> My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 11
>  by SuperPinkBrony12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> S1 E4: Applebuck Season (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack was standing on a hilltop that overlooked the entire orchard grounds of Sweet Apple Acres. Apple trees full of apples stretched on and on all the way to the horizon, or so it seemed. It was obvious to all that the summer that had just passed had yielded a bountiful bumper crop.

And Applejack knew what that meant now that summer had given way to autumn. "Whoo-wee, that sure is a lot of apple trees!" She declared as she looked across to her brother, Big Macintosh. The stallion with a bright red coat currently had a cast around his midsection as a result of an earlier injury, an injury that was unfortunately sidelining him.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh commented in his usual way of speaking. "Way too big for you to handle on your own, sis," And he sighed. "If only I didn't have to keep wearin' this silly cast. I'd be out there buckin' alongside you."

Applejack wasn't worried. "Don't you fret about that, Big Mac. You just rest and let that wound heal just like the doctor ordered," She declared as she unintentionally poked a hoof right at the injured spot, causing her brother to let out a yelp of pain and glare at her. She was quick with an apology. "Sorry."

Big Mac was still not convinced his sister had everything under control. "If ya ask me, it wouldn't be a bad idea to call for back up just this once. You ain't invincible ya know. If I could injure myself workin' the plow, you could definitely hurt yourself workin' the fields." He remarked with worry as he shook his head.

But Applejack only smiled. "That could've happened to anypony, Big Mac. And that's why it's all the more important I get this harvest in on time. Besides, in a couple of months when the gala rolls around, I'll make enough to get that old plow replaced," Then she added. "Tell Granny Smith not to worry, I'll take a bite out of this here job by day's end!"

Big Mac frowned. "Bitin' off more than you can chew is just what I'm afraid of."

The fare mare frowned right back at her brother with a quirked. "Are you sayin' my mouth is makin' promises my legs can't keep?"

All Big Mac had to say in reply was. "Eeyup."

That prompted a reaction. Applejack grit her teeth, groaned, and blew steam out of her nostrils as she stomped a hoof into the dirt. "Why of all the-" She began before she was able to get herself under control. "Come on, Big Mac! Have a little faith in me! This is your sister Applejack you're talkin' about, remember? An honest friend and the most dependable of all ponies?"

"But that's still only one pony," Big Mac sheepishly replied. "And one pony plus hundreds and hundreds of apple trees just doesn't add up to-"

Applejack shut down the argument immediately. "-Don't you use your fancy mathematics to muddy the issue, I know how to count! I wouldn't take on this job if I didn't think I could pull it off," And she vowed right then and there. "Celestia as my witness, I'm gonna harvest all the apples in the orchard if it takes everythin' I've got!"

Sensing that his sister was not going to be reasoned with, Big Mac reluctantly shrank from the argument. He figured it better to admit defeat rather than prolong a futile argument. "Very well. You're on your own, Applejack. Just don't say I didn't warn ya." And with that he trotted away.

The farm mare was still convinced she could complete the harvesting job all on her own. But taking another look at the orchard grounds made her realize just how daunting the task seemed. However, she also knew it would just make her look silly if she already went back on her earlier statement. So all she could do was gulp and think to herself. "What have I gotten myself into?!" She had no way of knowing that it was indeed going to take everything she had to harvest the entire orchard on her own. And in the process she was going to cause a lot of trouble for her friends.



There was no sense of prolonging the inevitable. Applejack knew she had to get started right away. And that's exactly what she did after adjusting her trusty stetson that rested atop her head. She never liked to be without it, even though she had several similar ones that she often swapped out.

The earth pony with long, blonde locks strolled through the orchard grounds, surveying all the trees. "Alright," She said to herself as she took a deep breath. "Well, time to go to work. It ain't like these apples are gonna buck themselves."

Yet at that very moment one of the apples from one of the trees happened to fall off. It hit Applejack on the head before landing on the group. "Huh, maybe I spoke too soon." Applejack thought aloud. The apple was a bit bruised but otherwise it was unharmed, still in perfect condition.

Several other apples started falling soon afterward. Now Applejack knew something was up. The apples weren't falling of their own free will, something was creating enough force for them to be shaken loose. But it wasn't until she looked off into the distance that she knew what that force was as she became aware of the ground shaking. "Uh-oh!" She realized, her eyes quickly growing big! And she immediately took off as fast as her legs would let her!

Miles and miles away, all of Ponyville slowly became aware of the ground shaking as well. Ponies stopped in their tracks as the vibrations grew more intense and a low rumbling sound could be heard in the distance. Yet it wasn't until Rainbow Dash flew up to get a good look at the disturbance that anypony knew what was going on. A trail of dust growing closer by the minute indicated only one thing! 

"Stampede!" Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs! Countless ponies started running for whatever cover they could find, none wanting to be out in the open! By now they could see the source of the stampede, a bunch of cows running out of control, and they were all frightened as a result!

Well, almost all were frightened. While other ponies were running to and fro, Pinkie Pie was letting the vibrations shake her about as she declared. "Hey, this makes my voice sound silly!"

But the pink party pony was soon pulled back by Twilight. "Pinkie, what are you doing?! Run for your life!" She told her friend.

Amidst the chaos, however, Mayor Mare stepped forward. She didn't appear to be frightened in the slightest by what was going on. "Everypony, please remain calm. There is no reason to panic," She assured them. "Applejack will take care of everything. She and Winona should be on their way now."

And Mayor Mare was right, Applejack and Winona (Applejack's loyal farm dog) were running side by side to catch up to the stampeding hoard of cows. At one point, Applejack even jumped on top of the cows and leaped from one cow to the next while brandishing a lasso. "Come on, Winona! Basic maneuvers!" She called out to her dog. "You know the drill!"

Working together, pony and dog were able to get out ahead of the stampeding herd before they could enter Ponyville. A small crowd gathered to watch the event unfold.

"Wow! This is the best rodeo I've ever seen!" Pinkie Pie declared while munching on a bag of popcorn that she seemed to have obtained from out of nowhere.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was cheering her fellow athlete on. "Ride 'em, cowpony!" She enthusiastically bellowed at the top of her lungs! "You show those cows who's boss!"

Applejack, meanwhile, used her lasso to grab hold of a brown spotted cow at the front of the stampede. She jumped down and used all of the strength she had to make the cow turn to the right, thus diverting the entire herd away from Ponyville at the last minute. Once that had been accomplished, the farm mare tugged on her lasso and brought the brown spotted cow safely to a halt as the other cows did the same.

Ponyville was safe! "Attagirl, Winona!" Applejack praised her dog and gave her a pat on the forehead. Then,	with Winona eagerly barking, Applejack trotted over to the cows and spoke to them. "Now just what in the hay was that all about, girls?"

The brown spotted cow that had been leading the group gave out a moo, before clearing her throat and speaking. "Oh, terribly sorry, Applejack. But Moorella here said she saw one of those nasty snakes crawling about, and it just scared the willies out of us don'tcha know."

The farm mare smiled. "I understand, I don't like snakes much either. Just next time try to steer clear of Ponyville."

"Will do, Applejack," The brown spotted cow sincerely nodded. "Sorry if we caused ya any trouble."

"Nah. Besides, Winona needed the exercise," Applejack declared. "Now come on, back to your pen with ya. I think we've all had enough excitement for one day." She then led the cows away, though not before she and Winona briefly paused to let the town know all was well.

The citizens of Ponyville cheered loudly, and Mayor Mare flashed a smile as she adjusted her glasses. "See, everypony? I told you there was nothing to worry about."

Pinkie Pie then chimed in. "We should totally throw a big celebration to thank Applejack. She deserves it!"

Mayor Mare nodded. "What a splendid idea, Pinkie Pie. We can host it at Town Hall. After all, this is hardly the first time Applejack has come through for Ponyville in a time of need. It's about time she got the recognition she deserves."





Exactly one week after the stampede, the celebration thanking Applejack was set up and ready. A banner displaying Applejack's cutie mark hung above the front of Town Hall as a podium had been erected for various ponies to speak.

Twilight was overseeing the last of the preparations as she strolled around the make-shift stage. "We all ready?" She asked as she checked on Rarity.

"Almost, just one last thing," The fashionista replied as she used her magic to adjust a ribbon until she felt it was where it belonged. "There. Now we're ready."

Twilight smiled. "Great! Is Applejack ready for her big moment?"

But Rainbow Dash answered. "Actually, I haven't seen her all week and neither has anypony else."

"Not since the stampede," Pinkie Pie added. "It's like she just disappeared."

Spotting the nervous look Twilight began to adopt, Rainbow quickly declared. "But she'll be here for sure. Applejack is never late."

Twilight didn't say anything out loud, though in her mind she was thinking. "I sure hope so. I don't know what we'd do if something happened to Applejack without anypony knowing about it." She then trotted up to the podium. She had made a speech on a series of note cards and brought them close to her with her magic as she declared. "Welcome, everypony! Today we are here to honor a pony we can always count on to help in matters great and small. A pony whose contributions to-"

Twilight's speech was soon interrupted quite rudely by Rainbow Dash as the brash speedster swooped down and took over the podium! "Hey, you all saw Applejack's sick moves during the stampede, didn't you? What an athlete. I've never met anypony who can compete with me the way she can, and you know that's high praise coming from a pony like me. This week Applejack said she's gonna help me with a new flying trick, and I know it's gonna be so awesome." She put her hooves to her face not unlike she was about to blow somepony a kiss.

Rainbow was quickly pushed aside by Twilight's magic as the unicorn grunted. "Exactly. And that's why..."

But the speech was interrupted again, this time by Pinkie Pie who popped up right in front of Twilight! "Hey everypony, guess what? This week, I finally get to run Sugarcube Corner for the first time." She announced with a massive smile on her face.

"And what does that have to do with Applejack?" Twilight immediately questioned her pink coated friend.

The party pony only giggled as she pointed out. "Oh. Applejack, one of the best bakers ever, is gonna help me. Isn't that nice? Applejack makes everything great, so free samples for everypony! Hope you all like rain muffins!" Several ponies in the crowd began to cheer as a result, probably more so for the free samples than anything else.

Trying her best to keep her annoyance from showing outwardly, Twilight gently used her magic to push Pinkie aside as she resumed speaking. "Oh-kay, that's great. Now if I could just make a point without being inter-"

As if on cue, Fluttershy cut in (albeit reluctantly). "Twilight?"

Twilight forced herself to sigh as she stepped aside yet again. "-rupted. Go ahead, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy did her best to sincerely apologize. "Twilight, I'm so sorry, but I just wanted to mention that Applejack is also helping me this week with the official bunny census, where we count up all the new baby bunnies that were born this season," She explained. "She's gonna help gather them using her wonderful herding skills. The same ones she showed off during the stampede. Applejack really is a great friend," She then looked back to her unicorn friend. "Um, you can have the podium back now, Twilight."

And Twilight did so without hesitation. But before she resumed her speech she looked out at the crowd as she asked in a rather annoyed tone. "Well, anyone else? Anyone? No? Okay," And she floated over her stack of cards as she prepared to start up her speech again. "Well then, as I was trying to say-" However, she took one look off to her left and upon seeing Mayor Mare smiling at her she realized that there wasn't a point to going on. She stormed off the stage in frustration, her notes scattering on the ground in the process. "Urgh! Never mind. All that work wasted!"

Mayor Mare simply cleared her throat. "Sorry, Twilight. But this was my idea. We can't be here all day you know," And then she gave her own speech as she stood beside a huge, shiny golden trophy. "Ah-ahem. And so, with no further ado, it is my great privilege to give the prize: Pony of Ponyville Award, to our beloved guest of honor, a pony of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity. Ponyville's most capable and dependable friend: Applejack!"

The crowd began to cheer quite audibly with even Spike chiming in! "Cool! Way to go Applejack, that was awesome!" But he stopped cheering when he realized (along with the rest of the crowd) that Applejack was nowhere in sight. "Well, this is awkward." He commented with a blush.

Mayor Mare, meanwhile, was trying her best not to look embarrassed. "N-not to worry, everypony," She tried to reassure them. "I'm... sure Applejack will be here any minute, she's probably just a bit tied up with work or something. Happens all the time." She gave off a nervous laugh as she hoped the crowd would buy into that suggestion.





Sure enough, Applejack showed up. But it was clear to all who saw her that the farm mare wasn't in the best of shape. Her mane and tail had a few loose ends sticking out, she had faintly visible bags underneath her eyes and she appeared to have two little sacks holding apples on either side of her. "I'm here! I'm here!" She declared before yawning, spilling several apples from her sacks in the process. "Sorry I'm late--whoa--I was just... whoa... Did I get your tail?" In a rather clumsy fashion, she stumbled her way up to the podium.

Mayor Mare and several other ponies observing this display were too shocked to know what to say.

Applejack somewhat forcibly pushed the mayor aside as she spoke. "Miss Mayor. Thank you kindly for this here... award thingy," She made her way over to it and stared at the trophy at length, yawning again as she did so. "It's so bright and shiny and," The farm mare giggled upon seeing the way her face was reflected in the trophy's surface. "I sure do look funny." She started making funny noises as Pinkie Pie joined in.

"Uh, is everything okay, Applejack?" Twilight questioned her farm friend. "You seem a bit... different today."

Applejack yawned yet again. "It ain't anythin' you need to worry yourself about, sugarcube. Just a bit tired from workin' hard, that's all. You know me. I like helpin' all the ponyfolks and stuff," She yawned again and then began to snore before quickly shaking herself awake. "Huh, what?!" She quickly seemed to regain her composure as the earth pony smiled, taking her trophy with her. "Oh, uh, yeah. Uh, Thanks. See ya around." And her exit was accompanied by the sounds of the trophy being dragged across the ground.

The farm mare was hardly out of sight when Twilight sought to express her concerns over her friend's state of appearance. "Girls, tell me something. Was it just me, or does anypony else think Applejack seemed a little bit... well..."

"Tired?" Rainbow Dash suggested.

"Dizzy?" Fluttershy added, having taken notice of the way Applejack had been clumsily stumbling about.

"Messy?" Rarity chimed in, causing the others to stare at her. The fashionista was quick to defend herself. "Well you saw the state her mane was in. Applejack wouldn't just let it get out of shape like that. Trust me, I speak from experience."

At that Rainbow realized. "Oh, right, you two were friends when you were fillies."

Pinkie Pie, however, just declared with a smile. "Applejack sure seemed fine to me. She's made of tough stuff, I'm sure she'll bounce back in no time. Besides, she was clearly having fun," And she imitated the funny sounds Applejack had been making earlier. "Woo! Woo!"

But Twilight wasn't convinced. She suspected that something was up and she was going to find out what it was.





Sometime later, Twilight decided to stop by Sweet Apple Acres, thinking that it was the best way to see if her suspicions were correct. And if they were correct, the unicorn also secretly hoped she might be able to find out what could be done to fix the problem. Although still new to the concept of friendship she knew it was never good to just ignore a friend when they weren't acting like themselves.

Applejack was right in the middle of the apple orchard grounds, and although it was the middle of the day she had her eyes closed and was snoring quite audibly. She hadn't even bothered to lay down, she was sleeping right where she stood.

With her concerns seemingly validated, Twilight trotted up to her friend to try to start a conversation. "Hey Applejack!" She greeted, only for Applejack to continue snoring. She tried to speak louder to catch her friend's attention. "Applejack," But there was still no reply, and Twilight just pressed harder and louder. "Applejack. APPLEJACK! WAKE UP!"

That did the trick, Applejack all but leaped up in shock as her eyes rapidly fluttered open. "Huh? Oh, howdy, Twilight," She sincerely greeted. "Sorry, must've dozed off again. Don't know why I ain't gettin' a good night's sleep lately."

"Never mind that," Twilight shook her head. "What's all this?" She gestured a hoof to the surrounding orchard grounds and the many apple buckets that lay scattered about.

Applejack just bluntly answered. "It's Applebuck Season, Twilight."

Twilight blinked. "Applewhat now?"

The farm mare tried not to groan. "Right, you're still new to town. You don't know yet," And with a sigh she explained. "Applebuck Season is what the Apple family calls harvestin' time. We gather all the apples from the trees so we can sell 'em."

"But why are you doing it all by yourself?" Twilight questioned with concern.

"'Cause Big Mac got injured, Granny Smith's old body is too delicate for buckin' and Apple Bloom ain't old enough to know how yet," Applejack explained. "And my folks ain't available either, they passed away long ago."

"Yeah, I know that. It was one of the first things I learned about you," Twilight nodded her head before asking. "But what about all those relatives Spike and I met when we first came to Ponyville? Why aren't they helping?"

Applejack pointed out with a sigh. "They were just stoppin' by for the annual Apple Family Reunion. They actually live all over Equestria and are busy harvestin' their own orchards. So, uh, I'm completely on my own," When Twilight refused to step aside, the farm mare added. "Which means, I should really get back to work if you know what I'm sayin'," Yet Twilight still wouldn't move. "Ahem," Applejack cleared her throat. "Uh, hint hint? 'Get back to work'?"

Reluctantly, Twilight sighed. "Oh, very well."

"Great," The farm mare smiled before adding. "Er, could you step aside please, Twilight?"

Twilight blinked in surprise and confusion as she declared. "What do you mean? I already did," And sure enough, if one looked they would see that she had already moved and was no longer blocking Applejack's path. It was now obvious to the unicorn that her friend was working herself to the point of exhaustion, and something needed to be done before her farm friend would be too worn out to do anything at all. "You want some help, Applejack? I've got some time and Spike can take care of himself for a few hours."

The offer of help was quickly rejected as Applejack protested. "Help? No way, no how. Everythin''s under control."

"But there's no way you can possibly do all of that harvesting on your own." Twilight spoke up with sincere concern.

In response, Applejack glared at Twilight as she asked. "Is that a challenge, sugarcube? I don't take such talk lightly, ya know."

"It was just a suggestion," Twilight nervously insisted as she reluctantly backed down. "But you really should consider it."

"Is that so?" Applejack retorted with a snort. "Well, I'm gonna prove to you that I can do it!" But because she wasn't watching where she was going, she ended up hitting her head on a tree branch and thus caused herself to dizzily stumble off while saying. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got more apples to buck."

Reluctantly, Twilight decided not to press any further and instead left Sweet Apple Acres. In her mind though, she was thinking to herself. "I hope I'm not making a terrible mistake. Applejack's in way over her head."





About a day or two later, Rainbow Dash was waiting impatiently for Applejack on the outskirts of town. She was even perched atop a fence not unlike a bird until Applejack showed up. "There you are. You sure took your sweet time." She rudely remarked, not appearing to notice how exhausted and sleep deprived her friend seemed to be.

Applejack's mane and tail were now much more disheveled and the bags under her green eyes had now become much more pronounced. After letting out a yawn she apologized. "I'm a mite sorry, Rainbow. I was busy applebuckin' and I guess ah, I just closed my eyes for a second and, when I woke up, I was late. I got here as soon as I could after that, though," Then she asked her fellow athlete. "Now remind me again, what's this new trick a' yours you said you needed my help with?"

Rainbow led Applejack over to a catapult that had been set up underneath what looked like a high dive platform you might see at a swimming pool. "See this contraption?" Rainbow inquired.

"Uh... Yeah. I'm guessin' it's part of the trick?" Applejack inquired right back.

Rainbow nodded in confirmation and explained her plan, all the while in her mind picturing the incredible maneuvers she was going to pull off. "Well, I'm gonna stand on one end, then you're gonna jump down from that platform up there, launching me into the air faster than I can take off on my own. Then once I'm in the air, I'm gonna do some amazing flips and spins that are sure to impress the Wonderbolts. No way will they miss it!"

The earth pony mare was understandably concerned by what had just been explained to her. "I don't know. Isn't all of that a mite dangerous, sugarcube?"

"Not for a pony who can fly, like me!" Rainbow declared as she unfolded her wings. "Or did you forget that?"

Applejack shook her head. "No. Guess I got nothin' to worry about then."

"Exactly," Rainbow smiled as she got onto the end of the catapult close to the ground. "Now get on up there and wait for my signal!" She couldn't see from the ground that her friend's vision was becoming blurry from lack of sleep, making it impossible to accurately judge where to land. "Ready? One... two... THREE!"

Applejack jumped and missed the other end, landing on the ground with a thud. Luckily, she wasn't hurt. But Rainbow Dash was more than a little annoyed by her friend's mistake. "Umm... maybe I wasn't clear. You're supposed to land on the other end. Now get back up there and try it again!" The brash speedster commanded.

"Right," Applejack nodded. "Sorry about that, I'll get it right this time. Promise." But she ended up missing the other end again, and again and again.

It didn't take long for Rainbow Dash to lose what little patience she hadn't already lost from waiting for her friend earlier. "Applejack, what the hay is going on? I mean, I thought I was working with Ponyville's best athlete! Or should I just take back that title now?"

"No no, that won't be necessary," The farm mare insisted. "I'm still Ponyville's best athlete. Really," And then she got an idea. "Watch this," She pulled down the other end completely, which only prompted her pegasus friend to glare at her. "Oh... Maybe not. Okay, one more try. I'm sure to get it this time," She insisted, not realizing that by relieving pressure on the other end she was forcing the end Rainbow stood on back down and thus causing the pegasus to be slammed to the ground. Her blurred vision prevented her from seeing this, however, as she instead declared. "Heh heh... Here I go!"

A horrified Rainbow screamed! "Wait..." But her warning came too late to stop what was coming. Before she had a chance to react she was launched into the air from her grounded position, not in the take off ready form she'd had earlier. "Applejaaaaack!" She cried at the top of her lungs before disappearing in a twinkle.

Applejack just looked up and smiled, not realizing she'd messed up. "You're welcome!" She called and trotted away to get back to applebucking.

As for Rainbow, the brash speedster didn't have far to travel before she found herself crash landing directly into the balcony of the Golden Oak Library.

Twilight looked up from the book she'd been reading, completely un-phased by the sight that greeted her eyes. "Ah, Rainbow Dash. Nice of you to drop by unannounced," She remarked in a dry tone of voice. "Can I help you?"

Rainbow just replied in an even drier tone of voice. "I think somepony else needs your help more, and I think we both know who I'm talking about."

"Let me guess, Applejack?" Twilight questioned and received a confirming nod. The unicorn with a light purple coat groaned as she stood up. "Like I don't have anything better to do than to straighten her out." And she trotted away to head for Sweet Apple Acres.

The brash speedster just remarked with a groan. "Yeah, don't mind me, Twilight. I'll just hang around. I have nothing better to do too." But her complaint went unheard to all except her.





It wasn't a very long walk to get to Sweet Apple Acres from the library, but unfortunately for Twilight by the time she arrived in the orchard Applejack was not only further sleep deprived but had also hit her head on another branch. As a result, the farm mare was having a hard time hearing what her friend was trying to say.

"Applejack, can we talk?" Twilight questioned her friend.

Applejack completely misunderstood as she shouted back. "Can bees squawk? I don't think so! Why do you ask?"

"No," Twilight replied, slightly confused by the misunderstanding. "I said 'Can we talk?'"

But Applejack shouted back. "Twenty stalks? Bean or celery? Take your pick."

"No, you're not listening to me!" Twilight replied again, starting to groan a bit as she cleared her throat. "I need to talk to you."

"You need to walk to the zoo?" Applejack asked as she was still unable to understand what Twilight was saying. "Well, what's stoppin' ya? Somepony givin' ya trouble?"

Groaning, Twilight all but shouted. "No, I said 'I need to talk to you'."

This time Applejack managed to hear correctly. "Oh, well why didn't ya just say so?" But her voice was still at shouting level, probably because in her sleep deprived state she didn't realize how loud she sounded. "What is you wanna talk about? Make it quick, I gotta get back to work."

The unicorn cleared her throat as she explained. "Well, Rainbow Dash dropped in to see me today. Quite literally in fact."

"Oh, that's quite neighborly of her." Applejack smiled.

"It would be, except for the fact that she crashed onto my balcony," Twilight pointed out. "It wasn't hard to put two and two together and find out that was because of you. You sent her hurling through the air."

The farm mare blushed upon realizing this. "Oh, I did? Gosh, I am so sorry, Twilight. Really. I'm just not feelin' like myself today, that's all."

Twilight shook her head. "That's because you're working too hard and you need help, Applejack."

"Kelp?! What's this about kelp?!" Applejack questioned as she blinked in confusion. "I don't even like seaweed, Twilight. You're not makin' a lick of sense."

"HELP!" Twilight bellowed at the top of her lungs as she lost her patience. "You need HELP! Please, before anypony else gets hurt because of you."

"Come now, Twilight, Rainbow's gonna be just fine. It was an honest mistake," Applejack stubbornly insisted. "I appreciate your concern, but I don't need help! Not from you and not from anypony!" She trotted away, only to bang her head on yet another tree branch. "Thanks for stoppin' by, but if you don't mind I'd like to get a few more trees bucked before I have to go and help Fluttershy. Maybe I'll even have time for a quick nap."

Twilight could only groan in frustration as she saw her exhausted friend clumsily stumble away. It seemed like there was nothing she could say or do to convince Applejack to take a break. " Ugh. I swear, that pony is as stubborn as a mule," When she heard a braying sound she turned around and said to a nearby mule. "Uh, no offense."

"None taken." The mule replied with a sincere smile, causing Twilight to breath a small sigh of relief.





Later that same day, Applejack had joined Fluttershy to help with the bunny census as promised. The bags under her eyes had now gotten so noticeable that they seemed like they could drag down her entire face. But she still insisted it was nothing, and Fluttershy wasn't anywhere near as willing to press on the subject like Twilight was. 

"Oh Applejack! Thank you so much for offering your herding skills for the annual rabbit roundup," The shy pegasus smiled at her friend. "I really couldn't think of anypony else to help on such short notice."

An exhausted Applejack just yawned and groaned while trotting along. "Yeah yeah yeah. But uh, remind me again why it is we're doin' this?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you," Fluttershy sincerely apologized as she believed this had to be due to an omission on her part. "Lots of new baby bunnies have been born over the past few months, so it's my job to get a count of all the new families. The only problem I have is getting them all in one place for the census. That's where you and your impressive herding skills come into play."

Applejack nodded and then groaned. "Alright, sounds easy enough. Can we get on it with, please? I'm still nowhere close to bein' done with all my applebuckin'. It's weird, I've never had a problem buckin' trees on my own before. Don't why I'm havin' so much trouble this time."

"You're sure you don't need any help?" Fluttershy offered.

"Don't you go gettin' on my case too, Fluttershy!" Applejack snorted while glaring at her friend. "I don't tell you how to do your job, so don't be tellin' me how to do mine!" Then she realized her mistake as she apologized. "Sorry, Fluttershy. Didn't mean to yell at ya just then. Don't know what came over me."

The pegasus with a beautiful yellow coat just nodded, happy to defuse an argument before it could escalate. "It's alright, you're probably just cranky because you had to wake up from your nap to help me. Don't worry, this won't take very long," But she was quick to warn. "Just remember, Applejack, these are bunnies we're dealing with, not cows. They're a timid bunch and need to be treated gently. You can't chase them like you do with cows when they break away from their pen."

But the farm mare only snapped back. "I do NOT need any direction on corrallin' critters. Right, Winona?" She got an answer from her loyal dog in the form of a bark.

Although concerned by the response, Fluttershy didn't say anything to Applejack as she instead turned her attention to the bunnies. "Okay, little bunnies! I need you to all gather here in the middle." She instructed.

Applejack stomped a hoof down and glared directly at the bunnies as she ordered. "That's right! Let's go, bunnies. In the center, now! Hop to it," But the bunnies naturally resented being ordered about so roughly when they were used to Fluttershy's gentle coaxing. This only served to make the farm mare even more impatient and annoyed. "Swell, just swell," She sarcastically commented. "I've seen pigs during bathin' time put up less of a fight," And she whistled. "Put 'em up, Winona!"

Winona obeyed without question, chasing after the bunnies and forcing them to huddle close together in the designated area Fluttershy had set up to count them all in.

Fluttershy quickly became alarmed by what she was seeing, and she tried to raise her voice! "Applejack! Winona! Stop! You're scaring them. This is NOT what I wanted you to do!"

Applejack refused to listen, her lack of sleep made it impossible for her to think clearly. "We know what we're doin'. Now get along, little bunnies." Unfortunately, doing this caused the bunnies to panic. Eventually, they broke free from their huddle and started running away! Applejack and Winona chased after them, which only served to frighten the bunnies even more! And poor Fluttershy couldn't keep up with the two as the bunnies were driven right into town.

Rainbow Dash spotted the frightened bunnies from afar and gave the warning! "Stampede!" She shouted again, and just like the week before ponies started running to and fro, searching for any kind of shelter! One mare failed to find shelter, and collapsed and fell to the ground as the bunnies ran to either side of her.





It was all over in a matter of minutes, but although the bunnies were nowhere near as destructive as the cows from the week prior would've been they still inflicted a lot of damage.

Twilight was the first to stumble across the "devastation" as she came trotting through the center of town, her moderate violet eyes taking in the sights of ponies laying in the streets as if some great tragedy had overtaken them. "What the?!" She exclaimed with a gasp. "What happened here?!"

One of the three earth pony mares known collectively as the Flower Trio was the first to speak up. She had a very pale yellow coat, pale, light grayish green eyes and a mane and tail moderate raspberry in color with lighter raspberry streaks throughout. Her cutie mark was a rose. "The horror, the horror." She weakly cried.

The next in the trio to speak up was an earth pony mare who had a pale, light grayish raspberry coat. She sported pale, light grayish gold eyes, a light amber mane and tail with pale amber highlights and a cutie mark depicting three lilies (she even had a lily in her mane). "It was awful, just awful." She cried in an equally weak tone of voice.

In a tone of voice just as weak as the others, the third and final earth pony spoke up. She had a pale magenta coat, moderate spring green eyes, a pale, light grayish lime green mane and tail and a cutie mark depicting two daises. "A disaster. A horrible, horrible disaster. That's what it was."

"I don't get it." Twilight blinked as she looked all around. There weren't many signs of outward destruction.

The pale, light grayish raspberry coated earth pony was the first to try and explain. "Look around you! Our gardens, destroyed."

"Every last flower, devoured." The pale yellow coated earth pony answered.

And the pale magenta coated earth pony then exclaimed in horror! "By... by... THEM!" And she pointed a hoof to where several bunnies were eating up all the flowers in a pony's flower garden.

Fluttershy was trying to get the bunnies to stop but they were too busy with their snack to listen to a word she said.

Twilight sighed as she trotted off towards Sweet Apple Acres. The unicorn had a pretty good idea as to what had caused the bunnies to run loose and devour every flower in Ponyville.





Sure enough, an exhausted Applejack was at work in the fields once again. She was constantly drifting in and out of sleep, to the point where she ended up tipping a cart full of apples over, and falling asleep right on the spot with her body suspended upside down.

"Applejack, we need to talk. This has gone far enough." Twilight sternly declared.

Applejack's eyes fluttered open as she found herself still upside down. "Wha, huh? Oh, it's just you, Twilight," Then she yawned again. "I know what you're gonna say, but the answer is still no."

"Not to upset your applecart, but you need help," Twilight remarked with a frown. "You just unleashed a stampede of hungry bunnies on Ponyville. It'll take weeks for new flowers to grow to replace the ones those bunnies just gobbled up."

Applejack just groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you, Twilight? I don't need your help! Watch, I'll get this here cart back to how it should be all by myself," With a series of grunts she managed to eventually right herself, even as Twilight could only put a hoof to her face at how beyond stubborn her friend was being. "There!" The farm mare said at last as she finally had her hooves on solid ground. "See? All by myself, just like always. And I ain't in the mood for a lecture. I'm sorry about the bunnies, but it's their own fault for not cooperatin'."

"Do you even hear yourself?!" Twilight complained with narrowed eyes. "I can't let you go on like this, Applejack! You're destroying yourself and your reputation."

The stetson wearing earth pony just snorted and turned her back to Twilight, she wasn't willing to listen to this conversation any longer. "I'll prove that this here Apple can handle these apples. I ain't a liar and I ain't a quitter," She proceeded to trot over to a nearby tree and started kicking it, quickly losing her patience when the apples didn't drop from the tree like they should. "Come on, apples! Fall off already! What are you waitin' for?!" She complained as she started kicking the tree over and over again.

"Uh, Applejack," Twilight pointed out. "I think you might be beating a dead... well... tree."

Sure enough, Applejack looked up and her sap green eyes saw that the tree was completely empty. She quickly tried to save face. "Oh, I knew that. I did."

"Applejack, please, you're not acting like yourself anymore!" Twilight pleaded. "I mean it when I say somepony's gonna get hurt badly or worse if you keep this up. If you'd just let me help you just this once-"

But Applejack defensively and stubbornly bellowed. "No, no, NO, Twilight! If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times already! I don't need help and I don't want help! Now please leave me alone! All this talk is makin' me late to help Pinkie Pie with bakin'. Don't try to stop me!" She promptly shoved her friend aside, storming off with steam still billowing out of her nostrils.

Twilight gulped hard. "This isn't going to end well, I just know it." But she wasn't sure what she could or should do in this situation. She didn't wanna make it seem like she didn't trust Applejack.





Applejack had fortunately managed to cool down a little by the time she made it to Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes were getting ready to step out and leave Pinkie Pie in charge for the first time.

"Now Pinkie Pie, are you absolutely sure you're up for baking the muffins and running the store this afternoon all by yourself?" Mrs. Cake asked her pink coated charge. Mrs. Cake was a plump earth pony mare with a lovely very light blue coat, brilliant rose eyes and a pinkish mane and tail styled up to look like frosting on a cupcake. Fittingly, her cutie mark depicted three cupcakes.

Pinkie Pie just gave a salute as she sincerely replied. "Yes siree bob, Mrs. Cake. Plus, I have Ponyville's prized pony to help me out. Why, she's the best baker ever. Right, Applejack?"

But Applejack was too tired to think clearly and ended up shaking her head.

"Wait, no? You mean you're not the best baker ever?" Mr. Cake asked. He was a lanky earth pony stallion with a light brilliant amber coat, moderate green eyes and a light brilliant orange mane and tail. His cutie mark was three cut carrot cakes.

Applejack realized her mistake as she quickly corrected herself. "What? Oh no! I mean, don't you fret, Mr. Cake. I can bake anythin' from fritters to pies in the blink of an eye. Pinkie Pie and I have it all covered."

"You two enjoy yourselves," Pinkie said to the Cakes. "Everything will be a-okay here. I remember everything you've taught me."

After looking across to her husband, Mrs. Cake nervously answered. "All right then, I guess. Just try not to make too much of a mess. Well, see you later, girls!"

"Better get started on the muffins right away," Mr. Cake added as he and his wife headed out the door. "Customers are already starting to line up for those free samples."

Once the Cakes had left Applejack began to shake violently from side to side. Pinkie quickly put a stop to it by putting her hooves to either side of Applejack's face. "Hey! Stop with the shakin', it's time to get bakin'. I'll get started on the recipe, and you bring me the ingredients when I ask for them. Deal?"

The farm mare agreed. "Yeah, that should be simple enough." But she was already finding it hard to stay awake, and even harder to hear just what was being said to her. She didn't want to say anything though because she knew Pinkie would probably say the same thing Twilight and Fluttershy had said to her earlier.





Sometime later, Twilight happened to trotting through town when the Cakes came rushing up to her! "Twilight, have you heard?!" Mrs. Cake frantically exclaimed as her eyes appeared to have widened and her husband looked about ready to faint!

"Heard what?! Did something happen at Sugarcube Corner?!" Twilight asked as she was suddenly stricken with a sense of dread!

"It's Pinkie Pie!" Mr. Cake explained in a rapid paced tone of voice! "She's sick, really sick! The kind of sick that sends you to the hospital!"

At that Twilight immediately leaped to her hooves! "When did this happen?!"

"We just found out for ourselves a minute ago, Applejack rushed her over to Ponyville General Hospital and then took off to get back to applebucking!" Mrs. Cake answered. "My husband and I were just on our way to the hospital ourselves, we haven't told anypony else yet."

Twilight quickly accompanied the frightened earth ponies to Ponyville General Hospital, and they were soon greeted by an earth pony nurse with a pristine (almost powder) white coat. She had sapphire blue eyes that looked innocent and gentle, and a light pinkish-gray mane and tail. Her cutie mark matched the symbol on her nurse's cap perfectly: A pink cross outline with a red heart in the center as well as in each corner.

"Nurse, do you know where Pinkie Pie is?!" Mr. Cake questioned the nurse pony. "My wife and I are the ones who provide her room and board in return for her working with us."

The nurse pony smiled. "My name is Nurse Redheart. And don't worry, Pinkie Pie is already in recovery. Applejack got her over here in a hurry, and we don't believe Pinkie ate anything truly harmful. She should be okay once she gets it all out of her system. I'll lead you to her."

The Cakes and Twilight were soon brought to a hospital room where a green in the face Pinkie Pie greeted them, a wooden bucket placed nearby for what seemed like obvious reasons. "Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake," Pinkie weakly called to the both of them. "There was... a mishap."

"With the baked goods?" Mrs. Cake questioned Pinkie.

Pinkie retorted with a shake of her head. "No, not baked goods. Baked bads." Then she turned her head as she groaned, feeling sick to her stomach.

"What was the last thing she ate?" Twilight questioned Nurse Redheart.

"According to Pinkie Pie, it was one of the rain muffins she was going to offer as a free sample to everypony," Nurse Redheart explained. "We're running tests on what might have been in the muffin she ate as we speak."

Mr. Cake, meanwhile, asked his pink coated apprentice. "Pinkie, do you remember anything about the muffins? Did you feed them to anypony else?"

Pinkie turned her head back around as her stomach had temporarily settled down. "I was going to," She weakly answered to Mr. Cake. "But something about them didn't smell right. Applejack was bringing the ingredients so I didn't get to see what she put in. She must've messed up somehow while I wasn't looking, because I swear I saw a worm poke out from my muffin after I ate it. The next thing I knew I was on the floor," She sighed and hung her head. "I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. I let you down."

But Mrs. Cake spoke kindly to Pinkie instead. "It wasn't your fault, Pinkie Pie. You had the right idea taste testing the muffins when something didn't seem right. But next time, don't eat something if you're not sure it was prepared properly. Don't worry, you'll get another chance to run Sugarcube Corner on your own once you're feeling better."

Twilight, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes as she declared to herself. "All right, that's it! Enough is enough. This madness ends now!"





Twilight once again found Applejack hard at work in the orchards of Sweet Apple Acres, and it was truly a miracle that the farm mare hadn't collapsed completely from exhaustion already. It looked like it was a struggle for her just to stay awake.

But after what Twilight had just witnessed she knew that she couldn't let Applejack continue to refuse help. It was obvious to the unicorn that Applejack had unintentionally been responsible for giving Pinkie Pie a bad case of food poisoning. Who knew what would happen if Applejack was allowed to "help" anypony else in her current state? So the unicorn trotted up to Applejack as she cleared her throat. "Alright, Applejack. I know you don't wanna hear a lecture from me but too bad, you're getting a lecture whether you like it or not! This is something you need to hear!"

"Twilight, please! I'm almost done and then I can finally rest!" Applejack defensively retorted.

Twilight wasn't persuaded for even a second. "Sorry, Applejack, but you're not the only one who's been having problems because of your applebucking. In just the past few days you've over-propelled a pegasus, terrorized bushels of brand new bouncing baby bunnies and now you've nearly poisoned plenty of ponies. My only mistake was letting you go without help for this long. I don't care what you say anymore. You. Need. Help!"

However, with one final kick Applejack saw and felt apples fall into her baskets. And she smiled as she realized what these apples meant. "Ha! No, I don't," Then she boasted. "Look around you, Twilight. I harvested every single apple from every single tree here on Sweet Apple Acres, and I did it without anypony's help at all. So how d'ya like them apples?"

But just then a familiar red colored hoof tapped Applejack on the shoulder as a still injured Big Macintosh pointed out. "Um, how do you like them apples?" He gestured a hoof to several apple trees that still had yet to be harvested.

Applejack stared out at the unbucked trees in disbelief! How could she have overlooked them for so long?! "What?! But... how did... where did... s-so many... I mean..." And just like that the last of her strength left her as the farm mare collapsed to the ground.

The farm mare awoke sometime later to find Twilight standing directly over her. "Oh, good, you're okay. You had me worried there for a moment," The unicorn sighed in relief before continuing her lecture. "Now Applejack, listen, I completely respect you and the Apple family ways. It's great that you're always there to help anypony in need, so maybe you could put a little bit of that stubborn pride of yours aside and finally allow your friends to help you."

Surprisingly, Applejack agreed without hesitation. She'd lost any will to put up a fight. "Okay, Twilight. You win. I can't do this on my own."

"I am not taking 'no' for an answer," Twilight went on, briefly unaware of her friend's response. "Wait? You mean, you agree?"

Applejack nodded. "I do, Twilight. My whole body feels ready to give out on me. I couldn't buck another tree even if I wanted to," And she put her hooves together in a pleading motion. "So can you please help me?"

"I sure can," Twilight smiled in satisfaction. "In fact, I think all our friends can, even Pinkie Pie. Once she gets out of the hospital anyway."





A day later when Pinkie was back to full health and Applejack had had a chance to give her aching body a rest, all six mares who had recently become friends were hard at work finishing up the rest of the harvesting at Sweet Apple Acres. With everypony pitching in the work went much faster.

As work was drawing to a close, Twilight was dictating a letter to Spike to send to Princess Celestia. And it read went like this:

Dear Princess Celestia,

My friend Applejack is the best friend a pony could ever have, and she's always there to help anypony at the drop of a hat. She believes in honest work and keeping your commitments. 

The only trouble is, whenever she needs help, she finds it hard to accept it. She seems to think that if she already said she can do something on her own, saying she can't makes her a liar. When there's really nothing more honest you can do than admit you need help. 

So while friendship is all about giving of ourselves to friends, it's also about accepting what our friends have to offer. And it's important to understand that nopony is meant to do everything on their own. We shouldn't be afraid to admit when we're in over our heads, preferably before things really get out of hoof.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

"Did you get all of that, Spike?" Twilight asked her baby dragon companion and number one assistant.

Spike nodded as he rolled up the scroll. "Yup. This'll make a fine letter to the princess. And yours truly just struck up a friendship with Big Macintosh. It's nice to have guys to talk to about guy things for a change."

Twilight giggled as she playfully ribbed the baby dragon. "Oh Spike, never change."

Spike just replied by breathing fire on the scroll, sending it to Princess Celestia through the use of his dragon magic.

Shortly thereafter, Applejack came out into the fields, pushing a cart full of refreshing beverages for all of her friends as she called out. "How about y'all take a little break? I got some fine apple juice waitin' for ya! You too, Spike," As the six ponies and one dragon all gathered around the beverage holding cart, Applejack then declared. "Now, I wanna thank you all again for your help. And I wanna apologize for how much of a mess I made of things tryin' to help you all out the way I did. I was actin' a bit stubborn."

"Really? Just a bit?" Twilight couldn't help but rib her farm friend.

Applejack didn't even sigh as she corrected. "Okay. A mite stubborn, and I'm awful sorry."

"It's alright, Applejack," Rainbow Dash spoke up. "Everypony makes mistakes. We know you didn't mean to do the things you did."

"But maybe next time you should be careful not to take on too many commitments during applebuck season," Rarity pointed out. "Especially if you're shorthoofed for the occasion."

Applejack nodded. "Believe me, girls. If I ever find myself facin' down another big harvest like this, you'll be the first ones to know if I need some extra hooves," Then she smiled. "I'm proud to consider you all as honorary Apples, and that includes you, Spike." Then all seven friends raised their glasses of apple juice at the same time, cementing their new bond.
> S1 E25: Party of One (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another lovely spring day in Ponyville and the first rays of Celestia's sun were already starting to poke their way into the homes of various ponies all over town. It really didn't seem like a day of great importance, but a couple of ponies knew that the day that would follow this one was going to be important. They'd all marked it down in secret, though they weren't sure how much of a secret it really was.

Anyway, Twilight woke up the day before the big day she and some of her friends had planned to the sound of knocking on her front door. Her mane had a small loose end sticking up, but that was easily brushed down once the unicorn had managed to shake the cobwebs from her mind and get out of bed. Now fully awake, she trotted downstairs to open the door. When she did so, Twilight was immediately greeted by the presence of her party planning friend, Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie was dressed up like a clown, complete with a big, red shiny nose. And she had Gummy, her pet baby alligator accompanying her alongside a basket containing little cards.

"Oh. Hi, Pinkie Pie," Twilight greeted her friend. "Can I help-"

Before Twilight could finish her sentence, Pinkie started launching into a little song and dance routine. And she'd go on to do it with slight costume changes for each of her remaining friends, starting with Rarity and continuing all the way to Fluttershy. And the song she sang went like this:

This is your singing telegram,

I hope it finds you well!

You're invited to a party,

'Cause we think you're really swell!

Gummy's turning one year old,

So help us celebrate!

The cake will be delicious!

The festivities first-rate.

There will be games and dancing.

Bob for apples, cut a rug.

And when the party's over,

We'll all gather 'round for a group hug!

No need to bring a gift,

Just being there will be enough.

Birthdays mean having fun with friends,

Not getting lots of stuff.

It won't be the same without you,

So we hope that you'll say 'Yes'.

Now, please, oh please R.S.V.P.

And come, and be our guest!

By the time Pinkie finished the song and gave the last invitation to Fluttershy, she had worn herself out completely. She only just had enough strength to make it back to Sugarcube Corner while dressed up to look like a birthday cake. "You know what, Gummy?" She said to her baby alligator. "I think next time I'll just pass out written invitations instead." And once she was safely within the confines of her bedroom she collapsed to the ground.

Pinkie didn't know that her next party would not only not have to worry about written invitations, but it was going to be overshadowed by something else entirely.



All of the invited guests were soon at Gummy's birthday party, which took place in the loft Pinkie lived in. Music was playing, cake was being served and in general everyone was having a fine time doing whatever they liked to do best at parties.

Like any good host, Pinkie Pie bounced from place to place to make sure all her guests were satisfied. Her first stop was a table serving refreshments.

Rarity was currently helping herself to a cup of punch. "I must say, Pinkie Pie," She sincerely smiled. "This punch of yours is simply divine. Is it the same punch you used for your 'Spring Has Sprung Party'? I quite enjoyed that punch, more so than some of your others."

Pinkie giggled as she filled her friend's cup up to the brim. "Well you'll be happy to know that this punch is even better than the 'Spring Has Sprung Party' punch. It's got a secret ingredient."

Rarity felt tempted to ask what said secret ingredient was, but then she happened to look at the punch bowl and was horrified to see Gummy swimming around in it, with the baby alligator blowing bubbles out of the punch. She immediately spat out her punch in disgust!

The pink party pony seemed oblivious to this display as she just grinned. "It's Gummy's favorite. The birthday gator deserves only the best."

"So I see." The fashionista declared as she forced herself to take another sip of punch through a straw. But as soon as Pinkie was out of sight she not so secretly spat out the punch in a nearby potted plant without saying a word. No wonder the punch had tasted so different.

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was bouncing over to a tub where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were busy bobbing for apples. "How's everything going, girls?" She asked them.

"Fantastic!" Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded. "Applejack seems to think she can beat me at bobbing for apples. But I'm about to prove her wrong!"

Applejack grinned back. "Come on, sugarcube. Be honest. You couldn't beat me in a million years. I'm the apple bobbin' champ, I've got years of experience that you'll never have!"

But Pinkie vaguely answered. "Ah, don't be like that, girls. Just plain old apples aren't any fun. If you want a real challenge, try to find all the hidden surprises I put in the tub."

It didn't take long for the "surprises" to reveal themselves to the unexpecting athletes. They looked like apples but in actuality they were fake ones tied to springs that pulled both into the tub, to say nothing of when Gummy surfaced and attached himself to Rainbow's face.

Just then a familiar musical track began to blare over the record player. Pinkie's ears perked up upon hearing it. "Ooh! This is my jam!" She made her way over to the dance floor to join Twilight and Fluttershy. "Hey girls, having fun?" She asked the both of them.

"A blast!" Twilight happily nodded.

"You always throw the best parties, Pinkie." Fluttershy smiled in agreement.

"Just what I like to hear!" The pink party pony stated and started dancing all about. A little too roughly in fact as she ended up knocking both Twilight and Fluttershy into walls by accident. They were dazed but fortunately not harmed. "Come on, everypony!" Pinkie shouted! "Let's all dance with Gummy!" She proceeded to chant as her friends all joined her. "Go Gummy! It's your birthday! Go Gummy! It's your birthday!"





Several hours later, night fell and the party drew to a close. Everyone started to leave one by one. "I'm downright beat!" Applejack declared. "Couldn't party any longer if I wanted to."

"See you later, birthday alligator!" Rainbow Dash called to Gummy as she departed alongside Fluttershy and Rarity. "Don't go getting too big now, you hear?"

"Can you believe he's a year old already?" Fluttershy commented. "He's growing up so fast."

Rarity, meanwhile, could be heard saying. "A most delightful engagement. It's so nice to spend quality time with friends."

Twilight was the last one to leave, and Pinkie Pie was calling out to her friend from her bedroom window. "Are you sure you don't wanna stay just a little bit longer? There's still plenty of cake and punch left to go around."

But Twilight shook her head. "Sorry, Pinkie. It's late and we all need to go to bed. Still, this was a lot of fun, just like your last party. We should do this again soon." And with that she trotted on home.

Unknown to Twilight, however, her comment had given Pinkie an idea. "You're right, we should do this again soon!" She thought out loud. "Ooh, why didn't I think of it before?!" And the gears in her mind began to turn. For anypony else the prospect of having another party only a day later would be impossible. But for a pony like Pinkie Pie it was doable.





The very next morning, Twilight was surprised to be awoken by the sound of another knock at her door, and even more surprised to find Pinkie Pie waiting outside with a basket of invitations. "Pinkie Pie?" She blinked in confusion.

"It's soon!" The pink party pony excitedly declared while jumping up and down.

"Yeah, so?" Twilight questioned her friend.

Pinkie giddly explained. "You said last night we should have another party soon, and... it's soon! So here's your invitation, don't be late! Don't worry, there's an extra one for Spike as well."

Twilight used her magic to open up one of the pink colored envelopes Pinkie had given her and read aloud what was printed on the letter inside: "'You're invited to Gummy's 'after-birthday' party. This afternoon at 3 o'clock at Sugarcube Corner.'"

Pinkie flashed a bright smile as she said to Twilight. "All our bestest friends are invited, and there's gonna be dancing, and games, and cake, and ice-cream, and punch! It's gonna be fantastic!"

But Twilight's response was not what Pinkie had been expecting, for the unicorn glanced back briefly before asking. "Uh, this afternoon? As in 'This afternoon' this afternoon?"

The pink party pony nodded. "Yes indeedy! Did I make a mistake on the invitations?"

The unicorn's eyes seemed to briefly widen. "Huh? Oh no no, not at all," She then cleared her throat while nervously saying. "Listen, Spike and I... we'd love to come, really. It's just that... well... we can't. We're going to be busy."

Spike questioned from upstairs. "What do you mean, Twilight? Isn't today supposed to be the day of..."

Twilight cut Spike back off while lighting up her horn. "-No, Spike. You must be thinking of something entirely different. Besides, I can't go anywhere. I've... uh... gotten a bit behind in my studies. So I've really gotta hit the books." She used her magic to create a huge stack of books behind her, hoping Pinkie would buy the argument.

Pinkie did as she nodded her head and respectfully declared. "I understand, Twilight. Your studies come first, and you need Spike to get to those hard to reach places. Don't worry though, even if you can't make it, I'll be sure to save some cake and punch for the both of you. A party's still a party even with four guests."

"Sorry, Pinkie, sometimes this just happens," Twilight apologized as sincerely as she could. "Besides, I still haven't figured out what my next friendship letter to Princess Celestia is gonna be."

"Right," Pinkie nodded again as she bounced away, though not before adding. "Oh, by the way, Twilight."

Twilight suddenly froze on the spot, as if terrified of some unspoken thing. She did her best to hide it, though. "Yes?"

With a sincere smile the pink party pony told her studious friend. "You really shouldn't hit the books. You really should just read them instead."

The unicorn with a light purple coat nodded her head. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you." And then watched as her party planning friend bounced away. Only once she was certain the coast was clear did she allow herself to breath a small sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brows.

Spike, however, came down the stairs with a rather grumpy expression upon his face. "Just what was that all about, Twilight? I thought you and the girls would have everything finalized for the big day by now."

"We do, Spike," Twilight replied as she made sure to shut the door, preventing any outside ponies from overhearing the conversation. "Mostly, anyway. There are still a few last minute things we didn't get a chance to take care of yesterday because of Gummy's birthday party. We don't wanna give ourselves away to Pinkie Pie before everything is ready."

"So now you're lying to her? And after all the years of telling me that lying wasn't acceptable too." Spike snorted as smoke escaped from his nostrils.

Twilight sheepishly retorted. "It's not really lying. I have kind of gotten behind with my studies. It's more like not telling the whole truth. Trust me, when everything is set up and ready, Pinkie Pie will understand why we had to keep it all a secret," She forced back a gulp as she added. "I hope."

"Okay, so what exactly do you want me to do?" Spike questioned Twilight.

"Just play along and don't tell Pinkie about our plans," The studious unicorn explained. "I promise I'll make it worth your while."

The little dragon huffed. "Whatever, I'm gonna go see if Rarity needs my help. Just get those preparations done now. Pinkie's going to suspect something sooner or later you know." And then he strolled out the front door of the library.





Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, made her way to Sweet Apple Acres where she found Applejack pulling three big wagons full of apples behind her.

The farm mare quickly spotted her pink coated friend and fellow earth pony, greeting her warmly. "Well howdy, Pinkie Pie. What brings you 'round these here parts today?"

Pinkie just excitedly grinned as she declared while shaking her rump. "Who's ready to shake their hoof-thang?!" She then pulled one of the pink colored envelopes out of the basket, offering it to Applejack as she explained. "This is an invitation to 'Gummy's after-birthday' party this afternoon at Sugarcube Corner. There's gonna be dancing, and games, and cake, and ice-cream, and punch! Oh, it's gonna be even better than Gummy's birthday party!"

Applejack took the invitation and immediately blinked upon seeing the date. "Wait, this afternoon? As in 'This afternoon' this afternoon?"

"That's funny, Twilight said exactly the same thing," Pinkie pointed out before declaring. "And the answer's the same as it was for her: 'Yes'."

The farm mare seemed to become as hesitant as Twilight upon receiving confirmation of the date. "Oh, I see," And she started to stammer while putting a hoof to her chin. "Uh, well, I... I... uh... I don't think I can make it 'cause... uh... I have to... uh... uh," She suddenly got an idea when she looked back at the wagons she was hauling. "Pick apples! Yeah, that's it!  'Cause uh that's what we do 'round here! With the... apples. We, uh... we pick 'em!" She paused and gulped hard as Pinkie gave her a most unusual look.

But Pinkie quickly made the look go away as she just smiled. "Okey-dokey-lokey! A party is still a party, even if there are only three guests. Still, I'll try to save you some cake and punch too." And she trotted away, not noticing Applejack let out a sigh of relief the same way Twilight had earlier.





Rarity was the next to receive a visit from Pinkie Pie, and this was after she was having Spike help her with some chores: Namely taking out the trash. 

The little dragon was all too eager to help push the metal trash can filled to the brim with garbage, not realizing he had picked up quite an odor, as he made his way back to the fashionista. "Is there anything else I can do for you, most beautiful one?" He asked her with a dreamy smile and stare.

Rarity took one whiff of Spike and immediately used her magic to push him back. She tried her best not to be too blunt with him and hurt his feelings. "Hmm... perhaps you could take a nice hot bath," She put a hoof to her chin. " How do I put this delicately for you?" She soon found the words, however. "You smell just like a rotten apple core that's been wrapped up in moldy hay and then dipped in dragon perspiration. Does that help?"

Spike just dreamily sighed even as he obeyed. "Oh, alright. As long as you're you don't need me for anything else, Rarity," And he bowed his head as he departed. "It's been an honor to serve you, my lady." Spike was hardly out of sight when Pinkie Pie approached Rarity outside Carousel Boutique.

Rarity soon took notice of Pinkie's attire and complimented. "Ooh! Love the new hat, darling. Very modern. What's the occasion?"

The pink party pony declared as she presented her fashion friend with an invitation. "Gummy's 'after-birthday' party this afternoon at Sugarcube Corner. This hat helps with delivering the invitations."

Just like Twilight and Applejack, Rarity gave the response. "This afternoon? As in 'This afternoon' this afternoon?"

"You know, it's so strange. That's what everypony keeps saying." Pinkie pointed out.

Rarity blinked a bit in realization. "Oh, they do? That's... odd."

The pink coated earth pony nodded her head while defensively saying. "Look, I know it's short notice and everything, but we had such a great time at his birthday party, and I thought we could have even more fun at his after-birthday party."

The fashionista unicorn nodded back. "And I'm sure that we would, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. I'm not prepared, I need to... wash my mane!"

Pinkie's blue eyes blinked. "Don't be silly, Rarity. Your mane's not dirty."

Rarity replied by immediately rushing over and sticking her head in the trash can Spike had just moved outside for her. She pulled it back out after a second with several pieces of leftover food now clinging to her beautiful, curly blue mane. "It is now!" She declared before gagging due to the smell. "I have to go!" And she rushed inside, slamming the door of her boutique shut behind her!

Pinkie briefly put her hooves to her sides as she exclaimed in dismay. "No Twilight or Spike, no Applejack, and now no Rarity? What's with everypony today?!" But then she realized there were still two guests she had yet to deliver invitations to. "Oh well, a party's still a party even with just two guests."





But even Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash (who Pinkie had the good fortune to run into at the exact same time in the sky above a small bridge) ended up giving the same response when presented with their invitations to Gummy's after-birthday party.

"This afternoon?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

And Fluttershy began to add. "As in..."

"-Yes!" Pinkie quickly interrupted, having learned by now to anticipate this response. "As in 'This afternoon' this afternoon. Can you girls make it?"

Rainbow Dash nervously replied. "Oh, man! We'd sure love to, but... we're... uh... we're house-sitting this afternoon."

"Really? Both of you?" The pink party pony blinked in confusion and dismay.

Fluttershy reluctantly nodded. "It's... uh... a big house. Sorry."

Rainbow then pointed to a watch she'd hastily drawn on one of her front hooves. "Oh uh, would you look at the time?! Sorry we can't stay and chat but Fluttershy and I really must be going! See ya!"

But before either pegasus pony could fly away, Pinkie called out to them. "Wait! Maybe I could bring you some after-birthday cake and ice-cream, or maybe even some punch. I'm sure I could make it if I'm fast enough. Who're you house-sitting for and where can I find them?"

"Uh, we're house-sitting for, um..." Rainbow nervously stammered while looking across to Fluttershy, before finally answering. "Harry. Yeah, Harry."

"Harry? Is he new in town?" Pinkie wondered.

Rainbow nodded back. "Yeah, and I don't think you'd know about him or where he lives."

"Why not? If there was a newcomer to town I'd know about it," Pinkie Pie pointed out. "I know just about everypony around here."

Fluttershy quickly declared. "Uh, that's because he's not from here. And he's not a pony, he's a bear."

At that the pink party pony blinked. "A bear? And he lives in a house?"

Realizing how unlikely anypony would be believe such a statement, Fluttershy corrected. "Well actually, it's more of a cave."

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash nodded at her fellow pegasus. "But he has the place so fixed up that it feels like a house."

The pegasus with a butter yellow coat then added. " And, uh, he wants us to look after his house... er, cave... while he's, uh..."

The pegasus with a light blue coat hastily replied. "A-at the beach!"

"He's vacationing at the beach? I didn't know bears went to the beach." Pinkie commented in apparent realization.

"Well, this bear does," Rainbow hastily explained. "And he loves to-" She and Fluttershy proceeded to give answers at the same time that quickly devolved into "Collect Volleyballs" and "Play Seashells".

"So, uh, yeah," Rainbow declared as she and Fluttershy prepared to take off again. "We promised Harry we'd look after his cave, and we should be over there soon. So, gotta go!"

However, Fluttershy then spun around and faced her pink coated friend as she declared. "Actually, now that I think about it, the cave's not that big. I think I can manage on my own," Looking across to her fellow pegasus she declared. "I'm sure Rainbow Dash could attend the party, just for a little bit."

"I could?" Rainbow blinked in surprise, before receiving a look from Fluttershy that seemed to change her mind. "I mean yeah, I could! Let's go right now, Pinkie Pie!" And she ushered her pink coated friend away before the party pony had a chance to say anything further on the subject.





Yet even with Rainbow Dash there to partake in everything the party had to offer, Pinkie Pie was not satisfied. The unusual behavior of her friends hadn't gone unnoticed and she was thinking about it more than they'd hoped she would.

"Hey, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash called while at the tub used to bob for apples. "You wanna try and beat my new record?"

But Pinkie called back. "Not now, Rainbow Dash," And then she started thinking aloud. "You know, it's really strange. I know Fluttershy had to go house sit for that bear, and she was originally going to have you help too. But what are the odds that all our other friends would be too busy today too?"

The brash speedster quickly flew over, trying to distract her party planning friend. "N-now now, Pinkie. You know our friends would make it to your parties if they could. They've never missed one before."

"I was so sure there wasn't anything on today's date that would make a party impossible," Pinkie protested as she kept thinking. "But something doesn't make sense. I know our friends, and I know they wouldn't just let those things happen if they could help it: Twilight's suddenly behind on her studies and needs to hit the books? Applejack needs to harvest more apples? Rarity has to wash her mane that suddenly got dirty? The more I think about it, the more they sound like..." She suddenly let out a gasp! "Excuses!" Glaring at the pegasus she declared. "And you're in on it!"

Rainbow defensively retorted with a nervous grin. "That's crazy talk, Pinkie. I don't know what you're talking about, I swear."

"Oh yeah? Then what do you know?" Pinkie demanded of her pegasus friend. "You think I don't know what's going on around here? You think I'm too stupid to understand what you girls are planning? You're trying to make up excuses and I'm gonna find out why one way or another. So tell me, just what is going on?! Why's everypony avoiding me all of a sudden?!"

But before Rainbow had a chance to answer, Pinkie happened to look out of her bedroom window and spot Twilight. The unicorn was taking considerable measures to avoid being seen even while she was making her way right up to the front door. Immediately, Pinkie caught on. "Wait a minute: That doesn't look like studying or hitting! Twilight lied to me!"

At that Rainbow Dash gulped, and with beads of sweat working their way down her face she declared. "She's not lying... but I... can't say any more."

"Why not?! You didn't make a 'Pinkie Promise', because if you did I would've known!" The pink party pony pointed out.

Unwilling to say anything else on the subject, the brash speedster stepped back further and declared. "Uh... actually, Pinkie, I... I just realized I forgot to do something really important back at my place! I'll uh... I'll swing back as soon as it's taken care of, though. Bye!" She zipped away before Pinkie had a chance to stop her.

"Wait, Rainbow Dash!" The party planning earth pony called out, before her attention was drawn to something else: The sound of a ringing bell. Twilight had approached the front counter down below.

Mrs. Cake was trotting out to greet Twilight. "Twilight!" She smiled. "You must be here for-"

But Twilight immediately shushed the plump baker. "-I know, you don't have to say it out loud! It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Oh, you're right, I'd almost forgotten," Mrs. Cake blushed. "Kind of hard to keep something like this a secret from her, though," She soon brought over a huge package. "Here you are, dearie."

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Thanks again, Mrs. Cake. And remember, not a word to Pinkie. She can't know about this or the whole thing will be ruined."

"Trust me, my lips are sealed," Mrs. Cake promised. "And I made sure Carrot knows too."

Unknown to either mare, Pinkie had heard everything through the use of a tin can tied to a string. And she was rather distraught to hear the conversation. "I thought we were friends, Twilight," She sadly sighed to herself. "What would you not want me to know?"

Twilight prepared to leave Sugarcube Corner, but just as she did she ended up spotting the tin can on a string. "Wait, what's this?" She asked aloud and tried to tug on it. She was surprised when she felt an equally powerful tug from above, and winced and screamed when the tin can ended up on her nostrils.





After getting rid of the tin can, Twilight left with the package carefully stored on her back while she trotted about town. Unknown to her, she was being followed.

"Okay, Gummy," Pinkie said to her pet alligator as she put on a pair of funny glasses with a fake mustache. "Time to get to the bottom of this! One way or another, we'll know what they know!" She followed Twilight from afar, taking advantage of every possible alleyway or vendor stand to stay out of sight. But after a little while Gummy sneezed, and while nopony seemed to acknowledge it, the pink party pony was still frightened by the close call. "Drat! I think you just blew our cover, Gummy! We'll need a new disguise." She whispered.

The "new disguise" involved a bale of hay with a trench coat and a propeller cap in a rainbow of colors, but with the same funny glasses and fake mustache. And it was this disguise that Pinkie employed to tail Twilight as the unicorn approached Carousel Boutique and rang the door bell.

Rarity came trotting out and took ownership of the package, tucking it into the curls of her tail while whispering to Twilight. "You weren't spotted at the sweet shop by anypony, were you?"

"I don't think so, and Mrs. Cake said she's keeping Pinkie in the dark." Twilight whispered back.

Rarity then whispered. "Good. I'd sure hate for Pinkie to ruin everything after we worked so hard to keep it a secret. She'll never suspect it."

Twilight nodded and whispered. "I agree. Guess I'll see you later for the final preparations."

Rarity then took off with the package, Pinkie following the fashionista until she ducked into an alleyway to meet up with Fluttershy. "Have you seen her?" The unicorn asked her pegasus friend.

Fluttershy shook her head. "Nope, haven't seen Pinkie since this morning. And I made sure Rainbow Dash went with her to keep her in the dark."

The fashionista breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," And she remarked. "Can you actually believe she was planning on throwing an after-birthday party today of all days?"

"I'm just glad I was able to come up with a good excuse for why I couldn't make it." Fluttershy explained.

Rarity happily exclaimed! "Me too! This is obviously going to be so much better."

Fluttershy was quick to point out to Rarity. "As long as we can keep her from finding out about it, it will be."

So the two ponies went their separate ways with Rarity whispering in a hushed tone of voice to Fluttershy. "See you later!"

Unfortunately for Fluttershy, she had the misfortune of bumping into the disguised Pinkie Pie while carrying the package. She thankfully didn't recognize her party planning friend, but the disguise worked a little too well and gave the pegasus quite a fright! As a result she took off with a scream!

From within the hay bale Pinkie sadly sighed anew as she said to Gummy. "I thought everypony liked my parties. What's so wrong about today?"





Just then, Rainbow Dash passed by and without even thinking she said aloud. "Hi, Pinkie Pie," Quickly realizing her mistake she flinched. "Uh-oh!" And she took off as fast as her wings would let her!

Pinkie followed in hot pursuit! "Rainbow Dash, wait! Don't run away again!" She pleaded to her friend.

Rainbow quickly turned a corner, believing she'd given her friend the slip only to be proven wrong when said friend poked her head up from a barrel. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"Gah!" Rainbow yelled and flew away again! She flew all the way to the schoolhouse, taking refuge inside of the bell.

But Pinkie Pie was inside there too, hanging upside down like a bat. And she loudly yelled as the bell rang and shook! "What's the real reason nopony wants to come to Gummy's party?! I will not be ignored!"

Rainbow tried to flee once again, this time flying all the way up the side of a cliff. But once again she was greeted by the sight of Pinkie Pie, who now took notice of heavily loaded saddlebags the brash speedster had strapped to her. "What's in those bags?! What are you hiding?!"

So Rainbow Dash took off, making a direct beeline for Sweet Apple Acres. "Applejack, we have a problem!" She shouted, drawing attention to the pink party pony precisely pursuing her across the fields!

A horrified Applejack rushed to the safety of the nearby barn, and as soon as her pegasus friend had zipped inside, she slammed the barn door shut!

That didn't stop Pinkie for even a second. She just strolled right up to the barn door and furiously knocked on it over and over again with her head. "I know you're in there!"

Applejack reluctantly opened the door just a crack to talk to Pinkie. "Oh! Howdy partner!" She declared with a nervous smile. "Wasn't expectin' to see ya again so soon."

The pink party pony didn't reply, she just issued her demand. "Mind if I take a look inside the barn really quick?"

"No! Uh, I mean yes! Er, I mean... you can't come in here!" Applejack defensively retorted as she tried to block Pinkie to the best of her ability.

"Why not? Rainbow Dash just went in there." Pinkie pointed out with a grin that seemed more unnerving than friendly.

The farm mare quickly tried to come up with a convincing counterargument. "Oh, well, that's cause she was just bringin' in some... supplies! Yup, supplies. You know, for the... renovation! Fixin' up the whole thing, top to bottom..." And she turned to the barn's interior as she shouted. "Uh, lots of construction goin' on in there right now."

It was easy to hear Rainbow call in a muffled voice. "You heard her! 'Construction'!" And the sound of four ponies trying desperately to imitate construction tools could soon be heard.

It wasn't enough to fool Pinkie Pie as she continued to try and gain access to the barn, sizing up Applejack to try to look for any sign of weakness. But Applejack didn't falter, eventually managing to force her fellow earth pony back. "Yup! Construction! That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it." Despite her best efforts she couldn't help letting out a nervous laugh and a gulp.

For a moment Pinkie locked eyes with Applejack, and Applejack watched as Pinkie's blue eyes narrowed. "Okie dokie lokie." Pinkie said slowly while backing away. Before retreating all the way though, she approached Applejack and shot her a look that would've been quite deadly if looks could kill.

Only once the party pony was safely out of sight did Applejack breath a sigh of relief, as did the four other ponies who had taken refuge in the barn. "That was too close." Twilight commented as everypony nodded in agreement.





Unable to gain access to the barn, a frustrated and suspicious Pinkie Pie was pacing back and forth in front of Gummy as she declared. "Secrets and lies. It's all secrets and lies with those ponies! They're up to something, Gummy! I just know it! They're up to something and they don't want me to know about it! Well, I'm gonna know about it all right! I'm gonna know about it big time!" Then a light bulb went off inside her head as she added. "And I know exactly who's gonna tell me about it. Tell me all about it big time!"

A short time later, an unsuspecting Spike was brought up to the loft above Sugarcube Corner and presented with a huge plate of gems that made his mouth water. "Whoa! Nice spread." He complimented.

Pinkie flashed what appeared to be a sincere smile. "Like what you see? It's all yours, Spike," But then without warning she turned off the lights, and had Gummy pull Spike's tail and hold it back. "On one condition: All you have to do is talk."

And talk is exactly what Spike did. "Okay, you wanna talk? We can talk. Okay... let's see. Uh, beautiful weather we're having today, eh? I love a sunny spring day, don't you? The birds chirpin' and the flowers bloomin'."

Pinkie just pressured Spike to try to nudge the conversation in her preferred direction. "No, no, no. Talk about our friends." She adjusted the light of the single lamp that she was shining on Spike to try and un-nerve him.

Spike just innocently went on talking. "Oh, okay. Let's see, there's Twilight Sparkle. She's a unicorn. Good with magic. A real brainiac. But hey, she hatched me and helped raise me so I guess I can't complain too much. Ooh, and then there's Rarity! A real beauty and a total knockout. Twilight seems to think I haven't got a chance with her, but what does she know? She wouldn't know the first thing about romance if it bit her in the butt. And uh, there's also Fluttershy. She's what, a pegasus who's afraid of heights? What's up with that, exactly?"

Pinkie only groaned in annoyance while glaring at Spike, applying more pressure to try to get what she wanted out of him. "No, you're not understanding this!" She growled. "I want you to confess!"

"Confess? Confess to what?" Spike questioned.

"Just confess! You know what I want, so spill the beans! Assuming you have any beans anyway!" Pinkie demanded. "If you don't, just spill whatever it is you've got!"

The baby dragon reluctantly obliged. "Okay, okay. I'll confess.  I'm the one who spilled juice all over Twilight's copy of Magical Mysteries and Practical Potions! It was an accident, I swear!"

"And?" Pinkie questioned further.

The baby dragon confessed further in reply. "And I'm the one who used up all the hot water in Ponyville yesterday when I took a seven-hour bubble bath!"

"Aaand?" Pinkie questioned in a much more furious tone of voice. "Come on, you're still hiding something!"

Struggling not to sweat or break down, the baby dragon confessed. "And sometimes... when no one's around... I look in a mirror and I do this:" He stood up and flexed his muscles as he said to himself. "Lookin' good, Spike! Lookin' really good!"

For about a second the pink coated earth pony was silent, but then she shook her head as she shouted at her captive. "No! No! No! No!" She started panting and growling quite heavily, which made Spike quite frightened.

"Then what is it?!" Spike demanded of his captor. "What is it you wanna hear? Tell me what you want me to say, and I'll say it if it means you'll let me go!"

Standing over the baby dragon, Pinkie shouted into his face. "Tell me that my friends are all lying to me and avoiding me because they don't like my parties, and they don't want to be my friends anymore!"

And that's exactly what the baby dragon repeated back. "Your friends are all lying to you and avoiding you 'cause they don't like your parties, and they don't want to be your friends anymore! There, you happy now?"

The pink party nodded and then triumphantly declared! "A-ha! I knew it!" Yet only a second or so after she sid this, something unexpected happened. A sound just like when air was let out of a balloon could be heard as Pinkie's curly mane and tail went flat, and her entire coat color seemed to dull and become darker. "Oh no, my friends don't like my parties and they don't want to be my friends anymore."

The lights flickered back on as Spike turned his attention back to the plate of gems in front of him. "So, uh... about the gems?" He asked as he started digging into them.

A depressed Pinkie pushed the plate towards Spike. "Oh, right. A deal's a deal."

Spike smiled. "Ah, that's better!"

Yet it was then that Pinkie told the baby dragon. "Spike, listen, you're free to go. Take the gems and get out of here. Whatever Twilight's paying you, it's not enough."

The baby dragon blinked in surprise. "Pinkie, are you sure? I could stay for a few party games if it'll make you feel better."

But the depressed party pony only insisted. "No, Spike. It's better if you're not around. It's just not a party if only one guest is having fun."

"Well, alright. But if you change your mind you know where to find me. See you around." Spike called, taking the plate of gems and departing the loft without another word. Pinkie watched him depart and let out a sad sigh.





The party pony's mood seemed to improve somewhat when she was able to find four other "guests" to attend. "Thank you all so much for coming, it means so much to Gummy!" She happily declared, looking out at an assortment of different inanimate objects: A bucket of turnips, a pile of rocks, a ball of lint and a sack of flour.

Pinkie went about making each of the objects speak, each with a different exaggerated voice. "Can I have some more punch?" She made the bucket of turnips speak in a pretty dumb sounding voice.

"Oh, of course you can have some more punch, Mr. Turnip." Pinkie smiled as she pushed a cup of punch toward the bucket.

"Yo, this is one great party! You've really outdone yourself!" Pinkie made the voice of rocks speak in a strong Manehattan style of speaking.

Smiling back, the pink party pony nodded. "Why thank you, Rocky."

Next up was the pile of lint, which Pinkie gave the voice of someone trying to sound upper class. "I'm having a delightful time as well."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Sir Lintalot." Pinkie grinned.

Finally came the sack of flour, which Pinkie gave a high pitched, Prench accent. "Might I trouble you for another slice of cake?"

"Anything for you, Madame LeFlour." The pink party pony obliged as she pushed a plate of cake in front of the flour sack.

Pinkie then made Rocky speak up. "I'm just glad none of them party pooper ponies showed up."

"Oh, they're not so bad, really." The pink party pony defensively argued. Had one been watching closely, they might have seen her eyes shrink and retreat to the farthest corners of her pupils.

And now it was no longer Pinkie's imagination that was making the four "guests" speak. They spoke of their own free will or so it seemed. "'Not so bad'? Puh-lease! They're nothin' but a bunch of helpless losers!" Rocky declared.

Pinkie blinked and tried to argue back. "N-now now. Losers might be a little strong, don't you think?"

Sir Lintalot only retorted. "After the way they treated you today, I'd say losers isn't strong enough."

The party pony forced back a gulp. "Well, it was pretty rude of them."

"Pretty rude?!" Madame LeFlour argued! "It was downright despicable!"

Pinkie Pie now gasped in realization! "It was, wasn't it?! I can't believe I didn't see it before."

Mr. Turnip then suggested. "If I were you, I wouldn't speak to them ever again."

And that seemed to give Pinkie an idea. "You know what: I'm not gonna speak to them ever again. And I'm not gonna invite any of them to another party for as long as I live. They don't deserve to come to my parties, not after the way they've been acting today." And each of her "guests" cheered and applauded the decision.

Just then, however, there came a knock at the door tied to Pinkie's balcony. The party pony blinked in surprise. "Who could that be? There aren't supposed to be any more guests."





The question was answered when the door swung open, and in trotted Rainbow Dash, who seemed unaware of what she was trotting in on. "Hi, Pinkie Pie. Sorry for bailing on you like that," She sincerely apologized while trotting forward. "And uh, sorry about the chase earlier. I would've told you, but I was in such a rush I didn't have time to slow down and say hi. You know how it goes."

"Oh, I know how it goes alright!" Pinkie muttered through gritted teeth, no longer bothering to keep her resentment a secret.

The brash speedster stopped dead in her tracks, blinking in confusion. "Uh, okay? I wasn't expecting that sort of reaction."

Meanwhile, Pinkie offered Mr. Turnip another slice of cake. "Well, you can just tell our 'friends' not to worry. They're not gonna have me to kick around any longer. And they don't have to worry about any of my parties interfering with their plans." She bitterly remarked.

The pegasus only trotted forward. "Pinkie, it's not like that at all. Just come with me to Sweet Apple Acres and I promise you, everything will be explained."

Pinkie only responded with a snort. "No can do! I'm having a perfectly good time here with my real friends. Isn't that right, Madame LeFlour?"

"Wee, that is correct, madame!" Madame LeFlour confirmed.

Rainbow just sighed. "Okay, Pinkie. Very funny. Now come on, everypony's expecting you."

Yet Pinkie just proceeded to shove Mr. Turnip in front of the pegasus. "She's not going! Can't you take a hint?!"

"Pinkie, please!" Rainbow pleaded as she went around the bucket of turnips.

Pinkie dove under the table and pushed Rocky forward. "You heard the lady! She ain't goin' anywhere, chump!"

"Who you calling a chump, chump?!" Rainbow roared back, causing the pile of rocks to tip over. She quickly realized how silly she probably looked arguing with a pile of rocks of all things. "That's it, party's over!" She flew around to the back of Pinkie as she demanded. "You're coming with me one way or another, Pinkie!"

The pink party pony only shook her head and declared. "No."

"Pinkie, come on! Stop trying to fight this, this is going to happen!" Rainbow pleaded.

"I said no." Pinkie insisted as she refused to budge.

Rainbow pressed her head up towards Pinkie's rear to try and push her friend forward. "You... have to... come with... me..." She argued.

But Pinkie argued back. "No... I... don't!" She proceeded to bring her rump down right on top of Rainbow's face as she sat down.

The brash pegasus managed to break free, bumping her head against the table and causing a slice of cake to land atop her head. "Oh, you wanna do this the hard way?! Fine, we'll do this the hard way!" She proclaimed as she got up.

The pink party pony dug in her hooves. "I'm not going and you can't make me."





Rainbow Dash refused to accept no for an answer, however. And as a result she ended up dragging her pink party planning friend by the tail all the way across town to Sweet Apple Acres. It was an exhausting effort. "You just had to pick today to be stubborn, Pinkie!" She thought to herself as they approached the barn. "Well, we're here," She said at last. "Don't bother trying to run away." And she pushed open the barn door.

When the door swung open all the way, the rest of Pinkie's friends were waiting inside the barn. Streamers and banners hung all around alongside balloons, a nearby table housed refreshments and another even had a record player. "Surprise!" The four mares and Spike yelled all at once, only to gasp upon seeing their friend's darkened coat and flattened mane and tail.

After Spike and the four mares (and Rainbow Dash) had exchanged nervous whispers for a bit, Fluttershy pointed out. "Oh dear. I really thought she'd be more excited than this."

"Excited? Excited?!" Pinkie roared as she confronted her friends with harsh glares. "Why in the wide world of Equestria would I be excited to attend my own farewell party?"

"'Farewell party'?" Twilight questioned.

Pinkie roared back. "Yes, a 'Farewell to Pinkie Pie Party'! I know what's going on here, I'm not stupid," And she bitterly added. "You don't like me anymore, so you decide to kick me out of the group and throw a huge party to celebrate! And you thought I wouldn't find out."

"Darling, whatever would give you the idea that we're throwing a farewell party for you? Or that we're kicking you out of the group?" Rarity questioned her party planning friend.

At that the party pony snapped. "Why? Why?! WHY?!" She became so mad that she was able to lift herself off the ground briefly while shaking her hooves in rage! "Because you've all been lying to me and avoiding me all day, that's why!"

But to the surprise of the frustrated mare, all of her friends just laughed. "Of course we've been avoiding you," Rainbow  pointed out. "How else could we get everything ready for your special day? Don't tell me you've forgotten. You know everypony else's birthday so well."

"We were going to get everything done yesterday, but then you invited us to Gummy's birthday party and we just couldn't decline," Rarity pointed out. "So we had to hurry and get everything done today, and you deciding to throw an after-birthday party for Gummy complicated things. Obviously, we should've done a better job planning this out so that it wouldn't have to come to this."

Twilight then added. "And Pinkie Pie, if this was your farewell party, then why does the cake I picked up from Sugarcube Corner say 'Happy Birthday, Pinkie Pie!'?"

All of a sudden, a realization dawned on Pinkie as her blue eyes took in all the sights of the decorated barn. Her mane and tail poofed back to the way they normally were and her coat went back to its bright pink color as she happily proclaimed! "Because it's my birthday! And you're all throwing me a big surprise party!" She pulled her friends close, hugging them all. "Oh, you're the best friends ever! I don't know why I ever doubted myself," Then she blushed. "How could I have forgotten my own birthday? I should've known I was forgetting something important."

"It's alright, sugarcube. I reckon it happens to the best of us every once in a while," Applejack pointed out. "Still, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to ease off on the parties just a little bit. No need to have one every single day, 'cause otherwise they wouldn't be special."

"If you do that, we promise we'll run all future party ideas through you first," Twilight insisted. "Deal?"

Pinkie happily nodded. "Deal!"

Everypony breathed a sigh of relief as Rainbow Dash then declared. "I'm just glad I haven't been replaced by a bucket of turnips," When the other mares shot her strange looks she added with a nervous laugh. "You don't wanna know, trust me."

And with that the surprise birthday party for Pinkie Pie began! The events that had unfolded had even given Twilight the idea for her latest friendship letter to Princess Celestia. And it went like this:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am writing to you from the most delightful birthday party for my friend, Pinkie Pie.

Not only am I having a good time with my friends despite my previous aversion to big parties, but I was also given the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about friendship.

Always try to expect the best from your friends, and never assume the worst. Rest assured that a good friend will usually have your best interests at heart.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

And the party continued well into the night with ponies (and Spike) dancing, eating cake, playing party games and just generally having a good time.
> S2 E13: Baby Cakes (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winter had just given way to spring in Equestria, and for Ponyville that meant only the second time it had managed to get winter wrapped up on time thanks to Twilight. Now a new development had drawn the attention of six mares. Mrs. Cake had given birth!

The six friends eagerly gathered at Ponyville General Hospital that had been renovated and upgraded not too long ago. A new wing had been set aside specifically for newborn ponies, and it was expected that Mrs. Cake's baby would soon be joining them.

"Can y'all believe the new baby's finally here?" Applejack spoke to her friends as they stared through a glass window.

"Cup Cake and Carrot Cake must be so proud!" Twilight smiled, and then turned to Pinkie Pie. "And just think, that makes you a big sister. Or maybe even an aunt. You're so lucky!"

Pinkie couldn't stop smiling. "I know! This is the best news in the history of ever!" She proceeded to press her face up to the glass. "Where's the new foal?! I wanna see the new baby pony! I can't wait to meet him, or her!"

Just then, Mr. Cake arrived. He looked like he'd been to war given how rugged and un-kept his mane and tail were compared to their usual state of appearance. He then strolled through the ward on the other side of the glass, stopping in front of two cribs: One on his left and one on his right. "Meet our son, Pound Cake," He smiled as he pulled the blanket off the crib on the left, revealing a pegasus foal. "And our daughter, Pumpkin Cake." He then pulled the blanket off the crib on the right, revealing a unicorn foal.

A series of "Awws" filled the room as Pinkie excitedly squealed in realization! "Oh my gosh, twins! That's two times as many foals for me to play with and be a big sister to! I know all about twins because I was a twin sister. Ooh, we must do something to celebrate this occasion!" She rushed into the room where all the foals were kept with a party hat and a party blower. "Come on, babies! It's time to celebrate your birthday, 'cause you were just born today!"

Nurse Redheart, however, immediately ushered Pinkie out while shushing her. "Pinkie, the babies are trying to sleep. And this is a sterilized environment, authorized personal only. Got it?"

Pinkie reluctantly obeyed. "Yes ma'am, sorry." But she still began to make a plan to celebrate the birth of the twins as soon as she would be allowed.

Meanwhile, Applejack was pondering. "Now just how in the hay is it that one of them twins is a pegasus and the other a unicorn?" By now it was clear to everyone what the twins looked like: Pound Cake had a light goldish gray coat, dark grayish-brown eyes and a brown mane and tail. And Pumpkin Cake had a light yellow coat, brilliant blue eyes and a light orange mane and tail.

Mr. Cake chuckled. "I had the same reaction you did when I first found out about the twins," And then he replied. "But Cup Cake and I did some research into our family tree. It turns out my great grandfather on my mom's side was a unicorn, while Cup Cake's great aunt on her dad's side was a pegasus."

"Oh boy!" Rainbow Dash excitedly declared. "Just watch! Once little Pound Cake is a bit older and those wings of his have grown a bit, he'll be having flying bouts all the time! You might wanna look into a way to keep him grounded so he doesn't get hoof prints on the ceiling."

"And be careful around Pumpkin Cake." Twilight cautioned.

Rarity added. "I can speak from experience when I say that baby unicorns get strange magical surges that come and go. And all the magic build up inside can give them frequent headaches."

Mr. Cake nodded. "I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind. Cup Cake and I will have to make some adjustments to Sugarcube Corner, but nothing too major."

"And just wait until they see how much of an amazing big sister I can be to them! They're gonna love playing with me!" Pinkie insisted. "And for every birthday and big milestone, I'm gonna be sure to throw them lots and lots of parties!" But she was soon going to learn her excitement about the twins was going to be a problem. There was going to be more than just playing with them and throwing parties. And the surges her friends were warning about now were going to become a real problem.



Exactly one month after the twins had been born, the Cakes were still moving the last of their supplies to the new nursery upstairs. Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, had her own celebration planned for this milestone. She came bouncing over with a small cake and started singing:

Happy monthaversary to you and you today!

I can't believe you're already a month old!

Gosh it feels like you're twice as old!

Seems like only yesterday you were born!

But now you're a month old today, hey!

When the song finished Pinkie burst out of the cake, letting the twins blow on their party blowers while wearing their complimentary party hats. Then she took them onto her back, letting both Pond and Pumpkin parade around on her back for a bit.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake watched the whole scene unfold from the kitchen with smiles on their faces. They were glad to see Pinkie taking to her role of "big sister" so well, at least on the play side of things. Any worries they might have had about Pinkie becoming jealous of all the attention the foals would get had left them.

"Hey you guys!" Pinkie told the twins as she pulled them close. "Are you ready for your favorite game in the whole wide world of Equestria?" She took the babbles and coos she got from the two as a sign of encouragement. "Great, stay right there!" She zipped into the kitchen, hiding herself behind the door. "Where's Pinkie Pie?" She called before poking out from the door. "Here I am!" And she repeated the process several times over to the delight of the twins.

Mrs. Cake then called out. "Everything going okay in there, Pinkie?"

"Yup. Not to worry, they're totally fine," Pinkie gave a salute. "Right guys?" But when she turned back to inspect them she immediately had her un-prepared nostrils assaulted by a powerful yet familiar stench. "Ugh. Okay, maybe not totally fine."

Mr. Cake immediately came trotting out with changing supplies and a pair of new diapers. "Don't worry, Pinkie. I've got it!"

"Mr. Cake, I can totally change their diapers. It can't be that hard." The pink party pony insisted.

"Maybe next time, Pinkie. But you have to make sure you get the process just right," Mr. Cake replied as he placed the twins on a mat and used his hooves to undo their old diapers, tossing them into the trash with practiced precision and perfect aim. After a bit of wiping he took a bottle of foal powder and sprinkled it all over his son and his daughter's rumps, before strapping them up in a pair of new diapers. Then he washed his hooves in a nearby sink as he asked. "Is anypony hungry?"

Thinking that it was just her being asked, the pink party pony answered. "Nah, I already had a big breakfast. But thanks for asking."

Mrs. Cake, however, came trotting out with baby bottles full of milk. "It's okay, I've got it. Just heated up the bottles a minute ago." She declared, placing the bottles in the twins' mouths.

Pinkie waited impatiently for several minutes for the twins to finish their bottles. Then she noticed them making all sorts of strange motions. "Wait, wait! I think I remember this!" She insisted while mimicking the motions she was seeing. "Oh, shoot! What was it?! I swear I remember! It's not them practicing their funny faces, I think."

Mr. Cake simply explained as he took the twins into his hooves. "It's simple, Pinkie. The twins need to be burped. It's alright, you haven't been around babies for a long time. Of course you don't remember much from when you were a baby, nopony does." Once he heard his children let out burps, he carefully set them down on the floor once again.

"Anything else you wanna take care of for them?" Pinkie asked while impatiently tapping a hoof. "Come on, let's get back to playtime!"

But the twins seemed less interested in what Pinkie wanted to do with them and more interested in exploring various objects with their hooves and mouths. Pound used his hooves to knock down some alphabet blocks in his path, only for his mom to pick him up and scold him. "Ah ah ah, Pound Cake. No pounding things."

And when Pumpkin starting gumming on an empty bottle of foal powder, her dad took it away and scolded her. "Ah ah ah, we don't chew on things, Pumpkin Cake."

"Except for food of course." Pinkie pointed out.

At that both earth pony bakers let out a gasp as Mrs. Cake exclaimed in horror! "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!"

"No you didn't, silly. You just fed them bottles." The pink party pony giggled.

Mr. Cake only shook his head. "Not the twins, Pinkie. The extremely large and extremely important catering order we're supposed to deliver across town!"

The plump baker exclaimed anew! "With the new babies, we've been so distracted! Oh, how could we forget?!"

After placing both his children into a special foal carrier strapped to his wife's shoulders, Mr. Cake frantically declared. "Quick, we need to find somepony to watch the twins while we take care of this! Somepony responsible!"

"I wanna do it! Pick me! The twins love playing with me!" Pinkie Pie insisted and was quite surprised when she was not immediately given the honor.





The first stop for the earth pony parents was Fluttershy's cottage, knowing that she not only had a quality track record with baby animals but had also looked after young ponies with little trouble.

They were quite dismayed when Fluttershy answered. "I'd love to. But I can't today, sorry. I promised Angel we'd go on a picnic. I can't go back on a promise I made to him."

Mr. and Mrs. Cake left the cottage without saying a word, prompting Fluttershy to call out. "You're not mad, are you? Oh, please don't be mad. Any other day I'd gladly do it."

Meanwhile, Pinkie held Angel and rocked him back and forth while declaring. "I'll do it! Pick me!" But her request wasn't acknowledged. Mr. and Mrs. Cake instead went to the Golden Oak Library to see if their second choice would be available.

Twilight's credit as a foalsitter wasn't as immediately provable compared to Fluttershy's, but having hatched and raised Spike (though to what extent on her own nopony knew) she clearly knew what children needed. Alas, Twilight also declined the offer. "Sorry, but I'm updating my records. That means writing a report to Princess Celestia summarizing all the other reports I've sent to her."

"Trust me, it's gonna be a while," Spike pointed out. "And uh, I don't really do well with babies. The last one I met tried to swallow my tail, it drove me crazy!"

The Cakes departed, completely ignoring Pinkie as she cradled a book in a diaper and again pleaded. "Pick me! I can handle it!"

The third choice was Rarity since it was a known fact she'd basically raised her little sister more often than their actual parents. And perhaps it was because of that the fashionista rejected in no uncertain terms. "Moi? Babysit? Oh no no no! I've little interest in having to tend to noisy and smelly little ones again," Though she added. "I am honored you would think of me, though."

And so it went on and on for a good several more minutes, with the Cakes asking everypony they could think of who might be qualified to serve as a foalsitter on such short notice. But everywhere they went and everypony they asked all resulted in the same answer of "No" to varying degrees.

When the Cakes had exhausted all other options, they turned to a Pinkie Pie whose grin was growing wider with each passing second. After exchanging reluctant glances with one another, they seemed to resign themselves to the inevitable. "Um, Pinkie? Would you be interested in foalsitting the twins for us?" Mr. Cake reluctantly asked.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Pinkie smiled in a boastful tone, before adding. "I mean, I don't know. I'll have to check my schedule. But I'm sure I could find room."





So it was that Pinkie was given the job of foalsitting the twins. And understandably, because of that the Cakes were quite hesitant to leave. Mr. Cake was even nervously prancing as he asked. "Now Pinkie, are you absolutely sure you're up to the task? It's a very big job, you understand! Probably the most important job Cup Cake and I have ever given you!"

The pink coated earth pony nodded and firmly saluted. "Yes, I know. You have nothing to worry about. Pound and Pumpkin Cake are in good hooves with me, I swear it!"

A frantic Mrs. Cake then brought up. "But this time you have to actually 'take care' of the twins, you can't just play with them. You have to feed them, change them, you name it!"

"I know that too, Mrs. Cake," Pinkie commented as she tried to get the plump baker to relax. "I can handle it."

"Well, just be to safe," Mrs. Cake replied as she took a huge scroll off a nearby storage cabinet and tossed it down, unfurling it before the foalsitter. "All your responsibilities are on this list. Just follow them to the letter and you'll be fine."

Pinkie eyed the list and nearly gulped at how long it was. "That's a lot of responsibilities!" She commented aloud, before quickly replied with a salute. "I mean, consider it done, Mrs. Cake!"

Mr. Cake then called to his wife as he wheeled a huge cake out of the front door of Sugarcube Corner. "We'll frost it when we get there! Come on, sugar plum! Tick tick! Time is money!"

But Mrs. Cake ended up needing to be pushed out the door by Pinkie as the plump baker pleaded. "Oh, please watch over our little angels and keep them safe. I hope they won't give you too much of a hard time."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head. You go fill that big catering order!" The pink party pony reassured the panic stricken parents as she watched them depart. Then she turned back to the twins. "I got this. Right, guys? You're not gonna give your Auntie Pinkie Pie a lot of trouble, are you?"

But after only a second of silence the twins started to tear up! This was their first time ever being separated from their parents and they didn't like it.

"Uh-oh," Pinkie commented to herself as the gravity of the situation began to sink in. "This is a problem."





Desperate to keep her young charges from getting any further upset, Pinkie immediately tried to get their attention. "No no no! Don't cry, guys!" She tried to plead with them. "Come on, let's play your favorite game!" She then disappeared behind the kitchen doors. "Where's Pinkie Pie? Where's Pinkie Pie?"

But the twins wouldn't cooperate even after Pinkie poked her head out. "Don't cry. I'm right here! I'll take care of you. You like me? Remember?" And she made a funny face while shaking her head.

That seemed to briefly do the trick, the twins ceased their crying for a moment. But they were still uneasy and it was clear that they were going to start crying again if their pink coated foalsitter didn't do something fast to catch their attention.

"Hold on, you two! I have an idea!" Pinkie told the twins as she turned off the lights and placed them before a small make-shift stage she'd set up, a small spotlight shining down on the stage's center. "Thank you, thank you all so much!" She declared, speaking into a broom like it was a microphone. "You're all a wonderful crowd here tonight. Where you all from?"

The only response came from Pumpkin Cake, who tried to put the other end of the broom in her mouth. Pinkie wouldn't let her. Pound Cake was not amused for even a second.

Still, Pinkie pressed on with her pretend comedy routine. "Did you know I used to have an ant farm?" Without waiting for a reply she added. "Well, I had to get rid of it... because I couldn't find tractors that small. Get it? 'Tractors that small'?" An accompanying rim shot was heard, but no other sounds were made. 

"Yesterday, I accidentally spilled spot remover on my dog, and now I can't find him!" Pinkie spoke up again and then moved over to make the rim shot sound. Again, her response was silence. "Whoa, tough crowd," She remarked before looking over to the stage and saying to herself. "Tell me about it. For babies, they have pretty poor taste."

The twins seemed to react to that statement, because they began crying once again. "What?! Oh no no no! I didn't mean it that way, you guys!" Pinkie protested. "Please don't be upset, I hate it when you get like this," But her pleas were ignored, prompting her to sigh and declare. "Fine. I didn't want to have to do this. But you guys are asking for it. It's time to pull out the show stopper! I haven't even come up with a good song for it yet."

"The show stopper" as it turned out was just a fake pig snout, and Pinkie began bouncing up, down and all around. "Look at me!" She shouted to try and get the twins' attention, hoping it would cheer them up. But because she was so distracted she forgot to watch where she was going. The pink party pony bounced straight into a nearby cabinet, bumping her head in the process. The impact caused a sack of flour hanging above to fall down. It landed on top of her, coating her entire coat in the white, powdery substance.

That seemed to cheer the little ones up. They took one look at their foalsitter's state of appearance and burst out laughing and giggling.

"Oh, good," Pinkie sighed to herself before dramatically putting a hoof to her forehead. "Nothing this to this babysitting business." Though she silently thought. "I sure hope I don't have to do that again. We'll go through way too many flour sacks!"





After cleaning herself off, Pinkie decided to take a look at the list of her responsibilities while also keeping a close eye on the twins to make sure they weren't wandering off or getting into trouble somewhere. "Let's see: Snack time. That should be simple enough." She took out two trays of prepared foal food from the fridge, one in a blue colored bowl and another in a pink colored bowl. Then she placed the twins in their respective high chairs before placing the bowls in front of them.

"Go ahead, eat up," Pinkie encouraged only to get blank stares from both foals. "Like this." She made a series of pretend eating motions with her face, hoping the twins would catch on.

But Pumpkin seemed much more interested in the table cloth. She shoved her bowl of food aside and grabbed an edge of the aforementioned cloth, placing it into her mouth to start slobbering on. 

"Ah ah, Pumpkin Cake. We eat food, not table clothes." Pinkie protested, yanking the cloth away. This caused Pumpkin to start crying again.

Pound, meanwhile, banged his hooves on the bar of his highchair. This caused his bowl of food to launch itself up and land on top of him, causing him to become upset.

Quickly sizing up the situation, the pink earth pony dashed over to retrieve another sack of flour. She proceeded to dump the whole thing on top of herself, once again making her entire coat a ghostly white in color, and she even sneezed.

The twins laughed once again at the display, which annoyed Pinkie. "Yeah, I think I can see where this is going." She snorted and sighed.

When snack time ended a short time later, Pinkie decided it would be necessary to give the twins a bath. So she brought them into the bathroom and prepared the tub, making sure the water wasn't too hot or too cold. Once it had filled up enough she turned off the tap. "Okay, now how about we..." But she turned to find that the twins had fled, obviously not wanting to take a bath.

After a bit of searching about the bathroom, the twins were discovered in the cabinet above the sink. But they fled once again, prompting Pinkie to give chase.

Pumpkin Cake took advantage of the opportunity to grab a towel and start slobbering on it, even after Pinkie protested and pleaded. "Towels are not food, Pumpkin Cake! Drop it right now!"

It was not for several more minutes that Pinkie was able to gain control over the twins and place them in the tub, albeit only by stumbling into it herself. She then climbed back out. "I'm not the one who needs a bath!" She protested. "You two are gonna be cleaned whether you want to or not! I'm not pouring another sack of flour on my head. You know what happens when you mix flour with water, don't you? Let me tell you, it's not a pretty picture."

Fortunately, the twins didn't put up too much of a fight during the bath, largely thanks to being distracted by the bubbles and the floating bath toys Pinkie had given them. Drying them off was another story though, and it frustrated their foalsitter to no end before she finally accomplished the task.





Sometime later, while in the nursery and checking over the scroll to see what else needed to be done, the pink party pony turned foalsitter became aware of all too familiar odor as she sniffed the air. Hoping against hope it wasn't what she thought it was, she turned her attention to the twins as they were currently occupied playing with some blocks. But it was soon clear that the smell was indeed coming from them, which meant only one thing.

"Smells like somepony needs me to changie wangie their diaper wiaper right now awow." Pinkie declared while plugging her nose. She'd hoped it wouldn't have to come to this as this was any foalsitter's least desirable part of their duties. But alas it had to be done. So the earth pony not so secretly retrieved some new diapers in preparation for her upcoming task.

Neither Pound or Pumpkin seemed to be aware of the smell coming from them, or what Pinkie Pie was about to do. They just kept playing, perfectly content with the way they were now.

Unfortunately, Pinkie Pie ended up giving herself away as she stood near the cribs, diapers in hoof. And it was just her luck that the twins decided they weren't done playing, so they gave chase. They even giggled in delight at the prospect of giving her the slip. But their celebration was premature as Pinkie cornered them behind the changing table. "You're not getting away this time!" She warned them and proceeded with the diaper change.

Just changing the twins' diapers proved to be almost impossible, they fought their foalsitter every step of the way and tried numerous times to get away. And each time Pinkie would pull them back in. "Get back here!" She would always yell as the scuffle created a lot of noise. At last though she declared. "Stand still, I'm almost done!"

Yet when the dust had settled not only did the twins not have new diapers on despite having been cleaned, but Pinkie Pie now had one of the diapers meant for the twins stuck on her head and the other had somehow ended up on her rump. Both foals laughed themselves silly at such a display before running off to play again.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" The pink party pony whined to herself as she looked at her rump and up at her head. "Everypony makes it look so easy! Where did I go wrong?!"

Just then there came the sound of the doorbell ringing, which filled Pinkie with joy. "Oh, thank goodness they're home already. This was a terrible idea!" She said to herself, before shaking the diaper on her rump off completely and kicking it into the nearby wastebasket. Looking across to her young charges she decided. "You guys should be fine without diapers for a few minutes. I just changed you, and it's not like you're going anywhere, right?"

The twins seemed to acknowledge this as they babbled and cooed in some way.

Satisfied with that answer, Pinkie made her way downstairs and opened the door. To her surprise it wasn't the Cakes who were there to great her, but Applejack. "Howdy, Pinkie. My family and I finally got our worm problem under control, so I'd thought I'd swing by and see if you needed any help." The farm mare greeted.

Pinkie Pie immediately pulled her fellow earth pony inside. "Oh, you have no idea!" She pleaded. "These babies are out of control, they won't listen to a word I say. And don't even get me started on their taste in stand-up comedy. I'm running out of flour sacks!"

"Oh, so they gave you a hard time, huh sugarcube?" Applejack said with what appeared to be a smirk. "Is that why you're still wearin' that diaper on your head, or is that just the latest fashion statement?"

"Oh, I knew I was forgetting something!" The pink party pony proclaimed as she pulled the diaper off. "Still, I guess maybe you could help a little. Cleaning up this place is gonna be a nightmare."

Applejack chuckled and grinned. "I can tell. I kind of had a feelin' you'd end up in over your head. But I never expected things to be this bad."

"Excuse me?!" Pinkie exclaimed with narrowed eyes.

"No offense, sugarcube, but foals are a very big responsibility," Applejack explained as she cleaned up the loose foal supplies and toys that lay scattered across the floor. "And someponies learn the hard way that they ain't quite cut out for it. Unfortunately, it seems you're one of 'em."

The pink party pony spun around. "What?! Of all the nerve! I only asked for a little bit of your help, not a lecture!"

At that Applejack realized that she had probably come across as more arrogant than she'd intended. So she tried her best to defuse the tensions. "Sorry, sugarcube. I didn't mean to imply you couldn't ever handle it. It's just," She gulped hard. "You're remindin' me an awful lot of myself durin' the whole 'Applebuck Season' incident. I don't wanna see another one of my friends make the same mistakes."

But Pinkie just pushed Applejack out the door again. "Well I'm not making the same mistakes! I'm not trying to juggle so many things on top of foalsitting. I don't have an entire orchard to harvest all on my own, I just need to keep two little foals occupied for a few hours. And despite some 'hiccups' everything is totally under control! So on second thought, I don't need your help. Good day to you!" And with that she slammed the door in her friend's face.

The farm mare just sighed, shook her head and trotted away. "Probably should've gotten Twilight or Fluttershy involved. They're much better at this whole 'confrontation' thing. I always say the wrong thing at the wrong time." She thought to herself.

Meanwhile, Pinkie was pondering her own problems. "That Applejack! Who does she think she is telling me I'm becoming just like her during that one applebuck season?! She thinks I can't handle things on my own," She then realized. "Perhaps because I haven't been doing a very good job of that. Things obviously haven't gone exactly how I hoped they would," Then she resolved to herself. "But I can handle this! I've had a few setbacks, but now the kid gloves are coming off! I'll show everypony how serious I can be!"





With her newfound determination and sense of "seriousness", Pinkie made her way back up to the nursery. She wasn't going to let the twins do whatever they wanted with her and ignore her.

Pushing open the door to the nursery, Pinkie found Pound Cake jumping up and down in his crib while using his tiny wings to give himself a little bit of extra airtime. And Pumpkin Cake was trying to bite into a rubber chicken, using her horn to float over different parts to slobber on. Fortunately, it seemed nothing else was amiss. The nursery was otherwise the way it had been when the party pony had left it last.

"Alright, you two, play time's over!" Pinkie sternly declared as she marched over to Pound Cake first, growling at him. "Pound Cake! This is a crib. It is only to be used for napping, sleeping, and on occasion with permission as an old timey-western fort. It is NOT a trampoline! So stop your jumping this instant young mister." Her stern words and harsh glare seemed to do the trick, Pound ceased his jumping instantly.

Pumpkin Cake was next as Pinkie approached the little unicorn. "And you, little filly. We do no put anything in our mouths that we cannot safely and properly digest. So stop slobbering on that toy right now." Like her brother, Pumpkin Cake seemed to obey when she saw how serious Pinkie seemed to be about enforcing these new rules.

After quickly putting diapers back on both twins, Pinkie carefully deposited the two into the same crib Pound Cake had jumping up and down in just a short time ago. "Now then, we've all had a very exciting afternoon and now it is time for all good little foals to take their naps. So fall asleep, now!" Pinkie commanded.

The twins didn't seem to hesitate for even a second. They immediately closed their eyes and began to snore. Satisfied with this display, Pinkie pulled a blanket up to the twins' necks and kissed them softly on the forehead. "Sleep tight." She softly whispered to them.

Pinkie then went about cleaning up the nursery a little, before turning off the light and making her way to the nursery door. "Now that's what I call handling things!" She thought to herself. "Still think I can't manage on my own, Applejack?"

Yet when the earth pony turned foalsitter checked again before leaving the nursery, a horrible sight greeted her eyes! The crib was empty, the twins were nowhere to be seen! "Oh no no no! Not good! Definitely not good!" She exclaimed as fear swiftly took hold of her. She could've sworn she'd only taken their eyes off them for a minute or so, they couldn't possibly have vanished so quickly, could they?!

"Pound? Pumpkin?" Pinkie desperately called out to the darkness, hoping for any sort of reply. "Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are. Please, this isn't funny!"

Suddenly, the familiar sound of a squeaking rubber chicken reached the party pony's ears. She trotted toward the sound's source, opening the closet door to reveal Pumpkin Cake with that rubber chicken from before in her mouth once again. "Whoa! How did you get all the way over there?!" Pinkie asked the baby unicorn, but received no reply. "Never mind. I have to find your brother and make sure he hasn't gotten into any trouble."

Pumpkin Cake was picked up and placed back in the crib as Pinkie pleaded with her now. "You be a good little girl now, Pumpkin-wumpkin, and stay in your crib for your old pal Pinkie-winkie! Okay?" The only response from Pumpkin was the continued squeaking of the rubber chicken as she kept slobbering and chewing on it.





After being convinced that Pumpkin wasn't going anywhere, Pinkie resumed her search for Pound. She wasn't sure where he might be or if he was still in the nursery. She briefly stepped out into the hallway which now seemed much darker and more frightening than it had been before. Beads of sweat were starting to make their way down the panic stricken party pony's face. "Pound Cake?" She called out to the darkness once again. "Here, Pound Cake. Come to Pinkie."

Thinking she heard a ghostly voice call her name, Pinkie spun around but saw nothing. She trotted back into the nursery, and now she could hear the sound of giggles that seemed to be coming from above. She looked up and nearly dropped dead at the sight that greeted her blue eyes! Pound Cake was on the ceiling. And that could only mean one thing. "You can fly?!" Pinkie gasped in shock and dismay. "Oh, why'd the surges have to kick in now?!"

Pound just giggled as he remained on his ceiling perch, looking down at his foalsitter.

Pinkie repeatedly bounced up to try and grab Pound, but he was always just out of her reach. And she became steadily more frustrated as a result. "Oh... you get down here... this instant... young... stallion!" Eventually she had to stop to catch her breath. "Why are you making this so difficult? I'm supposed to be responsible for you." She groaned. Fortunately, once she had a moment to think, the party pony was able to come up with a solution. Using a series of little plungers tied to her hooves, she made her way up the side of the nursery wall and onto the ceiling proper. This allowed her to grab Pound by the mouth and carry the little pegasus down.

Unfortunately, just as Pinkie took off the plungers and set Pound down, she saw to her horror and dismay that Pumpkin's horn was starting to spark. It soon produced a faint blue glow that the little filly used to levitate over several stuffed animals. And she proceeded to put each one into her mouth.

"No no no, Pumpkin." Pinkie scolded as she pulled a stuffed butterfly out of Pumpkin's mouth.

Pumpkin just replied by stuffing a stuffed turtle into her mouth and chewing on it instead. That caused Pinkie to pull it out. "No no."

Still undeterred, Pumpkin stuffed a stuffed monkey into her mouth to chew on. And a frustrated Pinkie scolded. "No," She then took all the stuffed toys and put them in a toy box that she locked shut. "I'm the responsible one, and I said no. And no means no."

Pound Cake, meanwhile, just giggled as he began to flap his wings and start flying all about the nursery. "That goes for you too, Pound Cake," Pinkie scolded. "No flying is allowed in the house, mister! Because I'm responsible for you that means you have to do what I say. Or do you want to end up in time out?"

Pound didn't reply, he just kept on flying. So Pinkie leaped up and grabbed hold of him. "Gotcha!" She shouted, only to suddenly find herself being lifted off the ground. "I think?"

Pinkie proceeded to cling to Pound Cake for dear life as he was able to somehow drag her out of the nursery, through the hallway and down a flight of stairs to the kitchen. Several pies on a counter splattered onto her face, causing her to lick the mess away with her tongue. "Mm, razzleberry," She said while licking her chops, all the way continuing to maintain her grip as Pound flew her back and forth in and out of the kitchen several times. "I'm not letting go! I'm responsible!" She roared even as she was pulled back up the stairs, through the hallway and back into the nursery.

Once in the nursery, Pumpkin Cake managed with a great deal of straining to levitate herself completely out of the crib. Now she could fly alongside her brother.

Pinkie Pie was shocked beyond belief, her mouth dropping wide open! "Oh, not you too, Pumpkin Cake! Why oh why are you making this so difficult?!" Believing that there was only one thing to do, the party pony judged her moment carefully and then leaped up to grab both foals! She proceeded to place a clothes basket over them and then tie it firmly to the ground with several large rolls of tape. "There! Now who's the responsible one?!"

Yet as much effort as Pinkie had put into her seemingly foalproof trap, Pumpkin Cake easily phased through it with her magic. And Pound Cake was able to make the tapes snap by flapping his wings hard enough, freeing himself from the clothes basket.

The twins were now running free and out of control! Pound was flying all about, enjoying his new found freedom. And Pumpkin was able to break the lock on the toy box, surrounding herself with every single stuffed animal in a small pile as she then placed the rubber chicken in her mouth to chew on.

A distraught, frazzled and utterly exhausted Pinkie watched the whole thing unfold before her very eyes. Try as she might she couldn't contain her composure any longer. The twins had broken her completely. As a result, she was unable to stop herself and burst into tears while wailing loudly.

The crying soon caused the twins to stop what they'd been doing. Looking at their foalsitter they now seemed to realize that they'd taken their antics a little too far. And remembering how said foalsitter had been cheering them up throughout the day, they decided there was only one thing to do. They approached Pinkie slowly, making sure she could see them.

Pinkie ceased her crying as she saw the twins dump an entire sack of flour onto themselves, causing both their coats to become a ghostly white. Wiping away her tears, the pink party pony giggled. "You know, you're right. That is pretty funny," She giggled as she brought the twins close. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you, you little demons. You're just too cute," Then she asked them. "Does this mean you're not gonna drive me crazy again?"

The twins appeared to nod, which was all the proof Pinkie needed. "Okay, good," She sighed. "Now come on, let's get you cleaned up and back to bed."





After quickly washing the flour off of the twins, diapering them again and then placing them back into the same crib as earlier to nap, Pinkie left the nursery. But there were still messes in other parts of Sugarcube Corner that needed to be cleaned up, and reluctantly the party pony realized that she would have to do it all on her own.

While she worked relentlessly to get the whole place cleaned up, Pinkie began thinking about a letter she was going to send to Princess Celestia later on. A letter that was going to go something along the lines of this:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I've always had fun playing with little kids, and I thought babysitting meant more playtime and a few other things. Boy was I wrong! 

Being a caregiver is way more responsibility than just being a playmate. It's a huge undertaking. And today, I learned that sometimes our desire for responsibility can outrun our actual ability to handle it. 

It can be difficult to realize when that's happened or that we need help. But it's important to realize that and be willing to listen when others say we're not up to the job. Because if we don't we're likely to have a lot of messes to clean up after.

At very long last the cleaning work was done, and an exhausted Pinkie Pie could finally rest and wait for the Cakes to come home.

It was dark when Mr. and Mrs. Cake finally returned from filling the catering order. "Oh, why did it have to take so long?!" Mrs. Cake complained. "I hope the twins weren't too much for Pinkie to handle. We really should've just brought Pound and Pumpkin with us."

Mr. Cake tried to reassure his wife. "There's no way we could've kept an eye on the twins and filled out the catering order the way the customers wanted it. From now on we'll just have to be careful with our commitments, and do a better job of keeping a schedule so things like this don't sneak up on us unexpectedly."

The baking couple then re-entered Sugarcube Corner to the sound of the ringing bell above the door. "Pinkie Pie, we're back, finally!" Mr. Cake called out.

"How did everything go with the twins?" Mrs. Cake asked, fearing the worst as she and her husband entered.

But to the amazement of both ponies, Sugarcube Corner was spotless! Everything seemed to be just the way it was when they'd left, if not better. They had to blink and rub their eyes to be sure they weren't seeing things. Mr. Cake even wondered aloud. "Are we in the right place?"

Just then, Pinkie Pie appeared from the top of the steps. "Oh, thank goodness you're finally home," She whispered to them. "The foals are asleep. In fact, I just put them to bed for the night."

Mr. and Mrs. Cake proceeded to follow Pinkie upstairs to the nursery. Sure enough, the twins were sound asleep and the nursery looked spotless as well. Neither parent could believe what they were seeing.

"P-Pinkie. This is just... just..." Mrs. Cake began but trailed off, unable to find the words she wanted to use.

"Amazing is what it is!" Mr. Cake finished for his wife. "We had no idea you could be so responsible."

The pink party pony tried to be modest. "Well, it wasn't easy. Really. I thought for sure I was gonna lose my marbles, and I don't even play marbles."

"Oh, I'm sure they didn't mean to give you a hard time, Pinkie. The twins probably just loved messing with you because they thought it'd be funny," Mrs. Cake reassured Pinkie. "Besides, it looks like you did a great job despite that."

Mr. Cake then proposed. "So, would you be interested in being our go-to foalsitter on a permanent basis? It would save Cup Cake and I a lot of hassle in the future. And the twins seem to really like you, more than they do any of your friends."

However, the pink party pony blinked and stepped back in uncertainty. "Uh, I don't know... Let me check my schedule real quick!" She insisted with a nervous smile as she pulled out a clipboard, scanning over it really quickly before adding. "Ah, yeah, let's see! I should be available a week from... never!"

Just then, however, the silence in the nursery was broken as the twins said their first words. "Pinkie." Pound whispered in his sleep.

"Pie." Pumpkin whispered in her sleep.

The heart warming scene melted Pinkie's heart. Any will she might have had to say no to the Cakes' offer had completely faded away. "You know what? I think I might have some free time next Tuesday." She told them. With any luck, the twins' surges would fade away as quickly as they had come and they would give her no further trouble.

Few would ever believe that Pinkie Pie all of ponies would mature enough to become a permanent foalsitter for the Cake Twins. But all who were around to witness her skills for themselves came away impressed. She truly was like a big sister to Pound and Pumpkin, one that the twins knew better than to try any tricks on. They behaved even better for her than they did their own parents, which was quite a surprise to a lot of ponies.
> S3 E1: The Crystal Empire, Part 1 (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been only a few weeks since the unexpected invasion of Canterlot during the royal wedding between Shining Armor, the captain of the royal guard, and Princess Cadence, Princess Celestia's niece. The threat had thankfully been repelled before long, the wedding had gone on as planned and the city of Canterlot had recovered quickly from the damage inflicted.

It seemed like all was well with the world of Equestria once again and that a new period of prolonged peace was going to settle in. Alas, that period of peace was soon to be disrupted by another long forgotten evil that was going to boil to the surface. An evil that only Princess Celestia and Princess Luna truly knew about it but even they would not have assumed would rear its ugly head now.

Yet that was what was going to happen. And it all started one day while Princess Celestia was tending to her usual royal duties upon her throne. She'd just finished meeting with some delegates and was now signing some important documents. Suddenly, the throne room doors burst open and a royal guard came rushing in with an alarmed look upon his face! "Princess Celestia! I bring urgent news from Northern Equestria!" He declared.

Princess Celestia immediately turned her attention to the guard that had intruded in. She knew it would have to be urgent for anypony to disrupt her in the midst of her royal duties. "What is it?" She questioned the guard.

Taking off his helmet, the guard bowed his head and informed the princess. "Confirmed sources recently reported in. I was told to tell you that 'It has finally returned'!"

Princess Celestia seemed to become concerned and suspicious as she inquired. "Do you mean 'The Empire'?"

The guard nodded. "Indeed I do. And I was told it was urgent you be informed of this right away."

Immediately, the sun princess was roused to action! She turned to another guard that had been standing by her side. "Have Shining Armor and Princess Cadence been made aware of this?"

The other guard nodded back. "As soon as the confirmed sources issued their report, we immediately put them on the first train headed north. They should be in the empire by now, your majesty."

Celestia smiled. "Good," Her smile then faded. "But they'll need back up," And with that she took up a quill and began writing a letter to Ponyville. "'My faithful student, Twilight,'" She said to herself as she dictated the letter. "'You and your friends must come to Canterlot as soon as possible. It is urgent!'" For the princess knew that if indeed that empire in the north was finally coming back, something else was also coming back. Or rather someone. And if he wasn't stopped Equestria would be in grave danger once again.



When Celestia's urgent letter was received in Ponyville, no time was wasted in gathering up the six ponies who had twice saved all of Equestria and had nearly done so a third time. Or rather, five of them were immediately gathered. The sixth was too preoccupied with other matters, so it was left to Spike to round up the mares and bring them to Golden Oak Library.

When the five arrived they found that their pony friend was in a state of what could only be described as mild panic. Her mane and tail were thankfully not disheveled like they had been during her last freak out session, and she didn't have the bloodshot eyes either. But Twilight still seemed to be obsessively worried about something.

"Where are all my quills?" Twilight said aloud as she searched every nook and cranny of the library. "I thought I had everything organized after last time! No, no, no, no, no... Ugh!" She groaned as she pushed things aside in a vain attempt to find what she was looking for. "Okay, it's fine. Owlowiscious can give me a quill or two if worse comes to worse," Then she declared. "Quick, I need the Magical Compendium volumes 1 through 36! Where is it?!"

A heavy and well worn book landed on the ground in front of the unicorn who was still not satisfied even after the book was presented to her. "Wait, of course! Flash cards! I should make some flash cards," She declared as she rushed over to a nearby drawer. Then she instructed to Spike. "Spike, quick, I'm gonna need you to quiz me on everything I've ever learned."

"You sure you mean 'everything'?" Spike couldn't help but snicker. "Like how you learned to walk or talk?"

The unicorn with a light purple coat just groaned in annoyance. "You know what I meant, Spike! Stop kidding around! This isn't the time for childish games, this is serious! I need to be ready for whatever it is Princess Celestia has in mind."

However, the baby dragon tried to point out. "Twilight, please calm down. We don't even know it's a test."

"Of course it's a test, what else could it be?!" Twilight groaned again before declaring in an ominous tone of voice. "Choose your next words carefully, Spike. Even if you are my son I don't wanna hear another smart aleck comment from that mouth of yours," And then she asked. "Are you seriously telling me to calm down because it's 'just a test'?"

Spike hurriedly grabbed a whole bunch of pillows and tied them all together for protection as he looked up at the mare he'd come to see as family, even if not by blood. "Um 'yes'." He answered.

In response, Twilight glared at the dragon and began to light up her horn.

Meanwhile, Applejack looked across to Rarity and commented. "Don't know about you, but I'd say Twilight's hadlin' everythin' pretty well, all things considered."

Just seconds later, Twilight let out a groan and shot off a spell so powerful that it briefly lifted the entire library off its foundations and into the air. It came back down with a thud, though thankfully the occupants inside were not injured. The unicorn then let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, I feel so much better now." She declared. No one dared say a word otherwise.





Miles away in Canterlot, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were gazing up at a newly erected stain glass window depicting the end result of the invasion during the royal wedding. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence uniting in love to drive the changelings away was now depicted for all to see.

But both alicorns had their attention focused on more urgent matters of the present. "Are you sure you don't want me to go too, sister?" Princess Luna asked.

Princess Celestia nodded her head. "We don't even know if Sombra is back yet. There's no reason to cause a panic. With any luck, Shining Armor and Cadence will have already secured the empire to ensure Sombra can't take it back. And Twilight and her friends shall be traveling north soon to aid them."

Princess Luna was still quite concerned by her older sister's "plan". "This all feels unnecessary. We both know how important the empire is to the stability of Equestria. It mustn't be allowed to fall in Sombra's evil hooves."

"Not to worry, Luna. You must have faith in Twilight and her friends the way I do," Celestia tried to reassure her sister. "Hopefully they will succeed where we would could not and find a more permanent solution. At best, if we battled Sombra it would only yield the same outcome as last time should we prevail. And you're still not completely back to full strength, perhaps you may never fully regain the powers you had before your banishment."

Luna let out a reluctant sigh. "I just hate feeling so useless. Bad enough I was completely incapacitated during the invasion of Canterlot. Even you at least tried to fight off the lead attacker."

Celestia draped a wing over her younger sister. "You're not useless, Luna. A wise pony knows the importance of choosing her battles carefully. We must remain here as back up should the worst case scenario occur."

"And what of Twilight? You seem intent to use this opportunity to begin the preparations for something that's never been done before," Luna commented with concern. "Do you really believe she's up to the task?"

The sun princess nodded her head. "I will not make the same mistake as I did with my previous student. I will ensure she is prepared and ready for what lies ahead. She will indeed prevail, I have sensed it in my dreams. And once she triumphs, we'll know she's ready."

"I hope you're right, for both our sakes," The night princess commented before hearing the sound of Twilight clearing her throat. "Ah, it seems your faithful student has arrived, sister. I shall make myself scarce for the time being." And she departed, though not before shooting something of a glare at the unicorn upon seeing her incredibly overstuffed saddlebags.

Once Princess Luna had left the room, Twilight turned her undivided attention toward her mentor. "The guards said you wanted to see me specifically? To test me, right? I came prepared. Even brought my own quills and parchment to document my work," Said supplies then spilled out of her saddlebags, causing the unicorn to blush quite fiercely. "Sorry, sorry! Excuse the mess."

Princess Celestia just chuckled, admiring her student's enthusiasm. "It's alright, Twilight. But you should know that I called you here today for a different kind of test. It's not the sort where you will be required to write down answers or give a demonstration of a complex spell," She took a moment to clear her throat and regain her composure. "You've come far and learned much already, Twilight. Your growth has impressed me."

"Well, I had a fantastic teacher, obviously. And making some friends definitely helped." Twilight declared in a modest tone of voice.

Celestia nodded in agreement. "It is because of your incredible progress that I've decided to consider taking your studies to the next level."

At that Twilight stepped back and blinked. "Come again, princess? You're not making a whole lot of sense. You sound... troubled," Then she quickly and nervously tried to insist. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, obviously. I mean no offense."

Celestia just gestured a hoof to calm her student down. "It's alright, Twilight. You're right that I'm considerably serious about this. But that's because this is a serious matter," And she explained in a calm but firm tone of voice. "Should you succeed in your upcoming 'test' you will be placed into advanced magical studies, learning about spells and magic that few ponies know exist. But I must warn you that what you will learn will be rather unusual and difficult, and you must be prepared for change. Therefore, I will only give you this opportunity to advance your studies if you believe you're ready."

Twilight didn't even hesitate before declaring. "Whatever it is you need me to do, Princess Celestia, I will do it! I'll pass my test, whatever it may be! I won't let you down."

"I trust you won't. Now please pay close attention," The sun princess somberly instructed as she then took out a crystal from a podium where it was kept under a lid. "Tell me, Twilight, and be honest. What do you know about dark magic?"

The unicorn blinked in confusion. "'Dark magic?' I've never heard of such a thing before. Should I have? Oh, I'm sorry if I already wasn't as studious as I should've been, princess."

But Princess Celestia shook her head to reassure her student. "It's not anything you could've or should've known, Twilight. Dark magic is perhaps the most powerful magic in existence, yet using it inflicts a great mental toll. If used improperly it is easy to become corrupted, perhaps forever."

"But why tell me this now?" Twilight questioned the princess.

Princess Celestia cleared her throat, stating as seriously as possible. "Because the Crystal Empire has returned, and it is in danger."

"The Crystal Empire? Is that something I should've known about?" Twilight questioned again.

"No, Twilight, because the empire has been lost for over a thousand years," Celestia informed her student. "Few remember it existed at all. Even my knowledge of the empire is limited. But what I do know is that it contains a powerful magic." She then enveloped the crystal within her magic, creating a huge projection on the throne room floor that displayed a massive empire made entirely of crystal structures. Then, suddenly, a dark and shadowy figure emerged from the center of the projection!

The shadowy figure was a unicorn stallion of medium build. Everything about him seemed intended to convey darkness: His dark gray coat, his brilliant scarlet eyes with darker colored pupils surrounded by a sickly green glow, even his completely black mane and tail. He wore a red cape and had a crooked, jagged horn a blood red in color while surrounded by dark purple and green flames.

Princess Celestia continued her explanation, revealing the identity of the sinister unicorn stallion that had appeared. "The empire's last ruler was King Sombra, the very pony you see projected before you now, Twilight," She announced. "His heart was as black as night, no room for love or empathy of any sort. Upon taking over the empire after toppling its previous ruler, Sombra enslaved all its residents and forced them to mine for powerful crystals to perfect his spells."

The projection changed to show the evil king in battle against the royal sisters, being completely obliterated by their combined powers as their beams literally transformed his body into shadow. "Luna and I rose up and overthrew him," Celestia continued. "He was turned to shadow and banished beneath the ice of the Frozen North that surrounds the Crystal Empire. But not before he was able to put a curse upon the empire, a curse that caused it to vanish into thin air, until now," 

Celestia proceeded to explain at length. "The Crystal Empire is extremely important to maintaining the harmony and balance of Equestria. For you see, if the empire is filled with hope and love, those things are reflected across all of Equestria. But, if hatred and fear take hold..." She trailed off as her eyes glowed a sickly green, and her horn sparkled and crackled with an ominous aura of dark green, purple and black.

When this magic hit the crystal it turned it completely black, and several other black crystals sprang up around it and started to grow.

Fortunately, Celestia was able to shatter the crystals with her regular magic. "Now you see what dark magic is capable of, and why it's imperative that the Crystal Empire be protected," And she explained. "I fear that, with the empire returning at long last, it's only a matter of time before King Sombra will try to claim it back if he has not already. Which is why I need your help, Twilight. You and your friends must find a way to ensure its protection forever."

At that Twilight blinked and seemed to balk at the task laid out for her. "You want us to protect an entire empire?"

The sun princess nodded quite firmly. "Yes, though not on your own. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence have been sent to the empire, and they will assist you as best they can. This is something I have been preparing Cadence for since I took her under my wing all those years ago," After pausing for a moment she added. "As I said, this is a different kind of test. But it's one I would not give if I weren't confident you could pull it off."

"How do I even begin? Where would I know to start looking? I've so many questions!" Twilight protested.

"Which is why I suggest you check in with Shining and Cadence first. They may have uncovered a lead that could prove useful." Celestia advised.

Twilight's eyes lit up in realization! "My brother is there?! And Cadence too?! I hadn't had a chance to see them since the wedding."

The sun princess gave a warm and radiating smile. "I know you'll be glad to see them again. But try to stay focused. You and your friends are going to be embarking on a dangerous and difficult assignment. Luna and I will remain here for the time being," She was quick to warn. "But should things turn out to be worse than I had fear, contact us immediately! Do not try to engage King Sombra on your own, Twilight! He is far too dangerous for you and your friends to combat, with or without the Elements of Harmony. Even Luna and I combined could only temporarily seal him away."

"You have my word, I'll do my best to stay out of trouble and make sure my friends know the same," Twilight promised with a salute. "Still, we've faced down evil before and always triumphed. I'm sure we could do it again if we absolutely had to."

"I hope so too, but let's not risk the empire over such a possibility if we don't have to," Celestia instructed. "I know you'll make me proud, Twilight. And once you have succeeded in this task, I know you'll be ready to move on to the next level of your studies," As she led her student out of the throne room, she advised. "Remember, in the end it must be you and you alone who ultimately assists Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in doing whatever needs to be done to protect the empire."

Princess Luna, meanwhile, came trotting out and gazed upon Twilight once again. "So, my sister has told you everything has she?"

Twilight nodded. "Sorry we haven't had a chance to talk much since you agreed to be Spike's dragon sitter. From what he tells me, though, you're quite good at it."

Luna smiled. "Indeed I am, and he in turn can't stop singing your praises every chance he gets," She was quick to warn. "So promise me that you'll keep him safe on your quest. You say he's your son, so protect him as you would any member of your family. If any harm befalls him because you weren't there to stop it, I'll never forgive you."

"Not to worry, Luna. Spike is made of tough stuff, and I'll make sure he doesn't try anything too dangerous." Twilight promised.

"See that you don't," Luna nodded in agreement. "Now you'd be best on your way. The train for the Crystal Empire will be leaving shortly. Your friends should already have been escorted there by now along with Spike."





And indeed, the five mares and dragon were at the train station. Twilight quickly filled them in on the assignment that had been given to them as they boarded the train and headed north, beyond even the northern most reaches of Equestria.

At last, the train slowed to a halt at a small outpost that lay seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but snow whipped up by fierce winds as far as the eye could see.

"Just our luck the princesses would send us to the coldest place in all of Equestria! It's got to be freezing out there!" Rainbow Dash complained. "We'll surely freeze our rumps off."

Rarity, however, just flashed a toothy grin. "Lucky for us I came prepared. And you all made fun of me for packing warm. A lady must always be ready for any fashion emergency."

The mares and baby dragon left the train about a minute later after each put on a scarf tightly wrapped around their necks. It wasn't much but it at least afforded them some protection from the cold of the Frozen North.

They hadn't been trotting for very far though when a familiar figure happened to emerge from the distance. It was a stallion with an instantly recognizable white coat. "Is that who I think it is?!" Spike questioned aloud as he blinked and rubbed his eyes.

The stallion's identity was soon confirmed as he lifted up a series of thick, black goggles to reveal a set of loving and innocent moderate cerulean eyes. "Twily! You made it! And so did everypony else, good," Then he immediately declared. "We'd better get moving. Stick close to me, it's easy to get lost out here. And there are some things out here we really don't wanna run into after dark."

Fluttershy let out a gulp. "What sort of things?"

"Well, we may have less time than we thought," Shining pointed out as he led the group through the snow and the wind. "The empire isn't the only thing that's returned." No one said a word, they knew what Shining Armor meant.

The journey proceeded mostly in silence from that point onward, though Shining did take the time to explain. "I've been patrolling out here almost since Cadence and I arrived here about a day ago. It wasn't easy, but I managed to put up one of my shield spells to cover the entire empire. I thought that would be enough until you all got here, but Sombra must've awakened as soon as the Crystal Empire popped up. He keeps trying to break in. The good news is, the barrier from my shield spell seems to be blocking him for the time being."

Twilight protested. "But Princess Celestia said I was being sent here to find a way to protect the empire! If King Sombra can't get in, then it must already be protected. Right? As long as the barrier holds up anyway."

"That's the problem," Shining pointed out. "I can't keep my shield spell reinforced forever. It'll fail eventually, and I'm sure Sombra knows that. If we don't find a way to keep him out permanently, nothing Cadence or I have done will matter."

Just then there came a ferocious roar! A roar so loud and so terrifying that it could be heard even above the howl of the winds! And then suddenly, everyone looked back and in the distance they spotted a fast approaching shadow with an ominous pair of brilliant scarlet eyes with darker colored pupils surrounded by a sickly green glow! "Oh no, King Sombra!" Fluttershy gasped!

"Great, just what we didn't need!" Shining growled and grit his teeth. "Go, quickly! We must get to the empire before Sombra overtakes us!"

Everyone took off running as fast as they could, but the greedy king seemed to be right on their tail no matter how hard they tried to leave him behind!

The prince could see this and he quickly realized there was only one way to halt Sombra's advance. He stopped right in his tracks and turned around.

Twilight stopped too, immediately filled with worry. "Shining, what are you doing?!"

"What I swore to do to protect the empire, Twilight!" Shining firmly and boldly answered as he stood firm. "I'll hold King Sombra off as long as I can, you and your friends need to go on without me!"

"No, I'm not leaving you behind! I'm not going to lose you to some evil power again!" Twilight protested.

But Shining would hear nothing of it. "Go on, go!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine! Save yourselves, hurry!" And he then rushed off, firing off blasts from his horn to draw Sombra's attention. "Come on, Sombra. Stop hiding and face me like a stallion, I'm not afraid of you."

The others reluctantly took off even though for Twilight and Spike it pained them to leave Shining Armor behind. They could still hear Sombra cackling with sadistic delight as he closed in on the prince's location. "You may not fear me yet, Shining Armor. But I will make you fear, and I will make you suffer. Taking you down will serve as a warning to others.'

The six ponies and Spike managed to reach the safety of the empire thanks to Shining's sacrifice, quickly taking in the sights of an empire that was truly a beauty beyond comparison. It displayed no sign of being affected by the blistering cold of the surrounding frozen wilderness, and crystal structures in beautiful, sparkling colors could be seen for miles around. Small wonder anypony would want to claim it all for themselves.

"Is everyone alright?" Twilight asked the others as they all gasped for breath. "We're all still in one piece, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Pinkie Pie agreed. "But man, that King Sombra is one ugly pony."

"Not to mention scary." Fluttershy whimpered.

Applejack then pointed out. "I just hope Shinin' Armor's okay. You don't think King Sombra did anythin' to him, do you?"

Just then, who should come stumbling into the safety of the empire but Shining Armor himself? He only made it a few steps in before he collapsed, however, prompting a series of gasps from the others! Twilight immediately rushing to her brother's side. And what she saw horrified her! "Oh no! B.B.B.F.F! Your horn!" She gestured to her brother's forehead, where several clumps of small, black crystals had gathered at the base of the horn.

Shining managed to stumble back to his hooves and tried to light up his horn. But all he got was a series of sparks and ominous crackles from the crystals. His horn failed to produce an aura. "Well, that's not good," He croaked out. "Cadence is going to faint when she sees me like this. And after I promised her I'd come back safe and sound too."

"We need to see her right away, she has to know about this!" Twilight firmly declared.

"Okay, but I should warn you that she's not quite herself," Shining cautioned as everypony set off for the crystal castle. "Especially since she was told that the empire is supposed to be hers to rule over."





in the throne room of the crystal castle, Cadence was sitting upon her throne and feeling quite miserable. It was easy to spot the bags underneath her eyes. "My kingdom for a cup of coffee. Who cares if Aunt Celestia says it's not good for me?" She thought to herself.

Suddenly, the throne room doors burst open! And an excited Twilight came trotting in, eager to greet her sister-in-law and former foalsitter. "Cadence!" She happily exclaimed!

"Twilight!" Cadence exclaimed back as she rose from her throne, and she and Twilight then repeated their signature chant together. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" As they finished up their greeting the two giggled before the princess of love remarked. "You know, Twilight. One of these days we're gonna have to get together when the fate of Equestria isn't at stake."

Twilight giggled at the statement, before taking notice of the bags beneath Cadence's eyes. "Cadence, are you okay? You look terrible."

The young alicorn sighed. "I know. And I'm really sorry you had to see me like this, Twilight. I wish circumstances weren't so dire right now," Then she managed to get a good look at her husband's horn and let out a gasp! "Shining Armor! What happened to you out there?! Sombra did this to you, didn't he?!"

"Unfortunately, yes. And you know what that means." Shining told his wife.

Cadence fought back a gulp. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"Afraid of what, exactly?" Twilight questioned.

"I've been teaching Cadence how to duplicate my shield spell so we'd have a back up in case of emergencies," Shining explained as he stood besides his wife, making sure to place a hoof on her so that she could lean onto him. "That's a problem though, because she's also been using her magic to spread love and light to keep the empire going. Between that and the magic lessons, she hasn't slept and barely eats or drinks, let alone goes to the bathroom. And now that my magic's been cut off by Sombra..." He trailed off in regret, unable to bring himself to say anything further.

The princess of love protested as she wobbled and stood up while breathing deeply. "It's alright, Shining Armor, I'm fine. Honest."

The prince shook his head at the notion. "No you're not, Cadence. This isn't good for you. You can't keep going on like this!" Then he added. "If my magic were to fade now... well, I don't even have to say it. We both know who's lying out there, waiting for the right time to strike."

"Not to worry, B.B.B.F.F.," Twilight firmly declared. "That's why we're here."

"Why we're all here," Applejack pointed out as the others all nodded in agreement. "If there's anythin' we can do to help, you name it."

Shining seemed to smile. "We could definitely use your help, time is running out for all of us!"

Twilight then questioned the young couple. "Do you have any leads? Anything useful that we could try to use?"

The prince frowned as he confessed. "Unfortunately, no. With Cadence putting all her strength into learning my spell on top of trying to keep the empire from fading, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic until now, we've unfortunately not been able to extract any useful information from the crystal ponies. At least, when we've found time to ask them, anyway."

At that Rarity's eyes lit up like stars as she tugged at her mane and dramatically exclaimed! "Crystal Ponies?! Hahaha, there are actual crystal ponies?!" But upon realizing her dramatic actions were causing a scene and wouldn't be very helpful, she shamefully calmed herself down. "Um, ahem. Sorry. Please continue."

"Like I said, Cadence and I haven't been able to talk to the crystal ponies for very long. And when we have talked we haven't learned anything useful or even interesting," Shining explained to the group. "But we believe one of them knows how we can protect the empire without either of us having to use our magic."

"Like a research paper!" Twilight realized. "This must be part of the reason why Princess Celestia sent me here. I'm really good at research papers, B.B.B.F.F! My friends and I could gather information on the crystal ponies and deliver it to you."

Applejack added. "And if we do that, I'll bet you anythin' we'll find out how to protect the empire forever!"

Cadence smiled despite her weakened state of appearance. "That would be greatly appreciated. And the good news is that Shining just reinforced the shield spell with a touch up before his last patrol. It should last for a few hours, more than enough time to find a lead."

Twilight quickly declared. "Then we've got no time to waste!" She turned to her friends. "Let's all split up and head to different sections of the empire. Spike, you stay with me. We'll all meet back up in front of the castle in about half an hour. Somepony in the empire must know something that can help us!" And they all split off to conduct their own independent investigations, knowing full well that time was of the essence.





Twilight and Spike interrogated a few crystal ponies, including one that had a dull gray coat, faded blue eyes and a grayish-purple mane and tail that hung limp and flat. Her cutie mark was a feather containing several leaves in autumn colors of red, orange and yellow. But this pony couldn't provide any useful information, or any information at all for that matter. It was as if she had no recollection of her past.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Twilight questioned the mare. "You can't remember anything at all?"

The mare shook her head. "I'm sorry, truly I am. I wish I could help you out. But I... can't seem to remember anything before King Sombra came to power," Then she suddenly winced as a terrible vision flashed before her eyes. "And I don't want to remember anything about the time he ruled over us."

"Is that why your coats aren't... crystally?" Twilight questioned further. "It looks like somepony drained all the color out of you."

The mare only answered. "I don't know. I can't remember a time where I didn't look like this," And she proceeded to ask a question of her own. "Have we really been gone a thousand years?"

"Yes." Twilight and Spike answered at the same time.

The crystal earth pony let out an unhappy sigh. "It feels like it was only yesterday. A thousand years in the blink of an eye, yet we haven't aged a day."

"I'm sorry if this is difficult for you, but it's important that we figure out how to return the empire to what it once was," Twilight firmly insisted, though she made no mention of Sombra or the fact that the shield spell would eventually fade. "If you think of anything, even the smallest thing, bring it my way."

The mare nodded slowly. "I will. Good day." And then shut the door to her house.

Mare and dragon then trotted away with Spike lamenting. "Well, that was a total bust. Same answer as the last four or five we interrogated."

"We'll just have to keep trying, Spike," Twilight firmly insisted as she trotted alongside him. "Hopefully, the others are having better luck than we are."

But that was not the case. Rainbow Dash's direct approach yielded no results at all, Fluttershy found it difficult to even talk to the crystal ponies and after briefly considering more extreme measures decided against it, and even Rarity was finding that nothing seemed to spark the crystal ponies' memories of what they once were.

Pinkie Pie had no better luck on her end, even though she adopted a black stealth suit and night vision goggles, using them to spy a pair of crystal ponies: One of them was a stallion with a dull bluish-gray coat, faded green eyes and a bluish-gray mane and tail that were dull and hung limp. And the other was a mare with a grayish-pink coat, faded blue eyes and a white and grayish-blue mane tail that hung limp.

"It just feels like something is missing." The mare lamented aloud.

The stallion nodded his head. "I know. It all looks the same, but it just doesn't feel the same."

"That's because it isn't the same!" Pinkie whispered aloud, a little too loudly as she ended up revealing her position as she hung upside down.

The crystal ponies gasped! "A spy!" And they ran off as quickly as they could.

Pinkie lost her grip on the rope and fell to the ground. Fortunately she wasn't hurt, but she was confused. "A spy? How did they know? What gave me away?" She looked up at herself. "Oh, must've been the night vision goggles," She pulled them down across her face. "Ooh, night vision-y!" She then set off again, only to smack into a pole because of the goggles.





The designated amount of time passed and the six mares gathered back outside the castle to give their reports. Rainbow Dash was the first to do so. "I got nothing so far. They don't remember a thing."

"I know," Rarity lamented. "And despite my best efforts, nothing could remind them of the past. I'll bet you anything Sombra has a hoof in it, making sure the crystal ponies can only remember his rule. He thought of everything."

"I hate to admit it," Rainbow added in a noticeable unhappy tone. "But it looks like we've hit a dead end."

Twilight came upon the scene, having heard everything! "But that can't be! We couldn't have come all this way out here just to fail now! There must be something we haven't thought of yet, there has to be!"

Fluttershy happened to come trotting up to the scene at that moment, only for a zipper to be undone to reveal that it was actually Pinkie Pie wearing a Fluttershy costume. "Bad news, Twilight. My cover has been blown!" She whispered in a hushed tone. "Repeat: My cover has blown! I didn't find anything and I won't be able to continue the investigation. They're onto me, I know it!" She then hid herself behind Twilight as the real Fluttershy trotted up, only to step in the costume of her and become confused.

Only Applejack found anything remotely positive to report on. "Seems these crystal ponies have some sort of collective amnesia or somethin'. Only thing useful I could get out of 'em was somethin' about a library."

But the unicorn with a light purple coat's moderate violet eyes lit up like diamonds as she gasped! "A library?! Why didn't you just say so in the first place?!"

"I thought I did." Applejack blinked in confusion.

Twilight was too excited to explain properly. "You don't get it! Where there's a library there's books, and where there's books there's history! Ancient history! Think about it, that library's got to have what we're looking for!" And she asked of Applejack. "Quick, where's this library they mentioned?!"





The library was a ways away from the castle, tucked into a remote corner of the empire. And like everything else in the Crystal Empire it was made entirely out of crystal. Upon entering the building, Twilight was utterly entranced as her eyes grew wider than anyone thought possible. "I just... I don't even know what to... There are no words. Even the library in Canterlot has nothing on this place. I'm so jealous."

Just then, an elderly voice cleared its throat. "May I help you?" It asked, the voice's owner revealing itself to be an earth pony mare with a dull blue coat. Her faded blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of yellow spectacles, and her mane and tail were gray in color and looked blocky despite having golden hair bands to hold them in place. Her cutie mark was a scroll surrounded by stars.

Regaining her composure in an instant, Twilight answered the old librarian. "Yes. We're looking for a book."

"Well, we have plenty of those." The librarian pointed out.

Applejack quickly offered to elaborate since Twilight was still obsessing over how massive the library seemed to be. "Well, we're lookin' for a history book. Somethin' that might tell us how the empire might've protected itself from danger back in the day. You know, before Sombra took over."

The librarian nodded her head and adjusted her spectacles. "Ah yes, history. Very good."

But when the librarian didn't immediately direct the group to a specific location or section of the library, Twilight questioned. "Uh, where would that be, exactly? You do have a history section, don't you?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm... not really sure," The librarian confessed with great sorrow in her voice. "I'm not even sure I'm really supposed to be working here. It feels right, but it also doesn't feel right. I'm afraid I won't be of much further help to you. Sorry."

"That's alright," Twilight replied and then suggested. "What if we just have a look around for ourselves? Would that be okay?"

The librarian nodded her head. "Seems okay to me. If you find anything particularly interesting or important, be sure to let me know. Preferably something that'll indicate if I'm supposed to be working here or somewhere else."

The group walked away to explore and investigate the library on their own, though Pinkie Pie commented to no one in particular. "I like her! She seems friendly."

A search soon got underway, with the six ponies and dragon checking every shelf from top to bottom and examining every book. A great deal of clutter soon built up as books were tossed into piles that grew wider with each passing second. Soon, entire sections of the library were being completely emptied, and yet not a single book seemed to have any information about the Crystal Empire's past. And neither was there any sign that a section had been altered or destroyed.

Rainbow Dash finally broke up the silence as she complained. "This is ridiculous. We're not getting anywhere like this. Is anypony else starting to think this is all a lost cause?"

Twilight, however, was just frantically searching through books. She wasn't willing to give up so easily. "Come on, come on! Libraries always have the answer somehow!" She groaned aloud, before her moderate violet eyes finally noticed a book title that looked promising. "Ah-ha!" She used her magic to pull the book close and read its title aloud. "History of the Crystal Empire. This is it, girls! This is the lead we've been searching for! Let's get it back to Shining Armor and Cadence right away!"





The heavy book was carried in Twilight's magic all the way back to the Crystal Castle, which gave Twilight a chance to read through the book in its entirety. And there was a passage that caught the studious unicorn's attention. She even read it aloud to the royal couple upon presenting the book to them. "'A Crystal Fair' According to this book, it was established by their first queen and became their most important tradition. It says here that 'The Fair was held every year to renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could help protect it from any harm.'"

"That sounds pretty promising." Shining nodded his head.

Cadence agreed with her husband. "We should set up one right away while we still have the chance." But she quickly stumbled to the ground when trying to stand.

"No!" Twilight firmly but politely protested to Cadence. "You just rest and focus on looking presentable. Leave the fair planning to my friends and I. The book already mentions everything we'll need to hold one."

And Shining agreed whole heartedly. "You do that, Twily. Your organizational skills are second to none. I know you won't let us down."

Twilight nodded back. "And I don't plan to start today," She then instructed to her baby dragon. "Come on, Spike, we've got a crystal fair to put together!"

Spike followed Twilight close behind as she brought the history book into another room in the castle where all her friends were waiting. As time was short she decided it might be better to inspire everypony with a song that went like this:

Princess Cadence and Shining Armor need our help,

The magic cannot last forever.

I think we can help them,

But we'll need to work together!

She floated the history book over to the table, unfolding it with her magic as she continued to sing:

We have to get this right.

Yes, we have to make them see!

We can save the crystal ponies with their history.

Twilight's friends couldn't help but join in singing as they began to assign themselves tasks based on what they read in the book. Rainbow Dash went first:

It says that they liked jousting!

As Rainbow got fitted for a suit of armor suitable for a jousting tournament, Rarity found herself fascinated by another piece of history and sang:

They flew a flag of many hues.

Applejack sang while harvesting a particular local delicacy:

Made sweets of crystal berries.

Fluttershy sang her part as she rounded up some stray creatures:

They had a petting zoo with tiny ewes.

And so it was that as the planning for the fair unfolded, everyone was singing:

Oh, we have to get this right.

Yes, we have to make them see!

We can save the crystal ponies with their history.

Pinkie Pie found her own thing to sing about, a rare instrument unique to the Crystal Empire:

There was a crystal flugelhorn,

That everypony liked to play.

Twilight chimed in with her own verse:

And a Crystal Empire anthem.

Says you could learn it in a day.

And a reprise unfolded for everyone as they made the final preparations for the fair:

Oh, we have to get this right.

Yes, we have to make them see!

We can save the crystal ponies with their history.

The singing didn't stop until the fair was ready. Remarkably, the preparations hadn't taken long at all.





"Wow, it all looks amazing!" Twilight happily exclaimed as she looked over the grounds for the fair! Colorful carnival booths and tents as far as the eye could see. She turned to her friends. "I don't know how I could've done this without you! Thank you all."

"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" Rainbow ribbed Twilight. "And this time I mean it!"

Twilight nodded before looking back into the history book. "Okay. Just one more quick check to make double sure everything is in place, and then the festivities can begin!"

But Applejack had a question. "What exactly's this thing for again?" She inquired as she propped up a strange, carved rock on a wooden pedestal.

"Oh," Twilight pointed out. "The book mentioned something about a 'Crystal Heart', it said it was vital to the fair. The centerpiece of it in fact. It was on the last page of the book too. Since we're short on time and don't have a genuine heart, I used my magic to carve a substitute one out of a crystal block. It should work just fine."

The farm mare breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, I see. That's good, then. Reckon it's the next best thing," And then she declared. "Nice goin', Twi. Looks like we're ready to get this here fair up and runnin'."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "I think so too. Cadence should be more or less well rested by now. And with a little luck, Shining's shield spell will hold up until the fair is completed and the empire is fully protected once again."

A short time later, Twilight and all her friends appeared on the balcony of the Crystal Castle, overlooking the empire below. Pinkie Pie blew into the flugelhorn after taking a deep breath, producing a rather strange sound effect that nonetheless drew crystal ponies to the castle for Twilight's announcement.

"Hear ye, hear ye! Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor do cordially invite you all to attend the Crystal Fair!" Twilight declared from above, projecting her voice so that it would be carried far and wide, ensuring everypony could hear it.

Several crystal ponies let out gasps, and a few started to fully regain their colors as they took on various hues of red, yellow, blue and even green and white.

Applejack took the liberty of directing the crystal ponies about as they approached the fair grounds. "Come on in, y'all. Got food and drinks thataway, games and crafts are thataway as well, and the crystal heart's to the back near the princess."

"Did you just say... Crystal Heart?" A crystal pony asked as several others started chattering amongst themselves.

Rainbow's ears perked up upon hearing this. "Well, yeah. It's the centerpiece of the whole fair," And she flew over to some of the crystal ponies. "So, whaddya think? We totally nailed it, right? Must be feeling a lot of love and unity about now!"

The crystal pony Twilight had earlier interrogated began to comment. "Seeing all of this, I feel like I'm starting to remember. Remember things from before the king."

Another crystal pony nodded and added. "Me too. It's all coming back to me now."

Both ponies then let out a gasp as they regained their coat colors and exclaimed at the same time! "The Crystal Heart! Of course!"

"Do you really think they have it?" The second crystal pony wondered aloud.

Rainbow blinked in confusion and concern as she defensively answered. "What do you mean? Of course we have it! I mean, you can't have a Crystal Fair without the Crystal Heart, right?"

"Of course you can't," The familiar voice of the old librarian spoke up while holding a balloon. "Now I remember: The whole purpose of the Crystal Fair is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies, so the light within them all can power up the Crystal Heart and ensure the empire's protection!" She regained her coat colors, now looking more light purple. And like so many other crystal ponies she began to sparkle! "Ooh, and I do work at the library!" She realized.

The brash speedster forced back a gulp as she questioned. "Wait, hold on! What was all that about 'powering up the heart' you just said?"

"It's just, I can't believe you found it," The librarian explained. "The fair was abolished when King Sombra seized the throne, toppling Queen Amore. He knew the Crystal Heart was the only thing that could ever truly stop him, just being near it made him grow weak and fall ill. So he had it seized and told us all he'd hidden it away where we'd never see it again! I only hope it will still be as powerful after all these years of hiding...!" Then she wandered off as something else caught her attention.





Realizing what this new piece of information now meant for the fair and for the empire as a whole, Rainbow Dash quickly flew over to Twilight's location and dropped a green tarp over the fake Crystal Heart.

Twilight was confused and annoyed. "Why did you just–"

Rainbow quickly interrupted. "-Might wanna look through that book again, Twilight. We may have a problem on our hooves here."

Upon hearing Rainbow Dash's explanation, Twilight skimmed through the history book once again while atop the castle balcony. "I don't get it. I didn't know it was an actual relic! The book didn't mention anything about the crystal ponies powering the heart!" She frantically exclaimed, before a sudden gust of wind tore the last page right out of the book.

Twilight picked up the page, and now that she was able to get a closer look at it she realized something she hadn't noticed before! "This last page was a fake! The real final page must've been torn out! How could I have missed it?! Oh, of all the times to mess up!"

"It's alright, Twilight," Cadence insisted as she reassured the panic stricken unicorn. "Even I wouldn't have noticed the missing page if not for the wind. Whoever put it in to replace the real final page knew their history and knew the book's text inside and out."

At that the unicorn let out a gasp of dismay! "Of course! Sombra! He wouldn't have wanted any of the crystal ponies to know about how important the Crystal Heart really was, or risk it being seized by outsiders and used against him," She stomped a hoof down. "This Sombra is smarter than he looks. It seems like he's always one step ahead of us."

Meanwhile, a nervous Spike commented while shivering. "Um, is it just me or did it suddenly get a lot colder all of a sudden?"

"Oh no!" Twilight gasped in realization as a look of horror flashed across her face! "B.B.B.F.F!" But it was too late, Shining had already collapsed to the floor!

"Twily," Shining weakly answered. "I can't keep him away anymore. He's here."

Sure enough, the protective barrier formed by Shining's field spell had faded. And not only had the harsh winds and blinding snow of the Frozen North begun to encroach on the Crystal Empire, but so was the shadowy form of King Sombra. "At last, the day I've waited so long for has arrived!" He cackled. "There's no escape for any of you now! The time has come to reclaim my birthright!" And he was closing in fast!

Things didn't look good for the empire, or those within it. Even Twilight was beginning to wonder if this was it, this was how things were going to end.
> S3 E2: The Crystal Empire, Part 2 (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things had never looked as bleak as they did now for Twilight Sparkle and her friends as they faced the very real possibility of failing in an important task that had been given to them. Failing to protect a long lost empire from its greedy and evil former ruler: King Sombra.

It had all begun when Princess Celestia received word of the Crystal Empire's return, calling Twilight and her friends to Canterlot immediately. Though she soon arranged to have an audience with Twilight alone.

"You wanted to see me specifically? To test me, right?" Twilight had asked, arriving at the royal palace with saddlebags loaded with supplies one would need for a test in the usual sense of the word.

But Princess Celestia soon revealed that the "test" was not going to be your typical one. "The Crystal Empire has returned, and it is in danger."

Twilight naturally was hesitant to agree to such a "test", even with the help of her friends. "You want us to protect an entire empire?"

Celestia confirmed this, revealing that the intent of this assignment to determine whether Twilight would be ready for "advanced studies". And she gave her student this parting advice. "Should things turn out to be worse than I had fear, contact us immediately! Do not try to engage King Sombra on your own, Twilight! It must be you and you alone who ultimately assists Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in doing whatever needs to be done."

So it was that the six mares as well as Spike traveled north via train to the Crystal Empire. And in the frozen wilderness outside the empire, Twilight was reunited with her brother during one of his patrols. Shining Armor, however, had bad news to give. "The empire isn't the only thing that's returned. I can't keep my shield spell reinforced forever. It'll fail eventually, and I'm sure Sombra knows that."

That warning turned out to be especially important once Shining was forced to sacrifice himself to allow Twilight and her friends to pass safely to the Crystal Empire before the returning King Sombra could overtake them. Shining survived his encounter with the greedy king, but in the process he had his horn's magical abilities blocked off by black crystal shards. 

And there was worse to come when it turned out that Cadence wasn't doing very well herself, exhausting herself physically to help protect the empire as Shining explained. "With Cadence putting all her strength into learning my spell on top of trying to keep the empire from fading, and me trying to keep an eye on signs of trouble in the arctic until now, we've unfortunately not been able to extract any useful information from the crystal ponies."

The crystal ponies themselves were not much help. "I wish I could help you out. But I... can't seem to remember anything before King Sombra came to power." A crystal pony told Twilight, making it clear that she didn't want to remember anything from Sombra's reign.

Fortunately, things seemed to turn around for our heroes when they discovered an old history book in the empire's library. "History of the Crystal Empire," Twilight had discovered while reading aloud. Soon getting the idea to put together a Crystal Fair that was vital to the empire's protection. And there was one detail that at the time had seemed insignificant. "The book mentioned something about a 'Crystal Heart', it said it was vital to the fair. Since we're short on time and don't have a genuine heart, I used my magic to carve a substitute one out of a crystal block."

This would spell trouble when the crystal ponies finally started to regain their memories as the old librarian explained. "The whole purpose of the Crystal Fair is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies, so the light within them all can power up the Crystal Heart and ensure the empire's protection!"

"We may have a problem on our hooves here." Rainbow Dash told Twilight upon learning of this vital piece of information.

Twilight would soon make an unfortunate discovery when a gust of wind blew a page right out of the history book! "I didn't know it was an actual relic! The book didn't mention anything about the crystal ponies powering the heart! The real final page must've been torn out!"

Cadence did her best to reassure the mare. "It's alright, Twilight."

But it wasn't alright, for that at moment Shining Armor collapse and his shield spell finally gave out. "Twily." He managed to weakly call out.

And just like that, King Sombra was able to close in on the empire, drawing closer to it with each passing second! "The time has come to reclaim my birthright!" No one knew what to do or what they even could do, it all seemed hopeless!



Even as Sombra was rapidly closing in, Spike seemed to get an idea on what to do. "I'm writing to the princesses! They must be informed of this!"

But Twilight protested as she called down to him. "No, it won't make a difference! Even if they're alerted now they won't arrive in time to save anyone. My friends and I will just have to try and fend him off on our own."

"What about Celestia's order not to engage him?" Spike asked with concern.

"Under the circumstances, I'm sure she'd understand that we had no choice," Twilight insisted. "We've come too far to just let him take back the empire. Even without the Elements of Harmony, the girls and I will find a way to win."

However, to the shock of everyone gathered, Princess Cadence spoke up while lighting up her horn. "I have a better idea in mind! This is my empire, therefore it's my duty to protect it!" With a great deal of struggling she was able to develop a replica of her husband's signature shield spell, and just in time too!

When Sombra's shadow made contact with the recently erected barrier, he screamed and howled in pain as the top of his curved horn was cut off. It sank deep into the ground on the outskirts of the empire, creating a small black crystal that no one noticed. The evil king hissed but realized there was little more he could do. "How very clever, princess. You almost had me. Almost," Then he ominously declared. "Oh well, I'm not worried. You've merely bought yourself some time. That barrier's gonna fail eventually. And when it does I'll be waiting! You can't keep me locked out forever!" And then his shadowy form retreated for the time being.





Shining Armor had seen the whole thing and couldn't help but smile at his wife. "Not bad, dear. All those lessons paid off."

"Thanks to you," Cadence smiled back before adopting a more serious tone. "But Sombra's right, we haven't shut him out completely. We need to find where he hid the real Crystal Heart and fast! We'll probably have to call off the fair to conduct a search."

However, Twilight immediately protested the idea. "No, Cadence. You and Shining can't afford to turn the whole place upside down. The fair must go on, the crystal ponies still believe we have the real Crystal Heart. It'll be important to keep their spirits up when we eventually obtain the real thing. After all, it's your empire now. It wouldn't be a bad idea to interact with your subjects."

"But what about you, Twily?" Shining Armor questioned his sister. "What will you do?"

"This has to be part of my test!" Twilight realized as she firmly vowed. "Let me handle the search. I promise you, when I find the Crystal Heart I'll bring it to you. In the mean time, work with my friends to keep the fair going. And make sure no one discovers the fake Crystal Heart, otherwise everything will all be for nothing."

Cadence promised to her sister-in-law. "We'll do the best we can, Twilight. But be very careful. There's no telling what sort of security measures King Sombra will have set up for the Crystal Heart should you find it."

The unicorn nodded her head. "Whatever King Sombra might have planned I'll stop it! I'll leave no stone un-turned!" And she trotted away to begin conducting her search.

Cadence and Shining Armor, meanwhile, went down to talk to Twilight's friends and fill them in on the recent developments. And when Spike heard about what Twilight was doing he could hardly believe his ears! "Twilight is doing what?!" He gasped in alarm before rushing off!

Fortunately, Rarity sought to provide cover for Spike's sudden absence. "I... just found out they're doing face paintings for all the little ones. And Spike really loves having his face painted," She then directed the crystal ponies' attention elsewhere. "Why not pay a visit to the arena? I believe the jousting tournament is about to start. You don't wanna miss that."





Spike managed to catch up with Twilight just as she was beginning her search. "Twilight, I heard all about it! And I have to ask: Are you out of your mind?! You don't even know where to begin looking for the Crystal Heart!"

"Spike, I appreciate your concern but everything is under control," Twilight tried to calm the frightened baby dragon. "You can tag along with me if it'll make you feel better, but don't touch anything. This is all part of my test that Princess Celestia gave me. She said that I had to be the one to help Shining and Cadence ensure the empire's protection, not anyone else."

The baby dragon wasn't convinced. "But Twilight, don't you think that maybe the real test from Princess Celestia here is to see if you'll follow every order she gives to the letter, no matter what?" He was quick to point out. "She's not perfect. She can make mistakes. And we both know what I'm talking about."

Twilight didn't need to say a word to understand Spike's point. She could still remember the shocking defeat of the sun princess during the recent changeling invasion. An invasion that had occurred in part because Celestia hadn't caught on to the prospect of an invader posing as somepony within Canterlot. "Well, she didn't really elaborate on what she meant by 'helping', so I guess you tagging along won't break any of the rules or cause me to fail."

"Oh, thank goodness," Spike sighed in relief as he wiped the sweat from his brows. "You really had me worried there, Twilight. One of these days we really should discuss your incredibly high opinion of Celestia."

The unicorn nodded her in agreement. "A discussion for another time and place, Spike. Still, I don't want you to touch anything unless I say otherwise. Sombra's sure to have the Crystal Heart well protected, and I promised Princess Luna I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You're my son, after all."

"I know, Twilight. I know," Spike nodded and smiled, before he asked. "So, where do we even begin? We obviously can't ask King Sombra where he hid that heart."

"Well, if I'm going to find the heart I need to start thinking like Sombra," Twilight suggested as she began to approach the Crystal Castle. "There's only one place I can think of where he'd hide something so important. A place where he could be sure nopony would ever think of coming or would dare to look."

The baby dragon was still anything but convinced by that logic. "Yeah, but the castle's still a big place. It could take ages to find anything."

"Then we'd better start looking now, Spike! Once that barrier fails there's nothing to stop King Sombra from taking over again," Twilight declared as mare and dragon entered the castle on the ground floor. "I just hope our friends can keep the fair going."

Spike added. "And I hope you're right about the location of the Crystal Heart. Because if it's not in the castle it could be anywhere!"





The Crystal Fair was still ongoing, but it was quickly becoming a problem when various crystal ponies wanted to stop by to see the Crystal Heart for themselves.

Rainbow Dash tried to keep the crystal ponies away, often getting up right in their faces to do so. "What are you lookin' at?!" She all but interrogated a random crystal pony who backed away in fright as a result. "That's what I thought!"

At that moment, Princess Cadence came upon the scene and pulled Rainbow aside. "Rainbow Dash, if we're going to keep the crystal ponies' spirits up we need to act like nothing's wrong. There's no reason to go around scaring ponies." She protested.

"But how else do you propose we keep them from finding out the truth about the heart?" Rainbow whispered in concern.

Cadence smiled as she quickly got an idea. "I'll stay here with Applejack and help divert ponies as needed. You should go straight to the arena to show off your jousting skills."

"Great!" Rainbow happily exclaimed as she briefly lept into the air. But then she came back as she realized. "Wait, bummer. There's nopony who could possibly be a match for me. Even Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy wouldn't be able to keep up, I'd wipe the floor with them in an instant."

Fortunately, Shining Armor came trotting over, decked out completely in a sparkling traditional Crystal Empire jousting outfit. "Then why don't you try going a few rounds with me? I could use a refresher in combat, and I'm sure you'll find me to be a much stronger opponent than any of your friends."

Rainbow smiled as the brash speedster declared. "You got yourself a deal, Shining! Too bad your wife's not gonna be around to see me whoop your sorry flank!"

"Save the trash talk for the actual match, you two," Cadence commented. "And remember, it's most important that you keep the crystal ponies entertained. If that means one of you has to take a dive so ponies don't get bored, do it."

"Come on, Knight Rainbow Dash!" Shining called as he trotted off, making sure to be heard as loudly as possible for the sake of drawing a crowd. "It's showtime. Let's give the crystal ponies something to talk about for years to come."

Rainbow grinned. "Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a stallion." And she trotted away to the jousting arena to get fit for her own jousting attire.

Meanwhile, other crystal ponies began to come by. Ones not interested in the jousting match. "Having a good time are we?" Cadence asked of them. "I hope the fair is to your liking. If not, don't hesitate to tell me so my husband and I can make improvements for the next one."

The crystal pony who had earlier not been able to give any information at all to Twilight simply smiled and openly declared. "I'm feeling the best I've felt since... I can't even remember when! This is the best time I've ever had!"

A nervous Applejack commented back. "Well, that's good! Gotta renew that spirit of love and unity if you're gonna power up that Crystal Heart, right?"

The crystal pony nodded and then promptly asked. "I sure would like to see it before the ceremony. It's been such a long time since anypony's laid eyes on it."

"Oh, I hear ya, but, uh... " The farm mare began only to trail off, unable to think of what to say. She obviously didn't want to reveal the truth, but she didn't know of any believable ways to get out of telling it to the crystal ponies.

Fortunately, Princess Cadence was able to divert the crystal pony elsewhere. "There's a whole lot of other activities you could try. There's plenty of rare foods to enjoy and even a jousting match featuring my husband."

Applejack watched the whole thing unfold as she thought to herself. "Come on, Twilight... hurry it up will ya?! These here crystal ponies are more curious than a cat! Don't know how long the rest of us can keep 'em away."





Twilight and Spike hadn't been searching the castle for very long, but already they seemed to be running into a problem. Twilight was inspecting every nook and cranny but nothing stood out. No hidden passageways, no secret doors, no illusions, not even a hint or a trail to follow.

"It's got to be here somewhere," Twilight protested with annoyance. "Where is it?!"

Spike shrugged his claws. "I don't know, Twilight. Maybe King Sombra's been holding onto it all along. That's what I'd do if I had something I didn't want anypony to get their hooves on."

"Except just being near the Crystal Heart cause Sombra to become ill and weak, the crystal ponies said so," Twilight shook her head. "There's absolutely no way Sombra could be holding onto it. He has to have hidden it somewhere," Then, as she entered the throne room she suddenly began to remember her earlier conversation with Princess Celestia. The one where it was shown that a crystal could reflect the magical properties of whatever spell was cast upon it. Suddenly, the studious unicorn got an idea. "Wait a minute, Spike! If I want to thwart King Sombra, I need to start thinking like King Sombra! I need to get into his mind."

The little dragon gulped. "I don't know if I like the sound of that."

Twilight quickly reassured her frightened companion. "It's not what you think, Spike. I just need to consider that things were different in the Crystal Empire when Sombra ruled over it. This isn't King Sombra's castle."

"What do you mean? We're in the throne room, and aside from your brother and his wife nopony's ever set hoof into it." Spike objected.

"What I mean is, Sombra must've altered the throne room in a way that only he could. That way he could safely hide the Crystal Heart in a place where only he could get to it," Twilight realized. "And the only way he could do that was by using dark magic. So that's what I'll use! Any secrets he might have left behind will be exposed," And then she instructed. "You'd better stand back, Spike. I'm hopeful I can control the dark magic, but I'm not taking any chances." She waited for Spike to back up several feet before shutting her eyes, concentrating as she took several deep breaths.

Spike nearly gasped as he saw a sickly green aura filled with red and purple flames surge out of Twilight's horn! And to make matters worse he could see her clearly straining as she aimed a beam of the powerful magic at the crystal atop the throne.

In her mind, Twilight could feel dark thoughts starting to seep in. And to make matters worse she soon heard the familiar voice of King Sombra starting to taunt her. "Well well, the prized protege of Princess Celestia. Finally getting a taste of dark magic, I see. It hurts, doesn't it? It's like no pain you've ever felt before."

"Get out of my mind, Sombra! You're not welcome here!" Twilight roared and growled in defiance, unaware that her conversation was being heard (though thankfully only by Spike).

"I only wish to make a deal with you to ease your suffering," The greedy former king immediately proposed. "Give into the darkness. Let it consume you as it did me, let it burn away anything and everything else. Once your heart is as black as mine you'll feel so much better, because you'll be incapable of ever feeling anything ever again."

But Twilight refused to be tempted. "I will never become like you, King Sombra! You won't corrupt me! I've sharpened my mental barriers."

"They will do you little good in the end," The unicorn with a heart as black as night cackled in a deep voice. "Still, I can't maintain this link between us for long. I must concentrate my powers into fully restoring my physical presence. After all, that pesky princess' barrier is going to run out before long, even sooner than that pathetic husband of hers from who she copied the spell."

At that Twilight roared! "You leave my brother out of this! And don't you even think of harming him or my sister-in-law!"

"Oh, they're part of your family?!" Sombra remarked with surprise, and then cackled anew. "Well good. That'll make their destruction all the more satisfying. Talk to you again soon, Twilight. You'll have to use a lot more dark magic than what you're currently using to stop me. And if you're already struggling now, I can only imagine how hard the rest of the trials will be." Just like that, his voice faded away.





Twilight opened her eyes and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She now saw that just in front of the throne was a huge, spiraling staircase that led down into a dark cave that had not been there a moment ago. It seemed like as promising a lead as any. "You stay here, Spike. I'll see where this goes. If it's safe to come down I'll let you know," The unicorn instructed to her dragon. "And remember, not a claw."

"I know, I know. I'm not four!" Spike huffed as he blew smoke out of his nostrils. He then reluctantly watched as Twilight began to make her way over to the spiral staircase and make her descent.

Unable to tell from the top how far down the stairs went, Twilight picked up a small nearby crystal, and used her magic to drop it over the side where it soon fell out of sight. She waited for a bit but heard nothing. Assuming the crystal had made it to the bottom, it was too far down for her to hear.

After eventually making her way down the stairs quite a bit, Twilight tried to call back up to Spike. "Spike, can you hear me?!"

"Just barely!" Spike called back. "What is it, Twilight?"

"Is everything okay outside? I haven't looked in a while." Twilight instructed.

So Spike went over to one of the castle windows, peering outside as his green eyes could see the barrier flickering on and off. Whenever it dropped the surrounding landscape took on a dark red hue that made everything seem ominous and troubling. It was even possible to hear the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, and the voice of King Sombra speaking through dark crystals that were sprouting up like weeds.

The little dragon rushed back to report to Twilight what he'd just seen! She had to know how bad things were getting. "Cadence's magic must be fading faster than she might realize! I'd say we only have an hour before it'll fail completely! You'd better speed up the search, or there's not gonna be an empire left to save!"

"Well, if you don't hear back from me by then you'll have to get the princesses involved," Twilight called back in an unhappy tone of voice. "I just hope it doesn't come to that. I don't wanna fail this test after Princess Celestia put so much trust in me," She continued her descent down the stairs, only to misjudge her next step and start tumbling down the whole flight! She only just managed to light up her horn and surround herself within the reddish-pink aura of her magic just seconds before she would've hit the ground and landed on her head. "Ow!" She groaned while rubbing her head.

"Twilight? Are you okay down there?" Spike called up from above.

Twilight somehow managed to call back to Spike. "Yes, I think so," Then her eyes spotted a door just a short ways away. "Stay where you are, Spike! I gotta check something out!"

But as Twilight moved to the door to open it, the door literally moved itself further away from her. Frustrated and impatient, she focused dark magic on the crystal above the door, forcing it open! "Alright now, you stay there!" She groaned as the door slowly creaked open, creating a blinding flash of light. "Spike, I think it's here! This has to be where the Crystal Heart is!" She declared as she ran through the opening without even a second's hesitation or waiting to see what was on the other side.





When the flash faded, Twilight suddenly found herself no longer in the dark cave beneath the crystal throne, but within the familiar hallways of the royal palace in Canterlot. She immediately looked around, only to find no trace of a door or anything that might have led her back to this location. "Huh? How did I end up here? What's going on?" She wondered aloud, before suddenly and unexpectedly bumping into none other than Princess Celestia.

In stark contrast to their previous meeting, the sun princess didn't appear the least bit pleased to see her student. In fact, she seemed to coldly remark. "What are you doing here, Twilight? I thought I sent you on an important assignment."

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight gasped! "I don't know, I swear! I just opened this door and then-"

But Princess Celestia interrupted, coldly cutting her student off. "-I don't want to hear your excuses. You disobeyed my instructions," Turning her back on Twilight the alicorn then frowned. "And now you must go."

At that Twilight blinked in confusion and dismay. "Go? Go where?"

Celestia gave no clarification on the answer as she just dismissively declared. "Doesn't really matter to me, Twilight. You failed the test! I guess I was wrong to ever put so much trust in you."

"I don't understand," Twilight protested as she tried to make sense of the situation she was in. "How could I have failed? I didn't do anything wrong. I don't even know how I ended up back here."

Celestia only snorted. "I told you I didn't want to hear your excuses, Twilight. You disappointed me. So now, not only will you not move on to the next level of your studies and begin advanced lessons, you won't continue your studies at all! Your time as my student has come to an end."

The unicorn immediately became flabbergasted at what she'd heard. She even jumped back. " I... You can't do this, Princess Celestia! You didn't say anything about no longer being your student if I failed!"

"Oh, didn't I? I thought you already knew since you made it a habit to know everything," Celestia replied as she trotted away, refusing to look her former student in the eyes. "Get out of my sight, Twilight!" And just like that she disappeared.

Twilight, meanwhile, looked around and gasped in horror when she saw a stain glass window depicting King Sombra overrunning and conquering the Crystal Empire! It was enough to reduce her to tears!

And King Sombra laughed in triumph. "You really should've headed that baby dragon's advice and gotten out of here while you had the chance. But oh no, you had to play the hero. Well, look where it's gotten you now."

"N-no!" Twilight sobbed to herself. "This... can't be!"





Suddenly, in the distance Twilight became aware of a familiar voice calling out to her. It was faint at first but it slowly grew louder. "Twilight? Twilight! Twiliiiight!" The voice called, as Twilight slowly realized it was Spike calling out to her.

Twilight shook her head and when she did she found herself staring back at the door she had opened, now back in the caves. But she had little time to process what had just happened as Spike rushing down the last of the steps to join her.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" Spike panted as he quickly apologized. "Look, I know you told me to stay up there. But you were down here for such a long time, and you weren't answering, and I got worried so I came down here... and... and..." But then he trailed off as he began to look in the same direction Twilight was facing. "What were you looking at? I mean... it's just a wall. ..."

Unknown to Spike, as he opened the door his eyes began to glow a sickly green. Twilight could only watch what unfolded as the baby dragon just stood there. "Ponyville?!" He seemed to blink in surprise. "How did I get back-" Then he stepped back as he suddenly began to break down in tears! "No! I don't wanna go! Please, Twilight, don't make me! Don't send me away! I've been good to you, haven't I?! I thought you considered me part of your family!"

Thinking quickly, Twilight shut the door, cutting off the spell that had been placed on Spike. "Looks like my hunch about booby traps was right," She commented in realization. "This elusive door is powered by King Sombra's dark magic. He must've enchanted it to show one's worst fears. For me it was failing the test. And for you... well, we just witnessed it for ourselves."

"Oh, so it wasn't real?!" Spike realized, still sobbing as he looked up at Twilight. "It all felt so real, though! It was horrible! We were home. And you told me that you didn't need me anymore. You said you were sending me away, kicking me out..."

Twilight brought the baby dragon close and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, Spike. It's okay. Mama's here for you now," And she immediately vowed. "I promise you, I've never going to send you away if you don't want to go. You will always have a special place in my heart, our bond is one that can never be broken. Your fear will never come to pass. I won't ever just kick you out, or fail my test for that matter! If King Sombra thought this door would stop us, he sadly underestimated the strength of our bond."

"But how are we supposed to move on if the door is a dead end?" Spike questioned as he dried his tears.

The unicorn smiled. "By countering Sombra's dark magic with my own magic. A magic powered by light and love. A magic I'm reminded of just by having you near me." And that's exactly what sort of magic she used on the crystal above the door, breaking the spell and allowing the door to swing open. There was no blinding flash of light this time, and both pony and dragon took that as a sign that it was safe to proceed.

Once they were both on the other side of the door, they were greeted by the presence of another massive spiral staircase. "Again with the stairs," Spike commented. "I'm starting to sense a pattern here."

"Me too," Twilight nodded in agreement. "And you know what, Spike? I think it'll be better for both of us if you stay by my side from here on out. Now we'd better hurry and find the Crystal Heart before it's too late!"





As Twilight and Spike were carrying out their search for the Crystal Heart within the castle (and no one outside was any wiser to what kind of hardships the two were enduring), the jousting tournament was finally getting under way! The excitement from it was enough to keep most crystal ponies from realizing that the protective barrier surrounding their empire was beginning to fade in and out.

Pinkie Pie, now decked out from head to hooves in a green jester's outfit, blew into a flugelhorn. "Attention, fillies and gentlecolts!" She declared afterward. "Thank you for your patience. We're ready to start the jousting tournament! In this corner: Knight Rainbow Dash!" A spotlight shown on one end of the arena, showing Rainbow Dash in her jousting outfit. "And in this corner: Your Prince, Shining Armor!" Another spotlight showed Shining in his jousting outfit, which also fortunately obscured the dark crystals surrounding his horn.

The crowd began to cheer wildly as Pinkie announced. "Jousters, ready your lances! Get ready and... go!"

Rainbow Dash charged forward with lightning speed, aiming her lance straight at Shining's mid section with the intent of knocking him back! She knew he couldn't use magic to adjust his lance's position and even if he could it would be an unfair advantage that the official jousting rules would not allow. "This is gonna be an easy knockout!" She thought to herself.

However, Shining Armor just continued trotting at his leisurely pace until at the last second he charged forward! This sudden burst of speed caught Rainbow by surprise and caused her to be knocked back instead.

"And the first point goes to Shining Armor! The first to three points wins the match and moves on to the next round to face yours truly. Loser takes over as jester," Pinkie declared. "Okay, jousters, back to your starting places. Prepare for the next face off."

Cadence (who was in the audience) could be heard snickering as Shining approached Rainbow, helping her to her hooves. "You gave yourself away charging ahead like that," He instructed to the mare. "In the royal guard we consider that kind of behavior to be reckless. And you just saw for yourself where recklessness will get you."

"You just got lucky, that's all! I underestimated you because of what King Sombra did to you," Rainbow grumbled as she shook off the dust. "I won't make the same mistake again. You won't beat me!"

Shining could only shake his head. "With an attitude like that I definitely will," And then he pointed out. "Twilight tells me you've been trying to get into the Wonderbolts. Well, if you want to have any shot with them you're gonna have to learn to think with your head, not with your hooves."

"Hey, enough chit chat!" Pinkie interrupted as she pulled out her flugelhorn, ready to blow into it again. "Even I can't keep this party going forever! You two promised to deliver entertainment. So get back out there and show those crystal ponies a good time!"

"Don't worry, Pinkie. I'll give the crystal ponies a show they'll never forget when I come back from an early defeat to win the whole tournament!" Rainbow boasted as she resumed her post.

Shining just cautioned. "You'll have to get through me first. If you don't focus on the task in front of you, your enemies will get the best of you every time. Perhaps another defeat will hammer that home, along with another point for yours truly."

Pinkie then blew into the flugelhorn again, and the jousting tournament resumed.

Miles away, however, Rarity came trotting up to Applejack with bad news. "I am running out of weaving materials for the traditional crafts booth! I just made a hat out of three pieces of hay and a drinking straw!" She gestured a hoof to the aforementioned hat that had been hastily crafted, and then whispered. "I made it work. But still! At this point, I don't know if we can keep the fair going for much longer before the crystal ponies find out the truth."

"Even the petting zoo isn't attracting a lot of ponies now," Fluttershy pointed out. "And the barrier's not holding up well. It looks like it could fail at any time."

Cadence came trotting over, forcing a smile as it was clear she was struggling to maintain her composure. "It may be time to consider a Plan B. The only thing we have left to keep the crystal ponies interested is the jousting tournament. But if the barrier fails soon, even that won't be enough."

Just then, there came a loud crash and a series of gasps! A crystal pony had accidentally tipped over the fake Crystal Heart, causing it to shatter completely! "The heart, it's a fake!" He exclaimed!

"I'm afraid so," Princess Cadence told the crystal pony. "We didn't want to alarm anypony when we couldn't find the real Crystal Heart. We hoped this one would suffice," And she was quick to add. "But you needn't worry, the real Crystal Heart is..."

Applejack quickly interrupted. "-A-already on its way." And she gave a nervous chuckle.

Rarity frowned. "I would've said 'Being polished' to give ourselves more time, Applejack."

Cadence could only shake her head in dismay. "We're already in trouble for lying as it is, let's not add more lies on top of it," And she turned her attention back to the castle. "At this point, all we can do is try to contain the fall out now that everypony knows we don't have the real Crystal Heart. With a little luck, Twilight and Spike will find it soon."

"And if they don't?" Fluttershy gulped, not wanting to think of the idea.

"Then we'll just have to be prepared for the fight of our lives. If it takes everything we've got, we will keep Sombra out!" Cadence vowed, before she stumbled to the ground. She only just managed to find the strength to pull herself back up! It now became clear to everypony that time was starting to run out!





Unaware of what was going on outside, Twilight and Spike were making up their way up the stairs they'd found. But it seemed like the more they climbed the more stairs there seemed to be. And they were beginning to become exhausted as there appeared to be no end in sight.

Suddenly, Spike seemed to get an idea. "Twilight, what if this is just another one of Sombra's traps he set up with his dark magic? Think about it: A passage beneath the throne room only accessible by dark magic, a door that leads to your worst fears. Why not add stairs that lead to nowhere on top of it at all? It's so evil no one would ever think of it."

"Well, there's only one thing I can think of that'll thwart this trap," Twilight declared. "Grab onto me, Spike! And don't let go whatever you do!"

Spike reluctantly obeyed even as he asked. "W-what are you gonna do, Twilight?" But mere seconds later he found himself and Twilight be flipped upside down, now traveling on the underside of the staircase as they slid all the way down!

Twilight explained everything as she skid down! "I actually studied gravity spells, thinking they might be on my test! And you thought they wouldn't be helpful."

"I didn't say that." Spike protested but said little else as the two slid all the way down the staircase. At last they reached the bottom, or rather the top as Twilight returned gravity to normal.

And there was the Crystal Heart in all its shimmering glory! Laying right there in the center of the room that rested in a spire high atop the crystal castle! Without even thinking or hesitating, Twilight stepped forward and snatched the Crystal Heart right then and there.

That was a mistake! Touching the heart triggered an alarm that tipped off King Sombra! "Fool! You think I'll actually let you ruin my plans?!" He growled, before lighting up his jagged horn.

Several huge crystals sprang up all around Twilight in the room as the Crystal Heart flew out of her grasp! Try as she might, Twilight couldn't break free either through physical force or her own magic. She was trapped! Frantically, she started looking around for the artifact she'd worked so hard to retrieve. "The Heart... Where's the Crystal–"

"-Over here!" Spike called. "It must've fallen nearby when you got trapped!"

Meanwhile, Twilight groaned and lamented aloud. "How could I have been so foolish?! I should've known it was a trap! It was so obvious! But I was so eager to get it. And now..." She trailed off, watching as the protective barrier began to fail completely.

Frantically, Spike shouted at Twilight! "You have to get out of there, now! There'd be no point writing to either of the princesses, you'd fail your test! And I don't know what King Sombra will do to you if he get his hooves on you!" He began to plead. "Please, Twilight! You have to have a plan, you have to!"

But Twilight shook her head. "There's no plan, Spike," And then she realized something as she looked at him. "Listen to me very carefully, Spike. King Sombra is already preparing to attack the empire. He could reach the crystal ponies at any moment... reach Princess Cadence, my brother and my friends. There may not be enough time for me to find a way to escape, let alone deliver the Crystal Heart in time. You must be the one to bring the Crystal Heart to the fair. Get it to Cadence and Shining Armor before it's too late!"

"What?! That's not a plan! I'll mess it up for sure!" Spike protested! "I can't do this without you, Twilight!"

The unicorn wouldn't hear anything of this argument. "No, Spike! Don't doubt yourself now! You can do this! I believe in you. I'm saying this not only as your mother but as your friend. As the pony who knows you better than anypony else. You're the only one I can count on in this situation!"

"B-b-but what about you?! I can't just abandon you!" The baby dragon whimpered even as he took hold of the Crystal Heart with his claws.

"Don't worry about me, I'll... I'll think of something," Twilight insisted. "We don't have time to argue! You must get out of here, or there's no future for any of us. Now Goooo!"

Reluctantly, Spike obeyed as he brought the Crystal Heart close to his chest and fled from the tower as several black crystals began to envelope it!

"Be brave, Spike! For both of us!" Twilight thought to herself as she watched the baby dragon depart.





Down below, the protective barrier was fading away completely. King Sombra was finally making his presence known as he regained his physical form. "Come back to me, my crystal slaves," He spoke in a tone barely above a whisper. "You will all bow to me if you value your pathetic lives!"

But just when everything seemed bleak and hopeless, a familiar called out from high above! "Hey! Up here!"

All eyes looked up, and saw Spike coming down from one of the castle's spires, the real Crystal Heart held close to his chest for safe keeping.

Rarity in particular was shocked! "Spike?! What's going on?! Where's Twilight?!"

"She's trapped! She told me to get the Crystal Heart to Cadence!" Spike called back, before he lost his balance and plunged off the roof, screaming the whole way!

King Sombra saw this and licked his lips as he quickly zoomed in, preparing to snatch up both Crystal Heart and baby dragon. "There's no hope for any of you now!" He cackled! "Prepare to embrace the dawn of your demise and despair!" As he spoke a few crystal ponies were already starting to run away in fright, even though they knew there was nowhere they could run to where they'd be safe from the king's wrath (or his powers for that matter).

"Spikey-wikey!" Rarity screamed in dismay! "Somepony do something, quick!"

And Shining Armor did! He quickly trotted up and picked up his wife, placing her onto his back! Despite how exhausted she felt, Princess Cadence was immediately rejuvenated upon seeing the real Crystal Heart! She knew what she had to do. She unfolded her wings as her husband tossed her up towards Spike's location, managing to snag both him and the Crystal Heart at the last minute!

A frustrated Sombra could only roar in frustration as he sought to chase after the prize that was fast eluding him!

The old librarian who had first mentioned the true purpose of the Crystal Heart suddenly shouted above the commotion while gesturing a hoof to Princess Cadence! "Behold! The Crystal Princess! Our leader has returned!"

Princess Cadence landed in front of the crystal ponies, the Crystal Heart held firmly within the soft blue glow of her magic. "The Crystal Heart has finally returned to its rightful resting place," She fixed it into a small podium that had just sprang up in front of the castle! "Now, quickly! You must all use the light and love within you to ensure that King Sombra does not return too." She instructed to them.

The crystal ponies obeyed as they all kneeled down and began to glow just like the Crystal Heart.

"What? No... No! Stop!" King Sombra protested with a hiss as he flew close! "You're all supposed to bow down to me in fear! Your king commands it!"

But Cadence defiantly declared! "They don't fear you anymore, Sombra. And they're your subjects no longer. The empire shall never again fall into your evil hooves. Begone!"

Frightened and realizing he had lost the battle, Sombra tried to retreat! But the light released from all of the crystal ponies was too much for him. It caught up to him and overwhelmed him. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he leaned back, his entire body shattering! Just like that, the tyranny of King Sombra had been brought to an end. The greedy king was no more!

The light washed over every aspect of the Crystal Empire, making even those not crystal ponies glow brightly and brilliantly, even the dark crystals in Shining Armor's horn faded away completely.

The light was even able to free Twilight from her prison high up in the crystal castle. And she smiled as the unicorn realized what this had to mean. "Good job, Spike. Good job. Mama's so proud of you!" She thought to herself.





With King Sombra defeated and destroyed, and the Crystal Heart having been found, the mission was completed. The Crystal Empire was safe at last and so it would hopefully remain for all time. That meant it was time for Twilight, Spike and all their friends to head back to Canterlot and then back home to Ponyville.

Rarity was a little disappointed to know that the sparkling transformation everyone had undergone was not permanent. And she hated to leave it behind. "I do so wish it was permanent. It was so beautiful. It seems unfair to have to leave such beauty here."

Applejack opted to reassure her friend. "But... good things are better when they're a rarity." That was enough to get the fashionista to chuckle.

Not everyone was in the highest of spirits, however. Although Twilight knew letting Spike deliver the Crystal Heart had been the right call to make, she also knew it was against Princess Celestia's wishes. And she couldn't help but dwell on that and the fact that she'd ultimately drawn herself and her friends into battle with King Sombra, albeit indirectly.

Shining Armor, however, tried to cheer up his sister as he not so secretly whispered. "You know, Twily, you really gotta stop saving my rump like this all the time. It's getting embarrassing. I'm supposed to be looking out for you, not the other way around."

"Except it wasn't me who saved you and Cadence in the end, B.B.B.F.F, it was Spike," Twilight pointed out. "He's the big hero in all of this, not me."

"Hey, you're still a hero in my book, Twily," Shining reassured his sister. "Besides, it was just a test. I'm sure if you explain to Princess Celestia that you had no choice but to do what you did, she'll give you a pass or even let you retake the test."

Twilight could only shake her head in disagreement. "Somehow, I don't think that'll happen. For the first time in my life, I'm gonna be reporting back to Princess Celestia as a failure. I only hope she won't permanently end my studies as a result."





The group returned to Canterlot and Twilight was soon left alone for an audience of one with Princess Celestia. Surprisingly, the sun princess seemed to take the news of the mission's unexpected developments quite well, especially since a new stained glass window commemorated the final outcome: Spike delivering the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadence and King Sombra being destroyed. "It's beautiful. This will make a fine addition to the other displays here in the throne room." Princess Celestia spoke up.

Twilight glumly answered. "I wish it had been me who ultimately made it so. But it wasn't. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. And I'm sorry I didn't try to contact you or Princess Luna."

"It's true that you should've wrote to us for help in dealing with King Sombra," Princess Celestia nodded in agreement. "But the way I see it: Spike brought Princess Cadence the Crystal Heart because you weren't sure how quickly you could find a way to escape from that tower you were trapped in. You weren't willing to risk the future of the citizens of the Crystal Empire in an effort to guarantee your own. You were willing to go against my orders, even if you misinterpreted them, if it meant the empire would be saved."

"So, does this mean I passed?" Twilight reluctantly asked.

Celestia nodded. "Indeed you have, Twilight. And with flying colors to boot! It warms my heart to know that I have a student who understands the importance of self-sacrifice instead of only looking out for her own best interests." She seemed to deliver the last line with a hint of regret, though she made sure not to show any outward signs of it. "Twilight doesn't need to know about my previous student. Not yet anyway." She thought to herself.

"Then, I guess this means I can begin the advanced studies," Twilight realized as her eyes lit up. "But, what will they involve?"

Princess Celestia just instructed. "You'll know more about it all in due time. It'll involve mastering new forms of magic and perfecting spells thought to be impossible to pull off. For now though, return to Ponyville with your friends and rest," And with a smile she declared. "I know you'll make me proud, Twilight. Your future's looking bright!"

"Indeed it is," Princess Luna commented as she came trotting in. "And I'm pleased to hear that my favorite dragon finally got a chance to be the big hero he always dreamed of being. You should be proud of yourself for raising such an excellent son, Twilight. He's definitely in good hooves with you."

At that Twilight blushed and modestly defended. "Well, I didn't raise him completely on my own. Still, I'm definitely impressed at how much he's grown because of this adventure," She wiped a lone tear from her eye. "He's growing up so fast."

"Kind of reminds me of you, Twilight," Celestia spoke up. "And much like Spike, I'm proud of the pony you're growing up to be. Even more than the pony you've already grown into since you started your friendship lessons." And she pulled Twilight close for a big hug.

Twilight just smiled as she let the warmth of the hug envelope her. Whatever the future may hold for her, she was confident now that she had the tools and the friends to face it.
> S8 E5: Grannies Gone Wild (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite Twilight tapping her to teach at the School of Friendship, Rainbow Dash still found time to be a Wonderbolt. Though she was the primary teacher for many classes, loyalty chief among them, plans had been made early on to find suitable replacements whenever Rainbow Dash needed to be called away on Wonderbolt duty.

Rainbow was hanging up her Wonderbolts flight suit after another stretch of having to stay on the academy grounds, and was just preparing to head home when she overheard some of her fellow bolts having a conversation.

"So you just got back from Las Pegasus, huh?" Misty Fly could be heard asking. "You're so lucky, Soarin! That place is the ultimate vacation spot. I've been dying to go there!"

Soarin nodded as he and Misty Fly alongside a few other un-suited Wonderbolts came trotting through the locker room within earshot of Rainbow. "Honestly, I'm just lucky I made it to Las Pegasus before the fastest, most thrilling ride of all time closes for good! I guess when the new managers took over, it was only a matter of time."

Rainbow quickly intruded upon the scene, having heard everything. "Wait. The fastest, most thrilling ride of all time? What are you talking about?"

Misty Fly let out a gasp, as did Soarin and the other Wonderbolts! "You mean, you haven't heard of the Wild Blue Yonder after all this time?" And she snorted. "Rookie. Even Thunderlane knows it."

Trying not to lose credibility with her teammates, Rainbow tried to insist. "Of course I've heard of the Wild Blue Yonder. How could I not have? I mean, it's the one where you, uh..." But she quickly realized that nopony was buying her argument. So she sighed in defeat. "All right, you got me. What is it?"

"Only the coolest rollercoaster ever!" Soarin boasted as he showed off several pictures of various Wonderbolts on the rollercoaster. "It's a true Wonderbolt rite of passage to ride it, even if Spitfire doesn't see it that way. It's even kind of related to how she got her nickname, though you didn't hear it from me."

Misty Fly scoffed. "You can't really call yourself a Wonderbolt if you haven't been on it. If you don't ride it soon you'll be missing out on the experience of a lifetime."

"It looks incredible!" Rainbow exclaimed as her eyes observed all the exciting photos different Wonderbolts had snapped of them riding the coaster! How had she not heard of it until now?!

Soarin nodded as he put a hoof around Rainbow. "Trust me, words can't do it justice. But I'll try. Basically, it works like this. First, you strap yourself into the cloud rocket car, and then you're catapulted straight through a..."

Rainbow Dash would go on to relay all the information she learned about this incredible coaster to anyone who would listen. "...Series of daring dips and terrifying turns! Flipping you upside-down so many times that you don't even know which way is up! 'Til finally you climb to the highest peak on the rails! Then drop towards the ground at lightning speed before coming up to a screeching halt! It's the coolest ride ever to exist in the history of Equestria!"

Applejack was the last to hear about her friend's newfound interest, and with a smirk she just teasingly asked. "Uh-huh. So when did you get a chance to ride it, sugarcube?"

Rainbow confessed. "Oh," And after a weak laugh she added. "I haven't."

The farm mare just grinned. "I thought so." Then mere seconds later, her cutie mark began to glow alongside her fellow athlete's! Both knew what this meant, and without saying a word they immediately rushed to Twilight's castle to find out where they were being called to!

What neither could suspect was that the friendship problem they were going to be tasked with solving was going to be rather complicated, and in Applejack's case kind of personal.



The map as it turned out was doing something rather unusual. The cutie marks of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were currently displayed over Ponyville, but they were also somehow appearing over the city of Las Pegasus as well.

"How very unusual," Twilight observed. "The map's never done that before."

"Ya sure it ain't on the fritz, somehow? Maybe as a side effect of whatever it was on our journey beyond Equestria that made it expand?" Applejack pondered. "Just because the map's never been wrong before doesn't mean it's gonna be right all the time."

Rainbow Dash, however, was practically ecstatic at this discovery! "Sweet! I was planning to use up some of the vacation time I'd been saving up so I could go to Las Pegasus and ride the Wild Blue Yonder while I still had the chance. But now I can go on official map business!"

"Work comes before fun, sugarcube," Applejack cautioned her fellow athlete, and then looked to Twilight. "Ya sure it's okay for us to just up and leave? We have classes to teach ya know."

"Don't worry, Applejack. I already have substitutes lined up and ready. I specifically prepared for any kind of emergency: Map or otherwise," Twilight replied with a smile before pondering again. "I just wonder what the friendship problem could be that's somehow connected to Ponyville and Las Pegasus at the same time. Still, flanks don't lie. And you two have worked well together in the past."

Reluctantly, Applejack agreed as she let out a sigh. "Then I guess it's off to Las Pegasus we go. This actually works out in my favor though, because that means I'll get to take over from my brother in supervisin' the Golden Horseshoe Gals on their retreat."

Rainbow blinked in surprise. "The Golden what now?"

"Golden Horseshoe Gals," The farm mare answered and explained. "It's the name given to a little rag tag group of the oldest Apple family members: Goldie Delicious, Apple Rose, Apple Sauce and of course Granny Smith. It's like a mini reunion of sorts. They do these kind of retreats every other year or so. Apple Sauce got to pick this time, and she's always a fan of magic shows."

"Then why not just get her tickets to Trixie's next show? I'm sure she'll offer a family discount." Rainbow protested.

Applejack shook her head. "These magicians are top notch, the best at their craft: Jack Pot and Big Bucks," Then she commented. "And they seem to have quite a few admirers, Apple Sauce included."

"Great, stuck with a bunch of old ponies." The brash speedster frowned.

The farm mare just grinned and giggled. "Did I mention that the Golden Horseshoe Gals have all the best connections? This ain't the first time they've been to Las Pegasus, they're practically VIPs by now. I'm sure if you ask nicely they'd be willin' to use their connections to get you tickets for the Wild Blue Yonder, as long as it ain't torn down by the time we get there."

"And what do you get out of this?" Rainbow inquired of Applejack.

"Just makin' sure Granny and the gals get along. They do a good job of maskin' it, but they ain't exactly the best of friends," The farm mare explained before hanging her head. "It all stems back to things they did when they were young. You thought Granny Smith had it out for Grand Pear after what he did, this is even worse. I just hope they can get through a trip without them bein' at each others' throats by the end."

"Do you suppose that might be the friendship problem?" Rainbow pondered aloud.

Applejack nodded. "Sounds like a possibility. Speakin' of which, I reckon we should head out to meet up with the Golden Horseshoe Gals now. The balloon flight to Las Pegasus will be leavin' shortly."





The Golden Horseshoe Gals were indeed waiting, and with a wagon load of travel supplies to boot when Applejack and Rainbow Dash joined them at the balloon port. Granny Smith in particular was quite surprised by this development! "Applejack, what in tarnation do you think you're doin'?! Your brother's supposed to be the chaperone, you both agreed."

"Sorry, Granny, change of plans," Applejack answered. "Big Mac's takin' over for me at the school. Rainbow and I here just called by the map, to the same place you ladies are headin'."

Granny Smith was quite skeptical of this claim. "Ya sure that's the only reason you're taggin' along on this trip, Applejack? I can take care of myself, you know."

The farm mare nodded as she began loading suitcases into a waiting hot air balloon. "Yeah, yeah. But you can afford to tone it down just a bit. You're only stayin' at the hotel Apple Sauce booked for you and the other gals, and you're only stayin' for a few days."

"I know the importance of pacin' myself. You might wanna loosen up on the brakes on that there buggy of yours, Applejack." Granny Smith scolded.

Meanwhile, Apple Sauce just called out. "Hurry it up, girls! The day is young and I am not. I wanna get there in time to unpack before the magic show tonight. No way am I missin' out on seein' Jack Pot and Big Bucks."

"And you can't forget about the Wild Blue Yonder!" Rainbow pointed out. "It's gonna be gone forever in a matter of weeks, maybe days!" And she started thinking to herself. "What will the Wonderbolts use as a right of passage after it's gone?"

"Hold your horseshoes, we're comin'." Granny Smith huffed as she climbed into the hot air balloon, and Applejack followed a few seconds later after loading up the last of the suitcases. It was a miracle the balloon was able to take off at all with how much it seemed to be weighed down.

Apple Rose smiled sincerely as the balloon rose high into the sky. "Las Pegasus, here we come!" And as gusts of wind blew past her she openly remarked. "Wow! This must be what it's like to fly like a pegasus! Now if only there was a way to experience what it's like to walk on clouds as well."

Applejack and Rainbow exchanged glances and snickers, both deciding it best not to mention the cloud walking spell to Apple Rose or any of the other Golden Horseshoe Gals. Some things were better kept a secret.

On the subject of secrets, Applejack then found herself gulping as she realized there was a secret about the likely destination in Las Pegasus that she had neglected to tell Granny Smith about. Namely, who the hotel's owners were. "I hope there's not a lot of bad blood left between them," She thought to herself. "I didn't exactly forgive the two the last time we met, either before or after I teamed up with 'em."





The balloon (similar in color to the one often rented out for flights) was eventually brought to a slow and controlled halt as it landed on a small airstrip on the outskirts of Las Pegasus. Everypony got out once the balloon had been tied down, suitcases and saddlebags in tow.

A familiar, towering set of hotels and luxurious living spaces soon greeted the eyes of Applejack and the Golden Horseshoe Gals. But this was Rainbow's first time seeing the premiere vacation spot and self proclaimed 'Playground of Equestria' in pony. It was overwhelming to say the least.

The group eventually made their way to a hotel at the edge of the block. Upon entering they all saw a huge rollercoaster track running throughout much of the building. It had to be the Wild Blue Yonder the Wonderbolts had been gushing about it! There was just no way for it to be anything else! Rainbow was in awe from the moment she lay eyes upon it. "I hope I can find a way to wrap up this map mission fast and get my ticket for a once in a lifetime opportunity!" She thought to herself. "Then I'll truly no longer be a rookie."

A bellhop stallion clad in a red uniform with bright yellow trim came trotting up, tipping his hat as he introduced himself. "Ah, you must be the lucky prize winners here for your trip," He declared. "My name's Tip Top. Please, allow me to show you to your room, ladies. The owners spared no expense in renovating it."

"Wait? Owners? As in more than one?" Goldie Delicious spoke up. "And uh... do they have any sort of policy against cats?" As soon as she finished saying this several of her cats spilled out of her saddlebags.

"As long as you clean up after them, you may keep them in your room and we'll scrub the whole thing down after you leave. Just be sure they don't scratch up the curtains," Tip Top nodded in obligation. "Now if you'll follow me..." And he led the Golden Horseshoe Girls away, leaving Applejack and Rainbow Dash alone in the hotel entrance.

Immediately, Applejack turned to her fellow athlete and inquired. "You were thinkin' of makin' a beeline straight for the Wild Blue Yonder, weren't you?"

"Only to check out the line! It's bound to be out the door," Rainbow commented and groaned. "If I'd know I was gonna be coming along on a trip, I would've thought to make a reservation. I hope they still have ride passes or something so I can come back later."

The farm mare encouraged by putting a hoof around her speedster friend. "You go do that, sugarcube. I ain't see hide or hair of Flim and Flam yet, so I'm gonna try to talk to Granny Smith about them before they meet so she's prepared. Meet me on the dance floor in about half an hour. And remember, we're here on map business first. We can have our fun only after we sort out the friendship problem."

The brash speedster groaned in annoyance. "You're no fun, Applejack. No wonder Granny Smith is so suspicious of your claim."

"Just makin' sure we all stay focused," Applejack pointed out. "But I'm confident everythin' will work out in the end, it always does. We ain't met a friendship problem yet that we couldn't solve."

"Let's hope this isn't the first." Rainbow replied and then zipped away, while Applejack trotted after Tip Top and the Golden Horseshoe Gals to find out where they'd be staying.





The Golden Horseshoe Gals were led up several floors via elevator to extremely lavish and elegant rooms! Velvet red curtains and matching bed sheets, sparkling red carpets, beds big enough to fit a princess and even a window with which to look out at the greater hotel area if one wanted to.

"You lucky ladies are considered honored guests of the owners. They made all the arrangements upon finding out you'd chosen our venue to stay at despite it still undergoing renovation," Tip Top once more tipped his hat. "Please enjoy your stay, and if there's anything we can to do make things even better for you please let us know."

Apple Sauce then smiled, taking out a bit to pay the hard working stallion. "Thanks a bushel in the peck for all you do," With a wink she then asked. "Say, you available tonight? I'd love to invite you to see the magic show with me."

"Sorry, ma'am. It's against company policy to accept favors from guests, especially VIP guests," Tip Top replied by shaking his head. "Still, I can accept the bits as payment for a job well done." And after taking the coin and pocketing it, he trotted away.

Apple Rose couldn't help but remark. "You always have a way with the stallions, Apple Sauce. You always scare away the best ones too."

"I just carried away sometimes. It gets a little lonely living by yourself," Apple Sauce grinned. "But you're right, I do need to tone it down. Just bein' with you girls is enough," Under her breath she added. "Most of the time, anyway."

Granny Smith, meanwhile, just went about unpacking as she huffed. "Just look at you two, arguin' like a bunch of school fillies. We're not gonna have a good time if you two keep fightin' like this. The whole reason we go on these retreats is to unwind and get away from it."

Goldie Delicious could only chuckle. "You're right, Smith. So loosen up. Don't wanna be a stick in the mud when we haven't even hit the dance floor yet. It's your granddaughter who's supposed to be the one who spoils all the fun."

"I do not!" Applejack pouted. "For the last time, I didn't come on this trip just to be a downer. I came here on a legitimate friendship mission with Rainbow Dash. And since she's currently off checkin' out the Wild Blue Yonder, that means it's up to me to make sure y'all check in okay."

"Well as you can clearly see, we're settled in just fine," Granny Smith declared with a frown and swished her tail to show off her disapproval. "Right fellow Golden Horseshoe Gals?"

Apple Rose nodded. "I'll say we are. And in record time to boot. The owners of this hotel really know how to treat ladies."

"I'll say," Apple Sauce smiled and winked. "Wonder if we'll get to meet them at some point?"

"Didn't you say you knew the owners, Applejack?" Goldie Delicious then asked. "I mean, you and Fluttershy came here once before, didn't ya? Granny Smith said somethin' about it, but you never offered details."

The farm mare answered while trying not to gulp. "Well, I did meet the new hotel owners. Though they weren't really the new owners yet when Fluttershy and I came here. We sort of ended up helpin' them kick out the previous owner, but only because he was usin' friendship for his own benefits. Fluttershy and I left shortly afterward, though I didn't expect the hotel to still be goin' through some renovations even now. It's got to have been the better half of a year at least since the last encounter."

"Well, if it was really important you'd have told me their names by now," Granny Smith replied to her granddaughter. "But unfortunately, I don't have all day to wait around for you to decide you wanna tell me. The girls and I are gonna get our groove thing on. You're welcome to come watch us," And she warned. "But only the watch part, nothin' more."

"Yes, Granny, I know," Applejack sighed. "Besides, I have to meet up with Rainbow again anyway to see if she's figured out where our friendship problem's supposed to be in this hotel." And she trotted after the four old mares as they departed their VIP suite.





Applejack and the gals soon reached the dance floor, just as a downtrodden Rainbow came flying over to them. "Just my luck that all the ride passes for the Wild Blue Yonder are sold out. And it's only a matter of weeks before it closes for good too. There's no way I'll be able to ride it now."

"I reckon the gals could probably get you a front row seat if you asked nicely," Applejack suggested to her unhappy friend. "They're gettin' the kind of VIP treatment I've never seen them get otherwise. And three guesses as to why that is."

"You mean, you haven't told Granny Smith yet?" Rainbow questioned aloud and received confirmation in the form of a firm shake from her fellow athlete. "You know she's going to find out sooner or later, right?"

Applejack let out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. The only thing is, I'm not sure she'll believe me when she doesn't seem to believe me on the whole map business thing either. Besides, it looks like she's currently occupied with other things." And she gestured a hoof over to the center of the dance floor. Lights were shining brightly, music was blaring from loudspeakers and two stallions were conversing with the Golden Horseshoe Gals.

One of the stallions was a unicorn who looked so much like Trixie that it was uncanny. He had the same light blue coat as Trixie and the same light gray and light grayish-blue mane and tail done up in curls. His eyes were a moderate violet and his cutie mark depicted three yellow stars. He wore a yellow top hat with a purple stripe near the bottom, and had a dark purple button vest and matching bow with a yellow jacket underneath.

The other stallion was an earth pony that looked to be slightly taller than his partner. He had a light purplish-pink coat, green eyes, a very light green mane and tail in small curls with the occasional darker green streak, and a cutie mark depicting a white star popping out of a magic hat. He had similar attire to his partner, except his top hat was white with a purplish-blue stripe near the bottom, he had a similarly purplish-blue colored button vest and a white jacket underneath.

"I must say, you ladies have some smooth moves," The unicorn stallion declared as he tipped his hat to them. "I hear you're the famous Golden Horseshoe Gals that are considered honored guests of the hotel's owners."

Apple Sauce grinned as she shook the unicorn stallion's hooves. "Whoever tipped you off is right. And you must be our favorite magicians: Jack Pot and his great and powerful assistant Big Bucks."

"Indeed that is so!" The unicorn stallion grinned. "Though it's been ages since I've used the 'Great and Powerful' part in my performances."

Big Bucks just commented with a smile. "There's no need to be so modest, Jack Pot. It's your magical prowess and know how that's made our shows such a success. Though I'm honored to be not just your assistant but also your great and powerful friend," Then he inquired. "May we know the names of the lucky ladies that will be attending our show tonight? We have something special reserved for admirers such as yourselves."

"I'm Apple Sauce," Apple Sauce answered before gesturing to each of her travel companions. "This here's Granny Smith, Goldie Delicious and Apple Rose. And Apple Rose is the one who's big into magic shows, she was the one who insisted we come here."

Jack Pot flashed a smile while tipping his hat, before placing it back atop his head. "Fabulous! Fantastic even! We'll be sure to keep an eye out for you tonight. We might even be willing to let you up on stage for one of our volunteer acts."

"Don't worry, the only thing we ever made vanish was the audience's boredom," Big Bucks joked. "If you want to know a real vanishing act, you should talk to my ex-wife. Wherever she disappeared to it's a place even I can't reach her."

Jack Pot then instructed. "Enough talk, Big Bucks. We must begin rehearsal for our next show. After all, not only will it be packed full of ponies but it will also include some not so secret admirers of our talents." He proceeded to throw down a smoke bomb as he and his partner disappeared.

Rainbow and Applejack spoke not a word as they witnessed the whole display, but they were both thinking the same thing in their minds. "Are we sure Jack Pot and Trixie aren't related somehow?"





After that unexpected "encounter" with the magician duo, the Golden Horseshoe Gals occupied themselves for a little bit with some arcade games throughout the hotel. All the while the sounds of the Wild Blue Yonder zooming up, down and all around filled the air every so often. And it only served to further remind Rainbow Dash of what she wasn't going to be able to experience. She knew about Applejack's suggestion but she wasn't sure how to ask in a way that wouldn't sound desperate.

In the end, the gals managed to pool together enough tickets from their various games to obtain a stuffed kitten plushie. Goldie Delicious proudly claimed it. "This'll be just the thing for my little darlings. They'll love it to pieces!" And she was all too happy to take it back to the VIP suite and place it atop her bed.

"You know, this trip is proceeding a lot better than you made it sound like it would progress." Rainbow commented to Applejack as the two accompanied the gals to the banquet hall for a long overdue lunch.

Applejack only replied. "Well that's only because Granny Smith hasn't met you know who yet. And I think she may be tryin' to get along with the other gals just to try and get rid of me," She unhappily sighed. "I guess it's my fault for bein' so overprotective so much."

Rainbow did her best to reassure her friend. "Hey, you're just trying to look out for your family. So maybe you overdid it sometimes. Big deal. You don't do it anymore because you know now better, and that should be what counts."

"I sure hope you're right, Rainbow, for both our sakes. I get the feelin' that part of our mission is for me to convince Granny Smith that I ain't hoverin' over her like I did Apple Bloom that one time." Applejack commented before making her way over to Granny Smith and the other gals.

But they hadn't been eating for very long when at long last the hotel owners decided to make themselves known. Two two very familiar unicorn stallions with light yellow coats and red manes and tails approached the table where Applejack, Rainbow Dash and the Golden Horseshoe Gals were currently seated. The stallion on the right had a mustache, whereas the one on the left did not. But both wore matching yellow hats along with blue and white striped uniforms.

Granny Smith nearly jumped up in surprise when the familiar stallions greeted her by tipping their hats. "What in tarnation?! Just what do you two no-gooders think you're doin' in a place like this?!"

Flim immediately moved to try to clam Granny Smith down. "Now now, Granny Smith. It's nothing like that. My brother and I have renounced our salespony ways of old for good. Isn't that right, dear brother of mine?"

Flam nodded and smiled. "Indeed, oh brother, you speak the truth," And to Granny Smith he sincerely answered. "You should know that we haven't pulled off a con once since we took this hotel away from its previous owner, Gladmane. He deserved no less for all the horrible lies he fed to the both of us to turn us against each other."

"So, what, now you just give away a whole bunch of stuff for free and expect me to forget what you used to do?" Granny Smith huffed and frowned. "Fat chance!"

"Oh come now, Granny Smith. Why not let bygones be bygones?" The mustached Flam proposed. "After all, we're going to need a lot of good publicity to turn this place around. The Wild Blue Yonder has seen better days, and it's just too expensive to keep it operating."

Flim then boasted. "It sure is a good thing we've got the hottest magical acts in all of Equestria performing in our theater. Jack Pot and Big Bucks really live up to their names."

Rainbow immediately flew over with a gasp! "Whoa whoa whoa! So you're closing down this awesome, one of a kind roller coaster and in its place you're charging outrageous prices for some magicians?! This sounds just like that fake tonic scheme Applejack told me about from when you two were previously in Ponyville."

Both Flim and Flam seemed to look sincerely ashamed as they blinked in mutual agreement, and Flam spoke up. "A scheme we regret ever trying. We initially really did want to help Granny Smith feel younger. But we let ourselves get swept up in the marketing."

"In fact, it was because we'd struck out twice in Ponyville that we even decided to come here in the first place," Flim explained. "Then we met Gladmane, and Applejack can tell you the rest. As for the Wild Blue Yonder, it's regrettable that we have to close it for good. But we have to get with the times, if we continue to operate it this hotel is going to go under. We haven't ruled out reopening it someday, but that'll have to wait until we can find somepony who can keep it running without charging too much."

Flam pointed out. "In the meantime, we need something to fill the void. Magic acts seemed like the perfect thing to put into the old theater that used to house the finest entertainment and musical acts in Equestria. Jack Pot and Big Bucks are hardly the only performers we have lined up though," And he grinned. "We've got a hot new act we're just waiting to debut who comes all the way from Klugetown. Let's just say his cunning ways would put even our old salespony selves to shame."

Granny Smith, meanwhile, turned her attention to Applejack as she narrowed her brows. "No wonder we've been gettin' such special treatment. This was all part of your plan, wasn't it? When you found out the gals and I were headin' to Las Pegasus you put in word to Flim and Flam to treat us so lavishly we'd be too distracted to fight."

Applejack defensively retorted. "That wasn't my plan at all. I never would've even come here with you if the map didn't insist," And she pointed out. "I reckon you and the Golden Horseshoe Gals have to be part of the friendship problem. You always promise me you're not gonna fight, but that's exactly what you end up doin' anyway."

"We can deal with problems like that on our own!" Granny Smith grumbled as she got up from her seat. "If anypony should be worryin' about family, it should be me! You're always galavatin' off on your adventures, travelin' to the farthest reaches of Equestria. But you seem to think you need to look out for me all the time like you used to do with Apple Bloom. Honestly, Apple Bloom was better than you when she was goin' through this."

At that, Applejack stopped and nearly gasped. "You're worried about me?! I never knew you felt that way, Granny Smith. Why didn't you ever say somethin'?"

"Didn't think I had to, until now. I figured you'd be smart enough to know that for yourself," Granny Smith shook her head. "But you seem to still think the horseshoe's on the other hoof. Well, if this 'friendship problem' of yours is so dang important, why don't you just get on with it and get out of my mane?" And she turned and trotted off with her back turned to Applejack.





Rainbow Dash could only sigh as she hovered near Applejack, having witnessed everything. "I guess stubbornness runs in the family, huh, Applejack?"

The farm mare just remarked to herself. "I probably deserved it for not bein' honest with her up front about Flim and Flam. Should've told her the moment I got back from Las Pegasus. And I probably should've considered what all my journeys across Equestria and beyond would do to her."

"Why do you feel like you have to watch out for everypony all the time anyway?" Rainbow questioned. "That's something I've always found odd. I mean, I'm pretty much hooves off when it comes to the sisterly stuff with Scoot, but you almost make me feel bad with how much you seem to care for others. When you really get protective, I swear, you give Fluttershy a run for her money."

Taking off her trusty stetson, Applejack confessed. "It's 'cause of my parents. Even though I ain't the oldest siblin', ever since they died it's felt like I've had to step up and fill the role they left behind. Probably 'cause Big Mac started closin' himself off and not speakin' much until recently."

"We... had no idea, honest," Flim sincerely apologized to Applejack. "We figured your parents were no longer around, but we never suspected you lost them at such a young age."

"Still, you always had your family. And we greatly admired that," Flam pointed out. "Flim and I, we've only had each other for as long as we can remember. Maybe we had parents and they got taken away from us, or maybe we've always been orphans. Either way, Flim and I had to fend for ourselves from an early age. And after Gladmane nearly tore us apart for good, being able to reconnect felt all the sweeter."

Rainbow Dash then suggested. "Well, I think Granny Smith would really like to know that. Know that you two understand the importance of family I'd think that's something even she would have to respect."

"If it helps," Flim proposed. "We could agree to end the VIP treatment and offer a full refund for the price of the trip. We never wanted to be accused of favoritism. But having Granny Smith as our guest, we obviously felt the need to go the extra mile and pull out all the stops."

But Apple Sauce protested. "Hey, we don't want you to stop now. We are contest winners, and this is the most fun we've had on a get away since we started doin' these many years ago. Ain't that right, gals?" The rest of the Golden Horseshoe Gals all nodded their heads in agreement.

Flam, however, hesitantly replied. "Well, we won't be able to make a decision until we talk to Granny Smith. I just hope she's willing to listen." And he and his brother went to find the lone isolated member of the gals.

It took a little while for the brothers to find Granny Smith, but they eventually caught up with her back at the VIP suite as she was beginning to pack up her suitcases. "Oh, it's you two. Come to try and talk me out of checkin' out early, no doubt." She frowned anew.

The non-mustached brother tried to propose. "Listen, Granny Smith. We're sorry for any misunderstandings or disagreements from the past. Yes, there's no good reason why you should trust us. But do you think we'd be able to survive for long in this 'Pony eat pony' world of Las Pegasus if we were still up to our old ways?"

And the mustached brother added. "If you're not willing to accept our forgiveness, that's fine. I honestly don't think your granddaughter forgives us so much as she tolerates us. She minds her own business and we mind ours, simple as that. But you should be lucky to have a family that you're able to stay in touch with. That's something Flim and I have always admired about you Apples."

After a long, drawn out and awkward silence, Granny Smith reluctantly conceded to the brothers. "I know everypony else would want me to forgive Applejack and get back to the vacation. And I suppose you're right, family is somethin' to treasure and value while you still have it," She then cautioned. "But my forgiveness is going to have a price. One of the first conditions is that after tonight you boys have to stop tryin' so hard to impress me. If you really want me to believe you're sincere about your change of heart, I don't need a bunch of fancy favors."





So it was that Granny Smith rejoined her fellow Golden Horseshoe Gals, and then she and Applejack after a bit of silence shared in a hug. The hug conveyed more than words that all was forgiven, for the most part. Granny Smith was quick to warn Applejack. "You need to stop hoverin' over me so much. If this friendship mission of yours ends soon, you let the Golden Horseshoe Gals and I enjoy the rest of our stay on our own. We know our limits."

"And I promise that from now on, if I'm doin' somethin' that worries you you don't have to be afraid to speak up to me," Applejack vowed. "And, if I can help it, I ain't gonna be drawn into crazy adventures without first makin' sure you know not to worry."

"Speaking of worry," Rainbow spoke up once the hug ended. "Is there any way I could..."

Goldie Delicious just grinned. "-Ride the Wild Blue Yonder? Because that was part of our trip here too, even if the magic show was the biggest reason for comin'. We've got all the best connections. I'm sure we could arrange for you to get a ride too."

"Awesome!" The brash speedster smiled, before noticing something else. "Hey, Applejack! Look at your flanks for a moment!"

Applejack did so, and sure enough she saw that her cutie mark was glowing, and so was Rainbow Dash's. That meant the friendship problem had been solved!

"Please tell me my eyes aren't playin' tricks on me again!" Granny Smith exclaimed as she shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

The farm mare just grinned. "Sorry, Granny, that's just how the map works. Told ya I wasn't pullin' your leg about it."

The brash speedster, meanwhile, just declared! "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get my ticket for the Wild Blue Yonder! I may even go down in history as the last Wonderbolt to ever ride it!"

"If you're looking for the ride entrance, it's just down the hall and up a flight of stairs," Flim instructed as he used his magic to float over several gold tinted passes. "Just show these to the ride attendant and you're good to go."

Flam then advised. "But you'd better hold on tight! We don't call it the Wild Blue Yonder for nothing!"

Applejack just commented. "You girls go ahead. I ain't much for rollercoasters. This is one experience I don't mind missin' out on," And she proposed. "See you all tonight for the magic show?"

Rainbow Dash and the Golden Horseshoe Gals all nodded in agreement, and then trotted away to find and board the Wild Blue Yonder.
> S8 E17: The End in Friend (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It all started out like almost any other day since the School of Friendship had opened its doors, at least as far as both Rarity and Rainbow Dash were concerned. They had classes to teach, lessons to give and homework to assign.

But it soon became a day unlike any other when both were basically "recruited" by Starlight Glimmer. The unicorn turned guidance counselor started first with Rarity. "Oh! Rarity! There you are! Just the pony I've been looking for!" She exclaimed while panting.

"Starlight, whatever is the emergency?" Rarity inquired of her friend. "And why exactly do you need me in particular? If it's really something urgent then wouldn't Twilight come to get me?"

"There's no time to explain, you need to get to Twilight's office right away!" Starlight protested as she grabbed Rarity by the hooves. "It's urgent!" And she teleported away before Rarity could utter even a syllable of protest!

Starlight then quickly appeared to Rainbow Dash and said mostly the same thing, before whisking the pegasus away and bringing her to Twilight's office as well!

"Okay, does somepony wanna tell me what the hay's going on here?" Rainbow Dash grumbled. "And couldn't it have waited until after classes were done for the day?"

Rarity commented. "That's funny, because I had just the same reaction as you did, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow gagged. "Ugh! If this is supposed to be another one of Twilight's 'demonstrations' I want no part of it! That last one was all kinds of awkward."

"Come now, darling, it wasn't that bad. I thought you looked splendid." Rarity pointed out.

Just then, Starlight appeared before them and quickly ushered them into the headmare's office. "No time to explain! Twilight needs your help, now!" Then she called out. "Twilight, I brought them both here as you requested."

Twilight was currently searching through piles of books while frantically flapping her wings, so she didn't bother to turn around to answer Starlight. "Oh, great! Just what I wanted to hear," And then she resumed her desperate search as she said aloud. "Come on! Where is it?! Where is it?! Where IS it?!"

Starlight seemed to know what her former teacher was saying as she gulped. "Uh-oh, I don't like the sound of that. Any luck?"

Twilight finally turned around and shook her head as she groaned. "No! It's goooone! Oh, Princess Celestia is gonna kill me when she finds out about this!"

"Oh come on, Twilight. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad," Rainbow protested before asking. "What's gone, exactly?"

The young alicorn confessed with shame. "The Amulet of Aurora!"

Upon hearing that name Rarity gasped in realization! "One of the magical items Princess Celestia loaned to this school?"

Twilight nodded in confirmation. "The very same. And it's no ordinary amulet either. According to legend it has the power to reverse the tides and summon tsunamis!" And she declared with dismay. "If it falls into the wrong hooves, claws, talons or otherwise, all of Equestria and beyond will be in grave danger! And not only will Princess Celestia chew me out, but so will Queen Novo for again betraying her trust."

"That's why I brought you two here," Starlight declared with something of a smile as she looked to both Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "You two have the kind of skills that could really come in handy for tracking down the culprit."

"I see what you mean," Rainbow nodded back. "I've got plenty of experience searching for lost treasures with Daring Do. Not to mention I'm super fast!"

Rarity grinned. "And as Rainbow Dash can attest, my detective skills are second to none. Much like Shadow Spade herself, I'm certain I can find out who took your amulet and make them give it back," Then she looked down at herself. "Although, my current attire is hardly suitable for mystery solving. I'll need to change into something more suitable."

But Twilight protested. "There's no time for that! You two need to search now before the culprit gets too far away!" And she pleaded. "Please, you must get on the case right away! I'll feel so much better knowing you two are looking for it together!"

And Starlight was quick to add. "While Twilight and I work on a locator spell together. And don't worry about your classes, we've got it covered if the search takes a while," With a sincere smile she declared. "It's the perfect solution! Now get going, before it's too late!"

So Rainbow Dash and Rarity were reluctantly assigned to the case of the missing Amulet of Aurora with three simple goals: Find out who it took, find out where the guilty party had fled to, and make the culprit give the amulet back before it could cause any lasting damage.

Yet the two knew it was going to be difficult, and in more ways than one. Although neither of them could truly anticipate how this search what unfold and what would come of it.



"Well, Rarity," Rainbow sighed as the two friends began to make a plan on how to solve the mystery they'd been called to investigate. "You're the detective expert here. Last time we did this you were calling all the shots."

"But Twilight clearly wants us both to do this," Rarity protested. "And for something as important as that amulet I'm going to trust her judgement for the time being. Besides, you're more of the daring adventurer type, and I imagine we'll be doing a fair deal of chasing before all's said and done."

The brash speedster seemed to nod in agreement. "Yeah, that's true. And I love a good chase!" She then smacked her hooves together. "Let's start by interrogating anyone who came near the artifacts in the past twenty four hours! Even if none of the students took it, I'll bet you anything that one of them saw who did."

But the fashionista protested again. "There's no need to cause a commotion. We can't let the thief know we're onto them if indeed they're here or have somepony on the inside helping them out. Let's investigate the scene of the crime and look for any kind of clues. Thieves always leave something behind."

"Great! The sooner we get that amulet back to Twilight, the sooner we can both leave!" Rainbow declared. "Come on, let's check where the artifacts were kept."

So the two made their way to a nearby storage closet, inside of which rested a well hidden display case where the six magical artifacts that had been loaned to the School of Friendship were stored. Except now there was one missing, The Amulet of Aurora. A quick inspection of the surrounding area indicated that none of the other objects had been touched.

Rarity observed as much. "How peculiar. There appears to be no signs of forced entry or a struggle. And no signs of damage to any of the other artifacts either. This all suggests the thief did not leave in a hurry, and that they only cared about the Amulet of Aurora. Either because they knew about its powers or because it was the easiest for them to snag."

Amidst the sound of clattering from other supplies, Rainbow groaned. "Really? All this trouble just to steal one artifact? Why not steal the whole display case?" And she then suggested. "You know what, I'll bet that pesky Chancellor Neighsay took it. Not only would it give him incredible powers, but he'd also be able to make Twilight's school look bad and get her in trouble with the hippogriffs."

"Darling, don't be ridiculous," Rarity shook her head in disapproval. "We haven't even the slightest clue who took it or why. You really think Neighsay would be so petty as to sabotage Twilight's school? He seemed to be smarter than that," And then she frowned. "Now, do you have any actual clues to show me? Because if not I'm going to get back to my investigation."

But the currently off-duty Wonderbolt groaned anew in frustration. "Rarity, your stupid boots are leaving sparkle all over the floor! And I'm not cleaning that up!"

"Sparkles?" The fashionista inquired as she turned around and looked down at the floor. A closer inspection indicated a key detail that her considerable less fashion literate friend had missed. "Darling, I know you're not color blind. Surely you can tell the difference. My sparkles are magenta, not blue. And I most certainly wouldn't leave sparkles on the floor with such boots."

"Have you forgotten that they were spilling glitter and sparkles the day you bought them?" Rainbow frowned. "That was the day you promised that if I helped you with some shopping, you'd agree to play a one on one buckball game with me." And her mind began flashing back to that day, which had unfolded only a few days prior to the current incident.





Although the high class athlete had started to come around to the idea of spa treatments from time to time since becoming a Wonderbolt, she still was not the kind of mare who would go shopping. Let alone shopping for shoes. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this, Rarity!" She complained. "If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times, I don't like shopping! Please, just make this quick so we can get to the buckball match."

"All in good time, Rainbow," Rarity reassured her friend. "It's quite lucky I ran into you when I did. While I am intrigued by the idea of buckball, I was hoping to get your insight on a possible boutique in Cloudsdale."

"Seriously? You're not satisfied with three successful boutiques? Now you wanna add a fourth one?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Talk about greedy."

The fashionista only scoffed at the suggestion. "It's not greedy, it's a simple matter of business. One must go wherever there is a market to tap. The truly best of the best get ahead of the curve by looking for new and unexplored markets to break into. So what if I need to have the cloud-walking spell done whenever I have to deliver merchandise? That can be easily resolved if I find a suitable pegasus partner, just like Sassy in Canterlot or Coco in Manehattan."

The rainbow maned pegasus just snorted. "Well I can't help you there, you're barking up the wrong tree. And if you ask me, there's not many places in Cloudsdale where you could set up shop. And don't get any ideas, the Wonderbolts don't need a new tailor."

Rarity couldn't help but tease. "Are you sure I can't interest you in a dazzling new outfit? It would put even your old gala dress to shame."

"Rarity, I don't need ponies staring at me! And I don't need you trying to play matchmaker for me either," Rainbow growled. "Now are you gonna buy something or not?"

"Patience, darling. I'm currently contemplating some important facts," The fashionista replied to her friend as she eyed a lovely pair of pink boots with magenta colored sparkles on the heels. " Hmmm... I'm genuinely not sure. Are these boots too in style?"

Rainbow Dash impatiently remarked. "Do I look like I know? Besides, isn't 'in style' what you want?"

Rarity explained. "Yes, obviously. But there is such a thing as being too in style. They should also be ahead of the curve so they'll see more usage. If they're in fashion right now, then they're practically already out."

"I have no idea what any of that means. That doesn't make a lick of sense," Rainbow frowned at her fashion friend. "Just pick something, we don't have all day!"

However, Rarity had her attention drawn to a set of ruby red high heels not unlike the glass slippers she'd worn with her first gala dress. "Hmmm... Perhaps I should just get these instead. What do you think? Are the boots I have now fashionable or not?"

"Heels are practically useless unless you like tripping with every step you take." The brash speedster scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Rarity just smiled as she held one of the boots up. "Au contraire, my fashion challenged friend. Heels have a multitude of uses," And she started listing them off at length. "Formal functions, afternoon teas, evening teas, high tea, tea by the sea, royal tea—" As she spoke she didn't seem to realize that some of the glitter was falling off the boots and spilling onto the floor.

Rainbow interrupted. "-Uh, can they clean up glitter? Ew! It's on my hooves! How many times do I have tell ponies I don't like having my hooves touched?"

"My sincerest apologies, Rainbow Dash. If it'll make you feel better, these boots speak to me," Rarity smiled as she used her magic to remove them from her hooves. "That settles it, I'm taking them!"

"Great! Now can we get out of here and get tot the buckball match already?" The athlete declared as she grabbed her fashion friend by the hoof the second the purchase was completed, whisking Rarity away at lightning speed.





The flashback ended as Rarity retorted. "I kept my promise in the end, didn't I?"

"Just barely, you didn't really want to play and I could tell," Rainbow frowned. "Besides, if your boots aren't causing it that means we've got a trail to follow. You think the thief wouldn't notice something like that?"

Rarity nodded. "You'd be amazed what you can overlook given the circumstances. Even I am guilty of missing things that were right in front of me," And she suggested. "Let's follow that trail, wherever it goes! It's our first clue."

"Now that is a good idea, let's get a move on!" The brash speedster declared as she zoomed away in a rainbow colored blur of motion!

Rarity followed as best as she could given her current attire, panting heavily as she tried not to lose sight of her athletic friend. "Oh, must you always go so fast? You know I can't keep up with you."

But Rainbow only answered. "You gotta pick up the pace, Rarity! We'll never catch the thief if you keep literally dragging your heels."

The fashionista frowned as she inspected the glamorous boots. "My apologies, darling. It would appear these boots are not, in fact, 'made for trotting' as advertised," And she then questioned. "Just where do you think you're going on your own? How are we ever supposed to find that amulet if you keep leaving me in the dust? Remember, we promised Twilight we'd work together!"

"I haven't forgotten, I was in the room with you," The pegasus groaned. "And it's not like I'm just leaving you behind because I want to. I'm trying to follow that trail from the amulet. It has to have been made out of Azurantium! That's the only reason why it would leave sparkles."

"Azurantium?" Rarity scratched her head. "Should I have heard of that before?"

Rainbow explained. "Not unless you're into Daring Do, which I know you aren't. You wouldn't read the books even after I told you Daring Do was real!" She then cleared her throat, realizing she was getting off topic. "Anyway, Azurantium is the same metal that the Amulet of Atonement from book four of Daring Do is made out of. It always leaves a trail of sparkles wherever it goes."

The fashionista, meanwhile, gasped in realization! "Wait, now I remember! There was a Shadow Spade story involving an object made out of Azurantium. It came out not too long after that the fourth Daring Do book too. But it's been so long since I read it I'd completely forgotten."

"So you're slow on the move and slow on the uptake when it comes to rare metals," Rainbow Dash groaned. "I'm beginning to see why you weren't interested in buckball. You've got to be able to think on your hooves."

"It's not like I didn't try, Rainbow Dash. To be fair, your way of explaining the game was basically throwing me right into a match without any practice." Rarity spoke in reply as she was now recalling that "friendly" match from the same day Rainbow Dash had gone shoe shopping with her.





Rainbow Dash had been quite relieved to put on her blue buckball uniform and take to the skies. "Finally! No more having to touch glitter."

"I thought you said you don't like having your hooves touched? Is a buckball different somehow?" Rarity pondered as she wore an old white and purple buckball uniform that had clearly seen better days.

Rainbow shook her head. "I don't need to use my hooves. Some ponies do, but I'm capable of working with just my wings and my head," She lamented aloud. "It's too bad we don't have some earth ponies and another pegasus and unicorn to join us. But we can still have a one on one match. It's a classic way to test goal keepers and ball catchers."

"Ah, so that's what the bucket is for!" Rarity realized.

Rainbow nodded. "Exactly! Now enough talk! Game on!" And she immediately launched a new, bright red buckball towards her friend!

The ball soared right past Rarity who just stood there, apparently having dazed off to somewhere far away judging from the looks of her sparkling blue eyes.

The pegasus with a coat the same blue color as the sky above groaned as she zoomed down to confront her friend. "Hey, Rarity! Pay attention! You were supposed to be holding your bucket!"

"Well, darling, you only just explained a few of the rules before you shouted 'Game On!'," Rarity pointed out. "How can there be a game when I don't even know the rules?"

But Rainbow Dash was convinced something else was up. "Seems to me like you had your mind on other things."

The fashionista unicorn reluctantly confessed. "Okay, I suppose you got me. It's just that... wearing this drab jersey gave me an idea for a buckball-inspired line of 'athleisure' wear that would allow for maximum flexibility and style! Perfect for that Cloudsdale boutique I'm thinking about." She even showed off a sketch she'd drawn to show off the concept to potential clients.

"Again with that boutique idea?! I told you that it's not gonna work! I don't even know any pegasi who'd be willing to go into business with you," The tomboyish pegasus groaned anew in annoyance. "Now come on! Either play the game or stop wasting time. I did my best to tolerate your interest after all."

Rarity shook her head and cleared her thoughts. "Alright, fair enough. I'm ready now! I think I get the idea." And she used her magic to envelope the basket and hold it up.

Convinced that there would be no more mishaps, Rainbow picked up the buckball and flew back up. "Good! 'Cause this time, I'm gonna try something new and super-intense! I've been looking for an opportunity to test this baby out!" And she instructed. "Keep your eye on the ball, if you can!" She proceeded to unleash what could best be described as a sonic rainboom shot, harnessing her famous sonic rainboom of legend to shoot a fast paced buckball towards Rarity!

The frightened fashionista shrieked in horror at the rapidly approaching buckball and dove for cover! She tried to hold up her bucket, but with her hooves covering her eyes and her head it was impossible to tell where the ball was going. As a result it soared right over and right past her.

Rainbow flew back down and tapped a hoof on her frightened friend. "Okay, maybe that was a little more intense than I thought. Even so, you should've been paying attention. You were supposed to catch the ball."

"Well that sounds dangerous. Warn me the next time you're gonna do something like that!" Rarity whined before regaining her composure. "Let's try again. No fancy moves, just a good, clean match."

But Rainbow had had enough. "Forget it. When it comes to buckball you either have it or you don't have it, and you're in the latter camp I'm afraid. Stick to the sidelines from now on."

"Rainbow, I promise you I can get better. Give me another chance." Rarity pleaded.

The brash speedster refused to consider the possibility. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. My day off from the Wonderbolts and teaching is almost over now. I'm gonna go spend the rest of it relaxing on my own. You go do... whatever it is you normally do on a day like this." And she flew off without another word.





As the flashback ended and the search resumed, Rarity was starting to think to herself. "You know, that's the most recent occasion I can think of where Rainbow and I were hanging out without any of our other friends around," And then she realized! "Oh dear! That might be a problem, and we don't even realize it!" She made herself a mental note to try to bring this up later, preferably after the search was done and The Amulet of Aurora was safely back at the school.

There were more pressing details up front that needed to be addressed, however, as Rarity continued to lag behind her much faster friend. "Rainbow Dash, could you please slow it down just a tad? You keep flying past important clues we'll need to solve this case," She then eyed a small print near the ground. "Take this print, for example. It's not a hoof mark, something else had to make it. Perhaps a claw?"

"I already noticed that, and it's not much of a clue when there's plenty of creatures with claws to consider," Rainbow replied, having already flown ahead a considerable distance. "I've found a much bigger clue!" She gestured a hoof to the trail of sparkles that now traveled straight through a murky swamp surrounded by geysers shooting off hot steam.

The mere smell of the swamp was overwhelming to the fashionista, who did her best to avoid gagging. "Great. Good news is we're on the right track. Bad news is," She gulped. "We have to get to the other side of this disgusting swamp," And she told her pegasus friend in no uncertain terms. "I sure hope you don't actually expect me to..." She shuddered at the mere thought that played in her mind. "Wade through that. Because if so you've got another thing coming."

Rainbow didn't immediately answer. She instead took a nearby cat tail plant and dipped it into the murky swamp waters. It sank all the way up to the very tip of the plan. "Nope. We're not wading through that. It's too deep, we'd get stuck for sure."

"Ooh! Clever," Rarity exclaimed in amazement. "What Daring Do book did you get that from?"

Rainbow sheepishly confessed. "Well actually, I learned it at Scootaloo's Filly Guide camp," And she added. "Did you know that's how her aunts first met each other?"

"I didn't, but I shouldn't be too surprised. They seem like the type of ponies you'd expect from the Filly Guide," The fashionista blinked, before sighing. "But I don't think even they would know how to cross a swap this deep without getting covered in the... er... muck as it were. At least you can fly across."

The pegasus tried to do so, but she couldn't fly very far before the geysers started spewing up hot steam that blocked her path at every turn. And they shot so high into the sky that flying up to get over them was not possible. She was forced to turn back. "I sure can't, not in this crazy swamp. If any one of those geysers burns off my wing feathers, I'll be out of the Wonderbolts for weeks if I'm lucky. Don't know how I'd explain that to Spitfire."

"Well now what, oh fearless leader?" Rarity proposed. "You're always the first one to jump into action even before there's a plan. Surely you must have something."

Rainbow Dash didn't answer right away, she was too deep in thought. But after only a little bit she started to ponder aloud. "I wonder if..."

"-If what, darling? At this point I'd try just about anything," The fashionista tried to encourage. "We can't lose the trail now!"

Rainbow stopped thinking. "Well, I just came up with it off the top of my head. But I could try and slingshot my way through. But I'd need two perfectly placed trees, some stretchy rope, and a pith helmet for good measure. And don't say 'It's crazy but it just might work.' even Daring Do would say it's too dangerous," As she spoke she didn't seem to be aware of her fashion friend constructing something a ways back. And so she let out a groan of frustration. "Too bad we can't do what Daring Do did in book four and find a cragadile for a raft. That would sure come in handy right about now."

Yet only mere seconds after such a suggestion had been made, Rarity had something suitable to use. A wooden boat shaped just like a cragadile, and with space in the back for Rainbow to use her wings as a giant fan to propel the boat through the water. "Ta-daaa! The S.S. Cragadile, at your service!" She proudly presented her creation.

The brash speedster and Daring Do fan could hardly believe her eyes as they widened to the size of dinner plates! "That... is... awesome!" But then she coughed into a hoof as she tried to downplay her enthusiasm. "Uh, I mean, it's all right, I guess. It should do the trick."

"Exactly!" Rarity nodded as she began to push the boat towards the edge of the swamp.

Rainbow quickly joined in pushing, and as she did so she looked across to her unicorn friend and asked her. "How did you know how to do that just now?"

Rarity smugly replied with a smile. "We may have been friends for a super-long time, but you don't know everything about me yet. And I reckon there are things about you I still don't know," To prove her point she explained. "Like just why that last demonstration Twilight called you in for was so bad. I really don't see what you were complaining about."

"All you need to know is that I will never be caught wearing something embarrassing ever again!" The brash speedster declared, before the wooden boat was lowered into the swamp waters with a splash.

Rarity climbed onto the boat and positioned herself on the front, then Rainbow stepped up behind and unfolded her wings. She soon had them flapping fiercely, which generated enough momentum to propel the boat through the swamp and past the geysers to the other side!

When the two friends dis-embarked from their journey though, they were soon met with a most troubling sight.

"The glitter trail! It's gone! Our only lead just vanished into thin air!" Rarity exclaimed with dismay.

The brash speedster groaned anew. "Well that's just great," She sarcastically complained and then questioned. "How are we ever supposed to find the Amulet of Aurora now?"





As if in answer to that question, there came the sound of rustling leaves from behind the two mares. Before either had a chance to react, they heard a croaking sound as a rather strange creature suddenly leaped out from the bushes! It perched atop a moss covered rock, now revealing its features in greater detail. It looked like some kind of giant frog with yellow skin and brownish warts all over it, and it had six orange eyes (including two rather big ones).

Upon hearing this monster frog croak, Rarity turned around and immediately screamed at the top of her lungs!

The monster frog reacted by using two of its legs to cover its ears. It appeared to be saying something that was hard to make out, though it sounded something about "Hoof-hoofs yell?" and being "too loud".

Rarity stopped her screaming as she put a hoof to her own ears. "Sorry? What did you say?" She questioned.

Again, the monster frog seemed to say something about it being "too loud".

Rainbow Dash suddenly realized what this monster actually was! "Wait, Rarity! I think it's actually a bufogren," She explained. "Daring Do meet one in one of her earlier adventures. They have really sensitive ears. You need to speak softly or you'll scare it. Let a pro handle this," And she proceeded to ask in a tone barely above a whisper. "Excuse me, Mr. Bufogren. Did you happen to see anyone with a blue sparkly thingy pass this way recently?"

The bufogren nodded as he opened his mouth to speak. "Saw it." But as he spoke his bad breath seeped out, the smell overwhelming both ponies.

"Um, hold that thought for a sec," Rainbow insisted as she started to make a gag face. She and Rarity then rushed a ways away to breath in some fresh air, Rarity even trying to fan away the smell with her boots. "Ugh! I thought for sure I was gonna be sick!" The brash speedster gagged. "I've seen some bad morning breath in my time but that was the worst!"

"Tell me about it! I'm starting to see why the thief would come this way, hardly anyone would be willing to put up with stuff like this. It'd be the perfect hiding place," Rarity commented. "What should we do now?"

Rainbow reluctantly sighed. "He must know where the thief went. Unfortunately, his breath is so bad I can't even think! But there's no way we can hear him from all the way back here."

The fashionista began thinking about this dilemma, before suddenly she got an idea. "Aha! I think I have just the solution!" She declared as she pulled off mint leaves and presented them to her friend. "An old unicorn beauty trick. I remember my mom using this on me whenever I had to take foul tasting medicine. It should work the same way here for that bufogren. That is, if you can somehow procure us a tiny bit of cloud?"

The brash speedster nodded. "Now that I can do! Just sit tight." And she zoomed up to grab hold of a cloud, pinching off a small part of it and bringing it down with her.

Rarity combined the little tuft of cloud with the mint leaves and for good measure added some of the sprinkles from her boots, knowing they weren't toxic. "Ah, perfect!" She declared, before wrapping a bandana around her nose to use as a mask. "Just in case." She whispered while using her magic to hold up the treat.

Rainbow didn't protest. "Good thinking, Rarity," And she then encouraged. "You take the lead, I'm right behind you."

So the two ponies approached the bufogren, Rarity presenting the disguised mint leaves to him. Just as she'd hoped, the tuft of cloud and the sparkles made it look irresistible to him. "Ooh! What's that?" He asked as he licked his lips.

With her voice muffled behind the bandana, the unicorn explained. "A special treat for you in exchange for your information. It is a magical unicorn delicacy called 'Effervescence'. Very now. Very chic."

The bufogren accepted the treat without hesitation, chomping down on the leaves and digesting them. They worked just as intended. "Ah, my mouth," He remarked. "Fresh and minty."

"Good, that's better," Rarity sighed in relief as she was able to smell that it was safe to take off the bandana. And she proceeded with her question. "Now then, which why did the blue sparkly thingy go?"

The bufogren pointed one of his legs up to the sky as he answered. "Up there." And both ponies looked up to see that the trail of sparkles that had appeared to have vanished had actually just been so high up that they hadn't noticed before. The "thin air" comment had been more accurate than they might have thought.

"Now how in the wide world of Equestria did we miss that?" Rainbow commented aloud while scratching her head.

"Remember what I said about missing what's right under your nose? Whoever took the amulet was probably counting on that to throw us off the trail," Rarity explained. "Although I'm beginning to wonder if the thief wanted us to follow them?"

The brash speedster only shot her friend a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? What kind of thief would do that? This isn't like your detective stories where there's a twist at the end."

But Rarity wouldn't let the question go. "Think about it, Rainbow Dash. Not just anyone could've gained access to the Amulet of Aurora or any of the other objects," She pointed out. "Twilight wouldn't leave them lying around. Whoever took the amulet had to have inside knowledge about where the amulet was kept, and knew how to take it without touching any of the other artifacts or that they wouldn't get caught if they didn't leave right away. And it's already obvious it's not a pony who took it either, nopony would ever get this far on their own. It'd have to be a creature who could endure every inch of this nasty swamp, and have a way to fly up at the right time to make us think the trail had disappeared."

"You're making it sound like this was all some kind of conspiracy. I mean, I guess that would explain why Twilight wanted us specifically to track down the culprit," Rainbow seemed to realize, before asking. "But what reason would they have to do this? And why would Twilight want to single us out for this?"

The fashionista concluded. "Isn't it obvious? I've been meaning to bring this up ever since I started thinking about it, but I wasn't sure when the right time would be. Remember that day off you had a while back? The one where we went shoe shopping and then played buckball?" When Rainbow nodded she explained further. "Well, that was the last time we really hung out on our own. Think about it. We'd be drifting apart for some time now and we'd never even realized it."

Rainbow didn't seem to think so. "That's ridiculous! We've done plenty of things together that didn't involve our other friends. I mean, what about the time you wanted to support me when I had stage fright before the Best Young Flyers Competition, or the time when you were willing to clear my name when the Wonderbolts thought I'd done something bad to Spitfire? And what about all those times we've both gone with the CMC on their getaways or watch over them?"

"Those are all the examples you can think of, though. Besides our most recent encounter before this," Rarity explained. "Whether we knew it or not, our bond of friendship was always defined by knowing other ponies. Do you think if we didn't both know Fluttershy we'd have ever met at all?"

"Well... no... but..." Rainbow Dash began, only to trail off once she realized she didn't have a good counter argument.

Rarity pointed out. "So you see, that's exactly my point. This might have been like those various friendship retreats we go on with the other girls. The real reason for this theft was to get us to work together."

"Okay, so maybe we needed to reconnect with each other without relying on our friends. But right now I think we've got a more important problem to deal with," The off-duty Wonderbolt protested. "Regardless of what the thief wanted, we can't let them get away with the Amulet of Aurora in case they are planning to use its powers for evil!"

"Very well, then. Go ahead and go after them!" Rarity encouraged. "I'll find a way back out on my own, and then we can report back to Twilight when you have the amulet safely in hoof."

However, Rainbow thought otherwise. "No can do! We're doing this together, remember?"

The fashionista began to ask. "But how am I supposed to-" But her sentence was cut off as she was picked up by Rainbow Dash and flow a great deal upward, eventually being set down near a cave that the trail of sparkles led to.

"Sorry, but I wasn't leaving you behind in that swamp. You wouldn't last five minutes," Rainbow insisted. "And I'll be darned if I let something bad happen to any of my friends."

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," Then she pointed out. "Although you could warn me the next time you decide to 'give me flying lessons' as it were."

The pegasus mare couldn't help but giggle. "I couldn't resist. Besides, you were fine. I wasn't flying that fast," Then she quickly coughed into a hoof. "Now come on. We catchin' this thief or not?!"





The two ponies set about inspecting their surroundings, and soon discovered that the cave had a door on it. Strangely enough, the door appeared to have the same symbol carved into it as the one displayed throughout the School of Friendship.

There was a more pressing matter at hoof, though. Namely the fact that the stone door wouldn't budge no matter what the ponies tried. But they knew the thief had to have come this way, and they'd come too far to give up now.

Stepping back a bit, Rainbow declared in a perplexed tone. "Huh. Maybe the key to unlocking this thing is written somewhere in these inscriptions."

Rarity just smiled as she declared. "Or, perhaps the key is right here!" She promptly removed one of her boots, revealing a steel high heel tip. She inserted it into the lock as she explained to her friend. "I couldn't decide between the boots and the stilettos, so I got both! Aren't I lucky?!"

There came a clicking sound a second later as the lock was undone and the stone door opened. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash was impressed. "High heels could do that?"

Rarity nodded as it was her turn to giggle. "And you called them useless."

Now Rainbow found herself getting hit hard with guilt as the memories of that day off came back to her. She wished more than anything she could take back the things she'd said about the shopping. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. And I shouldn't been so quick to insult some of the other stuff you were doing. I guess it's part of my delicate relationship with my parents and how they always wanted to dress me up nice, but I just don't feel the need to be so feminine," She then added. "But I'm starting to realize that there's nothing wrong with embracing my girly side from time to time. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't find some of the things you do neat. Some days, after nonstop Wonderbolt practice, I find myself longing for something like a cup of tea to help me unwind."

The fashionista smiled. "You're not the only one who should be apologizing, darling. Even if I'm not really into buckball, there's no reason for me to not care about it or disrespect the work you put into it. You're very good at it, and I can see why you're one of the coaches for our team," Then she added. "And after everything you mentioned, I've decided that a Cloudsdale boutique is not in the cards for now. I can barely keep up with the demands for my three boutiques as it is, there's no good reason for me to take on more work now. Besides, I'm thinking that with our alliances it might be time to start exploring markets beyond Equestria," And she concluded. "I never should've treated your interests like they were worth less than mine. We both should've been more respectful to each other."

Rainbow nervously question. "Soooo... does this mean we're still friends? Because I'd sure like to stay friends if possible."

"Of course we're still friends. A few rough patches aren't gonna be enough to tear us apart," Rarity smiled. "Now let's go find that amulet!" And she rushed through the door!

"Right behind you!" Rainbow grinned as she followed her friend.





After several minutes of wandering around in the dark, the two mares saw light at the end of their tunnel. They rushed through it and pushed aside a door, only to find themselves in a very familiar looking hallway.

"Wait a minute! The tunnel leads back to the school?!" Rainbow questioned. "Have we been running in a giant circle this whole time?!"

"Not exactly." A familiar voice called as its owner appeared before the two ponies. A very familiar light purple skinned dragon with green scales and wings soon appeared, the Amulet of Aurora clutched between his claws.

Rarity let out a gasp of dismay! "Spikey-wikey! I don't believe it! You stole the Amulet of Aurora?!"

Spike just grinned. "I didn't steal it. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already for yourselves."

Rarity and Rainbow exchanged glances as they both began. "You mean..."

The familiar voice of Twilight chuckled. "-Indeed I do," She then used her magic to pull the Amulet of Aurora out of Spike's claws and place it back in its storage case. "This was all part of a little 'demonstration' I had planned. Besides, who doesn't love a good mystery?"

Starlight sincerely apologized. "Sorry for deceiving you two, but Twilight knew you two would never just agree to be our volunteers. And she also knew that the demonstration wouldn't work if you two were put on the spot."

"So, this was all just a set up to make us get along!" Rarity exclaimed in realization!

"Partially, but it was also partially so the students here could learn what it means to get along even when you don't have much in common," Twilight pointed out. "You two were the perfect ponies to use. Besides, if I'm being honest you both really needed it."

Smolder then questioned. "So let me get this straight, even though you don't like any of the same stuff, you two are friends again?"

"We do have some things in common," Rainbow pointed out. "I think we just needed a reminder and a chance to talk things out. Besides, we don't have to like all the same things! Think how boring that would be."

And Rarity added. "It's only when we give each other a chance to share the different things we enjoy that friendships can truly blossom. it can be surprisingly wonderful too!"

"So you see, students?" Twilight instructed as she assumed her lecture mode persona. "Good friends always work through their differences."

Starlight couldn't help but laugh. "Even if it takes a little help from time to time."

And Twilight laughed back. "And you thought I was crazy."

Spike quickly interrupted. "Don't start, you two," And he moved to dismiss the students. "Okay, lesson's over. All of you get back to class. And knowing Twilight, I'd keep what you just saw in the back of your minds, it might be on the next pop quiz."

Twilight then waited for the students to leave before she told Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "You know, you two can take the rest of the day off. I called in your substitutes for a reason, after all. Even teachers need to take a break from time to time."

"Great!" Rainbow smiled before she said to Rarity. "So, you wanna... go hit the shops with me? I could actually use your help picking out some new buckball gear."

Rarity grinned as she offered. "Only if you help me choose some buckball fan attire, that way I can cheer for my favorite player at the drop of a fabulous hat!"

"Now you're talking! And after a trail run we can relax at the spa," The high class athlete declared. "Let's go already!" And the two friends trotted off together, their friendship now restored thanks to Twilight's most unusual idea of a "demonstration".
> S8 E19: Road to Friendship (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Although she was primarily employed as the School of Friendship's guidance counselor, Starlight still found time to serve as the assistant for Trixie whenever the magician wanted to put on a show. Their schedules actually worked out pretty well, especially since Trixie hadn't been doing a lot of traveling as of lately and had made Ponyville her more or less adopted hometown.

Starlight was currently in the midst of another one of these shows, keeping the audience enthralled as she spoke with practiced dramatic flare. "I don't know, folks. She's been in there a long time!" She even held up a pocket watch to emphasis this fact. "Do you suppose 'The Terrifying Trunk Escape' is too much for her?!" She declared as she raised her hooves over the locked blue and purple colored trunk Trixie was currently inside of.

The audience let out collective gasps, which included Twilight Sparkle and even Princess Cadence and Flurry Heart who had come to Ponyville for a visit. Flurry Heart was so scared, in fact, that she covered her eyes with her wings and started to whimper ever so softly.

Having reeled the audience in, Starlight went on prattling at length. "What if The Great and Powerful Trixie can't-"

But just then there was a flash of a light grayish-pink magical aura, and who should appear behind the audience but Trixie herself?! She looked none the worse for wear and even sported her trusty hat and cape as she announced. "-Escape?"

As the audience gasped anew, Starlight dramatically questioned. "But if you're there, who's in here?!"

Disappearing in a puff of smoke and reappearing on the stage, Trixie undid the lock on the trunk as she answered her assistant. "Why, our volunteer of course. Ta-da!"

"Crab apple surprise!" Granny Smith exclaimed as she coughed. "You really oughta warn somepony before you go and poof 'em in there like that!" And she climbed out of the trunk but a second later, a little bit dusty but otherwise unharmed.

Trixie and Starlight, meanwhile, stood on stage as they together basked in the audience's applause: A chorus of claps, cheers and whistles.

When the show ended a short time later and Starlight and Trixie were busy packing up the supplies, the two were greeted by Twilight and Cadence (who had Flurry Heart riding atop her mane). "Hey, you two. Great job on another successful magic show!" Twilight sincerely praised them. "The students absolutely loved it! And I think Flurry Heart did too." And as if to prove the point, Flurry Heart cooed.

Trixie just smiled. "Anything's possible when you know somepony as well as Starlight and Trixie know each other."

Cadence seemed to agree. "Your bond of friendship is truly unique. It kind of reminds me of the bond Twilight and I shared when she was a little filly. In fact, it's a bond we still share to this day," And she pointed out. "Just think, you two can share your own secrets. Like a secret chant," Then she and Twilight did the familiar chant and movements to accompany it: "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" It didn't seem to occur to the alicorns that little Flurry Heart was embarrassed by the display.

Even Starlight seemed to be embarrassed by it. "Uh, we'll just stick to what works for us, thank you." She sheepishly answered.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie does not chant!" Trixie added. "Now, if you'll kindly excuse Trixie, it's time for her to retire to her wagon. Trixie is expecting some important mail." And she trotted away to see if any letters had been delivered during the course of her most recent show.

What neither Trixie or Starlight could anticipate, was that the important mail Trixie was expecting was going to set into motion a series of events that would test their seemingly unbreakable bond of friendship.



Starlight trotted after her friend. "What's this about mail? I thought you still lived on the road more or less, Trixie?"

"All the more reason why it was necessary to have all my mail delivered to my wagon," Trixie explained. "Even if Ponyville may be my adopted hometown now, the call of the road still beckons to me every now and then," Then she added. "And you know, Cadence is right about one thing. We do work well together. You've been a fantastic assistant."

Starlight Glimmer did her best to look modest. "Well, thanks. And you know what, doing a show with you is almost as much fun as counseling students at Twilight's school!" Then she remembered something and gasped as her eyes widened! "Which is what I'm supposed to be doing now! Oh, I hope Twilight doesn't hold this against me!" And she teleported away with the greatest of ease.

Trixie only sighed. "Well, see you later, Starlight," Then she turned her attention toward her wagon that rested in the shelter of some nearby bushes. "I'll just... clean up, alone." She tried to light up her horn to teleport into her wagon, only for her horn to sputter in failure and make the magician groan. "Still can't pull off long distance teleportation the way Starlight and Twilight do! I can only do it for short bursts. Good for escape tricks but not much else," She thought to herself. "What am I still doing wrong?"

Well, that was a problem to figure out at a later date and time. Right now there were only two ways to get into her wagon: Climb in through the window which would be rather difficult, or just go up to the front door. The magician who still traveled from time to time opted for the latter. She approached the door and tried to turn the knob with her magic, but it wouldn't budge. It took a great deal of straining to yield a result, and that was the entire door flinging open and the knob popping right off.

Just as Trixie was getting her bearings from this unexpected surprise, she was given another one as she found herself looking up at a rather strange looking unicorn stallion with a coat similar in color to her own. He had gold eyes and a very dark blue mane and tail that looked bushy. He had goggles attached to a brown scarf like turbine hat. Down his neck ran a yellow colored scarf that looked like it could be pulled up over the mouth. And his lower body down to his legs sported an orange and brown jacket of some kind. "Excuse me, Ms. Powerful..." The stallion greeted. "...May I be of assistance to you?"

Trixie only smiled as she turned around and glanced at the stranger before. "Not at all, everything is under control. And usually, most ponies just call me Trixie," Then she added. "Although 'Ms. Powerful' does have a nice ring to it."

The stallion simply nodded. "I figured you would say as much," He bowed his head in respect. "I am called Hoo'Far, a native of Saddle Arabia who has traveled afar to see the sights all over the world," He gestured to his wagon that looked much more stylized. It had even a gleaming coat of paint that sparkled in the sunlight. "And it appears we have much in common. I am a traveler myself. And I am awe in of your remarkable magical acts.  From here to Saddle Arabia, I have seen nothing that compares with your wondrous show. Uh, would you consider blessing my homeland with it?"

"Actually, I was just about to set out on tour again. It's been a while since I traveled last," Trixie pointed out. "But Saddle Arabia is much farther than my usual route," And blushing she admitted. "My well worn wagon may not quite be up to the challenge."

Hoo'Far was quick to propose. "Well, what if I were to offer you the use of my own caravan that you see behind you? It has much more storage space and I am certain it would leave plenty of room for you."

But Trixie shook her head, she wasn't about to make such a trade. "Trade away my wagon?! Heavens, no! This is more than just some great and powerful wagon you see before you!" She explained while walking backwards. 
"It is shelter. It is transportation. It is my only friend on the long and lonely nights on the road. It really is my home way from home. And I would expect a traveler such as yourself to see your caravan in much the same way."

Hoo'Far appeared to understand. "Very well. Then I must see as many of your performances as I can in the mean time. If I cannot convince you to bring your tour to Saddle Arabia, then I must be prepared to relate the magnificence of it to your many fans there."

Hearing the words "many fans" inspired something deep within the magician. She always longed for the applause of a receptive crowd, and while her shows in Ponyville sometimes yielded that her shows elsewhere seldom did and were largely treated with the fanfare of a passing carnival act or circus. The idea of there being an entire country of fans just waiting to see her sounded quite tempting.

However, the sound of a mail bag thumping and spilling out its contents reminded the magician of why she'd initially come to her wagon in the first place. "Well, Mr. Hoo'Far," She told the Saddle Arabian native. "Why don't I see if I can squeeze you in? Just wait here for a bit." And she then strolled into her wagon, inspecting the mail bag that had been left for her. It largely consisted of fan mail from the occasional supporter or "big fan" she met on the road. But one letter amidst the clutter stood out, it was from Las Pegasus! Tearing it open, Trixie's dark grayish violet eyes scanned the whole thing from top to bottom and lit up like stars!

This letter changed everything! The unicorn with a light blue coat found herself unable to stop smiling as she rushed back outside with the letter firmly in the aura of her horn! "Sorry, Mr. Hoof'Far," She sincerely apologized. "But a family reunion has just opened up and Trixie aims to make the most of it! Saddle Arabia will have to wait. Trixie is heading for Las Pegasus!"

"Ah. That was going to be a stop on my trip, though not until much later," Hoo'Far admitted. "If you're going there though, I will follow you for as long as I can. I hope that one day soon you will be able to come to Saddle Arabia to grace your fans with your presence. And should we meet on the road and you change your mind about your accommodations, my offer remains open." And he trotted away with his modern caravan in tow. It didn't seem to be giving him any trouble at all despite how heavy it seemed to be.





Trixie quickly rushed to the School of Friendship and made a beeline for the guidance counselor's office to tell Starlight the good news! "My father wrote back to me! After all these years, I'm finally going to see him again!"

Having reconnected with her own father a while back, Starlight was equal parts excited and hesitant about the news. "You never really mentioned you have a father. I just kind of assumed you were on your own because of the whole 'traveling magician' thing."

Trixie shook her head as she lay down on the couch in Starlight's office. "My mother was a wonderful pony, and we still keep in touch," Then she explained. "But it was my father that inspired me to become the great and powerful magician I am now. Heck, in his prime he was said to be the greatest magician since Hoofdini himself, and you know how much I looked up to Hoofdini."

"I assume your father has a name, even just a stage name?" Starlight inquired of her magician friend. She'd begun picking up these kind of subtle interrogating skills due to her time as a guidance counselor.

Trixie happily nodded as she held up a picture of a stallion who looked almost completely identical to her in every way. "Jackpot. Or as he was known on stage: The Great and Powerful Jackpot."

"I guess that's something that runs in the family." Starlight commented to herself, and was quite relieved that Trixie didn't pick up on it.

Trixie let out a sigh of longing and regret. "Even though he loved Trixie, he loved performing even more. So it was that when Trixie was still just a filly he left to pursue his dream. He took to the road, and only wrote home occasionally," Floating over the letter she added. "This letter is the first time he's responded to any letters I've sent to him in a long time. He now lives and performs full time in Las Pegasus, and he has an assistant of his own: Big Bucks. Apparently, they're a frequent headlining act, and a real crowd pleaser. And now my dad wants to see me, me! No doubt he wants to see what's become of his only daughter. Boy will he be surprised to learn how great and powerful a magician I have become in my own right."

The unicorn with a pale grayish-purple coat spoke up seconds later. "Sounds to me like your mind is made up. You didn't have to come all the way here just to tell me this. I'm quite busy with my own profession, especially since we're approaching mid-terms here." She hoped her friend would pick up the hint about the long line that was starting to form outside.

But the traveling magician had other news she wished to share. "Well, it's not that simple. You see, the road can be quite a lonely place when you're own. And this trip shall be even more lonely. I was hoping I might convince my grrrrreat and powerful assistant to come along as company?"

Starlight began to fidget with her hooves as she nervously replied. "I don't know. It seems like whenever you're tagging along with me or even just hanging with me, trouble always follows or finds us."

Trixie wasn't about to take no for an answer. "Come on, Starlight. So we've had a few bumps here and there. So have Twilight and her friends. Think of all the times they've had things interrupted at the worst possible time: Summer Sun Celebrations, royal weddings, festivals and summits, you name it. They seem to come out of every scrape they're in with their friendship intact. Why shouldn't it be the same for us?" And she then added. "You're not just my assistant and my counselor, Starlight. You're also my friend, my first and best friend in fact. And what's better than a road trip with friends like us?"

"Well... when you put it like that it really doesn't sound like a bad idea," Starlight Glimmer appeared to agree with Trixie's logic. "Oh, what the heck, if this road trip is so important to you I guess I can tag along," She then flung open the door to her office, immediately being reminded of the incredibly long line that seemed to stretch on to the horizon. And she blushed. "...Right after I talk to Twilight about somepony to take my place while I'm gone."

"Why not just make Spike do it? It's not like he does much else besides assist Twilight." Trixie proposed.

But Starlight wasn't convinced that was a good idea. "He didn't want to be vice headmare, I highly doubt he'd want to be acting guidance counselor. I'll have to make other arrangements." And she teleported away to talk to Twilight about her dilemma.





As luck would have it, Twilight was not only accepting of Starlight's abrupt decision, but also had a suitable candidate in mind to take over guidance counselor duties while Starlight and Trixie were on their road trip. A quick trip to Sweet Apple Acres confirmed that Big Macintosh would be willing to serve as acting guidance counselor, and so all was set.

Starlight was still a bit hesitant to leave her office in the care of somepony else, even despite knowing by now that Big Mac's reputation gave every indication he could be trusted. "You're absolutely sure you can manage on your own for a few days?" Starlight asked the stallion.

Big Macintosh gave a nod. "Eeyup."

The unicorn breathed a small sigh of relief. "Well, you're a good listener, that's for sure. Still..." She paused and pulled out two little objects that looked like they hadn't been touched in a very long time. "A little 'souvenir' from one of Chrysalis' visits. If something urgent comes up, just put the two halves together and you should be able to talk to me. I made all the modifications necessary."

Big Mac just took the objects, tucking them into a saddle bag he'd brought with him. Then he gestured a hoof, indicating for Starlight to leave. And he waved to her as she trotted off to go join Trixie.

Trixie was already waiting on the outskirts of Ponyville with her wagon, though she'd had to clear up some space. "Took you long enough! One traveling wagon for two all set!" She declared, but was then quite surprised when she saw that her friend had brought a few boxes worth of supplies. "Oh, you brought luggage," However, the magician quickly recovered and tried to play it off. "I mean, of course you brought luggage! I'd have to be silly not to expect that." It wasn't hard to notice the nervous laugh she gave off.

"Yup!" Starlight smiled as she stretched her legs. "I've never been on a road trip before, although I have gone camping on the occasional friendship retreat. And I learned from those retreats to come prepared. I've packed everything two ponies could ever need for the road trip of their lives!" She floated over various objects while listing them off. "Three one-thousand-piece puzzles, one copy of Dragon Pit – the best board game in the history of ponies – my famous collection of campfire spices, and of course an inflatable raft just in case."

The magician gave off another nervous laugh. "Wow! You managed to pack all of that so quickly?"

"Twilight showed me the spell, I'll have to teach you it sometime," Starlight grinned before questioning. "Am I forgetting something? I'm sure I could pop back to the castle and grab it."

Trixie shook her head. "Oh, no. It isn't that." And she gestured a hoof to her already considerably packed wagon. it didn't seem like there'd be much more room for some of Starlight's things.

Starlight Glimmer managed to pick up on what her friend was saying. "On second thought, maybe we don't need the raft, or the spices."

But after moving some boxes around and stacking some others up, while leaving a few other things out, it seemed there was just enough space to move about in the wagon and haul everything that was truly needed. Trixie and Starlight both wiped the sweat from their brows as Trixie declared. "We just needed a little great and powerful rrrrreorganization! And now, everything... should fit... just fine..." She groaned as she tried to shut the door of the wagon, only to struggle to do so due to the enormous weight behind it. Several objects came tumbling out with a large crash!

Fortunately, Trixie was unharmed. But she unhappily sighed. "Who am I kidding? My wagon is too small for the both of us and our supplies," And she looked to Starlight. "I'd understand if you're having second thoughts about all of this."

"Second thoughts? Me?" Starlight scoffed at the very suggestion. "We can make this work. Your wagon isn't small so much as it is..." She paused, trying to think of a better way to describe the cramped conditions before eventually settling on something that seemed more suitable. "Cozy. And there's no such thing as too cozy."

"Unless we're talking about that weird Cozy Glow. Seriously, what's up with that filly?" Trixie pondered.

Starlight shrugged her hooves. "Beats me. She rarely tells me anything. But Twilight seems impressed and she's been good at staying out of trouble, so it's one less problem for me to worry about."

Just then, the door of the wagon burst open again and some smoke bombs came tumbling out, causing both unicorns to cough and sputter. Only once the smoke cleared did Starlight declare. "Okay. Maybe there is such a thing as too cozy."





After a little bit more reorganizing and trimming down of the wagon's load, the two friends were ready to set off on their road trip to Las Pegasus. Starlight was trotting alongside Trixie as she towed her wagon behind her. "You sure you wouldn't rather just ride inside?" Trixie asked her friend.

Seconds later one of the wagon's wheels hit a bump in the road and some smoke bombs that hadn't been properly stored were set off. That was all the encouragement Starlight needed to reply. "I think I'm good out here."

"And you still wanna do this?" Trixie questioned. "The two of us trying to sleep in that 'cozy' wagon might get tricky."

Starlight immediately shook her head as she pulled out a map. "Who says we'll need to share the wagon, Trixie? There's plenty of high quality inns for an affordable price we can stay at along the way, to say nothing of the hotels Las Pegasus has," And she insisted. "I'm not backing out of the greatest and most powerful road trip bonding experience two ponies could ever have."

The magician nodded as she looked to her fellow unicorn. "Well, when you put it like that, I'm actually kind of excited! And not just because of where we're going or who we're going to see!"

"I feel the same way," Starlight agreed and then commented. "You know, it's a good thing we're not like Twilight and the others. Knowing them, they'd probably sing a song about it."

Trixie giggled. "Yeah, they would."

Yet after only a minute or so of silence Starlight looked across to her friend and asked. "You wanna sing a song about it?"

Trixie reluctantly agreed with a sigh. "Fine, but only to pass the time." And so the friends started to sing as they left Ponyville behind:

We're off, on the road to friendship.

Our ride might be tiny and small.

Trixie soon found herself singing on her own:

But road trips are a great way, we've been told, to get along.

And Starlight chimed in:

I'm glad we're sticking to it, we've already got a song!

The two continued to sing as their journey soon took them along a narrow gorge, with the two opting to ride in the wagon for safety before Trixie had the idea to "remove" one of the wagon's wheels and drop it into a small river below. All the while she and Starlight both sang:

We're off on the road to friendship.

Side by side, just like peas in a pod.

Our bond of friendship is stronger than the trip demands.

As they floated across the river they happened to pass by Hoo'Far, who called out to Trixie. "My offer to trade caravans still stands!"

Starlight didn't hear the Saddle Arabian properly. "What'd he say, Trixie?"

But Trixie, who had heard properly, brushed off the suggestion. "Nothing, Starlight," And then called out. "Get the raft!"

A few seconds later the inflatable raft that Starlight had brought with her "just in case" was deployed, enveloping the entire wagon and pressing both unicorns up against a window before they were able to squeeze their way out of the front. And they could be heard singing as they drifted down the river:

We're so tight, we can't even move around.

I guess we're stuck together 'cause we're friendship bound!

"Sure is great to be traveling with you, buddy!" Trixie said to Starlight.

And Starlight said right back. "You too, buddy!"

Eventually the two were forced back onto dry land, and soon found themselves navigating through a swamp of fire. They took turns shielding each other from the flame geysers while also making sure no embers landed on the wagon to catch it on fire. And together they sang:

We're off, on the road to friendship.

"Yes we are!" Trixie happily shouted as she and Starlight pressed themselves close together for a second, and then they sang again:

We've each got the other to blame!

As the two passed by a pair of stranded pegasus delivery ponies (and helped them to safety), Starlight couldn't help but sing:

Any trip can be exhausting if you make a fuss.

And Trixie sang:

But we get on so well that there's no way that could be us.

The swamp of fire gave way to a jungle with thick vines and lakes infested with cragadiles. Yet even that didn't stop the two unicorns. They quickly found some vines heavy enough to support not only themselves but also the wagon, and they swung across while singing:

We're off, on the road to friendship!

And there's nowhere that we'd rather be!

Starlight began to enthusiastically sing:

Be it winter, spring, summer or fall, we're friends throughout the year!

And Trixie added:

For untold seasons yet to come, our friendship will be here!

"For nine, at least." Starlight Glimmer commented before she and Trixie were tangled up in vines with the wagon. And they started singing again:

We're so tight, we can't even move around!

Trixie seemed to know what to do as she pulled on a vine while saying. "Like a race where you tie your hooves together and you have to move in perfect synchronization to win!"

Freed from the vines, the two made their way out of the swamp and to a small town where they planned to spend the night while singing:

We're friendship boooooound.

Starlight found herself chuckling as she suggested. "Or more like a buddy movie where the two protagonists can't get away from each other because they're wearing hoof-cuffs!" And she conjured up a set of fake hoof-cuffs to symbolize this point, before she and Trixie jumped into the wagon and rode it down the hill while triumphantly singing together:

We're friendship boooooound!

And the song came to an end as the two unicorns giggled. The first leg of their road trip had been rather enjoyable. And now they were looking forward to a good night's rest, after taking care of a few things.





"Wow. This place kind of reminds me of where I grew up!" Starlight exclaimed as she looked all around. "Cozy little town, actually." Then she wandered off as her stomach began to rumble quite audibly.

Trixie, meanwhile, unaware of her friend's sudden departure, began to say out loud. "The marketplace. Perfect! I've learned the hard way that life on the road requires very specific supplies. And we only have so many bits to use every night if we're going to make it to Las Pegasus and back. So that's why we need to spend the bits we have now wise..." But she was cut off as she saw that Starlight had already gone and purchased a rather expensive snack.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it! I had to have something in my belly!" Starlight complained! "I knew I should've eaten before we left."

"It's okay, this is your first time on the road after all. Mistakes like this are bound to happen," Trixie sincerely apologized to her friend. "Lucky for the both of us I thought to conserve my share of bits for the trip. I take pride in my ability to stretch the bits I get as far as they can go."

"Maybe I should have you teach a class on that to the students sometime," Starlight suggested, before questioning. "So, now what?"

Trixie looked at her sack of bits. "Well, I'll have to scale back on some things. But we should still have enough to buy..." She tried not to blush. "Haycakes and juice. Probably enough to get us through dinner and breakfast." Then she trotted over to a stand that had quite a long line already.

Starlight couldn't help but suggest as she gestured a hoof. "Why don't we just go over to that stand over there? No wait at all."

The magician shook her head. "Out of the question. The reason nopony's lining up is because everything there is too expensive. We'll blow our budget for sure if we go there," And she insisted. "Sometimes, if you want to get the best deals you have to be willing to wait."

"Waiting-in-line bonding," Starlight sarcastically remarked. "Great."

The long line unfortunately moved very slowly for the two, and the sun had set by the time Trixie was able to make her purchase for the next meal. Both ponies knew it would be too late to really have anything other than a quick dinner. "Well, the good news is we're still set for breakfast tomorrow!" Trixie declared at long last.

Starlight yawned as she seemed to optimistically proclaim. "And I'm sure we'll find out that waiting in that super-long line was totally worth it, right?"

Trixie nodded while insisting (as well as yawning herself). "A few hiccups always happen the first time around. But not to worry, we'll be back on the road to friendship after a good night's sleep."





Unfortunately, the small town had only a locally run inn for tourists to spend the night. And the inn keeper told the two unicorns. "I'm sorry, we're all filled up. Unless you made a reservation there's nothing I can do to accommodate you two." She was an earth pony with a dull brown coat, faded green eyes, and a rusty red mane and tail that hung flat against her sides. Her cutie mark was an open book and a red quill. And she wore a dress whose colors of red and gold had faded, to say nothing of how well worn it seemed.

Just like that, the two friends were forced out into the night without shelter.

Hoo'Far happened to pass by at that very moment. "Most unfortunate. It would appear this is peak tourist season. Luckily, for fortunate travelers such as ourselves there are our caravans," And he again offered. "You're certain you don't want to trade, Miss. Trixie? I believe my caravan would be to your liking."

"Sorry, Mr. Hoo'Far, but I'm not interested. I care too much about my wagon to trade away it, even though I'm tempted by the offer." Trixie replied as she shot down the proposal.

Hoo'Far appeared to understand as the Saddle Arabian declared. "Very well then. See you in the morning, Miss. Trixie. I trust you and your assistant will provide a fantastic show before your departure for Las Pegasus." And he trotted away, his huge, sparkling wagon following close behind.

"Seriously, is this guy gonna follow us every step of the way?" Starlight frowned.

But Trixie had a more pressing matter she was thinking about. "I don't have time to worry about some fanpony," And she gestured to Starlight while mockingly declaring. "'Don't even worry about it.' you said. 'There'll be plenty of places to stay.' you said. Well you might have thought to double check or make a reservation."

Having been called out, Starlight defensively retorted. "Uh, excuse me! I've been with you the whole time: Singing and standing in line. When would I have had time to do that?"

With narrowed eyes and a hushed tone of voice, Trixie replied. "I don't know, Starlight. But I'm beginning to think you're not as great and powerful of an assistant as I thought!"

"So you just brought me along to do your legwork, is that it?!" Starlight growled back.

However, the magician sighed as she willingly confessed and apologized. "No. I'm sorry I yelled at you like that, Starlight. But I'm tired and frustrated from a long trip. And I'm not much of a night pony if I'm being honest."

Starlight Glimmer pulled her fellow unicorn close as she replied. "I'm tired too, Trixie. I was really looking forward to a relaxing stay at an inn or a hotel," Then she turned to the wagon and sighed. "But since there's literally no room, I guess we'll have to share the wagon for tonight. I'm sure we can make this work," Under her breath she added. "Maybe, I hope."





The sleeping arrangements within Trixie's wagon were anything but ideal, especially with all the boxes the two had stacked up despite leaving several others behind. A good deal of them were full of magic props. The only "beds" available were two small hammocks set up on the left and right sides of the center of the wagon.

As the two unicorns began to settle in for the night, they were anything but enthusiastic about what they would have to put up with. Starlight especially considering she was not used to such cramped conditions after having always had a bed and a bedroom all to herself no matter where she went (aside from her time spent on the run, but the less said about that time the better). "Sleeping-in-tight-quarters bonding," She flatly remarked, Trixie joining her in rather un-enthusiastically saying. "Yaaaaay."

Yet when the unicorn with a light purplish-gray coat tried to lean back into her hammock and close her eyes, she found the cramped living conditions giving her no room at all to wiggle. And that was a problem when she wasn't able to immediately fall asleep and began tossing and turning. She began to shove various boxes around, pushing them right up against Trixie.

Trixie did her best not to sound annoyed as she asked her friend. "Is there something I can do to make things more comfortable for you? Or would you rather sleep outside?"

"Well, you could get rid of all this junk for one thing." Starlight proposed as she swatted a hoof, knocking down a pan tied to a series of magic colored handkerchiefs.

But Trixie had a different idea in mind. "Or, instead of throwing out the rare magical props passed down from my father that are irreplaceable, we could just switch hammocks. Assuming you don't wanna sleep outside, that is."

"I've half a mind to do just that, but why don't we swap hammocks first and see if that solves things?" Starlight suggested. "For the record though, when we get back to Ponyville you're having a yard sale. I think even your father wouldn't have needed nearly this many props in his shows. I could always buy them and store them in my room if it'll make you feel better."

Trixie only humphed. "We'll worry about that after this road trip is over." And then she and Starlight swapped hammocks, both eventually managing to fall asleep.

However, Trixie hadn't been sleeping for very long when she heard loud noises nearby. It jolted her awake, causing her to stumble out of her hammock as she gasped! "Starlight! I think there's a wild animal outside, what are we gonna do?!" But when she approached her friend she found that the loud noises were just snores. "Starlight! Wake up!" She shouted, jolting her friend awake.

Starlight woke with a start! "Huh? What?"

The magician whispered as she stood beside her friend's hammock. "I'm sorry. But your snoring is a bit too, um..."

"-Loud?" Starlight guessed and sheepishly confessed. "Yeah, I do that. Kind of forgot to warn you. Though my dad says it used to be worse, I used to sleep trot a lot. Good thing I stopped doing that," And then she chuckled. "Funny story, actually. When my village heard my snoring and mentioned it, I convinced them were being attacked by ursa minors and only I could fend them off. Still can't believe they bought it all the time."

Trixie was anything but amused. "Well, I think we're going to need a better solution here. And fortunately for you, Trixie knows just the thing."

The "solution" involved placing a cloth across Starlight's mouth to muffle the snores. But soon after the two unicorns fell asleep again, Starlight was woken up. And this was not by snoring, but by her friend talking and mumbling in her sleep. "Seriously?!" She grumbled, but was unable to wake her friend up.





A rough night translated into a rough morning for the two traveling unicorns as Trixie eventually woke up and exited her wagon only to spot Starlight cooking haycakes on a fire. Both had bags under their eyes that indicated they hadn't slept well at all. Despite this, they tried to pretend like nothing was wrong as Trixie grumpily asked Starlight. "Sleep well?"

"Sure did," Starlight grumpily replied. "What about you?" And Trixie nodded.

Trixie approached the fire a few seconds later as she noticed something. "Say, is that the last of the haycakes?"

"Oops, sorry." Starlight grumpily answered while munching on it.

"Well, it's fine. We needed to restock anyway." Trixie declared as she poured her a glass of juice.

"And, let me guess," Starlight questioned with a quirked brow. "That's the last of the juice, isn't it?"

Trixie gave the same reply Starlight had given. "Oops, sorry. You got the last of the haycakes, so I got the last of the juice."

Starlight Glimmer just groaned. "Whatever. Let's just restock and get out of here! If we're lucky we can make it to Las Pegasus before sundown tonight, meaning we won't have to spend another night sharing the wagon."

"I offered you the chance to sleep under the stars, but you insisted the wagon was fine for both of us," Trixie protested. "And we can worry about restocking after our show. The Great and Powerful Trixie isn't going to disappoint her fans, even if her assistant snores like an ursa major all the time."

Starlight only snapped back. "Yeah? Well it was sure nice of you to go over the routine in your sleep all night. It's not like I didn't already have it memorized."

At that moment, Hoo'Far came upon the scene and he could hardly believe his eyes. It was clear to him (and probably to anypony who could see it) that Starlight and Trixie's bond was being strained almost to the breaking point by their rough night. "Sorry to interrupt," He spoke up. "I was just going to wish Miss. Trixie well before I depart back to my home in Saddle Arabia. But it seems there's trouble on the road to friendship."

Trixie and Starlight both laughed and loudly snorted! "Ya think?!"

Trixie then teleported away and stormed off into the distance! "I'm going to take care of some personal business before we get the show on the road, Starlight. Perhaps you should take this time to kindly give Mr. Hoo'Far my regards and take care of anything you need to take care of. Or maybe even just be a good assistant and get the stage ready."

Yet as soon as Trixie had left, Starlight's attention was immediately drawn to the wagon Hoo'Far was hauling behind him. It looked far more spacious and accommodating than Trixie's old, worn down wagon that had clearly seen better days. "Say, Mr. Hoo'Far," She spoke up to him. "I think I know a way you can show your support for Trixie beyond just spreading word of her show. She'll never admit it, but she could really use a new wagon."

"So Miss. Trixie wishes to make the trade after all? How odd considering her previous spoken opposition to such a thing." Hoo'Far commented as he put a hoof to his chin.

Starlight quickly insisted. "You and I both know a new wagon would be just the thing to help her overcome the rough patch she's having with me. And I'm sure her father will be most impressed by it when we show it off to him in Las Pegasus. So what are you waiting for?! We have a deal, don't we?"

Hoo'Far was considerably hesitant about the proposal. "I would like to be able to clear the deal with Miss. Trixie. It is her wagon after all."

"But you don't understand, Mr. Hoo'Far!" Starlight protested and pleaded! "I'm saying this not just as her assistant but as her friend, she needs that wagon of yours! Please, I wouldn't be reaching out to you like this if I didn't think it was a good idea. Trixie will understand that it was for the best. And she can always trade wagons back at a later date if she doesn't like her new one."

Hoo'Far began to consider. "...Well..."





However, at that very moment, Trixie came back. Her time alone had allowed her to clear her head and the magician now felt refreshed and ready to take on the world. Unfortunately, her happy mood was short lived when she spotted Starlight bringing Trixie's wagon over to Hoo'Far. To Trixie that meant only one thing! "No!" She cried as she lit up her horn, teleporting directly in front of Starlight and throwing herself at her friend's hooves to stop her.

"Trixie! Just what do you think you're doing?!" Starlight frowned in protest.

Trixie only protested back. "Taking a stand by lying down! Not that you'd care, Wagon-Trade-Away-er!"

Hoo'Far confusingly commented. "But Miss. Trixie, your friend insisted that you would appreciate my caravan. It was a fair trade. You would get a brand new wagon to share with your best friend, and I would have your old one to cherish and take with me back to Saddle Arabia. I assure you I would've taken good care of it."

The magician only frowned. "I may trust Starlight with a lot of things, but I would never allow her to just trade away my wagon!"

Starlight groaned. "You're so attached to that thing. When are you going to wisen up and realize it's falling apart?! I was trying to do you a favor! For the life of me, I can't understand why you're so darn attached to that old thing. It's just a wagon."

"'Just a wagon'? 'Just a wagon'?!" Trixie huffed and roared! "Starlight, how can my own friend say such a thing?! It's not just a wagon, it's so much more: Shelter, transportation, a friend and a home away from home. It has been in my family since my father was my age, probably even longer. It's the one thing I've had besides our letters to remember him by," Then she turned to Hoo'Far. "I'm sorry about this misunderstanding, but your unfair procurement of my wagon will not be tolerated. The deal's off!"

The stallion from Saddle Arabia only answered. "You misunderstand, Miss. Trixie. There was nothing about the deal aside from your friend trying to speak on your behalf without permission, and even then it seems she did without fully realizing just how much your wagon means to you. I never would've imagined your wagon held so much sentimental value to you had you not told me just now," And he pointed out. "Still, I simply desired your wagon and provided one of equal and better value in return. It seemed like a perfectly honest and fair trade to me."

"Yes, well unfortunately for you it is more nuanced than that," Trixie complained. "So will you please step away from my wagon? At this rate, Starlight and I will have to scrub our planned show here if we're going to be able to make it to Las Pegasus as planned."

Starlight reluctantly let out a sigh. "Okay, Trixie, I get the point. The wagon wasn't mine to trade away and I never should've even considered doing it. It sounded like a good idea but it wasn't," And she then pleaded. "I don't want to stay mad with you, or cost your your only chance to see your father before I have to resume my guidance counselor duties."

Hoo'Far pointed out. "Well, the deal was all but made before Miss. Trixie intervened. In accordance with Saddle Arabian traditions though, if you were truly friends I suppose I'd be honor bond to undo the proposed swap."

"You mean you don't think we're friends despite this set back?" Trixie grumbled as she stood up and pulled Starlight close. "We're friends! Best friends who share a deep bond who weren't prepared for the emotional challenges of traveling. Happy now?!"

The Saddle Arabian unicorn didn't appear to be convinced. "I'm not really seeing it. It seems odd that 'friends' would let a disagreement between them escalate to the level where one almost did something the other would've never forgiven them for," And he suggested with a wink. "Perhaps you could prove your friendship to me."

An exasperated Trixie could only groan. "How?"

But Starlight suddenly seemed to have an idea! "Uh, I know, we could do our friendship chant!" And she looked down at Trixie.

After a bit of silence Trixie seemed to realize what her friend was suggesting. "Oh, right... Our world-famous chant of friendship that we do all the time because we're such great friends. Great idea, Starlight!" She did her best to sound sincere about it.

Of course, the "chant" was anything but "world famous" as the two unicorns made all sort of weird gestures while saying together: "Magic... magic... poof of smoke... want to wave your hooves... and tell a... little joke!"

Hoo'Far's reaction after a moment of stunned speechlessness said it all! "I'm sorry! But that was the worst friendship chant I have ever heard! And you two were clearly just making it up as you went along."

The hearts of both Trixie and Starlight sang quite a bit upon hearing this. It sounded like they'd made a fool of themselves for nothing.

However, the unicorn stallion smiled as he went on to say. "But only true friends would be willing to act so ridiculous for one another. The deal is off."

Trixie was so happy to hear the news that she all but leaped up and pulled Starlight in for a hug right then and there. Any hostility she might have had before was now gone, simply because she was so pleased and so relieved to not have to part with her old wagon.





With the "trade" undone, Hoo'Far departed with his wagon. And Trixie and Starlight departed the little town they'd spent the night in after quickly restocking for the trip to Las Pegasus.

They managed to arrive in the bustling entertainment capital of Equestria only a little bit behind schedule, just as the last rays of sunlight were vanishing into the night and dusk was settling in. Fortunately, there was still room for them at the hotel where Jackpot and his assistant Big Bucks were performing.

Starlight immediately let her body sink into the bed sheets upon reaching the hotel room she and Trixie would be staying in. "Ah, it feels so good to have a proper bed again! I've never taking my bedroom in the castle for granted again!"

"That's another benefit to being on the road so much," Trixie pointed out as she rested on her own bed. "It makes you appreciate the finer things in life a bit more," And then she instructed. "We'd better get to bed early, I want to be well rested for tomorrow when I finally get to see my dad again! Oh, I hope he won't be too busy!"

"I'm sure he won't be, Trixie," Starlight reassured her friend. "Now, like you said, let's get some sleep."

The two unicorns had far less trouble sleeping in hotel beds, largely because there was a divide between their beds that prevented them from bothering each other with their snoring and sleep talking. They awoke in the morning refreshed, well rested and ready for the day. There wasn't a hint of hostility between them any longer.

And after a hearty breakfast courtesy of the hotel, Trixie and Starlight were able to make their way backstage where Jackpot was preparing to rehearse for a show that evening.

As soon as Jackpot saw Trixie, he smiled as his daughter came rushing up to hug him! "Oh, Trixie! I've missed you so much, my precious little filly!"

"Me too, Dad! Me too!" Trixie smiled back. "You really should come to Ponyville some time, because I guarantee you'd be amazed at how much of a name Trixie's made for herself there."

"Ponyville, eh?" Jackpot commented. "Well, I'd have to clear it up with my bosses and my assistant, but I'm certain I could find the time eventually. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that where Princess Twilight lives in her own castle, and where she's established her own school of friendship?"

Trixie nodded. "That's where my best friend in all the world works," And she gestured a hoof. "Dad, it gives Trixie the honor to introduce you to her great and powerful assistant and great and powerful friend, Starlight Glimmer!"

Starlight just waved a hoof. "Um, hello."

Jackpot smiled. "Any friend of Trixie's is a friend of mine. A pleasure to meet you, Starlight," And after shaking Starlight's hoof he asked his daughter. "By the way, Trixie? How was your trip here? Did you really come all this way with your friend with only that old wagon for company?"

"Yes," Trixie blushed. "Although it's kind of a funny story. I almost didn't come here in it." But she wondered if she should tell him?

Starlight, for her part, just watched the reunion unfold with a smile upon her face. "My first road trip with Trixie may not have turned as well as I'd hoped, but at least now we both know not to do it again any time soon," She thought to herself. "Not all friends need to travel all the world with each other just to prove their bond is strong. Just being there for each other as needed should be all the proof needed for anyone."
> S9 E7: She's All Yak (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The School of Friendship had only just begun its second official year of classes about a week ago, and as the second week of classes started there was a buzz in the main hallway when some of the students noticed their headmare (who they had learned would soon be leaving them to answer a higher calling in life) putting up some posters depicting two ponies dancing beneath spotlights on a stage.

Silverstream in particular was quite intrigued! "Ooh! New posters! We never had those underwater!" And she flew over to inspect them.

Gallus questioned. "What do you suppose they're all about?"

Twilight turned around as if in answer to that question. "I won't keep you all in suspense any longer," She answered with a smile. "I know you must all be going through a lot after learning about what happened over the summer while you were gone, and the news that this is going to be the last year I'll serve as your headmare. But in one of my last acts I want you all to have a good time and shake off those back-to-school blues!" She then proudly displayed one of the posters with her magic as she declared. "We're bringing one of Ponyville's oldest traditions to our school: The Fetlock Fete."

There was quite a bit of confusion from the non-pony students as Smolder scratched her head. "The what now? You ponies and your titles are so confusing."

Sandbar only grinned. "It's not hard to understand, it's just a dance. In fact, it's the best pony dance party in all of Ponyville! Think of it as our answer to the Grand Galloping Gala."

Ocellus smiled. "A pony dance party, you say? Count me in. I'm already prepared." And she transformed her into a green coated earth pony that loosely resembled her disguise from the year before.

Twilight just giggled as she corrected. "You don't need to do that, Ocellus. This year, the event's at school and open to everyone. In fact, it's my pleasure to rename it to The Amity Ball. You can just come as you are."

Ocellus breathed a sigh of relief. "Even better." And she reverted back to her changeling self a second later.

Yona, however, was still a bit confused and also worried. "Yona not know Amity Ball dance. Yona only know traditional dance of Yakyakistan. Go like this!" She started to bounce and stomp all about, causing the ground to shake. "Ball dance go something like that?" She hopefully asked.

Sandbar corrected while appearing to have an exceptionally bright grin for some reason. "Not exactly," He chuckled. "It isn't just one dance, Yona. It's a whole night of them. Plus an awesome party! It's the most fun you can ever have in Ponyville, but until now it's also been very expensive. This is the first chance I think most ponies are going to have a chance to attend."

Twilight nodded. "That's exactly why I brought it here and renamed it. Even so, we're going to have all the old Fetlock Fete traditions that are so popular here in Ponyville: A Pony Pal Dance Contest, a lucky pot dinner. You'll love it! I even managed to arrange for the entertainment. DJ-PON-3's got nothing on DJ Scales and Tail."

Smolder immediately looked across to Gallus as she offered. "You wanna come and hang out? I've got nothing better to do."

Gallus agreed. "You had me at 'dinner'."

"Hey, that's not fair, Gallus!" Silverstream playfully whined. "I was just about to ask the same thing."

But Gallus pointed out. "You gotta move faster next time, Silverstream. Besides, you come along too. And so can Ocellus. We'll all hang out together as one big group."

"What about Yona? And what about Sandbar for that matter?" Smolder wondered. "Aren't they gonna come too?"

"I don't know if Yona's made up her mind yet," Ocellus answered before sheepishly adding. "And uh... Sandbar said he had something 'special' planned for the ball. I think Headmare Twilight tipped him off about it or something."

Gallus just shrugged his claws. "Eh, Sandbar can do whatever he wants. All I know is, this dance is gonna have a dinner and I'm not missing that for the world! You can't say no to free food and a good time with friends."

Twilight smiled. "I whole heartedly agree, Gallus. So like this poster says 'Get your pony pal and come along.'," Then she offered. "Now, who wants to help me hang up more posters?"

SIlverstream shot up a claw! "Ooh! I do! I do!"

"Me too!" Ocellus declared. "I wanna help in any way I can, Headmare Twilight." She and Silverstream then left with Twilight, while Smolder and Gallus left to do other things together.

Yona was alone, staring at the posters already on display alongside a trophy that depicted the same thing as on the posters. She seemed rather hesitant and concerned, and as such she failed to notice Sandbar trotting up to her with his cheeks a bright pink. "Hey, Yona," He called as he tried to keep his composure. "Uh... you wanna be my pony pal for the dance? I was thinking we could enter the contest together... if you wanted to." The whole time he spoke he seemed to carry himself as if he were trying to hide something, looking embarrassed and a bit tongue tied.

Yona didn't seem to suspect anything as she just answered her pony friend. "But... Yona yak, Yona not pony."

"So? What's that have to do with anything?" Sandbar questioned.

Yona pointed a hoof to the display case in front of her and then the posters. "Pony, pony, more pony..."

The earth pony colt just blushed. "Ah, that's just a poster, it doesn't mean anything. Come on, be my pony pal! It'll be tons of fun for the two of us, I promise!"

Although still not quite sure of herself, the yak seemed to agree. "O-okay, Yona go with Sandbar if that what Sandbar want."

"Ah, great! Er... I mean that's cool," Sandbar declared as his blush started to grow. "I'll go get the tickets. See you later!" And after kicking his back legs he ran off, happily giggling to himself.

Yona watched her pony friend disappear down the hallway and waved a hoof to him. "Yona not let Sandbar down! Yaks best at being pony pal!" Once she was certain she was all alone, however, she started to whisper to herself. "But Yona not sure how if she not pony."

Because the yak worried so much about this, she didn't realize until too late that Rarity was approaching her. The yak was struck by a clothing rack, but was thankfully unharmed.

Rarity had a measuring tape around her neck as well as her ruby red sewing glasses, and her mane and tail looked a bit unorganized. "Ooh! Oh, terribly sorry, Yona," She apologized. "Please forgive me. All these dresses I'm sewing for the ball and dance have me completely frazzled." And she trotted away with the clothing rack being wheeled after her with her magic.

The mentioning of "dress" caused Yona to panic! "Dress?! Yona need dress for dance?!" And she gulped as she realized. "Yona have lots to learn about being best pony pal for Sandbar." And indeed she did, though she had no idea that her desire to become a better "pony pal" would bring her and Sandbar together in a way she couldn't have imagined. And would also teach her a rather valuable lesson about herself.



With all of these worries now floating around in her head, Yona knew there was only one place she could go to get help: Counselor Starlight's office.

Starlight Glimmer was in the midst of sprucing up her office when she heard a knock on her office doors. "It's open, come in," She called, and Yona did without hesitation. "Yona? This is a surprise. You haven't usually had much need for my services compared to some of your friends."

"Counselor Starlight help Yona!" Yona pleaded in desperation. "Yona have lots to learn about being best pony pal for contest! Yona not want to disappoint Sandbar!"

Starlight had surprisingly little troubling deciphering the yak's troubled cries. "First thing's first, Yona. Take some deep breaths," She instructed while demonstrating how to do so. "Now, what exactly about being a pony pal do you need my help with?"

"Everything!" Yona burst out as she flopped onto the couch. "Yona never been to pony dance before! Yona never been to dance with other creature before! But Sandbar want Yona to be his pony pal for dance, and Yona not refuse. So now Yona need to know how to be best pony pal if yak not want to let Sandbar down."

Starlight forced back a gulp. "Well, you're asking a lot of me, Yona. I don't know the dance as well as Twilight or her friends do, they've been in Ponyville for much longer than I have. And I've never attended a 'Grand Galloping Gala' before either," Still, the unicorn managed to advise. "I think you should just focus on having a good time with Sandbar. I'm sure he could tell you everything you need to know, and would make sure you don't embarrass yourself. I'm sure if you asked him to teach you a few things, he'd accept."

Yona shook her head. "Yak no can go to Sandbar! Sandbar ask Yona to be pony pal and Yona promise to not let him down!" She stomped a hoof down. "Yona must learn how to be proper pony pal in time for Amity Ball so Sandbar will be pleased."

Starlight Glimmer answered as she offered Yona some empathy coco. "If you really wanna know more about dances and everything related to them, why not ask Rarity or even Twilight? I'd even be willing to let you practice dancing in the gym after school, lots of students have signed up to do that."

Immediately, Yona recalled her sudden encounter with Rarity earlier in the day while still unsure of how she could be a good pony pal. She remembered from classes that Rarity had her own dress making shop, and was always much more into things like dances and contests. "Yes, that it! Counselor Starlight give fantastic advice!" The yak exclaimed as she stood up! "Professor Rarity know how to help yak be best pony pal. Yona give Counselor Starlight big hug for thanks!"

But the unicorn frantically protested. "No!" Realizing her mistake she coughed into a hoof and corrected. "Er... no thank you, Yona. A hug won't be necessary this time," And then she offered. "Remember, my office is always open if you need to talk to me about anything else."

Yona stood up and departed the office. "Thank you, Counselor Starlight. You best guidance counselor ever! Yona wish Yakyakistan had guidance counselors like you to talk to you."

Starlight just watched Yona depart while sipping from her own mug of empathy coco and thinking to herself. "I think I might need to have a little chat with Sandbar about putting pressure on others without realizing it. Rarity should be able to handle Yona's problem." And then she thought to herself. "And while I'm at it, I really should look into getting this office spruced up a little. For however long it's gonna remain my office, anyway."





At Carousel Boutique, Rarity was hard at work on the dresses for the Amity Ball in her workshop. Her sewing machine was wiring and humming like it always did, and she had her ruby red sewing glasses on while her trusty tape measure rested nearby. "So many dresses, so little time," She thought out loud. "Perhaps I should see if the other boutiques can handle a bit of an extra workload?"

Suddenly, the fashionista's focus was interrupted by a loud, energetic and frantic knock at her workshop door. And because she wasn't expecting it she let out a loud yelp!

The door opened as Yona sheepishly poked her way into the workshop that also doubled as Rarity's bedroom. "Yona interrupting?" She asked the fashionista.

The unicorn with a majestic white coat tried her best to downplay such a suggestion. "Oh, Yona. Er, you're not so much interrupting as you are... uh... blocking the flow as it were... which is stopping me from what I'm doing... so actually, yes, interrupting!" She quickly sought to change the subject as she gave a nervous laugh. "Not that it matters, your needs come first. So, what can I do for you on such short notice, Yona?"

The yak immediately blurted out. "Yona not know that yak need special pony dress for dance. Yona no can wear what Yona always wear, nothing?"

"Yona could... I mean you could," Rarity commented as she caught herself before she started speaking the way Yona spoke. "But the Fetlock Fete or the Amity Ball as Twilight's calling it, is about tradition. There's a certain way to do everything at the dance: Dress, actually dance, you name it."

Yona eagerly replied as she pressed her front hooves onto Rarity! "Yes! That's it! That what Yona want to learn! How to do all the pony things for pony dance, even if Yona has to wear pony dress."

Rarity smiled at the enthusiastic display she was seeing as she calmly pushed Yona back a bit. "Well, uh, y-y-yes, I can teach you everything you'll need to know about the Amity Ball," Then she offered. "If you're sure that's what you really want, Yona."

Without hesitation the yak declared! "Mm-hmm! Yona be best pony pal for Sandbar! Yona ready to learn!"

"Sandbar, hm?" The fashionista pondered aloud. "How interesting, he seems to have been the only one to specifically ask another student to the dance in order to participate in the pony pal dance contest. This is going to call for extra measures. You'll want to impress Sandbar."

Yona nodded. "Impressing Sandbar good!" And she then asked. "What Yona learn first?"

"Patience, Yona," Rarity insisted with a smile. "There are many things you'll have to learn before you'll be ready for your big night with Sandbar." The first thing she did after saying this was float over her tape measure with her magic, taking careful measurements of Yona's figure.

The young yak was quite curious about this as she asked. "What Professor Rarity doing?"

"Just Rarity will do, Yona," Rarity corrected. "This isn't an official school lesson. You came to me for help and I'm providing it to you free of charge. As for what I'm doing, it's really quite simple. While I've no doubt I could find a suitable outfit for you to wear, it'll be much better if you had a brand new dress for the dance. And to do that, I need your measurements," And she instructed to the yak. "Now please hold still. This shouldn't take more than a minute or two."

It took all the willpower she had for Yona to hold still while her professor was moving the tape measure all around and making notes such as "I see." or "I can work with that."

The silence was only broken up by Rarity asking. "Tell me, Yona. Do you have any sort of preferences for your dress? We can worry about your hairstyle later."

"But didn't pro... Rarity already style yak's hair so yak not always trip over it?" Yona asked as she looked at the lovely little curls her hair had been styled into. It was something she'd worn ever since coming back to the school after being rescued by her professors, and she had to admit she quite loved it. Even after she went back to Yakyakistan she'd kept it the way it was now.

The fashionista nodded as she wrote down the measurements she'd taken on a sketchpad. "Why yes, of course. But it's not going to be nearly enough for the Amity Ball, at least not for the occasion you're attending for. I can't say for sure what Sandbar has intended, but usually when a pony asks someone else to a dance like that they have something else in mind beside a dance contest."

Yona could only giggle. "Yona like Sandbar, and Sandbar say he like Yona. We good friends, closer than any other friends in our group. But Yona like all her friends, every friend of Yona is best!"

Rarity had to resist the urge to giggle back. "Oh Yona. I'm surprised Sandbar didn't tell you himself when he asked you out. But if he won't tell, I won't tell. It's something he needs to work up the courage to say on his own." She thought to herself, and then resumed talking. "Well, that's all the more reason why you'll want to look your best. And that means a change of hair alongside a change in wardrobe will probably be in order. What's most important to me is that your new dress not only looks good on you, but it's something you could see yourself wearing quite often."

The yak just declared. "Yona like brown."

"Earth tones," Rarity commented with a frown. "Brown in particular should only really be used for accents. But don't worry, I'm sure I can make something 'earthly' in tone that'll compliment your natural brown fur quite lovely," With the use of her magic she then set her sketchpad down by her sewing machine. "Why don't we come back to that later?" She suggested. "For now, let's start with your lessons on 'how to fit in'. That's what you want, right?"

Yona nodded. "Yona not want to stand out. Yona want to fit in."

"Quite so," Rarity agreed. "Come with me."





Pony and yak made their way downstairs to the kitchen as Rarity used her magic to produce a bowl of some strange, green colored vegetables. "At an elegant affair like a pony dance such as the Amity Ball, one must be able converse in a sophisticated fashion," She levitated over several of the vegetables. "This is a little trick I picked up from etiquette class years ago. It worked wonders for me, and I'll bet it'll work wonders for you as well. Talking with brussels sprouts in your mouth helps you to learn to ar-ti-cu-late." She pronounced in a very elegant fashion.

"What Yona have to do?" Yona questioned.

Rarity instructed with what sounded like practiced precision. "Take a mouthful, and repeat after me. And try not to swallow."

Yona reluctantly obeyed, stuffing the brussels sprouts into her mouth to the point where her cheeks seemed to puff out beyond what was comfortable for her.

Clearing her throat, Rarity delivered her first recited speech for Yona to copy. "How kind of you to ask me to tea." She made sure her delivery was slow and clear to understand for Yona's sake.

Through her muffled mouth, Yona somehow managed to repeat back. "How kind of you to ask me to tea."

"Good, good, keep it up," Rarity encouraged before moving straight to the second recited speech. "May I offer you a glass of punch?"

Again, through a muffled mouth, Yona was somehow able to say. "May I offer you a glass of punch?"

The fashionista smiled and nodded. "You're doing well, Yona! One more speech and then we'll see how you do with a trial run," And using her magic to float over an umbrella she recited. "The weather is quite agreeable today."

"The weather is quite agreeable today," Yona replied before finally giving into the urges. She bit down on the brussels sprouts in her mouth and began to chew. Once done she gulped and let out a hearty burp. "Yona like brussels sprouts."

Rarity frowned. "Quite so. And you were supposed to say 'Excuse me' after burping," She then let out a sigh. "Oh well, can't have everything, yet," But she was quick to reassure the troubled yak. "Still, you did okay for your first time. We've got a few days still, plenty of time to teach you how to speak like a proper and sophisticated pony. And you should know that you're welcome to back out at any time if the lessons are too much for you. Etiquette is something that is easy to learn but hard to master."

Yona shook her head. "Yona not backing out! Yona want to fit in and impress Sandbar! Yona study extra hard on... what Rarity say."

Adjusting her ruby red sewing glasses (which she had forgotten to take off in all of this), Rarity finally removed them as she looked up at a clock. "Well, we can do another articulation lesson later on if I have time. For now though, let's focus on the most important thing you'll need to know for the dance. How to dance."

"Counselor Starlight say Yona welcome to practice dancing in gym," Yona spoke up. "Rarity teach Yona how to dance?"

"Not quite, I'm going to be a mite busy with your dress and the other dresses over the next few days," Rarity pointed out. "But I know precisely who can help us!"





Rarity brought the young yak to the gym where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were waiting alongside Angel Bunny who holding up a chart, and a record player.

Upon seeing the two pegasi, Yona blinked in confusion while looking across to Rarity. "Uh... Professors Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash teaching Yona? They good at dancing?"

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Yup, Fluttershy even taught me, though don't tell anyone I said that," Then she boasted. "Don't worry, Yona. You're in good hooves now! With Fluttershy and I coaching you you've got nothing to worry about! Especially when you've got me, because I'm awesome at just about everything!" But the brash speedster quickly. "Except for baking, still gotta work on that."

Fluttershy then smiled. "Don't feel embarrassed coming here to take lessons, lots of students have gotten quite rusty and several others needed to learn what you'll learn," And she explained. "Now, there are two traditional dances that everypony does at the Fete, and they're both going to be at the Amity Ball. After a few days of practicing with us, you'll know them both by heart."

"And fit right in!" Yona eagerly declared.

Rarity nodded in agreement. "Exactly. I'll stay to watch your first lesson for a bit, but once I'm certain you can manage I must get back to my boutique," And she elegantly proclaimed. "Why don't we start with the slow dance, that one always comes first. It's called 'The Pony Cotillion'. And that's Fluttershy's specialty."

The pegasus with a butter yellow coat blushed as she fiddled with her light pink bangs and nervously laughed. "Oh, w-well I wouldn't say specialty. It's just fun," After coughing into a hoof she approached Angel and the chart he was holding up. "Here, Yona. I made you a chart."

Angel unfurled the scroll all the way. It depicted several different colored hooves with white numbers on them ranging from one to four. It seemed to be a rather complicated series of movements for a "slow dance".

Fluttershy instructed for the nervous yak to step onto the chart alongside her, and the two did so. Nodding, Fluttershy explained further. "All you have to do is follow these dance steps. You'll learn them in no time. I know I did," Then she instructed Angel to activate the record player. He did so and following a needle scratch the music on the record began to play, bolting out classical music. "Just step on whatever color I name. Are you ready to begin?"

Despite how nervous she was feeling inside, Yona forced herself to say. "Y-yes."

The pegasus smiled. "Excellent," And timing her statements to the beat of the music she instructed to Yona. "Blue, red, step ahead. Green, black, now step back," She demonstrated the process by effortlessly moving her hooves to where they belonged. It looked so easy. "Okay, Yona. Now you try."

Yona attempted to time her movements to the beat of music like Fluttershy had done, but it was a rather difficult process and she messed up as a result. "Blue, red, step— ah, oh!" She exclaimed in dismay. But she quickly tried to recover, no way was a dance going to defeat her so easily. "No. Um, Yona start over," She insisted. "Blue, red, green, black, yak step back?" Hesitantly she repeated the motions.

Fluttershy nodded in encouragement. "Yes, that's it! See, you're getting the hang of it already! Now this next part is tricky, so try to keep up with me as best you can," And she quickly began to call out while moving her hooves to a bunch of different places on the chart. "Black, green, red, and blue. Red, black, hold one and two. Red, blue, red once more. Green, black, blue, red, hold three and four."

Poor Yona couldn't keep up despite her best efforts. The dance moves were too complicated, and they ended up causing her to cross her legs and tie herself up. "Gah!" She exclaimed as the yak tried to keep her balance! "Yona feel like she has four front feet!" Then she let out a yelp as she tumbled to the floor. Thankfully, she was unharmed. But it really didn't make her feel better to see Angel demonstrating the dance steps in front of her with the greatest of ease. It felt like the bunny was mocking her.

Rarity put a hoof to her face and sighed. "This is gonna take extra work, more work than I thought." She said to herself.

Rainbow Dash was quick to try and change the scene in the hopes of improving Yona's mood. "We can come back to that one later," She said as she swooped down. "Don't feel too bad, Yona. I tied myself up even worse than you did the first time I tried that dance. But that was the hard one, mine's way easier!" She quickly replaced the record had classical music with something better suited to her style. Soon, the record player was blaring out loud, fast paced and high pitched music. "This is the other traditional dance from the Fete. It's a little dance called 'The Pony Prance'."

"What Yona have to do for this one?" Yona nervously asked, terrified of the idea of having to memorize more dance steps.

Rainbow grinned as she shouted (in order to be heard above the music). "The key to this one is speed! That's it!" She quickly zoomed around the gym to demonstrate her point, and then encouraged! "Come on, Yona, try it! Just get with the flow and let yourself go! It's as easy as breathing!"

And indeed it was easy for Yona. Too easy! It wasn't long before she was rushing about, bumping into things and knocking them over with loud crashes! Only once the music had stopped did she allow herself to come to a halt. "Yona like to flow and go!" She happily shouted while panting, even as her surroundings consisted of several heavy objects that had been knocked over.

"Marvelous," Rarity sarcastically replied, before correcting. "Perhaps it would be best if you toned it down a little for next time, Yona. I certainly hope you don't want the night to end with poor Sandbar having his wounds tended to by Nurse Redheart."

Yona hung her head in shame. "Yak just not getting it!"

But Rarity protested. "Nonsense, Yona. You've only just begun. It was foolish of me to expect you to master everything in just a day. Practice makes perfect after all," And she put a hoof around the yak. "The Amity Ball isn't until this weekend. That's plenty of time for us to continue your lessons until you've gotten them down pat."





So it was that over the next several days, Yona worked bit by bit on her lessons on "fitting in": Whether it be dancing, articulation or anything else Rarity felt the young yak needed to work on.

Progress was incredibly slow, yet with each passing day Yona was gradually getting better. By the end of the week, just before the Amity Ball was slated to begin, even Rarity was noticing changes.

On the day of dance, only hours before it was to get under way, Yona was practicing her dance steps while also working on the recited speeches she'd been trying to memorize. And she did it all while looking at herself in a mirror in Rarity's workshop. "Blue, red, step ahead," She said out loud, mimicking the motions and the rhythm of the slow dance. Then she added. "Green, black, Yona step back."

Rarity watched from outside with a hushed whisper! She'd intended to put the finishing touches on Yona's new dress to see what the yak would think of it, and had been pleasantly surprised to hear and see what was unfolding in her workshop. Silently, she encouraged. "That's it, Yona! You're doing it!"

Yona paused in her dancing to say to the mirror, articulating perfectly. "How kind of you to ask Yona to tea, Sandbar," Then she want back to dancing and repeated aloud the steps that had previously given her so much trouble. "Black, green, red, and blue. Red, black hold one and two. Red, blue, red once more. Green, black, blue, red, hold three and four!" When she didn't trip over her own hooves, the yak excitedly exclaimed! "Yona did it!"

"Indeed you did!" Rarity encouraged with a smile as she entered her workshop. "There's just one more thing we need to correct, and then you'll be ready to practice with your new dress," She cleared her throat and asked. "Yona, if someone at the party tells you they're thirsty, you say..."

"May Yona-" Yona began only to correct herself, realizing what was needed to "fit in". "-May I offer you a cup of punch?"

The fashionista nodded, clapping her hooves. "By Celestia, I think you've got it! Yona, you're going to be the hit of the ball! Sandbar is going to be completely blown away!"

Yona smiled as she elegantly spoke. "Thanks to your efforts, Rarity. I had good teachers."

"Think nothing of it, Yona. It was my pleasure to help you in your time of need," Rarity smiled as she approached the yak. "You've really impressed and inspired me. In fact, I might just be willing to take you on as my new apprentice once you're done with school. Then she found herself breaking out into a quick song:

You've studied so many pony ways,

And learned a lot in the past few days.

You've displayed a change that is worth my praise.

Yona happily joined in as she sang:

And now I fit right innnnnnnnnnn!

And she and Rarity sang together:

You fit right in!

Once the song had ended, the fashionista smiled again. "Just wait until Sandbar gets a look at you, Yona. You'll definitely win the pony pal dance contest now!" Then she instructed. "Now wait right here. Your new dress should be ready shortly, just need to make a tweak here and a tuck there."

A short time later, the elegantly speaking yak now wore a lavishly green, flowing dress that went all the way down her backside. And "for good measure" Rarity levitated over a purple wig that looked like it complimented the dress nicely.

Yet as Yona began to practice her dance steps in her new dress, she and Rarity were both unaware of the door to the workshop swinging open until it was too late!

In strolled Sandbar, who was wearing a finely pressed tuxedo and matching black bow tie. When he got a good luck at Yona though, his mouth dropped open in shock! He could hardly believe what he was seeing! "Yona?!" He gasped in shock!

"S-Sandbar!" Yona gasped back! The shock caused her to misplace a hoof. She began to stumble as her wig covered her face, making it difficult for her to see! And to make matters worse she heard a ripping sound as her new dress began to come apart at the seams! Pretty soon, Yona found herself staring down at the remaints of what had been a beautiful green dress and a purple wig. Tears began to form in her eyes as she looked at Sandbar, the shame welling up inside of her.

Sandbar barely had time to react as he was pushed aside, Yona rushing past him and out the open workshop door! "Yona, wait!" He called out! But it was too late, Yona was already gone!





Once the shock of the situation had worn off, Sandbar found himself looking to one of his professors, who seemed rather ashamed of herself. "I'm terribly sorry you had to see that, Sandbar. It seems I may have gone overboard with helping Yona prepare," And she sighed. "Definitely not one of my finer moments."

The earth pony colt blinked. "Why? I mean, you were just trying to help Yona 'fit in', right?" And then he commented. "I just wish she'd have come to me sooner about all of this. She really didn't need do any of... what I just saw." He made an unusual face that looked somewhere between a frown and a smile.

"Well, you had an ulterior motive besides just wanting to dance with her, didn't you?" Rarity questioned. "At least, that's how Yona made it sound even if she didn't seem to pick up on it."

Sandbar fought back a blush. "I guess there's really no point in trying to hide it anymore. It's really that obvious, huh?"

The fashonista, meanwhile, was questioning. "However did you find out about all of this? Yona's been coming to me every day after school."

"Well, I guess it was the dance lessons. Word started getting out after that," Sandbar explained. "Though I didn't think anything of it until the rest of my friends pointed it out to me." And he began to flashback to a conversation he'd had with them earlier in the day.

Sandbar had just emerged from his door room all dressed up for the Amity Ball. "What do you think, guys?" He asked his friends. "I don't wanna be overdressed for the occasion. Mom and Dad say not a lot of ponies really dress up for the Fetlock Fete."

Gallus simply commented. "I think you've got a bigger problem on your hooves, dude. Figuratively and literally."

Ocellus tried her best not to look sheepish. "Sorry,  but it was just so obvious to pick up on. Just because I don't feed on love doesn't mean I can't still feel it," And she added. "You really should've just come out and told Yona how you felt."

Silverstream chimed in. "Our professors have been giving her lessons. Professor Rarity especially. I've seen it with my own two eyes! She looks so...weird!" She exclaimed while making an odd face.

Smolder was quick to point out. "Yona's gone full pony for the dance."

"All for you, Sandbar. You sly dog!" Gallus teased as he playfully pulled on Sandbar's bow tie for a second. "You sure know how to pick 'em."

But Sandbar seemed to be confused. "'For me'? Why me?"

The earth pony's friends just frowned, and Gallus and Smolder even rolled their eyes before Smolder commented. "Come on, dude. You can't seriously be this dense. It's obvious to all of us, so just admit it already," She delivered the next sentence slowly. "You... have... a... crush on Yona!"

The colt stumbled back and blushed. "It's.... really that obvious?"

"Duh! If even Silverstream can notice it you know you're doing a bad job of hiding it," Gallus pointed out. "You basically all but asked Yona out for a date. No wonder she's trying to become a proper pony."

A look of horror crossed Sandbar's face! "What?! That wasn't what I wanted at all! Yona doesn't need to be a pony to impress me. I like for her who she is, not who she pretends to be," And he put his hooves to his face! "I've got to stop her from making a terrible mistake!"

"Well you might wanna try Professor Rarity's boutique. Can't miss it, it's the only building of its kind around here." Ocellus suggested.

Without even a second's hesitation, Sandbar took off for that destination, though not before he called out to his friends! "See you all at the Amity Ball!"

The flashback ended as quickly as it came. "So I arrived here, and... well, we both know what happened next." The colt finished explaining.

The fashionista reluctantly nodded. "Quite so. Now we don't even know where Yona is or if she's okay," And she sighed. "I'll have to tell Twilight and we'll have to send out search parties. The Amity Ball will have to be cancelled. And Twilight worked so hard to bring it to the school too."

But Sandbar had an idea. "Actually, Professor Rarity, I think I know where Yona might be. Follow me!" And he dashed out the open door to make his way downstairs and exit the boutique, Rarity following close behind.





Yona had confined herself to a balcony high up in the Treehouse of Harmony connected to the newly restored Castle of the Two Sisters (which now served as a museum that gave guided tours). It wasn't exactly a secret location considering how much it stood out (almost as much as Twilight's crystal castle), but it was still in a far away place. Far enough away where the young yak felt she wouldn't be a bother to anyone.

Alone with just her thoughts, Yona began singing out to the open sky without a care as to who might hear. "Yona sad. Yona sing sad song. Sad Yona," The only feedback she received was a twitter from a bird perched in a tree nearby. And it soon flew off, now leaving Yona truly alone. "Yona no blame bird. Yona no want to be around Yona either anymore." And she started to sing again.

At that moment, Sandbar and Rarity happened to approach the treehouse's front entrance. Sandbar was able to spot Yona from a distance and called out to her. "Yona?" The only response was a panicked gasp from the yak before she retreated further into the treehouse. Immediately, Sandbar plucked up courage as he turned to Rarity. "Wait here. I think I know what Yona needs the most right now." And then he trotted up the steps and into the treehouse proper.

It didn't take long to find Yona, she was on one of the upper floors near a pillar. And she was sobbing quite audibly until a gentle poke from one of Sandbar's hooves caused her to stop. "How Sandbar find Yona here?" She questioned, her throat a tad bit raspy from all the crying she'd done.

Sandbar sat down next to the yak, gently stroking her back to calm her down as he told her. "Well, I know you pretty well by now. So I figured you'd come here. I know I'd come here if something like... that happened to me."

Yona could only shake her head and stomp her hooves. "Sandbar mean something awful and embarrassing. So awful, Yona cannot come down from treehouse ever!" She promptly tied herself to one of the nearby pillars as she pleaded. "Will Sandbar bring Yona food and water?"

"How you gonna go to the bathroom, then?" Sandbar questioned. "And how you gonna sleep?"

"...Y-Yona will find a way!" Yona insisted even as her voice cracked a bit, indicating that Sandbar's questions were giving her second thoughts about what she was doing.

The young earth pony tried to take advantage of this as he suggested. "You know, Yona. It really wasn't that bad. I doubt anypony but myself and Rarity saw it," But that caused Yona to frown and glare at him, so he sheepishly coughed into a hoof. "Okay. so maybe only a few ponies and other creatures didn't see it," He quickly whispered. "If they happened to be in Canterlot for the day," Then he added. "But anyway, it's all over now, so... will you still come to the dance with me? It'd really be a shame to miss out on all the fun we could have together."

The yak just used her horns to cut through the rope that bound her to the pillar. But once she had broken free she strolled over to another balcony and lamented. "Yona disappoint Sandbar even after Yona promise not to let Sandbar down. Yona not make very good pony."

Sandbar blinked. "Why would you think you disappointed me, Yona? And whoever said you had to be a pony? Headmare Twilight wanted the dance to be open to all creatures, not just ponies."

"Yona know," Yona slowly replied. "But Yona just want to do all the right pony things and fit in at dance! Then maybe Sandbar and Yona win best pony pal in contest. Instead, Yona win worst pony ever."

Sandbar shook his head in protest. "That's not true, Yona. You're far from the worst pony ever."

"Really? Sandbar name two ponies worse than Yona!" Yona demanded.

It took a few seconds for Sandbar to think through his reply, but he finally answered. "Well... there's Spoiled Rich, Diamond Tiara's mother. She's pretty nasty from what I hear. And, although he's turned over a new leaf, Chancellor Neighsay used to be a real butt head."

That prompted the yak to giggle. "Okay, Sandbar right. They worse."

Sandbar nodded and smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way, Yona. But the thing is, I don't care if you're a pony or not. You're the best Yona I know, the best yak I know. And I never wanted you to be anything other than what you are now," Looking up to the stars, he realized that the time had come to confess to something else. "And you know, Yona. You being you is exactly what I like about you. No, what I love about you."

Now it was Yona's turn to blink. "What Sandbar saying? Sandbar more than just Yona's friend?"

The colt smiled even as a blush started to form on his cheeks. "Yeah, though it took me a while to realize I felt the way I do now. But I've always admired you, Yona. You're strong, brave and you're never afraid to stand up for others. Even when all my other friends thought I'd betrayed them or abandoned them, you held out hope. Even for a yak you have a big heart."

Yona found herself unable to say anything, she just stared dreamily into Sandbar's eyes and became lost in their gaze as she threw herself onto Sandbar and hugged him tightly.

"So, I guess this means you love me too?" Sandbar asked as he felt his heart flutter. This was playing out even better than he might have dreamed of it playing out!

The young yak smiled. "Yona not know Sandbar have feelings for Yona. But Yona glad Sandbar finally told Yona. Yona be best girlfriend for Sandbar!"

Sandbar could only chuckle. "You don't have to be the best at everything, Yona," Then he opted to move in and plant a kiss on Yona's cheeks. "I've been waiting a long time to do that, Yona!"

Yona replied by kissing Sandbar on his cheeks. "Yona love Sandbar! Sandbar best pony a yak could have!"

At that moment, the tender embrace of the two young lovers was interrupted as Rarity appeared in the distance, clapping her hooves. "Simply magnificent. A true work of beauty!" She exclaimed! "It really warms my heart to see things working out well for you two," Then she turned to Yona. "I'm sorry I didn't give you the best advice. I focused so much on helping you fit in that I forgot that sometimes it's better to stand out."

But Yona replied. "Yona like lessons with Rarity. Yona enjoy learning how to dance like ponies dance. And dress not bad on Yona either. Yona the one who want to fit in, and Rarity help Yona do that. But now Yona know Yona not have to fit in to impress Sandbar."

"Well, if you still want to go to the dance with your new boyfriend," Rarity commented with a wink. "I may still be able to salvage that new dress I made for you. With a few modifications to compliment your natural yak fur of course."





A short time later, with Yona in her new new dress and Sandbar still wearing the black suit and matching bow tie, the young couple made their way to the School of Friendship where the Amity Ball was to take place. And they were just in time too, as DJ Scales and Tail (who was actually Spike but in his dragon costume from a few Nightmare Nights ago) was declaring over a microphone. "Oh yeah, party ponies! It's time to stomp your hooves and raise the roof for the traditional first dance of the evening: 'The Pony Cotillion'!" And it wasn't long before familiar classical music started playing.

"Come on, Yona!" Sandbar encouraged. "I can't wait to see those new dance moves you learned. We'll blow away the competition for sure."

Yona grinned. "With Yona and Sandbar together, other pony pals not stand a chance."

And indeed that was so. Sandbar and Yona's dancing outshone all other pony pals in the contest. By the end of the night it was of no surprise to the young couple when Twilight bestowed upon them the trophy for best pony pals. "Well done, you two. Never in all my life have I seen such incredible dancing," She smiled. "You especially, Yona. I like how you found a way to mix traditional pony dancing with your natural yak style."

Sandbar smiled and suggested. "Yona, you think you'd be willing to teach me how to dance like you do? It looks so fascinating."

Yona nodded. "Yona teach Sandbar, if Sandbar willing to learn. But traditional yak dancing not easy for ponies to learn."

Sandbar only chuckled. "If you can learn how to dance like a pony, I'm sure I can learn how to dance like a yak."

Yona chuckled back. "Sandbar not say he wasn't warned. Yona start teaching Sandbar tomorrow," Then she declared. "And Yona teach anyone willing to learn how to dance like yak. Lessons not cost anything." Then she and Sandbar posed for a photo to remember their big night by. Both of them would never forget what they learned about each other, or the valuable lesson they'd learned about trying too hard to "fit in".
> S9 E12: The Last Crusade (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed like just another typical day in Ponyville. The weather was fine and there didn't seem to be any signs of trouble. But the peace was soon disturbed by a rather excited unicorn colt named Skeedaddle, who was rushing through the streets while shouting "Cutie Mark Crusaders!" over and over again!

Suddenly, Scootaloo called out to Skeedaddle! "We're at my house!"

Skeedaddle quickly rushed over to a house defined by its large, Cloudsdale like columns in the front. And he scampered up the steps, bursting through the front door as he could barely contain his excitement! "I did it! I got my cutie mark! And it's all thanks to you!"

The Crusaders all rushed over to see the colt. "Did you really?" Sweetie Belle asked.

When Skeedaddle nodded all three Crusaders cheered together! "That's great, Skeedaddle!"

Scootaloo then asked. "What's it for?" As she eyed the cutie mark, which depicted a rope tied up in a particular fashion.

Skeedaddle happily explained. "Knot-tying of course!" And beamed with pride he declared. "And I never would've gotten it without all of you! Now I'm just like Kettle Corn, wait til she hears the news."

But Apple Bloom was rather confused as she questioned to her fellow Crusaders. "Did we suggest knot-tyin'? I don't think we did."

Skeedaddle just explained while pointing to Sweetie Belle. "Well, first I tried sailing, like you said," He next pointed to Scootaloo. "Next, I tried fishing, like you said," And finally he pointed to Apple Bloom. "Then, I tried rowing, like you said. And while I was rowing, my oar broke. So I used my fishing line to tie it back together and presto, I got my cutie mark!" Happily kicking his back legs he then declared! "I can't wait to tell everypony!" And he zoomed away, shutting the door behind him.

Two ponies had heard the entire conversation, and they could only smile. One was an earth pony mare of medium build, her coat was a beautiful green in color and it neatly complimented her blonde mane and tail that had been styled up all nice and pretty. Her red eyes matched her cutie mark of a red ribbon perfectly, and she wore a lovely orange scarf around her neck. The other was a sturdy pegasus mare. Her coat was a lovely cream yellow, not unlike Bon-Bon's. She had a wavy mane and tail in alternate shades of pink and purple, purple eyes, and a cutie mark depicting two purple puffs and two pink balls of yarn. She wore a lovely purple scarf.

Scootaloo knew them as her aunts: Aunt Holiday (who was her dad's older sister) and Auntie Lofty. The two had been together for as long as she could remember, and often foalsat her whenever her parents were busy with work.

Aunt Holiday was the first to speak up. "Oh, how exciting. Reminds me of the time Lofty and I spent in the filly guide together when we were your age," And she smiled anew. "You three Crusaders truly have a gift for helping ponies, and even non-ponies from what I hear."

Scootaloo tried to act modest. She usually didn't mind the praise and affection her aunts gave her, Auntie Lofty in particular. "Aw, thanks, Aunt Holiday. But I'm not sure if we can really take credit for this one. It seems like a happy accident."

"Hey, if it weren't for 'happy accidents' I might never have met your Auntie Lofty," Holiday pointed out. "You three most definitely can take credit for Skeedaddle's cutie mark. You encouraged that colt to try new things. And because you all believed in him, he succeeded. Just like Lofty and I believe in you and all the things you do."

Auntie Lofty was busy working on a quilt as she remarked. "I could sure use that kind of help right now."

Scootaloo found it hard not to chuckle. "Ah come on, Auntie Lofty. You already have your cutie mark."

Auntie Lofty nodded even as she sighed. "Lot of good it's doing me right about now. I always enjoy sewing, but I can't decide what theme to give this quilt I've been working on. I hate to say it, but I've plum ran out of inspiration."

Apple Bloom was quick to propose some ideas for themes. "How about apples? Puppies? Kites! You can't go wrong with any of those!"

Sweetie Belle suggested. "Or cotton candy! Or ballet! Or even singing!"

"Ooh! Ooh! What about a Wonderbolt quilt?" Scootaloo proposed. "And no, it's not just because Rainbow Dash is one of them."

Lofty gave a hearty laugh. "See? That's what I'm talking about! Leave it to you three to come up with more ideas than I've had in a year! Now, that's talent to be proud of."

Just then, however, Holiday looked up a clock on the wall and seemed to be stricken with worry. "Oh my goodness, is that the time?! Gosh, it sure has flown hasn't it," And she gestured to Lofty. "Come along, dear, it's time for us to go."

"Guess the new quilt's gonna have to wait." Lofty declared as she carefully folded it with her wings and then tucked it underneath one of them.

The tomboyish pegasus filly realized what was going on as she whined ever so slightly. "Do you really have to go now? Mom and Dad aren't back yet, and won't be for a couple of days still."

"I'm afraid we do, Scootaloo," Holiday told her niece. "But Lofty and I have jobs too. We're lucky they afford us so much time off to tend to our favorite niece, but we can't stay away from them forever," She then reassured her. "But this isn't the first time this has happened, we've got a system worked out. I left you plenty of healthy food for the weekend."

"And I left you cookies." Lofty said with a grin.

Holiday and Lofty proceeded to pack their bags as they made their way to the front door, Holiday explaining to Scootaloo. "Now, Rarity should be stopping by soon to check up on you. And then the Cakes will come over tonight to stay with you for the weekend. Remember, Lofty and I have our cottage just a few stops from Ponyville if you need us for anything."

Lofty just smiled as she nuzzled her niece's mane with a hoof. "She knows, Holiday. See you next week, slugger. And stay out of trouble, okay?"

"I will!" Scootaloo promised and then watched her aunts depart, calling out to them. "Bye, Aunt Holiday! Bye, Auntie Lofty!" And she waved to them until they were out of sight, the door closing behind them.

Sweetie Belle smiled. "Your aunts are super nice, Scootaloo. You're so lucky to have them watch over you whenever your parents are busy with work," Her smile faded as she let out a sigh. "I wish my parents were around as often as yours, or even your aunts. It feels like it's been ages since I last saw Mom and Dad at all."

"Well, chin up. Their latest vacation has to be coming to an end soon," Scootaloo proposed. "And maybe you could get your mom to take cooking lessons here. Nopony bakes like Auntie Lofty." She dreamily sighed at the last part.

Just then, the door knob slowly turned and in strolled Rarity who had a letter held up in her magic. "Sweetie Belle, thank goodness you're still here!" She exclaimed! "I just received this letter from Mother and Father! They're coming home today for an important announcement!"

Sweetie Belle could hardly believe her ears! At long last she was going to see her parents again! What she didn't know, was that it wasn't going to be under the most ideal of circumstances.



Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were practically ecstatic at the news, though Sweetie Belle was still in a state of shock and didn't quite know what to think just yet.

"It's been a long time since your parents were around. I don't think they even showed up when you got your cutie mark," Scootaloo commented. "Or maybe they did and I just wasn't paying attention. The whole cute-ceañera celebration is kind of a blur."

Apple Bloom added. "The last memory I have of them was them givin' us a sleigh ride durin' that Hearth's Warmin' party at Twilight's castle, and that was a few years ago."

Sweetie Belle finally managed to find the words she wanted to say. "Yeah, it has been a long time. They've been going on vacations and they never seem to bring me along, they always say I'm 'too little'. So mostly I just stay with Rarity at the boutique."

Scootaloo then encouraged. "Well, maybe that big announcement is your parents coming home and staying home for a change?!"

Rarity, however, coughed into a hoof. "Whatever the letter says, it's not anything you two fillies should be worried about. It is strictly for Sweetie Belle and I," And she instructed to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. "You two run along and find something else to do around here."

The two fillies reluctantly obeyed, even though they were quite curious as to the letter's contents. That left Sweetie alone with her big sister as the letter was opened and unfurled. Rarity reading it aloud:

Dear Sweetie Belle,

Our vacation to Trottingham has given us a lot of time to think about some recent developments, particularly concerning Ponyville.

With all that's been happening recently: The destruction of the Tree of Harmony, the invasion of the Everfree Forest and the prospect that you'll soon be too old to continue attending classes at the Ponyville school house among other things, we believe it might be best if you were with us.

We'll be cutting our vacation short so we can catch the first train back. We intend to pack everything up and move to Canterlot. Not only do we believe you'll be safer there, but it also has a much greater selection of schools to look into for your continued education.

If all goes as planned the move should be completed within a week. Now might be a good time to say goodbye to your friends and find a way to keep in touch. Trips to Ponyville by train are too expensive to be done regularly.

Love,

Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles a.k.a Mom and Dad

It didn't take long for the bombshell contained within the letter to be felt. The little unicorn quickly found herself tearing up. "They can't do that!" She protested! "If they take me away it'll be the end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" And she immediately threw herself at her big sister as she pleaded! "Please, Rarity! You can't let them take me away! You've gotta stop them somehow!"

But Rarity could only shake her head. "I'm afraid this situation is out of my hooves, Sweetie Belle. There is little I can do to change their mind when they come back," And she cautioned. "It's not like you could just come live with me either. There are adjustments that would have to be made."

"Then I'll run away from home! If I never come home, Mom and Dad can't make me move away!" Sweetie insisted.

"That won't work either, I'm afraid. Applejack once tried to run away from her problems and they still caught up to her," The fashionista pointed out. "I don't exactly like it either, and I intend to give Mother and Father a piece of my mind for not consulting with me on this before coming home. When I said I wanted them to spend more time with you, this is not quite what I meant." And she snorted a bit in protest.





Apple Bloom and Scootaloo came rushing back to the kitchen where Sweetie Belle and Rarity were still discussing the letter. They had heard a few things, noticeably their friend's comment about "The end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders" and were rather troubled as a result.

"Sweetie's parents are makin' her movin' super far away from Ponyville?" Apple Bloom questioned as she and Scootaloo trotted upon the scene. "They can't do that! Can they?"

"They're only moving to Canterlot according to the letter," Rarity explained. "And I'm afraid that unless they change their mind, they most definitely can. Sweetie is still young enough to be in their care, even if more often it's been my care."

Scootaloo swallowed hard. "That's so unfair, though. When my mom and dad got new jobs, they didn't force me to move back to Cloudsdale! And Sweetie's parents are always on vacation. What do they know?"

The fashionista could only shake her head. "I wish I knew, and I wish I didn't have to be the bearer of such bad news," Then she looked to her younger sister. "'I'll do what I can to convince Mother and Father against the move, but it might not be a bad idea to start saying your goodbyes to your friends anyway just in case. If the worst does happen, I'll take the liberty of delivering your letters to them and getting their letters sent to you."

However, Scootaloo boldly declared! "We can't give up so easily! We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" And she stomped a hoof down. "Sweetie Belle belongs here, in Ponyville! She was the first friend I ever made when I moved here."

Sweetie hugged her friends even while she still had tears in her eyes. "Thanks, Crusaders. But if Rarity can only try to talk some sense into Mom and Dad, there's not much you can really do. Maybe this was meant to be. We were all probably going to go our separate ways eventually."

"Not until we were all older and had our lives figured out. And even then we were always gonna be the Cutie Mark Crusaders come rain or shine!" Apple Bloom vowed. "If we were willin' to lets Babs Seed and Gabby stay on despite them livin' far away from us, there's no reason why we the foundin' members should have to break up."

It was then that Scootaloo had an idea. "Maybe your parents just need to understand how much your friendships really mean to you, and how much their decision is hurting you. Grown-ups don't always realize what they think is best for their kids isn't really the case."

At that, the unicorn filly blinked in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Scootaloo?"

The tomboyish pegasus filly answered. "Well, have I ever told you the story of how Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty started foalsitting me? I went through a lot of the same things you're going through."

"But your parents weren't moving away and taking you with them." Sweetie protested.

"I know that!" Scootaloo pointed out before continuing. "But it sure felt like I was going to be seeing them less and less often. And I was worried what it would mean for my family. Applejack once said family can be like friends. So in a way, it was like I was risking the possibility of never seeing friends again. I mean, I was wrong. But that's not what's important." And she began to tell her story, reflecting back to the events as if they'd just happened yesterday.





"Scootaloo," A lovely and sweet female voice called out from the ground floor. "Scootaloo, come down here now. I need to talk to you about something very important." It had only been a few weeks since Scootaloo had performed along with her fellow Crusaders to earn the right to carry the flag at the Equestria Games in the Crystal Empire.

Scootaloo made her way downstairs, soon finding herself face to face with her mom: Dizzy Twister. Dizzy had an amber colored coat, sported a loosely curly pink mane, and a tail that was just as curly and was pink with pale raspberry highlights, moderate rose eyes and a cutie mark depicting three tornadoes. "What is it, Mom?" She asked her female parent. "Am I in trouble? Is something wrong?"

Dizzy shook her head. "No, my little Wonderbolt. Everything is fine. But there's something we need to discuss," She motioned for her daughter to have a seat at the kitchen table, and she explained as best she could. "You know how your father and some of his friends created Cloudsdale's only hockey team, and how he now not only plays for them but also manages the team?"

The tomboyish filly nodded her head. "Yeah, I remember. And the Cloudsdale Windigos are right in the middle of a promising season. They might actually win this time!" She buzzed her tiny wings in excitement of the prospect!

"Yes, Scootaloo, I know," Dizzy gestured a hoof to calm her daughter down. "And you already know that that means he's often away at this time of year. But I need you to know that I've recently accepted a new job in Cloudsdale that will require me to work away from home quite often."

Scootaloo's excitement faded quite quickly, as though somepony had let all the air out of a balloon. "What?!" Her eyes widened in disbelief! "We're moving back to Cloudsdale, then?! But I like it in Ponyville, I've made so many friends here!"

Dizzy was quick to explain. "We're not moving, Scootaloo. I know how much your friends mean to you, and Ponyville has a much better quality of schools compared to almost anywhere else in Equestria."

"Then why are you taking up this new job?" Scootaloo questioned. "How come you didn't ask me first? Aren't we making enough money with just Dad's job?"

"Yes, but only barely. This way I can ensure we still have a roof over our head should anything happen to your father," Dizzy continued in her explanation. "And since I'll be away from home quite often now, there's going to have to be some changes. You're going to need a foalsitter."

The little pegasus frowned. "Can't I just sleep over at Sweetie Belle or Apple Bloom's place? I'm sure they could make room for me."

"No, my little Wonderbolt," Dizzy protested. "What I need the most is somepony who can watch over you, and make sure the house is safe. I don't know how long I'll be away or how often, so I can't just leave you a key to get into the house."

Reluctantly, the tomboyish filly sensed that there was not much she could do in this situation. She wasn't opposed to the idea of a foalsitter, though. "So, who's gonna be my foalsitter?" She asked and then excitedly declared! "Oh, I hope it's Rainbow Dash! Or even Twilight, that'll be fantastic!"

But Dizzy shook her head. "I already have a suitable pony, or I should say ponies in mind," Then she asked her headstrong daughter. "You remember Aunt Holiday, right?"

"Dad's older sister? Didn't she get married a while back or something?" Scootaloo questioned as she tried to recall where she'd heard that name before.

The older pegasus nodded in confirmation. "Indeed she did. And when I was considering candidates for the foalsitting job, she was the first pony to come to mind. She and her special somepony should be here any minute."





As if on cue there came a knock at the front door. "Ah, that must be them now," Dizzy smiled as she got up from the kitchen table and went to the front door to open it. "Hello?" She called as her daughter could hear her conversing with a pair of ponies, but couldn't hear what those ponies were saying in reply. "Yes, she's here and I told her everything," Then she instructed. "She's just down the hall and in the kitchen. I'll call her."

But Scootaloo didn't need to wait for the call. She got up and trotted to the front door, finding herself staring up at an earth pony mare and a sturdy pegasus mare (they were of course Holiday and Lofty, but Scootaloo didn't know this yet).

Dizzy smiled as she gestured to the earth pony and pegasus respectively. "Scootaloo, meet your Aunt Holiday and your Auntie Lofty. They'll be foalsitting you whenever your father and I are busy with work. They'll be in charge of making sure you get to bed on time, go to school every day and things like that."

Holiday was the first of the duo to speak up. "Scootaloo! My my, it's been so long since I've seen my favorite niece," She greeted with a sincere smile and a warm and welcoming tone. "Goodness, you're getting to be so big!"

Lofty then spoke up, nuzzling Scootaloo's mane with a hoof. "Hi ya, slugger! I've been looking forward to meeting you. Your Aunt Holiday's told me so much about you, and your Cutie Mark Crusader friends," She gave a chuckle. "Reminds me of all the misadventures Holiday and I got into when we were in the filly guide together. I'll have to tell you the stories sometime."

Unsure of what to say, Scootaloo just answered. "Um, hello Aunt Holiday, Auntie Lofty. It's um... nice to meet you."

"There's no need to be shy, Scootaloo," Holiday reassured her niece. "Lofty and I will take good care of you. Lofty was quite insistent she tag along when I agreed to foalsit you."

Lofty smiled and said to Dizzy Twister. "The kid's in good hooves with us, Dizzy. I'm quite good with foals."

Scootaloo buzzed her tiny wings in protest. "I'm not a foal! I can take care of myself, you know."

"I'm sure you could, Scootaloo," Dizzy sincerely smiled. "Holiday and Lofty are really more housesitters than foalsitters. They're just there to make sure you don't get into any trouble. Well, any more trouble than you usually get into."

"Mom!" Scootaloo whined.

Dizzy brushed it off, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be thinking you about every day while I'm at work. And I've instructed your aunts to write to me so I know you're okay," Then she explained. "This weekend is going to be a trial run. I'll try to be back by the time you come home from school on the first weekday."

Holiday was quick to instruct. "Well you'd better get going, then. You don't wanna be late for the first day of your new job."

The pegasus mare with an amber coat nodded. "Right, I don't!" She quickly gathered up some saddlebags full of supplies and then took off, soon taking to the sky and flapping her wings until she disappeared from sight of her daughter.





The front door of the house was soon shut, as Holiday and Lofty opted to set their heavy suitcases that they'd brought with them down. "I hope the guest bedroom is big enough for the both of us, Lofty." Holiday commented.

Lofty grinned. "Hey, if we have to take turns it's your turn to sleep on the couch."

Scootaloo remained silent as her aunts went about unpacking and moving all their things to wherever the two mares felt they belonged. She had only faint memories of her Aunt Holiday from when she was little, and this was her first time seeing Auntie Lofty since learning about her marriage to Holiday. She was thinking about a lot of things in silence and didn't know what to say.

Auntie Lofty broke the silence as she offered. "Hey, slugger, you must be hungry. Why don't I fix you up something to eat? I'm no slouch in the kitchen, just ask my darling Holiday."

Aunt Holiday commented. "A healthy snack does sound nice. I've been trying to watch my figure. What do you think, Scootaloo?"

The tomboyish filly reluctantly spoke up. "I... guess I'm hungry, just... just a little. But I could just help myself to some cookies."

Holiday rejected the idea. "No, Scootaloo. You're a growing filly and you need nutrition. It's not good to have cookies all the time."

Lofty teased. "Don't listen to her, slugger. She totally eats cookies when I make them for her, especially when she takes them to that travel agency she runs," Then she added. "Me? I'm more of a homemaker. But I make plenty of money just selling my wears," And she offered. "If you ask nicely, I could totally make you a nice new blanket. I'll even make it Wonderbolt themed if you want. But only if you behave."

"I'm good with what I have now," Scootaloo defensively replied. "I even know how to wash my own bed sheets, Mom showed me how."

The earth pony mare smiled. "It seems you've grown more than I thought since I saw you last, Scootaloo. How about filling me in on the details during snack time?"

Scootaloo shrugged her hooves. "Sure, I guess. But I'm not telling you everything, somethings you don't need to know about 'cause I'm sure Mom and Dad already told you." And she thought to herself. "Please don't bring up the baby pictures!"

Lofty grinned as she trotted to the kitchen. "I'll bet you were a real stinker when you were a foal, slugger."

The tomboyish filly huffed. "You don't have to call me slugger all the time! I have a name, you know."

Lofty replied in a sincere tone. "I know, Scootaloo. I know. But you'll always be my little slugger. Because someday I know you're gonna make all your dreams come true. The things you and your friends do, it puts anything your Aunt Holiday and I did in our youth to shame." Then she set to work on preparing a snack for herself, her special somepony and her niece.





Snack time passed uneventfully over a specially prepared salad. Scootaloo had to admit it was better than anything her mom ever made, and the less said about the times her dad cooked the better (though it was nowhere near as bad as the kind of cooking Sweetie Belle's parents had).

Soon afterward, the tomboyish filly asked her aunts. "Can I go out and play with my friends? We're trying to find our cutie marks, and Sweetie Belle has something she thinks is a guarantee."

"As long as you're home by dusk, Scootaloo," Holiday agreed. "Even if it's a weekend it's not good for you to be staying out after dark without somepony watching you."

"Unless it's Nightmare Night, but that's a different story." Lofty chimed in.

Scootaloo was glad she would have a chance to get out of the house for a while. She really need some time to think about anything other than her aunts. They seemed to be fairly nice ponies, though a bit more "hooves off" compared to her parents. But there was something that just felt... "off" for lack of a better term. The idea that these two mares were going to be watching her from now on was something that was going to be difficult to accept.

Oh well, it was nothing a good afternoon spent searching for her cutie mark with her fellow crusaders couldn't push to the back of her mind and make her forget. She wasn't even going to tell her friends about it. No reason to concern them. And if they happened to ever stop by her house they'd learn anyway.

Still, there was a nagging thought lingering in the back of the little pegasus' mind. "If Mom and Dad love me so much, why are they now constantly spending so much time at work? I know we need money to have a house to live in, but do we really need to be spending so much time apart? We were doing just fine before, weren't we?"

That thought didn't go away even as Scootaloo arrived at the Crusaders' clubhouse at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres just in time for roll call. The rest of the afternoon and early evening were spent mostly doing "artistic" things, which Scootaloo was never the greatest at (though she was better at it than she was at singing).

As dusk fell, Scootaloo bid farewell to her fellow Crusaders and made her way back home as promised. She parked her scooter, removed her helmet and trotted inside.

"Scootaloo, you're just in time for dinner!" Holiday declared. "Lofty's been working extra hard."

Lofty called from the kitchen. "I'm making my specialty: Homemade hayburgers. You'll never taste anything better."

And Holiday instructed. "Go wash up and meet me in the kitchen. The hayburgers will be ready any minute now." And she trotted away while licking her lips.

The hayburgers made by Lofty were indeed one of a kind and very special! Scootaloo came away impressed.

However, Holiday took notice of something else by the time dinner had ended. Namely the fact that her niece's face was full of crumbs. Seeing it caused the earth pony mare to frown, as she retrieved a wet rag to wipe Scootaloo's face. "Goodness, Scootaloo! Are you always such a messy eater all the time?" She questioned.

"I couldn't help myself," Scootaloo whined in protest as she tried to resist the wet rag. "I'm sorry I made such a mess. I won't next time."

"It's quite alright, Scootaloo. But you have to let me clean you up." Holiday instructed as she moved the green colored rag closer to the tomboyish filly's messy, crumb stained cheeks.

Lofty couldn't help but laugh heartily. "It's no use trying to fight back, Scootaloo," She told her niece as she watched the scene unfold. "Not only does Holiday run her own travel agency, but she also provides etiquette lessons on the side."

"All part of the job. It's important to know your clientele," Holiday replied as she finished the wiping job. "There we go, Scootaloo. All nice and clean. Now was that worth making such a fuss about? I think not."

The little pegasus just sighed. "I could've cleaned myself up just fine. Besides, it's my bath night tonight anyway."

The earth pony mare only replied. "Even so your table manners could use some improvement. Good thing we've got the whole weekend together to work on them together.

The sturdy pegasus mare added. "And when you're done with those, Scootaloo, I'll teach you a few things about flying. Nothing too serious, just how to pace yourself and build up stamina."

Scootaloo liked that idea a little bit more. It sounded way more fun than etiquette lessons which just brought back unpleasant memories of the time she'd "volunteered" to be a model for Rarity.

And these and other thoughts lingered in Scootaloo's mind when the filly went to bed later that night, waiting until her aunts had left her bedroom before diving under the sheets to talk to her Rainbow Dash plushie. "They do seem nice," She said to the hoof stitched version of her idol and honorary big sister that she always liked to snuggle with. "And I'm really looking forward to Auntie Lofty's lessons," The plush was silent. "But I don't want to get too attached, they're not going to be here forever. Besides, I still love Mom and Dad, even if they're far away right now."

Nodding off to sleep a short time later, the tomboyish pegasus filly just hoped to make it through the weekend and then hopefully things would go back to normal with school. Maybe with some convincing her mom could be talked out of that new job of hers?





Unfortunately for the filly, the weekend seemed to take its sweet time in passing. Every moment seemed to last ten times as long as it normally did, as though daring the pegasus to get closer to both of her aunts despite Holiday having a slightly prim and proper attitude in the way she carried herself and Lofty being more patronizing (even if unintentional).

To make matters worse, both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were too busy to come out and play. Scootaloo now knew what it must've felt like when Apple Bloom believed she was the only blank flank in her entire class.

Eventually, however, the weekend came to an end and it was time for Scootaloo to go back to school. She was woken up earlier than normal, largely so her aunts would have time to say goodbye to her. "If you ever want to come visit us, Scootaloo, you're quite welcome to. We have a lovely little cottage in Trottingham that Lofty and I bought just after we were married."

Lofty added. "It's bigger on the inside too. Next time Holiday and I come over, we'll have to bring pictures so you can see," Then she added. "Now remember what I taught you, slugger. Take good care of your wings and don't try to push yourself too hard."

"You should probably get going now, Scootaloo," Aunt Holiday encouraged to her niece. "Remember, your mom will be here when you come home from school. Even if you decide to hang out with those wonderful crusader friends of yours you should check in with her first. Knowing my sister-in-law she's bound to work herself into a tizzy otherwise."

Those words were enough to set something off deep inside Scootaloo, something she'd been keeping all bottled up inside of her over the course of the weekend. It started out small as a faint sniffle, but eventually it progressed into full blown tears that she couldn't stop.

Holiday and Lofty were both at their niece's side in a minute as Holiday asked with concern. "Is something the matter, Scootaloo? Are you not feeling well?"

"No, Aunt Holiday, it's nothing like that. I feel fine," Scootaloo insisted even as she struggled to stop the water works. "You and Auntie Lofty are nice ponies, really nice ponies. And that's the problem. It feels like if I love you I can't love my parents. And I don't want to stop loving my parents!"

Auntie Lofty put a hoof to her niece's chin so they were eye to eye. "Come on, slugger. That's crazy talk. We're not trying to replace your mom and dad any more than any other pony."

"But why?" Scootaloo continued to sob. "If Mom and Dad love me so much, why do they always have to be away all the time? It feels like I never see them together anymore, and now I'm not even gonna be seeing my mom very much. It's just not fair!"

Aunt Holiday did her best to reassure the filly. "Scootaloo, you'll still be seeing your mom and your dad. It's not like they're going to be moving away forever or anything like that. If they tried to move away and take you with them, Lofty and I would pull up our roots and come here to live with you."

Auntie Lofty agreed. "Ponyville's such a nice place. We might just keep a summer home here. Besides, I'm feeling rather inspired by that wonderful club you and your friends made."

Holiday then encouraged. "You should tell your mom how you feel about this. I can't say for sure she'll change her mind, because she has a lot of things to think about. But no matter how far away she and your dad may be, you'll always be in their heart. And in the mean time, Lofty and I are more than happy to watch over you."

Lofty chimed in with a nod. "Even if you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, you'd get pretty lonely if you had this house all to yourself all the time. Your mom knew that, and that's part of the reason why she asked my darling Holiday to come foalsit and housesit."

Scootaloo managed to dry her eyes as the crying ceased ever so slowly. "Thanks Aunt Holiday, thanks Auntie Lofty. You're right, I really need to talk to Mom about how I'm feeling more often," And she then asked her aunts. "Do you think you could come to the Equestria Games at the Crystal Empire? My friends and I got picked to be the flag bearers for Ponyville."

"We'll have to see, Scootaloo," Holiday cautioned. "Lofty and I have jobs too. And we're already taking a considerable amount of time away from them as it is to be with you."

"Still, if we can we'll definitely come to the games to cheer you on!" Lofty promised. "And if we can't, you can write to us all about it and anything else in your life," With a wink she added. "You never know, you may just give me the inspiration I need in a pinch. It never hurts to have more of it in life." Then she and Holiday embraced their niece in a hug.

When the hug ended, Scootaloo began to trot out the door as she now felt better about the whole situation. It was still going to be hard to cope with her parents not being around as much, but if she had foalsitters like her aunts it might not be so bad. She might even get used to it.





The flashback ended as Scootaloo concluded her story. "Even though they couldn't come to the Equestria Games like my mom did, or attend my cute-ceañera celebration, my aunts have been incredible caretakers. Yet Mom still tries to come home when she can. And whenever there's an off-season or he needs to rest, Dad comes home too. And we always try our best to let each other know how we're feeling," To Sweetie Belle she added. "It could probably work the same if you told your parents."

"Tell them what?" Sweetie questioned.

After thinking it over for about a minute or so, the tomboyish filly answered to her friend. "Something like: 'I love my family, but I love being with my friends, too. I don't want to have to choose.'"

The unicorn filly let out an unhappy sigh. "I wish it were that simple. They may vacation a lot, but Mom and Dad really want me to be with them and I definitely want to be closer to them," She then frowned. "It's just not fair. All those things they mentioned in their letter weren't even my fault. And in the end I never got hurt."

Rarity sighed too as she lamented. "That's my parents for you I'm afraid. They were quite protective of me when I was Sweetie Belle's age, perhaps even more so. Honestly, I'm surprised they're changing their 'hooves off' approach now of all times."

"Maybe it's like my parents," Scootaloo suggested. "They got new jobs but in Canterlot. They probably just forgot to mention it."

The fashionista remarked. "Father did say he was possibly looking for a better paying job, but I thought little of it. He and Mother have been quite content with their work here in Ponyville, whenever they're working anyways."

Just then, Apple Bloom seemed to get an idea as she shouted! "That's it!"

"What's it?" The pegasus filly asked. "Please tell me it's not another potion idea like last time."

The farm filly just shook her head. "No. No potions are gonna be necessary this time," And she explained. "We can't do the jobs of Sweetie Belle's parents for them any more than we could do the jobs of any of our big sisters, at least not right now."

"And the point is?" Sweetie Belle pondered.

Apple Bloom pointed a hoof to her flanks, more specifically to her cutie mark. "Well, just take a look at our cutie marks! They're livin' proof that we have a job all our own. And ever since we took Diamond Tiara's advice, it's more or less actually been a job, even if we ain't gettin' paid for it."

Sweetie seemed to realize what her friend was saying as she gasped! "You're right, Apple Bloom! Our job is to help other ponies find their purpose in life! And not just ponies either!"

Scootaloo smiled. "And nopony else can do what we do. Even Twilight says our cutie marks are special."

Rarity nodded in agreement. "That's part of the reason why she gave you three the position of friendship counselors in the first place. And if Mother and Father were to force Sweetie Belle to move away now, it'd render the rest of you unable to do your jobs."

The Crusaders all cheered together at the news! But then the question soon presented itself to them as Sweetie wondered aloud. "Okay, but how do we explain that all to them, and on such short notice too?"

The solution came when Scootaloo remembered her Auntie Lofty's comments about the quilt she was stuck trying to find a theme for. "Hey, I think I have an idea!" She beamed with pride. "And I'll bet my aunts can help, Auntie Lofty anyway." And she whispered her plan to her fellow crusaders.

"Ah, I see now," Apple Bloom commented. "You think we can pull it off before the big move?"

"With a little help from your friends, of course you can," Rarity declared as she trotted forward. "I already know more than a few ponies who'd be willing to help. And I'm willing to play my part in ensuring its success as well."





Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles arrived back in Ponyville later that same day, unaware of anything going on behind the scenes. Sweetie Belle and Rarity were there to greet them, and after a heartfelt reunion the two unicorn parents led their youngest daughter home to begin packing.

Several days came and went as boxes were packed up, the house by the lake was put up for sale and Hondo and Cookie prepared to bid farewell to years worthy of memories. It almost seemed like they were going to call the whole thing off at the last minute, but they decided against it.

At last, the big day arrived. The train to Canterlot would soon be arriving to take Hondo, Cookie and Sweetie away to Canterlot and to their new home. Everything was ready, or so it seemed.

"Feeling better about the move, Sweetie Belle?" Hondo asked his daughter. "I'm sure you'll make plenty of new memories in Canterlot. And you'll love our new home, it's way more cozy!"

Sweetie Belle appeared to nod her head in agreement. "Well, before we go, there's something I wanna show you two."

Cookie replied. "All right, but it can't take too long. That train won't wait."

"Trust me, it won't take long at all!" Sweetie promised and trotted away as fast as she could. "Everything should be in place!" She thought to herself as she led her unsuspecting parents along.

The trio of unicorns reached the center of town shortly, and Hondo and Cookie could hardly believe their eyes! It seemed like everypony in town had shown up and even some nonponies too! Purple and pink banners hung overhead, and a podium had been erected in front of the town hall.

"Sweet Celestia's slippers!" Hondo gasped in amazement!

"I've never seen anything like this before!" Cookie added in equal amazement as both her and Hondo felt their mouths drop open in shock!

Rainbow Dash then swooped down. "Just a little something these three talented fillies thought up: Cutie Mark Crusader Appreciation Day! But we couldn't start without all of them here."

Amidst chants of "CMC!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders made their way up to the podium as Mayor Mare gave a speech she'd prepared just for the occasion. "These three ponies share a rare and unique ability to help others find their true purpose. It's a job only they can do, and only together."

Neither Hondo or Cookie said a word as they began to realize what was happening. Only now did their actions seem so rash.

Mayor Mare continued. "In honor of all they have done and continue to do for the ponies of this town, I would like to present the Cutie Mark Crusaders with a special three-handled key. It may not be as glamorous as some of their other titles or rewards, but it's the highest honor I can bestow upon them."

The three fillies accepted the key as a loud whooshing noise drew everyone's attention! Looking up to the sky they saw several Wonderbolts fly past overhead, leaving behind trails of colored smoke that were formed into the shape of the badge that each CMC had on their cutie mark.

Hondo Flanks gave a whistle. "Would you look at that? A full Wonderbolt salute!"

Meanwhile, a familiar pink coated earth pony filly was stepping up to the podium. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders are truly special, and there so many ponies in town who owe them a great debt of thanks. I am one of those ponies," She explained. "You all know me as Diamond Tiara, and for the longest time I was quite a rotten pony. I wasn't able to see what my cutie mark could truly mean, what I could truly put it to use for. But thanks to these wonderful fillies I saw the light. They helped me even after everypony else had given up on me," And she couldn't help but brag. "And I like to think it was because of them helping me that they got their cutie marks."

Skeedaddle then took to the podium as he added. "Yet even after they got their cutie marks and turned their club into a business, these wonderful crusaders still found time to give back to the community. Using their free time they set up a camp to help blank flanks find our cutie marks. The Cutie Mark Crusaders see the best in everypony, no matter who that may be."

"So you see, it's way more than just some club," Cheerilee explained to Hondo and Cookie. "Sure, it may have started out that way, but as time went by it blossomed into something much more. I've seen many talented students in my time, and I think the Cutie Mark Crusaders have truly brought out the best in my students. Their encouragement and advice has done wonders for every colt and filly in school."

A hippogriff with an apple greenish white coat then landed with a green and gray feathered griffon landing beside him: Terramar and Gabby. "The CMC's talents go beyond just ponies. They've helped countless creatures, like myself and Gabby," He explained. "Heck, they even helped my big sis and her friends stand up to a no good changeling queen who tried to take over. I know I could've never been that brave even if I wanted to."

Gabby then chimed in. "Whether it's encouraging others to discover their special talent or inspiring them to do what's in their heart, these three wonderful ponies offer the town something no other pony can."

And then Rarity commented. "I must side with all of these esteemed guests, Mother and Father," And she declared. "You may think you have Sweetie Belle's best interests at heart, and perhaps your hearts are in the right place. But I don't think you truly realize just how much Sweetie has grown here. Taking her away from Ponyville after everything she's experienced and everything she's done, it just wouldn't be right."

Cookie Crumbles looked across to her husband as she sighed. "I suppose maybe you're right, Rarity. After the recent events, Hondo and I started to realize we hadn't been as close as a family as we should've been. Knowing that you'd achieved your dream of opening a boutique in Canterlot, we felt that it would be best if Sweetie Belle moved with us to Canterlot and then maybe you'd join us. But clearly, we were wrong."

Hondo sighed in shame as he removed his hat. "We really should've thought of that before we sold the house and I took up that new job."

"Well, since it's probably too late to change your mind, I suppose now would be as good a time as any to make my own announcement." The fashionista declared. "I've gone through all the paperwork to have Sweetie Belle come move into Carousel Boutique with me full time."

And then a familiar earth pony and pegasus couple appeared as the sturdy pegasus announced. "So you're the ones we have to thank for that new house we just bought," And she explained. "Holiday and I figured, since the CMC make Ponyville such a nice place, we're going to move here. We'll finally have that summer home we dreamed about."

Holiday declared. "You'll get to see us all the time now, Scootaloo. And guess what? Lofty finally finished that quilt of hers, it's Cutie Mark Crusader themed!"

Everyone seemed to be excited, before the shrill call of a locomotive's whistle broke up the happy mood. "We'll come back and visit you as much as we can, Sweetie Belle," Hondo promised and then apologized. "We're sorry we couldn't see just how special your bond with your friends was sooner."

"And as soon as we're able, we're going to find a way to move back to Ponyville! That's a promise." Cookie vowed.

Sweetie rushed up to both of her parents, giving them one last tearful embrace before they had to leave. Fortunately, she knew she had some very supportive friends to back her up. "CMCs Forever?" She asked them.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded. "CMCs Forever. Always."
> S9 E14: The Last Laugh (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six ponies and a dragon had all gathered in the throne room at Twilight's castle. They'd been told to meet there by their party planning friend, but she hadn't offered many other details.

"Okay, where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash questioned. "She says to get here right away, and then she's nowhere to be found. If this is a joke, I don't get it."

Applejack just commented. "She sure had a burr in her britches about somethin'. Haven't seen her this excited in a long time, actually."

Spike only grumbled. "Well, where is she? It's rude to keep us waiting."

A familiar bubbly voiced pretended to scoff. "Yeah. What is taking her so long?" Then she giggled. "Just kidding. Honestly, you guys really need to look behind you once in a while."

So everyone turned, and there was Pinkie Pie resting atop the table map. It was most odd considering she hadn't been there earlier, but by now all knew this was far from the weirdest behavior they'd seen from their party planning friend. Twilight then simply asked. "So, Pinkie, you uh said you had something important to share with us?"

Pinkie nodded her head. "Probably better to show you rather than tell you. Trust me, you're not gonna believe it!" She presented what appeared to be a rather lavishly decorated cupcake.

"A cupcake?" Fluttershy questioned. "What's so special about it?"

Pinkie Pie only grinned and giggled. "It's not just a cupcake, and this is one you wouldn't wanna eat," She pressed a button and the cupcake opened up, popping out a golden ticket attached to a string. "It's an invitation to visit the Cheese Sandwich Amusement Factory! It's even personalized, which means Cheese Sandwich wants to see me for something."

"Cheese Sandwich went and opened a factory? Why doesn't that surprise me?" Starlight Glimmer commented. "And what exactly would they make at an amusement factory anyway?"

Applejack laughed. "Oh, I don't know. Probably just rubber chickens and things like that."

But Pinkie protested. "Funny, that's not what the invitation says. They make more way than rubber chickens!"

Rarity then commented. "I always assumed Cheese Sandwich would continue to be a traveling party pony. I certainly wouldn't have expected him to go and open a factory," And then she suggested to her party planning friend. "Still, you must be excited to see him again after so long."

"Yeah, I am," Pinkie nodded with a smile. "It'll be great to catch up with him. That last letter he sent to me just isn't the same as actually getting to talk to him," But then her smile faded as the bounce seemed to go out of her, like letting the air out of a balloon. "And I'm kind of hoping he can help me again. This time it's a lot more serious."

Starlight immediately seemed to pick up on the shifting tone from her friend. She wasn't a guidance counselor and soon to be headmare for nothing after all. She'd gotten pretty good at reading others by now. "There's something you haven't been telling us, Pinkie. You wouldn't have called us here just to tell us you were going to see Cheese Sandwich or that he'd opened an amusement factory."

The pink party pony let out an unhappy sigh. "Yeah. I really wasn't sure how to tell you this, girls. I don't wanna sound ungrateful. But the thing is, it feels like I don't have much of a purpose in life," And she lamented. "I mean, I know my special talent is all about spreading laughter and cheer. I know there's a lot of things I've done and can do that no one else can. I'm the big sister to the Cake twins, I've got my own party planning cave, I can see my favorite big sister whenever I want and I've even been to Yakyakistan and seen the world. I know I should be happy... but I'm not."

"Hey, I've been down that same road, Pinkie." Spike pointed out.

"Maybe, but this is different. I don't think I've let anypony down," Pinkie confessed as she continued to gloomily comment. "I really don't understand why I'm not happy, or at least as happy as I should be. When even Cheese Sandwich is settling down for a stable job, it kind of makes me feel like maybe I'm meant to be doing more with my life."

Applejack was quick to suggest. "Well, what about the Cakes: Carrot and Cup? You've been livin' with them ever since you moved here as a filly. They've made it no secret you're like a daughter to them. And last I checked there's still your apprenticeship with them."

"For how much longer, though? There's not much left they can teach me before I'll be ready to graduate," The pink party pony declared. "And what will I do then? If I opened another bakery I'd be competing against the Cakes, but I don't think they're looking to retire any time soon," She looked again at her invitation, the golden ticket dangling before her very eyes. "When I first got Cheese's invite, I was a little jealous actually. It felt like even he was moving on to bigger and better things. But then I realized Cheese Sandwich is a party pony just like me. If he figured out his purpose, he can help me figure out mine. I inspired him, so surely he can do the same for me."

Twilight proposed. "Talking to Cheese Sandwich does sound like a good start, Pinkie. It probably takes a party pony to know a party pony," However, she then added. "But nopony else can decide your destiny for you. You have the power to decide what your life's purpose and how you want to go about that. All Cheese Sandwich or anyone else can do is offer you advice."

"Maybe so, but Cheese must know something. If nothing else, maybe I could get a job working at his factory?" Pinkie pondered. "I can't think of any other reasons why he'd send me an invitation after not mentioning anything about any plans for a factory."

"I'm sure Cheese Sandwich had his reasons," Twilight commented. "It takes a lot of work to make something like a factory come to life. But don't be so quick to think that your life in Ponyville has been without meaning. Use your time away to think about all you've accomplished. And when you come back, hopefully you'll know the answers to the questions you're asking."

"Thanks, Twilight," Pinkie nodded. "I'm glad I still have you and the others as my friends. You're really the only other ones besides Cheese Sandwich I feel comfortable discussing this with. I don't wanna trouble the Cakes when they've got enough to worry about as it, and Maud's happy with her special somepony and I don't wanna be a burden."

Starlight then suggested to her party planning friend. "Then what are you waiting? Go tour the factory and talk to Cheese! And don't come back until you're sure you know what your life's purpose is!"

So Pinkie got up, and taking the golden ticket with her she set off for the location of the Cheese Sandwich Amusement Factory. Yet not even she could imagine what the real reason for being called by her fellow party pony would be, or what it was going to ultimately mean for her life's purpose.



With the directions printed on the back of the ticket, it didn't take Pinkie long to find her way to the outskirts of the factory. Despite how drab it looked on the outside she was still hopeful as she strolled towards the gates, noticing the many posters of Cheese Sandwich smiling amidst a colorful background. "Anypony with a smile like that is exactly the kind of pony I want helping me!" She thought to herself. "Twilight's right, the only pony who can help a party pony like me is another party pony."

The pink party pony approached the gates, only to find them locked and two guard ponies staring at her. "Oh, don't mind me, guys," She insisted. "Just gotta squeeze on through."

The guards wouldn't let her as the one on the left questioned. "May we help you, ma'am?"

"Yeah," Pinkie nodded. "I'm here to see Cheese Sandwich. So would you mind opening the gate so I can get in?"

The guard on the right frowned and shook his head. "Sorry, miss, but Cheese Sandwich isn't 'seeing' anypony today. He hasn't been 'seeing' much of anypony lately."

The guard on the left then added. "And don't get any ideas of sneaking in either. This factory's shut tight. No one comes and no one goes without permission. So why don't you just move along?"

The party pony just sighed as she sat on her haunches. "Oh, very well. But it'd be a shame to come all this way for nothing. I literally have a golden ticket that says I can enter." And she displayed it to the guards.

"Wait? You received a golden ticket?!" The guards both exclaimed! This was apparently news to them!

"Yeah! Cheese Sandwich sent it to me, it's got my name on it and everything!" Pinkie pointed out as she then blushed. "Probably should've showed it to you."

The guard on the right just cleared his throat. "Well, sorry for the confusion, ma'am. Obviously the boss is willing to make an exception for you. Sure wish he'd have told us though. Now stand aside." He went into a little booth, pressing a big red button. A funny sounding alarm rang out as the gates swung open.

The guard on the left only grumbled. "You always get to push the button. Next time I get to push it," Then he instructed to Pinkie. "Go on ahead, ma'am. Sorry for the confusion."

So Pinkie did, but she hadn't gotten very far when suddenly a massive red carpet was rolled out from the entrance to the factory! She let out a yelp as she ran back to avoid being hit by it, and was quite relieved when it stopped. She then looked up to see the smiling face of Cheese Sandwich staring right at her, although for some strange reason he now had on a black button suit. And she couldn't see from her position that the back half was differently colored, having a dull greenish-gray look to it, to say nothing of a cutie mark depicting a blanket with drops of water beneath it.

"Cheese Sandwich!" Pinkie excitedly declared as she leaped up and hugged the stallion tightly! "I'm so happy to see you again! Never thought you'd open your own factory though."

Yet instead of receiving a reply, Pinkie instead saw a greenish-gray colored hoof reach up to the face. It soon revealed that the smiling face of Cheese Sandwich was just a mask. And wearing the mask was an earth pony stallion with green eyes hidden behind a pair of rounded, gray colored glasses. "Hmm, most odd," The stallion said to himself while looking at the mask he'd pulled off. "That should've yielded a big laugh. What could've gone wrong?" And he started pondering aloud as he asked a unicorn stallion in a white lab jacket. "Do we need to maybe add more carpet rolls? I suppose it could be the mask. Let's try taking the nostril flare down ten percent to make it more believable. Thoughts?"

"I've got one," Pinkie pointed out. "Who are you, stranger?"

The stallion now realized he had a guest, and quickly apologized. "Oh, so sorry. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sans Smirk, vice-president of amusement integration. The factory was very much my idea," He then instructed. "If you'll kindly step this way, it's just a short walk from here up to Mr. Sandwich's office. He asked for you specifically, Miss Pinkamina Diane Pie."

"Please, just call me Pinkie Pie or Pinkie. Everypony does." The party pony insisted.

Sans Smirk nodded. "Well, Pinkie, I do hope you can help Mr. Sandwich with his problem."

"That's funny, I came here hoping he could help me with my problem," Pinkie commented as she trotted into the factory. "Did something happen to Cheese? It looks like this factory's working perfectly. An entire factory dedicated to gags!" But as she looked around she noticed. "Huh, doesn't seem like a very funny place."

"On the contrary, we make the fun right here. For we at the Cheese Sandwich Amusement Factory take comedy very seriously," Sans Smirk pointed out. "Although it used to be that Mr. Sandwich would oversee tours himself, when he wasn't busy making his rounds by the conveyor belts. Lately though, he's been holed up in his office. He hardly ever leaves and when he does it's never for anything funny. I've tried to talk to him but he always insists he's fine. Yesterday was different though, he seemed to be speaking highly of you."

Pinkie did her best to look modest. "Well, I was the pony who inspired him."

"And that's probably why he instructed me to send you that invitation," Sans declared as he led Pinkie past the multiple conveyor belts on the floor of the factory where various props for physical comedy were being manufactured. "Whatever his problem is, I believe it's something that you and you alone can help him with. I'm doing the best I can, but I can't keep the factory running when my boss is unhappy. He knows this comedy stuff better than I do, or at least he used to."

The party pony gulped as she trotted up some stairs while following Sans Smirk. "'Used to'? I don't like the sound of that. Oh, I came at the worst possible time, didn't I?"

Sans Smirk shook his head. "On the contrary, your timing couldn't be better," Then he added in a more serious tone. "But, I've talked long enough. I think it's best if Mr. Sandwich himself explained why you requested your presence. I'm sure if you help him with his problem, he'll gladly help you with yours."

The door to the office where Cheese Sandwich resided was then pushed open, the creaking of the slowly opening door being the only sound amidst what was otherwise a very eerie silence. "Uh... hello?" Pinkie called out as she saw the office was dimly lit despite it being the middle of the day.

The familiar voice of Cheese Sandwich soon called back, albeit in a noticeably somber tone. "Pinkie, I'm... I'm glad you came. I hoped you would."

"Well you sent for me. And no way was I gonna miss a chance to see your awesome new factory!" Pinkie sincerely smiled as she trotted into the office. "You look like you've really made it big! Sounds like you've figured out your life purpose, which is a good thing."

"You could see it like that," Cheese commented even as he refused to show himself. "I mean, everypony seems to think I should be happy. And I know I should feel the same, but I don't."

Pinkie blinked upon hearing that. "That's funny, that's exactly what I've been feeling lately. I was kind of hoping you could help me, not remind me of what I already feel," Then she shook her head and changed the subject. "But that's not important. Sans Smirk seems to think I can help you, and he says you wanted to see me specifically. There's so many coincidences going on here, it's driving my 'Pinkie Sense' crazy! Maybe your 'Cheesie Sense' feels the same way."

Cheese only answered. "It's not my 'Cheesie Sense' that's the problem, though I don't know if it would be acting up now even if I had it. The real problem is..." He turned around as the blinds in his office were suddenly thrown up, bathing the entire room in light! "I've completely lost my laugh!" He exclaimed as it was now possible to notice a frown on the stallion with a brilliant gamboge coat. And that prompted his fellow party pony to gasp and faint!





Pinkie soon came to. She'd hoped beyond hope to find out that this was all a dream or some well thought out prank, but a look on the party planning stallion's face told her that this was real. "You lost your laugh? Is that even possible?" And she nervously pondered. "You're not just joking around with me, are you?"

"Even if it was a joke, I wouldn't be able to laugh at it or tell you that it was funny," Cheese lamented. "You're the only pony I know who truly understands me, Pinkie. You're the only pony I can think of who would know how to put a smile back on my face and keep it there."

The pink party pony nodded. "That sounds great. But why don't we discuss it over some delicious canned peanut brittle, hmm?" She prepared to offer some, only to then giggle as the can turned out to be full of rubber snakes launched from a spring.

But Cheese Sandwich didn't laugh at it at all, not even a faint chuckle or giggle. "See what I mean?" He unhappily sighed as he put his head on his desk.

The gravity of the situation slowly began to sink in. "Wow. You actually did lose your laugh. That's horrible! I thought I had it bad trying to figure out my life's purpose, but you definitely have it worse."

Sans Smirk, meanwhile, was eyeing the can of snakes disguised as a can of peanut brittle. "Pardon my interruption, but it occurs to me that a seven percent tighter wind on the snake springs would yield a twelve percent increase in giggle output," He looked to Cheese as he declared. "I'd like to test that speculation if it's okay with you, sir."

"Go right ahead, it's better than any ideas I could come up with at the moment," Cheese replied and then explained to Pinkie. "This is exactly why I went into business with Sans Smirk in the first place. We're like a team. Sans here has always been able to eke every last laugh out of my gags that I make here."

"Wait, you can still tell if a gag is supposed to be funny or not? You just can't laugh at it if it's funny?" The pink party pony pondered aloud.

Cheese nodded as he began to tear up! "Yes, and it's torture! A party pony's worst nightmare!"

"How could this happen? You didn't lose your laugh overnight, did you?" Pinkie questioned her fellow party pony. "When do you last remember being able to laugh at something, at anything?"

The stallion began to think back as he tried to rack his brain for an answer. "I... I don't know, really. It's been so long since I genuinely laughed I can barely remember it. But I do remember that, when I was still a traveling party pony, I... I laughed at everything and anything." And he began to recall some of his travels on the road, the events that had led to him opening the factory.

Cheese Sandwich recalled how he'd traveled far and wide as a party pony with Boneless Two by his side the whole time. "Ever since our encounter in Ponyville for Rainbow Dash's birthaversary," He explained. "I continued to spread my party cheer wherever it was needed. Heck, I even started to make individual, one-of-a-kind novelty gags for each and every one of my parties."

As the flashback progressed the stallion recalled some of his most successful one-off gags: A pianta bat that broke open to reveal candy, cleverly concealed joy buzzers, and even rubber chickens that bounced higher than should've been normal and made funny sounds. And he remembered how their success began to build up a reputation that was soon preceding him wherever he went.

"I guess they got too successful, because soon it seemed like everyone I met wanted their own special Cheese Sandwich gag," The party planning stallion added. "It was fast becoming more work than my hooves could handle, but I didn't want to disappoint all those smiling faces. I never could turn down a request, no matter how hard it was to do. And then one day, he came."

The flashback was now focused on Cheese meeting Sans Smirk by chance one day while in his workshop, trying to put the finishing touches on a few more of his special gags in time for his next big party. There came a knock on the workshop door, and Sans Smirk strolled in. After quickly introducing himself to Cheese Sandwich, presented the party planning stallion with a blueprint for something to help keep up with the demand. "Sans Smirk had heard I was in a bind, and he had the idea for a factory. Not just any factory though, but a gag factory. I could finally keep up with demand and make everypony happy. Soon we were sending gags all over, even going beyond Equestria. And I always had the final say, gags had to meet my standards."

The flashback drew to a close as Cheese Sandwich started to remember that day when he finally realized he no longer could laugh at any gag or joke. "And then one day, all of a sudden, I realized that my laugh was... gone," And with the flashback concluded he lamented. "Since then I haven't bothered to leave the factory. I couldn't bare to let anypony see me like this. I mean look at me! Boneless Two doesn't even recognize me anymore, and he's not speaking to me either!"

Pinkie's eyes fell upon a squeaky chair that was turned to a corner, making it impossible for its occupant to ever show its face to Cheese Sandwich.

The earth pony stallion with a brilliant gamboge coat let out a long sigh of unhappiness. "You were my inspiration to become a party pony, and the one who I worked so hard to impress once upon a time, I figured if anypony was up to the task it'd be you," Then he asked. "So, can you help me out, Pinkie? Please? If you do I promise I'll help you with whatever problem it is you're having, it's only fair."

After thinking over the offer for but a minute or so, the earth pony mare grinned. "Well, I think I've got two words for you, Cheese Sandwich," And she cleared her throat. "Knock... knock."

"Uh, who's there?" Cheese uncertainly asked.

"Boo." Pinkie replied.

And Cheese uncertainly replied back. "Boo who?"

Pinkie let out a giggle. "Aw, don't cry, Cheese. Because I'm gonna help you get your laugh back no matter what it takes! You can count on it!"

"How exactly do you intend to do that, may I ask?" Sans Smirk questioned. "I tried a couple of measures just to get Mr. Sandwich to talk to me. And I would like to point out that we are in a gag factory."

"Duh! But it takes a party pony to know a party pony!" Pinkie declared. "And the best way to get your laugh back is to see in action with somepony else! Follow me, Cheese!"





Cheese reluctantly followed Pinkie and Sans out of his office and down to the factory floor, quite a few workers stopping to look at the party planning stallion in the process. But Sans Smirk quickly instructed to all the workers. "Please resume normal operating conditions. Everything is under control. Mr. Sandwich is simply entertaining an invited guest."

So despite a series of hushed whispers all the workers reluctantly went back to operating the conveyor belts and inspecting the gags that were due to be shipped out. The gags themselves were largely your standard physical comedy props: Whoopee cushions, banana peels, squirting flowers and things like that.

"Let's start with something small," Pinkie suggested as she stopped by one of the belts, eyeing an unsuspecting worker. "These gags should work just fine. And classic bits like this are what put Rainbow Dash's funny bone in a cast for a week!"

Sans adjusted his glasses. "Are you suggesting that..."

Pinkie nodded and put a hoof up to Sans' mouth to silence him. "You're gonna spoil the surprise. If we want Cheese to get his laugh back, he needs to see what a laugh looks like."

Cheese didn't seem to agree. "I'm not sure it'll work, Pinkie. You and I, we seem to have a sense of humor few other ponies have. And if you're intending to use yourself, I know you'll laugh at anything."

"Not just anything," The pink party planning pony protested. "And I never said it'd be me getting the worst of it," She struggled to hold back the giggles. "Now watch this," She gestured to a dark blue coated earth pony stallion who was leaving his station momentarily to restock the machine supplying the conveyor belt he'd been operating. "I'm gonna get this guy and get him good!"

The stallion suspected nothing as he was approached by Pinkie Pie, who seemed to be shielding her eyes for some reason. "Excuse me," She said to the stallion. "Is there something in my eye?!" And removing her hooves from her eyes she revealed a pair of googly eyed glasses!

The stallion managed to give off a faint giggle. "Hey, that wasn't half bad. I remember when Mr. Sandwich used to do stuff like that back when the factory first opened. I sure wish he'd do it again, it's the most fun anypony's ever had here."

"Well I'm not done yet!" Pinkie declared! "Put 'er there, pal!"

The blue coated stallion did so, only to receive a nasty electrical shock.

"Okay, maybe that was a bit much for a newcomer," Pinkie apologized. "Let me make it up to you. How about some... pie?" And then she intentionally tripped, planting the pie squarely in the worker's face.

The worker stallion started chuckling quite audibly as he licked his face clean. "Wow! That was incredible, and delicious! A three decker of classic gags, just like Sans Smirk suggested."

Sans Smirk smiled while adjusting his glasses. "Indeed. It's really quite simple. By combining gags together, we can multiple the laughs with each successful chain. This was the first one to be tested by our gag engineers: Googly eye to hoof buzzer to pie-face pratfall. Simply masterful. Your talent for jokes and physical humor rivals that of Mr. Sandwich in his prime."

"Well, how was that, Cheese?" Pinkie Pie asked the party planning stallion. "See what a good laugh looks like? I'll bet you're feeling it come back to you even now."

Alas, Cheese failed to utter anything other than a mildly indifferent shrug. "That stallion's right, I used to be able to not only laugh but make others do the same," And he sighed. "A laugh like that doesn't help. It's not natural. He's only reacting to the gags, anypony would be hard pressed not to laugh at them."

"Why don't you try it? Making others laugh should teach you a thing or two about how to make yourself laugh," Pinkie suggested. "It's always worked for me, and that's what I thought I was doing with my parties."

"I could try, I guess," Cheese reluctantly agreed. But it was quickly clear that his heart wasn't into the performance. He ended up messing up, misplacing his gags and blowing the punchlines. He still got a laugh but it was far from the joyous one Pinkie had produced. "Well, don't blame yourself, Pinkie," He apologized. "Whatever it is I've got, I've got it bad."

Now Pinkie herself frowning. "Okay, perhaps we need to start even smaller. Get a sense for what we're working with. Perhaps your laugh isn't the problem, it's something far worse."

"A laugh diagnosis sounds like a good place to start pinning down the problem," Sans Smirk proposed. "Let's go somewhere a bit more 'private'. I don't wish for the workers to see Mr. Sandwich before he's back to normal."





Within the privacy of the gag lab, Pinkie opted to get a closer look at Cheese's face. "Okay. You can't run before you can walk, and you can't laugh before you can smile. And your smiler's all out of whack."

"Of course, that must be it!" Cheese Sandwich proclaimed even though his expression didn't fully change. "But how do we go about getting it back to normal so I can get my laugh back?"

"Well, let's start by seeing your biggest, brightest, bestest smile!" Pinkie instructed! "Don't hold back on me, Cheese! Show me a smile worthy of the super duper party pony!"

Cheese did his best, clearly straining himself to produce a smile that looked like it was painful to hold. "That's good, right?" He asked in a hopeful tone of voice. "I mean, I'm smiling again, aren't I?"

"It's too wide, nopony's gonna buy it!" Pinkie shook her head. "Let me just step in really quick," She made a few adjustments to get the smile to be where she wanted it to be. Then she instructed. "Okay, that's better. Now let's see you wear it. If you can hold a smile, laughing should come naturally. I can hold a smile like this in my sleep, and I know you can do the same."

Sans Smirk was a bit more hesitant. "You're sure this will work? It seems a little too simple. Did I really just need to hold up his face?"

"It's the thought behind it that matters," Pinkie declared as she held Cheese's cheeks. "You totally got this, Cheese! Let's see that great big smile of yours. Ready?" When she received a nod from the party planning stallion she declared. "Okay, go!"

There was a brief period of hope as the smile didn't instantly fade, and Cheese Sandwich seemed to be able to maintain it. "I'm... I'm doing it! I'm really doing it!" He happily proclaimed! "But if I can smile, why can't I laugh?" And as soon as his thoughts turned to his still missing sense of laughter, his smile immediately disappeared and his frown returned. "Oh, I thought I had something there." He complained.

Sans seemed to agree while adjusting his glasses. "Your smile has not gone away like your laughter has. But it seems like you're focusing so much on that that you're unable to feel happiness in any other way."

"But laughter is a big part of who I am! Laughter is part of what makes a party pony a party pony!" Cheese insisted.

Pinkie just stomped a hoof down as she groaned. "I'm not giving up on you yet, Cheese. I just know there's something out there somewhere that'll make you laugh again. I just have to figure out where to look."

However, the party planning stallion could only shake his head. "No, Pinkie. You did your best, but it's clear that even you can't bring my lost laughter. And if you can't I doubt anyone really can. I'm sorry I couldn't be more of help to you and that you came all this way just to fail."

"Hey, we haven't failed yet!" The pink party pony protested. "We haven't tried everything yet!"

Sans Smirk added and pleaded. "Sir, please, you can't just throw in the towel! I want to see you be your old happy self again as much as Miss. Pie and all the workers do."

"I'll bet if we brought them onboard they'd be able to find something that'll make you laugh." The pink coated earth pony insisted to her fellow party pony.

Cheese rejected the idea. "I'll just have to learn to live with this. Maybe it's a sign that my party pony days are behind me. The Cheese Sandwich everypony knew is no more," Then he declared. "I need to figure out how to live without a laugh," And he told Pinkie. "You did your best, I don't blame you for this. But you should go home. Maybe you can give Boneless Two a better home than I can now." He sadly trotted away.

"Wait! Don't leave, Cheese!" Pinkie pleaded in desperation, but to no avail as she watched the stallion she'd tried so hard to help walk out of the room.

Sans declared. "I, too, am saddened. I thought for sure you would be able to succeed where I could not," He then unhappily sighed. "But if Mr. Sandwich believes his laugh is gone forever, it seems that may be the case now. You are the funniest pony in Equestria. And if you can't bring back his laugh, then it surely is gone forever."

"But it can't be!" The pink party pony protested as she stomped a hoof down. "Even at my worst I've never felt like my laugh's gone away forever! If anything I've always felt like the joke's been on me all the time, and I've come to learn that that's never the case," Then she commented. "I just don't understand. There's gotta be something we haven't thought of yet that'll work. His laughter's out there somewhere, and I have a hunch it's closer than we think, just waiting for the chance to spring out and say 'Gotcha!'"

"Well, now would be a most excellent time for that to occur. Sadly, it would seem that outcome is unlikely, much as it pains me to say it," Sans Smirk commented back as he led Pinkie out of the gag lab. "It's really a shame this all had to happen. Mr. Sandwich and I had such high hopes for this place, we were even thinking we might someday expand our operations. Yet now it seems that even this factory may not last long."

As Pinkie looked around at the conveyor belts and the workers tending to them, she asked Sans. "You're not gonna close down, are you? I thought this place was Cheese's life's purpose!"

Sans declared. "Perhaps it was, it was certainly mine. I was as surprised as everypony else when Mr. Sandwich insisted on not just overseeing the factory but also managing the day to day operations," And he then lamented. "Still, if he has truly given up, there's little I can do to stop the inevitable. We can only retool his old ideas for so long before we'll run out of new gags to ship," Then he got an idea as the stallion looked to Pinkie. "Unless maybe you would like to take over. You knew everything that Mr. Sandwich knew in his prime, and you've already helped inspire a ton of new ideas."

But Pinkie immediately shook her head at the idea. "I'm a party pony! I need to make ponies happy in real-time!" And she started to realize. "You know, perhaps I've been looking at it all wrong. The only pony who was ever unhappy with the way my life was going was me, and that's because I couldn't see how many wonderful things I truly had. Being away from it all though, I think I'm starting to realize just how much they meant to me. My friends, my families, so many things that give my life meaning."

Sans nodded. "It seems like you know Mr. Sandwich even better than I do. And I was the last to know him before his laugh decided to make itself scarce," And he appeared to fondly recall. "In our early days, nothing brought Mr. Sandwich more pleasure than seeing the laughter his gags brought to ponies firsthoof. But he always insisted that he had to stay here to ensure the gags were up to snuff."

Hearing that, a light bulb lit up inside of the pink party pony's head! "Wait, that's it! I think I've got it now! It was staring us right in the face the whole time too!" And she giggled. "Boy do I feel silly. How did I not see it before? And I call myself a party pony."

Sans could only scratch his head. "I don't understand, Miss. Pie. I'm afraid you've lost me."

The party pony just grinned. "Don't you see, Sans? We've been going about this all wrong the whole time. We were looking at the problem upside down. We don't need to make Cheese laugh. He needs to make us laugh! And it's gotta be natural too!"

"Like what you tried to do earlier with that one pony?" The glasses wearing stallion pondered.

Pinkie nodded. "Yeah, except much bigger," And she instructed. "You round up as many workers as you can, and I'll do my best to get Cheese back to his roots. With a little luck, everything will work out just fine." Then she zoomed away to Cheese's office.





Pinkie rushed right up the steps and pushed open the office door! "Great news, Cheese!" She excitedly told him! "I figured it out! I know now why you can't laugh! And I know how to fix it too!"

"You do?" Cheese hopefully answered as he lifted his head up from his desk.

The pink party pony nodded to the gamboge coated stallion. "You started this factory because you didn't want to disappoint smiling faces, correct?" When the stallion nodded back she explained. "Well that's the problem. When you're stuck in here, you can't see any. This place isn't what you need. What you need is to get back out there and see the world again."

An out of breath Sans Smirk came panting into the office as he added. "It does make a certain sense, sir. Spreading laughter has always brought you joy. That's why we started this factory in the first place."

"Except now that means you can't see the laughs it produces," Pinkie pointed out. "You're a party pony like me, Cheese. And us party ponies, we need to make other ponies laugh the way we do best, and that means being around to see the smiles. The smiles are what make everything worth while, it's the party pony creed."

Sans then proposed. "I will go first, sir. Try your best jokes on me. I can take them."

Cheese Sandwich reluctantly obliged. "Alright, but I'm a bit rusty so don't expect much," He got up from his desk, looking Sans Smirk in the eyes as he told a joke. "Uh... why did Boneless Two cross the road? To prove to Boneless One that he wasn't a chicken."

But Sans dryly replied. "Very funny, sir. That was a fantastic joke," Then he realized his mistake. "Oh! Er... I mean... ha ha!" He tried to laugh but it was obvious the laugh was weak and had been forced out. "Sorry," He apologized afterward. "Never was much of a laugher, though I've been trying to work on it for your sake."

Then Pinkie stepped forward and insisted with a bright smile. "Okay, Cheese. Now for the real test," After quickly looking behind her she instructed. "Try me. I promise I'll laugh no matter what you say or do."

The unhappy party planning stallion wasn't convinced. "Pinkie, you laugh at everything. That's who you are. You even literally laugh in the face of danger from what I hear," And he sighed anew. "I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I'm afraid it's a cost lause," Then he blinked as he realize his mistake. "Er, I mean 'lost cause'."

At that moment, the sound of snickering from the doorway caught Cheese's attention as his ears perked up. To his surprise he saw several factory workers, including the blue coated stallion he'd tried to make laugh earlier. "What... was... that?" He questioned. Had he heard things or that indeed been genuine laughter?

The blue coated stallion struggled to keep from snickering as he approached his boss. "I'm sorry, sir. It's just that when you swapped out the letters of those words accidentally, it was..."

"-Funny?" Cheese Sandwich hopefully asked, and received confirmation in the form of a nod! "Well then, I bet if I did it again you and the others would all lelly baugh, right?"

"Y-yes." The stallion answered before he and all the workers started bursting into fits of laughter.

The laughter was music to Cheese Sandwich's ears as he jumped atop his desk, shedding his drab black uniform for a bright yellow jacket and matching top hat! And any doubts anypony might have had were erased for good once he began to sing:

Then that's all I need to do!

That's who I need to be!

I thought I needed laughter,

But it has to come from me!

He motioned for everypony to follow him down to the factory as he happily led them all in song:

Squirting flowers and knobby knees.

Rubber chickens, they're my expertise.

So if you want laughter, stick with Cheese!

Pinkie happily cheered her fellow party pony on. "Now you've got it, Cheese Sandwich! Don't hold back!"

"I won't, Pinkie!" Cheese Sandwich promised as he began singing again:

I suppose now I should really amp things up,

To get the thing that I'm after.

Move whole syll-AB-les around,

And change em-PHA-sis to get some laughter!

Can't stop now, I'm on a roll!

And I've almost got it back.

But bright folks like you aren't subject to,

My own play-on-words attack!

With something else, I'll have to play,

To get me where I'm going.

And Pinkie asked. "So whatcha gonna do?"

Cheese rushed straight into the gag lab, donning a mask as he sang in a high pitch:

SomeCommedia dell'arte,

To really get the laughter flowing!

Then he happily sang again as all the ponies working in the factory joined him:

And it's what I need to do,

It's who I need to be.

I thought I needed laughter,

But it has to come from me!

Follow right behind, if you please,

Walk this way and I guarantee,

Oh, if you want laughter, then stick with Cheese!

"Accordion solo!" Cheese Sandwich shouted out.

Pinkie tossed an accordion up to the party pony and encouraged! "Shred it, Cheese!"

"With pleasure!" Cheese smiled, playing the accordion with the kind of practiced precision that few ponies could even hope to match! He truly felt alive, and he kept singing as the solo ended:

And it's what I need to do,

It's who I need to be.

I thought I needed laughter,

But it has to come from me!

Whoopee cushions and Dungarees!

For I know jokes like my A-B-C's.

And if you want laughter, then stick with Cheese!

Suddenly, the lights in the factory dimmed and a spotlight shown down on Sans Smirk. With Pinkie occasionally singing in encouragement in back-up, Cheese sang and explained:

And now my biggest test,

Yes, the hardest fish to fry!

A mind so analytical.

A sense of humor so dry.

To make you laugh would prove to me,

That this little experiment's done!

Something ridiculous and not too smart,

Something like a pun!

Before Sans realized it he was face to face with a re-energized Cheese Sandwich who asked him. "Hey, Sans, old buddy! How did the laughing bird's eggs hatch? They cracked up!"

There came a rimshot and then silence as Sans stared Cheese in the face. He took off his glasses to rub his eyes briefly, before declaring. "Sir... that is so..." Following a pause marked by his lips quivering, he answered. "Ridiculous!" And just like that he too was laughing, laughing long and loud!

Feeling emboldened by the success, Cheese happily sang in triumph:

Then that's all I need to do,

Yes, that's all I need to see!

I thought I needed laughter,

But it had to come from me!

Everypony started singing alongside Cheese as the song reached its conclusion:

Squirting flowers and knobby knees,

Rubber chickens and Dungarees,

But if you want laughter, stick with Cheese!





With so many factory ponies laughing, even Sans Smirk couldn't deny that the old Cheese Sandwich was back and back for good. "It's wonderful to have you back, sir," Sans smiled as he followed Cheese up to his office. "Finally we can get this factory back to how it used to be."

But Cheese had a different idea in mind. "Sans, my good pony, I don't think I can run this factory anymore. But I know you can!"

Sans stumbled back and stuttered! "W-Without you? Sir, you can't possibly mean..."

Cheese Sandwich interrupted. "-I do. Pinkie was right, this factory isn't what I need," He proceeded to remove his yellow jacket and top hat, once again dawning his cowpony attire that included the signature black poncho and ten gallon hat. "I just can't have funny ideas all the time. I need to be able to wander the land and see ponies laughing at them. Staying shut up in that factory did me no good," And he explained to Sans. "You can run the factory, it was your idea after all. I'll still be sure to provide plenty of ideas for gags and that'll keep you busy," Then he noticed Boneless Two in the corner. "And don't think I've forgotten about you, little buddy. You'll be by my side the whole time."

"You're sure this is what you want to do with your life, sir?" Sans Smirk questioned.

Cheese nodded his head in firm confirmation. "It's my life's purpose! I only wish I'd seen it sooner."

"Hey, that's funny. I came here hoping to ask you for help with my life's purpose!" Pinkie suggested.

And Cheese was eager to offer. "Well, if you need time to look for it, why not join Boneless Two and I? We'd love to have you on the road with us."

But the pink party pony shook her head. "Thanks but no thanks. I know now where I truly belong, in Ponyville. My life's purpose has been there all along, I just couldn't see it before. This time away has helped me think clearly."

"Well, at least I hope you'll take this back with you." The party planning stallion declared as he tossed a set of keys to Pinkie.

"The keys to your factory?" Pinkie questioned.

Cheese nodded his head. "I know I can count on you to make sure Sans isn't getting swamped with work, and that the factory's living up to my expectations. You don't have to do it often, just swinging by once a month would be nice."

"I'll try to find time," Pinkie promised. "And I hope you'll come back to Ponyville for a visit one day. I don't plan to really be going anywhere anytime soon. At least I wanna wait until the Cake Twins are all grown up. Just like you, my life's purpose is to bring others happiness and laughter."

The party planning stallion nodded once again, before tipping his hat. "Well then, until we meet again, Miss. Pie," Then he said to the rubber chicken on his back. "Come on, Boneless Two. It's time for us to get back in the saddle. There's parties out there just waiting for our expertise!" And he trotted off into the sunset, his laugh back for good.

And Pinkie Pie would be heading back to Ponyville with a renewed sense of purpose. There were so many ways she could spread the laughter to others and make them happy, and they didn't all have to involve parties. And should worse come to worse, she could add overseeing the Cheese Sandwich Amusement Factory as something that would give her a purpose in life.
> S9 E21: Daring Doubt (What If?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

By now the news of Twilight's impending and inevitable coronation had spread to just about every corner of Equestria and even beyond. There wasn't a pony who didn't at least know about the news.

Yet as is always the case, no matter how earth shattering things may seem when they first occur life has a way of going on. And that was exactly what was happening on this particular day in Cloudsdale, as Fluttershy was stopping by her good friend Rainbow Dash's house. "I just stopped by to thank you again for letting me borrow your Daring Do books. I love them!" Fluttershy told her fellow pegasus.

Rainbow smiled. "See? I knew you'd like them! And just wait until you get to Daring Do and the Riddle of the Sphinx! It's her best adventure yet because it's the one where she gets her confidence back!"

Fluttershy nodded and then confessed. "I've actually read them all once. I'm about to start reading them again because they're so good!" Then she remembered something else. "Although, there was this one book in the collection that seemed odd. I just finished it reading earlier. I think it's called Daring Do and the Fallen Idol."

At that Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion. "Wait, Fallen Idol? There's no way that could be an official book in the series."

"Why not? Maybe it just got released today and you didn't know about it?" Fluttershy proposed.

But Rainbow rejected the idea. "That's impossible! Daring Do's biggest fan – me – would never miss a book coming out!" Then she whispered. "Besides, her secret identity of A. K. Yearling means she always sends me a copy early. And after she found out Twilight's the daughter of her editor she started sending Twilight an early copy too," And she questioned. "So who wrote that book? They've got some nerve using Daring Do for their own purposes!"

"Apparently, the author is Groom Q. Q. Martingale," Fluttershy pointed out, before hoofing said book to Rainbow Dash. "I guess he must be a new writer or something."

Meanwhile, Rainbow was skimming her way through the book! She could not believe what was written on the pages! "This... this can't be real! What does this guy have against Daring Do?! He makes her sound like the bad guy!" She then read a passage out loud. "'The only thing worse than Daring Do's destruction of temples is her cruelty to the mild-mannered Dr. Caballeron''! I know Dr. Caballeron, and he is anything but mild mannered!"

Fluttershy quickly got an idea in her head. "It sounds like this Q. Q. Martingale wants to ruin Daring Do's reputation."

The brash speedster nodded in agreement before pointing out. "Not only that, he seems intent on destroying her entire career! 'Daring Do isn't just a fictional character from some over-the-top adventure stories. I've met her, and she is a real, live pony!'" And she growled. "That's supposed to be a secret! I only told you and the other girls because I knew you wouldn't tell. But if word of this gets out, Daring Do could be in real danger! We need to warn her, and we need to figure out how we can stop this Q. Q. Martingale from trying to bring her down!"

So the two pegasi took off to find Daring Do, or even her alter ego as reclusive author A. K. Yearling. They weren't sure what exactly was going on with Q. Q. Martingale but they knew it wasn't good. Yet they couldn't imagine that this wouldn't just result in another Daring Do adventure, but an adventure that was going to change a lot of things about the adventurer in regard to two of her greatest nemesis'.



Fortunately, it wasn't long before the two pegasi spotted Daring Do at a bookstore in a town not too far from Ponyville. She was currently in her A. K. Yearling disguise: A reddish-purple robe that covered her body, a large gray hat with a light brown bow, and moderate rose eyes hidden behind a pair of thick, red glasses. "Good, looks like we're not too late," Rainbow commented as she and Fluttershy landed outside. "Let's get in there and warn her. Q. Q. Martingale is gonna be sorry he ever stuck his nose into the writing business."

Fluttershy, however, commented. "You know, even if Q. Q. Martingale is wrong about Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron's interactions, that doesn't automatically mean everything he's written about them is wrong too," After making sure there was nopony around to overhear she explained. "You said it yourself, Daring Do is real. And according to Martingale's book, Dr. Caballeron is actually a history professor and an amateur bird watcher. Did Daring Do ever mention anything about that?"

"No, because it's not important! Caballeron wanted to team up with her and she said no," Rainbow explained with a frown. "And who could blame her? I wouldn't trust a guy like that as far as I could throw him! If you could see what I've seen you'd feel the same way! Now come on, we can't waste all day out here! Dar..." She corrected herself to avoid publicly spilling the secret. "A. K. Yearling needs our help."

Both pegasus mares trotted inside, only to hear several ponies talking all at once and shouting at A. K. Yearling! "Are you and Daring Do in cahoots with each other or something?! If you were really her how come you could write about yourself in such a ridiculous way?! What other secrets have you been keeping from us?!" And one little filly even asking. "Is it true you kick puppies?"

A frustrated A. K. Yearling groaned. "I do not! And I'm telling you, I'm not Daring Do! Daring Do is my cousin, that's why we look so similar."

"Yeah right, as if you expect us to believe that!" A fan pony remarked. "Frankly though, I don't care if you're Daring Do or not! You've been lying about yourself for so long!"

"It's because of that Q. Q. Martingale book, isn't it?" A. K. questioned before declaring. "You should know that he didn't have my permission to write even half the things he said! Daring Do entrusted me and me alone with her secret, and if she were here right now I imagine she'd all be very disappointed in you for having such little faith in her," And she then asked. "Now, did any of you actually come here for the book signing? Or did you just come here to ruin the only time I bother to come to places like this?"

Most fan ponies trotted away while murmuring to themselves and shaking their heads. A few foals stuck around and a couple of older ponies did too, but just one look at their eyes was enough to indicate that they'd had their faith in their hero they'd believed to be fictional badly shaken.





"Looks like you know about the new book we were going to warn you about, huh?" Rainbow asked A. K. even though there was no need to do so.

A. K. let out an unhappy sigh. "I always feared that someday everypony would learn Daring Do was real. I'm not sure how long I can keep ponies fooled. Eventually, if this keeps up they're going to find out the truth. The whole 'reclusive author' thing was the only way I could think of to keep ponies in the dark."

Fluttershy then asked. "But aren't you proud of the adventures you've had? All the good things you've done?"

A. K. nodded. "Of course. I was never in it for the fame. Still, after everything I've endured this is how my story ends? Not with a bang but a whimper?" Then she pondered. "I just wish I knew who this Martingale author was and why he's so determined to ruin my character. And me."

Rainbow Dash seemed to soon get an idea. "Well if you ask me, considering he bashed you and made Dr. Caballeron sound like a good guy even though he's not, I can think of only one possible explanation."

A. K. nearly gasped at the realization! "You really think Caballeron would create a fake name to write his own book series just to get back at me? I've never have imagined he could stoop so low, even after the last stunt he pulled!" But she then warned. "But it's not like I can just go storming over there and expose him, assuming it really is Caballeron in disguise. It'll only make me look even worse."

"Well maybe you can't, but we can!" Fluttershy suggested as she gestured a hoof out the bookstore window.

Rainbow's moderate purple eyes quickly saw what her fellow pegasus was trying to draw her attention to. Namely a long line of ponies gathering across the street, with a sign that displayed the name Groom Q. Q. Martingale in large letters. "He's doing a book signing across the street?!" And then she decided. "This is perfect! Just the opportunity we need to expose him for the fraud he is!"

So the two pegasi left the book store A. K. was in and crossed the street, making their way through the crowd as Fluttershy held her own copy of Daring Do and the Fallen Idol in her hooves.

When both mares got close though, Rainbow Dash let out a gasp of horror! Q. Q. Martingale seemed to look almost exactly like Caballeron, even down to having a similar mane and tail, coat and a dusty white jacket. But he had a black bowler hat on top of his head, his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and he appeared to be wearing a beard. "My hunch was right! Groom Q. Q. Martingale is and has been Dr. Caballeron in disguise this whole time," She whispered. "Creating a fake author to sound like you're the hero. Who does that?"

"Um A. K. Yearling?" Fluttershy proposed.

"That's different, Fluttershy! A. K. does it to protect her secret, she doesn't do it for fame!" Rainbow growled. "Just follow my lead, this madness ends now!" Then she trotted up to who she believed was the disguised Dr. Caballeron, immediately glaring at him. "Well, well, well! Up to your old tricks again, huh? Just like in Somnambula's village! Spreading lies to make Daring Do look bad! Have you no shame?"

Fluttershy tried to downplay the tensions. "Um, sorry for the confrontation. We do have some questions, but we did also come for the book signing."

Q. Q. Martingale didn't seem the least bit worried about the angry accusation that had just been hurled at him as he simply ignored Rainbow Dash and turned to Fluttershy. "It's quite alright, I I will gladly answer your friend's questions. And you are not the first to assume I'm somepony I am not," Then he asked the pegasus with a yellow coat. "Who should I make the book out to?"

"Fluttershy, with two 'T''s." Fluttershy replied, and was happy to accept her book once Martingale had signed it.

Rainbow then swooped on top of the table, confronting the author. "Okay, a deal's a deal. If you don't want us to expose you, you'd better start answering our questions!"

Martingale was willing to oblige. "Sorry everypony," He sincerely apologized. "I'm afraid that's all I have time for today. Please come back tomorrow, and take a free copy of my book with you on your way out," After everypony had left, he led his remaining two guests to a secluded section of the bookstore, taking off his hat, sunglasses and fake beard to reveal that he was indeed Dr. Caballeron. "Should've figured you'd see right through it. But if Daring Do can pull off the secret identity with nopony being any the wiser, I figured I could too."

The brash speedster just growled. "You're not gonna get away with this, Caballeron!"

"Get away with what, exactly? I'm merely telling my side of the story," Caballeron pointed out. "Daring Do likes to think she has all the answers, but she doesn't. She makes so many mistakes I'm surprised she can still call herself an adventurer or an author. Why, did you know that in Daring Do and the Quetzal's Quest, she states that the Fangthorn Flowers are red when in fact they are blue?!"

Fluttershy nodded. "It's true, they are. Almost everypony knows that."

Rainbow Dash groaned. "That sounds like more of an editor's mistake, like when you get your rights and lefts confused. Or did you ever consider that maybe Daring Do is color blind?"

"Sounds to me like you're just making up excuses to cover up the fact that Daring Do is wrong," Caballeron protested with a shake of his head. "And if she's wrong about something like Fangthorn Flowers, surely she could be wrong about other things too, no?"

Rainbow refused to believe it. "I've heard enough out of you! Wait til I tell Daring Do, she'll sue the clothes right off your back!" And she flew away without another word.





Fluttershy wasn't quite so willing to leave. She didn't have much experience with Caballeron, having only Rainbow's word to go on for what he was like. Still, even she didn't think she could justify sticking around. She was just preparing to leave when Dr. Caballeron let out an unhappy sigh. "Is something wrong, Mr. Caballeron?"

"Dr. Caballeron," Caballeron corrected. "And your rainbow maned friend is right. I don't have a good reputation. I've been a terrible pony, there's no good reason why you or anypony else should believe a word I say. That's the whole reason why I had to assume this fake name."

"You really just wanted to ruin Daring Do's reputation?" The pegasus questioned. "That seems a bit unfair. What did Daring Do ever do to you besides reject your offer to team up that one time?"

The earth pony stallion sighed anew. "You'll never believe it if I tell you, but I have my reasons. My team and I, at least when I had a team anyway, we were only interested in researching ancient artifacts," He explained as he began recalling some of his earliest encounters with Daring Do. "I hoped to take them to my museum so other ponies could study them, and I would solidify my reputation as the top pony in my craft. But Daring Do always seemed to get there first with her own plans. I offered to team up with her, but she refused. She had her own ideas of where the treasures belonged, and she said I was too greedy."

"But you tried to sell artifacts to the highest bidder, including Ahuizotl," Fluttershy pointed out. "And you tried to steal all the glowpez necklaces from Somnambula's village while framing Daring Do for the crime."

Caballeron tried to nervously argue. "I had no other choice. Because of Daring Do I couldn't work anywhere else. My museum had to close and with it went my only source of income."

Fluttershy wasn't convinced. "But on your most recent adventure you not only tried to frame Daring Do for a crime she didn't commit, but you also kidnapped Rainbow Dash with the intent of having her take a bath in bubbling hot goop. And you know she couldn't have gotten out on her own."

"But even you must admit Daring is quite reckless," Caballeron pleaded to Fluttershy. "Think of how often her battles with Ahuizotl result in the destruction of everything around her. I couldn't have so easily fooled the villagers if Daring Do hadn't destroyed half their village trying to save it. And don't forget about all the animals that live there." He hoped it would sway Fluttershy to his cause.

It didn't. The pegasus only shook her head. "Even if that were true, Daring Do probably wouldn't have even half as much a reason to do the things she did if she wasn't always having to chase after you, Caballeron. Daring Do may not be as perfect as Rainbow Dash believes, Daring has made a lot of mistakes. But that doesn't mean you're any better just because you claim you're misunderstood. And trust me, I've met lots of ponies and other creatures who were. They were sorry for what they did," She then frowned. "I can't say the same for you." And then she turned to leave.

The pegasus hadn't gotten very far though when Caballeron pleaded. "W-wait! I can prove to you that I can change! My team could use an insightful pegasus like you, Fluttershy. If you join us, I promise you'll see first hoof who the real villain is. Don't you at least have an obligation to consider my offer? The mere fact that I'm not forcing this upon you should mean that I'm not completely without a heart."

Against her better judgement, Fluttershy agreed. Though not before she told Caballeron. "Just give me a minute to get ready. I wasn't exactly expecting to go on an adventure today."

Caballeron, suspecting nothing, agreed to the request. "Take as much time as you need. I wouldn't wish to rush you. If you were working for Daring Do, she would demand you to be ready at the drop of a hat, or pith helmet to be precise."

The pegasus with a beautiful yellow coat smiled, and then flew away. "I'll be back soon." Once she was convinced she'd given the earth pony the slip, she trotted outside where she found Rainbow Dash waiting impatiently for her.

"Daring Do's already preparing the paperwork to take Caballeron to court," Rainbow explained to Fluttershy. "You sure took your sweet time in there."

But Fluttershy boldly answered. "That's because I've decided to find out if Dr. C. is really telling the truth. I'm joining his expedition to the Tenochtitlan Basin."

The brash speedster's mouth dropped open in shock! "Say whaaaaaaat?! Have you lost your mind?! I never thought you could be so gullible."

The animal loving pegasus shook her head and answered. "I'm being trusting, not stupid. Caballeron's arguments don't hold much water, but even you have to admit we don't know what really happened between him and Daring Do when he offered to team up with her," She explained her choice. "If he's as misunderstood as he claims, his true nature will shine through when he doesn't have to worry about Daring Do. But I'm telling you this so you can get Daring Do and follow us in case Caballeron is lying."

Rainbow reluctantly responded. "I... guess that's a good idea. You're the pony who got Discord to mend his ways after all. Maybe you see something I don't," But she warned. "Just don't let your guard down. Daring Do and I will be right behind you. And if Caballeron dares to lay a hoof on you, it'll be more than just his writing career that comes to an end."

"Well, just wait for a little bit. Caballeron can't know he's being followed," Fluttershy insisted. "And don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I hope so. You've never been on a Daring Do style adventure before though." Rainbow Dash commented, before watching her friend trot back inside to join Caballeron's team for their latest expedition.

Only once the expedition team had left the building and were well on their way out of town did Rainbow fly back to the bookstore to get Daring Do, still in her A. K. Yearling disguise as she was finishing up signing books for the fans who hadn't deserted her.

The brash speedster immediately pleaded to the disguised adventurer! "A. K., you gotta help me! It's an emergency!"

A. K. obliged as she signed the last book and then spoke up. "Sorry, everypony. Something's come up. But come back tomorrow and I should be here if you still want your books signed," She then trotted off to a secluded section of the book store, making sure the coast was clear before she inquired of her often relied upon fellow pegasus. "Ok, spill it. What's the emergency?"

"Fluttershy and Dr. Caballeron are off to Tenochtitlan right now!" Rainbow explained. "Groom Q. Q. Martingale really is Caballeron, and he claims he's been misunderstood, that you're the bad guy."

"And it seems like once again he's interested in more than just ruining my reputation, I guess someponies just never learn," A. K. shook her head in dismay, before realizing. "There's only one reason why he'd try to recruit Fluttershy. He must be after the Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh! It requires the wings of a pegasus to successfully retrieve it! We must stop him!" She quickly threw off her robe, removed her glasses and dropped her hat. She was Daring Do once again!

Unknown to either pegasus, a filly had accidentally wandered close and seen the whole thing. "Whoa! Daring Do is real after all!" She exclaimed, a bit too loudly as she gave herself away.

Daring quickly moved to take control of the situation. "Well you're not gonna tell anypony about it. It's top secret. And if you keep the secret, I'll give you free copies of all my books for a year. Deal?"

"Deal!" The filly agreed with a smile!





As Rainbow Dash and Daring Do pursued Caballeron's expedition team, the doctor was himself giving orders to the stallions accompanying him. "Watch where you put your hooves, everypony. We do not want to disturb the fragile jungle ecosystem any more than we have to."

"Are you always this thoughtful?" Fluttershy asked Caballeron as they trotted along, making their way through the dense jungle that was full of rare plants.

Caballeron nodded. "Daring Do prefers to hack and slash her way through. But not me, I prefer a more delicate approach. Perhaps if she ever slowed down she wouldn't make so many mistakes," Then he suddenly noticed one of the stallions in his team was about to help themselves to a rare plant with strange markings on it. "You fool!" He barked out as he grabbed the stallion by the collar of his shirt! "Don't you know that's a deadly poison?!"

The stallion blushed. "Oh, sorry, boss."

Realizing he was making a scene, Dr. Caballeron claimed. "I... don't want to lose you, my friend. I mean, I could probably brew up an antidote in time but I'd rather not take the risk."

The stallion with an orange colored beard protested. "But I'm starving."

Fluttershy smiled. "Oh! I can help with that! Here!" She pulled out a small picnic blanket along with some plates and sandwiches. "I always make it a habit to come prepared."

Caballeron was quite amazed. "And you are... willing to share?"

The pegasus mare nodded her head. "Of course! After all, that's part of the fun of having an adventure with friends! Don't you have any friends. Dr. Caballeron?"

The earth pony stallion shook his head in response. "No. Even these ponies you see before you are more business partners than anything else. I haven't had much need for friends, I always preferred to keep to myself. And ever since Daring Do spurned me that's only increased," And he commented. "I... never would've considered having true friends. The closest I have are the times I worked with Ahuizotl, and if I'm being honest we could never truly stomach each other for long."

"Well, if you're looking to turn over a new leaf, having friends is a good way to start." Fluttershy encouraged, remembering her experience with Discord when he was in the process of reforming.

The crew then sat down to enjoy the picnic lunch Fluttershy had prepared. But they hadn't been eating for very long when suddenly several large wild cats emerged from some rustling bushes, prompting everypony to gasp! All ran for shelter, except for Fluttershy who just stood her ground and refused to budge.

Caballeron frantically called out to the pegasus from his hiding place in some nearby bushes! "Fluttershy! Run! These ferocious beasts want to eat us for dinner!"

Fluttershy didn't think so. "That's a common misconception. Have you ever tried just talking to them?"

"No, and for good measure! I don't wish to be ripped to shreds by those jungle cats' claws!" Caballeron called back. "You are on your own! It was nice knowing you!"

However, to the surprise of Caballeron and his stallions, Fluttershy was able to easily calm the wild cats down to the point where they began to purr. "We're so very sorry for coming into your territory. We're just passing through, we mean you no harm."

The stallions were amazed by this display as they all emerged from the bushes they'd been hiding in. Even Caballeron was impressed. "How did you do that?"

The pegasus just smiled. "I'm really good with animals. Besides, everyone likes to be listened to. You just need to take the time to understand them."

Caballeron smiled back as he commented. "Fluttershy, you are way more talented than I realized. I'm glad I brought you along."





Rainbow Dash and Daring Do weren't too far behind, with Daring Do barking out orders! "Hurry! We need to catch up to them before they can reach the Truth Talisman!"

"So what's special about it? Why does Caballeron want it?" Rainbow Dash questioned while she and Daring were furiously flapping their wings to try and go even faster than they already were.

Daring explained. "Well, it has the power to make whoever wears it tell the truth no matter what. But it's also made out of solid gold. Knowing Caballeron, he just wants to melt it down to get rich."

"So how come you haven't saved it already?" Rainbow asked Daring.

Daring answered. "I tried, but the temple that houses the talisman is very well guarded. I was just going to leave it alone when I learned that only a pegasus could get it, because that would mean Caballeron and Ahuizotl couldn't. But now that Caballeron has a pegasus of his own, he might just be able to get it. Especially if he can solve all the other traps the temple has set up." Yet just as the temple came into view for her and for Rainbow, Daring felt a vine grab hold of her and pull her down, causing her to let out a yelp!

Rainbow swooped down to try to untangle Daring, only to end up ensnared by a vine as well. And then who should appear before them but Ahuizotl himself in all his horrific glory? "Ah, Daring Do. My old nemesis," Ahuizotl spoke as his voice was dripping with malice and contempt. "It's been a long time hasn't it? I should've known that foolish Caballeron would find a way to mess up his plan."

"Ahuizotl, I don't have time for this!" Daring protested as she struggled in vain against the vines! "You'll never be able to get your filthy paws on The Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh!"

Ahuizotl only laughed. "Oh but Daring Do, I already know that it requires the wings of a pegasus to retrieve it. And by a stroke of luck, two perfect candidates for the job have shown up," Then he commented. "However, I've got bigger fish to fry. A new boss waiting to welcome me into his ranks, just as soon as I get rid of you and your rainbow maned friend here."

"You mean you're seeing someone else?!" Daring taunted. "I thought what we had was special, Ahuizotl."

"Heartbreaking, I know. I'd tell you who my new boss is, but why should I bother when you won't be around to do anything about it? Now then, it's time I moved on to a higher calling," Ahuizotl grinned before hissing. "I don't know how it is you two were able to make this far. My jungle cats shouldn't have been so easily outsmarted and defeated."

Rainbow Dash protested. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Ahuizotl! We didn't see any jungle cats on our way here!"

Ahuizotl snapped back! "Silence! Do you take I, the great Ahuizotl, for a fool?! How could it not have been you meddlesome do-gooders?! You're the only pegasi I've seen all day."

Daring Do then taunted her arch nemesis. "Come on, Ahuizotl. Are you really this dense? A certain pony you're used to working with has found a pegasus, and he's going to use it to get the treasure before you can."

It took but a minute for Ahuizotl to realize what his sworn enemy was saying. And he roared at the top of his lungs! "Caballeron! That good for nothing double crosser! Of course he'd come here! Everywhere you go, he goes! Now I'll have to deal with him and his pegasus partner too!" Then he became aware of the sound of ripping, and was just in time to see a rainbow colored blur zip away at lightning speed!

With Rainbow and Daring now free from Ahuizotl's clutches, they quickly raced up the front of the temple and raced down an opened hatch into the temple's interior. "Like we needed more trouble," Rainbow grumbled. "Just who in the hay is that 'new boss' Ahuizotl was talking about? He's never been working for anyone but himself before."

Daring only groaned and shook her head. "We can't worry about that right now. Ahuziotl's sure to be right on our tail. Let's just focus on getting that talisman before Caballeron does. Your friend's going to be a bigger help than she may realize."





Meanwhile, amidst all the commotion that had been going on, Caballeron's team had managed to make it to the center of the temple. Sure enough, there rested The Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh in all its solid gold glory! And it lay above a pit surrounded by lava.

Caballeron appeared to be dismayed as he lay eyes upon the treasure! "I knew the Truth Talisman could not be moved by magic, but I never realized we'd have to fly to retrieve it! Our journey has been for nothing!"

"That's why you brought me along, isn't it?" Fluttershy questioned. "I can just fly up and grab it."

"Oh, Fluttershy, you are too kind for your own good," Dr. Caballeron remarked before shaking his head. "But I couldn't possibly ask you to do such a thing! It's far too dangerous!"

The pegasus didn't seem to think so. "But I want to do it! That artifact must be protected!" And she thought to herself. "Assuming that's what you really want, Caballeron. But don't think I'll just give it to you because of that."

Dr. Caballeron just sighed. "Well, if you're really that determined to go through with it, I wish you the best of luck. But please be careful!"

"It's tricky, but for the sake of ensuring the talisman is protected I'll do it!" Fluttershy vowed as she flapped her wings and took off. She managed to grab the amulet, but the currents stirred up by the lava began to disorient her.

Caballeron's associates jumped into action as one shouted! "Give me a hoof here! Come on!" And they all worked together to push a plank over the pit so they could reach out and grab hold of Fluttershy, pulling her to safety at the last minute!

Just then, however, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do came barging into the room! And Daring Do glared at Caballeron as he tried to reach out a hoof to take possession of the talisman! "Oh no you don't, Caballeron! The gig is up! Give me the talisman!"

And Rainbow added. "We're not taking no for an answer!"

Fluttershy then insisted. "I think you'd better do what they say, Caballeron. You didn't really think you could fool me so easily, did you? Abandoning me to deal with the jungle cats and not jumping in to help me when I almost fell into the pit, it doesn't sound like the sort of thing you'd do unless you don't actually want my friendship."

Caballeron just growled as he reluctantly hoofed the amulet over to Daring Do. "Alright, fine. I admit it! I only needed to get you on my side so that I could steal the talisman and retire," And he grumbled. "Just once I wanted to beat Daring Do at something! To prove to her that she was wrong to ever reject me! Was that so wrong?!"

It was then that Daring got an idea. "Hang on a minute. I have a feeling we can get to the bottom of this little 'mystery'," She approached Caballeron as she told him. "You want The Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh so badly? Well you can have it!" She slipped it around his neck as a strange green glow briefly took hold of him.

"What's that supposed to do? You're a fool, Daring Do!" Caballeron roared. "You've just given me a treasure you worked so hard to protect! And I'll see to it that the whole world knows you've failed!"

But Daring pointed out. "You're the fool, Caballeron. I put the talisman on you to get some answers. Now that you're wearing it, you have to tell the truth no matter how much you might not want to," Then she questioned. "So let's hear it. What's the real reason you've been chasing after me and trying to take me down all these years? It's not just because I didn't take you on as a partner, is it?"

The doctor groaned as he was forced to answer. "That's only part of it," And he confessed. "I hate you, Daring Do! You ruined me! Ruined the great Dr. Caballeron! I graduated from Manehattan University as the top pony in my field, everypony said I was destined to be the greatest archaeological expert there ever was. I even had my own museum that was to house the finest treasures of ancient civilizations known to pony kind," Hissing he then added. "So naturally, I thought a partnership with the legendary Daring Do herself would be perfect. I could assist her in her work and my legacy would be secured. But of course, Daring Do said no. She wouldn't even consider my offer."

"I could tell just by looking at you that you only cared about your own self, not about protecting the ancient civilizations and their treasures from harm or the forces of evil." Daring remarked with a frown.

But Caballeron roared! "How would you know when you never even gave me the chance?! Once word got out that Daring Do didn't wanna work with me, nopony in their right mind would come near me. My entire legacy was ruined, all thanks to you!" Then he turned to Fluttershy. "Even though I was only using you to get what I wanted, to ensure I could retire in splendor, I must admit that my henchponies and I have begun to feel touched by your kindness. Perhaps if you had met us sooner, you could've steered us away from the path we've now locked ourselves onto."

Yet just as the stallion finished his confession, the sound of paws clapping caught everypony's attention! All spun around to see Ahuizotl standing before them. "Oh, how very touching, Caballeron," He declared with fake sympathy, pretending to wipe a tear from his eyes. "It's too bad nopony will ever be around to write that sad story of yours. That is, unless you're willing to hoof over Tonatiuh's Talisman to me."

Daring Do immediately rejected the offer. "Not gonna happen, Ahuizotl!"

Ahuizotl only grinned. "Oh, I was hoping you would say that," And he gave a whistle. "Guardian-goyles, attack! Punish these intruders!" And then he slipped away. "So long, Daring Do. And you too, Dr. Caballeron."

Just as Ahuizotl disappeared through a door way that slammed shut behind him, a series of gargoyle statues began to ominously glow and soon came to life!





The mighty stone gargoyles quickly swooped down and began attacking the perceived intruders, proving too difficult to elude.

Caballeron called out in frustration and desperation! "Fluttershy! Can't you ask them to stop like the jungle cats?"

But Daring protested with a shake of her head. "That'll never work! They're only stone and magic, not living, breathing creatures!" Then she recalled. "I know because encountered something like this in Marapore!"

Dr. Caballeron nodded as the stallion recalled. "Ah, yes. I seem to recall encountering similar creations in Flankladesh once."

"Great, so how do we stop them?!" Rainbow Dash questioned! "Make it quick, we gotta get out of here before this place collapses!" And as she spoke it was possible to feel vibrations that signaled the temple would soon crumble to the ground, taking everything inside it with it!

Daring Do began to draw on her memories. "Well if I remember correctly, they don't like bright light!"

Fluttershy whimpered. "There's none of that in here, though."

"Maybe not yet!" Daring declared before calling out to Caballeron. "Hey, Caballeron! You wanted to work with me, right? Well this is your chance!" And she questioned. "Do you still have the Diamond of Lapis Lux?"

The earth pony stallion was unable to resist the talisman's influence as he answered. "Yes!" Then he growled in annoyance! "How did you know I stole it?!"

Daring chuckled. "Because you just told me, but we'll worry about that later. Quick, hold it high!" And Caballeron did so. Just as Daring Do had hypothesized, the diamond was able to reflect light from the sun to blind and ultimately destroy the guardian-goyles.

Everypony seemed to be impressed as Fluttershy commented. "Wow! You two make a really great team!"

Rainbow just cringed. "I... don't know how to feel about that."

"Feel later, for now we have to escape!" Daring declared! "And like it or not, we're all in this together! Hurry!"

Everypony rushed through the opening that had appeared when the guardian-goyles were defeated. But their relief at having escaped a trap was short lived when who should appear to block their path but Ahuizotl? "Argh! You again!" He growled in frustration and annoyance! "What do I have to do to get rid of you meddlesome ponies?! If I wanted to play games, I would get out my pinochle deck!" And he lunged at them, knocking the truth talisman off of Caballeron.

"Finally!" Caballeron exclaimed in relief!

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash managed to pick up the talisman just as Ahuizotl started to lunge at her. "Oh man, I'm gonna need the deluxe spa package after this adventure," She confessed. And then realizing what the tailisman had made her say she tossed it to Daring Do while insisting. "That doesn't leave this temple!"

Daring Do nodded. "Understood! Now hurry, this temple could come down at any minute!" And she motioned for everypony to follow her.

"No you don't, Daring Do!" Ahuizotl roared at the top of his lungs as he lunged after her! "You won't get away from me this time! I swear it! You will regret ever making a mockery of me!" Yet he ended up misjudging his movement, missing his target and smacking into a wall as several rocks fell down around him. One struck him square on the head.

Ahuizotl was quite slow to get up and even Daring Do found herself worried. "Is he...?" She asked as everypony turned back to look.

But suddenly, Ahuizotl sprang to life and shook his head. "I... remember now," He commented as he looked all around, seeing the rapidly decaying temple before him. "I caused this."

"Okay, does somepony wanna explain this?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

Ahuizotl slowly limped over to the ponies, pulling a lever nearby. To their surprise, it revealed a door that led to the outside and to safety. "You must go," He told them as he spoke quite slowly. "This temple will not last much, and neither will I. But I will hold it up for as long as I can so that you may be granted safe passage."

Caballeron questioned Ahuizotl. "Why are you doing this? How do we know this isn't a trap to lure us to our doom?"

Ahuizotl explained as he looked at the ponies. "Even Daring Do never knew where I came from. For the longest time, I didn't know either. All I knew was that treasures and ancient civilizations in this basin were my calling. And when Daring Do made off with them to protect them, I vowed that I would destroy her in order to take the treasures for myself," Then he gestured up to his forehead. "But that blow I just sustained jogged my memory. You know of those guardian-goyles you just met? I was once among their ranks, the guardians entrusted with protecting the Tonatiuh Basin. I was cast out for trying to steal the treasures for myself, and as punishment I was transformed into this beast and stripped of my memories."

"I... never knew!" Daring commented as she took off her pith helmet. "I'm sorry. Maybe I could've helped you sooner and all of this could've been avoided."

But Ahuizotl shook his head. "There is no way you or anyone else could've known, because I didn't know myself," Then he added. "But I sense now that the guardians have need of me. A great evil threatens not just this basin and not just your world, but all life as we know it," And he pleaded. "Leave now! Ensure that others don't disturb the peace here! My fellow guardians and I will protect the basin as best as we can, and you must prepare yourselves for when this great evil will strike. Go, now!"

The ponies hesitated for but a second before rushing to the exit, watching as Ahuizotl held up the roof of the temple as it continued to come down around him. They left just before they would've seen a small skull object tumble out and be crushed by the debris.





Once the group of ponies made it to safety, Caballeron's henchponies all ran off, they'd had enough of the adventure life. That left Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy alone with Daring Do and Dr. Caballeron, Daring Do still holding onto the talisman.

"To think, after all that, Ahuizotl would end up saving us all." Rainbow commented as she looked back to see that the temple was nothing but rubble.

Fluttershy smiled. "I guess it goes to show that anyone can surprise you, even when you think you have them all figured out," Then she lamented. "But not everyone can be saved in the end."

Rainbow Dash put a hoof around her fellow pegasus. "He's with the guardians now, he can do no more harm," Then she pondered. "What do you suppose he meant by that 'great evil'? Could it have anything to do with that new boss he was going to go work for?"

"Perhaps," Fluttershy replied. "We should probably get back to Ponyville and tell Twilight about this, she'll decide if it's anything to be concerned about."

Daring Do nodded in encouragement. "You two have been a big help today, I couldn't have done this without you. You go ahead and go back home, I'll take care of the talisman and Caballeron," She waited for the two pegasi to leave, before turning to the stallion and sighing. "Now then, Caballeron. What am I gonna do with you? Are you going to continue to cause me trouble?"

"Do whatever you want, Daring Do. You always win in the end." Caballeron grumbled.

But Daring had an idea. "You know, back in the temple, it actually felt kind of... good to be teaming up with you. And ever since I met Rainbow Dash I've come to realize that there's a certain value in having a partner you can count on to watch your back."

Caballeron's ears perked up. "You mean..."

Daring nodded her head. "Maybe it's not too late for us to start over. Perhaps if I'd worded my rejection better or been more open to the idea of a partner, you'd never have become such a mean and nasty pony. I don't know how much it'll help, but I'll do my best to guide you back to the right path again," Then she warned. "But don't get any ideas. If you're going to work for me you have to abide by my rules, that means I call the shots. So when I say we donate the artifacts we find to trustworthy museums, that's it."

"Fine," Dr. Caballeron reluctantly agreed. "And I suppose I could print a retraction of all the lies I told about you in my book."

Daring smiled. "Excellent. I'm glad we understand each other, Caballeron. This could be the start of a promising partnership between the two of us."