> Rise of the Supermare!
>  by Kaliann25
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Supermare 01
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The blessing of the Sun


Canterlot Outskirts, Hall of Justice:

Far from the prying eyes of the observation decks, the monitor room was nestled in the most secure portion of the building. Its dim lighting revealed the most advanced technology on the planet of Equus, a mixture of the magical and mundane, the native and the alien. It served two complementary functions. The first was to detect any phenomena that would require action by public safety officers. The second was communicate to the appropriate authorities, be it as minor as a quick chat with a local constable or as massive as contact with every resource the princesses could bring to bear.

A magenta aura brightened the room as the lone figure within used her telekinesis to tweak and twiddle the controls and to fill out the paperwork that was the unseen lifeblood of the organization. She was a rare being, sporting both wings and a horn. Her fur and feathers were lavender, while her mane and tail were dark blue, with a magenta and a purple stripe. Although she now embodied all three tribes, she had ascended from a unicorn. In the heyday of Harmony, she bore the Element of Magic. To this day, some swore she was magic itself. She was none other than Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and she more nervous than she had ever been in her life.

The door opened to admit her brother. Despite their differences they were almost as close a mother and son. While he was technically still a baby dragon, he bore the weight of many worlds on his shoulders. He wore a bodysuit with a green torso and black limbs. White boots and gloves completed his ensemble. In the middle of the torso, his suit sported the symbol of his office, a green lantern on a white background.

The dragon said, "There you are, Twilight! Do you know everyone is wondering why you just disappeared? Celestia is worried sick!"

Twilight turned to her little brother and gave him a smile. "Hi, Spike."

The hatchling gently laid his hand on Twilight's withers. "I'm glad I found you. Would you believe Shining Armor's started a betting pool on what you'd be doing? So far, most of the money is on you hiding in a corner, freaking out because of the stress. I told them you'd probably be focusing on some routine chore to keep yourself distracted."

Sighing, Twilight replied, "Touché, Spike."

"You know, Twilight, you could just say no if you don't think this is right for you. Nopony would think any less of you."

"I would. This is what I've been working toward my whole life. Everypony is counting on me, and if I mess this up, everypony pays the price. The fate of Equestria is now in my hooves, Spike."

"I know exactly what you mean, Twilight."

Twilight glare at him. "When was the last time you held the fate of thousands of ponies in your claws, Spike?"

Spike raised his right hand and let his ring shimmer.

Twilight deflated as she lowered herself to the floor. "Oh . . . right. I didn't mean to belittle you, Spike. It's just that this coronation is so overwhelming and . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Twilight." Spike helped his sister to her hooves. "I know you didn't mean it. Let's go home so you can unwind. You really need to get some rest before your big day."

"Thank you, Spike," said Twilight. "I guess being responsible for one little country is nothing compared to having to watch over the universe like you do."

Spike shrugged. "It's only one sector -- no big deal."

The siblings walked in silence to the basement of the Hall of Justice. Stepping through a stack of nondescript packing crates, they came to the secret transportation crystal array. The network combined the best of magic and technology from two worlds. It allowed for almost instantaneous transportation between two nodes, no matter how far apart they were.

While Spike set the coordinates, Twilight asked, "How did you know where to find me?"

Chuckling, Spike replied, "We watch the watchers. Seriously, with the security system that you and Doctor created for this place we could even see you proofreading Dash's report."

"And you didn't tell Celestia?"

Spike shrugged. "You might need to talk to her, but we know you don't want to talk to her, not yet. I wanted to make sure everything had settled down before that happened.

Twilight gave a thankful smile. "I know I must sound like a broken record, but thank you, Spike. You were my superhero long before you got that ring."

"I'll be there for you whenever you need me, Twilight, including tomorrow."

The alicorn replied, "Thanks. Is the rest of the League going to be there?"

Spike smiled. "I think everypony in the country is going to be there. We'll all be there as civilians. After all, it will be your day."

Twilight groaned. "I was hoping you guys might cover for me if I mess up."

Winking, Spike said, "Don't worry. If things go really bad, I'll just have Pinkie Pie fire all the party cannons simultaneously. I even convinced Dash to stage a twenty-one bum salute with the Wonderbolts if all else fails."

Twilight giggled. "You're the greatest, Spike."

Canterlot Castle, the next day:

Everypony knew it was the dawn of a new era. The grand courtyard in front of Canterlot Castle was filled to capacity. As they waited for the sun to peek over the horizon, many in the crowd grumbled because Princess Celestia had decided to make it literally so.

The older ones knew that these times were extraordinary. It had seemed like nothing had truly changed in hundreds of years. Then, just ten years ago, the Mare in the Moon descended and gave rise to the Age of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle and her friends had cracked the secret and brought the Elements of Harmony to life, each bearing as aspect of the virtues that made up the whole. Their exploits were legendary; Chrysalis, Sombra, and the Storm King were but a few of threats the power of Harmony had overcome.

With those major threats quelled, new threats came to light. It was the dark side of ponykind. It has not been born to fill the void the others left; instead, it had always been there. Without the glare of existential threats, the darkness could be readily seen.

These were things that were immune to Harmony. These needed a new way to cope. For a time, it seemed as though darkness threatened to overtake ponykind as the Arrow met darkness with darkness. When things seemed their bleakest, a visitor from another world had come and tempered the Arrow's methods. The visitor also mentored the Dash, ushering in the era of masked heroes and metaponies.

Today's event, however, promised to be far more spectacular. After millennia, the royal sisters of Equestria, Princesses Celestia and Luna, were stepping down. They were hoofing the reins of power to Twilight Sparkle.

As they made their way to the assembly area, Fluttershy nervously said, "I . . . I don't know about this, Rainbow Dash. I mean, the security is impressive, but don't you think somepony will take advantage of having all the princesses and so many ponies in one place?"

"Easy, Flutters!" replied Rainbow Dash. Tilting an ear toward the timid pegasus, she continued. "We have eyes and ears all around. Besides, the whole League is here. We may be out of costume, but we're far from helpless. I bet even now, they're scanning the crowd."

True to her word, Blue Blood was in elevated seating as Count Jimmy O'Dell, a chestnut stallion with a jet-black mane and a fox eating grapes as a cutie mark. The others were out as themselves. Silver Spoon sat next to Diamond Tiara in the reserved seating, while the Cutie Mark Crusaders were in the VIP section as sisters of Element Bearers. All had hidden weapons they could bring to bear in the blink of an eye.

As everypony in the assembly area took their places, Rarity tapped her earpiece. "All hooves check in."

Earpieces crackled.

"Cobalt clear," said Blue Blood.

"Diamond clear," said Diamond Tiara.

"Silver clear," said Silver Spoon.

"Emerald clear," said Sweetie Belle.

"Amber clear," said Applebloom.

"Amethyst clear," said Scootaloo.

"Opal clear," said Rainbow Dash.

Rarity turned and glared.

Smirking, Rainbow Dash said, "What? You said 'all hooves'."

From the back of the assembly area, Trixie said, "The fireworks are all set. Let's get this show on the road."

Rarity tapped her earpiece. "We're on."

The crowd hushed as the fanfare played. The sun broke through a hole in the clouds and illuminated the stage. Shining Armor proudly led the color guard out. In pairs, they lined the path to the podium. Once they were in place, Spike marched out, carrying a banner with Twilight's cutie mark while Pinkie Pie pronked from one side to the other. Fluttershy and Applejack followed, side by side. Twilight came next. Rarity was on her left, carrying a banner with Luna's cutie mark, while Rainbow Dash was on her right, carrying a banner with Celestia's cutie mark.

Once Spike and the Bearers had taken their places at the front of the stage, the crowd roared. Shyly, Twilight waved at the crowd.

The band switched to a formal march. Celestia sedately marched out with Cadence to her left and Luna to her right. The younger princesses seated themselves at their thrones while. Celestia went to the rostrum. As the music stopped, the crowd bowed. Spike and the Bearers turned to face her. Except for Twilight, they bowed.

In a magically projected voice, Celestia said, "Everypony, please be seated." Once the crowd settled, she continued. "We are gathered here today to say goodbye to yesterday, and welcome to tomorrow. Before we do, my fellow princesses and I would like to say a few words about our honoree."

Celestia stepped back to her throne, and Cadance went to the rostrum. The pink alicorn said, "Good morning, everypony. I am Cadance, princess of the Crystal Empire. As you may know, I was once Twilight Sparkle's foalsitter. Yes, before she was a princess, before she was an Element Bearer, she was a little filly. I found something special in her, something that I can see even to this day. That special something was determination."

"When I first started foalsitting, I found that Twilight's parents were very worried about Twilight not eating a healthy diet. So, they were very strict about what she could have for a snack. Every day, it was the same -- bread, butter, and fresh fruit. You can imagine how sick she was of it."

"She had begged me for cookies, but of course, I had to refuse. I explained to her that she was only allowed to have what her parents had set aside. Instead of crying or throwing a tantrum, she asked to be taken to the library."

"Instead of going to the foals' section, she went straight to the card catalog. I was surprised to find she wanted books on ancient earth pony history."

"When we returned, I realized there was method to her madness. She was looking up old food preservation techniques. With a little work and a dehydration spell, fruit became fruit juice became powdered sweetener. Bread became breadcrumbs that she mixed with the butter and sweetener. Using only what her parents allowed, she had her cookie."

"That is what I see in Twilight Sparkle today. Creativity and determination."

The crowd erupted with a roar. Cadance took her seat, and Luna trotted to the rostrum.

The crowd hushed. Luna said, "Greetings. I am Luna, Princess of the Moon. Twilight Sparkle saved me from myself, and, for that, I shall be forever grateful. While she may bear the Element of Magic, it is not magic itself that makes her special.

When I first met her, she seemed to be just an ordinary unicorn, not long out of foalhood. As powerful as she was, her power was nothing against the might of an alicorn. She seemed to be brash and arrogant, just like the typical unicorn warrior.

She challenged me, snorting and hoofing the ground. It was a scene I had lived innumerable times. The fools never had the sense to run away; they always tried to intimidate me with the power of their aura. I, of course, responded in kind; after all, there was no way a mere unicorn could be a threat to me. She charged, screaming as if her voice might make a difference. As I raced to meet her, in my mind's eye, I could see what would happen next. We would meet somewhere in the middle. I would overwhelm her magic with mine. Once she realized the futility of her attack, I would crush her. Just before she reached me, she vanished."

Luna smiled. "She didn't use magic as her weapon; she used my arrogance. As talented is she may be with magic, that is not what I see as her greatest strength. Her true power is being able to make the most of what she has available.

"As Twilight has saved me from myself, I shall endeavor to do the same. To you, Twilight, I say, do not forget that at your core, you a pony, capable of great good and great evil. Do not do the easy things because they are easy. Do the right things because they are right."

Celestia returned to the rostrum as Luna returned to her seat. Celestia said, "Thank you, Cadance. Thank you, Luna." Looking out at the crowd, she said, "I know what many of you must think when you see Twilight here on the stage. 'How lucky.' 'She's perfect.' Nothing could be further from the truth." She nodded at Twilight.

"Twilight is not here because she is lucky. She is here because she earned it. She is here because of a lifetime of hard work. Long before she became my student, she had dedicated herself to study. As my student, she kept her muzzle to the grindstone, learning everything she could on every subject. To this day, she is a dedicated researcher, learning as much as she can about a new problem before she tries to tackle it."

"Twilight is hardly perfect. Like any pony, she has made her share of mistakes, small and large. Time and again, she has been knocked down, but each and every time, she has picked herself up and persevered, applying what she has learned. Every failure led to a new success. Every victory was hard-earned."

"For those of you who think that being a princess is all sunshine and rainbows, just think of the trials that Twilight has faced. She took on the reins of power when she rescued Luna and me. She willingly gave up all of her magic to defeat Tirek. She led an expedition into the unknown to take down the Storm King."

"Having watched as Twilight has grown from foal to filly, from filly to mare, having witnessed her trials and tribulations. While impressive, it was not her talent in magic that I found truly special. The real magic was the way she was able to learn and grow. I am confident that she is now ready to take the next step in her life, to lead a nation."

Turning back, she said, "Cadance, Luna, please join me." The two took their places on the rostrum. Celestia then said, "Please approach us, Twilight Sparkle."

Nervously, the junior alicorn did as she was asked. The hole in the clouds narrowed, putting the alicorns in the spotlight. Cadance said, "Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Both have power beyond measure. Do you, Twilight Sparkle, promise to temper what you feel in your heart with what you know in your head?"

Solemnly, Twilight replied, "I do."

Luna said, "Every pony has the capacity for great good and great evil. Often, the wrong way it the one that feels the best. Do you, Twilight Sparkle, promise to always strive to be the best pony you can be?"

Solemnly, Twilight replied, "I do."

Celestia said, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown. It is a symbol of the responsibility for all of ponykind. Every act you take, no matter how small. has the potential to harm in ways you never intended. Do you, Twilight Sparkle, promise to put the needs of ponykind above all others, regardless of cost? Do you promise to lead every attack, no matter how hopeless? Do you promise to cover every retreat, no matter how desperate? Do you promise to be the pony that all others should strive to be?"

Solemnly, Twilight replied, "I do."

A small, bright sphere of turquoise magic floated from Cadance's horn and hung above Twilight. The pink princess said, "With this sign, I grant my approval."

A small, bright sphere of white magic floated from Luna's horn and hung above Twilight. The dark princess said, "With this sign, I grant my approval."

A small, bright sphere of yellow magic floated from Celestia's horn and hung above Twilight. The white princess said, "With this sign, I grant my approval."

Celestia turned to Cadance and nodded. The pink princess said, "Everything worthwhile begins with love." A wire unwound from her tiara and snaked out to absorb the sphere of her magic. It then wove itself to form the base of a new tiara that floated above Twilight's head.

Luna said, "Without the darkness, the light has no meaning." A wire unwound from her tiara and snaked out to absorb the sphere of her magic. It then wove itself into the base, adding a layer. A crescent moon emblem detached itself from Luna's tiara and attached itself to the new crown.

Celestia added, "The darkness must be balanced by the light." A wire unwound from her tiara and snaked out to absorb the sphere of her magic. It wove itself into the new tiara, completing its shape. A sun emblem detached itself from Celestia's tiara and tucked itself behind the moon emblem.

The three senior princesses each extended a wingtip and gently lowered the new tiara onto Twilight's head.

The three bowed before Twilight, touching horns for a moment before stepping back. Celestia looked over at the crowd and said, "Now, my little ponies, with all of you as my witnesses, I, Princess Celestia, grand the power of the sun to a new bearer!"

The crowd watched in awe as Celestia's horn glowed. A yellow aura flowed down to Twilight, going in through her horn. She started to transform from lavender to yellow, glowing ever brighter. Flecks of magenta peeked through as the aura intensified. Soon, it seemed as though Twilight had disappeared in a cage of yellow and magenta bars. Suddenly, she exploded. Twice.


...


Twilight stood awestruck as Celestia towered over her. As the new power poured into her, she whispered, "This is amazing! I can feel . . . I can see . . . I know . . . everything!"

Softly, Celestia replied, "Remember that feeling, Twilight. Remember, you must always use your power for the good of ponykind."

Wrapped in light, Twilight began to float. The yellow aura around her developed magenta flecks that grew into magenta stripes that soon took up half of the aura.

Luna gasped. "Tia! It's destabilizing!"

Celestia replied, "I can't control it!"

Cadance watched in horror as Twilight's body looked as though it were dissolving.

Twilight gasped, "No! Too much! It hurts!" Every fiber of her being cried out in pain as the was being torn apart by the conflicting energies. "Make it stop! Make It Stop! MAKE IT STOP!"

Desperately, she marshalled her will and pushed. A thunderous boom filled the air as bright yellow solar magic was expelled in every direction from every orifice. She didn't even have a chance to catch her breath when the new magic returned with even more force. There was a second explosion as magenta magic left even more messily.

Most of the crowd stared in shock at the spectacle. The smart ones left before the echoes of the explosions had faded.

Twilight collapsed to the ground. Her body greedily absorbed the solar magic, changing her color from yellow back to its normal lavender. She hyperventilated as she tried to process what had happened. Something was definitely different. Something was definitely wrong. She tried to isolate the problem, but a constant roar made it difficult to think.

Celestia lay next to her stricken protege and said, "Twilight, I am so, so sorry. Are you okay?"

Twilight clamped her hooves over her ears. Somepony was using the Royal Canterlot Voice right next to her! She turned toward the voice and opened her eyes. She instantly regretted it. She saw a large, living skeleton with translucent organs. By the looks of things, it had devoured a banquet-sized cake. Desperately, Twilight summoned the strongest shield spell she knew. The monster moved right through it and touched her muzzle. Twilight took the only logical course of action; she screamed in terror.

Abruptly, she stopped. Someone was turning her own voice against her. As loud as the monster had been, she was even louder. Shocked, Twilight reared back. The monster closed the distance. Twilight's most powerful spells were useless. Panicked, she pushed as hard as she could.

Celestia felt something snap as she flew backward. She punched a hole through a wall before embedding herself in another. She felt bone grind on bone as she pulled herself out. She gasped, "Nopony could be that strong!" She stood still for a moment, stabilizing herself with her unicorn magic while her earth pony magic healed her injuries.

Outside, Twilight reared up with her forehooves clamped over her ears. That did nothing to stop the aural onslaught. She screamed, "Make! It! STOP!" She slammed her forehooves on the ground. The force of the blow spread like a ripple in a pond, breaking tiles and toppling walls.

For Rainbow Dash, the world seemed to be moving in ultra-slow motion. Looking about, she could see where all the debris was going to land, and in what order. Pegasus magic merged with the speed force, allowing her to move the would-be victims to safety without exhausting herself. She easily dodged the falling rubble, but it was getting progressively more difficult to reach all of the ponies who were about to be crushed.

In real time, ponies watched in horror as the world around them collapsed. As the stage disappeared in a cloud of dust, the audience watched in horror as they were bombarded by debris. As they fled, the found themselves being pushed this way and that, with chunks of debris slamming into the spots they would have moved. That only added to their determination to leave.

When the dust cleared, the scene revealed was a field of debris, Twilight was standing with her forehooves embedded in the ground. The stage was otherwise clear of ponies. Above the stage, suspended in a green force bubble, was the Canary. Hovering next to her was Green Lantern.

Arrow's voice came over the commlink. "I have overwatch. Smokescreen and change."

In the reserved seating, Silver Spoon set off a smoke bomb as Diamond Tiara lobbed a smoke grenade over the VIP section. Once the smoke spread, the junior members shed their outer clothing, revealing their costumes. Scootaloo crawled away from the others.

Meanwhile at what was left of the stage, Lantern and Canary touched down. Lantern said, "Evacuate the civilians. I'll talk to Twilight."

As Canary hustled to the nobility seating, Lantern walked to the trembling Twilight. He asked, "Twilight, what's wrong?"

Twilight turned her head to the voice. It was another living skeleton. She snarled, "You monster! What did you do to my brother?"

Puzzled, Lantern replied, "What are you talking about? It's me. Spike."

"Liar!" She pushed as hard as she could with her telekinesis. Nothing happened. The monster came closer.

"Just take it easy, and well get you some help."

"Stay back!" Twilight lashed out with her forehooves.

One of the secrets of the power ring is that it has a failsafe that protects its bearer from mortal harm. That feature raised the forcefield that saved Spike's life. As the little dragon broke the bonds of gravity, he gasped as he felt bones moving in ways that were most definitely not natural.

Twilight barely had time to catch her breath when she saw much larger living skeleton approach. In a grotesque parody of her childhood ritual, it said, 'Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and give a little shake."

"Nice try, monster," replied Twilight. "What did you do with the real Cadance?"

This time, when she lashed out, something pushed her hooves aside. It said, "Stay back, Cadance." Twilight cast her blasting spell. The creature didn't even notice. It said in Luna's voice, "Twilight Sparkle! You must cease this now. We can help you, but only if you let us."

Luna smiled grimly at the junior alicorn's wild flailing. With skills refined by centuries of combat, Luna trapped Twilight's forehooves in hers. With a practiced twist, she locked the smaller alicorn in a control position, using Twilight's body against itself. Nopony could break that sort of hold. Still, she couldn't help but think there was something wrong. The little bookworm should have felt soft and flabby, but her muscles felt as strong as steel.

Twilight gasped as she was forced into an unnatural position. The skeleton was not nearly as hard she imagined that naked bone would feel. Regardless, she could not let the monster win. With all her might, she untwisted her body. To her relief, the monster who had tried to pin her was gone.

As she tumbled through the air, Luna exclaimed, "Impossible! Nopony can be that strong!" She drew in all her limbs and then extended them to cancel her spin. She sailed into the now-open room and embedded into the wall next to where her sister had landed.

A thunderclap had punctuated Twilight's throw as Scootaloo exclaimed, "Shazam!"

Arrow's voice came over the commlink. "Marevel! You have to keep her contained! She's stronger than Celestia!"

"Roger that!" came the reply.

Twilight watched in horror as another monster flew at her faster than any pony should. She tried her shield spell again. Again, there was no effect. She aimed her her most powerful buck at it. The monster casually blocked it with her forehooves. "Princess Twilight! Stop! You're hurting ponies!"

Twilight ignored the suggestion and flailed away. The monster blocked or deflected every blow and landed attacks of its own. For all the effect they had, the monster might as well have been hitting her with a pillow.

Batmare's voice came the commlink. "Scootaloser! Stop playing around! Knock her out!"

Arrow's voice replied, "She's landed blows that would have stopped Celestia."


Marevel said, "Please, Princess, stop! I don't want to hurt you!" To her surprise, Twilight glared at her. Angry red beams of energy shot out of the purple alicorn's eyes and drove her back, burning holes in Marevel's costume.

With the threat out of the way, Twilight desperately looked around for the next threat. Whatever was attacking her seemed to be getting more desperate, setting things on fire.

Meanwhile, Celestia had caught Lantern with her magic, gently stopping him. "You're hurt," she said as he coughed up some blood.

A green aura came from his ring and flowed over his body. He winced as bones were repositioned and mended and perforated organs were made whole. Lantern said, "It doesn't matter. I have to save Twilight, even if it is from herself." With that, he flew back to his sister.

At the same time, Dash jerked Canary out of the way of the heat beams. Dash said, "Make sure all the civilians are clear; I've got to figure out a way to stop Twilight." She launched herself toward Twilight.

Marevel had shaken off her initial surprise. With her burns healed by her innate magic, she flew back toward Twilight.

Arrow's voice came over the commlink. "Dash, Marevel, and Lantern are all inbound."

Dash responded, "Climb and form up. Cyclone spin on my lead."

"What's that?" asked Lantern.

"Follow the leader and fly in circles," replied Marevel.

High above Twilight, the three flew in trail formation. Dash banked hard and dove down. A half second later, Marevel followed. Lantern went a half second after that.

To Twilight's surprise, one of the monsters flashed in front of her, then a second, and then a third. The cycle repeated as the three circled her at amazing speed. She gasped as a cyclone formed and lifted her off the ground. The burning seemed to stop.

Dash's voice said, "Twilight, please, we just want to talk!"

"I DON'T TALK TO MONSTERS!"

Spikes voice said, "Twilight, if you don't stop, nopony'll notice the party cannons."

Dash's voice added, "And we're one rump short of a twenty-one bum salute."

Twilight blinked. "Spike? Rainbow? It's really you?"

Lantern said, "In the scales."

"What's wrong, Princess Twilight?" asked Marevel.

"I'm seeing things, hearing things. Somepony turned my senses up to eleven!"

"Your friends are all here," said Lantern. "Please, let us help you."

"You can't; nopony can. It's too much! I never should have accepted! Make it stop. Make It Stop. MAKE IT STOP!"

To Lantern's surprise, Twilight seemed to vanish. Dash and Marevel, however, could see the truth. Twilight had flown out through the whirlwind's wall. Dash said, "Since when did she get super speed?"

Marevel replied, "I guess just now. What I want to know is how she flew without using her wings."

Dash pulled out of the circle and looked around. Twilight was nowhere to be seen. She tapped her earpiece and said, "She's gone."

Arrow replied, "Everyone, meet on the stage."





The three princesses stood in the back of the ruined room as the League arrived. Arrow asked, "Are you three all right?"

Celestia stretched. "Only because we're alicorns." Pointing a wing to Luna, she said, "We are going to stop Twilight Sparkle before she hurts anypony else, including herself."

Lantern floated right in front of her so that their eyes were at the same level. "What did you do to her?"

Celestia replied, "Spike, this is not the time. You and the League are dismissed. This is something I have to do personally." She turned away.

Spike stayed right in front of her. "I asked you a question. What did you to to her?"

Sternly, Celestia said, "As Princess of Equestria, I order you to stand down."

"As Twilight's brother, I don't care. What did you do to her?"

Luna said, "Spike, this is not the time. We have to capture Twilight first."

The rest of the League formed behind Lantern. Arrow said, "The League will find Twilight."

Cadance said, "You don't understand; you're too close. How can we trust you to make the right decision with a loved one?"

Lantern quirked an eyebrow as he pointedly looked at Celestia and then looked back at Luna. "How can you trust somepony to make a difficult decision about their own sister?"

Celestia sighed. "Point taken. Go find her while we search for a cure. Please, bring her back unharmed."

Lantern rolled his eyes. "She is my sister."

Luna added, "Try to keep the damage to a minimum. Our insurance agent is never going to believe this."

"We'll do what we can," promised Dash.

With that, the League left.

Unknown location:

Sorceress entered the abandoned Tatzelwurm tunnel and bowed before the caterpillar who was calmly munching on a leaf. A casual observer would have been shocked to learn the worm was actually just a vessel for an immortal, Master Mind.

“Do you have it?” asked Master Mind.

Sorceress smiled and seemingly from nowhere produced a crystal with a bright magenta glow. “As you requested, the magic of Twilight Sparkle.

Master Mind eyed it skeptically. "Did you get all of it?"

"Almost. It scattered in many directions at once, and I maxed out the capacity of the crystal."

"That's a pity, but it's more than what we need to feed the big guy," replied the caterpillar, giggling.

Sorceress bowed respectfully before her master. "I do not question your judgement, Master, but isn't this a waste? After all, pure alicorn magic like this is extremely rare, and I don't think he'd know the difference between this and normal unicorn magic."

Master Mind gave Sorceress a condescending smile. “As always, you are unable to see beyond your muzzle, my little apprentice. Twilight Sparkle won’t need her magic anymore, now that she has the gifts of the sun itself. Why not give it to him?”

Sorceress shrugged. "I had hoped there would be a more deserving candidate you could recruit.

"Ever the skeptic, I see. That is good; the more you understand, the better."

“I am sorry Master! I know you know best but this still doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Let’s just say that there’s a limit of how much power you can consume before it consumes you. Our dear Twilight found that out the hard way. Just think, this is only the beginning.”
> Supermare 02
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Price of Power


It would have been inaccurate to say that Twilight Sparkle was trying to run away from her problems. She was actually trying to fly away from them. In the Age of Harmony, such speed would have allowed her to outpace anything Equus could offer. Twilight desperately hoped that she would be fast enough to escape the nightmare that her life had become.

The problem she faced was not totally new. As a young filly, she had been inspired by the crime stories in the penny dreadfuls her brother was not supposed to have. When sandpaper on the forehooves proved inadequate to crack the antique safe her parents couldn't open, she cast a sense enhancing spell on herself. As much as she tried, she could not unhear the sudden roar from the boost in hearing. She could not unsee the creepy crawlies revealed by boosted vision. She could not untaste the yuck that would normally go unnoticed. She could not unsmell the scent of everything, living or dead, around her. She could not unfeel everything touching her.

With all of her senses overloaded, she had given herself the mother of all headaches that lasted long after the spell had worn off. Undaunted, she had accepted the pain as the price of learning. In time she had mastered the spell, but she had also learned her limits. She knew she would pay dearly if she used the spell for more than five minutes at a time.

What she now experienced was like the spell cast on top of the spell cast on top of the spell. Unlike the spell, she knew of no way to turn this off. She had lost track of how many times she had flown around the globe. She felt fortunate that she still had the presence of mind to vary both heading and altitude in her search for respite. The chilly heights of the stratosphere were calm enough, but she could not stay aloft forever. She had to find some place where she could land, some place where it would be quiet enough for her to properly think.

Although there was a plethora of uninhabited places on the planet, the sounds of wildlife, even insects, were enough to set her teeth on edge. This left just two places, the northern wastes and the southern wastes. In the end, she chose the northern. They were closer to what was home.

Twilight touched down in the middle of a snow flurry. She whispered, "All right. First priority is shelter. Let's start with a shield spell to keep warm while I figure out what to do."

Looking around, she said, "This place is beautiful. I never knew that ice could form in sheets like that; they almost look like glass walls." She paused for a moment. "I could do that. I could make a castle out of ice." she shook her head. "Bad Twilight. Survival first, architecture later.

"Let's take things from the top. Cut out a block of snow."

Twilight focused her attention on one of the white patches. Nothing happened. She went cross-eyed with concentration. There was no discernable effect.

"That's strange," she said. "The shield spell is working, why won't telekinesis work?"

The weight of snow pushed her bangs over her eyes. "Ack! Now my shield spell has gone out!" She brushed her mane out of her eyes. It slumped back down. She pushed her mane back again. This time, she kept her hoof there. "Wait. It's freezing out here; I can see my breath. Why don't I feel that cold?"

She gasped. "It must be hypothermia! Quick! Hayburner's Hoof Heater!" After a brief moment of concentration, she breathed a sigh of relief. "There. That should hold me for a while."

Twilight put her hoof down. "Strange. The snow should be melting a lot faster. Maybe I need a little more light."

Nothing happened.

"Come on! Even a foal can get her horn to light."

Nothing happened.

"My magic! What's wrong with my magic?" Twilight concentrated as hard as she could on a basic unicorn exercise. It was a simple tuning spell, one to make the horn resonate.

Nothing happened.

"Think, Twilight. You have all the clues in front of you. When you eliminate the impossible, you'll be left with the truth, no matter how improbable."

She sighed. "Let's see. Simple spells aren't working. Horn won't light. Diagnostic shows no resonance. That's it! There's no magic! Wait. I have no magic?"

She gasped. "I. Have. No. Magic. No. No! NO! NOOOOO!" In anguish, she slammed her forehooves to the ground. The shock wave could be felt even on the other side of the world.

Watchtower:

Batmare looked at the readings from the sensor logs. Doctor and Twilight had adapted the equipment gifted to them by Team Flash and had improved on it. Now, the planet was under surveillance by the League's sensor network. Looking up, she said, "Twilight is here; we've accounted for everything else that could be moving that fast."

With a wave of her hoof, she brought up a projection of the planet. A red dot appeared a short distance from the North Pole.

"The northern wastes?" asked Canary. "What can we do when we find her? She's faster than Rainbow Dash."

"Almost as fast," replied Dash. "When the Speed Force kicks in, I'm the fastest thing alive."

"Focus, Dash!" Lantern punched the wall for emphasis. "WE NEED TO SAVE MY SISTER!"

Sheepishly, Dash replied, "Sorry, Spike. I'm as worried as you are, and thinking about something else is the only thing keeping me sane." She frowned when she looked at the mark on the globe. "This is a problem. It's super cold out there, so I can't stay there very long."

"I'll go," said Lantern. "She is my sister, and the cold isn't a problem for me. The ring protects me even in outer space."

"I'll go with you," said Marevel. "You'll need backup, and I'm as strong as she is."

Lantern spun and pointed his ring at Marevel. "No one's harming Twilight on my watch!"

Arrow said calmly, "Are you the brother or the hero" You need to choose. We promised we would do whatever was necessary to safeguard the planet."

Lantern lowered his ring. "Sorry, everypony. You're right."

Marevel said, "She's our friend, Spike. We'll do everything we can to bring her back safe."

Arrow added, "We'll do everything in our power to save her."

Spike's mouth formed a grim line. "She is my sister. I swear I will do whatever needs to be done."

Batmare said, "Together, we can save her."

"And will keep the property damage to a minimum," quipped Sweetie. "After all, what's of value out in the wasteland?"

Spike couldn’t help but smile. “You’re right. For once, we'll do things right.”

Arrow turned his attention to the sensor logs from the coronation while time-indexed slow-motion video of the event looped. "I just don't know what went wrong," he muttered.

Canary gently placed a hoof on his withers. "No offense, Blue Blood, but this takes someone with postdoctoral studies in magical theory. With Twilight missing, where are we going to find one?"

Arrow huffed in frustration when the door opened. Garble walked in, yawning widely while scratching himself with both hands. He said, "Look at what the manticore dragged in. Was your stupid pony princess party that boring?"

The other members of the League eyed him hungrily.

"Wait. Why are you all looking at me like that?"

The League looked over to the monitor where the event log scrolled as the video played the corresponding parts of the event.

The dragon's voice and expression changed to Star Swirl's. "Impossible. Nopony should know that spell." Looking over to Arrow, he asked, "What happened?"

Arrow replied, "Sir! I'm glad you are here! As you can see, we need the assistance of an expert in magic."

Starswirl nodded and approached the monitor as Arrow rewound the video to the start of Celestia's spell. As the video started to play, Garble took control and sauntered toward the kitchen. He snarled, "No, no, no! Forget it, old pony! We are not going to stand around watching some boring ceremony."

Batmare blocked his way. "Look. We're trying to hold up our end of the deal. Twilight Sparkle is the one who made the most progress on your research. If you don't help her, you can say goodbye to any chance of going back to normal."

Garble groaned and looked back angrily at the League. “Fiiine! But I am not doing anything until I get my coffee!! Boiling, with three creams, six sugars, and a sprinkle of aged Abyssinian amber!”

The rest of the League groaned and rolled their eyes as Lantern went to get the order. With his oversized mug in hand, Garble settled into his chair and loudly slurped his drink, taking his time to savor every drop. Time seemed to drag until he finally tilted his head back and lapped the last of the drink. Setting the mug on an end table, he said, "Fine. Let's get this over with."

The recording started from the beginning of the ceremonies. Garble theatrically slumped over and snored, keeping an eye cracked open as the pomp and speeches played. Through all of Garble's acting, Star Swirl carefully took in every detail.

The two explosions played out at normal speed. Garble sat up abruptly, awed at the spectacle. Star Swirl seized control. "Freeze video!"

“Do you have any idea of what happened?” asked Canary.

“A tragedy. We can fix this, but we need to recover her magic."

“Recover her magic?” asked the Arrow.

The dragon's body flared with magic. He was now clad in his red and gold costume. Magic Storm said, "Her body couldn't handle the full power of the sun and the full power of her alicorn magic as the same time. Something had to leave, or they would tear her apart." Gesturing at the console, he asked, "Can this thing track her magic?"

Batmare replied, "Yes. All five princesses' magic signatures are in the database."

Magic Storm said, 'Find Twilight Sparkle's magic. It should be concentrated somewhere. Get it back, or we'll never be able to restore her."

Arrow said, "We'll find it, I promise."

Lantern added, "Marevel, you're with me. We'll go talk to Twilight while the others track her magic."

Magic Storm said, "I need to have a talk with my former students. If you do find Twilight Sparkle in the northern wastes, do not try to bring her back. It's one of the few places she can find peace." With that, he hurried to the teleporter room.

Canterlot Castle:

The structural damage had been repaired in a burst of alicorn magic. At first glance, the carnage Twilight Sparkle had left behind had disappeared. The hard part, however, had to be done the old-fashioned way, lest the structural integrity spells holding the repairs together be disrupted before they could take full effect. While Cadance had gone out to reassure the populace, Celestia and Luna led by example, taking brooms and mops in their telekinetic fields as an army of servants joined them on the stage.

A pegasus guard on patrol cried out, "Dragon incoming!" He flew to intercept as the other guards moved to meet the threat.

A wall of guards surrounded Magic Storm as he touched down in front of the princesses. Celestia looked over the intruder with a touch of suspicion until her gaze settled on his eyes. "Master!" she exclaimed. Turning to the guards, she said, "Stand down. He's a friend."

“What did you do, Celestia?” asked Star Swirl angrily.

"I thought I was transferring some of my knowledge and my feel for the sun. I just wanted to teach her how to move the moon and stars, that's all!"

"I swear, Master. We've been studying this spell for months!" added Luna.

Magic Storm frowned. “So, this is all you intended?”

Celestia nodded. "Yes. She already had the power to move the sun and the moon; she just needed the keys to doing it. I was trying to send her a memory of the feeling. I was trying to send her a gravity spell."

Magic Storm sighed. "I believe you. This is more troubling than you can imagine."

"Master?" asked Celestia.

Magic Storm replied, "I need to trace through as see exactly what you did."

Nodding, Celestia said, "Let's go to the medical wing."

In short order, Celestia was on an examination table. Luna watched as wild magic danced over Magic Storms claws. A lightning-like bolt leapt over to the tip of Celestia's horn. Starting with the most recent, images of the spells she had used were projected. A mop moved, picking up the last of the dust. Broom and dustpan gathered small bits of debris. Walls, stage, and other structures pulled themselves back together and waited for the bonds to solidify. Lantern was caught and brought down for a safe landing. Healing spells repaired injuries that would have killed an ordinary pony. The ghost of a golden sun poured into a hapless alicorn.

Magic Storm gasped, "It can't be!"

The alicorns asked, "Master? What is it?"

"Forbidden knowledge. It's a spell that should have been forgotten, one made long before my time by desperate unicorns."

"What do you mean?" asked Luna.

"The road to success is littered with failures," said Magic Storm. "Before unicorns mastered the art of celestial mechanics, this spell was created. Things went horribly wrong, but the unicorns learned from it, just as they learned from all of their other failures."

Magic Storm turned to Celestia. "That brings us to the issue at hand. Where did you learn a spell that can do no pony good?"

Celestia replied, "Master, I swear I've never even heard of that spell before. The only spell I tried to transfer was the gravity spell."

Magic Storm nodded. "Since you are telling the truth, there is only one possible explanation. I need to probe your mind to see where it came from."

Celestia gulped. "Master?"

"It's the only way we can find out who is responsible. It's the only way we can save Twilight Sparkle."

Clearly shaken, Celestia nodded. Magic Storm extended his claws. The wild magic shot out like a lightning bolt. Celestia's eyes rolled back while she twitched and trembled. Luna watched with concern.

It was the longest minute of Celestia's life. Visibly shaken, she gave a sigh of relief when it was over.

“Master?” asked Celestia weakly.

Magic Storm shook his head in disbelief.

“What did you see inside Tia’s head?” asked Luna.

"It's just as I feared. It's mind control on a level beyond anything I've ever encountered. I saw exactly what she was thinking. She truly believed she was sending the gravity spell, but someone overwrote memory of that spell with the solar transfer spell."

Looking at Celestia, he said, "I'm sorry I doubted you, my student. It's clear you were every bit as much a victim as Twilight."

"That can't be possible," said Luna. "How could anypony replace a memory seamlessly? There should have been some hint that something was wrong."

"I have heard of one capable of such things," said Magic Storm. "It is ancient, beyond even the dawn of pony history. I had thought it had left the planet until a few months ago when I met someone from the distant past, Clove, or Sorceress as she now calls herself."

Celestia growled, "Master Mind."

“Yes.”

“Then how do we find him?” asked Luna.

Magic Storm shook his head. “I don’t know. The only creatures who have seen him in person are his students: Clove, Grogar, and Lady Catrina.”

“GROGAR?”

Magic Storm nodded, visibly worried. “Those three are extremely dangerous beings by themselves. I cannot imagine what will happen now that they've teamed up with Master Mind.”

Forest of Tambelon, Grogar’s lair:

Grogar had never been a morning person, until now. Now that Master Mind had come to take charge, Grogar found himself little to do. All of his grand schemes had just been a small part of Master Mind's plans. With Master Mind taking personal charge of the minions, every moment in his lair was another reminder of his insignificance. He absolutely hated it, and he was not shy about taking it out on his minions. He could see they were now taking great pains to avoid him. He had finally admitted to himself that it was no longer worth the effort. Now, he left early in the morning just to avoid them.

Tirek breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the dining room for a late breakfast. With both masters absent, he actually had a chance for a quiet breakfast. He mumbled, "Morning."

Chrysalis nodded in acknowledgment as she sipped a large glass of fruit juice while Sombra gave a quick wave before returning to his plate of scrambled eggs. Tirek walked past them to get to the stove. He threw a handful of beans into the coffeepot and set it on top of the burner.

The smell of wet fur assaulted his nostrils before a large bear sauntered in. From its head, a caterpillar cheerfully said, "Good morning, big fella! How about starting off the day with something stronger than coffee?"

Every creature in the room turned to face the bear. They tried not to show their dismay at the prospect of yet another indignity that the caterpillar was sure to inflict.

“What do you want?” asked Tirek.

“Harry?” said the caterpillar.

The big bear groaned and placed a pawful of crystals in front of the centaur. They glowed seductively, bathing Tirek with their glow.

“What?”

"Can't you smell it? It's pure magic, straight from my collection," said Master Mind. "Right now, I need you, and I know you need magic. Do we have a deal?"

Skeptically, Tirek asked, "What sort of deal do you have in mind?"

Chrysalis added, "Yeah. Last time I did a job for you, I nearly got killed!"

Master Mind replied, "You can hardly blame me when Sorceress warned you not to try feeding from that dragon. The Pillars of Equestria are not to be underestimated."

Chrysalis blushed and looked away.

“Okay, you have a point,” said Tirek. “What’s the job?”

“I need you to take down a metapony but you’re not strong enough, not yet,” replied the Master Mind. “It's not that bad, is it?”

“It's perfect!” Tirek smiled. “Give me the magic!”

“It's all yours, and there's more where that came from,” said the caterpillar.

Greedily, Tirek swallowed one of the crystals. The effect was almost instantaneous. He could feel his power surge as his frame and muscles grew in response to the influx of magic. He savored the second and the third, but he left the fourth alone.

Master Mind said, "Don't be shy; I've got plenty more."

Tirek replied, "Thank you for your generosity, but my beloved teacher warned me about the dangers of consuming too much magic."

Master Mind nodded. "Of course. Caterina was one of my students, after all. Her research in magic transferal was groundbreaking. You're quite right about consuming too much magic at once. The results can be . . . messy."

Tirek looked at the caterpillar and nodded slowly. “Oh, right, not too much at once. If it's all right with you, I'll have more tomorrow.”

"I'll make sure you have three more crystals in the morning. When you're ready, you'll be in for a treat. You won't believe the magic that I have for you." The caterpillar smiled. "Come on, Harry, I still have errands to run."

The bear roared and left with the caterpillar still on his head.

“Are you sure you can trust him?” asked Chrysalis.

“I can’t, so I am preparing my contingency plans. Still, free magic is free magic.

“Just keep your eyes open,” warned Sombra. “Remember, even Grogar can't figure out what the worm is trying to do.”

Chrysalis added, "Whatever it is, it's got to be something big."
> Supermare 03
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A haven for Twilight


In the rarified air high above an edge of the Northern Wasteland, a crack of displaced air announced the arrival of Marevel and Lantern. That had agreed that they should arrive as quickly and quietly as possible with the hope that they could approach Twilight without spooking her. Star Swirl had warned them that Twilight's senses were now hypersensitive, so they took advantage of the thin air to muffle the sound of their teleportation.

From their high perch, they scanned along the bearing that the pointer from Lantern's ring indicated. Lantern then used his ring to create a pair of binoculars while Marevel relied on her super vision. Pristine white seemed to stretch forever -- until they saw it far in the distance. The natural shapes had been broken or melted. Dark rocks were scattered where there should only have been white.

Marevel said, "I guess she's somewhere out that way."

Lantern replied, "Let's go, but not too fast; we don't want her to think we're attacking."

With that, the two began a gentle glide down to a more normal pegasus altitude.

After a half hour of monotonous arctic landscape, they could see an upheaval in the ground. Great chunks of ice had been uprooted and strewn about. Impact craters the size of a house revealed dark rock. Most telling, however, were the molten gouges that went through both ice and rock.

Lantern called out, '"Twilight!"

A muffled voice replied, "Go away!"

Marevel and Lantern looked at each other and nodded. At a walking pace, the flew in the direction that the voice had come. They stopped over a crater that was a quarter kilometer deep. It was ringed by displaced ice soil, and rock. At the bottom, they saw a lavender ball. It was Twilight Sparkle, crying.

“Twilight! I’m so glad you’re okay!” said Spike.

Twilight looked at them over her shoulder and closed her eyes. “I’m okay? I’M OKAY?!”

She then glared at them. Hastily, Lantern threw up a shield just in time to deflect the two beams of concentrated heat. Marvel tensed, ready to charge, but she felt a hand on her withers. She looked over to Lantern, who shook his head slowly. Picking up his cue, she relaxed.

“Twilight, it’s okay! We know what is happening to you! We can help!”

Twilight flew out of the crater, looking Spike to the eye, floating above the ground without even moving her wings.

“Don’t you get it Spike? I am the Element of Magic! What Celestia did to me took away everything that I'm supposed to be. Without magic, I am nothing. Don’t you see it? NOTHING!”

She landed and punched the ground one more time, creating a shockwave that moved the ground like a ripple in a pond.

Again, Marevel tensed. Again, Spike placed a calming hand on her withers. He said, "We know, but we can fix it. We just need to locate your magic. Your body expelled it, and once we find it, we can get everything back to normal."

Marevel nodded. "That much powerful magic can't just vanish. The League and the princesses are all working to get it back, to get you back."

"I promise we're doing everything we can," added Spike. "I'm not going to let any pony or any being hurt my big sister."

Twilight smiled at her little brother. "Spike, I could just hug you, but with the way I am now, I'm afraid I'd squash you like a bug."

"It's good to see you smile, Twilight," replied Lantern.

"I wish I could say the same, Spike. I can't even see your skin; you look like one of those visible dragon models where you can see everything that's on the inside."

Lantern said, "We will get your magic back."

Marevel added, "That's a promise from all of us."

Twilight smiled at both of them. "Thanks, but I'm not going back; the noise is just too much. I can barely stand it out here."

Lantern said, "We can't just let you stay out here in the open."

"Why not?" asked Twilight. "The cold doesn't bother me anymore." She raised a forehoof and tensed. "I'm a freak!" She sighed and gently lowered it. "I'm a freak."

Showing the wisdom of Saddlemon, Marevel said, "We can help you to build something that will shelter you, something to protect you from the elements, something to block out the noise. Think about it; we could call it . . ."

“Fortress of Solitude?” suggested Lantern.

“How? Without my magic I can do nothing,” said Twilight

Marevel and Lantern looked at each other and then turned their heads in opposite directions to survey the devastation.

"Nothing?" asked Marevel. Sweeping a foreleg, she asked, "What do you call all this?"

Lantern added, "Think about it, Twilight. This is a chance to learn how to control your new abilities. You can see you can already use them to destroy. You can now use them to create."

Twilight sighed. "I guess you're right." She brightened. "This is perfect research for a scientific study!"

Smiling, Lantern replied, "That's the spirit!"

Watchtower:

Eagerly, the League listened to the incoming transmission. Lantern's voice came over the speakers. "Twilight's going to be staying up here for now. You guys have to find her magic. Marevel and I will join you as soon as we're finished building her Fortress of Solitude."

The rest of the League turned their attention to the Watchtower's Cutie Map. Arrow asked, "Does anypony know pure magic is supposed to look like?"

Doctor shook his head. "You're not going to see it by itself. Unless it's been captured in a storage crystal, it will bond with a living organism."

Canary replied, "Every being in Equus has some magic. How will we recognize Twilight's?

"We have her magical signature," replied Doctor. "We'll scan for that while we look for magical anomalies."

"We'll take turns monitoring the map," said Batmare. "Whatever happens, we'll be ready."

Elsewhere:

Tirek snarled at the purple alicorn. "Princess Twilight!" he shouted. "Prepare for your doom!"

The centaur charged. The alicorn shot forward. Tirek lowered his shoulder. Twilight sailed over him, twisting before she wrapped her forelegs around his barrel and cradling as if he were a foal."

"Huh?" said the centaur.

"You don't have to be evil," she said. "All you need in friendship."

“What? NO! GIVE ME YOUR MAGIC!”

As he moved to absorb her magic, the horror began. She began to sing in a voice that would be a balm to any child. She sang of friendship and caring. She sang of the joy of being. It sickened Tirek to the core of his being.

“I love you; you love me. We’re a happy family, with a great big hug and kiss form me to you, won’t you say you love me too?”

Tirek screamed in frustration as he broke free of her grasp. The sickening sound now seemed to come from all directions. Looking around, he found that the alicorn had duplicated herself and was now surrounding him, singing as one.

He was still screaming when he opened his eyes. There was no alicorn. He was in his bed. He was in his room. He grumbled as the poured himself out of bed. "Damn you, Twilight Sparkle."

He shook his head confused. “Why on Equus did I have to dream about her and her stupid friendship?”

Grogar was conspicuously absent when Tirek stumbled into the dining room, grumbling. The centaur didn't even bother to look at the corner where he knew there would be a lonely flowerpot hosting an immortal disguised as a caterpillar. Mastermind gave him an evil grin as he munched on a leaf.

In the kitchen, Tirek found a plate with three magic storage crystals waiting for him. Greedily, he stuffed them into his mouth.

Sombra entered the kitchen. He stifled a yawn and said, "Morning."

Tirek mumbled incoherently through a full mouth. He moved to the coffee pot. He needed something to wash his breakfast down.

"Hey!" called Sombra.

Tirek swallowed. "What?"

Pointing, Sombra said, "The other end of the mug holds more."

Tirek looked down at the mess he had made trying to fill an upside-down mug. With a groan, he used a bit of magic to vanish the mess. Carefully turning his mug over, he filled it to the brim with hot coffee and reached for a loaf of bread.

A moment later, Chrysalis entered. She sat at the table and stared at Tirek. "What?" asked the centaur.

"The knife woks better when you use the blade."

The centaur looked down. He had been trying to spread butter with the handle. He groaned, "I can tell this is going to be one of those days."

The others shrugged and continued with their breakfasts.

Ponyville, the next day:

Despite his membership in the Corps, Spike was still the number one assistant in the Castle of Friendship. As such, he still had his duties. With practiced efficiency, he cleaned the castle and made breakfast for two. He transferred Twilight's share to a magical container that would keep it fresh and warm.

Once he had finished eating, he continued packing for this upcoming trip. The fortress was going to be Twilight's home for a while, so he began gathering things to make her more comfortable. He gathered Twilight's favorite books and a few prized possessions and deposited them in her enchanted saddlebags; their magic would protect the contents from the climate of the Northern Wasteland.

Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he went to the teleportation array and set the destination to the Watchtower.

Watchtower:

Arrow scanned the monitors while Canary studied the Cutie Map. In the meantime, Dash was crisscrossing the planet at super speed, scanning for Twilight's magic with the sensors that Doctor had provided. Spike walked in and said, "Wow, you guys look terrible. You should let the next shift take over."

"Sweetie Borg and Batmare need their rest," replied Canary, yawning. "They wanted to take first shift, but that's not healthy for them. I don't care if they're metaponies; they're still growing fillies."

Arrow nodded. "Batmare puts way too much pressure on herself. We can give them a couple more hours."

Spike smiled in gratitude. "They'll never admit it, but they really appreciate your help." With that, he shimmered with a green light as his ring dressed him in his uniform. "I'm off to make a delivery to Twilight." With that, he headed for the teleportation array.


Fortress of Solitude:

Just a day before, the site had borne mute witness to the destruction that Twilight Sparkle had wrought. Now, it held a giant castle made of ice on a foundation of rock. It was a refuge from the chaos of the world, the only place that Twilight found to be truly quiet.

Lantern stopped at the door. He had almost knocked before he realized how loud that would sound to Twilight. Sheepishly, he set the delivery down and waved before he flew away.

From inside, Twilight smiled as she watched from her view port; she had used the ice to form lenses and mirrors to provide a view of her surroundings. She waved back, even though she knew that Spike would not be able to see her.

Once Lantern had left, Twilight went to the door and brought in the delivery. The smaller container held her breakfast -- oats, coffee, juice, and toast. They froze almost instantly when she set them on the table. She signed as she returned them to the container and moved to a subterranean chamber. She then looked through the contents of her saddlebags. She smiled as she withdrew Star Swirl's autobiography, the first three volumes of the Daring Do series, and the unabridged Encyclopedia of Equestrian History.

She set her breakfast on a stone table and used her heat vision to warm it. Sweetie Belle would have been proud of her toast. Concentrating, she managed to warm the coffee and evaporate only three quarters of it. The orange juice was piping hot, and the oats were singed. She smiled. "I can actually control this." She then turned her attention to the stone walls and heated them up to something that would be comfortable for a normal pony.

As she started eating, she leafed through the first Daring Do book. A comic book slipped out. She picked it up. "Spike must have picked this up by accident." She stared at the cover. It had an earth pony mare wearing a blue union suit and a red cape. Both were emblazoned with a stylized "U" on top of a stylized "M".

"Ultra Mega Mare? I wonder what sort of silliness that could be."

Digging further into the saddlebag, she found parchment, quill, ink, and a scroll. There was also a pony ragdoll with mismatched button eyes. She gave the doll a quick hug before setting it aside. She then opened the scroll and read. "Dear Twilight, please write down what you need on the enclosed parchment and put the list in the saddlebag. I will be by in the evening to pick up the bag."

She smiled as she jotted down a list of supplies. She said, "I know I can control this. I just need to experiment. Then, when I get my magic back, I'll be twice as efficient."

Triumphantly, she said, "Get set, Miss Smarty Pants! It's time for science!"as time to get back to normal.
> Supermare 04
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Mare of steel




Tirek was content. He could feel the nurturing warmth around him. After so many intense nightmares, it was a sensation he did not want to end. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes in response to the warmth on his face. He found the warm oranges and reds of a perfect sunset framed by the cooler blues and purples. He felt he warmth to his right shift. He turned his head. His eyes shot wide open when he saw it was the Princess of Friendship leaning into him.

She said, "See? Friendship was all that you needed." The purple alicorn gave a happy sigh. "I love the smell of friendship in the evening. It's the smell . . ." She inhaled deeply. ". . . of harmony."

Tirek looked around, taking in his surroundings. A simple meal on a red and white checked tablecloth was spread on the ground in front of him. The rest of the Element Bearers were lying beside the blanket, enjoying the food while they watched the sunset.

Tirek exclaimed, "What am I doing at a damned picnic?"

Pinkie Pie pronked about, "Celebrating friendship! Group hug!"

The centaur found himself blanketed by colorful ponies. Each touch exuded friendship. It was pure torture.

Twilight said, "Isn't it better this way? You don't have to be evil when you have friends. We will make sure you don't feel alone anymore."

Tirek snapped his head back toward the voice. The Princess of Friendship was smiling at him. That sickened him to no end. To his horror, she suddenly became two alicorns. The two then became four. The doubling continued until he lost count. As one, they serenaded him about love and friendship. Blood streamed from his ears.

“DIE, TWILIGHT SPARKLE!” shouted Tirek as he sent out the strongest magic blast that he could manage. When the blinding light faded, he saw that the ponies were gone. He was in bed. He was in his room in Grogar's fortress, which now sported a porthole-sized hole in the wall. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It was a dream. It was only a dream."

“What is the meaning of this?” asked a cold voice.

Tirek paled when he noticed Grogar staring at him through the new hole. The fur under the ram's nose was singed, making him look like he had a black moustache. The ram glared at him.

“It was an accident, Grogar, sir. I was having a nightmare and . . .”

Grogar lifted Tirek with his telekinesis and repeatedly slammed him against the opposite wall multiple times until the centaur's rump was embedded in it.

Tirek coughed blood. “I told you, it was an accident, sir! I had this dream about Twilight Sparkle giving me her friendship and I . . .”

Steam seemed to stream from Grogar's ears. “Now listen to me, idiot. Ponies are supposed to be scared of us, not the other way around. Now clean this mess and fix my walls before I return or I’ll make sure you have nightmares about me from now on.”

Heavy footsteps drew their attention. They turned to the door as it opened, revealing Harry the bear. The caterpillar on his head gave a soft sigh. "Please do not be so harsh on my faithful student. He has been having nightmares. Unlike you, he has borne the brunt of the power of Harmony firsthand. Can you not tell that he was speaking in anger, not fear? Can you not see that his is dedicated to taking down our common enemy, Twilight Sparkle? Is that not what you want in your minions?"

Grogar glared at Master Mind. "Fine. Let him get as angry as he wants, but this had better be the last time he damages my lair. This is MY hideout. This is MY sanctuary. MINE! HERE, I AM THE MASTER."

Master Mind replied, "Indeed. And we are your grateful, if clumsy, guests. You have my word that he will personally repair all the damage. I will reinforce this room so that this never happens again. Now, why don't you go run your morning errands. Your lair will be better than new when you return."

Grogar nodded as he left. “It'd better be.”

Tirek watched as the ram left. He sighed in relief when he heard the front door slam shut.

“Thank you very much Mr. Master Mind, sir.”

Master Mind replied, "You have your orders. Eat your four crystals and use your new magic to make the repairs. I'll take care of the rest."

“Four . . . yes, four. Thank you, Mr. Master Mind, sir.”

In the middle of the woods, Grogar abruptly stopped. His mind now felt clear. Ever since Master Mind agreed to take him on as his student, the ram's thoughts were always fuzzy and confused in the immortal's presence. The correlation was obvious.

Grogar roared in anger as he shot a magic blast skyward.

“No matter how powerful I become, the damn worm will always do what he wants with my mind.”

Northern Wasteland:

The novelty of white nights had quickly worn off. It was morning in Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle rose at her normal time. Feeling a pang of homesickness, she exited the Fortress of Solitude and flew toward Equestria. She stopped over the middle of the ocean. A that range, the sounds of civilization were uncomfortable but not overwhelming. This had been her routine for the past week. Each day, she managed to edge closer to civilization before the discomfort drove her back.

As she hovered, she concentrated on isolating and identifying every sound. She could distinguish and follow millions of conversations. She could hear and identify millions of steps, correlating each to size, species and hoofwear. She could trace flight paths by listening to the wingbeats of the fliers. In short, she began to see the world around her with her ears.

Twilight lost track of time as she edged ever closer to civilization, mentally painting a picture of the world that she heard. Her eyes narrowed when she heard something new. It was a metallic screech that was soon joined by dozens of screams of terror. She cast her gaze toward the noise. It was a train speeding down a mountain track with its brakes locked. There was no way it could stay on the upcoming curve.

Twilight was gone in a blur. There were lives at stake.

Meanwhile, the Dash was flying in a simple search pattern as she carried a sensor pack tuned to Twilight's magic. Her commlink crackled. Arrow's voice came through. "Dash, go to Vanhoover's Dead Mare's Curve. There's a runaway train!"

The pegasus was already moving at full speed when she replied, "I'm on it!"

Dash arrived in time to see the locomotive teetering on the curve. In seconds, it was sure to fall off the track and pull the rest of the train down the mountain with it. The mare gave a grim smile. Taking all of the ponies to safety was foal's play.

Just as she was about to start, she saw as lavender blur shoot past. "Twilight?" she asked.

Without turning, the alicorn replied, "On it!" Twilight pushed the locomotive back onto the tracks and guided each car as it reached the curve. Once the caboose had passed, she grabbed the coupler and brought the train to a smooth stop.

“Twilight that was so cool!” cheered Rainbow Dash.

Twilight turned and smiled happily. Her ears swiveled toward the locomotive, and the smile faded to a frown. She flew to the locomotive and scanned the engine. Her x-ray vision revealed a spiderweb of angry red cracks. Using her body as a wedge, she cut away the crew cabin before balancing the rest of the locomotive on her forehooves. She rocketed into the sky with her payload. In the stratosphere above the forest, the boiler exploded, sending out a cloud of shrapnel that showered down harmlessly. Twilight returned to the track with the remnants.

“Twilight! Are you okay?” asked Rainbow Dash.

The lavender alicorn smiled at her. “Not a scratch.”

Rainbow shook her head in disbelief. “That was . . .”

“Awesome, even if it’s wrong, I’m the one saying it.” Twilight smiled, amazed by what she just did.

Suddenly, Twilight winced as she clamped her forehooves over her ears. In a pained voice, she looked over at Dash and said, "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I need to get out of here before I hurt somepony." The alicorn sped off so fast that she left an afterimage.

Daish said, "Thanks, Twilight."

Although she knew her friend could not see her, Twilight nodded in acknowledgement.

Dash hovered above the passengers and crew. Touching her commlink, she said, "Did anypony catch my video feed?"

Batmare replied, "Yes. It looks like Princess Twilight still wants to come home."

Dash said, "I meant did you see how she saved the train?"

"She already showed us her power. What impressed me is that she's gained so much control in such a short time."

Back at the Fortress of Solitude, Twilight sat in front of her desk. Turning to the doll, she said, "Today was super amazing, Miss Smarty Pants! Not only was I able to filter out the noise for a while, but I was also able to see Rainbow with normal vision! No more zombies for me!"

She dipped her quill into her inkwell, only to have the nib bounce. Around the quill, she muttered, "Right. Frozen solid." She gently focused her heat vision on the inkwell until the ink melted. She then heated the stone walls to keep the ink from refreezing.

In all capital letters, she wrote,


 "CONCENTRATION IS KEY!"


Ponyville:

Fluttershy exited the market followed by two friends helping her with her grocery bags. The large bear was helping her with the heavy bags as Fluttershy carried the lighter. On top of the bear’s head was his inseparable friend, Wormy the caterpillar, who seemed to guide Harry to look non-threatening to the other ponies.

“Thank you very much for helping me you two! I bought a special treat for you when we go back home!” The pegasus smiled, showing Harry the jar of honey that she purchased.

The bear roared happily just as Rainbow Dash appeared.

“Hey, I have great news!”

“Oh, is it something regarding Twilight?” asked Fluttershy anxiously.

Harry and his friend Wormy approached to Rainbow as she nodded happily,

“We haven’t been able to locate her magic but I just saw her save a train with her new abilities. She is doing her best to return to civilization!”

“Oh, these are great news! She will be with us in no time! Isn’t that great, Harry? Wormy?”

The bear cheered happily. Rainbow stared at the caterpillar. Somehow, the insect was able to give a sincere cheer of his own.

“So, Harry still hangs out with that worm, huh?”

“Of course! They are the best friends, Rainbow, just like you and me. Isn’t just great when the power of friendship transcends species?”

Fortress of solitude:

It was the dawn of a new day in Ponyville, but in the Northern Wasteland, the months-long day wore on. Emboldened by her discovery, Twilight flew off in the heading opposite that of yesterday's flight. Once she reached the limits of her noise tolerance, she began orbiting the planet, taking care to isolate and catalog the sounds associated with each location she overflew while filtering out the other sounds.

Hours into her flight, the scrams of panic caught her attention. She stopped and looked toward the sound. It was coming from Fillydelphia. She flew at top speed, homing in on the plume of smoke. She landed on top of the blazing tenement. She bucked open the fire door. A plume of superheated flames shot past her. She blinked in surprise and stepped to one side. Instinctively she took a deep breath and faced the flames. She narrowed her lips and blew. Supercooled air killed the flames on the first few floors. She hovered downward, repeating the performance until the blaze in the stairwell was dead.

Starting at the second floor, she used her x-ray vision to look for trapped ponies. At each occupied apartment she opened the door and said, "Stay close to the ground and use the outside fire escape!" Systematically, she worked her way up the building until she was satisfied that the evacuation was well in hoof.

The task of saving other ponies required all of her concentration, and the noise did not even bother her.

Outside, the fireponies had arrived along with the Great and Powerful Trixie, who was ready to use her powers to rescue the ponies inside as the fireponies took care of the fire. They were relieved to have a member of the Justice League at their side.

Trixie aimed her horn at the entrance as she concentrated.

“Water, turn off this fire! Retaw nrut ffo siht erif!”

A stream of clean water emerged from her horn, flooding the entrance of the building, creating huge clouds of steam as all the residents escaped from the death trap.

“Is everypony okay?” asked the fire chief. “What happened in there?”

“Princess Twilight saved us all.” explained a resident of the building. “She stopped the smoke and . . .”

Finally, the lavender alicorn exited the building. She smiled at the chief.

“Everypony is okay. I made sure of that.”

Trixie shook her head in disbelief. “Twilight Sparkle, are you okay?”

The lavender alicorn winked an eye at the showmare. “Not a scratch.”

Trixie sighed, relieved that everypony was safe. "Trixie is happy to see you in the city, but did you have to steal her thunder?" Quickly, she smiled. "Just kidding."

The blue mare turned to the janitor. “Trixie demands to know what happened in there. Do you have any idea what started the fire?”

"Well, I noticed we were having problems with the boiler . . ."

Twilight gave a gasp. She yelled, "Trixie! Clear that side of the building!"

Trixie pointed her horn and said, "Raelc klawedis!"

Twilight smashed through the side of the building, only to re-emerge a split-second later with the boiler. Steam was shooting from a small hole in the bottom as they rocketed skyward. To her horror, it exploded in a crowd of shrapnel above the packed sidewalk before she could get it out of the city.

Trixie pointed her horn at the sky. “Umbrellas protect ponies from the metal fragments. Sallerbmu tcetorp seinop morf eht latem stnemgarf!”

Big beach umbrellas popped out all over the area, catching the sharp fragments of the boiler before they harm anypony.

From the above Twilight looked at Trixie and nodded at her. Trixie returned the gesture. With that, the princess returned to her Fortress of Solitude.

“Thank Faust Trixie was there to cover for my mistake. I am glad to see she found her path after she gained metapony powers.”

The Next Day:

Lantern made his morning delivery, swapping the saddlebag at the doorstep with one filled with the supplies that Twilight had requested in the evening swap. All the consumables were replenished -- food, ink, quills, and scrolls.

As he flew away, a voice caught his attention. "Spike!"

Lantern turn to find Twilight outside the fortress, waving at him. Spike stopped and returned the wave with a giant, ring-generated hand. With that, he returned to the Watchtower.

Twilight beamed as she watched his retreating form. Finally, she could see him normally again. Zombie vision seemed to be under control at last.

Twilight returned to her subterranean study and heated the walls. She emptied the saddlebags. To her surprise, there was a newspaper among the supplies. The front page had a picture of her rocketing off with the boiler. She smiled as she read the banner headline.


"MARE OF STEEL"

> Supermare 05
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dominic Dumbsey, pursuer of potency, treading on treachery, damned for eternity


Most ponies believed that Tartarus was the epitome of torment. Having escaped that prison, Tirek knew better. What he had suffered there was nothing compared to the torment that greeted him every night. In his dreamscape, he curled in a ball with his eyes shut and his hands clamped over his ears. It didn't help. He could still hear them. Inexplicably, he could still see them. He was surrounded by the princess of friendship and her friends, copy upon copy, withers to withers, as far as the mind's eye could see. They sang that horrid song about family, friendship, and love in umpteen-part harmony, over and over.


I love you, you love me
We're best friends like friends should be
With a great big hug
And a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too?


Self-preservation bypassed conscious though as a powerful ball of magic erupted from between the centaur's horns. In the dreamscape, the blast passed through his tormentors without effect. In reality, the ball sped toward the nearest wall. Master Mind's reinforcements kept it contained within the room. The ball plowed a path of destruction as it ricocheted from wall to wall to ceiling to floor until it struck Tirek in the back of the head, waking him as he was deposited onto the floor.

Enraged, he tore himself from the cocoon that his sweat-soaked sheets had become. Unsteadily, he rose to his hooves. "What's happening to me," he asked. "Why is she always in my dreams?"

His stomach answered his question with a complaint. He opened the door and muttered, "Breakfast."

There was a solid thunk as his head refused to lead his body through the doorway. His torso bent back uncomfortably until his backed his body into the room.

Taking a moment to compose himself first, he then charged to the doorway. Once more, something held his head back. After the fifth attempt to escape, Sombra and Chrysalis approached from opposite directions, stifling yawns. Sombra groaned, "What is is this time?"

Tirek replied, "Something is keeping my head from getting out of the room."

Sombra and Chrysalis looked at each other, concerned. Chrysalis asked, "Are you feeling all right? Are you seriously trying to get out that way?"

Tirek backed up a few paces and charged at the doorway again. Once more, his torso bent backward while the rest of his body started out of the room. He snarled, "Don't just stand there! Let me out! I swear, when I figure out which one of you did this, I'll suck you dry!"

Chrysalis said, "You know what your problem is? You're too horny,"

Tirek groaned. "I already told you; you're not my type."

Sombra facehoofed. "Your horns are wider than the doorway, stupid! Turn you head sideways before you walk out the door.

Tirek followed the directions and made his escape. He said, "The things must have grown while I was sleeping."

Chrysalis replied, "They haven't grown a hair's breadth since you stared eating those magic crystals."

Tirek mumbled an apology and made his way to the kitchen while the others watched with concern.

Chrysalis asked, "Is it my imagination? I know he was never a genius, but have you noticed?"

Sombra shook his head. "He really is getting dumber each day."

The floor shook when a loud thump came from downstairs. The two rushed to find the cause. The found Tirek with his horns embedded in the doorframe. Sombra cleared his throat. When Tirek backed up and turned, Sombra pantomimed turning his head and ducking through the doorway. Sheepishly, Tirek followed directions and entered the kitchen.

“Shall we keep an eye on him?” asked Sombra.

“He will make a mess with the coffee like yesterday, and the day before," replied Chrysalis.

Sombra sighed.

“Fine!”

The two followed Tirek into the kitchen where they found him holding a slice of toast in one hand while he reached for a knife with the other.

Chrysalis's eyes widened when she saw he was reaching for the blade. "Stop!" she cried.

Tirek ignored her and picked up the paring knife by its blade. The razor-sharp edge curled under when it met with super-tough skin.

As he absorbed magic from his morning crystals, he muttered, "I just don't know what's going wrong."

The others stared at him as they wordlessly ate their breakfasts. Hastily, he finished his meal and hurried to the doorway. Once more, his head snapped back.

"TIREK SICK OF DOORS!" He pushed the frame out of the wall. When it fell to the floor, he walked through the widened opening.

When he reached his room, he again found himself stymied by the doorway. The reinforced room proved to be more than a match for his might. He slumped to the floor as his shoulders spasmed. He reached back and touched his shoulder blades. Pain was erupting from the woody nodules that were growing there.

Pain was clearing the fog from his mind. "Lady Catrina said too much magic would eat your mind. Must stop before . . ."

He suddenly stopped, confused. "What was Tirek doing?" he asked. Something turned his head sideways as he walked into his room.

After the door closed, the caterpillar crawled out of the shadows. He said, "You should be proud of your student, Catrina. I had to intervene again. He's smarter than I thought, but not for long."

Fortress of Solitude:

Morning had broken, but in the months-long polar day, one couldn't tell just by looking. Twilight had eagerly anticipated this moment. She had been been standing on the doorstep, scanning the sounds around her for a specific heartbeat, and she could hear it rapidly approaching.

She turned her telescopic vision toward the sound and focused on the verdant glow that was drawing ever closer. She smiled as the emerald guardian landed in front of her, carrying a set of panniers with her cutie mark embroidered on the flaps.

Lantern softly said, "Twilight, this is a surprise. It's good to see you outdoors."

Twilight replied, "It's good to see you too, Spike. I mean, I can see the real you, and not the bones and organs under your skin."

Lantern stepped forward and hugged her warmly. "I missed you."

"Me too, Spike. I wish I could hug you, but I'm still trying to get all these crazy powers under control."

Lantern enveloped himself in a green glow. "Go ahead and try, Twilight. I've given myself soft power armor."

Hesitantly, Twilight wrapped her wings around him. She released her grip when she heard the sound of crumpling metal. Shocked, she stepped back and said, "I'm sorry, Spike."

In a somewhat pained voice, Lantern replied, "I'm all right. That was nothing compared to the affection that the Vaxasaurian family showed after I saved them the other day." He paused to take a deep breath. "I'm surprised how much your control has improved in just a few days."

"There's not much else to do out here. I mean, there are only so many ways you can describe snow."

Twilight blinked. "What's a Vaxasaurian?"

Lantern shrugged, "They're an intelligent species on another planet. I'm sure you don't want me to bore you with my work."

"Are you joking? You should write a book! Better, still, a comic book! Imagine this: 'Outer Space Adventures of the Green Lantern'."

Lantern blushed as he pulled a newspaper from the bag. He showed the picture on the front page to Twilight. "I'm not the only one who's been busy."

Twilight looked at the picture of her flying from the side of a mountain, carrying a dozen miners with a rope harness. She said, "I had to do it. They would have suffocated in another minute. I might not have my magic, but I can still do some good."

Lantern smiled. "Magic or no magic, superpower or no superpower, you can do good because you are you."

Twilight nodded. "Thanks, Spike. You always know how to cheer me up."

Lantern nodded before flying away.

As Lantern neared the teleportation beacon, a shadow loomed overhead. Reflexively, he raised a shield as he turned to face the threat. He blinked in surprise. "Twilight?"

The alicorn replied, "I need to see them."

"Who?"

"Everyone. My friends, my family. I've spent far too much time alone."

"What about Celestia and Luna?" asked Lantern.

Twilight said nothing as she turned her head away. Spike nodded in undersanding. 

Sighing, Twilight said, "I know they never meant to hurt me but I'm not ready for them yet." She turned back to face Spike. "Can you do that for me? Can you get everypony together some place where I can escape if I start to lose control?"

"How about the Crystal Empire?" asked Lantern. "Cadance and Shiny would be ecstatic to see you, and once you're outside the empire, it's just wasteland."

"That sounds good, Spike, but tell everypony that this is going to be a test. Tell them that I'll need to flee if things get too hard to bear."

"I'll get right on it. I'll send a letter when the time comes." With a broad grin, Lantern added. "Oh, Twilight! They are going to be so happy to see you!"

"Not as happy as I'll be to see them."

"I know a practically perfect party planner who could have everything set up by this evening."

"I'm counting on you, Spike."

Lantern nodded. He flew to beacon. With a crack of displaced air, he was gone.

Watchtower:

The graveyard shift was wrapping up when Lantern entered the Monitor Room. Arrow was at the main console while Canary and Sweetie Borg studied the enhanced Cutie Map. The emerald guardian glanced up at the ceiling. The red rose was conspicuously absent. He could talk freely.

Sweetie Borg stifled a yawn as she looked up. "Spike! How is she?"

"She's getting better. She actually wants to see us all!"

Canary replied, "That's great, Spikey Wikey! This is the perfect opportunity to test out my new line of winter clothes. I can hardly wait to see her and her new ice palace."

Lantern shook his head. "She wants the reunion to be in the Crystal Empire. I'm sure Shining Armor and Cadance will be happy to see her. The only thing is I kind of promised I'd try to set things up for tonight."

Arrow snorted. "We should talk to the pink menace. She lives for parties like that."

Sweetie Borg said, "Let me tell Dash. She's in Griffonstone. I think she's helping her friend Gilda."

"No, Sweetie," replied Canary. "Properly communicating this news requires a more nuanced approach than she can manage."

Arrow added, "Dash is coming off duty soon. I will let her know."

Smiling, Canary said, "I can always count on you, Blue Blood! Now, let's go home, Sweetie Belle; you need to get your beauty sleep, and I need to tell our friends."

The cyborg filly yawned. "You don't have to tell me twice. Let me make a nice, warm glass of milk first."

Lantern trapped her in an energy field while Canary said, "Let me get that, Sweetie. Remember our agreement? Until you can boil water without burning anything, the appliances up here are off limits."





It was a short walk from the teleportation array in the Castle of Friendship to Carousel Boutique. Rarity tucked her sister into bed before going to find the rest of the Element Bearers. The first stop was Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie was in the kitchen when Rarity gave her the news. As the party pony prepared pastries, she said with uncharacteristic restraint, "So, Twilight is ready to see us all?"

"You're taking this rather calmly."

"I'm super-duper excited on the inside. Calm will keep the cakes from collapsing."

"Of course, darling, but this is only a test. The strongest members of the League will be there in case things get out of hoof."

"Not every Pinkie Party is super wild. I'll keep things quieter. Don't worry, we'll have desserts to die for."

Rarity smiled as she headed to her next stop.

As Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity cringed as she picked her way to the dairy barn. Applejack was pouring a bucket of milk into a large can when Rarity gave her the news.

"That's wonderful, sugarcube!" Applejack beamed. "Ah can bring a barrel of our best cider, or maybe I should bring Granny's special apple pie? Aw, shoot! Ah'll bring both!"

“Do what you think is best, darling. I’ll let you know when it’s time. All right?”

“Ah’ll be there. Let’s just hope that Dash doesn’t get all the cider.”

"The Crusaders will be there. I'm sure she'll set a good example."

The two shared a laugh.

“Well, I’ll be in touch, dear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I’ll tell Fluttershy.”

Applejack nodded. "Ah'd join you, but Ah have a lot to do to get ready."

“Don’t worry darling, she'll understand. See you soon!”

Applejack sighed. “Soon.”

The unicorn hurried to her final stop, Fluttershy's sanctuary. She followed the sound gnawing and scraping to an isolated part of the stream. There, she found the yellow pegasus busily helping a family of beavers build a new den. She wove the wattle for the chimney while Harry the bear dragged a felled tree to where the beavers could more easily work on it.

The shy pegasus beamed when she heard the news. "That's wonderful! Should I bring her something?"

"I'm sure your presence will be more than enough, darling." Rarity stifled a yawn. "The way you have all your animal friends looking for her magic is more precious than anything you could bring. I haven't the time to prepare the perfect gift on such short notice."

"You have time now," said Fluttershy.

Shaking her head, Rarity replied, "I need my beauty sleep. I've been up all night making sure the Crusaders didn't burn everything down."

"We all need our rest, but aren't you used to late nights?"

"Quite so, darling, but late nights normally mean late mornings, and I've barely slept since the incident." Rarity stifled another yawn. "It's all been for Twilight; it's been worth it."

Fluttershy turned to the bear. "Did you hear that, Harry? Twilight wants to see us! It's going to be a huge party!"

The bear roared enthusiastically. On his head, Wormy the Caterpillar tapped his head with his tail. The bear looked up and grunted before looking at Fluttershy.

“What’s happening to him?” asked Rarity.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Fluttershy smiled. “It seems that Wormy has something to do and Harry promised to help him. Of course; Harry, you’ve been of great help. Go help your best friend!”

The bear walked away as Rarity said goodbye to Fluttershy and finally went to bed.

Crystal Empire:

The private sitting room in the Crystal Palace could barely contain the joy. Cadance said, "Of course we'll host the party. I can hardly wait to see Twilight again."

"Are you sure she's really ready?" asked Shining Armor.

Spike shook his head. "Foal steps, Shiny. The only way we can tell is to try. We'll have the strongest members of the League on hoof in case things go wrong." He sighed. "She's made so much progress. She should be fine."

Cadance's smile faded. "What if things go wrong?"

"We'll have multiple escape routes. Twilight know that she just needs to get out of the empire, and I've made sure the ballroom roof won't collapse if she has to fly through it."

“And what about my aunts? Are they coming too?” asked Cadence.

Spike shook his head.

“She doesn’t want them here. Not yet.”

“But it wasn’t their fault. It was Master Mind’s!”

“I know, and I know Twilight knows. But, at the end of the day, the one who did this to her was Celestia, and Twilight cannot forgive her that easily.”

Cadence sighed as Shining placed a hoof on her withers.

“You know we cannot expose Flurry to an angry Twilight, especially with the way she is now. Also, Twiley will know when she’s ready. Don’t push her.”

Cadence nodded. “I think you’re right. She needs time to deal with her emotions.”

Forest of Tambelon, Grogar’s Fortress:

Tirek's dreamscape was the polar opposite of a sanctuary. His ears bled as copy upon copy upon copy of Element Bearers sang in perfect harmony about the virtues of family, friendship, and love.

The centaur woke up, screaming in anger as the energy blast that he had unleashed in his sleep ricocheted off the ceiling and crashed onto his belly with enough force to break the bed in two.

He stumbled to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. "What wrong, Tirek?"

A voice from his window replied, "Nothing to worry about, big fella."

Tirek turned and glared at the caterpillar. What was its name again?

The caterpillar continued. “I know what will make you feel better -- magic, lots of magic.”

Harry the bear entered the room carrying a big box full of magic crystals.

Tirek drooled as he greedily reached for the box. He then slapped it away. "NO! Magic bad! Magic make Tirek dumb!"

Master Mind nodded. “I know. There’s a limit to the amount of magic you can consume before it consumes you”

“WORM KNEW?”

Master Mind gave him an ironic smile. “To be honest my friend, I never needed you. What I need is a mindless puppet.”

The caterpillar sighed. "I was actually enjoying watching the magic gradually eroding your intelligence. I was actually enjoying feeding your hate of Princess Twilight with those dreams. All good things must come to an end, though. She has learned to master her new powers much faster than I had anticipated. You can blame this all on her; I need to have you ready today."

"TIREK SQUISH!" The centaur sent his balled fist down at the caterpillar. Master Mind simply looked Tirek in the eye.

The fist abruptly came to a stop and opened. It reached down to the crystals scattered on the floor and shoved them into the centaur's mouth. Try as he might, Tirek could not stop the overwhelming force that had taken over his mind.

Desperately, Tirek begged for it to stop. The widening grin on the caterpillar's face showed that Master Mind had heard the pleas.

The centaur silently screamed as the core of his being was burned away by the immense influx of magic.

A single tear fell from his eye as a last memory of Cozy and Lady Catrina crossed his mind before it disappeared forever.

One final thought floated out: I’m so sorry.





Grogar hurried through the door. The pillar of smoke had told of bad tidings. Debris was scattered on the floor. Every wall had massive holes.

“AGAIN? WHO WAS THE MORON WHO DESTROYED MY HOME?!”

Sombra and Chrysalis shrank in fear as they saw the monster ram generating an aura of raw power from his body.

“It was Tirek, my lord! But he's not himself!” said Chrysalis.

“SILENCE! If that moron wants to destroy my home, fine, but you all will see what happens when you earn my wrath!”

The screams of agony drowned out the crack of displaced air as Grogar teleported his two minions and himself into Tirek's room. The sight left the three speechless.

Tirek was writhing on the floor. His skin transformed into bark as the bumps on his shoulders erupted though, revealing wicked thorns. He scrabbled at his skin, tearing away at the bumps. Each bump erupted into another thorn. His teeth lengthened into wicked fangs while his hooves grew to form sharp points at the tips.

When it was finally over, he looked at them with blank eyes and roared. What had been a centaur was now a dark parody that seemed to have been made of plunder vines.

"Tirek!" Chrysalis cried out.

"Tirek is gone," replied the caterpillar as he crawled in front of the three. "All we have now is a mindless beast."

Enraged, Sombra lifted a forehoof, but Grogar held it back. The ram said, "You don't stand a chance."

"But, Tirek . . ."

Grogar replied, "Do you have any idea what true power is?" Pointing at the caterpillar, he continued. "Next to him, I'm nothing."

"You have learned well, my faithful student," said the caterpillar. "As for the two of you, you better thank Faust that I need you as yourselves. Come now, my toy. It's time to take on a certain purple metapony."

Chrysalis looked at the caterpillar and gulped. She shivered as she finally realized why Grogar was so cautious around him. She looked back at the centaur and said plaintively, "Tirek."

The caterpillar replied, "There is no more Tirek. This is now Dumbsey!"

Sombra shuddered. "Dominic Dumbsey, pursuer of potency, treading on treachery, damned for eternity."

The caterpillar gleamed with pride. "It's good so see that not all my works are lost to the sands of time. Let's go, Dumbsey. It's time for your dream encounter."
> Supermare 06
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The world’s wickedest worm


Cadance and Shining Armor anxiously waited in the grand salon in the Crystal Palace. An army of servants had quickly transformed it from a stodgy parlor to a welcoming space to host Twilight and her closest friends. Ordinarily, they would not have had to hurry; the train ride from Ponyville took the better part of a day. This time, however, the Justice League was handling transportation. Everypony, League member or not, would be using the League's teleportation system.

A light flashed on the mantlepiece. Excitedly, Cadance exclaimed, "They're here!" She and Shining turned to face the doors. He opened them with his telekinesis.

The sound of synchronized hoofbeats diminished step by step as the Ponyville contingent's escorts stopped at their designated posts along the hallway leading to the salon. These troops had been hoof-picked by Shining Armor himself; they were charged with ensuring that everypony was evacuated safely if Twilight were to lose control. Alicorn Marevel and Sweetie Borg led the group, scanning the surroundings for trouble, while Arrow and Trixie served as rear guard.

As the League members took their positions inside the room, Cadance welcomed the five Element Bearers. "Welcome, girls! Shining and I are so glad you all could make it. Seeing you all would mean the world to Twilight."

"It'll be special for us, too," replied Applejack. "We haven't seen her in far too long."

Softly, Fluttershy added, "We haven't seen her since what happened in Canterlot. She must feel so scared, so alone."

"With that strength, she must feel like she's living in a world made of cardboard," added Rainbow Dash.

Nodding, Shining Armor said, "This is a huge step for Twiliey. We have to do everything we can to help her fit in again."

Pinkie Pie snapped off a sharp salute. "By your command, General Armor! Troops, prepare this room to receive our dear friend. Private Applejack, put the cider beside the refreshment table. Private Fluttershy, set Granny Smith's pies on the table. Private Dash, set up the special decorations. Private Rarity, deploy the phonograph. Move out!"

The other Element Bearers carried out Pinkie's orders while the party pony set her own treats on the refreshment table.

The four costumed League members left the room to inspect the troop deployment. As they made their way down the hallway, one of the soldiers said, "Hey, Alicorn Marevel?"

The alicorn stopped. "Yes?"

"It's me, Crystal Lance. We fought side by side during the two golem invasions. Remember?"

Marevel smiled uncomfortably. "Sorry, those were crazy times, and I didn't get a good look at everypony's faces."

Lance looked crestfallen for a moment before pulling out a notepad and pen from under his vest. With teeth clenched, he asked, "Can I have your autograph?"

Smiling, Marevel replied, "Sure!" She took the proffered items in her wings.

As Marevel put pen to paper, Sweetie Borg petulantly asked, "Do you want mine? I was the one who finished off Sombra."

"Are you kidding? I want to get the entire League's. Marevel's will always be special; we are comrades in arms. Oh, and I have to get Spike the Brave and Glorious to sign. Do you think he will come?"

Shining Armor said sarcastically, "He's the princess's sister. What do you think?" He then grabbed the pen and notepad in his telekinesis. "You are on duty. If you cannot handle that, I will replace you now."

Crystal Lance gulped and saluted.

Marevel turned to Shining and said, "We never got to thank your troops for all their help."

Shining replied, "There will be time afterward; I promise. For now, we need to make sure everything is perfect for Twilight."

Shining's ears perked as he turned his head toward the roar of a crowd. A green glow came from the entryway. The light faded revealing the Emerald Guardian and his sister. Immediately, the guards stood at attention as the League members moved to their positions. Shining rushed forward and gave his sister a warm hug. "I missed you."

As gently as she could, she stroked her brother's back. "I missed you too. I can't wait to see everypony again."

"Let's go, then," replied Shining.

Inside the salon, everypony turned to the door when it opened. Shining Armor trotted through. "Everypony, there's somepony I'd like you to meet." He stepped aside, revealing his siblings.

"TWILIGHT!" cheered everypony in the room.

The purple alicorn winced slightly as the sound before she walked to the middle of the room, smiling. When she stopped, the others crowded around her and gave her a group hug.

Twilight smiled, drinking in the warmth and friendship. She cried, "Thank you, everypony! You have no idea how much I've missed you all." The Mare of Steel broke down, sobbing, when the enormity of the situation hit with full force.

Softly, Cadance said, “It’s okay; we’re here for you.”

"I can't believe I'm actually here," said Twilight. "I . . . I can do this. I can be around normal ponies."

An excited babbling caught everypony's attention. Horrified, Cadence exclaimed, "Flurry!"

The sound of hooves filled the room as the infant's attendants galloped in pursuit. They stopped short when they saw the foal frolicking around her aunt.

Smiling gently, Twilight floated slowly behind her niece as Flurry flew around the room. Twilight said, "It's all right, everypony. Slow and steady. Slow and steady."

The adult League members stayed on high alert, each calculating the best way to get their assigned ponies to safety. Dash said, "I'll take the little one."

The junior members, by contrast, took a more relaxed approach. They took turns partaking in the festivities. Trixie looked over at her adult teammates. They smiled. On cue, the Humble and Apologetic Trixie began to work the audience.

When Trixie finished her set, Rarity walked over to Arrow, who had maintained his vigil from a dark corner of the room. "Why don't you take a break, darling? It would do Twilight a world of good if you were to at least talk to her."

"You know I have to keep watch," he replied.

"What's that you always say? You watch better from the inside. Even Arrow needs his friends. I'll cover for you."

The prince couldn't help but smile as he joined the party. He nibbled on the cupcake that Pinkie Pie had given him, but he left cider on the refreshment table. This was no time for alcohol. Years of practice let him hide his awkwardness as the only pony in the room who was not close to Twilight.

Meanwhile, Alicorn Marevel cut an alicorn-sized piece of Granny Smith's pie. Before she could move it to her plate, Applejack cut the piece in half. "Leave some for the rest of us," said the farm pony. "Twilight hasn't even had a taste."

"Sorry, Applejack, but Granny's pie is irresistible."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to be a superhero. Act like one."

Marevel sighed as she cut her portion in half again.

Meanwhile, Twilight approached Trixie, taking slow, careful steps as she moved between her friends. Softly, the alicorn said, "Hey, Trixie. Nice to see you!"

"Trixie is glad to see you too, Twilight Sparkle. Are you feeling better now?"

"A lot better. Thanks. I really need to thank you for your help the other day. If you hadn't been there, who knows how many ponies would have been hurt when the boiler exploded?"

Trixie smiled. "There's no need to thank Trixie, Twilight Sparkle. Trixie should be thanking you for doing all the hard work."

Twilight shrugged. "The hard work was not destroying everything or hurting anypony." Her withers slumped. "I live in a world made of tissue paper and cotton candy. Everything and everypony is so fragile."

Trixie gave a nervous laugh as Twilight went to talk with another of her friends.

It had taken a lot of effort, but Twilight was finally comfortable with her level of control. She might not be working with eggs any time soon, but at least she was no longer a menace to friends or furniture. Although she had spent most of her school years away from others, she now appreciated having her friends around. Given how busy they all had been, this was actually the first time all of them had had an opportunity to be together in months.

The crack of displaced air spurred everyone to action. Shining Armor cast his strongest shield around his family while the League members scanned for the source of the disturbance. In a fraction of a second, they saw Celestia and Luna. Marevel, Dash, and Lantern stayed behind while the rest of the League members evacuated the room.

Twilight stepped toward the sisters. Lantern generated a green brick wall in front of Twilight while Marevel interposed herself, lightning crackling from her horn to her hooves. It the same instant, Dash stood in front of Twilight and said, "Easy, there. It isn't their fault."

Smiling, Twilight replied, "I have everything under control." Turning to the senior princesses, she said, "What are you doing here? I told everypony not to tell you about this."

Celestia replied, "Twilight, you know we need to talk."

Luna added, "We had to investigate when we saw how much teleporter activity there was."

Impatiently, Twilight stamped a forehoof. The palace shook as cracks in the floor propagated from under her hoof. "Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me? Do you know how hollow it feels to have no magic? Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see everything, hear everything, feel everything?"

With great sadness, Celestia said, "Twilight, you know I love you like a daughter. If we could trade places, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Everypony in the room gave a sigh of relief as Twilight deflated. The purple pony said, "I know. Spike told me about Master Mind, Still, it hurts. Can you give me some space so my heart can catch up with my head?"

The senior princesses shared a glance before Celestia said, "We understand. It's too soon. We had to make sure you were all right; no matter what, you're still dear to us."

Luna added. "When we restore your magic, your crown will be ready for you." Luna plucked the artifact from under her wing.

The room heated dangerously as Twilight's vision turned red with rage. Hastily, Trixie said, "Eci looc sthgiliwt daeh!"

Steam filled the room as the ice bucket from the refreshment table suddenly clamped itself over Twilight's head.

“TRIXIE!!” shouted everypony.

“What? Trixie panicked!”

Calmly, Twilight pried off the bucket with a forehoof. She said, "Relax, everypony. I needed that.

Tapping the remnants of the ice bucket with a forehoof, Twilight asked, "What's this made of?"

Trixie replied, "Pewter, I think."

Twilight's brow wrinkled in concentration. "I know I was able to see through tin. It must be the lead that made everything look so cloudy."

With a blast of heat vision, she vaporized the crown. The others exclaimed, "Twilight!"

Twilight said, "I'm not going through that again. I'm not going to be a princess."

With a hint of sadness, Celestia replied, "You are always going to be the princess of friendship. You will always be in our hearts, whatever you may choose."

Luna added, "We knew this day would come. We will support you no matter what the future will bring."

Celestia sighed. "Once we returned you to normal, we will leave you in peace for as long as you need; we promise."

Twilight replied, "It'll just be a few months. This has just been so much to take in."

The League members looked up when their earpieces crackled. Batmare's voice said, "Return to Watchtower! We've located Twilight's magic!"

Twilight smiled. "Today, I'll go back to normal." With that, Twilight led the way to the teleportation array.

Watchtower:

Celestia and Luna stayed back while Twilight led the others to the enhanced Cutie Map where a a small representation of Twilight's cutie mark hovered over a remote meadow in the Everfree Forest, between the Smokey Mountains and Ponyville.

Dash whined, "That makes no sense! I know I passed over that spot at least a hundred times, and nothing showed up on my sensors."

Sweetie Borg said, "Tis is near Forest Thing's territory. Do you think his wild magic was hiding it?"

Celestia replied, "No. Not even little brother's power is enough to hide that much magic."

Batmare's scowl deepened. "This stinks like a trap."

"What do we do?" asked Lantern.

The League and Twilight looked at each other. Twilight said, "It's settled. We go get my magic."

Everfree Forest:

The crack of displaced air announced the arrival of the Element Bearers and the senior princesses. Twilight wore a sensor pack around her neck that warbled insistently. As she slowly turned, the warble gradually changed in pitch and volume until it screamed. She cut the audio and pointed a forehoof. "Over there!"

They galloped in the direction indicated, only to abruptly stop when they saw a magenta glow coming from the crystal box a large bear was carrying.

“Harry?” asked Fluttershy in disbelief.

Celestia's eyes narrowed as she focused on the contents of the box. "Is that a sealing crystal?"

"Where did the bear find it?" asked Luna.

A familiar caterpillar crawled to the top of the bear's head and gave Fluttershy a smirk. The necklace with the red crystal pendant and the glasses that he wore showed that he was far from an ordinary insect.

Puzzled, Fluttershy said, "Wormy? You look different. Thank you for helping Harry find Twilight's magic. Now, we can get her back to normal."

Harry snapped the box shut. The caterpillar said, "My dear Fluttershy, I've had it all along. I was expecting to hold on to it for a few more months, but Twilight mastered her powers much sooner than I thought possible."

The caterpillar turned his attention to an astonished Twilight. "Congratulations, my daughter. It is not easy to surprise the smartest being in the world, but you've done just that."

Twilight grimaced. "Daughter? You? My mother? Eeew!"

The caterpillar groaned. "I meant metaphorically."

With no small amount of worry in her voice, Fluttershy asked, "Wormy?"

The caterpillar frowned. "Stop calling me that! I've been called a lot of stupid names over the eons, but this is the worst! I'm an insect, not a worm!"

Dash asked, "Who are you? Some sort of spy?"

The caterpillar shrugged. "That's one way of looking at it. You might know me by the name my students gave me -- Master Mind."

Dash scratched her ear. "The caterpillar that's been riding around on Harry is Master Mind? No way!"

Twilight said, "I can't believe it! The monster that taught Grogar was huge." She started pantomiming. "Like this, and that, and this."

Master Mind shook his head. "Monster? That's no way to talk about your father. After all, I transformed you into the most powerful being in the world."

"There has to be some mistake," said Celestia. "How can the greatest intellect of all time be an insect?"

"Oh, changing bodies is foal's play. You would not believe the advantages that this little form holds. After all, who would suspect that the caterpillar in their potted plants or the caterpillar riding on their friend is actually stealing all of their secrets? In the end, my small size had been my biggest asset."

Twilight glared at him. "My magic. Now."

Harry casually tossed the box to Twilight who caught it in her forehooves. As she opened the box, Master Mind said, "You might want to reconsider changing back; it'll lessen your chances of surviving."

"Surviving what?"

Nopony noticed the form plunging faster than the speed of sound. With a massive thump, it landed on Twilight's back, driving her underground. When the dust settled, it reveal an giant centaur that seemed to be made of plunder vines.

Master Mind smirked. "That."
> Supermare 07
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Wrath of the Supermare


Dumbsey was finally at peace. The darkness and silence were a respite from the torture he had endured for longer than he could remember. He smiled at the nothingness.

He flinched as a spotlight filled his vision. Before him stood the object of his hatred, a lavender alicorn, larger than life. He roared as hatred filled his very being. He had no memory of why a simple image should cause so much distress, but he would do anything to make it go away.

The alicorn opened her mouth. Anger turned to horror; she was now singing. He clamped his hands over his ears. The song only grew louder. Like a siren's call, it drew him forward. He could feel her nearby. He would put a stop to his tormentor -- permanently.

Everfree Forest:

Hidden within an artificial cloud, the Batwing kept station above the clearing. From the pilot's seat, Silverwing said, "Doctor, are the sensor readings coming through?"

A voice responded on the commlink. "Quite. I'm getting a strong reading at the location I've projected on your monitor. There's also a much weaker reading, but I can't tell if it's just an echo from the source."

Batmare's voice came over the commlink. "Keep your eyes open. This smells like a trap. Perimeter team, extend your scans. Cover team, stay sharp; don't let them see you."

Sweetie Borg's voice came over the link. "I can see the second source, but it's too weak for me to get a lock."

Meanwhile, Twilight and the other Element Bearers approached the bear with the crystal. Arrow and Lantern silently followed from a discreet distance, hidden from view. Lantern looked at Arrow and pointed at the bear. Arrow looked at the bear. He turned back to Lantern and shrugged.

The Element Bearers giggled at the absurdity of a caterpillar wearing glasses and a necklace. They stopped when it began talking.

"My dear Fluttershy, I've had it all along. I was expecting to hold on to it for a few more months, but Twilight mastered her powers much sooner than I thought possible."

After the caterpillar had added a few more details, Dash asked, "Who are you? Some sort of spy?"

The caterpillar shrugged. "That's one way of looking at it. You might know me by the name my students gave me -- Master Mind."

The Dash activated her commlink as she scratched her ear. Her voice came over the commlink. "The caterpillar that's been riding around on Harry is Master Mind? No way!"

Green Lantern and the Arrow exchanged a confused look before they turned their gazes back to the scene in the distance and heard the rest of the caterpillar’s speech.

"Oh, changing bodies is foal's play. You would not believe the advantages that this little form holds. After all, who would suspect that the caterpillar in their potted plants or the caterpillar riding on their friend is actually stealing all of their secrets? In the end, my small size had been my biggest asset."

“You have to be kidding me,” mumbled the Arrow.

Lantern scratched his head in confusion. “So, we just have to squash the worm?”

Silverwing's voice came over the commlink. "Something big is coming!"

Sweetie Borg's voice added, "Bearing 177."

At that moment the Master Mind continued talking. "You might want to reconsider changing back; it'll lessen your chances of surviving."

A giant shadow jumped over them and then it landed on top of Twilight, smashing her under his enormous fists.

Master Mind taunted, "Justice League, come out and play!"

Green Lantern hastily raised a forcefield to protect the civilians while Dash touched the speed force and hurried the senior princesses to the outskirts of the clearing. At the same time, Arrow landed an explosive warhead on the centaur's face.

Dumbsey sneezed as the explosion coated his face with soot. Puzzled, he looked down at his fist; something was moving it.

Twilight hovered out of the hole into which she and been driven, lifting the giant fist. She glared at the centaur when she reached this eye level. Dumbsey roared in rage and threw his other fist at her. Twilight easily dodged and then slammed the captured fist into the centaur's face.

The centaur held up his fist, moving Twilight into view. He then blasted her away with a beam of concentrated magic, sending her crashing into a boulder.

Twilight slowly rose to her hooves, wiping blood from her lip with a fetlock. "Wait. I thought I was invulnerable."

A giant fist drove her into the ground, creating another crater. When it was raised, a beam of concentrated magic melted the ground where she had been an instant earlier. She landed a buck on her opponent's jaw before he realized she had moved.

Twilight dodged as the centaur swiped at her with a giant fist. She hovered back to get a better view of her opponent. He looked familiar. The teeth and horns were longer and sharper. The thorns were a new addition. The eyes were terrifying; they were empty and soulless.

"Wait. Tirek?"

The monster blasted her with a beam of concentrated magic. Twilight screamed in pain as she dug a furrow in the ground with her landing.

She looked at the monstrous vine centaur. “Tirek wait! I don’t know what happened to you but please, stop! You don’t have to be this insect’s pawn! You are better than this!”

Dumbsey roared as all he could hear was the irritating song from nightmares.

Dumbsey threw another punch. Twilight countered with one of her own. The resulting shockwave sent both of the combatants flying backward.

"Twilight, are you okay?" asked Dash as she zipped to Twilight's side.

"Something's wrong." She stared pointedly at the caterpillar lounging on Harry's paw. "It's as if somepony sucked all the intelligence out of him -- somepony or some worm."

In the meantime, with practiced ease, Arrow drew a bodkin point arrow and sent it flying. He snarled, "I can live with one more death, worm."

At the same time, Sweetie Borg unleashed a laser beam. Lantern's eyes widened in shock as he reflexively raised a shield that absorbed the attack.

Rarity looked in horror as the arrow flew directly toward Batmare. The Dark Knight deflected it with her forehoof a split second before launching a batarang at Master Mind.

Luna yelped as she deflected the batarang with her magic.

“What are you doing my Dark Knight?”

Batmare groaned. “Just as I thought. Playing with our perception is foals’ play for a master of mind control.”

Master Mind giggled. “Your parents’ death has made you wise my little Dark Knight! Even if you’re not a meta, you have earned a special place in this new era! Come, enjoy the show.”

As the caterpillar turned his attention back to the action, Twilight and Dash regrouped behind the centaur. "What now?" asked Dash.

Twilight tapped a forehoof on her chin. "That's it!

The two dodged a blast of magic from Dumbsey that melted a hole in the ground. Twilight said, "Gather the girls! I'll keep him busy!"

As Dash ran off, Twilight flew past Dumbsey's head and hovered behind it. He howled as she concentrated her heat vision on the base of his skull. Furiously, he spun around, trying to catch her. With great effort, Twilight managed to keep out of view.

Canary's voice came over the commlink. "What's the plan?"

"We'll use the Elements of Harmony! They stopped him the last time!"

Trixie's voice came over the link. "Excuse Trixie, but you have no magic."

"Doesn't matter," replied Lantern's voice. "Last time, Tirek had taken all of our magic, but the Elements still worked."

Twilight flew a little too quickly, and Dumbsey caught her with a fist to her blind side.

“We must immobilize him first!” announced Twilight.

“The League will take care of that!” said Batmare. “Everypony, let’s go!”

Twilight dodged another blow from Dumbsey and then she used her ice breath to trap his hooves under a thick layer of ice. Celestia and Luna flew to use their magic to reinforce it as Dumbsey began to punch the ice to break it.

The Arrow shot a series of cryoblast arrows that added to the deep freeze.

“If you’re going to do it do it now!” shouted Batmare.

The six Element Bearers joined hooves. Dumbsey shielded his eyes with a forearm as a stream of rainbow light cascaded over him. The bearers settled to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. To their horror, Dumbsey charged his fists with magic and smashed through his icy prison.

Twilight reflexively raised her forehooves to block the giant fist, but it still swept her away.

"Impossible!" gasped Celestia. "The Elements are supposed to stop all evil!"

A goofy laugh caught everyone's attention. They slowly turned to face the caterpillar, who smirked at them. "Are you too blind to see that Dumbsey is not evil? Evil requires intelligence. He's nothing but a mindless beast."

“Then what about you?” asked Celestia.

“Me? I am far beyond such primitive concepts. Do it; blast me with the Elements. I could use some more color in my life.”

The Arrow snorted, "We already saw it wouldn't land anywhere near you."

Fluttershy flew to the Master Mind with all the might of the Stare.

“That’s enough!”

“Excuse me?” asked Master Mind.

“You lived under my roof, and betrayed MY TRUST, and turned Harry into your puppet? NOT TO MENTION YOU ARE TRYING TO KILL ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS! I will never forgive you. NEVER! You are going to fix this and they you are going to apologize! Especially with Twilight!”

The worm rolled his eyes. "A butterfly can only flap so hard. I've stared down the New Gods. Do you think I even feel your power, dear, sweet, Fluttershy?'

Fluttershy scooted backwards as she realized Master Mind was unaffected.

“No . . . please, you have to fix this!”

“Come on, why don’t you sit with me and enjoy the show, my dear Fluttershy?”

Against her will, Fluttershy sat.

“What?”

“Now you know how Harry felt all this time. How many times did he want to warn you about me? To tell you about everything I’ve done and planning to do? Poor bastard.”

Harry looked at Fluttershy and mumbled an apology as he kept his paw open as the caterpillar’s seat. He had lost hope of resisting the insect’s control long ago.

“Please don’t do this! At least release Harry!”

Master Mind smiled. “Of course, my dear Fluttershy. Now that I’ve revealed myself. there’s no point in keeping him. My students would be more than honored to carry me around. I am thinking about Grogar. He hates me so much that it would be hilarious! Now, if you would be so kind?”

Fluttershy held out a forehoof to Harry. Master Mind crawled over to his new seat.

Harry groaned.

“What are you talking about? He hates me far more that you can possibly could. You’ve been under my command for a few years only. He had to stay with me for over a decade before becoming what he is now. And his hate was growing every day!”

Fluttershy stared at the caterpillar, horrified, as did the other civilian bearers. Only now did they realize the full menace of Master Mind.

Meanwhile, Silverwing maintained station above the fray, hidden within the cloud projected by the Batwing. She hastily reviewed the capabilities of the weapons she had at hand. Nothing was even remotely powerful enough to handle Dumbsey.

"Silver!" called Batmare over the commlink.

"What can we do, Batmare? That thing is just too strong."

"Drop the rescue cable and maintain station until I tell you otherwise."

Silverwing was thankful nopony could see her trembling as she nodded. "I think I can. I think I can."

Batmare's voice replied, "Just drop the cable and be ready to teleport to Watchtower when I give you the word. You and I can't win against it, not like this."

Silver nodded. "I'll do my best."

A large snap hook on the end of a 50 mm thick cable dropped from the sky. Batmare turned to Mareval. "Wrap that around his legs!"

Mareval grabbed the hook in her teeth. She flew between his hind legs before circling around his limbs. Twilight hovered just out of the monster's reach, taunting him as she dodged his attacks by mere millimeters. Mareval clipped the hook to the cable near the centaur's tail and flew back to Batmare.

In the Batwing, Silverwing sat at attention when Batmare's voice came over the commlink. "Full throttle!" The filly firewalled the control, zooming skyward until the stretching cable pulled her to a stop.

Dumbsey screamed at the sudden chafing. The distraction kept him from planting his hooves as they were drawn together. Angrily, he twisted around and grabbed the cable. Hand over hand, he began pulling the cable down.

"Oh, Faust!" exclaimed Silverwing as she saw she was losing the tug of war.

Batmare's voice came over the commlink. "Stay calm, Silver. On my mark, release the cable. 3 . . . 2 . . . 1. . . now!"

Dumbsey fell over as the tension on the cable vanished. Dash kicked up a whirlwind around his head, blinding him while Mareval grabbed the end of the cable and pulled. Dumbsey screamed as Twilight unleashed her heat vision on his now-exposed underside.

Lantern created a giant boot and slammed the centaur into the ground. Twilight followed up with a blow of her own. Dumbsey tried to get to his hooves. Mareval sent the strongest bolt of lightning that she could down the cable. Dumbsey shuddered and then lay still.

Everypony sighed in relief.

“This was scary," said Fluttershy.

Master Mind frowned as he surveyed the scene. "The magic of friendship. That was disappointing; I wanted to see the full potential of my two creations."

"If you can't fight the magic of friendship, you are free to leave," said Fluttershy.

"Not yet. I still need to see the full power of the world's mightiest mare."

“Give up already!” shouted Applejack. “Yer never gonna win! Not as long the Elements and the League work together!”

Master Mind smirked. “Oh, ye of little imagination. This is all part of the plan. I needed to bring your precious princess out here. Luring you into a trap was just a perk. Onward, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy flew unsteadily, carrying Master Mind to the elder princesses. The sisters closed ranks, blocking his view of the chest containing Twilight's magic.

“Don’t y’all dare!” said Applejack, standing between the caterpillar and the princesses.

“You are not going to move forward you meanie pants!” cried Pinkie, aiming her party cannon and shooting.

The cake splatted right into Fluttershy’s face and all over Master Mind.

“Hey! You were supposed to blast the Princesses and your friend!” complained the Master Mind. “What is wrong with my mind control?”

Pinkie tilted her head. “Oh, so that was the fuzzy feeling on the back on my head. I thought it was the author.”

Master Mind shook his head. “You and the Joker are the most interesting specimens I’ve found so far. Your minds are in a league of their own.”

Pinkie smiled. “Thanks for the compliment, I think.”

“But as fascinating as you are, I still need that magic in order for my plan to work!”

“You’ll never get this magic!” promised Celestia.

“Over our dead bodies," added Luna with a growl.

“Oh, I won’t do it; I still need you,” said the Master Mind. “But you are forcing me to do something I would rather avoid. Here we go!”

A shadow flashed over the caterpillar, and he was gone."

"Oh my, that was terrible," said Fluttershy as she landed, shaking the bits of cake from her face.

"What in tarnation happened?" asked Applejack.

"Mr. Crow thought I was bringing him a treat. I . . . I couldn't do anything to stop him. I couldn't control my own body."

Celestia said, "Regardless, I'm grateful I didn't have to confront Master Mind."

"We concur, sister."

The twang of snapping cable drew everyone's attention. A bubble of magic surrounded Dumbsey as he rose to his hooves. It then expanded outward, pushing everyone away. Once more, he heard the siren's called. Once more, he was determined to silence it forever. The purple princess was out there, taunting him with that damned song.

Dumbsey leapt over the senior princesses, charging his fists with magic energy. The sisters cast the strongest shield that they could around the chest and themselves, but it was not match for the enraged centaur. Reluctantly they withdrew, lest they be crushed.

A triumphant roar came from Dumbsey’s throat.

A magenta explosion erupted as Twilight’s magic was set free. Except for Twilight, the alicorns and unicorns reflexively cast shields around themselves. The others, for the most part, had been protected by the foliage. Applejack and Fluttershy, however, were caught in the open. They absorbed a large portion of the magic as it passed through them.

A cry of anguish filled the air. Dumbsey turned to face it. A wave of terror swept through him when he saw the aura of menace coming from the one he thought he had destroyed. She was seeing red, literally. He raised a hand to block the heat streaming from her eyes. The others gasped when they saw the tracks that the tears had left on her face.

A green wall appeared in front of the alicorn. "Twilight!" cried Lantern.

“Spike. Out. Of. My. Way.”

"No."

With a flick of her forehoof, she cast him aside as if he were weightless. The wall shattered as she flew through. Dumbsey shot the most powerful magic blast he could at her face. Twilight casually batted it away with a forehoof. Shot after shot flew from his horn. Each received the same treatment until Twilight was in front of his face. Desperately, he threw a punch at her. She caught the fist in her forehoof and twisted. Dumbsey screamed as he was forced to the ground.

"We have to stop this!" cried Rarity.

"How?" asked Mareval, "I don't think I can match that sort of power."

Everypony cringed as Twilight systematically broke each defense that Dumbsey raised. The creature was clearly in agony as his limbs hung at awkward angles. Twilight wrapped her forehooves around his throat and squeezed. Feebly, Dumbsey struggled until he lay still.

Angrily, Twilight moved to his horns. "LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT WHEN SOMEPONY TAKES YOUR MAGIC!"

Trixie shouted, "Revoc Thgiliwt ni eci retaw!"

A deluge of ice water cascaded over Twilight. When the cloud of steam cleared, she looked over to the others. The rest of the League had gathered around her, along with Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy.

Dash said, "Twilight, you have to stop before you do something that can't be fixed."

"HE TOOK MY LIFE AWAY! THIS IS JUSTICE!"

“Twilight, listen to what you’re saying!” cried Pinkie Pie. “This isn’t you! You are better than this!”

“Princess, don’t do this to yourself!” called the Arrow. “No matter how many lives you take, it never fills the emptiness. It only makes it bigger.”

“Twilight, please. Remember my crazy other self? Don’t cross that line!” warned Rainbow Dash.

Twilight’s anger slowly faded away as sadness took over. She released her grip on Dumbsey. His chest slowly rose and fell as his breath returned.

“What have I done?” asked Twilight, trembling as she finally began to cry.

“You didn’t do anything that can't be undone, and that’s all that matters.” said Lantern, hugging her as the others joined in embracing her.

When everyone had at last stepped back, Twilight said, "So this was all done by a stupid caterpillar. Where is it?"

"It was hardly stupid, darling," replied Rarity.

Batmare shrugged. "He was eaten by a crow. That's the end of him, isn't it?"

Everypony stared at her. She shrugged. "A filly has to dream."

Harry sat away from the circle of friends, looking forlornly at Fluttershy. The elder princesses each draped a wing over him as they sat beside him. Celestia said, "It must have been horrible for you."

Luna added, "We shall be by your side."

Harry sobbed in relief. It wasn't the same as Fluttershy's hugs, but they would do for now.

Finally, it was time to leave. Lantern asked, "What will you do now, Twilight."

After she stifled a yawn, she replied, "I'm going home. I need a hot shower and then I'll go to bed."

Mareval said, "I thought the Fortress of Solitude didn't have plumbing."

"I meant the Castle of Friendship. It's time for me to where I really belong."
> Supermare 08
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 A new era of changes


For the first time in what seemed like forever, Twilight woke up in her own bed. After all the turmoil she had endured, she had finally been able to go home. She had finally found the peace that she had thought was lost forever.

She winced as she was rudely reminded that peace had come at a price. She could swear that there wasn't a single part of her body that didn't ache. The pounding that Dumbsey had given her had shown that she was far from invulnerable. It had been a stark reminder that she had limitations, and that she had to learn what those were.

Memories of the battle flooded her mind. She had yet to come to terms with the fact that her magic was lost to her forever. She had yet to come to terms that she had almost murdered someone. Dumbsey was not responsible for his actions, and she had no right to continue attacking him after he was disabled. She swore she would never take a sentient life.

The alicorn mumbled, "But, I may make an exception if I ever see that worm again." She groaned. "After all he's put us through, I think I could live with putting Master Mind out of our misery. Maybe I'll just step on every caterpillar I find. No, that would do more harm than good. Besides, it'd upset Fluttershy."

Twilight groaned again. There was no telling what body Master Mind would choose next time. She was certain there would be a next time.

Twilight followed the smell of coffee downstairs to where she found her friends waiting for her at the breakfast table. She had begged them to spend the night in the Castle of Friendship, and they had readily agreed to a sleepover.

As she approached the table, she said, "Thank you, everypony! Thank you for being here for me. You have no idea how much I missed all of this -- Ponyville's weather, my home, my bed, and especially you, my friends. You would not believe how lonely I felt."

“Oh Twilight!” said Fluttershy, hurrying to hug her.

The others quickly added to the embrace. Twilight smiled and let herself be hugged. Although she would have loved to have returned the gesture, she did not yet trust her self-control. The others didn't have automatic defenses against superpony strength.

"We would have asked to stay if you hadn't made the suggestion," said Rarity. "We missed you, too."

"It's just not the same when we're not together," said Pinkie Pie. "Now, come on. We made you a scrumptious welcome home breakfast. Weren't you scared facing Dumbsey all by yourself? By the way, don't you think Master Mind was a big meanie for renaming Tirek Dumbsey? That's no way to treat your allies. Even villains should respect each other so . . ."

“PINKIE!” shouted the others.

"Whoopsie!" Pinkie covered her mouth with her forehooves as she giggled.

Twilight smiled at her. "It's okay. I missed this, too. Thank you for the smile, Pinkie Pie."

"Aaaw, my pleasure, Twilight!" replied the pink mare.

Glancing at the clock, Twilight said, "Is it really seven o'clock?"

"Does it matter?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Yes. I want to be first in line for Day Court. I need to apologize for being so rude to the princesses. They didn't deserve my anger." She sighed. "I have to hurry if I want to catch the first train."

Rainbow ruffled her wings. "You know, you could be there in a couple of minutes without even trying."

Twilight resisted the urge to facehoof. "Oh, right. Metapony. This is going to take a lot of getting used to."

Rarity giggled. "No worries, darling. You needn't be in that big a rush. Day Court will be delayed today. The princesses are conducting a war council with the captains of the Royal Guard.

“A war council? Why?”

“Well, darling, we just realized that all this time Equestria’s greatest foe had been spying on us in plain sight. Arrow will serve as a witness,” explained Rarity.

“Huh, I think that makes sense. But why do they need the witness?” asked Twilight.

Spike replied "Before the battle, would you have believed that Equestria's greatest enemy is a caterpillar with glasses? Even now, I can hardly believe it.

"Ah think it's safe to say that anypony would have a hard time believing that, partner," replied Applejack.

Fluttershy looked away. "It's all my fault. I was the one who took Wormy in. I was the one who put Harry in danger."

Twilight blinked. She could swear that Fluttershy's hoof had raked claw marks into the pastry the pegasus had on her plate. The shy pony had gobbled it up before Twilight could look again.

“You know it’s not your fault! He can make your mind all fuzzy and blur your reasoning!” said Pinkie Pie. “And that insect disguise is really convincing!”

“But I’m such a fool!”

“No, you’re not!” said Twilight. “You are Kindness, and this evil being took advantage of you to get closer to us. He is the worst kind of evil. You saw how he treats his allies!”

Everypony shivered at the thought of Tirek's fate. Twilight growled, "I don't care if he's an enemy. I swear I'll do what I can to bring Tirek back."

Rarity said, "Nopony deserves what happened to him, but are you sure that's a good idea, darling?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, but it's the right thing. By the way, what happened after our battle?"

Rainbow Dash replied, "The princesses are taking him to the lowest level of Tartarus. Not even Cerberus can control the sorts of creature they keep down there."

Twilight gave nod as she lost herself in thought. Turning her attention back to her friends, she said, "I guess they'll be busy for a while."

"They'll make time for you," said Rainbow. “Are we going to eat or what? I am starving! Damn speedster metabolism!”

With a smile, Twilight helped herself from the nearest platter and passed it along. As everyone started eating, the conversation turned to lighter matters. Twilight tried to drink in the entire scene. For the first time in what felt like eternity, she was truly happy. Despite everything that happened, she was finally at peace.

As she gently pushed her chair back, Twilight said, "That was the best breakfast I've had in a long time. I guess I should give the princesses a chance to take care of business before I visit."

The alicorn winced as she rose. "In the meantime, I've got to try out the new catalog system I thought up while I was away. Would you lend a hoof or a claw? I'd love to find my copy of ‘Penrod’s Perplexing Puzzles’.”
Fluttershy glanced though the doorway to the library across the castle. “Isn't that the green book propping up that ratty old chair?”

Dash zipped out and returned with the book. “It was under your plot all this time.”

A distant crash drew Twilight’s attention. “Rainbow! That was my favorite chair!”

“Chillax! You can just cast a repair spell.”

Twilight glared at her friend.

Nervously, Rainbow laughed. “Well, time to fly!” With that, she escaped in a streak of cyan.

Spike and the remaining ponies exchanged awkward glances as Twilight glared at Rainbow's trail.

At length, Applejack said, "Ah'd be happy ta help Twi. I need ta do a couple a things back at the farm first, but Ah can help with the heavy liftin'."

Twilight turned back to face her friends. "Thanks, Applejack! I knew I could count on you!"

"We're all here to help, darling," added Rarity.

Fluttershy hid behind her mane. "It's the least I could do after bringing Master Mind into our lives."

Rarity leaned against the pegasus. "It was not your fault."

"This will be splendiferous fun!" said Pinkie.

Spike gave a sigh. "Sorry, Twilight, but I been letting my work pile up. I need to heed out to take care of the rest of my sector. If I'm lucky, I'll be back in a month."

Twilight nodded. “I understand. Sorry for taking so much of your time, Spike. Be who you are meant to be, my little lantern. Make your big sis proud!”

Spike smiled as he summoned his suit. “I will. Take care, Twilight!”

Twilight watched as Lantern flew away. She turned back to her remaining friends and said, "Let's get to work."

Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief as she accelerated through the clear blue sky. There was no way she was going to spend he morning rearranging books, and Twilight had unwittingly given her the perfect excuse to leave. Some might accuse her of being disloyal, but she had argued that this was far from the case. There was something much more important that she had to do for all their sakes.

She had been putting this off for quite some time. Her world was changing in ways that scared her. Because of her pride, she had resisted talking with someone who was living in the same sort of world hers was becoming. Seeing her friend hurt so badly by a metapony had been the last straw. She was going before things got worse.

As she expected, the Mach cone formed around her as she reached the speed of sound. Her sonic rainboom painted the sky as she punched through the sound barrier. To anypony watching, she seemed to disappear. Instead, she had merely unlocked the portal to her true objective, the Speed Force.





The tableau switched to a nexus to all points accessible from the Speed Force. She felt for her friend's connection and followed it through. In Central City, it was not a pegasus who seemed to appear from nowhere; instead, it was a young woman in a cyan bodysuit with a tri-colored lightning bolt emblazoned on its chest.

On a rooftop away from prying eyes, Rainbow Dash wobbled about as she reacquainted herself with walking on two legs and using her new body. In a matter of moments, she was ready. In a cyan blur with rainbow highlights, she sped toward S.T.A.R. Labs.

Midway there, Rainbow felt another presence. Looking over her shoulder, she saw someone chasing her. He was a young man with dark skin, short, curly hair, and brown eyes. He wore a yellow body suit that had red legs and a red lightning bolt on a white field on its chest.

Rainbow frowned as she slowed fractionally to let him catch up. When he was beside her, he said, “Hey! Who are you supposed to be? Why are you heading to S.T.A.R. Labs?”

Frowning, she replied, "What's with you and that suit? You're not Flash, and unless you got weird fashion sense, you're not Zoom."

The youngster frowned as he struggled to keep up. "I'm not either. What do you want with Flash?"

Rainbow eyed him critically. He did not seem like a threat, and there were clearly some design elements from S.T.A.R. Labs in his suit. She gradually slowed to a more comfortable pace for him. She turned her head, and with a friendly smile, she extended her hand. "I'm Flash's first student. The name is Rainbow Dash."

The youngster tilted his head. “Rainbow Dash? Hey, wait a minute. The Dash?!”

“Yeah! Have you heard about me?”

“Are you kidding me? Flash talks about you all the time! Are you really a pony from another dimension?”

“Yes, I am!” Rainbow smiled proudly. “No offense, but who are you?”

The other speedster smiled at her. “Oh, right! We haven’t been introduced. My name is Wally, Wally West. Kid Flash.”

The two of them exchanged a super-fast handshake.

“Let me tell the others you’re here!” Kid Flash smiled.

“Okay, thanks!” said Rainbow happily.

Kid Flash touched the commlink on his earpiece. “Hey everyone! We have a guest!”

“A guest? Who?” asked Cisco Ramon.

“Rainbow. Barry’s student!”

“Rainbow? Great! I’ll make her a huge bowl of Fruitiloos to greet her! Hey Barry! Guess who came for visit? Rainbow!”

“Rainbow?! I’m in Metropolis now, but I'll be right over!” said Flash. “Hey Batman, an old friend came for visit. Can you guys handle the rest by yourselves?”

A gruff grunt came over the commlink, followed by the whoosh of Flash's acceleration."

Kid Flash smiled at Rainbow. “Come on! Everyone, I mean, everypony is waiting for you!”

Rainbow Dash laughed. “Ready to pick up the pace?”

"I was born ready. Hey! Wait for me!





A pair of happy scientists greeted the speedsters in S.T.A.R. Labs. Rainbow eagerly hugged both of them. "Cisco! Caitlin! I'm so happy to see you!"

Caitlin said, "Barry should be here shortly. Joe and Iris will be a bit longer. They can't wait to see you."

"Thanks, guys! I missed you so very much!" Rainbow Dash shed a tear of happiness.

Cisco went to his desk and returned with a bowl full of brightly-colored candies. "Here you go, Fruitiloos. Time to savor the spectrum!"

Rainbow took the bowl from Cisco and handed it to Wally. She said, "That gag was born old."

Cisco smiled. "I'm just messing with you, Fruitiloos. I'm glad you were able to visit."

Rainbow couldn’t help but smile at him. “Thanks Cisco. I missed you, too.”

Caitlin sighed. “Jokes aside, we’re glad to see you, Rainbow. So, what brings you here?”

Rainbow sighed. “It’s a long story, guys. Let’s just say we have too many metaponies and too many vigilantes. My world is changing too fast, and I really need some advice from someone who's already galloped down this road!”

“You came to the right place!” said a voice behind them.

Rainbow smiled and ran to hug her teacher. “Barry! You’re here!”

“Hey, Rainbow.”

“You took long enough; you’re losing your touch, Barry.”

“I was in Metropolis; the League had a little situation. Luckily, we were just cleaning up, and Batman had no problem with me retiring early.”

“The League?” asked Rainbow.

“Yeah, the Justice League. You, better than anyone, should understand the importance of true friendship and teamwork.”

Rainbow shook her head.

“Yeah, sorry. It's just that this is too much of a coincidence. I have lots of things to tell you but I don’t know where to start.”

The Flash offered her a seat. “How about the beginning? Come on, take a seat and tell us all!”

Rainbow thanked and sat. “Huh. I wish I could show you because it is really hard to know where to start.”

Cisco smiled happily. “Don’t worry, Fruitiloos! I have just the thing. I’ve working on this since your last visit.”

He disappeared behind the doors and reappeared with a new pair of goggles and a pair of gloves.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “You really want her to use that?”

“Come on! We don’t want to miss this! Also, Rainbow said she didn’t know how to tell us, so why not have her show us instead?”

“Go on, Cisco!” said Rainbow.

Cisco put on his gloves and put his hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and he projected Rainbow’s memories as a hologram in the middle of the room.

The story played out like a documentary. It started with the League's battles with Forest Thing and the senior princess's parents. Next came the discovery of the villains' alliance. The rise of Joker and Sorceress brought a frown to Flash's face. It ended with recent events: the coronation disaster, the creation of the new metapony, and the confrontation with Dumbsey and Master Mind.

With a hint of worry, Flash said, "I can't believe how fast your world has changed in such a short time."

Kid Flash smirked. "Do you seriously have a pony for everything? I swear, your world looks like a ponified version of ours." He then turned to Flash. "Were you really walking around on all fours and eating hay the entire time you were there?"

Flash replied, "Laugh all you want, but you get used to it. Besides, most of the time, I was fighting crime with their Arrow. Teaching Dash involved a lot of independent study."

"So that's the white unicorn in the blue cloak," said Kid Flash. "I must say, their version of Batman seems to be missing a couple of things."

Caitlin smiled wistfully. "I'm more surprised that they have their own Green Lantern."

Flash replied, "I'm not. Hal mentioned a few stories about his friend Spike's day job. Would you believe they have a fire-breathing dragon as an assistant librarian?"

Annoyed, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Spike's told us how great it is to have Hal as his friend and mentor. That's not the point. My world has gone crazy, Barry. What am I supposed to do?"

"Trust your instincts."

"What instincts? I've never seen anything like this. Things are changing so fast that I can't keep up. The League is getting stronger, but so are our enemies."

Barry smiled in understanding. "No one can be prepared for something like this, Rainbow Dash. Everything I know I learned by doing. I had to adapt to a world that I did not understand, a world that dragged me in kicking and screaming. Luckily, I found friends when I needed them, and so have you, Rainbow Dash."

“And Barry was there for us when it was our turn to join this new world,” added Caitlin.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I'm scared, Barry. I know how many friends this life has cost you. I don't know if I could take that sort of grief."

Barry smiled at Rainbow and hugged her. "Your fear is a good thing, Rainbow. It makes your senses sharper. It makes your reflexes quicker. No one like the prospect of losing loved ones or being forced to endanger them. At the end of the day, all you can do is to be the best you there is. I know you'll do the right thing. I know you're strong enough for this."

Dejected, Rainbow Dash sighed. "I guess you're right. It doesn't make things any less scary."

Barry asked, "Do you know what it means to be brave, Rainbow?"

"Of course! It means to be fearless!"

Barry shook his head. "You know that Green Lanterns are supposed to be without fear. Hal let me in on the secret. Sometimes, what he faces terrifies him. He still does what he has to do."

Rainbow smiled. "Thanks, Barry! You always know what to say."

"What are friends for?" asked Barry.

Rainbow's smile faded. "Yeah, friends. I don't suppose I could hang with you guys for a while. I love Twilight like a sister, but I want to be able to show her that I wasn't ditching her just because sorting books bores me out of my mind."

Shocked, Kid Flash said, "What? You want Barry to lie for you?"

Rainbow huffed. "It's not a lie. I bear the Element of Loyalty. You saw how badly Twilight was hurt in that last battle. I came here because I wanted to learn how I could keep that from happening again."

Kid Flash stared, unconvinced.

"Okay, so I didn't want to do the sorting, too. My previous statement still holds."

Barry pondered for a moment. "I think Wally can handle Central City for now. How about dropping by the Hall of Justice and meeting my League? I bet Hal and Captain Marvel would love to meet you."

"Are you sure?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Batman won't be happy about that, but he's never happy. Let's go!"

“And we’ll have a huge feast at Big Belly Burger when you return!” added Cisco.

“Remember Cisco, veggie burgers for Rainbow.”

“Bacon's a vegetable, isn't it? Just kidding.”

As she raised her cowl, Rainbow smiled. "All right! See you guys later!"

The scarlet speedster disappeared in a red and gold blur. His student followed in a cyan blur with rainbow highlights. Their friends smiled as their trails faded.

Sweet Apple Acres:

Applejack was in a hurry. She had promised to help Twilight, but she had to finish her own chores first. She knew her siblings would cover for her if she were to ask, but it didn't feel right to ask them to take on her job on top of theirs.

“You know we got this, Applejack; go meet yer friends!” said Apple Bloom.

“Eeyup!” added Big Mac as he bucked a tree.

“Thank y'all two but y'all know Ah can’t let you do this on yer own! Ah'll just go on and buck a few trees.”

“Come on, we got this!” said Apple Bloom as she turned into a rhino and charged against a tree.

The impact was so strong that she almost uprooted the tree.

Big Mac said, "Apple bucking ain't about brute strength. It's about earth pony magic. Your powers almost killed that tree."

“Sorry big bro!” said Apple Bloom sheepishly.

“See how Ah can’t leave you two alone?” said Applejack.

The mare planted her hooves on the ground and felt for the tree. Visualizing all of its apples falling, she launched a measured buck. Shocked, she turned her head at the sound of the tree snapping in two.

“Applejack?” asked Apple Bloom in awe.

“What'd y'all do that for?” asked Big Mac.

Applejack looked at her own hooves in disbelief, but soon she frowned. Even a simple earth pony knew that exposure to magic could change a pony. She and Fluttershy had been in the path of the magical explosion that Dumbsey had caused when he smashed the crystal storing Twilight's magic.

“It can’t be.”

Applejack lifted the crown of the dead tree with her hooves. It felt as though it were light as air.

Nervously, she said, "Ah think Ah'll have to leave everything to y'all. Ah have to hurry back to Twilight's"

She dropped the tree and galloped to the barn. There had to be something in there that she could use to test her theory. She reached for her lasso. The moment it touched her hoof, a golden glow flowed from her hoof and surrounded the rope. She now had no doubt that she was a metapony.

Canterlot, that night:

Princess Luna raised the moon and then went back to her chambers to begin her duties patrolling the dream realm. While she did not really need sleep, having to stay up during the day had been more taxing than she had expected. The day had been a long one, and she was tired.

It had started when she and her sister had explained to the nobles and the captains of the Royal Guard about Master Mind. The captains had thought it was a joke to break the ice. Their humor quickly faded when they learned just how dangerous that caterpillar had been.

The nobles had been less understanding. They had suggested that the diarchs were overdue for retirement and that they should turn the reins over to Twilight.

One insufferable noble had said, "Maybe it's time for some fresh blood. After all, Princess Twilight prefers to play the hero. My son would be happy to step in. He was born an elite, and he knows how to make Equestria great again!"

His assertion had been answered by the crack of splintering wood as Arrow bucked the chair out from under him. The stallion's head had dropped to the table with a hollow clunk, and he had fallen over, unconscious.

Celestia had said, "That was completely unnecessary, Arrow."

The vigilante had replied, "He's been running numbers in Canterlot. His son has expanded their illegal gambling racket to other major cities. That was far less than he deserved."

With exaggerated patience, Princess Celestia had said, "This is neither the time nor the place for trivialities. This Master Mind poses an existential threat to our very way of life. The entire Justice League has witnessed his power and seen his form. I'm sure we can all agree that stopping him should be our top priority."

“And why he would choose to become an insect, of all things? It doesn’t make any sense!” Commander Skyward Sword had protested.

“Because this form allows him to stay hidden on plain sight,” Arrow had explained.

The remainder of the council session had been wasted discussing ways to ensure that nothing in the meeting rooms was Master Mind in disguise. It had been less productive than chasing one's tail. The worst part was that they had concluded there was no practical way to guarantee anything.

The next order of business had offered some respite. Twilight Sparkle had arrived to apologize for being rude to the senior princesses. Both Luna and her sister had happily accepted her apology, and they had insisted on continuing their conversation over lunch.

Celestia had asked, “And have you reconsidered taking our place as rightful ruler of Equestria now that you’re back, Twilight Sparkle?”

The lavender alicorn had shaken her head sadly. “I'm sorry. I don't have the magic to handle your duties, and right now, I'm too much of a threat to our ponies."

Luna had asked, "What sort of threat?"

Twilight had replied, "I almost killed someone. I was so angry that I lost control. I let Master Mind trick me into doing what he wanted. Until I learn to control myself, I cannot trust myself to rule our ponies."

The sisters had nodded before Celestia had asked, "So, what will you do now, Twilight?"

The purple alicorn had replied, "I'm still the Princess of Friendship. I'm still Ponyville's librarian. I guess I'll be working with the Justice League along with Applejack. We both need to learn to control our new powers."

The meeting had ended on an upbeat note. Twilight had promised to use her powers for the good of ponykind before she had returned to Ponyville.

Luna sighed as she looked at her night sky from her balcony. She frowned before she voiced her thoughts. “The world is changing, and we are not prepared for it.”

An errant air current caught Luna's attention. She looked to the shadow from where it had come. Although she could see nothing, she could hear soft sound of silk rustling. She said, "Is that you, my dark knight?"

A cold voice came from the shadow. "I am a dark knight, but not yours."

With skills honed from countless battles, Luna raised an invisible shield while lighting her horn to push back the shadow. She said, "Identify yourself."

A figure stepped into the light of Luna's aura. At first glance, it appeared to be an adult version of Batmare, but Luna could see it was an earth pony stallion, more powerful than any royal guard.

The stranger pushed back his cowl, revealing a cropped black mane that complemented his dark gray fur. "My name is Bruce Wayne, though the name 'Batman' might make more sense to you. I am a friend of Barry Allen."

Luna's expression softened fractionally. "Is Barry Allen with you?"

"No. I came on my own. After hearing the Dash's story, I found there are far too many parallels between your world and mine to be pure coincidence. I come bearing a gift." He grimaced. "After all, you do say that friendship is magic."

"A gift?" asked Luna.

The pony opened a pouch on his utility belt and retrieved a small yellow box marked with a black trefoil. He then extended his forehoof toward Luna.

The alicorn took it with her telekinesis. "It is rather heavy for its size. What is in it?"

Batman replied, "It's a piece of the dead planet Krypton. The powers that Princess Twilight showed seem to be Kryptonian in nature. What is inside that box is one of the few things that can neutralize them."

"Why would I want to harm my friend?" asked Luna.

Batman's frown deepened. "Master Mind already tricked her into doing his bidding once. If he becomes serious about controlling her mind, this may be the only thing you have to stop her."

Luna opened the box, revealing a glowing green shard. "This is indeed precious. Is there anything I can give you in return?"

"No."

Luna frowned. "This means you have Kryptonians on your world."

Nodding, the stallion replied, "Two. As soon as I found out about them, I accumulated enough of this in case they became a threat. I hope you never need to use it. I hope I never need to use it, but it is better to have and not need than to need and not have."

With that, the stallion raised his cowl and faded into the shadows.

A harsh, feminine voice cried, "Princess Luna!"

A dark form flashed past and entered the shadow. Two forms exited, with the smaller pinned to the floor. Batman growled, "You're better than I was at that age, but you'll need years more experience before you get to my level."

“Who are you?!” shouted Batmare.

"I am what you will become if you fail." Turning to Luna, he said, "If you want to pay me back, make sure this little one learns there is more to life that being the bat."

With that, Batman disappeared into the shadows.

“Princess what happened here?”

The Princess looked at the mysterious rock a second time, and then back to her protege. “I have no idea, Dark Knight. But at least now we have some insurance.”

“Insurance?”

“A contingency in case Master Mind makes his move with Twilight Sparkle.”

Tartarus, last level:

Tartarus was a series of caverns that had been converted into a prison by the first emperor, Death Ride. Much like the Inferno, inmates were assigned cells according to the level of threat that they posed. Each level contained more dangerous creatures than the one above.

The very bottom was reserved for the worst of the worst. It had originally been the source of power for the Cat Sorceress. She had developed a spell to drain the life force from the prisoners to maintain her own, granting herself immortality.

Faced with the prospect of killing off her energy source, she had developed a less powerful version that took only the magic from its victim. This had been a closely guarded secret that she had taught to her only student.

She had long ago given up on ruling the world, settling instead for a more peaceful existence, one that would not bring the wrath of Harmony onto her head. Still, she kept up with changes to her old lair, so she now waited in the shadows in the last level of Tartarus.

A squadron of guards escorted a monster made of vines covered with terribly sharp spikes. It had two long, sharp horns. Its eyes, however, were truly terrifying. They were the empty eyes of a beast.

Catrina looked at the newcomer and shivered. This creature was brutality come to life.

“What in Tartarus is this thing?!” asked Catrina.

Lighting leapt from one of the guards and struck the others, rendering them unconscious.

“This was Tirek.”

Catrina’s eyes widened. “TIREK? NO! THIS IS WHY I WARNED YOU ABOUT ABSORBING TOO MUCH MAGIC! WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN TO ME?”

The guard who spoke to her suddenly transformed into Chrysalis.

The changeling turned to Catrina and said, “He listened to you, but then the damn worm came and did this to him!”

Catrina paled. “Worm? Did you say worm? A caterpillar with glasses?”

Chrysalis nodded.

“You know him?”

Catrina shivered. “He was my old master.”

“If he was your master, you know what to do with him! Sombra and I escaped from him but we’re going back and squish him for what he did to Tirek!”

“Give it up,” sighed Catrina.

“What?”

“You clearly have no idea who you’re dealing with. Why do you think I'm hiding out here? Anything is better than facing him! Seriously, if you value your life, forget about fighting him and turn yourself in to ponies; they'll try to keep you safe. You cannot win against him.”