Storm of My Fury

by Flurryshine

First published 8th of December, 2011

Twilight Sparkle hears of a criminal coming to Ponyville. What will happen when they meet?

Twilight Sparkle receives a letter of a criminal coming to Ponyville. What will happen when they meet? How can Twilight Sparkle facing a pony as fierce as one raised in Braying Cliffs, the fabled village that harbors animosity among all ponies.

The First Thoughts

Equestria was an odd kingdom. It was a land where love and tolerance was keys to its whole society. In this world of peaceful kindness to every pony to another, it’s almost hard to imagine any part of Equestria that was far different. A place where love and tolerance does exist…to only an extent, and this place was such an abnormality it was only known by who lived there, or scholars with access to the vastest libraries in Canterlot. But soon, that part of Equestria would make itself known. What had been happening over the years would be revealed.

It was an average day in Ponyville. The delicately colored homes and paved roads decorated the marketplace. The morning was only just beginning to give way to the afternoon. The birds chirped sweetly as they tussled in flight while they weaved through the skies. Ever studious in everything she does, Twilight Sparkle was out doing some shopping with Spike on her heels. The lavender pony was in a cheery mood today. Everything she had planned the last week was going along nicely. The icing on the metaphorical cake would be to finish her rounds, and maybe discover something letter worthy for the princess. But, this would have to be put on the back burner as Spike wretched before burping a smoke cloud of and materializing scroll.
“Twi, it’s from Princess Celestia,” Spike said with slight surprise.
Twilight Sparkle turned as she came to a halt to ask, “What does it say?”
“We should head somewhere first. It’s marked,” he said only to continued more softly,” …top secret.”

This surprised our studious young pony friend. It was not like the princess to send her letters without being prompted by one of her own. It was stranger to receive one marked top secret. Twilight Sparkle furrowed her brow in a mix of confusion and concern. This had to be quite something to warrant this sort of action to be taken. She began to try to imagine what could possibly be happening. She pushed it from her mind as she spotted Spike’s apprehension for her answer.
“Let’s go, Spike. Best we do this back at the library,” Twilight Sparkle said in a calm and collected voice.
“Hey guys! Whatcha doing?” a cheerful voice exclaimed. Twilight Sparkle reared at the voice that sprang up with the sight of Pinkie Pie popping out of a nearby barrel. The two must take a moment to compose them before they could respond to her question.
“Sorry, Pinkie Pie, official royal business. Gotta catch you later,” Twilight Sparkle replied as she placed Spike on her back and galloped off.
She was gone by the time Pinkie Pie said, “Whoa okay! Byyyyyyyye!”

As Twilight Sparkle entered the Ponyville library Spike hopped off her back. Careful not to slam the door, she shut it with her hind hoof. She then headed into the center of the library where Spike was already preparing the letter to be read.
“Okay, Spike, what does it say?” Twilight Sparkle asked him.
The young dragon cleared his throat as he read the contents of the letter. Spike said, “It says:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

It has come to my attention that a criminal from Braying Cliffs maybe near Ponyville. I have already sent a brigade to apprehend her. Please be careful. This young mare has stolen a very powerful artifact from the pegasi district of Braying Cliffs. I hate for you to be mixed up in this. Try to be vigilant and do not raise alarm. This mare could slip away in any chaos brought about by the situation.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia
Whoa, this is big Twilight.”
Twilight Sparkle looked shocked as she said, “I know. A wanted criminal…in Ponyville!”
Spike jumped with a slight shrillness in his voice as he exclaimed, “We should help!”
“No, Spike! The princess told us to be careful. This came from Braying Cliffs. Braying Cliffs!” she tried to stress as she caught him between her front hooves before he hit the door for Ponyville.
Spike stopped and turned to look at her with a quizzical look as he asked, “So?”
Twilight sighed as she sat him down. She then cleared throat as she closed her eyes and began to tell him all she knew of Braying Cliffs. The lavender pony explicated, “Braying Cliffs is the one place in Equestria that civil ponies live against one another. Ground bound ponies and air bound ponies are locked in a feud. This criminal came from the pegasi district. If a ground bound pony confronted by a pegasus from Braying Cliffs it will not end well.”
Spike only thought this over a moment before he replied, “Well, let’s get some help! I’m sure Rain-“
He didn’t get to finish the spectrum-mane pegasus’s named before Twilight interrupted by saying, “No, Spike! We gotta stay out of it. All we should do is being sure nothing in Ponyville will cause enough of a distraction for her to get away.”
“Done!” Spike exclaimed as he ran off and returned with a colander on his head. He marched about with his colander helmet while saying, “Let’s go keep an eye out for suspicious characters in Ponyville!”

Twilight sighed as she nodded and they headed for the door. Luckily Spike left his colander helmet in the library before scampering after her. Little did they know that they weren’t the only ones in Ponyville aware of the Braying Cliffs’ criminal.

Ponyville kept its calm and serene state of being as a new herd walked into town. At first glance, they were a pretty bunch of young mares. The sunlight was sparkling off the snow white coats of one mare and a filly prancing at her heels. The street flowers seemed to sway along with the movements of the green mare with them. The white mare was at point position. Her light blue hair fell like lazy azure clouds upon her head, horn, and back. The gray eyes beheld the entirety of Ponyville before her with calm placidity. The filly barely reaching the first unicorn’s beach ball cutie mark in height pranced in time with her elder herd members. This tiny unicorn had a mass of jagged and messy purple hair for her mane and tail. She was far too young to have her own cutie mark, but her blue eyes had three tiny blue stars around them. The green unicorn mare on the first’s other side had short pink hair styled in a bowl cut. Her tail was very average in style, and not cloudy like the first or messy liked the filly’s tail. But she also had grey eyes that held a placid gaze. Her single butterfly cutie mark was orange and pink with tiny purple accents.

The small unicorn herd walked about calmly. If someone had done a second glance, they would have noticed a twinge of worry in their eyes. But, the ponies of Ponyville were busily doing their daily duties to take a second glance at the traveling herd. The trio walked past a small boutique. They were almost past it when Rarity came forward from the inner sanctum of the boutique. When Rarity spotted the trio she gasped.

“Oh, no no no! This won’t do! This won’t do at all!” she exclaimed as she ran to stand before the trio. The trio in turn looked upon Rarity with confusion.

“This style….something must be done about it!” she exclaimed again as she looked over their hairstyles, the neck bracers of the filly and green mare, and the white mare’s heart necklace.

The three groaned as she cantered about them in an attempt to herd them into the boutique. Rarity looked them over more carefully as she corralled them. The cloud-like hairstyle, heart pendant, and red lily in her hair was not chic. The green mare felt the same stare as rarity cringed at her tight curls in a bowl cut, basic tail style, golden neck bracer, and couldn’t help but scoff at the blue lily she had in her hair. The young filly ducked under her elders at the sound of Rarity’s screech at the sight of her messy long mane and tail. Her own golden neck bracer receiving the same cringe as the green mare’s bracer did.
“My word! Where did you girls come from?!” she exclaimed in her continued hysterics.
The lead unicorn cleared her throat as she came to a halt. Her two companions stood fast with her as she explained,” I am called Snowbreeze. To my left is Springflower, and on my right is Sparkleshine. We are traveling from-“
Rarity too stopped as she replied before Snowbreeze could finish,” Oh, traveling! That explains these outrageous styles. You must have been disheveled while traveling.”
“No, young mare, this is the way we always look. This the way of all ponies in Braying Cliffs,” Springflower tried to explain to rarity before she tried again to corral them.
“Braying Cliffs? Where in Equestria is that?” Rarity asked with newfound puzzlement upon her face.
“Far away, thankfully,” Springflower said with minor sarcasm hidden in her soft voice.
“With these style choices, I agree,” rarity replied offhandedly. Springflower pursed her lips and squinted heavily at her.
Rarity then noticed they were all slightly irate, even the very young filly. She gasped and said,” Oh my! You actually like these styles?! Oh, pardon me! I have egg on my face. You really like this style?”
“…I think we will be going now,” Snowbreeze replied as she and her companions began to walk away.
“Wait! I have offended you, and your new here. Allow me to make it up to you by showing you around,” Rarity said as she trotted beside them.
“I’m sure we can manage,” Snowbreeze said rather coldly as the trio continued to leave.
By this time, twilight and Spike were walking by the group. Overhearing the commotion, Twilight stops and asks,” Um, what’s going on?”
“Twilight, thank goodness! These three are from Braying Cliffs and-,“ Rarity said as she ran up to greet her friend. She was shortly interrupted by Spike.
The young dragon exclaimed,” Braying Cliffs?!”
Twilight stamped her hind hoof on his head and looked to the confused Rarity. She then went up to the now stopped Snowbreeze and said,” Hi, I am Twilight Sparkle. What brings you to Ponyville?”
Snowbreeze smiled in relief at the polite introduction. She calmly explained,” I am Snowbreeze. This is Springflower and Sparkleshine. We are looking for…a certain friend.”
Twilight took this in and masked a suspicious look as she replied,” Eh heh, nice to meet you. Not many ponies from Braying Cliffs come here. What does she look like?”
“Best way to describe her would be….big, white, purple eyes, some orange freckles, purple hair with blue streaks, and very pretty. Strange…how did you guess it was a mare? It could have easily been a colt,” Snowbreeze responded watching twilight carefully with her placid gray eyes. Twilight felt as if those eyes were almost discretely probing her for information or weakness.
“Oh, um….lucky guess?” she managed to slink out. Snowbreeze’s gaze was off putting her too much to say much more.
Seemingly satisfied with this answer Snowbreeze lifted her gaze as she replied,” Mhhm. Will you keep me posted if you do see her?”
“Oh? Oh, sure I will!” Twilight answered with a spontaneous stroke of excitement.
“Twi…” Spike whispered as her heard what she said. Twilight shot him a stern look as Sparkle shine came forward.
The young filly nuzzled her foreleg as she spoke in a soft in a spirited,” Thank you. I miss her sooooo much.”

With that said, the unicorn trio said their farewells and went on their way. Rarity looked to Twilight and at the departing trio with puzzlement for a few moments. The beautiful unicorn mare did not understand what had just happened. Those three had blown her off over a few small comments and treated Twilight like she was one of them!
“Hm! What’s with them! On that matter, all this business about braying Cliffs?”
Twilight sighed with her ears down and whispered to Rarity,” Braying Cliffs is the only place in all of Equestria that all ponies don’t live in harmony. The unicorns and earth ponies live in the valley, while the pegasi live along the cliff face and surrounding cloud banks. It’s a really risky place, and it makes ponies from their…well…different.”
“I’ll say. Incapable to live in harmony or not, their fashion and manners shouldn’t suffer,” rarity scoffed.
“That’s not the worst of it. Have you seen any new ponies besides them? Maybe even a pegasus type?” Twilight continued.
“Not really…Why? You think their friend is a pegasus? I thought you just said Braying Cliffs ponies disliked each other. What is going on Twilight?” rarity replied even more confused than she was to begin with.
“I’m not sure. This morning I received a letter about being careful because a pony from the pegasus district of Braying Cliffs was reportedly near Ponyville, and the princess was after her,” twilight explained in a quieter tone.
“The princess!” Rarity gasped loudly.
“Shh! Let me explain. A pony from Braying Cliffs stole something and is supposed to be in Ponyville. Now, a bunch of ponies from Braying Cliffs appear in search of their “missing friend”. It seems like something is up,” Twilight continued in her quieter tone.
“I’ll say! What are we to do about it?” Rarity asked.
“The princess only said to be careful and a brigade is coming from Canterlot. I think she wants us to be vigilant, but not to panic. It might spook the fugitive off before the brigade can get her,” Twilight replied.
“I see…” rarity said thoughtfully as she mulled over all she had heard.

The two continued to whisper to themselves. They kept this up until evening set in. Still without an idea, Rarity and Twilight agreed to meet first thing in the morning to brainstorm with the others on how to help catch this pony at large. Unbeknownst to Twilight, she was being followed on her way back home. Spike ran ahead long before twilight left Rarity’s home. This left her all alone when she stopped in her tacks. She seriously thought a living part of winter stood before as the setting sun reflected off of Snowbreeze’s coat. The white unicorn approached Twilight calmly.
“Twilight Sparkle, will you do me the favor of accompanying me? I believe we have very similar…interests,” Snowbreeze said in an absolutely proper voice.
Twilight was taken aback by this statement. She even took a step backwards as Snowbreeze made her slow way towards her. The white mare giggled softly and she bopped Twilight’s nose with her own chin. Twilight hopped back and lowered offensively.
“Haha! Now. Now. Just come with me,” Snowbreeze said normally before she whispered,” Don’t you want to find the mare criminal?”
“You know-“ Twilight said before Snowbreeze raised a hoof swiftly.
“Not here. Come with me. I know where she is…for now,” Snowbreeze said as she trotted off for the Ponyville park. Twilight galloped after her in shock of this turn of events.
The two unicorns entered the park as night had taken its hold. Twilight stood close to Snowbreeze, nervous of meeting this Braying Cliffs criminal. Snowbreeze stopped at an especially dark outcropping of trees. As Twilight got closer, she caught the shine of silver bracers on forelegs. Very…large….forelegs. This pony was easily the size of Princess Luna, if not a little bigger. The snow white forelegs of this bigger pony were accompanied by what sounded of fluttering wings settling. Twilight could only begin to barely make out the outline of a pegasus with piercing cold purple eyes. In fact, the shroud over her head and most of her body made her eyes the only visible facial feature of this pegasus. Before Twilight could utter a word the pegasus pony spoke with a voice as cold as her eyes.
“Who is this, Snowbreeze. More importantly, why is she here?” the cold and cynical voice asked.
Snowbreeze held a placid gaze warmed by caring undertones as she answered calmly,” This is Twilight Sparkle. I have reason to believe she knew of your coming. I thought I would bring her to you before she did something foolish.”
Twilight shot an angry look at Snowbreeze. It was met with a considerate smile before Snowbreeze turned back to her friend. The pegasus was staring right at Twilight. It felt like she was freezing from the inside out as her purple probing eyes seemed to try delving into Twilight’s very soul. The pegasus sighed, dropped her gaze, and then returned it on Twilight with less intensity.
“I am called Flurryshine of Braying Cliffs. I recently left that place for here,” she said to Twilight.
“You mean you are on the run to here after stealing from the pegasus district of Braying Cliffs. I bet those bracers are what you stole. Are they?” Twilight responded.

Twilight felt a chill run down her spine at the cynical mirth in Flurryshine’s laughter. Flurryshine ended her laughter abruptly to glare at Twilight. It was like an arrow was shot through Twilight’s chest. The hate, anguish, abuse, and downright shattered hope were burning in Flurryshine’s eyes.
Flurryshine continued with a voice filled with growing spite with each word as she said,” Stole something? The only thing I stole was I. I escaped them and they said I stole from them to make the princess do what they can’t. They want me. I am a disgrace! Do you know what it’s like to have a dead mother and a father who is shamed by your very appearance? You don’t. No pony knows the feeling of bringing dishonor upon their family by showing their true self. I am better off here than caged there. That place only looks at me with disgust. Maybe father will no longer be shamed if I stay gone. I bet you never felt your family was better off without you, stupid horned ground dweller!”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. She looked to Snowbreeze, who only held a caring gaze to Flurryshine. The smile was now tinged with sympathy as she watched Flurryshine shift in her hiding place. Twilight looked back at Flurryshine. The pegasus held a contempt gaze on Twilight. She hadn’t been really specific, but Twilight could tell she was damaged by whatever happened to her in Braying Cliffs. Twilight was almost too afraid to speak, in fear she might lash out some of her pent up fury on Twilight.
“As for these bracers upon all my legs and around my neck, they were my mother’s before they were mine. So, no, I did not steal them. They were left to me when she died,” Flurryshine said as she closed her eyes and sighed. A strand of purple and blue hair slipped into the moonlight as it fell across her guised muzzle.
The eye contact broken, Twilight mustered her courage to speak. She began shakyily and grew stronger in voice as she said,” If it’s really all a lie, and your innocent, why not turn yourself in? You could explain to the princess what has happened. I’m sure Princess Celest-“
“Those blasted princesses know about the animosity in Braying Cliffs and done very little to stop it. They will do nothing for me! Rest assured, Twilight Sparkle, when my power grows stronger and my followers have also grown in strength I give Braying Cliffs their just desserts. The sins of those that foster the cruel and ugly status quo will be punished for their actions. I will silence the wolves that have harmed me, that way no other pony will have to feel the pain I have felt!” Flurryshine hissed with spite and seething hate in her voice.
“But, hate does not beget hate. They were horrible to you, but…doing the same to them will solve nothing,” Twilight tried to explain.
“It solves everything. I know a way to punish them, a way to punish Braying Cliffs in a way that does not harm the innocent, those loathsome excuses of ponies deserve worse, but harming the innocent defeats the purpose of me wiping away those in Braying Cliffs that would harm them. Rest assured, Twilight Sparkle, take a message to whoever you know that is coming for me. Braying Cliffs will be wiped clean with the same cold nature they have acted as for so long,” Flurryshine proclaimed and a crashing of wings against branches erupted. Twilight took a step back as the larger pony spread her wings and jumped a good six feet into the air. Her massive wings began beating immediately as Flurryshine snorted her fury. The pegasus whinnied louder, and a normal sized pegasus appeared. This pegasus pony was pink with soft lavender hair. Flurryshine and her smaller pegasus companion ascended higher into the air and took off far into the night sky.
“That was Periwinkleflight. She is the last member of our group. I am sorry for Flurryshine’s spite. She is usually a calm and collected leader, but as of a year ago….Well, let’s say she has a lot of scars on her heart that are still very sensitive,” Snowbreeze explained as she turned to leave.
“Your group?” Twilight responded.
“Yes. Sparkleshine, Flurryshine, Periwinkleflight, Springflower, and I are a group that does not want to hate each other because that is the way of Braying Cliffs’ society. We left to grow stronger without having to see Flurryshine tormented. We hope…to make Braying Cliffs a better place,” Snowbreeze explained.
“Why was Flurryshine the only one tormented if you’re a group?” Twilight asked.
“They knew we were childhood friends. But, when they found out about Flurryshine’s connection to us all and her plans, she ended up taking the fall and the full punishment for going against society. She was treated no better than to caged monster…it…was horrible. It’s hard to know Flurryshine went through so much and none of us could help her. So, when she escaped Braying Cliffs, we all slipped away in the confusion too,” Snowbreeze replied and then ran off into the night.
Twilight was at a loss. Was a place that horrible really in Equestria? She thought the cruelties she had read about Braying Cliffs were in the past, stopped by Princess Celestia’s own decree. Yet, here she was. She had just spoken to a pony that had experienced who knows what kind of torment for over a year atleast. This was downright horrible! It filled Twilight Sparkle with new resolve. She was no longer going to us tomorrow to plan how to help catch her. She was going to devise a way to get Princess Celestia to put Braying Cliffs in its place!

Clash of the Alicorns!

Twilight Sparkle waited apprehensively for her friends to arrive. She had barely slept that night after coming muzzle to muzzle with Flurryshine. Everything about the pegasus mare was…off-putting. Her size was the first thing odd. No normal pony ever got that big, only the princesses were known to get to that size. Her personality was even weirder. Something bad must have happened in her past. She seemed so cold…It was like seeing Twilight so trusting in the princess and overall happy angered her. What could have happened? Snowbreeze said she was against disliking ground ponies, but she acted the way a pegasus from Braying Cliffs should act to a ground-based pony. Twilight shook her head with a sigh. It was no point trying to understand such a complicated pony. She had to focus on devising a plan to get Princess Celestia to help stop the hate in Braying Cliffs. But why hadn’t she stopped it before now?

A rap at the door pulled Twilight from this thought. She opened the library door to see Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie waiting to enter. She gladly let them in, and held the door open as she spotted Rarity and Rainbow Dash arriving. When the group had made it inside, she closed the door and turned to them. This was going to be difficult to explain. She was thankful that Rarity atleast had a rough idea from yesterday. She sighed as she began to speak, the thought of if this was what Flurryshine had done with her group in her mind.
“As you know from Rarity, we were going to speak about a criminal that has come to Ponyville. Well, plans have changed a bit,” Twilight began her explanation.
“Changed? We aren’t gonna catch that criminal anymore?” Applejack asked.
“No, I…I met Snowbreeze, one of the unicorns Rarity and I met. She...she took me to meet the criminal. Turns out it was all a lie. Braying Cliffs lied to the princess because they want to catch Flurryshine,” Twilight tried to explain.
“Flurryshine? Sounds like a super fun pony! I bet she likes snow. I mean, flurry is in her name!” Pinkie Pie mentioned excitedly.
“Hehe, maybe she was at one time. She’s very…harsh when I met her. So...So full of hate and spite. Whatever happened in Braying Cliffs really has her upset,” Twilight continued.
“Peh! I bet I could take her on. I’ll give her a reason to be in a sore mood,” Rainbow Dash boasted.
Twilight sighed a bit before she continued,” Flurryshine is the size of Princess Luna, Dash. I’m sure her flying could give you a hay of a time. Besides, the point isn’t to provoke her. I want to help her. The royal brigade Princess Celestia sent will be here any moment now. We gotta find a way to get Flurryshine to go with them peacefully to voice the plight of Braying Cliffs to the princess. Unfortunately…she seems to hate the princess for not already taking action against that place.”
“That’s a tall order to fill. I’ll be! We will have our hooves full gettin’ a big hopping mad pony to go see the princess peacefully,” Applejack commented.
“Twilight, why not send a letter to Princess Celestia to come here! If we can’t bring this Flurryshine to the princess, we will just have to have the princess come see her. That way we can help the brigade get Flurryshine to confront the princess with her concerns,” Rarity exclaimed happily.
“I don’t know. Snowbreeze said Flurryshine had scars on her heart that are sensitive. That may explain why Flurryshine wants to exact revenge on all of Braying Cliffs. If we don’t convince Flurryshine to talk to the princess now, Princess Celestia may have to combat her in Braying Cliffs when she exacts revenge,” Twilight lamented with concern.
“This Flurryshine sounds like more than a hurt pony. She must have been through a lot to want to do something like revenge,” Applejack said with a bit of concern too.
“What are we waiting for?! Write a letter to the princess, Twilight. We gotta find that brigade too. Once we got them on board, all we gotta do is bust Flurryshine out of hiding and right up to Princess Celestia!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“That could work, but I think there is an easier way to get Flurryshine to see the princess. She and this Snowbreeze are friends. Let’s try asking Snowbreeze to convince Flurryshine to talk to the princess,” Fluttershy said softly.
“I like that idea. Okay, I’ll write a letter explaining all this to the princess. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, you two find this brigade. Rarity and Fluttershy, you two find Snowbreeze. Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said before stopping to think,” Can you make up a distraction in case the Flurryshine and Princess Celestia talk doesn’t work? We need a way to make sure Flurryshine doesn’t escape.”
“Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan do!” Pinkie pie said before galloping off. The others were soon out the door as well.

Twilight sighed as she mulled their plan over. Would this work? Could Flurryshine see past her anger to talk sensibly to the princess? Will the princess be able to help stop the horrible things in Braying Cliffs? Would they be able to get Flurryshine to come see the princes at all?! With a sigh, Twilight began to write the lengthy letter that would explain everything to Princess Celestia.

Rarity and Fluttershy began scoping the town for Snowbreeze. They looked high and low for the white unicorn. As they turned a corner near the park, they saw her. Rarity squealed with delight as she raced up without Fluttershy. Forgetting the rocky start they had yesterday, Rarity stopped short and confused at the glare Snowbreeze shot her way when she turned.
“Exactly, what do you want? Come to blunder up proper etiquette again?” Snowbreeze said in a cold and calm tone.
“Oh, um… I pardon myself for yesterday’s actions again. But, Twilight sent me to you see,” Rarity said after recovering from the shock of Snowbreeze’s attitude.
“Twilight Sparkle sent you?” Snowbreeze said slightly intrigued.
“Oh yes, pardon us, Twilight Sparkle wants to help your friend,” the quiet voice of Fluttershy explained as she descended next to Rarity.
“Ah, she told you two about her. How does Twilight Sparkle plan to do that?” Snowbreeze asked in her normal voice. Her voice was now barely a few notches in volume higher than Fluttershy’s own voice and very calm.
“Um...If you can…She would like you to convince her to...talk to Princess Celestia…please, ”Fluttershy tried to explain.
“You two mind explaining that farther? That is a smidge of a hard sell to my friend,” Snowbreeze said with a chuckle.
“Well, Twilight is contacting the princess. She is her student and all, so she can explain this whole thing and get Princess Celestia to come talk to your friend personally. We...just need you to convince her to show up for this meeting,” Rarity elaborated.
“…You honestly think that could work?” Snowbreeze asked.
“It’s worth a try,” Fluttershy replied.
“True…I’ll do my best. Tell Twilight Sparkle to leave this to me,” Snowbreeze answered with a smile.

The three smiled and gave each other curt nods. Snowbreeze ran off deeper into the park as soon as the pleasantries were over. Rarity and Fluttershy turned and began their trek back to the library. The two were delighted that things were going well so far. Rarity was even more delighted to feel that she finally smoothed things over with atleast one of the Braying Cliffs’ unicorns.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were rushing through the countryside. Applejack was full on canter along the roads. Rainbow Dash kept directly above her as she kept her eyes on the skies. They felt like it would take an eternity before a brigade of six of Princess Celestia’s white guards came into view over a cloud back. The pegasi were headed straight for them. As quick as a tail flick, Rainbow dash made it before their captain and motioned him to land. The brigade landed and was met by both the mares.
“Land sakes, we are glad to see you. We got to tell ya somethin’ awful big,” Applejack commented as she came to a stop.
The guards looked to the orange earth pony with curiosity before they nodded amongst each other. The head guard stepped more forward to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. He had a pleasant smile on his face as he approached them. He finally said,” You aren’t the ponies commonly seen with Twilight Sparkle, the princess’ pupil?”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked to each other with shock and confusion at first. They turned back to the guard and nodded politely as they tried to contemplate how they could possibly know this. They soon had their answer at the next thing that was said.
“As many times as your group of friends has come before the princess, are you really that surprised some of the guards would recognize you after a while?” the head guard asked.
The two mares chuckled a bit at this realization and were soon joined by a polite chuckle from all the guards. Rainbow Dash broke the laughter first as she said,” Right, that out of the way, we gotta ask you for some back up. We know about the Braying Cliffs criminal. Twilight is sending Princess Celestia a message about the whole thing. Will you help us in our plan to get her to meet the princess and explain herself?”
The guards looked to her in surprise and turned to talk in muffled voices amongst themselves. It seemed like ages to Rainbow Dash and Applejack before they answered. But, eventually, they all turned to face them. All they needed was to see the curt nod and smile on the captain’s face for confirmation. Quick as the wind is harsh on the tundra, they all headed back to Ponyville.

Everything was in place. Snowbreeze had gone to talk to Flurryshine. The princess was coming to meet her. The brigade was waiting casually in the main square. Pinkie Pie…was somewhere with her distraction most likely. This excited and fed the anxiety of Twilight Sparkle. Her friends and she had done all they could do to make this plan work. It all rested on how savvy Snowbreeze was with words, and Flurryshine’s mood. Twilight hoped it was one that included talking civilly to the princess.

Her answer would soon come, as Princess Celestia was descending into Ponyville. All of the little town cheered and greeted her like the royalty she was. The princess in turn smiled and continued towards Twilight cordially. As the princess halted her approach to Twilight, the brigade closed ranks around her with three on each side.
“Twilight, my favorite student, I was surprised by your letter. Do you think your plan will work?” the princess said in her normal cheerful voice.
“It’s our best shot, Princess Celestia,” Twilight replied.

At that moment Snowbreeze, Springflower, Periwinkleflight, and little Sparkleshine came up to greet them. The group stopped a few feet from Twilight as Snowbreeze continued the approach. The white unicorn smiled as her light blue cloud-like mane bounced on her head delicately. She smiled to Twilight and gave a short bow to the princess.
“We have done all we can. I must warn you, Flurryshine is in an especially brooding mood. If she does show herself, you may need some back up,” Snowbreeze said before gesturing to her companions. All of them, even little Sparkleshine, was smiling in support of Twilight and her friends.
“Eh heh…Snowbreeze, I’m starting to think Flurryshine is never in a good mood,” Twilight said with a bit of apprehension.
Snowbreeze snorted a bit with laughter as she replied,” She does seem that way, doesn’t she? Trust me; she gets better the longer you know her.”

With that said the ponies got into position. At one end was Princess Celestia and the brigade. From there on, every pony in Ponyville was rallied in a large circle. A circle that Twilight hoped would spark Flurryshine to come down and talk to the princess, or atleast appear. So, they waited….and waited…and waited deep into almost the evening. Many of the ponies were getting anxious. Not even half of them were even aware who they were waiting for. Mares started escorting their foals home after a while. Finally, the captain of the guards gave a sigh and shakes his head.
“Your grace, I do not believe she is coming. This criminal has obviously decided to keep running than face you. Seems a bit rude and cowardly to me, after all this trouble everypony went through to make this meeting happen,” he said as he turned to Princess Celestia.
“Shut your big stupid muzzle!” a small peep of a voice shouted.

All the ponies looked about for its owner. Their eyes landed on Sparkleshine as she ran into the middle of the circle. The tiny unicorn filly had her head down, nostrils flared, scraping the ground with her front hoof, and glaring right at the captain. She glared so hard at him that Twilight could almost see a resemblance between her and Flurryshine. She also just realized how similar their names were. That had to be confusing at times. But, now was not the time for such thoughts.
“You think you can talk about her that way? You can’t! I won’t let you!” Sparkleshine shouted with a tiny whinny.
“Hey, squirt, this has nothing to do with you. Head on home and let us grown ponies handle this now, kay?” the captain said as he approached the tiny unicorn.
“You listen to me! If it involves Flurryshine it has everything to do with me! Take this!” Sparkleshine shouted as she reared and charge the captain. Her tiny horn aimed to stab him good in the foreleg.

The captain dodged her easily, but was surprised as she kept coming. She was quick and agile on her hooves for a little filly. Sparkleshine kept charging him with her horn as her weapon. She tried again and again to give the captain a good stab only to miss. The captain felt ridiculous. Here he was fending off a unicorn so young she didn’t even have a cutie mark! With a swift motion he pinned her under his hoof. Sparkleshine gave a small yelp in shock and minor pain. Within moments of her yelp ending, a tremendous whiny boomed through the sky. The mighty, almost thume-like, voice unjolstered the captain enough for Sparkleshine to wiggle free of his grasp. The captain was in a panic was nearby treetops shattered and crashed to the ground. It was massive. Whatever that had just sprung into the air was simply massive in comparison to him. The beat of huge wings thundered as the creature dived at him. The ground shuddered as it land before the captain. A horn shined in the light before it deftly snaked underneath him. He could feel himself being hoisted onto a large head and neck before being tossed clean into the air. It happened so fast he forgot to even spread his wings to help cushion his fall. The captain fell with a large crunch and rolled to the side of the circle, slightly dazed.

The captain staggered to his feet and charged the cloaked figure. The figure snorted as it braced itself to combat the charging captain. As the captain came into the impact zone, the figure raised its wings and caught the air. The ascending opponent was quickly followed by the captain. Now in the air, the smaller captain had the advantage. He swiftly zoomed around the larger figure. The larger figure spun around and let loose a huge gust of wind by flapping its larger wings. The captain was caught in the gale and struggled to fight it. A thought hit him just then. He laid his wings parallel to his body and allowed the wind to blow him back safely out of the gust. He then ascended higher and dived down on the figure. The figure saw him a moment before he would strike and only managed to move enough to dodge a direct blow. The captain only managed to grab the cloak and rip it from the figure's body. The bottom of the cloak caught the figure's hindleg and sent it tumbling down as the captain landed down beside the princess. The figure quickly scrambled to its feet after it crashed down in a cloud of dust.

Everypony gasped at what stood in the center of the circle. Even Twilight and the princess did. Looming just above Sparkleshine was Flurryshine. Her long flowing purple with blue streaks mane and tail hung in crashing waves from her large white body. The gleam of her silver braces on her legs was accompanied by the gleam of the gold bracer around her neck. Her huge wings were flared out level to her back in a protective stance. A patch of peach colored coat on her muzzle emphasized her flared nostrils and scowl. Her piercing amethyst eyes were accompanied by orange freckles behind each of them. The shocker was what stood proudly upon her brow. Its base wrapped gently amongst her long hair was a long elegant horn. It was unheard of! Only the princesses had wings and a horn! Yet, Flurryshine stood before them. Her wings splayed out and brandishing her horn directly at Princess Celestia.
“You…you’re an alicorn,” the princess said uncharacteristically softly in shock.
“An aliwhat? Oh, you mean what I am. I am used to monster, but alicorn is a nice change! What’s wrong princess? Are you afraid of me because I was born this way too?!” Flurryshine said with seething anger in her voice.
“No…just surprised. I...I am to guess you are Flurryshine of Braying Cliffs then,” replied Princess Celestia in a more composed manner.
“You would guess right. Before you ask, no, my parents are not like me. Unlike you, probably, I am a mutation. Mother was a unicorn, and father is a pegasus. Not sure why I came out an “alicorn”, but I did! I’m a freak! My wings and horn are proof of my parent’s defiance of the ways in Braying Cliffs! The ways that make it forbidden for a pegasus to take either an earth pony or a unicorn for a mate. Now, I ask you, why you haven’t done more to change this?!” Flurryshine spoke with hatred. Her eyes never left the princess, even when Sparkleshine nuzzled her foreleg affectionately did she drop her gaze for an instant.
“I have not known the full extent. As much as I would like Braying Cliffs to be like the rest of Equestria, that simply isn’t the case. For some reason all the ponies their will only listen to my decrees to the bare minimum. The moment they feel they can get by with their way of life, they take it. I never saw anything wrong with them forbidding mates between each other, since they all seem to hate each other anyways. It seems my folly led to a very hard life for you,” Princess Celestia said as kindly as possible. She knew Braying Cliffs had a horrible society. A society that almost would make you want to look away from it like it was a hideous creature.
“Hard life? Hard life?! They cast enchantments on my bracers to make me unable to fly or use magic they hated me so much! Do you know how hard it is to live among pegasi and being unable to even fly?! It’s maddening! I watched my father go from being one of the most respected ponies in the community to being looked at like he had done some despicable deed! You care to tell me what you are going to do about it, or will I have to administer punishment?” Flurryshine shot back at her. It was only then she dropped her gaze to look at Sparkleshine. The little filly smiled up at her, and bounced as high as she could to touch muzzles with Flurryshine.

The princess was at a loss for a moment. She watched the tiny unicorn as she bounced up at this young alicorn mare. The deep anger she had just seen in Flurryshine’s eyes was gone for the brief moments she took to give Sparkleshine the attention she craved to have. It was replaced with tenderness befitting an elder sister. The tiny unicorn did bare a resemblance to Flurryshine.
“Who is that little unicorn?” the princess asked.
A scowl returned to Flurryshine’s face as she lifted her head to face Princess Celestia. She said,” She is Sparkleshine. She is my cousin…and an orphan. The last winter took her mother with it.”

The small explanation pulled on the heartstrings of every pony. This fierce mare was the cousin of the little filly that took on a royal guard by herself. A filly that didn’t have any parents and was living in the same town they were hearing so many negative things about. Twilight felt so awful about talking about Flurryshine’s mood. Why wouldn’t she be upset? Her own cousin was one of the innocent ponies she was trying to save from Braying Cliffs twisted society! Twilight almost spoke, but held her tongue as she heard Princess Celestia clear her throat.
“Twilight Sparkle, are you prepared for a little journey?” the princess inquired in a serious tone.
“Um, sure…um, what is it you need me to do, princess?” Twilight answered her mentor in minor confusion.
“I would like you and your friends to travel to Braying Cliffs with Flurryshine’s group. I believe your powers over the elements may be the push Braying Cliffs needs to end its darker tendencies. Are you and your friends prepared to take this mission?” Princess Celestia elaborated.
Twilight looked to all her friends. They were all brimming with pride and determination. She knew what it meant. Twilight then spoke the words that signed their commitment to this mission,” We’ll do it.”
As she said this a huge explosion occurred. Streamers and balloons busted everywhere as Pinkie Pie appeared giggling, “We won’t need those anymore!”
“Pinkie Pie, I’m not gonna ask what those were for, but I’ll take it as a yes for the mission,” Twilight responded.
“Yes indeedy!” Pinkie Pie replied.
Princess Celestia then turned to Flurryshine and said,” Then it is settled. Twilight Sparkle and her brave friends will assist in changing Braying Cliffs into a peaceful village once again! Flurryshine, will you accept their help and head out for Braying Cliffs immediately?”
Flurryshine looked a bit unnerved. She obviously hadn’t expected this. She smirked as she said,” I’m gonna resist making a comment about you passing the buck here and accept. If you think those mares can do more good than you or I, they are welcome to join me. But, if they fail, we play it my way.”

Every pony shivered at the devious look on Flurryshine’s face. They could almost hear the anguished cries of the Braying Cliffs’ ponies that had scorn her. The pain they felt in her imaginings was almost reality to the ponies around her. The heavy feeling in the air dissipated as Sparkleshine bonked into Flurryshine’s muzzle with her own. The younger cousin only smiled sheepishly toward her glaring elder cousin. The two then suddenly burst into laughter that was awkward to every other pony at first, but soon caught on until everypony was laughing happily together.

camping is only slightly depressing

The day was a bright one. The birds were singing as they flew from tree to tree. The roadside flowers were blooming in delicate pinks and yellows. All was right in the world as the ponies travel on their journey. Flurryshine had her wings tucked tightly under her cloak as she walked at the front with Twilight at her side. The others of both respective groups were all intermingled behind them, each of them carrying saddlebags for their journey ahead as the talked and laughed together. Flurryshine and Sparkleshine were the only ones without saddlebags. Sparkleshine exploited it to run between everypony’s legs and bounce in front of Flurryshine as she trotted backwards.
“She sure is energetic,” Twilight said to Flurryshine as she looked down at the little unicorn filly.
“Yeah,” Flurryshine answered flatly.

Twilight could only sigh. This had been the way things were going since they left Ponyville that morning. Everyone else was excitedly talking amongst themselves, while Flurryshine seemed to brood impassively. It was maddening to Twilight. She knew Flurryshine didn’t exactly have a normal upbringing, but this was ridiculous! She just seemed set in her motions and not paying much attention to anypony! It was almost noon and that was all she had gotten out of the grumpy alicorn this whole time.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s eating you today Flurryshine? You always seem grumpy; I’m kinda used to that. But, today you seem…I don’t know…bored?” Twilight asked, hoping she could get some form of reaction out of her.
“That’s because I kinda am. Braying Cliffs is one hay of a walk northwest of here. Since it’s easier to hide my wings versus my horn for daytime travel, I am stuck hoofing it the whole way. So, yeah. I’m pretty bored,” Flurryshine replied.
“Oh, come on. I’m sure we could make it less boring. You said your parents were from different parts of Braying Cliffs society. Would you mind sharing about that? You know, the part before everything went bad in the end,” Twilight tried to ask cheerfully, only to realize how dumb it sounded.
“Fine,” Flurryshine agreed to Twilight’s surprise.
“Mom was a white unicorn. I know shocker, right? Something unusual about Braying Cliffs is most of the ponies are white. It’s weird compared to how everywhere else is filled with colorful ponies. Braying Cliffs…almost everypony has a white coat,” Flurryshine began her tale.
“That is interesting. Did your mom have your hair too?” Twilight asked, urging Flurryshine to keep talking.
“Nah, it was all blue. Dark blue, but blue none the less. She was a really nice mare. She was about our age when she met my father. He was a hot shot as a young stallion. He felt so superior to others because he was from a high-class family. He also had a way with fire. Pyro kinetic, I heard someone say once. He was so good at it; he earned his cutie mark in that talent. He is red and black though. A really imposing stallion when you first see him. I don’t remember how they said it happened. But, basically my father was being rebellious flying near the valley and crashed into my mom. It was love at first crash,” Flurryshine said, with a small smile trailing on her face as she remembered her parents. The other ponies had gone quite as they listened to her story.
“Well, what happened next?” Twilight prompted.
“They started meeting in secret at the halfway point between the valley and pegasi district. They had so many adventures together. Father said they once drank from a magical spring that made them a bit taller than other ponies. Kind of explains my size, if you think about it. Well, when they had me, mom kept me for a lot of my foal life. When I got old enough to help keep up with their rouse, they began trading off who had me and disguising whatever part of me wasn’t acceptable where they lived. It was a strange foalhood, but it gave me a chance experience life in a way no other foal in Braying Cliffs could. I understood that all ponies were the same on the inside, that we didn’t have to hate each other. So, I had my friends meet me at the halfway point my parents met at for their secret meetings. At first, the idea of them comingling amongst each other was hard to get across. But, they came around,” Flurryshine continued. She smiled back at her friends at the last part.
“Hehe, yeah. It was so weird that first meeting. I was the only pegasus there. Then we all found out Flurryshine wasn’t what she looked like to us. I don’t regret it though. Springflower is like my best friend now!” Periwinkleflight said before swooshing down to give the green unicorn a hug.
“That’s right. I never would have dreamed I would be friends with a pegasus before Flurryshine united us,” Springflower replied.
“If only all of Braying Cliffs were like you guys,” Twilight said offhandedly.
“Yes, if only it was…When mom died two years ago, I had to try to hide my horn constantly because I lived with my father. Then a year ago, the hat I was wearing fell off in front of visiting council members. Periwinkleflight and my father tried to cover for me, but it couldn’t be helped. They saw what I was and demanded an explanation. So, my father told them my mother was a unicorn…You can guess how it went from there,” Flurryshine concluded before hanging her head low.
“Aw, come on now sugar cube. I have seen ya with more fire in ya than that. It’s gonna be okay. That’s all in the past. We’ll put those narrow minded ponies in their place,” Applejack consoled from her place in the motley crew of a herd.

Flurryshine gave a curt nod as she raised her head high with her all too familiar scowl. Sparkleshine bounced to her side and mimicked her. It was almost humorous to see the stern gaze of Flurryshine right by Sparkleshine’s cute imitation. It almost made them comical to look at. The herd looked at them and couldn’t help but laugh. Flurryshine looked at them confused before she rolled her eyes. She bent down and scooped Sparkleshine onto her neck. The tiny filly slide down to find herself seated on her cousin’s back. Flurryshine’s wings supporting her from under the cloak.
“We gotta long way to go. Relax for a bit, Sparkle,” Flurryshine commented without looking back at her. Sparkleshine nodded as she lay with her stomach along Flurryshine’s spine. Her tiny head propped up on the back of Flurryshine’s neck and she just chilled out.
Twilight then had a thought that was slowly uttered as the question, “Why is your cutie mark a wand with magic, Flurryshine.”
Glancing at her own flank for a moment, Flurryshine responded,” Not really sure. My talent only I can do is magic related, but I don’t know where the wand comes end.”
“What is your talent, darling?” Rarity asked.
“Hmhm, you’ll see when we get closer to Braying Cliffs,” Flurryshine replied as she grew quiet. This time, however, she was smiling and not wearing a brooding scowl.
With a swoop to the front of the herd, Rainbow Dash faced Flurryshine and commented,” No offense, but can we talk about something other than you?”
Flurryshine held her smile as she laughed a bit and replied, “Haha, I have to agree. I fill a little um… pretentious? We won’t talk about me anymore. Um, who are you again?”
“Ha! They call me Rainbow Dash! The fastest flyer in all of Equestria, if don’t say so myself,” Rainbow Dash was quick to say.
“Hmhm, when all this is said and done, I’ll have to test that claim myself,” Flurryshine said with a cynical smile on her face.
“Count on it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she rushed back to Fluttershy and Periwinkleflight.

That evening the herd of our heroes found themselves making camp in the nearby woods. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Snowbreeze were setting up the tents. Springflower was preparing food with Pinkie Pie over the fire Periwinkleflight had started. Rarity found herself scouting the area with Flurryshine and Rainbow Dash. Sparkleshine was acting like the tiny filly she was, and running about the camp. Once Flurryshine was sure there was no reason to fear having some wild animal or anything dangerous would stumble upon the camp, she led Rarity and Rainbow Dash back for supper.

Springflower had prepared a great little stew. The mix of the few vegetables see had brought from Ponyville and the plants in the surrounding wilderness made a spectacular taste no pony had ever tasted before. Ten tiny bowls were passed between the ponies. At first the mane six were confused why only ten bowls had been packed when there was eleven ponies present. It soon made sense as Sparkleshine pranced over to Flurryshine’s slightly larger bowl. The tiny unicorn quickly began to gobble almost more than her fair share. Flurryshine smiled down at her younger cousin and she relaxed near her. She waited patiently for her to finish eating before she took part. Sparkleshine lifted her head and smiled at her cousin. She clopped over to settle down at Flurryshine’s side. Taking this cue, Flurryshine began to eat her share of the stew.
“I see you found some marjoram,” Flurryshine said as she raised her head from the bowl.
“Ah, you noticed. I couldn’t resist adding it. It makes everything a little sweeter, I believe,” Springflower replied, smiling proudly.
“Marjoram? What the hay is that?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“It’s an herb. Its most commonly compared to oregano,” Twilight explained.
“Riiiiiight,” Rainbow Dash commented.

The ponies ate happily until the stew was polished off. Springflower and Snowbreeze gathered the bowls to be cleaned in a stream not too terribly far away. The others began preparing for bed. They would all have to get up early to break camp and make sure they stayed on schedule. Rainbow Dash headed to her shared tent with Rarity and Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie Pie went to their tent they would soon share with Twilight. Periwinkleflight was tending the fire. Twilight watched this all before turning to Flurryshine. She was surprised to see the alicorn was missing. Not only that, but Sparkleshine was also gone.

Curious to their whereabouts, Twilight told Periwinkleflight she was heading out for a brief walk and left. The lavender unicorn felt a strange calm in the night of the forest. She headed deeper and deeper still. The forest grew thicker and darker. Twilight cast a small illumination spell from her horn. It did little to break in the shadows that crept around her. As she trudged onwards, there was a break in the forest. There was a pool that fed the stream Springflower and Snowbreeze were currently washing the bowls in. The pool stood under a rocky outcropping, an outcropping with a waterfall spilling into the pool below. Twilight looked upon the moon bathed pool with awe. There was no magical quality to the scene before her, but it held her in a wondrous awe. A glint near her hooves caught her eyes. She soon recognized the metal bracers she looked upon. She raised her gaze to look again for their owner.

Flurryshine broke the waterfall’s symmetric flowing. The alicorn allowed the water to rush over her. Little Sparkleshine pranced through the falling water below her. Sparkleshine then dived into the pool and began to swim about happily. Twilight watched the two silently. She could see this somehow brought solace to Flurryshine by the look on her face. The alicorn allowed herself to be washed in the falling water. She even spread her wings, to allow them to be bathed as well. She was completely at ease. Twilight couldn’t see an ounce of the pain she always saw upon Flurryshine.
“Beautiful isn’t she?” a quiet voice whispered beside Twilight.

Twilight jumped a good foot into the air from shock. She looked about in fright. She eased when she turned to see Snowbreeze. Then she tilted her head puzzled by her comment. It was an odd thing for one mare to call another beautiful. It was made even stranger by the fact they were both watching Flurryshine bathe without her knowledge of their presence.
“Hmhm, don’t look at me like that. We know it both to be true she does look pretty. In her happiest moments she shines her brightest. You almost…can’t see the scars,” Snowbreeze whispered with a chuckle.
“The scars?” Twilight asked quietly. She looked back to try and see what she meant.

As she looked harder, she could see faint slivers of pink scar tissue at the base of her neck. These scars were also near the hoof of all her legs. They were tiny from this distance, but why hadn’t she seen them before now?! Then she noticed that the scars would have been covered by her bracers. A lump grew in Twilight’s throat for a moment. She didn’t ask where they came from. She knew by now where it came from. All she could say was one thing.
“Why?” Twilight asked in small whisper.
“When she tried to break the enchantments placed on her braces, the magic discharge cut deep into her flesh. She struggled for months to break the enchantments. The scars were formed with each attempt,” Snowbreeze explained quietly.

Twilight hung her head low. Braying Cliffs seemed worse the more she heard about it. Snowbreeze nudged her shoulder and turned to leave. Twilight followed close behind her. They left Flurryshine and her cousin to finish bathing in peace. Snowbreeze kept quiet as she walked gently down the path. Twilight followed close behind. She slowly raised her head to look Snowbreeze in the face. The white unicorn turned and smiled as she waited for Twilight to speak.
“Since I met Flurryshine, I feel I am becoming more depressed as the days pass,” Twilight said half-jokingly.
“Sorry about that. You’re pretty much caught up with the most depressing parts of our lives. Well, except the fact that most white ponies in Braying Cliffs are highly eligible to catch horrible diseases. We believe it has to do with the higher amount of white ponies to begin with,” Snowbreeze replied with a smile.
“That’s…sad. It’s almost morbid you’re smiling at that too,” Twilight said with obvious signs of being creeped out.
“Haha, I am used to it as all. Well, goodnight,” Snowbreeze replied as they entered camp.

Twilight looked around in surprise she was here so quickly. She sighed and headed to her shared tent to find Applejack and Pinkie Pie waiting for her. The sight of her friends brought a smile to her face. She quickly settled down between them. Snowbreeze was doing the same as Periwinkleflight doused the fire and joined her two unicorn friends in their tent. Twilight slowly fell asleep as she watched everypony settling down for the night.

Crunch. Crunch. Twilight looked up drowsily. It was very late in the night. She strained to see what was moving in the dark. Slowly her eyes made out Flurryshine’s figure strolling into camp. The smaller silhouette of Sparkleshine prancing around her hooves came into view. She saw Flurryshine nose her rump towards the tent were their three friends were sleeping. Sparkleshine trotted towards it slowly before turning around and nuzzling Flurryshine’s muzzle. Flurryshine sighed before walking over to the doused fire. Flurryshine settled down quietly. Sparkleshine was quick to curl up next to her. Flurryshine opened one of her wings enough to cover Sparkleshine’s body. She too joined the tiny unicorn as they both settled down under the stars. Twilight could only smile before she too resettled down to rest.

Nickernabby Encounter

It had been over a week or so since they left Ponyville. The herd of heroes were relaxing and restocking in the village of Nickernabby. The village had a certain rustic feel. It was like the setting for an old pony’s tale. A light snow caked the rooftops like rows of gingerbread houses. The village ponies were already dressed in light winter wear. Our heroes soon took time to don their scarves. Springflower had forewarned that light flurries were common in this region.

The snow had already passed by the time they arrived. Periwinkleflight, Springflower, and Pinkie Pie set off to restock on food for the road. The closer to Braying Cliffs they got, these villages became sparser. Sparkleshine saw a few village colts and fillies playing on the road. She looked to Flurryshine excitedly. With a sigh from Flurryshine, she cantered off to join their pony games.
“That is mighty cute of her. She must be a popular little filly back home,” Applejack commented.
“Yes, she has always had a sparkling personality,” Snowbreeze answered. Flurryshine nodded in agreement as she watched Sparkleshine meld effortlessly into the group of playing colts and fillies.
“I’m going to try and find us an inn,” Twilight said before she parted ways with Fluttershy following her.

The others began to mill out among the market stalls and began exploring the village. It was strange for Flurryshine. It had been a very long time since she could just relax with friends. It felt almost awkward to just chill out. As if fate couldn’t let her relax, bam! The moment she let her guard down, a pegasus stallion the size of Big Macintosh crashed right into her. The stallion had been running so fast the impact sent the two sprawling all over each other on the road.
“Hey, you over grown klutz! Ya got four left hooves or something?” Applejack shouted at the messy brown stallion.
“Pfft, took the words right out of my mouth, Applejack,” Flurryshine hissed as she glared at her assailant.

Her glare turned to a look of shock when she locked eyes with the stallion. The messy brown pegasus had the same look on his face. His darker messy brown mane and tail were splattered up against his own body. A scruff of a little beard on his chin quivered a moment. The only real color on him was his bright blue eyes; and a cutie mark with three leaves in green, yellow, and red.
“Bright Leaf?!” Flurryshine exclaimed.
“Flurryshine?!” Bright Leaf said at the exact same time.
“Uh, you know this clumsy pony?” Applejack asked with a quizzical look.

It was almost as if Applejack’s inquiry fell on deaf ears. The two were just staring at each other in shock. They stared like that for a few moments before Bright leaf clamored to his hooves quickly. He hurried to Flurryshine’s other side to assist her up.
“I’m sorry! Let me help you up,’ he said as he tried to nudge Flurryshine to her hooves.
Flurryshine struggled to shrug him off as she got up saying, “Cut it out! I can get up by myself. I said stop it!”

The two stumbled about together until Flurryshine doubled back, reared, and stamped her front hooves directly in front of Bright Leaf’s muzzle. The stallion stumbled back in surprise and fell on his haunches with a whinny. The disheveled pegasus stallion looked up at her in slight fear and shock.
“I told you to stop, you ditz,” Flurryshine said grumpily.

Bright Leaf’s ears flopped low on his large head. It was almost comical to see this large stallion hanging his head like a tiny colt being scolded by his mother. Flurryshine held her glare a moment longer before she snorted and turned to Applejack.
“Yeah, I know him. He is from Braying Cliffs. His thing is medicinal plants. Kind of a doctor of natural medicine in a way,” Flurryshine said in response to her question. Bright Leaf just shuffled his front hooves as he looked at the ground.

Applejack took a second look over the stallion. He was messy all over. His wings were even in disarray. He didn’t look like much as his bright eyes darted about self-consciously. He got to his hooves and batted his wings a bit to get the dust off him. He walked over to Applejack and gave a short nod to the smaller earth pony.
“I’m…I’m Bright Leaf. Pardon my intrusion on…whatever you two were doing,” Bright Leaf said nervously.
“Ain’t nothing to worry about,” Applejack replied.
“Exactly, what are you doing here?” Flurryshine asked coldly.
“Oh, um… Just looking for herbs. My reserves are running low on some of the plants that don’t grow back home,” Bright Leaf explained.
“Fine, but remember…You didn’t see me,” she said as she pushed against him aggressively.
“Okay. Okay! I didn’t see you,” Bright Leaf cowered before her. Flurryshine was barely a hair larger than him, and he was as petrified as if she was a giant cockatrice.

Flurryshine squinted her eyes in a suspicious glare as she backed up to return his personal space. Bright Leaf sighed with a shiver along his spine. She held him in a contempt glare a few more moments more before turning away bored. Bright Leaf almost collapsed with relief.
“I’ll be, you’re one hay of a fierce pony. Did ya have to scare the ever living out of him?” Applejack said as she looked between the two Braying Cliffs ponies.
“If the wrong ponies find out we’re coming, it will take more than an official royal decree from Princess Celestia to get us out safely. Won’t it, Bright Leaf?” Flurryshine explained, hissing toward the pegasus stallion with the last part.
“I…I won’t tell a soul, Flurryshine! No one will know we met. Honest!” Bright Leaf said as he shrank back at her clear threat.

Flurryshine had him trapped in a vicious glare. Bright Leaf looked like he was losing all his color he was becoming so pale caught in her glare. Flurryshine’s concentration broke at the sound of a small neigh. The three looked up to see Sparkleshine sprawled on the road. Her new friends standing frightened around her, a trio of older colts glowering over the group. Flurryshine gave a vicious snort as she began to charge. She stopped short as Applejack intervened.
“Take a look, sugar cube,” Applejack told her as they both turned to watch the small scene play out.

Sparkleshine got back on her hooves and glared at the trio. The tiny unicorn was easily the smallest there. She lowered her head to brandish her horn. Her nostrils flared as she stamped her front hoof aggressively.
“You better apologize and get lost! I don’t want to mess up my coat smacking around losers like you,” Sparkleshine threatened in her tiny voice.

The trio busted out laughing. They too lowered their heads and stamped their hooves. They weren’t afraid of a tiny unicorn. The head earth pony colt charged her only to trip when she dodged. With his haunches high in the air, Sparkleshine jabbed him hard with her horn. He squealed in pain as he leaped up. His companions double teamed her in retaliation. She couldn’t dodge them both, and whinnied as she was hit in her side. Sparkleshine thought she was done for as the ring leader came to join in. But, all she heard was the panicked whinnies of the trio as she braced herself. She looked around to see her new friends had begun to strike back. Overwhelmed by the combined power of all the younger fillies and colts, the trio fled the scene quickly. The group of fillies and colts then came back to help Sparkleshine to her hooves. They laughed and nuzzled each other before they returned to their games.
“Way to go, Sparkleshine,” Flurryshine said quietly as she watched them all run off in awe.
“That little filly is braver than most ponies. She’ll be a mighty fine leader when she is grown the way she inspired them fillies and colts to stand up for themselves,” Applejack said as she too watched them run off with pride in her eyes.
“Um, pardon my intrusion, but why do you care about that little unicorn, Flurryshine?” Bright Leaf asked, showing how little he knew from living strictly in the pegasi district of Braying Cliffs.
“She is my little cousin,” Flurryshine said flatly.
“Well, that explains her attitude! A pony would have to be related to you to be that fierce!” Bright Leaf exclaimed and laughed at what he thought was hilarious. He soon stopped when he saw Flurryshine’s less than amused look.

Applejack and Flurryshine looked to each other with matching not amused looks. They both slowly cracked smiles before bursting out laughing. Bright Leaf looked at them before he too joined in nervously. It all soon blended together into a mirthful scene of laughter. It almost took Bright Leaf by surprise when Flurryshine threw one of her forelegs over his shoulders and leaned against him coolly.
“Aw, you know I was just messing. Not like I’m not aware how scary I get sometimes,” she said offhandedly.
Bright Leaf shuffled his front hooves as he stammered out,” Oh…Y-yeah. It’s not a p-problem, F-Flurryshine.”
Flurryshine leaned her muzzle in close to his ear and whispered, “Hey, relax. You’re shaking like…well, a leaf!”

Bright Leaf gave her a reproachful look at her teasing. He made a sidelong glance at the ground as he felt his face flush. Flurryshine snickered at her success at unnerving the young stallion. She released her hold on him and turned to leave. Flurryshine purposely flicked the tip of her tail against his muzzle. Bright Leaf flinched and looked to her as she walked away.
“Come on, Applejack. Let’s check up on Twilight and Fluttershy,” Flurryshine said as she walked away.
“Right. Been nice meetin’ ya, Bright Leaf,” Applejack replied as she tipped her hat in farewell and left with Flurryshine.

Bright Leaf watched them leave without a word. He just stood there dumbfounded until they turned the corner along the road. Once they were out of sight, his tongue lolled out of his muzzle with a goofy look on his face. At the same time, his wings flopped down to the ground as his legs slumped a bit. It was almost as if Cupid had hit him right in the haunches as he drooled in a daze while staring where they disappeared around the corner.

Elsewhere, Flurryshine and Applejack were traveling towards an inn along the road they turned on. Both had a smile on their faces. Applejack’s smile was her usual honest and sweet one. Flurryshine’s looked more like a psychopath crossed with a creeper. Applejack looked over at her and gave her a weird look at the face she was making. Flurryshine noticed it and looked back confused.
“What?” Flurryshine asked.
“Nothing, but since were talkin’, you gotta interesting taste in stallions,” Applejack replied, with a bemused smile on her face.
“Huh?!” Flurryshine exclaimed in surprise.
“Bright Leaf! It’s not like you were being secretive with that flirtin’,”Applejack said with her smile pulling almost a full on Cheshire.
“What? No, no, no! I was just messing with his head. I do that to him all the time,” Flurryshine responded in shock.
“Nobody likes a flirty filly,” Applejack said flatly.
“Oh come on! It’s not like I do that to every stallion. I only torment Bright Leaf that way. The klutzy stallion has been mending every cut and gash I have had since we were foals. It’s a game,” Flurryshine tried to explain while being slightly embarrassed.
“I don’t think he thinks it’s a game, darlin’. He looked more nervous as a brown hare in a snow bank, and as red as a red delicious ripe for pickin’,” Applejack replied.
“…Spoil my fun why don’t ya,” Flurryshine pouted. Applejack only laughed at her childish pout.

The two approached the inn to find it was the one Twilight had picked. Snowbreeze had already fronted the money for the Braying Cliffs group and everyone was relaxing in the inn’s dining area. Flurryshine and Applejack gratefully milled in with their relaxing friends for dinner. Sparkleshine wasn’t far behind them as she cantered in panting heavily. She had taking full advantage of her chance to play for once. They all spent the night laughing, talking, and enjoying each other’s company before heading to bed.

Descent into Sorrow

The night settled over the mountain as soundly as anywhere else in Equestria. Along the cliff face sat a series of buildings, the largest being the one on the very edge of the cliff. Within was a myriad group of pegasi. They were all talking in low voices that were almost completely muffled by their cloaks. Under their cloaks could be seen every glance or so some of the finest clothes in the country. The council was deep in discussion when another cloaked figure entered. The head of the council looked to the new figure and scowled.
“Thorn is you experiment complete?” he addressed the late arrival.
“A huge success, Chamberlin Frost,” Thorn said in a cool and suave voice.
“Good, word is she is returning. Is the experiment ready to be launched?” Chamberlin Frost hissed.
“I can have it launched at once. She won’t stand a chance!” Thorn exclaimed full of arrogance he was well known for.
“Then go launch it!” Chamberlin Frost shouted. Thorn gave a curt nod, a bow, and cantered off.

Thorn went to an outcropping on the cliff face just below the large building. He gazed down at the runway below him. The iron wrought gates to a hidden cave opened with a loud screeching noise. The sound of bated breath resonated from inside the cave. Thorn knew his experiment was waiting to be let loose, to fulfill its destiny.
“Be liberated from your shackles, my fiend. Take to the skies and silence the upstarts of rebellion. Crush their fearless leader to her bones. Arise and destroy, Diablo!” Thorn pronounced loudly.

The glow of slanted, pupil less, yellow eyes resonated with the vicious neighs from within the cave. The sound of shackles rattling and falling to the stone floor was followed by the bellowing canter of a massive pegasus. The blazing red coat was accompanied with blackness from the knees down. The jet black mane and tail splayed out like a black cloud of smoke forming around him. As the monstrous stallion took to the air, he unfolded his massive black wings. He brayed loudly as he went barreling through the skies. A second cave opened to let loose hundreds of bat-like creatures to follow the beastly pegasus.

Thorn watched from his perch in Braying Cliffs. His blue muzzle revealed in the moonlight to be twisted into a sadistic smile. He began to laugh as he slunk off back into the recesses of the cliff face, his maniacal laughter emphasizing his success. Thorn’s laughter was a horrific sound as it resounded off the natural walls of the cliff face in a cruel twisted symphony of psychopathic intentions.

In the not too distant village of Nickernabby, our heroes slept blissfully. It was a calm and deep sleep that would rejuvenate the weariest of souls. They enjoyed it plentifully. It was almost dawn when they were awoken suddenly. One moment they were blissfully asleep in their rooms, and the next they woke to the worst possible sounds ever. The crash of rooftops caving in, the sizzle of fire blazing at out control, the cries of panic-stricken ponies, and even a few anguishing death rattles filled the air within moments. Our heroes scrambled out of the inn in time to see the roof spontaneous go up in a blaze of blue-black flames. The whole village was lit up with a strange blue light from the unusual blue-black flames. Nickernabby was alive with fear and panic. Our heroes instinctively grouped closer together as fear over took them.
It was Twilight that spoke first as she said,” We have to help! Hurry girls! We have to get these fires out and help the villagers get to safety!”

The ponies moved the moment she finished. Rainbow Dash, Periwinkleflight, and Fluttershy took high into the air to join the makeshift pegasus fire squad. They began trying to put out the strange fires by batting their wings hard to stir up wind or dumping buckets of water the other village ponies were drawing from a well. Twilight Sparkle led the unicorns and earth ponies among our heroes to assist helping trapped ponies escape the burning houses. Sparkleshine cowered underneath Flurryshine. Flurryshine was frozen in shock. She knew these flames. She knew them very well, but she refused to believe they were there. The cries of her friends broke her trance-like state. She saw them but did not believe what she saw. Devil bats…lots of devil bats swooped out of nowhere. The huge bats began to knock pegasi out of the sky, scooping up ponies on the ground and carrying them off to Celestia knows where, and crashed the brittle rooftops down fully on anypony they could.

Flurryshine could not watch this. She charged forwards with her wings unfurled. A devil bat spotted her and dived at her. Blinded by her fury, she leaped up and gored the creature deep in its gut. A final cry and shutter went through the creature’s body before it slumped lifelessly and was tossed from her horn. Sparkleshine galloped as fast as she could to keep up with her older cousin, her eyes as large as dinner plates in fear. Spliish! Flurryshine gored another devil bat. The creature screamed in pain before it slides limply from her horn. Sparkleshine whimpered as she managed to catch up with Flurryshine when she came to a halt. The frightened filly instinctively cowered underneath the larger mare. Flurryshine was unaware of her presence. She was snorting viciously as she searched the skies.
“Flurryshine! Sparkleshine!” Snowbreeze’s frantic voice fell upon their ears.

Flurryshine turned to face her. Snowbreeze gasped as she looked upon her old friend. Her eyes were burning with fury and the gruesome red splatter of blood down her muzzle and horn made her was most frightening. Sparkleshine whinnied as she galloped over to Snowbreeze and nuzzled her foreleg.
“Look out for her, Snowbreeze,” Flurryshine said in a haggard voice before she leaped into the blazing skies. Snowbreeze nodded as she watched the alicorn fly off to do battle before she nuzzled the frightened filly at her forelegs.

The village was in the full force of the blaze. The ponies were too occupied with stopping the devil bats to keep up a good pace against the blaze. Fluttershy had a great deal of them spellbound by her gaze alone. The other pegasi were taking this advantage to buck the devil bat to the ground were Applejack had a contingent of ponies were tying the beast up tightly. Many of the village ponies were arming themselves with pitchforks to fend them off as other ponies still tried to save the trapped ponies caught in the blazing houses. Twilight Sparkle watched this mayhem unfold and knew something had to be done about the blaze fast! There weren’t enough ponies to go around to stop all these horrible things at once. It came to her. Twilight Sparkle crouched low as she tried to concentrate on her magic. Her horn began to shine as she pumped for more and more magic in it to produce this spell successfully. She felt it brimming as she quickly threw her head up towards the sky.

A purple light cut through the smoke of the blaze and deep into the clouds above. It dispersed to reveal nothing. Twilight Sparkle stood in shock for a few moments. Then...it happened. The rumble of storm clouds rolled in. The sky cracked with lightning and thunder as the magical storm let loose its fury! The rain fell hard and heavy on the horror scene that was once a thriving village. The blue-black blaze began to die down as the onslaught of Twilight’s storm began to smother it. The devil bats squealed as the dissipating smoke left them with no hiding places from the furious ponies that singularly focused on driving them out of the village. The rescue teams worked even more quickly to search for survivors in the wreckage of the houses.

A furious bray shattered through all the noise. All the ponies looked up to see a massive mass of wings and equine plummeting to the middle of the village. Crash! Flurryshine landed spine first as her assailant drove her into the ground. A blood choked whinny of pain escaped her as she made impact with the ground! She glowered up at the stallion pinning her and kicked out with her hind leg. The pegasus, that looked like death on wings, holding her deftly dodged by swooping up into the air. Flurryshine scrambled to her hooves and staggered up after him, to charge him full on as they ascended higher into the air. As they reached the light of the moon behind them, they clashed! Their necks and forelegs were intertwined as they bashed into each other with their chests. The stallion let loose a furious bray and a blaze of fire erupted around the battling flyers.
“That can’t be! That’s Diablo, Flurryshine’s father!” Snowbreeze screamed in panic.

Our heroes looked harder at the battle with shock. The two were locked in a dome of blue-black fire. All of a sudden, Flurryshine burst out coughing madly and her coat of fire! As Diablo emerged the flames contorted and spun around him. Flurryshine descended in a spinning dive until the fire was extinguished. She then stopped her descent to stare up at the blazing stallion that was her own father. Her face started as a grimace, but it rapidly turned in a furious snarl as she charged up at him! Diablo enveloped himself in his blue-black flames and dived down at her. The two looked as if they would clash midair again, but at the point of impact Diablo swerved to the side. He then spun about to deliver a strong kick with his hind leg into Flurryshine’s side.

Flurryshine screamed in pain as she forced back and down into the forest beyond the village borders. Diablo was quick to charge her. He entangled her in his forelegs again and kept charging deep into the forest. He fell like a blazing rocket when they dived into the forest. The ponies could only stand in shock.
“We gotta help her!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“It’s no good! No one can beat Diablo! This is Flurryshine’s battle,” Periwinkleflight replied.

Deep in the forest Flurryshine found herself sprawled in a stream. Every fiber of her being was aching, her vision was hazy, and her mind was slowed from the impact. She staggered to her hooves. Her wings ached as she retracted them to a folded position. A loud snort before her made her ears perk up. Flurryshine cursed her luck as she gazed upon the hazy image of her father with his blue-black flames swirling around him. He reared up and charged with a loud whinny. Flurryshine panicked. Her instincts took hold and she flew up long even to land a good measure farther away. Her wings splayed out aggressively and she lowered her head to brandish her horn. She stood there in fear as Diablo kept charging at her. When he reached her, Flurryshine swung her horn wildly to fend him off. It did little good as he dodged to her side and bash her into a tree trunk.

Flurryshine crumpled pitifully and lifted her head to see him take to the sky and dive down at her forelegs first. She scrambled out of the way fast enough for him to miss her, the root where her head just was shattering on impact by the force of Diablo’s hooves! Flurryshine stumbled to her hooves as she scrambled backwards in fear. This was it. She would die right here, by the hooves of her own father! Diablo’s blue-black flames lashed out and left deep burn marks along her chest and flanks. Flurryshine whinnied in pain. She didn’t want to fight anymore. She didn’t want her father to kill her. Then she thought of the sinners in Braying Cliffs. She was filled with anger. They had to have done something to her father to make him do this. She glared with new resolve at Diablo. She saw the glint she needed. The centric design of blue magic was inscribed upon his forehead. They had enchanted him! She brayed in absolute rage and she charged head down.

Diablo neighed in rage as Flurryshine’s horn gored his shoulder. His warm blood washed him and his slightly smaller daughter, their manes beginning to mat into the wet masses. Flurryshine pulled back to receive a hoof to the face. She staggered back and looked back to him to see Diablo take flight again. She snorted as she shot up after him. The two clashed and charged each other repeatedly.
“Please, remember who I am father,” Flurryshine thought as she kept charging Diablo.

Flurryshine raised high above her father and dived. Diablo turned and released the fury of the blaze he had with him still. He cracked a cruel smile as Flurryshine was enveloped in flames. His smile soon broke as she blasted out of it on fire! She was gritting back the pain and she continued her dive. They impacted with a loud crunch! They dived farther and farther down as Diablo struggled to get loose of Flurryshine’s decent. He could not. They fell farther down until they were swallowed by the darkness of the chasm that was below them. Diablo swerved and ended up crushing his wings on the chasm walls. The two were splattered with blood from the busted wings as they continued to fall. In Diablo’s anguish a shiver ran through his body. The enchantment faded and he opened his eyes to have pupils in them again. His true consciousness returned to him, he took moments to realize what had happened.
He turned his head to face Flurryshine with tears in his eyes. She was shocked by his expression, and even more when he said, “This is not the fate meant for you.”

With that said, Diablo skillfully managed to kick Flurryshine off him towards the sky. Flurryshine righted herself to look down at her father falling to his death. His wings were shattered; they would not be able to work anymore. Diablo fell too fast for Flurryshine to move. All she could do was ascend with tears in her eyes. Her eyes dropped more tears than she had ever shed in her entire life. She had cried so many in her life. She slumped on the edge of the chasm. Her body just lay there in pain as her heart broke a little more. She cried into her wings as she realized her father was gone now. As if to rub it in, a blaze of blue-black flame erupted behind her. She turned to see the evidence that her father was gone, his mind dying causing the sporadic flames.

She slumped back onto the slab of stone and cried loudly. How much did they have to hurt her before they stopped? Why had they done that to her father? These questions flooded her mind as renewed hatred licked the wounds of her sorrow. She shivered as the flood of emotion took over her. She stood with a vicious glare in her eyes. She spread her disheveled wings as she jumped into the skies.

When Flurryshine landed in Nickernabby the village ponies ran in fear. She looked absolutely monstrous. Her head was hung low, her mane was matted with blood, her entire body was covered in blood and burns, and her eyes were the most frightening of all. They were locked in a perpetual glare of the purest hatred as her tears fell unending from them. She didn’t even fold her wings. She left them splayed out defensively as she slowly walked down the main street. No pony approached. Even our heroes that had become her friends over time were frozen in their places. No pony approached her as she walked among them, all of them but one.
“Flurryshine?! Oh, what in Equestria happened to you?!” Bright Leaf neighed as he raced towards her, heedless of all the warning signs not to.

Flurryshine gave a vicious snort as he approached. Before he could retreat she was on him. She reared up, slammed him to the ground, and began to scream at him. Bright Leaf crumpled at her onslaught. He took her fury when he done nothing to deserve it.
“You did this!” she screamed,” You told them I was here! It’s your fault he is dead! Your filthy piece of scum! My father is dead! He’s dead!”

Flurryshine kept crying as she crumpled down beside Bright Leaf. He shook his head at her. She knew he hadn’t told anyone. He knew she knew that. He got up from under her hoof as she cried into the road. Bright Leaf began to nose over her body, trying to find what was wound and what was just excess blood. He then cantered back to where his medical bag had fallen when she knocked him down and rummaged through the contents. He returned with a bucket of well water and assorted poultices. He wetted a rag he kept in his bag and began to gently remove the blood from her coat. Flurryshine didn’t even register his presence as she continued to mourn her father.

It took a half an hour for Bright Leaf to bound and medicate her wounds. No pony would dare come close to assist him. Flurryshine had stopped her crying by now and only lay in a daze on the road. Bright Leaf looked down at her with pity. The fates seemed against this mare at all times. He then began to nudge her to get to her hooves. She had to get out of the street and recuperate somewhere more sheltered. Flurryshine resisted at first, but gave in to his persistence. She slowly got to her hooves and leaned heavily on Bright Leaf. The two of them slowly walked back to our band of heroes. Snowbreeze and Springflower took the burden of holding her up from Bright Leaf. The looks of fear and shock were replaced with sympathy on everypony’s face. It slowly sunk in what Flurryshine had done for the whole village and her loss became their loss. That dawn, the skies were filled with the brays of the living to honor the dead.

Braying Cliffs part 1

The next day was a solemn one. The remnants of Nickernabby were salvaged to make crude shelters along the tree line of the surrounding forest. Bright Leaf and other ponies of any kind of medical profession were racing amongst the survivors to tend to the injured. Dawn brought these duties and many others. Our heroes did their part to tend to the village ponies. From drawing water from the well, passing out meals, making sure the shelters hold, and assisting in any way they can, they tried to ease the collective pain for all the ponies. Twilight felt her task was the hardest. With Spike tending the library back in Ponyville, she had to send one of the village pegasi to Canterlot to receive some relief effort from the princesses. Before she could do this, she had to see if they could proceed themselves to Braying Cliffs. This choice fell into the hooves of the most devastated pony in their group.

Twilight found Flurryshine sitting on a hill alone. The alicorn had her wings splayed out on the grass and her head down low. She seemed like a shadow of the pony she once was only days ago. Twilight approached her slowly and cleared her throat to announce her presence. She heard a hiccup from Flurryshine she assumed was her choking back some tears.
“Um, Flurryshine, I am sending a runner to Canterlot for some relief effort. I was wondering if you were still up for going to Braying Cliffs. It’s fine if you can’t continue…,” Twilight began to explain before she was cut off.
“We’re going Twilight,” Flurryshine said flatly. Twilight snapped her head up at her in surprise.
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. She instantly reconsidered her words when Flurryshine turned to face her. Her bloodshot eyes had tear stains beneath them. Those amethyst eyes were burning with hate and determination.
“Yes, I am sure. My father died only because they made him fight. I will pay them all back tenfold!” Flurryshine responded almost completely calmly. She rose to her hooves and spread her aching wings high in the air to emphasize her point.
Twilight gave a weak smile as she nodded. She turned to leave saying, “I’ll inform the runner. How long shall we stay here?”
“We will be gone before night falls. If they choose to attack us again, I want to make sure no other villages will face this kind of torment. This was meant to kill me, not innocent village ponies!” Flurryshine said as she turned to sit back down.

Twilight gave another nod at walked away. She knew Flurryshine was hurting. To think the growing matter of stopping Braying Cliffs being so huge she can’t even take time to heal the emotional wounds of losing her father. Twilight sighed to herself. There will be time to heal. There will be time for them all to heal from this journey. That will come after they cleansed Braying Cliffs of all its hatred. Twilight had thought when she first met Flurryshine there was never a reason for any pony to hate so much. After last night…she could begin to understand how hatred could grow in a pony’s heart.

The runner stood before her. He had tried his best to rest most of the day to be fresh for his mission. The cycles still shown evidence of the traumatizing night he endured with all the others. Twilight approached him and nodded in greeting.
“My herd will be leaving Nickernabby to continue on to cleanse Braying Cliffs. Tell Princess Celestia this when you go to request for a relief effort,” Twilight explained.
“Will do, Miss Sparkle,” the stallion said before he took flight. He had a long one ahead of him, and no time to lose to bring his village the help it needed.

Twilight sighed as she went to break the news to the others. It would be hard to leave the village ponies to fend for themselves while they continued onwards. She felt partly responsible for the attack. Flurryshine’s words echoed in here mind, “They came here to kill me, not innocent village ponies.”

It was true. To the pegasi of Braying Cliffs, Nickernabby was just a casualty of their own war against change. They didn’t care either way what happened to the village if it meant getting rid of Flurryshine or any other pony that would try to change their ways. But, they had failed and now innocent ponies were dead because of their assault. Twilight felt herself shaking with her own anger. No! She shook her head rapidly, as if shaking the anger away from her. Twilight couldn’t let herself be consumed by hate as well. She saw what it turned a pony into. She heard it when she woke to Flurryshine mumbling in her sleep. The mumbles she heard were…graphic. The young alicorn had always been strange, but it was apparent to Twilight that Flurryshine’s psyche was severely damaged. A shiver over took her as the fevered mumblings returned to her. It had been frightening enough to Twilight to call upon an exhausted Bright Leaf, who administered a dose of poppy seeds to induce a deep sleep over Flurryshine.

She arrived at the ramshackle shelter our heroes were using as their resting spot. They were all currently there resting from spending the morning caring for the village ponies. Twilight approached them with a half-hearted smile. She looked upon her old and new friends alike with pride. They had all pulled through during the attack, doing everything they could to save the village. They all now lay slumped on the grass exhausted. It almost felt heartless to have to tell them they would be moving out today.
“Okay, girls, Flurryshine has made her call. We’re still going to the Braying Cliffs. We leave before nightfall,” Twilight said in the most cheerful tone she could muster.
“Aw, who made Flurryshine the boss and when did you become her second?” Rainbow Dash said gruffly.
“Look, I know this is not an ideal situation for anyone. But, we can’t stay here. They have made it clear they don’t want us meddling. If we stay here, they will just attack Nickernabby again,” Twilight tried to explain.
“Even if that is true, Twi, we can’t exactly take on Braying Cliffs buck tired and almost out of gumption,” Applejack spoke up tiredly.
“I know, but…we knew this wouldn’t be easy when we accepted to do this mission. We are going to cleanse one of the fiercest places in Equestria! Who here actually thought that would be a cake walk?” Twilight lectured them. They all grumbled and made sidelong glances at the ground.
“That’s what I thought. It seems to me we have two choices: give up and let Braying Cliff keep creating hate among ponies, or we go there and fight back!” she exclaimed.
“I personally like the second choice,” Twilight heard a voice approaching them say. She turned to see a fully composed Flurryshine walking up. She looked as fierce as ever, even more so by the blaze in her eyes.
“Of course, these ponies don’t care what I think,” Flurryshine said as she rolled her eyes.

Our remaining heroes shuffled their hooves for a moment or two before they all raised their heads smiling. Renewed determination in their eyes burned. This mission had started as a half-hearted adventure to most of them, but now they had paid in their own blood, sweat, and strength. This was more than just an adventure now. This was in a way a part of them, as if they couldn’t go home until they had seen this through to its very end. If that end was a bitter one, they were willing to even face that. They all began to rise from their places and gather around Twilight and Flurryshine.
Rainbow Dash seemed to speak for them all when she said, “Just let me get packed, and I am ready to go.”

Within the hour, they were making farewells with Bright Leaf and the village ponies. Bright Leaf had elected to stay behind to help the village ponies with rebuilding their home. He gave Flurryshine a long sincere look as she parted to head off before the others. He only shook his head as he finished wishing them luck before tending his many patients. The rest of our heroes caught up with Flurryshine quickly and they were all off. Walking down the ruined main road of the charred village sent chills and more determination to our heroes. They would make Braying Cliffs pay for this and for all the other ponies that have been hurt over the years.

They traveled for weeks through the roughest terrain and weather imaginable. They felt lucky to be alive when they reached an incline, and almost crestfallen to see a large snow fall had the passage buried beyond any means of traversing it. The mane six began to grumble as they tried to think of some way to deal with this. Flurryshine’s followers nudged them to watch carefully. They all looked onwards as Flurryshine walked toward the snow locked passage. Her body began to glow a dim blue as a glob of blue magic formed at the point of her horn. Flurryshine began to wave her head in a circular motion; it was slow at first but gained momentum the more she did this. She kept advancing on the snow as she did this. Strangely enough, the snow seemed to melt. No, it was more like it retreated at the touch of her growing magical aura. Flurryshine reared up and slung her head down. The blue orb that had grown ten feet in diameter was released. It went barreling up the passage. In its wake was the most awe inspiring thing the ponies had ever seen. The snowy passage was now mysteriously locked in a beautiful spring climate where the path was. It struck them that this was Flurryshine’s special gift. She could control the climate!
“You coming? This will only last until I pass through completely, and I am going now,” Flurryshine said flatly as she kept walking.

The ponies snapped out of their awestruck state and cantered after her. They almost held their breath as they walked beside Flurryshine. The grass was springy and green. The spring flowers were blooming ever so delicately. The very dark trees lining the passage were now blooming with delicate pink flower blossoms. The air was sweet and warm in this mock spring passage. As the others looked about in awe, Flurryshine kept up her pace without skipping a beat. She had no time to waste her energy on such things. Her mind was in a darker place. Just beyond this passage was they place of her greatest torment, the place that was also her home, Braying Cliffs.

As our heroes made it out of the passage, it instantly blew up a storm. The winter storm quickly sealed the passage again. They watched it do this in awe. They then looked to the way they were to go next. It was a winding rocky path deep into a mountain-like incline. As they continued onwards, Flurryshine stood in place and stared up the path. She kept staring up at the path with wavering eyes. Sparkleshine spotted this and cantered back to nudge her foreleg. The others soon stopped and looked back at her.
“Sugar cube, what’s eatin’ ya,” Applejack asked.
“Braying Cliffs’ valley is just up that path. It’s strange…I pushed to come here so hard. Now I am, it’s unnerving,” Flurryshine replied.
She shuffled her hooves a bit before she looked up determined to say, “You all should head up without me. Keep heading into the valley. Ask for Elder Moondancer (1). She will listen to you with the decree you have from the princess. It’s best if I stay hidden. If you wish to meet me after you speak to her, Snowbreeze knows where to find me.”

The others nodded before they continued on. Sparkleshine looked conflict until Flurryshine nudged her towards the others. The tiny filly nuzzled her elder cousin before bouncing off after the others. Flurryshine watched them go without a word. It was better this way. If she wasn’t with them they could try their best to help Braying Cliffs in their own way.

The valley was a quiet one. A light breeze swirled a delicate flurry through the air. As Flurryshine had said, almost every pony before them was snow white. As they walked amongst the valley ponies, they received reproachful and questioning looks from the local ponies. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Periwinkleflight even caught a few glares shot at them. Snowbreeze led them deep into the valley. They stopped when they reached a cluster of ponies around an elderly pony. The elderly mare was a white unicorn. Her fading hair showed to once be red with purple streaks. Even her silver crescent moon surrounded by red stars cutie mark seemed to be faded on this aging pony.
“Elder Moondancer, I have brought some ponies to see you,” Snowbreeze said and motioned for Twilight Sparkle to approach the elder.
“Come forward, little pony. Now, what brings you to our valley?” Elder Moondancer said with a cracked and calm voice.
Twilight approached the elder unicorn as she used her magic to pull out the scroll from the princess. She explained as she passed it to one of the elder’s attendants,” I am Twilight Sparkle, a student of Princess Celestia, she sent my friends and I to try and solve the feud between this valley and the pegasi district.”
Elder Moondancer nodded thoughtfully as she listened. She then replied, “I see. Judging by your company of Braying Cliffs’ locals in your group, you have encountered Flurryshine. No need to deny it. Who else would raise so much hay that the princess would even have to pay attention? I am the elder that protects this valley. I have done so since my herd split up to protect all the cities that dot Equestria’s countryside. Now, what can I do for you Twilight Sparkle?”
“Well, um… can you start by telling me what started this feud?” Twilight asked.
The aged unicorn grumbled to herself as she racked her ancient mind. She then began her tale as she remembered it. She explained,” As you know, the princesses saved the ponies from a world of trouble and strife under the rule of Discord. After this was done, the ponies of the first herd vowed to help the princesses by protecting the cities that cropped up after their rule began. I came here to protect Braying Cliffs a very long time ago. Sometime after Braying Cliffs was founded, the ponies had trouble getting along. Some say the land was cursed; others say that it was caused by one group of ponies betraying the trust of another. I can no longer remember what it really was myself. But, as the years past, things became worse and worse. Rumor has it is Diablo, of the pegasi district, has died due to this growing hatred.”
“Um, he has. He died fighting Flurryshine,” Twilight confirmed sheepishly.
“Oh my, poor dear, the world has been unkind to her always. Rumor has it Diablo did not die in his right mind. That one of our herd bewitched him into a raging beast,” Elder Moondancer replied.
“One of your own? Why the hay would anypony think that?” Applejack asked the elder.
“There is one among use rumored to be cavorting with the most unsavory of the pegasi leaders. He wishes to assist the pegasi end the feud by enslaving the ponies in the valley. Of course there is no proof, but the unicorn in question does disappear a lot,” said Elder Moondancer.
“Well, who is he?” Twilight asked anxiously.
“His given name is Enchanting Hooves, but he goes by Thorn. He is an arrogant stallion. I fear something very bad has happened to him. You see, ponies are creatures that are naturally good. We thrive best as creatures of good. But, when a pony’s heart is swallowed by any kind of dark emotion, it is quite disastrous for the pony and maybe other ponies as well. Thorn seems to have let pride most deadly in his heart. But, I had a vision. A vision of a pony that has also allowed darkness in their heart,” Elder Moondancer explained.
“D-do I even have to ask who?” Twilight stammered as she asked the elder.
Elder Moondancer smiled kindly as she began to recall her vision. She spoke ominously as she said, “I see a winged pony of white. Where a pure white heart should be is a heart of black. This pony ascends until it reaches the zenith of its flight at the highest peak of Braying Cliffs. With the entire wrath within this pony’s dark heart a howling wind will engulf this land. Many ponies will freeze at the touch of the wind and Braying Cliffs will be locked in eternal winter!”

The ponies stared in shock and horror at the elder pony. Elder Moondancer looked at them with a kind but stern look in her eyes. She then spoke once again saying, “I fear the pony from my vision is Flurryshine. That she is coming back, guided by the darkness in her heart, to silence Braying Cliffs forever. If she continues down this path of destruction, not only she but we all will die. Only a great force beyond a normal pony’s power can purify a heart that has been swallowed by darkness.”

The mane six thought back to Nightmare Moon. Was that why she became Nightmare Moon to begin with? Had Princess Luna’s heart been swallowed by darkness and transformed? In this lied an answer to one problem. If the Elements of Harmony had healed Princess Luna, could they heal Flurryshine? They all nodded before Twilight turned again to the elderly pony.
“Elder Moondancer, we wield the Elements of Harmony on behalf of the princesses. Do you think they could heal a heart swallowed by darkness? Could they cleanse Braying Cliffs and purify all the darkened hearts?” Twilight asked her.
Elder Moondancer placed her front hoof upon her chin and tapped it as she thought this over. She finally replied, “That may be the only thing strong enough in existence that could do such a thing. I hope it does. My life should’ve ended ages ago. Only my magic and undying hope is keeping me alive. I live to one day see Braying Cliffs be a land of peace for all ponies once again.”

Elder Moondancer then slumped back farther on her haunches. Her attendants encircled her again. When Twilight tried to approach further, one of the white earth ponies nudged her back. The elder had said all she could to them. It was obvious that the rest was up to them. The first thing was to investigate this Thorn character. Twilight bowed in respect to the elder unicorn and took her leave with her friends.
“Snowbreeze, do you know where we can find this Thorn pony?” Twilight said with new resolve.
“He lingers near the borders of the valley, near the few rocky paths that still lead up to the pegasi district. I must warn you, he is dangerous. He is slyer than a fox and more sinister than any viper,” Snowbreeze replied.
“Let me worry about that,” she said as she cantered off,” You guys stay here and recuperate!”

Twilight Sparkle raced through the beautiful valley of Braying Cliffs to its very edge. She whinnied as she almost ran over a sheer drop into a deep chasm. It looked as if a large bridge might have been here once, a bridge that may have led to the pegasi district. She ran along the side of the chasm until she came to the cliff face. She soon found some old rocky paths that led up the cliff to a more cloudy overhand high above. Twilight clamored up onto a ledge and waited. She wanted to make sure she saw Thorn before he saw her, and she had plenty of time to prepare before she confronted him.

As the hours passed Twilight slowly fell into a sleep. The exhaustion of the traveling the day before had finally gotten to her. She woke sometime later at the sound of somepony shouting at her. Twilight woke up to hear shouts done below her.
“Hey, you there, mare! Yes, you! What in the name of Equestria are you doing up on that ledge?” an arrogant stallion’s voice echoed from below her.

Twilight looked down to see what she thought was a male version of Trixie. The blue unicorn stallion was looking up at her in boredom. He had black and silver hair and black tufts on his legs. His blue-grey eyes held his bored gaze as she got up and jumped down to his level.
“Oh, sorry. I was waiting…for someone,” Twilight said sheepishly.
“Hm, like I really care, but who may you be waiting for? You don’t look like any pony I have seen in Braying Cliffs. Are you a traveler?” he asked in a half-bored tone.
“Um, yes. I am looking for a pony they call Thorn,” Twilight said noticing him raise an eyebrow.
“What in Equestria would you want with him?” Thorn said in response, careful not to make it seem he was Thorn.
“Well, I heard some rumors about him since I came here, about how he has been working with the pegasi despite an obvious feud. Quite fascinating. Oh, I am Twilight Sparkle. You are?” Twilight explained cheerfully.
Thorn smile deviously as he replied, “Thorn.”
“Oh! Um, hello. Well, um… would you like to explain the rumors…Hey!” Twilight said as Thorn walked around her, eyeing her like he was examining some specimen, and he slapped her haunches with his tail.
“Oh ho ho… So sorry, your just a very fine specimen of our kind. Quite pretty. I just couldn’t resist,” Thorn replied in a half condescending manner.
“Look, are you going to clarify on the rumors about you or not?” Twilight replied flatly in aggravation.
“Oh, but dear Twilight, you haven’t given me a reason to do so. You haven’t WIIFM yet,” Thorn responded.
“WIIFM?” Twilight asked.
“What’s…In…It…For…Me,” he explained.
“What’s in it for…Ugh, what would you want just to talk about yourself?!” Twilight exclaimed looking at him despondently. Thorn only leaned against a boulder and grinned deviously.
“Well, you were in that terribly ruined village of Nickernabby weren’t you?” Thorn said with obvious mock sympathy. Twilight glowered at him and stamped her foot.
“Don’t get me wrong, great tragedy in all it was. But, I believe a battle involving my fair Braying Cliffs was involved. Tell me, who do you think should have won? The mighty Diablo, or the rebel rouser Flurryshine?” Thorn said with a cruel grin and arrogance in every word.
“How do you even know about that battle anyways?” Twilight asked.
“Consider it answer one to your inquiry,” he responded coolly.
“Neither should have fallen. That battle was never meant to be fought between them,” Twilight answered proudly.
“But it did, my dear Twilight! They did do battle. Now where do your allegiance lay, my little outsider?” Thorn hissed as he circled Twilight continuously.
“I fight to change Braying Cliffs,” Twilight said proudly staring deep in Thorn’s sinister blue-grey eyes.
“Then you will fail, dear Twilight.” Thorn replied in a half singing voice.
“What makes you think you know that? I can change this land. My friends and I can do anything!” Twilight announced proudly.
“Oh, my dear, you don’t understand. Braying Cliffs does dangerous things to ponies. You come here to do well, but you will end up harming someone as you do your good. You’re standing on the precipice of your own disaster and not aware of it, poor Twilight Sparkle,” Thorn continued in a singly way before he broke into maniacal laughter.
Thorn then rounded on her. He pinned her against the cliff face as he continued in a manic voice,” You were true to your word; I shall be true to mine! There all true, hehehehe! I am a bad little pony! I fight to enslave this valley, to rule over it as the pegasi’s top servant! Don’t you see Twilight?! This is the only way for this land! It was I that turned Diablo against Flurryshine! Why? Why?! Because who better to silence that arrogant young upstart than her own sire! Hahahahahahahah! It was a beautiful success! I saw all Diablo saw while under my enchantment. The destruction, pain, and brutality he showed Nickernabby and Flurryshine! It was my masterpiece. Shame he couldn’t cut it in the end! You’re wondering why I am telling you this. Aren’t you, my dear? I’ll tell you! These will be the last words you hear, Twilight Sparkle! All others will fall on deaf ears; because you shall fall under my enchantment as well!”

Thorn’s eyes were mad with his insane pleasure. He kept laughing maniacally as his horn began to glow with blue magic. Twilight struggled as she tried to get the stronger stallion off her. His eyes were now being enveloped by his magic as he glowered down at her. Tendrils of magic slithered out of the aura around his horn. Twilight was in a full panic. She couldn’t think of anything…anything except her own magic. Twilight tried her best to quell her own fear. She had to restrain her emotions and concentrate on her magic. Slowly her own magic began to envelop her horn and slowly creep down her entire body. The tendrils sizzled at the touch of her magical aura. Thorn hissed as he pulsed more of his magic into the enchantment. The tendrils grew thicker as they were given more firepower. They began to probe and try to break her barrier she had conjured around herself. Hissing and sparks flew as the magic of the dark unicorn and the light unicorn collided. Thorn’s magic trying to shatter Twilight’s enough to enchant her deeply into being his minion. Twilight’s magic was trying ever so valiantly to fend off Thorn’s magic from overtaking its master.

The two unicorns were locked in a deep magical clash for almost an hour. Twilight’s aura was weakening fast against Thorn’s persistent magical onslaught. Twilight was done for. Thorn’s madden face showed no sign of fatigue. Then it happened. A thunderous neigh broke forth from higher up in the clouds. Thorn glanced up to see who dared interrupt his enchanting. His eyes dilated further than that of a mad pony. Twilight too strained to see what was above them. She gasped in shock and joy. Flurryshine was barreling toward them as fast as her wings could carry her. Thorn released his enchantment and bucked Twilight down the path. Twilight gasped in pain as she smacked muzzle first into the stone path. Dazed from her fall Twilight looked up to see Thorn flew over her head. Flurryshine soon vaulted over her after him.

Thorn and Flurryshine were squaring off in the outskirts of the valley. Their heads were down, brandishing their horns at each other in an intimidating fashion. Thorn glared at Flurryshine with insane laden eyes befitting his cruel nature. Flurryshine’s eyes matched his glare with her burning fury blazing within them. A choking cackle escaped Thorn as his magic launched from his horn. The giant slithering tendrils wrapped around Flurryshine’s body. They stung deep into her flesh and made her cry out in pain. Thorn only laughed harder as she reared and flew backward. The tendrils wrapping tighter around her, rendering even her wings useless. Thorn charged at her and leaped on Flurryshine’s exposed underside. He glowered over her with insane pleasure. Thorn leaned down to her ear and spoke ever so light and cruelly.
“I...changed your father,” he whispered into her ear. Flurryshine neighed in fury at his words as he smiled wickedly at her.
Blue aura of magic pulsed in his horn again as he reared up. He began to bring his horn down as he exclaimed, “Join your weak father in death!”

Bam! Thorn’s spell never hit home. The unicorn stallion was hit square in his chest with a blast of lavender magic and was tossed backwards. The blast lapsed the control of his spell, and Flurryshine was freed. She looked around to see a bedraggled Twilight panting heavily nearby. The lavender unicorn’s horn was still pulsed with residual magic. With a curt nod to Twilight, Flurryshine got to her hooves. The two mares advanced on Thorn as he got to his hooves.
“You…you mares think you can take me?! Hahahahahahahahaha!” he screamed as a blinding blue aura enveloped him. Twilight and Flurryshine stopped short as the aura blinded them. When the light dissipated, they looked on to see Thorn was gone.
“Did he…Did he just teleport?” Twilight said through pants of heavy breathing.
“Right back to the pegasi that let him roost among them in exchange for his deeds against all ponies no doubt,” Flurryshine said darkly and snorted.

The two looked at each other for a moment. Both mares were panting heavily from their individual battles against Thorn. They swallowed hardly as they began to calm down. Twilight and Flurryshine began their trek back to their friends. No longer as just two ponies that walked along the same path, but sisters in this war. They had fought alongside each other, even saved each other in this battle. Their trek into the valley was one that was held in silence. Neither needed to hear the others voice to know their thoughts. This war had bonded them on a different level entirely.

When they reached the inner most reaches of the valley the herd had already seen them coming. Word had traveled fast about the student of the princess returning side by side with the young rebel rouser. How they both looked fatigue. The rumors spread. Ponies recalled the last conversation they overheard Twilight have. Before Twilight and Flurryshine had even made it to the herd, every pony had heard the news that they had did battle with Thorn. That was the only explanation! Ponies quickly moved out of their way as they milled into the herd. Both Flurryshine’s and Twilight’s friends came galloping up to greet them with concern. The two were probed, rubbed, hugged, and showered with affection as their friends evaluated how much damage they received in battle.

Almost with relief consuming her, Twilight felt her consciousness fade. Her adrenaline gone, the fatigue from colliding magic against Thorn took over her. She collapsed into Fluttershy and Applejack’s hooves. Our heroes squealed in concern as Twilight fell deeply into a trance-like sleep, her body refusing to wake at the persistent shaking. Twilight could hear them faintly echoing in the back of her mind as they pleaded her to wake up. She didn’t listen; the strain of using her magic in battle had taken its toll. She just allowed her mind to drift into a black, dreamless, sleep.
“She is merely sleeping. It…it will be fine…,” Flurryshine explained before she suddenly collapsed.
Our heroes squealed as the young alicorn lay sprawled on the grass. Her consciousness fading as fast as Twilight’s had done. She felt Snowbreeze and Springflower place her wings back into a folded position. Flurryshine only curled into a ball, like a tiny foal. Her mind had already gone to a better place. It was back when she was a foal herself, a foal relaxing in this valley with her mother.
The last words the ponies heard her say was the whisper, “Angelus…”

Author's Note:
(1) Moondancer is a G1 unicorn. I felt it be fitting to make a G1 an elder.

Braying Cliffs part 2

Twilight woke with a start. She looked groggily around to find herself in a small bedroom. Tha-dook! Twilight heard again on the rooftop. She looked around to see Pinkie Pie ducked under a window with squinted eyes.
“Pinkie, what’s going on?” Twilight asked.
“We are under enemy fire, sergeant,” Pinkie Pie responded as she ducked down low after another thud on the rooftop.
“What? What are you talking about?!” Twilight asked as she scrambled out of bed.
“The pegasi are attacking the valley, duh!” Pinkie pronounced excitedly.
“An attack! Come on, Pinkie, we gotta help!” Twilight exclaimed as she rushed out of the house.

Twilight rushed into the fray of panicked ponies. Pinkie Pie bounced happily behind her. The two scrambled and dodged aerial attacks as they tried to find their friends. Through the panicked herd, Twilight spotted Flurryshine using her height to frighten the aerial opponents from swooping down on the ponies near her. Twilight cantered up to her and stood back to back as they acknowledge each other’s presence. Twilight began fending off a few pegasi as Pinkie Pie came up and led a group of nearby foals back to the house they were just in.
“You know, this would a good time to use those Elements of Harmony,” Twilight heard Flurryshine yell over her shoulder.
“One problem, I don’t know where my friends are for us to do that,” Twilight shouted back ducking from a pegasi soldier, “Why are they attacking us?”
“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe a certain blue lackey of their boss didn’t like our idea of justice,” Flurryshine responded with sarcasm. A nearby pegasus squealed in pain as Flurryshine’s horn grazed along his flank.
“Ugh, this is bad. Very bad!” Twilight grumbled.

The valley was in disarray. Mares were rushing foals to the safety of homes far from the battle. Stallions were trying their best to do battle with their winged adversaries. Elder Moondancer and her attendants were rallying the valley ponies to her. Our heroes were scattered about, trying to fight the oncoming armies or protecting the more defenseless ponies. Twilight heard a frustrated snort behind her. Her eyes locked on the same thing Flurryshine was seeing. Another wave was descending from the pegasi district. This battle was not going to end until the valley submitted at this rate.
“This is a load! Time to handle things my way!” Flurryshine said as her great wings spread open.
“No…no…no…no!” Twilight said with growing anxiety as Flurryshine ascended into the air, kicking away assaulting pegasi as she ascended above the battle.

This was it! Twilight knew it was about to happen. Elder Moondancer’s prediction was about to come true! Flurryshine flew higher and higher, ignoring the battle below her. She rallied all her power as she kept ascending. The battle soon became merely a speck upon the ground as she rose high enough to see all of Braying Cliffs before her. Flurryshine knew this was it. Her magic pulsed as she summoned it to her. It welled deeper and deeper around her in a massive aura. Being held by her aura alone, Flurryshine curled completely in on herself as she concentrated on her great deed ahead of her.

Below her, Twilight was scrambling to find her friends. They had to act fast! She found Sparkleshine and Rainbow Dash fending off some pegasi that had downed Fluttershy. Seeing her downed friend, Twilight welled up a charge of magic and shot it at the lead pegasi offender. With him blasted out of the sky, his companions were quick to gather him up and scatter. She stopped beside Rainbow Dash as she landed to check on Fluttershy. The canary pegasus had sprained her wing and graciously assured them she was otherwise fine.
“Dash, we gotta stop Flurryshine! I think she is about to do what Elder Moondancer saw in her vision,” Twilight explained completely exasperated.
“Leave it to me! I’ll knock her out of the sky!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed and shot off. Rainbow Dash didn’t get to fully shoot away before she felt something land on her back. She kept flying thinking it would fall off with her speed. To her surprise, tiny hooves embraced her neck as Sparkleshine poked her head up.
“Let’s go, Rainbow Dash! We gotta get Flurryshine to stop!” Sparkleshine said to the spectrum pegasus with solid determination in her eyes. Rainbow Dash nodded before she launched herself higher into the air.

Rainbow Dash and Sparkleshine kept climbing higher and higher into the air. The air was thinning as they ascended. It felt almost too cold the higher they went. Then they saw it. Flurryshine was surrounded in a swirling blue aura. Noticing the growing need to get to her fast, Rainbow Dash kicked it into overdrive. She was only a hundred feet away from Flurryshine when the young alicorn forced her wings open. The sheer pressure of the howling storm that erupted from the alicorn and downwards to Braying Cliffs sent Rainbow Dash barreling downwards with it.

It was cold. It was colder than any storm that any of the ponies had ever felt. The winds howled as the snow and ice bit deep into their coats. Rainbow Dash and Sparkleshine had felt the brunt of the storm from being so close. Rainbow Dash bit back crying in pain as she felt ice forming on her wings. The spectrum pegasus struggled to get her bearings back, and then it happened. Another pulse of the artic winds pushed her back again and sent Sparkleshine flying off her back. The tiny filly whinnied in horror as she fell through the icy skies. Rainbow Dash turned to dive to see the valley already being buffeted by huge snow banks! She dived when she spotted Sparkleshine. Her wings tucked close to her body as she dived as fast as she could. As she felt she couldn’t reach the filly in time, a blur of pinkish equine flew up out of the valley and caught her. It was Periwinkleflight! As Rainbow Dash pulled out of her dive another pulse hit her in the back. She gasped as she too was sent tumbling to the snow covered ground. She tried to will her wings to open. The ice had almost frozen them completely. Another swoop and she felt someone catch her before see hit the ground. Periwinkleflight sat her on the ground as the wind howled around her. The speed of the wind was overwhelming closer to the ground. Ponies were hunched tightly to the ground in hopes to be sheltered by the massive storm.
“To me ponies! All unicorns assist me in protecting the herd!” the ancient voice of Elder Moondancer echoed over the howling wind.

As Rainbow Dash, Sparkleshine, and Periwinkleflight followed the voice they saw an orb on a knoll. Ponies were shuffled into the orb as fast as they could. They too scrambled into the orb to see Elder Moondancer and all the unicorns in the valley concentrating their magic to hold the orb-like barrier. They also saw all of their friends huddled among the myriad of unicorns, earth ponies, and some injured enemy pegasi. The few pegasi soldiers that made it to the barrier unscathed looked around in panic.
“Fly home warriors! This storm affects your home as much as it does ours. Fly home and make sure the other pegasi get to shelter!” Elder Moondancer’s voice told the pegasi firmly. The uninjured soldiers swallowed hardly and nodded before they braved the storm to head home.
“Rainbow Dash, you’re okay! Thank Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed as the trio came towards them.
“I’m sorry Twilight. She launched that storm before I could reach her,” Rainbow Dash replied, crestfallen.
“It’s okay Dash. Atleast we are all together now. Pinkie Pie went and got the Elements of Harmony from our saddlebags. It’s time we end this the right way,” Twilight explained as she nuzzled her friend.
“Let me try to reason with her!” a small voice piped up. The ponies looked to see Sparkleshine stare at them with the same ferocity that Flurryshine was known for. The tiny filly looked so much like her elder cousin at this moment is was almost terrifying.
“I’m sorry, Sparkleshine. We can’t take that risk. This storm has created a barrier around the cliffs. I don’t think even Princesses Celestia and Luna could break it!” Twilight tried to explain to the young filly.
“Please! She will listen to me, if I can just get close enough to talk to her! What do you say Rainbow Dash? You’re the only pegasus that has a chance of making it through that storm!” Sparkleshine pleaded.
With a sigh Rainbow Dash said,” Alright, I’ll give it one more try. Is that alright with you Twilight?”
“Just once more, if it gets too dangerous, come back immediately!” Twilight implored.

Rainbow Dash gave her a curt nod before she lowered herself enough for the small filly to get on her back. Sparkleshine gave Twilight a look that radiated, “Thank you, Twilight.” With Sparkleshine holding on tightly, Rainbow Dash opened her wings. The ice was melted from being in the orb. The spectrum pegasus prayed they would endure the storm long enough to fulfill her mission. She gave a great leap as she took to the air. As quick as a bolt of lightning, she was off into the storm. They rose higher and higher, as they prayed Flurryshine wouldn’t unleash a new buffet of howling winds to the already mighty storm. Luck was with them as they raced through the frigid air. They made it to Flurryshine with no severe delay.
Only a matter of feet from the alicorn, Sparkleshine screamed, “Flurryshine, stop this! You’re hurting every pony in the valley! Please! Stop the storm!”

The young alicorn turned her head. Her eyes were clouded by the aura of the swirling magic she had summoned forth. Blinded by her magic, Flurryshine raised her wings high and flapped them down viciously upon the pair. The wail of the artic wind of a fresh gust added to the already crippling blizzard and knocked Rainbow Dash out of the sky. The spectrum pegasus began falling farther and farther. Her body felt like it was freezing. She thought she was dying, the way things were growing blurry and dark. The only thing keeping her to her senses was the solitary squeal of Sparkleshine as she too was tumbling to her own doom. The tiny filly had been knocked from Rainbow Dash’s back and was falling faster and faster to the ground. Rainbow Dash willed her consciousness to stay with her as she tried in vain to right herself enough to try and save her. But, Sparkleshine was tumbling too fast! She would surely be crushed when she hit the ground.

Then, as if a last ray of hope in this dismal blizzard, a great white bird swooped down and caught Sparkleshine. Atleast, Rainbow Dash thought it was a bird at first. She soon realized it was Flurryshine! Her aura still resonating around her, the alicorn caught the young unicorn and rushed off higher into the sky. She flew past Rainbow Dash without a glance in her direction! Rainbow Dash didn’t need her help anyways. The pegasus managed to open her wings and scramble a hap-hazard landing to the snowy ground. Tired and beaten by the storm, Rainbow Dash lay in the snow bank she had fallen in. In the distance she could hear voices, the voices of her friends coming closer. Rainbow Dash thanked her lucky stars she had landed so close to the barrier upon the knoll.

It had only been moments later after bringing her back into the barrier that Rainbow Dash recovered. The young mare was strong and resilient even now, as her friends gathered around her Rainbow Dash noticed Twilight looking up into the storm filled blizzard skies dubiously. The spectrum pegasus managed to stagger to her hooves and walk over to Twilight.
“What’s up Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked seriously, knowing the look on Twilight’s face meant something quite grave.
“Sparkleshine was taken by Flurryshine, wasn’t she?” Twilight asked without diverting her gaze from the skies.
“Y-yeah, she was. Why ya ask?” Rainbow Dash replied in a tired voice.
“The blizzard is letting up slightly. I think Flurryshine regained some of her senses when she took Sparkleshine. But, this storm is still way too harsh. We gotta find her, and use the Elements of Harmony to knock out her control over the climate,” Twilight explained as she turned to look up at the barely visible peak of the cliffs.
“You don’t mean we…eep! Go up there?” Fluttershy said with a tiny squeak and a cringe.
“Where else? You all heard Elder Moondancer’s vision. “This pony ascends until it reaches the zenith of its flight at the highest peak of Braying Cliffs.” We have to go to that peak and make our stand!” Twilight replied.
Our heroes look amongst each other worriedly, before Snowbreeze approaches Twilight Sparkle. She told her, “You and your friends must continue on alone, Twilight. Springflower, Periwinkleflight, and I will stay and help protect the ponies here. May luck speed you on your quest without delay.”

Twilight Sparkle nodded as she and her friends gave their farewells too the Braying Cliffs ponies. These last several weeks from their meeting in Ponyville until now seemed like they had spent a lifetime together. It was hard to tell them good-bye and just carry on with their mission as just the mane six. Then their souls stirred at the voice that came to their ears.
“Your journey is a just one. As you go to bring salvation to all ponies in this land, my magic will protect and guide you to the peak,” Elder Moondancer’s voice rang out.

Bowing before the elder unicorn, Twilight Sparkle and her friends donned their Elements of Harmony. Our heroes then turned as they left the barrier to brave the blizzard. The storm bit deep into their skin. The howl of the wind muted all other noise. If they had wished to speak to each other, it would be a futile attempt to try to do so over this wind. The ponies slowly trudged through the storm. They held their heads low as they tried to shield their eyes and nostrils from the ice in the air. The snow clung to their coats as they staggered to the edge of the valley. It was almost an impossible feat in this weather.

On the verge of falling into the chasm next to them, they continued on towards the few rocky paths left in the valley. The ponies clamored on the icy stones and struggled to stay on four hooves. The paths were caked with snow and look impassible to the ponies. They looked about to try to find a clear one when a soft breeze blew past them. This breeze was different than the howling storm raging around them. It was soft and had a sweet scent of fragrant flowers that tickled their noses. The ponies followed the breeze to a path that had snow caked high enough to hide it. At the touch of their hooves, the snow seemed to slump into a passible lump. They quickly clamored over it and hugged the cliff face as they ventured up the path.

The path seemed to go on forever. They kept as close as they could as it began to narrow until they had to walk in a single file line up the path. The storm seemed to rage even harder the farther up they went. They struggled up slowly. Pinkie Pie slipped and almost fell to her death, before Applejack pulled her back on the path. The six friends took this moment to recuperate. They felt their long trek was coming to an end. The raging storm was evidence enough that Flurryshine was close by, stirring her influence of the climate farther into this great blizzard. The ponies struggled to their hooves, almost completely sapped of their strength, as they pressed on.

It was almost refreshing when they made it to the peak. It was not as if the peak was some kind of haven from the storm. Oh no, it raged every so much worse here. As they collapsed upon the flattened peak’s surface the ponies noticed a small lump of white coat curled up close by. Sparkleshine lay unconscious before them. It was only then they noticed the sound of rhythmic beating of huge wings above them. Sure enough, they saw Flurryshine cased in her blue swirling aura as she spurred her storm onwards. It almost seemed to the ponies that she truly would lock Braying Cliffs in eternal winter the way she was rallying this storm to do her bidding. As a practitioner of magic, Twilight knew Flurryshine’s strength must be wearing thin from all this force she was exuding into her spell. Now was the time to strike! They were directly below Flurryshine, and Twilight could almost feel the exhaustion Flurryshine had from holding up this storm. They had strike while she was still unaware of her presence!

“Come on girls! It’s now or never!” Twilight proclaimed as she got to her hooves and waited for her friends to assemble.

Renewed by Twilight’s proclamation, her friends rallied around her. The stones of each of their necklaces began to glow before engulfing their masters within the same soft glow. As the five necklaces made their masters shine, Twilight’s tiara answered their call and too began to glow. Slowly Twilight was enveloped in the glow of her element as well. She slowly rose in the air as all the glows shifted to an omnipotent white brilliance. The brilliance had caught Flurryshine’s attention. But, it was too late to act. As Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes that reflected the omnipotent glow around them, the great white brilliance shuddered and sent forth a huge rainbow! Caught point blank in the blast radius, Flurryshine could do nothing but give a shuddering gasp as the rainbow struck her! Her bracers shattered on impact, and covered the young alicorn’s body in a multitude of cuts! The aura of the spell shattered with an agonizing shudder. Flurryshine felt weak, and then pain shot through her as the rainbow broke free of its assault on her and ventured out over the cliffs with the sonic boom of her shattered spell. Crack! Flurryshine did not know if it came from the combined force of the spells in effect or her own body as her wings filled with pain simultaneously as the shattered spell and the rainbow of harmony set forth on the cliffs!

“Twilight. Twiiiilight,” a sweet voice called to the sleeping unicorn.

Twilight stirred at the sound of her name. She then began to notice she was in a strange bed. She lifted her head with a start, and almost clocked Princess Celestia in the muzzle in the process. Twilight looked about to see she was in a grand stone bedroom and before her were both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
“P-princesses?! W-where…where am I? Where are my friends?!” Twilight exclaimed.
Princess Celestia chuckled as she replied, “They are fine my dearest student. Everything is fine…somewhat.”
“Somewhat?” Twilight asked softly.
“Thine spells hast comingled most curiously. Braying Cliffs dost now stand in a state of a bearable winter,” Luna explained.
“A bearable winter? Will it always be so?” Twilight asked.
“I’m afraid so. Its seems when the Elements of Harmony shattered Flurryshine’s spell it caused the after effect of giving Braying Cliffs a year round winter wonderland,” Princess Celestia tried to explicate further.
“Really? Oh, how are my friends? Is Flurryshine okay?!” Twilight questioned worriedly.
“Rest easy, Twilight, thy friends are safe,” Luna replied.
“And Flurryshine,” Twilight pressed.
“Resting… Bright Leaf has been caring for her,” Princess Celestia replied.
“Bright Leaf? He is here?! How long have I been unconscious?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, about a week,” Princess Celestia said with a giggled as Twilight jumped up in surprise.
“Doing battle against Flurryshine’s spell hast sapped thy of your strength. It is only natural thy would be incapacitated be the stress thine own spell,” Luna explained.
“Oh yes...I guess your right Princess Luna. By the way, why are you talking like that again?” Twilight replied.
“Oh, sorry. Old habits die hard. Your friends are waiting for you anyways Twilight,” Luna responded.
“Oh, okay. Thanks again your majesties. I’ll be off now,” Twilight said with a small bow and cantered off.
“Ciao,” Princess Celestia said with a giggle.
“Farewell,” Luna called after her.

Twilight cantered out only to gasp. She was in a beautiful stone town. A light snow blanketed the ground as mostly pegasi and some other types of ponies milled about the town. They all seemed happy as the worked to clear the larger snow banks from the rooftops and main streets. It finally struck Twilight where she was. This must be the pegasi district! She galloped along the main streets to find a round of guards moving the shattered remains of what looked like pony ice sculptures. To her horror she realized they were the remains of frozen ponies! Snowbreeze approached her without Twilight knowing.
“It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it?” Snowbreeze said softly, which caused Twilight to jump with a start.
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.
“All the ponies that wanted to keep Braying Cliffs separated or took pleasure and harming others were frozen instantly by the storm and shattered. Even Thorn was frozen like this,” Snowbreeze explained.
“She...she really did silence those that would harm the ponies of Braying Cliffs,” Twilight said in a frightened voice.
“Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. The Elements of Harmony purified her, and punished her for the sin of taking so many pony lives,” Snowbreeze whispered consolingly.
“Punished her for her sin?” Twilight asked.
“…Its best you see for yourself,” Snowbreeze said as she turned away.

Twilight followed the snow white unicorn deep into the village. They came to a small building carved splendidly out of the stone. They entered to be greeted by their friends. Twilight relished the affection her friends showered her with. They had survived this journey! After they checked on Flurryshine, they could finally go home to Ponyville.
“Could you all please keep it down? There are sick ponies here in need of rest,” an all too familiar stallion’s voice said grumpily.
“Eh heh, sorry Bright Leaf. How is Flurryshine?” Twilight said as she broke free of her friends. Everyone fell silent as Bright Leaf shoke his head at the question.
“I guess no one has told you yet. Well, come with me Twilight,” Bright Leaf said as he motioned her into a back room.

The two walked into the room to see a large bed along the back wall, a small table nearby had a series of herbs placed on it and a bucket of water on the floor beside it. A groan came from the bed as they approached. Twilight gasped as she gazed upon Flurryshine. The alicorn was covered in bandages, some of which were slightly bloodied. Her great wings were bandaged and bound to her body. Next to the bed was Sparkleshine. The filly looked absolutely distraught. She glanced only a moment at Twilight before she returned to her vigil. Twilight then noticed something very different about the filly. Her flank was no longer blank! A series of tiny pale yellow sparks were connected together by blue lines like a constellation. The constellation they resembled popped into Twilight’s mind instantly.
“The Leo constellation… That’s a beautiful cutie mark, Sparkleshine,” Twilight said softly.
“Yeah, I had it when I woke up. I guess I earned it by braving that storm twice to try and make Flurryshine come to her senses,” Sparkleshine said glumly.
“That took bravery, and you have always been loyal to your cousin. You have earned that cutie mark,” Twilight said softly and proudly.
Sparkleshine gave a weak smile as she turned to leave, “I guess you’re right. I gotta go now. Thanks Twilight.”
As Sparkleshine left, Flurryshine groaned. It seemed a delayed reaction to the silence of the room being disrupted by the quiet conversation. Flurryshine groggily opened her eyes and raised her head. She struggled to look at Twilight as if she couldn’t focus her vision on her.
“Twilight? Is that you?” Flurryshine said in a gruff voice.
“It…It is,” Twilight said shakingly.
“Haha, I knew you would come. You got me good. Ow…,” Flurryshine replied happily before cringing.
Bright Leaf moved instantly to cradle her head and lay it back down on the pillow. He looked down at her with great concern as she panted shallowly for a few moments before looking up at him. A weak smile crossed her face as she gazed up at the pegasus healer.
“Thank you, Bright Leaf. As I was saying, Twilight, you got me good. Now don’t give me that look, I will recover…eventually. But, you knocked a lot of sense into me! I feel better, like all my hatred and sorrow is gone. Thank you, Twilight,” Flurryshine managed to say before coughing.
“I’m sorry you got hurt, Flurryshine. Are…are you sure you will get better? You look pretty badly injured,” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, mostly atleast,” Flurryshine struggled to say.
“Mostly?” Twilight asked on the verge of tears.
“My…my wings are ruined. They will heal but…not much of a chance I will ever be able to fly again,” Flurryshine said grimly.
“What…No…No! This is my fault!” Twilight exclaimed.
“Twilight, calm yourself! You did what you had to save us all. Flurryshine will be fine. Even if she can never fly again, she will be well cared for,” Bight Leaf said as he grabbed Twilight’s shoulder.
“Huh?” Twilight said, snapping from her momentary hysterics.
“Bright Leaf has spent hours every night since you shot me down vowing he will protect me when he thinks I can’t hear him,” Flurryshine replied bluntly as she snuggled her pillow as Bright Leaf flushed and his wings flustered out.

Twilight could only giggle as Bright Leaf shot Flurryshine a furiously embarrassed glare. To which she only coyly fluttered her eyes as she made herself look as innocent as possible while still cracking a devious smile. The two kept dueling with their expressions as Twilight fell on her hindquarters laughing at how flushed Bright Leaf’s muzzle got as Flurryshine looked up at him coolly. He finally cracked a devious smile of his own as his eyes sparkled with inspiration.
“Twilight, would you please pardon yourself? I think SOMEONE is ready for another dose of poppy seeds!” he said politely as he held his devious look, to which Flurryshine paled.
“No…No…No! Twilight, don’t you leave me with him! He is gonna knock me out cold!” Flurryshine pleaded in a panic.
“Now. Now. Don’t get too excited. You might aggravate your injuries,” Bright Leaf scolded as he grabbed some poppy seeds off the small table.
“Hehe, the doctor knows best Flurryshine,” Twilight said teasingly as she left the room.
“Noooooooooo! Twiiliiight!” Twilight heard Flurryshine wail as she left Flurryshine to face Bright Leaf’s revenge. She giggled at the thought of the duo’s antics.

Her friends looked at her curiously as they heard Flurryshine’s wail. Twilight just shrugged and ran to greet them thoroughly with hugs. The friends giggled happily together. They giggled so loud they didn’t even here the shouts of Flurryshine cursing her luck that she had to now keep Bright Leaf from shoving poppy seeds done her throat.
“You’ve done well my dearest student,” Princess Celestia voice broke the happy reunion.
“No! Bad pegasus! Get away!” Flurryshine’s voice rang out in the momentary silence.
“Just take the dang medicine and quiet down!” Bright Leaf’s voice followed shortly after.

They all laughed at the outburst. It was obvious that, even after sustaining so many injuries, Flurryshine was already very much back to her old self under Bright Leaf’s watch. It was an assuring sign things would be fine without them here. Flurryshine would probably take it upon herself to enforce the newfound peace once she was back on her hooves.
“I think it’s time you girls were heading back home. Luna and I have got Braying Cliffs under control. You don’t need to worry,” Princess Celestia said to them.
“By the sounds of things, it won’t be long until you can count on Flurryshine’s help too,” Twilight remarked to everyone’s amusement.
“There! Finally got her to take the medicine,” Bright Leaf said as he came into the room with a messier mane and wings than usual.
“That’s reassuring. Bright Leaf can you give Flurryshine a message when she wakes?” Princess Celestia said.
“Of…Of course your majesty,” Bright Leaf stammered.
“I have decided once she is healed, she will act as the official protector as the captain of the Braying Cliffs guard,” the princess proclaimed.
“Oh! I’m…I’m sure she will be delighted to know you think so much of her to bestow such an honor. I extend a gracious thank you on her behalf, since we both know she will never say it,” Bright Leaf replied almost mystified and grumbling the last part.
“Hmhm, I wouldn’t have her any other way,” the princess giggled.

It was later that evening when our heroes said their final farewells. Bright Leaf even helped Flurryshine out to wish them luck on their way back home. The perpetual scowl she used to wear was replaced by a weak and genuine smile. It was almost as if the young alicorn was learning to smile again, after a lifetime of pain. She leaned heavily of Bright Leaf as her bum wings were bound tightly to her body. Bright Leaf didn’t mind her leaning on him. He enjoyed the closeness that her being injured had given him. He was almost sadden knowing he would never get a chance to touch her like this again once she was well enough to terrify her future troops into a crack team of protectors. He smiled sadly as he watched everyone laughing and crying as they said farewell to Twilight and her friends.
“Stop moping so much,” Flurryshine whispered and nibbled his ear. Bright Leaf flushed with surprise only to look at her morosely a moment later. He thought this was just another joke she making about how he felt about her. To his surprise, Flurryshine was smiling genuinely back at him and nuzzled his muzzle with her own.

Twilight saw the exchange between the two, and how the brown stallion seemed to turn bright red with his wings stuck straight out at the nuzzling. She giggled softly, hoping not to draw any attention to the two. She then turned to her friends that smiled proudly at their accomplishment. They had not only saved Equestria twice, but now saved an entire city from destroying itself. The turned and clamored down the newly reconstructed stone bridge down to the valley, courtesy of the princesses’ joined magic. They kept walking until they were out of everypony’s sight. They left Braying Cliffs as heroes.

Epilogue

It had been over a year since the liberation at Braying Cliffs. The whole of Equestria was at peace again. The cliffs had become a panicle of good nature to all. At its core was the guard that was now a mix of earth, unicorn, and pegasus ponies. Their fearless and strict leader being…
“GAAAAAAAAH! Bight Leaf, you son of a…OWOWOWOWOWOW!” wailed Flurryshine loud enough to bring most of the pegasi district to a halt.

The town soon erupted as a big brown pegasus stallion flew for his life with Flurryshine galloping behind him in a rage. The pegasus healer had made the fatal mistake of pulling too tightly in bandaging the current captain of the guard’s damaged wings. Terrified for his life, he did what any smart pony would do. He fled as quickly as he could from the raging mare. Flurryshine was closing the distance between them when she leaped into the air. She tackled the hapless stallion to the stone road beneath them.
“Oof!” Bright Leaf grunted as he hit the ground with Flurryshine on top of him. He shivered as he heard her malice filled voice.
“Now you’re gonna get it. You did that one purpose, didn’t you?!” she hissed as shoke the stallion violently with her forelegs.
“I…Swear...I…didn’t… Flurry…Shine!” he managed to shout through the violent shaking.
“Um, Captain? Is everything alright here?” a stern young soldier said as he approached his leader that was shaking the very essence out of one of the town’s healers.
“Huh? Oh, its fine, Sergeant Snowhoof. Just the usual,” Flurryshine said calmly to the solider before she pinned Bright Leaf, who was trying to escape.
“So, any news?” Flurryshine asked her subordinate as she sat on Bright Leaf.
“Um, only that we received a letter from a mail pony for you. It is addressed from a Twilight Sparkle,” Sergeant Snowhoof explained.
“Hoof it over please,” Flurryshine said before kicking Bright Leaf for trying to escape from under her.
“OOF! Cut it out, Flurryshine. I’m sorry if it hurt, but I didn’t mean to pull so tight. Honest I didn’t!” Bright Leaf groaned to his captor.

A subordinate soldier passed the letter to Sergeant Snowhoof, who in turn gave it to Flurryshine. As the young alicorn read the letter, the subordinate soldier looked to his sergeant confused.
Sergeant Snowhoof placed his hoof over his mouth and whispered, “Lover’s spat. Whatever you do, don’t get in the middle of it.”

The sergeant flinched as Flurryshine gave him a warning glance. It was obvious the young alicorn had heard him over the cries of her “Lover” pleading to be released from under her. A smile most devious crossed her face as she closed the letter and let Bright Leaf up. The stallion gasped for air before flopping down beside Flurryshine.
“Did you really have to sit on me?!” he asked exasperated.
“Did you have to run like a wuss?” she replied.
“Did you have to lose your cool over a simple mistake?!” he continued.
“Must you always complain?! Geez, if you don’t like my attitude, why the buck do you follow me around like a lost colt? Last time I checked I wasn’t any pony’s mom!” Flurryshine shot back at him. Bright Leaf glared at her for a few moments. A glare Flurryshine was glad to return, and their game was set. Flurryshine had clearly won this round.
“What does Twilight Sparkle want?” he asked.
“Heh, to invite us to a party. You feel like traveling?” Flurryshine said with her devious grin plastered on her face.
“You’re a strange mare, you know that. You yell at me for following you and now you’re inviting me to travel with you, any of this sounding a bit screwy?” Bright Leaf sighed.
“Are you coming or not?” Flurryshine said flatly.
“Of course I am coming!” Bright Leaf exclaimed as he got to his feet and looked her in the eyes. The year since the great storm had been kind to him. He was now as tall as Flurryshine and learned a bit about asserting himself from being at her side constantly. He had become a worthy opponent for the cynical alicorn.
“Sergeant Snowhoof, you’re in charge. Bright Leaf and I are going to Ponyville for a one year celebration of the victory over the great storm,” Flurryshine proclaimed.
“The storm that you created,” Bright Leaf shot at her.
“Oh shuddup, and move your tail,” Flurryshine said as she shoved him towards the bridge. Bright Leaf could only chuckle as he cantered off with her following him.

Sergeant Snowhoof saluted his departing captain. She had been working nonstop to maintain peace and order in Braying Cliffs. It was good to see hear head off on another whirlwind adventure. No doubt, the other Braying Cliffs heroes would be joining her on this quest.