read a banner that summarized the town in a few words or less.

"Klugetown..." Twilight read before second-guessing herself, "or Kloogetown?"

Sunset shrugged before continuing to read for her, "A travel destination of the one and only Storm King."

"A place where anything and everything has its price," Trixie followed suit...

"You want something?" While Starlight finished, "You gotta give something...?"

"That's right."

The group turned to face a teal blue fish creature with yellow eyes, magenta gills, and a shirt that resembled a half-torn apron. Approaching them with a sledgehammer with an ambiguous glint in his eyes, Twilight and Sunset immediately placed themselves in front of the rest of the girls, their horns lighting up with protective intent. The latter, though, was clearly struggling to keep up with the former, her lack of pony tendencies catching up with her due to her primary status as a human.

"It's even the town's motto," Mori explained, "And don't worry about the sledgehammer; it's for those foolish enough to stumble upon Klugetown. Why would I damage such valuable pieces of property?"

"And who are you to call us property?" Apple Cobbler stepped forward, "We're not for sale."

"Well, unfortunately for you," Mori gestured behind him, "The folks behind me and you think otherwise."

Glancing behind them, the group found that they were indeed surrounded on all sides of the citizens of Klugetown, all of whom began placing bids on the six ponies.

"I want the two blues!"

"Screw the blues! Give me the purples!"

"No! I want only the orange and brown!"

All the while, a gamboge feline character with light malachite eyes and dark greyish indigo hair watched the confrontation from afar, his red coat dramatically blowing in the wind. Turning to his hooded associate, who exchanged a look of acknowledgement with him from beneath the hood, he decided to intervene against his better interest.

"All right! Back up, everyone!" Capper entered the scene, displaying his versatile acting abilities to their fullest extent, "Y'all in some serious danger! Now you didn't touch any of them, did you? Just look at all those colors! You think that's natural? They're infected with "pastelis coloritis".

Photo Finish exchanged confused glances with the rest of the group, who were just as stumped as to whether or not this was a rescue attempt.

"I...beg your pardon?"

"Now you listen here, mister," Starlight stepped forward, realizing exactly what this "charaltan" was trying to do, "There ain't nothing—"

Before she could continue, though, she was stopped by the spy, who placed a hoof on her shoulder and shook his head when she tried to protest. He then discreetly opened a small can of purple paint for seemingly no good reason.

"Don't worry, don't worry. You'll be fine..." Capper then dipped his tail into the can of purple paint in a similar manner as he caught on to the spy's plan, "...as long as you're not covered in purple splotches."

Swiftly turning his body, Capper splashed the paint onto Mori and fashioned a faux facial expression of fear, "Uh-oh."

The larger fish noticed "the purple splotches" as well as and began panicking, a far cry from the fierce and fearless enforcer of the underground, "What do I do?"

Capper smirked and shook his head, "Enjoy your last moments and don't touch anyone. Because parts will fall off."

"Me parts?!" Mori screamed as he covered his nether regions as he and the rest of the Klugetown ran away from the group, screaming bloody murder much like their secondary straw boss. Glancing around and having the spy check for stragglers, Capper's smug smirk remained.

"Well, all right," Capper purred in satisfaction, "It looks like your plan worked, friend."

"Blame it on dumb luck, comrade," The spy deadpanned beneath the hood.

"Now I have to admit," Apple Cobbler chuckled in understanding, "That was quite impressive."

"And quite charming," Trixie giggled in admiration, causing Starlight to roll her eyes and Photo Finish to growl under her breath.

"Capper's the name, and charming's my game," Capper introduced himself, "and this is my associate...um, I never did your name, amigo."

"Mm-hmm," The spy merely nodded as he continued scanning the town square.

"Not much of a talker, your friend is?" Starlight tilted her head.

"Afraid not, ma'am," Capper chuckled, "but I've learn not to question certain aspects of the business world. So...to the Hippogriffs?"

"How did you know that?" Sunset frowned.

"Through a little birdie...or, in this case, Pegasus."

Gesturing at the spy for an explanation, Capper stepped aside to let him explain himself. The spy did just that, but with a disgruntled tone of voice.

"Long story short, I was sent by my Lieutenant Lightning Dust to extract the prisoners who escaped captivity and, if they were compliant enough, lead them to the...Pearl of Transformation? It's a gemstone currently in possession of the Hippogriffs, which is where you lot are currently headed."

As the rest of the group exchanged worried looks and glances, Twilight and Sunset exchanged looks of deep contemplation before the latter approached first.

"If you're on the side of the "villains", then why are you telling us this?"

"I merely wanted to give you a head start in case you attempt an escape," The spy replied, "Besides, I'm not completely on the side of villainy. I have my own goals and motivations to worry about."

"Such as?"

"That's for me to know...and for you to know not."

Stepped back forward was Capper, whom Sunset turned to next, "And you? What are your own goals and motivations?"

"A quick buck and a sweet escape, miss," Capper smiled, "I was going to sell you to the highest bidder to my higher-up Verko much like my fellow Klugetown citizens were, but now that I've got a better look and understanding of you all...I now understand you lot may be far more valuable to give up right away."

"Well, I don't think we should trust you if that's what you had in mind for us," Sunset stood in front of Twilight in a protective manner.

"Regardless," Twilight calmed Sunset down as she stepped out from behind her, "We need a guide around Klugetown. I agree with Sunset that you and your associate don't seem trustworthy, but frankly, we don't have a choice at the moment. You help us, and I'll make sure that you will be taken care of."

Capper and his associate exchanges looks with each other, needing a little more convincing.

"More than just a guide," Trixie interjected, "The Great and Powerful Trixie believes that we could definitely use a friend out here!"

Capper and his associate rubbed their chins (how was the spy doing it?) before the former shrugged.




"You know what? Little Cotton Candy Hair is right. And if I do say so myself..."

Capper swiftly stood up and kicked a set of domino sticks that darkened their surroundings save for a single skylight that shone upon him.

This town is not a nice place
For little fillies all alone
There are lots of twists and corners
That could lead to the unknown

Not far behind, the spy was playing a maracas while forcing two Klugetowners to play the guitar and eventually the drums.

Let me guide your way
And I'll be sure to help you through
You could really use a friend out here
And luckily for you...

When one of the Klugetowners played the wrong tune, the spy kicked him repeatedly until he got it right. When he did, Capper continued singing.

I'm the friend that you need
When you're lost and don't know what to do
I'm your pal, your amigo
Useful and resourceful, too

Leading the group through the crowd of Klugetowners as they ventured deep into the heart of the town, Capper's prevention of them falling into harm's way was in synchronization to the beat of the song.

And my help, you'll concede
Is a plus guaranteed
You can call and I'll come running
Just follow my lead
'Cause I'm the friend you need!


Along the way, Capper purchased a basket of fruit, offering Apple Cobbler a pear for his own amusement. Nonetheless, the Earth pony rolled her eyes and took a bite anyway.

A Klugetown Wool-Seller who played the drums backed him up... 

"He's a friend!"

...as did a Scaly Klugetowner who played the guitar...

"Quite a friend!"

...and a group of randomly-generated Klugetowners who decided to pitch in.

"He's a friend indeed!"

The two main musical players even took a bite of the pears Capper had bought.

You need a bud to spot the danger
A pal to stop the creep
A chum and not a stranger to assist

The cat himself continued to place himself between them and the eyeshot of danger, dodging death and anything that brought it and/or resembled it, which the group were slowly becoming grateful for.

You need a bro who is cunning
That can help you take the leap
A friend who knows what's lying in the mist

As if on cue, a thick mist started to accumulate and obscure their view before it was fanned away by Capper, who was keen on proving his point in his theme song...

Don't fear these darkened alleys
They're scary, yes, I know
Why, you could use a friend
To protect you wherever you go

...in addition to playing a charming gentleman towards the Great and Powerful Trixie, who seemed to reciprocate with the material she was given...never once minding the mud she was standing in before he pointed it out.

And such a dazzling beauty
Covered in dirt and muck
But now your fate is changing
Now you are in luck

Fortunately, Capper's solution involved a rolled-up red carpet, which he unrolled and let the group stroll on as his hideout was only a mile away.

'Cause I'm the friend that you need
When you're lost and don't know what to do
I'm your pal, your amigo
Lookin' out for friends like you

Eventually leading them to a water wheel, Capper ushered them along...

And my help, you'll concede
Is a plus guaranteed
Just call and I'll come running
We'll say it's agreed...

...before momentarily staying behind to tend to a heavily concealed raccoon by the name of Needy...

"Here," Capper slipped Needy a slip of paper, "Tell Verko: "My place, twenty minutes." I've got something that will "magically" erase all my debt."

...and rounding off his musical sequence with a nonchalant grin...much to the chagrin of both Twilight and Sunset

'Cause I'm the friend you need...!

Starlight, Trixie, Photo Finish, and Apple Cobbler could not help but concur, "He's a friend!"

"Quite a friend!" Trixie specifically swooned.

"He's a friend indeed!" All proclaimed proudly...with the exception of two.

> Chapter 8: "...Is A Friend Indeed..."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ocellus arrived first at the outskirts of Canterlot, approaching the Badlands and landing on the rocky terrain. Taking in her new surroundings, it was nothing but a vast desert as far as the eyes (specifically her own) could see. It would take a miracle for the prisoner to make it out alive and across to the nearest town, but the more she investigated, the more she realized something peculiar.


The prisoner... They should have had help...


Not soon after, Ocellus spotted it...

It...caught on a snag on a long-decrepit tree branch...

"Lieutenant!"

The Lieutenant swiftly soared down and abruptly landed beside her, unintentionally giving poor Ocellus a fright. Nonetheless, the youngest Changeling pointed out the piece of evidence in front of her, giving Lightning Dust room to work with. Approaching the crime scene, she used her metallic, magnetic wings to slowly retrieve it and bring it to her eyesight: a single strand of blue and purple hair with a single raspberry streak...entwined with a single strand of red-and-yellow hair. Now this... This is something interesting.

"Now this... This is something interesting..."

"W-What is, Lieutenant?" Ocellus asked nervously.

"A pair of hair means a pair of Ponies," Lightning Dust replied, "A pair of Ponies mean a pair of prisoners, and a pair of prisoners means...a plentiful price on their heads."

Slipping the strands into a glass flask and handing them to an arriving Thorax and Pharynx, Lightning Dust then noticed a trail of hoofsteps just a few feet from the tree branch. Beckoning the three Changelings to follow after her, she took a closer look and the realization was far more than what was expected. The dastardly duo of fugitives...had increased to a total of sinister six.

"And the price has just piled up," Lightning Dust sinisterly smirked before softening up and offering the youngest Changeling a genuine smile, "Not bad, Ocellus. Not bad at all..."

As she walked away, Ocellus returned her superior's smile, even though she would not directly admit that she was proud of her small achievement.

"Do you think the prisoner and their group could have gotten this far?" Thorax glanced around in uncertainty.

"I don't think, Thorax... I know," Lightning Dust continued following the trail, "Focus, commitment, and sheer will can do wonders when utilized correctly."

"Or a miracle, maybe," Pharynx grumbled as he stepped beside his brother, "I suppose focus, commitment, and sheer will be our only way to make it to the group's destination?"

"That would be a suicide flight," Lightning Dust replied as Tempest approached the quartet.

"Have you found anything useful, Lieutenant?"

"Not before Ocellus did. She found two strands of hair snagged on that tree branch. There was a trail of hoofsteps that I found afterwards not far off."

Observing the trail for herself, Tempest nodded in satisfaction, "We should be getting close. Very close."

"I guess this little pony got pretty far," Lightning Dust chuckled out a call-back, "but not on her own."

Tempest rolled her eyes and beckoned the group to follow her just as Grubber approached fast with a small-enough army of Storm Guards.


Yes. She is most definitely my hype pony...





A Few Hours Prior. . .

The spy in question flew across the Bone Dry Desert in less than six hours before spotting a nearby city, mostly likely a trading town. Landing on his hooves, he glanced around and surprisingly saw big activity around this time. The activity he witnessed most definitely fell on the backside of the criminal underworld. Despite his current profession, it disgusted him, and it only increased when he saw a young dragon attempting to escape a larger rat-like creature. As he approached, fury immediately skyrocketed when the fish creature slapped the dragon with enough force to knock her to the ground.

The spy soared and rammed his entire body into the body of the rat creature, knocking him down backwards before retrieving a long wheel of rope, which he used to tie his legs up and trip him when he tried standing up. He then threw rapid-fire punches and ended up hitting pivotal pressure points in the process. When he recovered enough to throw punches, the rat creature's rage proved to be his undoing as the spy bind his hands and legs together, soaring downward and then upward to deliver an uppercut with his back legs, knocking him out completely. 

As a crowd began to build and murmur amongst themselves, the spy approached the equally shocked dragon and helped her up.

"Are you okay, miss?"

The dragon nodded as the spy helped her up, "T-Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," The spy shook his head, "I'm just a Samaritan passing by."

"Good or bad?"

The spy turned around to face a male cat approach to observe the damage himself. He had light malachite green eyes,  moderate gamboge fur (his face, ears, paws, and tail were of a darker shade while his chest was of a lighter shade), and a tuft of dark greyish indigo hair. He wore a dark red coat around his body and violet tape around his tail. 

"To be honest with you..." The spy shrugged, "I wasn't sure myself when I was hired by my Lieutenant. And your name might be...?"

"Capper," The cat introduced himself with a bow, "A friend in need."






A Few Hours Later. . .


"So, that's how you two met."

Served tea with soup, Twilight and Sunset were seated with a table with Capper, the still hooded associate, and the young dragon Capper's associate saved. Her name was Smolder, and she had moderate cyan eyes, moderate orchid spines, and brilliant gamboge scales with a light gold underbelly, wing membrane, and ear fronds. Seemingly older than Spike back home, the former unicorn nonetheless almost immediately developed a doting nature towards her, tending to any injuries she sustained or that remained. The act both amused the latter unicorn and touched her heart, wondering what could have been in her home dimension.

"Yeah," Smolder nodded as she spared her savior a glance, "Thanks for saving me by the way."

"You don't have to thank me, kid," The spy scoffed as he went for a third cup of tea, "I was just a passerby."

"Well, I don't think Miss Smolder could thank you even if she tried, passerby," Capper retorted, "We still haven't had the pleasure of learning your true identity."

"That comes later. Right now..." The spy glanced toward the restroom and sighed ruefully, "...is the restroom."

The restroom itself, meanwhile, was currently occupied by no less than four ponies. Trixie and Photo Finish were fighting and fussing over the shower, knocking over more than a few toiletries in the process. By contrast, Starlight and Apple Cobbler were acting civilized, passing the toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash to each other after heading out of the shower. 

"You know...remembering my little rant in the desert before arriving here...you would think that I would be the most relieved about being here."

"You gave it time...and time gave you a musical sequence."

"Pass me the shampoo!" 

"Pass me the body wash!"

Starlight and Apple Cobbler listened as Trixie and Photo Finish argued over the toiletries and exchanged looks of amusement.

"Should we go or, at the very least, stop them?" Starlight frowned.

"Actually..." Apple Cobbler smiled, "I want to see the outcome of this."



The head crime boss and designated mayor of Klugetown was none too pleased about the town's lack of noteworthy sales. A naked mole rat whose weight overshadows his height, his main outfit was primarily red and one that was far too small for him to don. Nonetheless, even with the wear-and-tear showing its age, he continued to wear it as a symbol of his declining authority and his deteriorating sanity, a pathetic shell of the former glory he once had.

"What...is...the hold-up?" Verko growled to his two enforcers.

"There has been a recent decline in sales, sir," The male enforcer stated the obvious.

"Yes, I am aware of this problem, but not the solution."

"We're singling out safe and specific methods that would best fit you, sir," The female enforcer attempted to alleviate his worries.

"I do not have all the time in the world for "safe" and "specific" methods," Verko sat up from his desk and glanced out the window of his office, "I need quick and easy..."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a heavily concealed raccoon ambled into the room before placing a slip of paper on his desk, prompting Verko to take a good look at it. With each word came each gear in that little brain of his grinding into place. When he finished reading, a smirk began to grow on his face as an idea began to grow in his head.

One shot... one chance... One more time to prove his worth...would prove to be his undoing.

"Let's pay dear Capper a visit."




"I don't understand."

"I honestly don't expect you to."

Smolder, along with the rest of the group, were listening to Capper's backstory as they recuperated. 

"When I was younger, my hometown of Panthera was invaded by the Storm King's forces before they did battle with a gang of pirate parrots. Their captain...Celaeno...offered me and my friend Chummer positions as a member of their crew. We worked with them for a while before the Storm King eventually caught up with us. Chummer and I escaped and ended up in Klugetown, where we were employed by our boss Verko. We offered to trade him the Misfortune Malachite, a jewel that was in the possession of the Storm King at the time, in exchange for money. However, Chummer betrayed us and made off with the real one...not that I liked him or Verko anyway. It opened my eyes, though, to the reality that not everyone could be considered your friend."

Despite the route Capper would eventually take in his life, many of the group were sympathetic for the feline con artist. Specifically, Twilight was horrified at the prospect of somepony utilizing friendship and twisting it for their diabolical ends, going against everything she was taught about it up until that point. Trixie, meanwhile, singled out similarities with his past and her own, the only difference being that she was a stage magician and he...was not. 

"Why would he do that?"

"In hindsight, his name was a pretty dead giveaway," Capper bitterly chuckled as he sipped on his beverage, "But honestly, some people are just born that way."

As Capper served the group another bowl of soup and accompanying cup of tea, the atmosphere become somewhat peaceful.

Somewhat...too peaceful.

"Is that why you and your associate sold us out?" Twilight asked as she calmly sipped on her tea.

"Yes," Capper responded after a moment's hesitation.

"That's what I thought," Twilight sighed solemnly, "How much time do we have left?"

"20 minutes at the most. That was two hours ago."

"20 minutes, then we have to go."

As the group gathered any belongings they had lounging around, Capper sighed as regret began settling in. He had small interaction with them, but in those few hours, he found himself caring about someone other than...well, himself. The group themselves were dismayed to see a potential ally sell them out for indeed a "quick buck", but they harbored no further animosity towards him while expressing very little surprise at the betrayal, considering the environment he had grown up in (or, in this case, grown accustomed to).

"It's not your fault, Cap," Trixie did her best to assauge his worries, "I know how you know feel. I betrayed people in the past."

"Is that supposed to make him feel better?" Starlight's eyebrow shot up in confusion.

"It's the thought that counts," Trixie asserted, which Capper could not help but smile at.



"Please! Please! I don't know anything!"

Tempest, Lightning Dust, and her small army eventually arrived in Klugetown. Their method of interrogation varied depending on the specific member. Thorax, Ocellus, and Grubber opted to use a passive approach, while Tempest, Lightning Dust, and Pharynx relied on the aggressive. The Storm Guards performed most of the figurative and literal heavy lifting, ranging from wooden boxes to living creatures.

"You really think the ponieth got thith far?" Grubber glanced around as he ate away at a chocolate-dipped, candy-sprinkled apple. 

As soon as he asked this question, Lightning Dust spotted another snag of hair on a wooden board, this time purple with a hint of greyish aquamarine. She gestured this to Tempest, who gave it a gentle whiff before smirking.

"Oh, they're here. Attention!"

That little smirk disappeared as quickly as it appeared as a stoic expression was immediately plastered in its face the second she called for attention from the other denizens of Klugetown.

"A little purple pony passed this way. She is a fugitive of the law. Tell me where she is..."

"...or thumpin real bad'th gonna happen," Grubber tempted fate as Mori, the largest of the lot, approached with murder glinting in his eyes, causing the hedgehog to wisely stand down.

"You think we're gonna fall for this again?" Mori casually (albeit unintentionally) swatted away a cheering denizen, "I don't know what kinda scam you're workin' with Capper and the rest of your friends, but poison or no poison, you're gonna pay!"


Friends...?


Tempest and Lightning Dust shared the same thought...before working in tandem to take down Mori. The former ducked to avoid the first punch thrown while the latter caught his fist and twisted it, causing him to shout in pain. Tempest performed a leg sweep before Lightning, still holding to his fist, flew up to lift him up and slam him down into the ground.

"Ohhhh, Fishman juth got dropped!" Grubber cackled as Tempest approached a beaten Mori, murder glinting in her eyes.

"Now...about this "Capper"..."
> Chapter 9: "Cut To The Windmill Chase"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unbeknowst to all the parties in pursuit of the ponies, Twilight and the group managed to escape from Capper's residence a long time ago, the cat himself trailing behind with his associate and Smolder as they tried to make their way to the docks, which contained a large array of airships used to transport goods in and out of the city. The group had to keep calm, be careful, and remain unnoticed at all times...but this proved much easier said than done when they, a large of multicolored mares (plus a cat, a dragon, and a hooded mercenary), were the fugitives in question. Sure enough, the moment a Klugetowner spotted them, all bets were off.

"Hey! There they are!"

The group took off in a sprint as the creatures began climbing the wooden and metal scaffoldings in an attempt to claim their prizes. Knowing that teleportation with a large amount of people was quite a risk, the unicorns of the group turned their focus to getting the bad guys off their tail. Trixie and Starlight used their horns to levitate the lightweight creatures and harmlessly toss them away while Twilight shot concussive blasts, the latter (Starlight) eventually joining her with her own magic blasts that were slightly on par with hers. On the other hand, while giving it her all, Sunset was not entirely used to wielding a magical horn in her unicorn form, let alone having one in her head. As such, she decided to throw punches and kicks as she would in the human realm, a similar tactic taken up by Photo Finish and Apple Cobbler, both of whom were Earth Ponies who lacked the horns necessary to perform magic.


I mildly curse this pony world for not having guns...or swords...or even bows and arrows.


Suddenly, the scaffolding began to wobble under the extra weight that was the rest of the Klugetowners, even if there was metal implemented in certain points. In addition, while he was trying to help, Capper did not help their situation by grabbing a piece of wood and metal respectively and using them both as improvised melee weapons, smacking them away as they fell to the ground. Nevertheless, the Klugetowners persisted and pursued the ponies and their partners.

Watching the chase unfold from a distance, Tempest Shadow gestured Lightning Dust and the three Changelings to take flight as Grubber groaned and lamented, "Sometimes, I wish I can fly."

"Sometimes, your wish is granted," Tempest smirked deviously.

"Wha--?"

Grubber was suddenly snatched and hurled into the air, flying past Lightning Dust and the Changelings (which is a 20% cool name for a band by the way) and then the group when he smashed into the scaffolding, causing it to completely collapse, but not before leaning forward and smashing into the second scaffolding, which the group leapt onto. Even so, the Klugetowners continued the chase, joined by Verko and his lackeys.

"These ponies better shoot rainbow lasers out their eyes if they're gonna settle your debt, Capper!" Verko cackled in the distance as he turned his attention to his heavies, "Bring the big cage and let's load 'em up!"

The Klugetowners who pledged their allegiance to Verko climbed up the second scaffolding a little faster, causing the fleeing group to step up their game. Even Sunset, who had trouble mastering the usage of her horn and was feeling the pressure and possibility of being reduced to a prisoner of captivity weighing down upon her, managed to get the hang of it as the pursuers picked up the pace. Blasting them off and tossing them away, she also tossed in a few of her signature punches and kicks for good measure.

"Capper, where exactly are the docks?" Twilight called out for their feline f(r)iend.

"A few miles from where we currently are!" Capper drummed in the heads of a few less-than-fortunate Klugetowners, "but the last ships leave in exactly fifteen minutes!"

"This chase is going to last for twenty if we don't lose the Klugetowners!" Sunset kicked away one of the aforementioned citizens, "We need a diversion, and we need it now!"

A flurry of ideas swirling in her head, Starlight's eyes widened, "Ohh! Trixie! You're a stage magician, right? Do you have anything in that satchel to provide a quick getaway?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Trixie smirked in acknowledgement as she dug through her satchel and produced a group of miniscule balls, "A-ha!"

Suddenly, the scaffolding was slammed into Mori, who had returned with a vengeance under the false impression that Capper and Tempest had presumably proposed an alliance, thereby leaving the rest of his fellow Klugetowners to be hung up to dry. Given their present circumstances, Capper would probably not enough time to explain the situation to Mori, and even if he did, the larger creature would probably choose not to listen to the smaller creature...but not without reason.

Trixie managed to catch herself just as Photo Finish leapt over a Klugetowner and kicked him away, "Trixie, Starlight... Is there a plan or not?"

"Or at least something resembling it?" Apple Cobbler tossed another off.

"Absolutely!" Trixie smirked and called over to Tempest, "Hey, Hornless! You have messed with the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

With that and an accompanying shout, just in time for Mori for knock them off the scaffolding with one last shove, Trixie hurled the balls at Tempest, who thought quickly (perhaps too quickly) and blasted them with her broken horn. The blast hit the balls one by one, causing them to explode and create a big-enough smokescreen to conceal the group, who fell down to the ground and still managed to land on their hooves (feet in the case of Capper and Smolder).  

"Smoke bombs?" Starlight chuckled in admiration, "Nice!"

"A favorite amongst us stage magicians!" Trixie could not help but boast.

"Stay close and stay low!" Twilight called out to the group, "We have to get to the docks!"

Twilight's group (Capper, Smolder, and the hooded associate included) took off and carefully navigated their way through the mist, leaving their enemies and pursuers to panic blindly in the dust. The smokescreen could not possibly last long so they had to pick up the pace much faster. Unfortunately, them taking their time to traverse the mist allowed for Lightning Dust and the three Changelings to catch up with them.

"Salutations, Sparkle," The Pegasus giggled in derision under her breath.

"L-Lightning Dust?" Twilight gasped out in horror upon taking a closer look at the former Wonderbolt, specifically her new metal wings. Sunset was horrified as well, but for an entirely different reason. Even before she succumbed to the peer pressure and the "Anon-A-Miss" witch hunt, the human Lightning Dust was already a jerk back in her home dimension, despite her displaying a few acts of kindness throughout. Here? She was now a bloodthirsty Pegasus with the intent to kill, armed with metallic wings to boot...or hoof?

"Oh, so you do remember me?" Lightning Dust maintained her faux friendly attitude for a little longer before dropping it in favor of a scowl of scorn, "Good. You should, because this face...is the last thing you and your friends will ever see."

"Wow," Sunset could not help but groan and let slip, "You always had a way with cliched comminations and perilous platitudes, Lightning Dust."

"I don't even know what that means, but I can tell that's an insult. May I have the pleasure of learning your name before I put you out of your misery?"

"Sunset Shimmer. We've met before under...different circumstances."

"Hmm. Sunset Shimmer? I don't remember meeting you prior...and I doubt I'll remember killing you prior."

With that, Lightning Dust hurled her metallic wings, which flew off her back and towards the group, shocking Twilight to the point where she almost forgot to place a shield up. Fortunately, Sunset came through and placed a shield of her own in her place. Unfortunately, though, the sharpened wings nearly pierced through the shield not because she was rather flimsy in her magic, but also her wings were glowing green. Whatever was the cause of her wings glowing green was also the cause of them penetrating the shield. Placing more focus on her strength and magic, Sunset nonetheless expanded the shield enough to where the wings were deflected and sent back to Lightning, who performed a dramatic spin and attached the pieces back on her back.

Despite landing no hits on the group, Lightning Dust smirked at her new and improved wings at their first official usage and offered a simple-enough explanation, "You like the upgrade? My Commander Tempest laced my new wings with Obsidian essence that, for a simple-enough explanation, breaks the spell of an individual's shield. In short, you little ponies are doomed."

"Never!" Photo Finish suddenly shouted as she galloped forward despite the protests of the main group, "You'll never take us alive!"

Wielding her trusty camera, Photo Finish took a picture of Lightning Dust's shocked and confused face, temporary blinding her as well, providing an easy distraction for her to leap up and kick her in the face, sending her flying backwards towards Pharynx, who was knocked down with her. Having leapt out of the way in time, Thorax and Ocellus charged after the group, changing into Twilight and Sunset when they ran ahead and leaped in front of their path. After brief confusion, Twilight blasted Thorax from head to hoof, exposing his Changeling appearance.

"What the-?" Photo Finish clutched her camera as she now cowered behind Apple Cobbler, "How is this possible?"

"They're Changelings, remember?" Twilight reminded them.

"They're Changelings, remember?" Thorax and Ocellus repeated her in Twilight's form, causing the unicorn to groan and blast them back, leading the charge once again.

"We have to split up!" Twilight shouted, "That way we can lead them off track before we make our way to the docks!"

"But that will just give them a chance to pick us off one by one!" Sunset protested back.

"We don't have much of a choice!"

"Oh... Fine! Capper, go with Starlight and Trixie! Smolder, go with Photo Finish and Apple Cobbler! You, come with us!"

Beneath his hood, the associate rolled his eyes before galloping beside Twilight and Sunset, splitting up from the main group. 

Photo Finish, Apple Cobbler, and Smolder watched each other's backs as they navigated the mist.

"Excuse me?"

All three of them jumped in fright as they turned to face Ocellus, whose facial expression was one of empathy and regret, "My name is Ocellus, and I just want to take this opportunity to apologize for all the trouble my group is causing you. I hope you realize that I'm just doing my job."

"Well, of course I do, Ocellus," Apple Cobbler kneeled down to her level, "I can only imagine this Queen Chrysalis is mad at you and your fellow Changelings."

"Honestly, it's preferable to being ignored. Listen, you two need to leave."

"What do you honestly think we're trying to do?" Photo Finish scoffed, "We're trying to get to the docks, young Changeling."

"Uh..." Ocellus thought hard, "From what I remember, it should be at the end of Klugetown. Your group is heading in the right direction, just take another left."

"Thanks for the help, partner," Apple Cobbler smiled in gratitude, "Stay safe. Come on, you two!"

"Good luck!" Ocellus called out after them as they left just as Thorax flew in.

"Come on, Ocellus!" The older Changeling beckoned her along as they continued the chase.

Meanwhile, Starlight, Trixie, and Capper found themselves in a darkened alleyway.

"Okay, The Great and Powerful Trixie is trapped in a dark, disgusting alleyway with her apprentice facing absolute, sudden death. What can possibly go wrong?"

"Everything and anything. Wait...since when I was your apprentice?"

"Since a few days ago."

"A few days ago was when the invasion began."

"My point still stands."

Unfortunately, so caught up in her conversation was Trixie that she failed to notice her satchel was caught on a snag of a windmill, thus pulling upward.

"Gah! Starlight! Capper!"

"Trixie!" Starlight and Capper called out for her friend, unintentionally catching the attention of more than a few Klugetowners, who rushed to claim their prizes. Left with no other choice, the feline con artist helped the helitropic unicorn up to chase after her azure friend, who was still hanging on for dear life. The Klugetowners continuously spun the windmill in a vain attempt to snatch the two unicorns. It was this attempt at a smash-and-grab that an idea began to form in the heads of Starlight and Capper.

A crazy, stupid idea.

Meanwhile, Twilight, Sunset, and the hooded associate made their way out of the mist and scanned their surroundings. They had reached the end of Klugetown, which comprised of the town hanging precariously from the cliff of a canyon. 

"It seems that I have gravely underestimated you and your friends."

The three of them turned around in dread. Emerging from the mist was Commander Tempest Shadow, her eyes glowing vivid red from the influence of the Alicorn Amulet, a fact that Twilight noted with abject horror.

"I must say I'm impressed. Let's just hope that your skills would prove useful under the Storm Guard."

"Not a chance, Commander Tempest," Twilight placed up a brave front, "I will never join you."

"Suit yourself, little pony," Tempest chuckled under her breath as her horn began to charge up.

"HIYA!"

Before she can blast the trio, however, she was kicked away by a pair of hooded ponies and sent flying into a bushel of barrels. They turned to face the three stunned silent ponies, unmasking themselves and revealing their identities to them.

"Mom?! Dad?!"

"Twilight!" Twilight Velvet and Night Light rushed forward and shared a hug with their daughter, who immediately pulled away out of suspicion.

"Wait!" Twilight's horn glowed, "How do I know it's you two?"

"You turned me and Night Light into an agave and a cactus when you were just a filly enrolling in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns," Twilight Velvet hastily responded, "A Changeling wouldn't know that."

Twilight's breathing briefly stopped, "It is you, Mom. How are you and Dad here?"

"We were on the way to the wedding when the invasion started," Night Light took off his cloak, revealing the black suit he wore in preparation for the wedding, "It's a miracle we're even here."

"These are your parents, Twilight?" Sunset gaped in shock, "They're hot!"

"Why, thank you, young miss!" Twilight Velvet fluffed up her mane, "And you are?"

"Sunset Shimmer, a new friend of your daughter's. It's a long story."

"We'll have time," Night Light nodded in understanding, "Where are we going, Twilight?"

"We need to get to the docks! Come on!"

As Twilight's mini group rushed to the docks, Capper tied one end of a rope to one sail and tossed the other end with a hook to a wooden pillar.

"Now what?"

"Now run counterclockwise!" Starlight called out as she, Trixie, and Capper took off in that direction. As they did, the rope began rounding around the windshaft, an action unintentionally aided by the Klugetowners. 

"Now hang on!"

Eventually stretching the rope to its absolute limit, the windmill eventually wound back clockwise as the three of them hung on for dear life. Snapping off the shaft, the windmill sail spun, jumped, and rolled throughout Klugetown, running over many Klugetowners in the process, including Verko, whose last moments consisted of looking up at the instrument of death. Spotting this, Photo Finish and Apple Cobbler ran beside it before jumping on to join them, the both of them holding back the urge to vomit.

"We're..."

"...gonna..."

"...be..."

"...sick!"

Catching up with Twilight's group, Tempest's group caught notice of the windmill and ran after it just as it caught up with Twilight's group.

"Twilight!" Starlight called out for her, "Hop aboard!"

Taking a mere moment to process the craziness of the contraption, Twilight and her group jumped aboard, appropriately at the same time Tempest's group jumped. The Storm King's Commander fired magical blasts at the main combined group, prompting Twilight Velvet and Night Light to shield their daughter while Starlight and Trixie fire back. Their little firefight gradually tore up the windmill as it rolled all the way to the docks. Twilight, her parents, Capper, Smolder, the spy, Apple Cobbler, and Photo Finish worked together to steer the windmill while it garnered momentum.

At the docks, one of the captains of the departing skyships, a female anthropomorphic parrot, watched the chase unfold through her telescope from the quarterdeck alongside her first mate. Shaking her head, he nodded his own and commanded the crew to finish loading. At that moment, the windmill reached the docks just as Tempest, Starlight, and Trixie fired one more blast that collided each other and exploded, blowing the already dilapidated windmill apart, sending the two groups flying in opposite directions. Tempest's group were blown backward to Klugetown while Twilight's group were blown forward to the ship, crashing into the lower decks where boxes were being held. Unfortunately, the blast was not enough to propel Starlight and Trixie forward along with them, sending the both of them into freefall.

"GUYS!"

"Trixie! Starlight!"

Without thinking, Smolder jumped out of the ship and flew after them, prompting the spy to follow her down and exposing his true identity. He was a male Pegasus with a brilliant gamboge coat, a moderate sapphire blue mane that was two different shades, and a pair of vivid cornflower blue eyes, the left side covered by a black eyepatch. Snatching up Trixie at the same time Smolder snatched up Starlight, the both of them flew back to the ship and dropped them off, taking a much needed breather while at it.

While Twilight and Sunset both gaped at the reveal of the spy, the latter's reason was more personal than the former's. His identity was all too familiar to her.


No... No, It can't be...

Flash Sentry...?

> Chapter 10: "There Comes A Time..."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in Klugetown, Tempest continued to stare off into the direction of the departing skyship Twilight's group escaped in just as her own group recuperated. As they did, a smoking, worse-for-wear hedgehog ran up to join his Commander at the near end of the docks, briefly mimicking his boss's actions before turning to face her.

"So...what do we do now?"

"We continue the chase, of course," Tempest stated the obvious, "Nothing changes."

"That's the plan, then?" Pharynx scoffed, "We're risking the entirety of the mission for a little pony and her galloping gang. Not exactly the best plan..."

"I think she's average, Pharynx," Ocellus smiled bashfully, earning a charmed chuckle from Thorax and an exasperated eyeroll from Pharynx.

"At the very least, it's a start," Lightning Dust stepped forward, "Until we figure out and decide what to do afterwards, our primary objective is intercept Twilight and her group at their intended destination before they earn more potential allies. From what I can tell, the initial group of supposedly six members has since expanded to eleven."

"Exactly," Tempest nodded, "which is why nothing can be left to chance...considering that your spy is already among those now eleven members..."

Lightning Dust scoffed at that last part.


As if that should come as a huge shock to you, Commander...


"Well, well... What have we here?"

Acting on instinct, the three Changelings changed into ponies the second they heard voices emerge from the starting-to-dissipate mist. Verko and a small remainder of his army approached the debris-ridden docks, armed to the teeth with makeshift melee weapons as they prepared to claim their impromptu prizes.

"It unfortunately seems that a fortune would have been made had it not been for the timely intervention of a meddlesome pony and her posse. I guess instead of six million bits, we just have to settle for five million...with an added thousand of their porcupine sidekick."

Lightning Dust immediately hurled her bladed wings into the bodies of the largest Klugetowners before embedding back into her back, snarling fiercely as she placed herself in front of a terrified Ocellus and a surprised Thorax and Pharynx.

"Over...my...dead...body..."

"And the fact you called me a porcupine on purpose just earned you a death warrant, ratman!" Grubber growled as he placed his fists up, anticipating a fight as the rest of Verko's group took a battle stance.

"Now, now, let's play nicely, children..." Tempest chuckled in a condescending manner as she slowly strolled over to a now intrigued Verko. The terror Ocellus initally harbored was now replaced with confusion, while the surprise initially held by Thorax and Pharynx was now replaced with disgust, the middle Changeling shielding the eyes and ears of the younger Changeling. It was a sentiment shared by Grubber, but not Lightning Dust, who chuckled under her breath in realization.

"Hoo-hoo! My goodness!" An aroused Verko made the mistake of intruding Tempest's personal space by cupping her face and tugging at it, "Well, look at you! With your scary broken horn and scowly eyes. What tricks do you know, my little pony-wony?"

Tempest paid no mind, though, and smiled deviously as her horn charged up, "Why...wouldn't you like to know?"


ZAP!


And just like that, the most powerful crime boss in the (rather short) history of Klugetown was taken down in one of the most anticlimatic showdowns in Equestrian history...not that he himself minded, though.

"Not bad..." Verko wheezed out his last words as he collapsed in unconsciousness as his group and Tempest's group looked on (in terror for the former and in relief for the latter). The horn of the Storm King's Commander charged up again as she faced her opponents.

"Anyone else?"



As nighttime approached and Twilight's group recuperated after the wild windmill chase throughout Klugetown, the leader herself scanned the map she made from Capper's globe in his not-quite humble abode. She was weary from the past few hours but she still needed to plot a course to the home of the Hippogriffs...wherever said home was. Only then would she rest fully.

Meanwhile, Sunset was still reeling from the revelation that the pony counterpart of her ex-boyfriend from the human realm was actually a freelance spy working for the villains and a Pegasus to boot. Actually, come to think to it, the human Flash Sentry did not have much of a personality to begin with other than the fact that he was a really nice guy who was a guitarist in a band(?) and pretty suffered through every and any kind of physical slapstick to ensure her happiness. In fact, he placed her entire happiness above his own. As much as she appreciated his altruism, it also completely concerned her for his own well-being. Even after they announced their breakup, many of their peers saw they still cared for each other, enough for a fair few to suspect the breakup was nothing more than a publicity stunt.


And this was before the drama that was the "Anon-A-Miss" scandal...


"Hey. You okay there?"

Sunset's eyes blinked at the realization that she had been staring at the ponified Flash for far too long, the Pegasus nursing his sprained wings by himself.

"Y-Yeah. I'm sorry, you just...look familiar to me."

Flash frowned in confusion before shrugging and nodding in understanding, "Yeah, I get it. I'm that one pony who has that generic appearance — too bland, too similar to be distinguishable."

"Oh. Sorry about that." 

"You don't need to apologize, miss. It's the reason why...Princess Celestia hired me as one of her Royal Guards."

"You were a Royal Guard?" Twilight briefly looked up from the map, "I...never saw you at the castle."

"I was your age when I was brought in as a rookie," Flash explained, "and Shining Armor was my commanding officer. My best guess is that he always kept me under his sight out of fear that I would develop a crush on you. And even if I did see you...there's a long time span between my enrollment and now, so I probably wouldn't remember you."

"Yes, that's our son for you," Twilight Velvet exchanged knowing looks of amusement with Night Light as their daughter blushed, "Always the overprotective kind. I'm Twilight Velvet, and this is my husband Night Light. We're the parents of Shining Armor and our little Twilight. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister..."

"Sentry. Flash Sentry, " Flash stretched a hoof for the both of them to shake as he returned the introductory gesture, "The feeling's mutual...although I preferred the meeting to occur under more...fortunate circumstances."

"Join the club," Starlight snarked, "You can do so literally or figuratively. I met Trixie two years after running a cult and dissolving it."

"And the Great and Powerful Trixie never judged you for it," Trixie boasted, causing her friend to scoff.

"You said, and I quote, "It's straight-up scary. I mean, that's like...a false utopia, a cult, and the Red Scare all rolled into one.""

"And I also said, and I quote," Trixie retorted, "I might forgive you, but others might not."

"In any case," Apple Cobbler interjected, "We're all here together and we're bonding on an epic adventure. Is this nice?"

"Nice for you to say," Photo Finish grumbled as she curled up into a ball, "I hate epic adventures."

"Then why did you come?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Photo Finish could only smile proudly at herself, ignoring the facial expressions of confusion and agitation shared amongst the group.

"No," Apple Cobbler frowned and narrowed her eyes at her, "Not really."

"Regardless," Capper spoke up as a smile crossed his face, "We're one big, happy family here together."

"This despite the fact you tried to sell us," Trixie scoffed.

"I debated selling you, dear. There's a difference. But whether small or big, the point still stands. I would never turn my back on potential friends and allies."

"Funny you should say that..."

The group's breaths got caught in their throats at the same time their hearts stopped beating. Apparently, all of them forgot that sneaking onto a ship (enemy or not) would have severe repercussions for the stowaways (in this case, themselves). Slowly turning their gaze behind themselves, the group found the crew, consisting of anthropomorphic parrots, standing and peering above the boxes they hid behind. A basic bunch of burly, brutal-looking birds clad in the Storm King's uniform, the most intimidating of them so far was the one with a built-in gold hook on his right hand, but he was surprisingly enough not the captain.

The Captain herself was another parrot, but she was easily the tallest out of her entire crew in addition to one of the few in a male-dominated group. She had moderate raspberry eyes, pale light greyish harlequin feathers with light tips, a sap green tail, a light gambogeish grey coat, and a black bandana. Given her prior comment and present death glare (both of which were directed at a certain feline con artist), she had a personal grudge and/or a score to settle with Capper.

"Hello, Capper..."

"Celaeno!" Capper nervously giggled and scratched the back of his head, "I... I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"How do you think I feel?" Celaeno huffed before turning her attention to the rest of the group, "And I see you've brought friends despite your modus operandi."

"I don't think we're there yet, Captain," Starlight smiled as such while Sunset did a double take.

"Hold up, that's Captain Celaeno?! Why is everyone so ridiculously hot here?!"

Temporarily caught off guard by the possible compliment, Celaeno exchanged confused looks with her crew, "Uh...I don't know what to make of that, but I will take it as a compliment."

"My friend is somewhere distracted by sexy people sometimes," Capper attracted Celaeno's attention and ire once again, "The point is, we wouldn't be here if it was so important...or so convenient. I would much appreciate it if you and your crew don't throw me and my crew off the ship."

"Yes, it would go against my code..." Celaeno noted with a look of deep contemplation before reverting back with a scornful frown, "...but after what happened the last time you and I met, I'm sorely tempted to make an exception."

"What happened last time?" Smolder exchanged looks of intrigue with Starlight and Trixie.

"This feline flimflammer and his fairly fraud of a former friend stole my boat!" Celaeno growled at a nervously smiling Capper.

"Actually—"

The moment Celaeno drew her sword on Capper was the moment the rest of her crew drew their weapons, regardless of their efficiency or lack thereof. The smile of the "feline flimflammer" himself grew tenfold, eliciting an uncharacteristic frightened giggle.

"I borrowed your boat, Celaeno," Capper elaborated while stretching the truth, "I borrowed your boat...without permission. I will admit that was very wrong of me, and I was planning on giving it back on the opportunity that I would reunite with you."

"But you didn't!" Celaeno shouted as she continued holding him at swordpoint.

"Well, on the bright spot, you got another boat," Starlight chuckled in amusement, hoping to lighten the mood.

"It's actually a ship," One of the female parrots with a green apron beneath her jacket politely corrected her, "but thank you for that, dear."

"Oh, you're quite welcome."

"Captain Celaeno," Twilight approached with the map, "We apologize for stowing away on your secondary ship, but Capper is half-right. We wouldn't be here unless it was an emergency or a convenience. We're just trying to find the home of the Hippogriffs."

Levitating the map to Celaeno's line of sight, the parrot captain sheathed her sword before gently taking it and scanning it through. A male parrot with a black right-side eyepatch gave it a quick skim as well before turning to Twilight.

"Then you'll probably want to head further South of the Badlands straight to Mount Aris...but why would you want to go there?"

"Because Canterlot, and by extension all of Equestria, is in trouble," Sunset sat up. "Twilight said Princess Celestia was trying to send Princess Luna to the Badlands to seek the Queen of the Hippogriffs when...they were turned to stone by Commander Tempest."

Twilight closed her eyes and did her best to suppress the memory, fragments managing to pull through. To her surprise, however, Celaeno could only scoff in disappointment.

"I'm disappointed."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Twilight frowned as Celaeno returned it.

"Look, I don't want to be the one who says it, but...despite their best intentions for Equestria, Celestia and Luna have the unfortunate tendency to make decisions that keep them from going in the right direction. This is just one chapter in a tenure full of recklessness, ensuring that Canterlot is a lost cause."

"But they're the Princesses of Equestria!" Twilight protested, despite fully knowing that she herself was one of those examples where emotions clouded their judgment, "They never gave up on their subjects, no matter what!"

"Most of them," Celaeno shot back, "but she and Luna would gladly let the rest make the sacrifice that would ultimately do them no good in the long run. Twilight...I know what happens to people who say they want to help or they're going to help. They are taken advantage of, imprisoned for life, or even killed when evil gets the chance. Have you been placed in a position like that?"

"Yes, I have," Twilight gritted her teeth, "which is why I'm here."

"Of course. Why am I not surprised?"

Celaeno handed the map to Sunset before continuing her conversation with Twilight. 

"Twilight... The world doesn't care if you are good or evil, let alone make good or bad decisions. It does care when you fail to provide ample justification for them and the side you choose. Whether or not you yourself actually care for this...that's up to you."

Twilight knew Captain Celaeno had a point. The world was full of good people, bad people, and people who had both light and dark within them. She was taught this not just by Princess Celestia during her time as a young student, but also her parents, who made it their duty to protect their offspring from the harsh realities of Equestria while also not completely shielding them from them. Being the studious optimist she was, though, she preferred to keep the hope up that things would always get worse before they got better.

After a brief moment, Celaeno spoke up again, "We'll take you and your group to Mount Aris...but that's it. We're not helping you. What you do afterwards...is entirely up to you."

With that, the Captain took her leave, most of her crew following behind. The one who remained behind was the male parrot with a false right hand, the golden hook in its place. Turning to face Twilight, his stoic expression soon gave way to one of sympathy as he carefully approached her.

"Miss Twilight?"

She and the rest of the group turned to face him as he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Don't let the words of my Captain get to you. She's...going through a tough time in her life and, frankly, so are the rest of us. But you have to understand that we had to...make difficult choices in order to survive. Celaeno's developed a mindset that just because the Princesses are all-powerful doesn't always mean they're all-helping. There come a time where you fight and stand up for what you believe in...and a time where you need to realize that you need to fold the cards for your sake."

Sighing, he continued on.

"But that doesn't mean you should give up. Maybe you're right. Maybe the Princesses don't give up on their subjects no matter what...but at what price?"

After a moment, Twilight finally responded, "A price worth paying...hopefully."

As the hooked parrot held back a bitter chuckle, Twilight asked him a question.

"Just out of curiosity...do you ever believe that things would get worse before they got better?"

"Yes. Always...and that's what I'm always afraid of," The hooked parrot nodded, "and if the crew were given the same question, they would probably give the same answer."

Twilight returned the nod out of understanding before Smolder stood up, "Well, with no disrespect meant for your Captain, Twilight and you...but there are good people in the world, even if they're difficult to notice. Those are the people who live the most."

This time, the hooked parrot released a chuckle, but one laced with admiration, "That's all I needed to hear."

As he took his leave, he stopped in the doorway and turned back around, a smile adorned on his face, "You folks hungry? Dinner time's rolling around, so—"

"YESSSSSS!!!" Photo Finish, who by this point remained unresponsive due to the serious atmosphere, immediately threw such an attitude out the window due to the mere mention of food. It had been a while since edibles of any sort collided with her taste buds and she was not willing to let the opportunity pass her by, no matter what the food was made of or how it was made. Faster than a speeding train did she gallop out of the room and towards the kitchen, any sense of direction jettisoned from her brain.

As the group watched on in surprise, Apple Cobbler shook her head and chuckled, "That mare really needs to sort her priorities; they're skewered as shish kabobs on a hot summer night."

Slowly following her, the rest of the group followed suit as the hooked parrot ushered them all out. Smolder was the one at the end, leaving her walking beside the hooked parrot.

"I have to admit, kid, you got spunk."

"Most dragons do," Smolder shrugged with a smile, "I'm Smolder." 

"Boyle," The hooked parrot stuck out a hand and his hook for Smolder to shake, which she did so with delight. A common cliche amongst callous and coldhearted characters, Boyle indeed had a soft spot for children, especially the fierce but optimistic ones.

They reminded him of himself...
> Chapter 11: "...A Time To Be Awesome!"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in Canterlot, a troubled and tormented trio of perviously proud princesses sat in their scoria-style straitjackets, neither deciding nor daring to face their similarly shut-down subjects, whose high hopes in the day (or days) would be swiftly saved were fading and fading fast. The Mane Five were just five of the final few who found faith, keeping the peace amongst them despite being deprived of any magic, any weapons, or anything that could be proved of use at the moment in addition to themselves being faint of their fate. As Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy (with the help of the Wonderbolts) focused of lifting the spirits of the people with lighthearted jokes and general levity, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash (with the help of Big Mac, Cheerilee, and Shining Armor) focused on the foals, specifically their younger sisters (or sister figure in the latter's case). The Cutie Mark Crusaders themselves were trying ("trying" being the key word) to remain hopeful and spread that hope among their friends. It touched the hearts of their older sisters while simultaneously stabbing them and twisting them around, knowing they alone were responsible for this madness.

From a few feet, a chained-up Chrysalis watched the demonstrative display with downright disdain, often retching in revulsion, but she knew that any kind of love would keep her at bay for a few more days, "I don't know how you Equestrians suffer through such a saccharine sickness."

"That saccharine sickness," Cadance growled in anger, "is how we Equestrians survive, Chrysalis...not unlike you and your Changelings. But even I can't help but feel sorry for them for supposedly being merely acolytes following your example."

"Well, dear," Chrysalis chuckled bitterly, "you should reward yourself a medal...or a crown, rather...because that's precisely what the Changelings are and exactly what your flaw is."

"What is?"

"In spite of your reputation of giving and spreading love, you were quickly prone to anger during our first meeting. The moment you spotted me in your room, your treatment was akin to a stranger in a familiar land. Slow to answers, fast to fighting. You thought of me as nothing more than a foreign hostile...and something less than a familiar stranger."

"What...what are you talking about?"

"Dare not to listen to her lies, Cadance," Luna narrowed her eyes at the Changeling Queen, "This Changeling Queen knows nothing about us Equestrians."

"Wait a minute..."

Having listened to the conversation thus far, Apple Bloom leaned against the bars of the cage, wanting to know more, "Queen Chrysalis, are you saying that you...weren't always a Changeling?" 

Glancing back and forth between the youngest Apple and the Changeling Queen, the rest of the prisoners nervously awaited the answer of the question...

"Yes."

...but it was given not by the Changeling Queen herself, but rather the co-Princess of Equestria, whose facial expression was one of pain, sorrow, and reminiscence, "But not only was she a pony herself... Chrysalis was my friend."

The jaws of Luna and Cadance dropped in utter shock as the prisoners gasped all the same.

"She was one of the many villains Luna and I faced prior to the former's banishment on the Moon. Back then, she was not Queen Chrysalis, but...just Chrysalis. She was just a scared mare who wanted to save her family and a princess who wanted nothing but the best for the kingdom. But we embarked to the kingdom under the impression that Chrysalis was a conqueror and fearmonger, a smokescreen conjured by the real ruler of the Changelings at the time. We masqueraded as two travelers in search of shelter, hoping to be granted access and inflitrate the kingdom. As days bled into weeks and weeks bled into months, I realized that Chrysalis was not the villain the Changeling King made her out to be, but when the day came to strike...it was too little, too late."

Surprisingly, Chrysalis did a far better job than Celestia and Luna combined at hiding her pain as the memories of that dark and tragic day resurfaced at full speed. It was made clear as crystal to Cadance now that the latter had been in full denial unlike the former, no doubt her coping mechanism towards grief.

Celestia continued on regardless, "The Changeling King had turned each and every one of her subjects into his own, including her family...who did not survive the process. When Luna and I finally reached Chrysalis during the invasion...she had shut down. Driven mad by vengeance, Chrysalis let herself become infected with Changeling blood and overpowered the King...whose victory was short-lived as her wrath overcame his cunning. She herself was overcome with bloodlust as she mercilessly tore down his remaining loyalists before banishing me and Luna from ever arriving from her new kingdom."

As Celestia completed the chronological creation of Queen Chrysalis, the prisoners processed the parable just as Chrysalis rapidly recalled it. It was a distant memory for sure, but she considered it to be rather bittersweet in her own opinion rather than ultimately tragic like Celestia made it to be. While she knew that the death of her family's murderer would not bring them back in the slightest, she could rest well also knowing that the murderer would not be brought back either, considering the spells she used to ensure his demise.

"Did the both of you even consider the possibility of talking her down?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head. This time, the amused snort of the Changeling Queen answered her.

"Celestia and Luna should be grateful that my last act of purity consisted of their banishment to begin with," Chrysalis's deadpan tone masked a justified bitterness, "It prevented them from witnessing me turning into the monster they made me as...and from turning into those same monsters I would've made them as..."




Back on Celaeno's skyship, the group was gathered in the kitchen/dining room as the female parrot with a green apron and false tail tip, revealed to be Lix Spittle, served the crew their daily dose of "fast food".

Lix Spittle quickly stirred the contents of the pot as she bitterly chuckled to herself, "Today's special: Gruel with gruel sauce!" 

The crew's cheers was a combination of genuine energy and lukewarm energy. Twilight's group, meanwhile, was frightened and/or disgusted at the unholy sludge that the crew considered food, but the unicorn herself kept her focus squarely on the plan and course for Mount Aris. Sunset wanted to ask her if she was going to eat, but she stopped herself upon realizing her answer; even if she had the time to stop and fill her stomach, she would not take her chances at eating...that. Surprisingly enough, though Photo Finish had no such reservations as her hunger outweighed her judgment and the potential health concerns as she dug in along with the rest of Celaeno's crew, a fact that Apple Cobbler noted as she picked at her own bowl and watched her Earth Pony messily ate away.

"Photo Finish...how in the world are you able to stomach whatever this is down?"

"The side effect of epic adventures," Photo Finish retorted, "Now you see what they can do to your head?"

Noticing her own bowl was cold, Starlight at the very least used her magic to heat up the food and added some spare seasoning, which she passed over to Apple Cobbler for usage. Taking a few bites, Starlight shrugged and happily dug in, "Nope. Not really."

"So..." Twilight slowly looked up from her map, "You're taking us to Mount Aris?"

"Might as well do something right before we suffer the Storm King's wrath," Celaeno picked at her food, not feeling particularly ravenous, "It was either that or..."

"Throwing us overboard as per his commands?" Flash smirked.

"It's really nothing personal, folks," Boyle smiled as he served Smolder another bowl, "We're just following orders."

"It's okay," Twilight Velvet smiled.

"Totally understandable," Night Light nodded.

"I know this may feel prodding," Smolder looked up from her food, "but I'm getting the distinctive feeling that before the Storm King, you weren't always delivery guys."

"And gals," Lix Spittle rolled her eyes, "These uniforms aren't exactly doing us any favors."

"But yeah," Celaeno noted with sorrow and reminiscence, "We used to be much more...adventurous."

Seeing her gaze had turned to a nearby Storm King banner, Smolder looked closely to find another had been hiding behind it. Sitting up and ambling over to it (her leg having marginally healed), Sunset rushed over and supported her as she lightly lifted it up. The both of them gasped in shock as the second banner was that of a skull-and-crossbones...one that looked vaugely familiar to Trixie.

"Hey...Trixie believes that we passed by him in the desert!"

"No way!" Smolder laughed in surprise and amazement as she turned to be Celaeno, "You used to be pirates?!"

"I'm pretty sure that the Captain moniker was a dead giveaway," Sunset noted in amusement.

"And we prefer the term "swashbuckling treasure hunters"," Mullet shared it as Starlight shared a bemused expression with Trixie.

"So pirates."

"SQWAK!" The wall-eyed, beanie-wearing parrot known as Squabble/Murdock smiled and squawked in response, unintentionally frightening those closest to him.

"And if you're going to ask why, don't bother, kid," Celaeno sighed, "You should already know the reason."

"Actually..." Smolder rubbed her chin in contemplation, "Putting two and two together, I was actually going to give you all a choice: either you can let the Storm King tell you who you are and how you live for the rest of the their days...or you can disregard him, take back what he stole from you, and..."

Tearing off the Storm King's banner to reveal their own, Smolder then threw it down in a defiant manner, "...be awesome again."

Her words striking a particular nerve within Celaeno's crew and the captain herself, it also struck one within Twilight, whose eyes comically widened in over-the-top horror.

"Smolder, I don't think this is a good time for a—"




[Smolder]
I know the world can get you down

"—song," Twilight facehoofed herself as Sunset offered an apologetic smile and pat on the shoulder.

[Smolder]
Things don't work out quite the way that you thought
Feeling like all your best days are done
Your fears and doubts are all you've got

As Smolder's lyrics struck that particular nerve with Celaeno's crew again, the Captain showed no sadness but instead acknowledgement as she contemplated her words before being interrupted by Smolder's change of attitude.

[Smolder]
But there's a light shining deep inside
Beneath those fears and doubts, so just squash 'em
And let it shine for all the world to see
That it is time, yeah, time to be awesome!

Noting the song's catchiness in addition to the inspirational message, Sunset led the rest of Twilight's group with aiding Smolder with the musical sequence. With Flash and Twilight eventually joining in at her insistence, the both of them banged their hooves in sync with the music.

[Ponies]
Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!
It's time to be so awesome!
Ah, ah, ah-ah, awesome!
It's time to be so awesome!

Exchanged confused glances with her crew, as if they wondered if this happened often, Celaeno felt the urge to sing along with her.

[Captain Celaeno]
You've no idea how hard it's been

When she did, Twilight's group provided back-up vocals in addition to the instrumental.

[Ponies]
(It's time to be awesome!)

A smile slowly but surely grew on Celaeno's face as she faced an equally smiling Smolder, whom she suspected was part of her plan after all.

[Captain Celaeno]
This dull routine we've been forced to do

Smolder glided over and placed a claw of reassurance on Celaeno's shoulder as her smile grew.

[Smolder]
Don't let them rob you of who you are
Be awesome, it's all up to you

The spirits of Celaeno and her crew close to being lifted, the Captain briefly turned away to face a hidden shrine, a treasure trove of her crew's greatest finds. In the center of it all was a picture of herself donning her old uniform and a smile of pride...and hope.

[Captain Celaeno]
I feel the light stirring deep inside
It's like a tale still yet to be told

Digging through the pile, she located a black tricorn hat, which she fitted snugly on her head after ripping off her bandanna in the same defiant manner Smolder exhibited, displaying her wild feathered hair in the process.

[Ponies]
(It's time to be awesome!)

Celaeno's crew now fully invested in their participation in the musical sequence, Smolder sang along with their Captain, who furiously tore off the Storm King's uniform to reveal her golden-brown longcoat in an act of (you guessed it) defiance.

[Smolder and Captain Celaeno]
And now it's time to break the shackles free
And start living like the brave and the bold!

The rest of the crew cheering them, they followed suit as they dug through the treasure trove to retrieve various accessories that they gave up during their tenure as the Storm King's minions. Tossing more than a few to Twilight's group, they turned to the unicorn herself, who rolled her eyes and smiled, essentially granting her group permission to officially join in.

[All]
It's time to be awesome!
Let loose, be true, so awesome!
It's time to be awesome!
Go big, be you, so awesome!

All of them rushing out to the deck of the ship, the combined groups sang and danced to the beat of the music once again. Twilight's group was now clad in garb similar to Celaeno's group as they marched in a conga line. Suddenly, Mullet swung from a rope, carefully catching Starlight along for the ride.

[Mullet]
We used to soar through the clouds in the skies

At the same time, Trixie joined Lix Spittle as she displayed a stack of blueprints full of elaborate schemes.

[Lix Spittle]
Elaborate schemes we would love to devise

Meanwhile, Boyle lifted another treasure chest and opened it up for Apple Cobbler and Photo Finish to see.

[Boyle]
We rescued our treasure and stored it away

Celaeno joined them as she plucked a very large diamond for them to examine.

[Captain Celaeno]
Saving those gemstones for a rainy day

The eight of them joined the rest of the group, who formed the dual conga lines as they prepared to round off the song. Twilight, Sunset, Capper, and even Flash sang along...even if the latter's "singing" was not exactly up to par.

[All]
We see that light filling up our skies

Flying beside Captain Celaeno and handing her one half of the Storm King's torn rule book, Smolder smirked deviously, which the Captain graciously returned.

[Smolder]
So take the Storm King's orders and toss 'em!

And alongside Smolder, Celaeno did just that, hurling them overboard as the papers flapped away helplessly in the wind. Her crew then joined Twilight's as the song reached its climax.

[All]
'Cause it's the time to let our colors fly

Celaeno drew her sword with a proud smile adorned on her face, one that was reminiscent of her glory days and ensured her legendary comeback.

[Captain Celaeno]
Hey, scallywags, it's time to be awesome!

The two groups then stomped their hooves and claws to the beat of a drum...

[All]
Hey!

...as the colors were hoisted...

Hey!

....and the pirate flag was raised...

Hey!

...and Squabble headbanged a pile of boxes in the same vein of the drumbeat.

Hey!


As the outro played itself out, many of Twilight and Celaeno's crew laughed heartily in joy and triumph.

"Come on!" Celaeno urged her crew on, "Let's show these little ponies how it's done!"

"Awesome!" Smolder cheered, "I knew you had it in ya!"

As much as Twilight was delighted to see events had transpired in their favor, though, she could not help but a bad feeling arise in the pits of her guts.

"Captain Celaeno," Twilight approached the Captain, "exactly how far is Mount Aris from here?"

"A few days at the most," Celaeno admitted before smiling in reassurance, "Don't worry, Twilight. We'll make it there."

As Twilight joined Celaeno and Smolder in staring off into the distance, a small smile of her own grew on her face.


I hope so...




On Tempest's own airship (which contained supplies that the Klugetowners graciously supplied to them), the Commander herself stared off into the distance as well, the words of the Storm King flying into one ear before passing out through the other.

"I honestly don't understand why you insist on pursuing this puny, pathetic pony, Commander. We have all three Princesses trapped within their castles and their witnessing citizens to boot. What more do you want besides your horn?"

"This puny, pathetic pony has friends to back her up," Tempest merely replied, "and they're leading us to the Pearl of Transformation. I cannot take any more chances afterwards..."

The Storm King humphed after a moment, "Suit yourself. Just remember who you work for..."

"I don't need you to remind me..."

With that, the call disconnected and the mist dissipated into thin air, leaving only the Storm Guards, Grubber (who was in the process of piloting the ship), and Lightning Dust, who carefully approached her superior, the neck of which still held the still-glowing Alicorn Amulet.

"I don't mean to pry, but...what did happen to your horn?"

"An accident in my foalhood," Tempest softly spoke, "It was one that I never forget. One that made me see the folly of friendship...and the reason behind loneliness."

A uncertain frown decorating her facial features, Lightning Dust released a deep breath before bitterly chuckling, "I guess we're floating in the same boat."

"Your friends turned their backs on you?"

"Something like that."

"Then you know how it feels."

"...Something like that. So about this...Pearl of Transformation..."

"What about it?"

"What is it exactly?"

"I suppose it's a power of limitless potential. It's the reason why we...and they...are here."

Lightning Dust then mimicked Tempest's actions and stared off into the distance with her.


I hope so...